Europe Vacations
Florence
Florence (Firenze in Italian) is a cradle of Western culture and artistic tradition. This great city is one of Europe's preeminent cultural destinations, holding claim to some of the world's greatest works of art. This was the birthplace of the Renaissance in the early 15th century, when the study of the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome became a Florentine passion. This cultural and artistic rebirth brought with it a new respect for learning and creativity, a remarkable moment in history that is still in evidence everywhere in Florence today. Politician and historian Niccolò Machiavelli, artist Botticelli, and sculptor Donatello all lived and worked here during that great time. And the wonders didn't cease after the Renaissance. It is in Florence that you'll also find works by Leonardo, Raffaello, and others, including Michelangelo's David, perhaps one of the most famous works of art in all the world.
Florence has much to offer from the modern day as well, successfully adapting to the demands of 21st-century life while managing to retain its Medieval architecture dominated by fortress-like facades and infrastructure of cobblestone streets. Nestled in the heart of Tuscany, Florence is a historical and cultural treasure trove that excites your sensibilities and awakens within you a Renaissance of your own!
London
LondonLondon Info
Called "Llyn-din" by the Celts and "Londinium" by the Romans, this prehistoric city has grown over the millennia from an anonymous far-flung settlement, to the seat of power governing of the world, to the music haven of the 1960s, and into what Newsweek magazine calls the "coolest city on the planet...a hip compromise between the non-stop newness of Los Angeles and the aspic-preserved beauty of Paris - sharpened to New York's edge." Indeed, the British capital rivals New York for energy, art, dining, nightlife, entertainment, and a totally hip attitude. If, however, you have no interest in London's pop culture, and prefer to visit the London of history and literature, you will find it intact amidst the new cool.
The Tower of London and the royal palaces have probably been featured in more works of historical romance than any place else but it is the whole, as represented in the works of Charles Dickens, that evokes most people's preconceptions of London. Very little of Dickensian London remains, which is mostly a good thing. Gone is the bleakness and misery right down to the pea-soup fog, which was actually heavy smog now dispatched thanks to air pollution controls. Though some of the character has changed here and there with time and "progress," there are still many, many places that remain just as they have always been. Writer Samuel Johnson encapsulated London's appeal when he said, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford."
Paris
Paris is like a canvas that an artist has been painting for 2,000 years, blending the old with the new, the serene with the glamorous. Grand palaces, heroic and tragic figures, creative geniuses, and even legendary cuisine all have their place in the masterpiece that is this city. Artists like Mozart, Monet, and Hemingway have flocked to it for centuries seeking inspiration. The on-going courtship between past, present, and future creates vistas of ancient monuments rising up next to chic boutiques launching the haute new trends. Museums overflowing with treasures share plazas with unknown artists, exhibiting their creations on makeshift stands.
As the paradigm of high style, this is perhaps the most tantalizing city in Europe, yet it is deeply rooted in traditional village life. Nowadays, some of the most palpable pleasures of Paris are found in the daily street life and along the spirited banks of the River Seine. Fortunately, the city is so clearly laid out that you can easily discover the different personalities of each section - the arrondissements - as you saunter around at your own pace. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Good Americans, when they die, go to Paris." The smart ones don't wait around 'til then!
Rome
Ah, the Eternal City. In the nearly 3,000 years of its life, Rome has known it all - victory and defeat, joy and tragedy, glory and misery. A playground for gods and emperors, its power once stretched from Syria to Scotland and even today, long after the empire crumbled beneath the feet of barbarian hordes, our lives are steeped in its traditions, laws, and language making us all, in some small way, Citizens of Rome. A visit here is something of a homecoming, then, and your longing and excitement builds to a fever pitch as you emerge onto the ancient streets. Church bells wake you as the city comes to life and you are surrounded by an urban symphony of animated Italians, shop grilles opening, scooting Vespas, bustling tourists, and cascading fountains.
Multi-layered as a canoli cake, Rome is made up of ancient buildings, pagan and Christian icons, Renaissance fountains, Medieval streets, Fascist follies, and modern sensibilities. All of it comes together in the vibrant, timeless lifestyle without distinction of era, so you encounter images like a priest in flowing robes consulting over a cell phone in a Medieval plaza or a couple nuzzling and flirting through the house of the Vestal Virgins. Walk around and just experience a "day in the life." Toss a coin into the cool waters of a Bernini fountain, walk barefoot through the grass of the Palatine Hill, or try to decipher the lively gesturing of a Roman along the route that Cleopatra traveled in grand procession to visit Caesar. Better to miss some things in order to calmly and properly experience others. You can always return, for Rome and la dolce vita will still be there waiting for you.
