Run away from the city without leaving it? The most beautiful urban parks in the world

We love everything about our city: contradictions, chaos and crowded streets, a thousand dazzling lights and dynamics. We cannot do without it, yet every so often we need a little pause: to detach ourselves from it, without however “betraying it”, simply by looking at it from another perspective. Have you ever tried to visit an urban park ? It is here that the city reveals its hidden, different side and allows us to enter another dimension.

This is precisely the purpose that inspired the British author Toby Musgrave, who in his latest book Green Escapes lists a vast collection of urban areas, parks and gardens , scattered in the metropolises of the world: green corners, not necessarily known, in to restore body and soul.

Among Musgrave’s favorites, Wendy’s Secret Garden in Sydney , Australia, was born from the effort of a woman, Wendy Whiteley, who concentrated the pain of losing her husband in an ambitious project in her memory: transforming a piece of abandoned land turned into landfill between his house and the railway that separated it from the bay. A bizarre and vibrant space was born between Lavender Bay and Clark Park, full of native ferns, bright flowers and palm trees.

Created in 2003 on the site of the former Osaka baseball stadium in Japan , Namba Parks is a green area incorporated into a huge shopping mall. A rock canyon winds through the center and each terrace offers something to discover: groves of trees, waterfalls and vegetable gardens that wind between boutiques and restaurants. Another pearl of the Rising Sun is located in Fukuoka, the southernmost of the main Japanese islands. This is the ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall: 15 vegetation-covered terraces stand on the building that houses the Fukuoka Symphony Hall, exhibition spaces and a tourist information center.

57925060 – fukuoka, japan – april 10, 2014: front view of acros fukuoka prefectural international hall in fukuoka, kyushu, japan. acros fukuoka is the eco-building and landmark of fukuoka that has a green roof.

In Europe, one cannot fail to mention the Vertical Forest , which stands out on the Milanese skyline on the edge of the Isola district. In 2014 the skyscraper won the International Highrise Award , for the perfect symbiosis between architecture and nature: each of the 113 dwellings opens onto terraces planted with trees, creepers and shrubs, which together amount to 10 thousand square meters of forest.

Women traveling alone: ​​cancel these taboos

It is undeniable, on vacation – at least in Italy – conformism reigns. All away in the same period (preferably August), all boxed up in cars with the family or thirsty for fun with friends to Formentera or the Greek islands … A framework too schematic? Maybe. However, those who choose alternative holiday arrangements are often seen as extraterrestrials. An emblematic case: women traveling alone . Have you ever done it? Or do you simply imagine that such an experience could be possible, indeed beautiful?

Unfortunately, many instances are rowing against. Common places, prejudices, messages from the media that condition us and make us think that for us women traveling alone is dangerous , risky, uncomfortable. In short, inadvisable.

But often these are false myths, beliefs that we have in our mind but which do not correspond in any way to reality. And they make us give up a priori an experience that can be rich in encounters, stimuli, inner reflections and, above all, synonymous with absolute freedom .

We are afraid, for example, of finding ourselves, perhaps for two weeks, in complete solitude, having to contemplate breathtaking landscapes and spectacular works of art without being able to share their beauty with someone. A consideration clashes with the fact, real, that in the world there are more and more people (and women in particular) traveling alone , thanks to a whole series of conditions that make traveling and stays easier (from low cost flights the ease of booking hotels online, up to the possibility of circumventing language problems with Google): it is therefore very easy, during a trip, to meet other travelers and lone travelers with whom the classic question “where are you from?” a conversation, maybe take real friendships and even share part of the journey.

And if you think you are introverted and have difficulty attaching buttons, you will be amazed to realize how the complicity between “globe trotters” a thousand miles away from home is easily and fluidly established. Nothing to do with the intention of finding love on the other side of the planet: you don’t have to force yourself to be single to decide to take a backpack and go on an adventure , indeed. There may be different reasons: your boyfriend does not have enough holidays or does not want to visit a country that is in your heart or both of you decide to have a solo experience and then find yourself and share it.

And we come to the real block. Often the media throws crimes and violence at us that inevitably can involve tourists or tourists. They make the news, but if we consider the percentage incidence of these facts on the mass of visitors who enjoy journeys without incurring any problem, we would drastically reduce the risks. Of course, there are countries at war that must naturally be avoided . There are others in which the crime rate is higher than in Italy, but where it is possible to go by following the rules of common sense. Which are the same as when we go to an Italian city that we do not know: keep away from risky areas, avoid showing off jewels or provocative outfits, pay attention at night.

Symptoms to find out if you are a travel sick (and … there is no cure!)

You have just returned home and you are already looking forward to the next trip: if you know this feeling, you may have contracted the traveler’s disease . Know that for such a disease there is no cure, it will only get worse . And it will accompany you for the rest of your days. The luck is that you are not alone: ​​so here are the signs, or maybe we could even define them as symptoms , which can make you understand that you are a travel sick.

First clue: if you haven’t left your last destination yet and you’re already planning the next one . Typical reasoning from last night away , when instead of taking stock of the trip still going on, you can do nothing but think: “Here I lived these experiences, that’s what I want to do when I leave”.

Just come home, then, you notice some aspects of your everyday life: if, after unpacking your suitcase, you will spontaneously do it again and leave it there “because you never know” , you are a chronic patient. Even more if, after weeks of reaching the coveted shower in your home, you will get into slippers . Too much the habit of washing yourself in hostels, establishments or in any case places shared with other people … Attention then to the number of foreign SIM cards you have in the drawer: they represent a real thermometer of your travel fever.

Your way of spending free time is also very indicative. Do you read tourist guides just for fun? Do you like to plan flights that you know very well you will never support? Do you miss reading reviews of restaurants in the city you’ve never visited? Have you just returned and do you have a clogged email newsletter for flights around the world? Then the disease is at a very advanced stage.

However, it is not said that the patient with travel is a solitary person, on the contrary: he could also attend a good number of friends and relatives , but he also expresses his problem with them. You will notice if the question “What have you been doing lately?” You will answer “I have been to …” or if any of your anecdotes will contain the phrase “It happened to me when I was in …” . Obviously, then, you will not fail to propose to those you love to accompany you to this or that corner of the planet, which you have not yet visited or where you would like to return.

Last details taken from everyday life. Look at the walls of your home: if instead of paintings, prints or posters there are maps and planispheres , you have contracted the disease. The same goes if you use the cost of living abroad as a unit of measure for the purchase of an object (“This new TV is too expensive, it’s like spending ten days in Paris! “). Or if, having to write something on social networks, it will surely be on a trip already made or to be made.

Attention, finally: it may be that on social networks you contact someone you haven’t seen for years (an old colleague, a high school friend or even someone you don’t even remember who he is) and who, kidnapped by your posts wandering around the planet , asks you advice on a next destination. That is the moment when you can transmit your disease to him . Which, among other things, is also contagious .

How much must we travel to be happy?

You have just returned from a long journey and would like to start instantly for who knows what other exotic destination; you get lost dreaming in front of the windows of travel agencies; your library is full of tourist guides … There is little to say: you are an incurable globetrotter and, if there were no family work, etc., you would spend most of the year wandering around the five continents.

But since not everyone can live as a travel blogger, at the end of each trip you see yourself forced to downsize your ambitions. So go fancy, longing for the next tour that you can give yourself at Christmas or Easter. So, as soon as you come back from vacation, you unpack your bags and within a couple of days you have already booked a low-cost flight to the capital you never visited.

Thinking about the next trip will calm you down , you have already begun to relish it, book the most romantic B&B well in advance and download pages of information from the web. But how many trips should you do each year to be happy? Good question, but with a complicated answer. Various factors must be taken into consideration.

First of all, the money available . It is true, traveling costs. But it depends on how you do it. Today, thanks to apps and portals that compare rates , there are many ways to save on flights, hotels and car rentals. Without considering increasingly widespread hospitality formulas such as “home exchange”. All this makes traveling holidays, even on the other side of the world, much more accessible than in the past.

Even the excuse “I have too few holidays” holds up to a certain point . It is true that non-working periods are limited, but it always depends on the choices you make . Spending the three weeks on the coast under the umbrella can be a respectable option, but then you shouldn’t complain about not having the time to go around the world ..

Jesolo by bicycle

This Venetian city is located at the extreme east of the sandy tongue that constitutes the mythical lagoon of Venice. Jesolo has more than 130000 tourists who rank it among the first Adriatic seaside choices for the services offered, for its long golden beach, super equipped and especially for nightlife.

As the famous song by Jarabe De Palo says, “where do you look at the world, everything depends” and today, I would like to talk to you about Jesolo seen on two wheels.

In fact, there are 500 kilometers of cycle paths that make it a perfect city for bicycle lovers.

The municipality of Jesolo has created twelve well-marked cycle routes: these are different routes that allow you to explore the city and the naturalistic areas of great beauty in complete tranquility. What are my favorites?

Orange path

This path has a length of 24 km that will take you to the discovery of the river Sile up to the nearby seaside resort Cavallino.

Starting from via Bafile, in the center of Jesolo Lido, you can reach the dirt road that runs along both Sile riverbanks in a few minutes. It’s a fairly easy itinerary and it’s really difficult to get lost, just follow the river! The real magic of this route is along the path of the right bank of the Sile, where you will seem to find yourself suspended between the river and the lagoon and, pedaling after pedaling, you will admire the beauties that characterize it making it unique in the world.

Here you can download the route in PDF .

Pink route

This 17 km route starts from the nearby Cortellazzo, once a fishing village, located near the mouth of the Piave river. The route passing through Ca ‘Pirami reaches the right bank of the Piave river along a shady path and then arrives in the middle of the green. In this area you will experience that feeling that I call “immensity” when the view sweeps up to the horizon among the endless expanses of Venetian cultivations.

Here you can download the route in PDF.

Green path

This is in my opinion one of the most scenic routes among those offered. The itinerary starts from via Drago located in the center of Jesolo Lido and in a few rides, will lead you along a dirt road that allows the exploration of the Venice lagoon among hundreds of species of birds and plants that characterize the territory, especially in the season spring. The green route requires travel on roads and even if not very frequented by cars, I recommend to always pay close attention ;-).

This is the link to download the PDF file of this path .

Yellow path

The journey is 27 km entirely dedicated to the city of Jesolo Lido. Following this itinerary you will discover the many squares of the city: from Piazza Manzoni to Faro, reaching Piazza Marina, Piazza Aurora and Piazza Mazzini until you reach the quiet Piazza Manzoni. Cycling through the streets of Jesolo, with the tranquility that only the bike paths can give, you can feel the vitality of this city: from the shopping streets to the quiet promenade that with its breeze caresses passing and cyclists.

This is the link to download the PDF file of this path .

Where to get the bikes for free

In Jesolo you can ride a bike for free thanks to the bike sharing service (bike sharing), 120 bikes are available to everyone. How does it work? It is necessary to have a special key issued by the offices of Jtaca (it is essential the identity card to request it) and to pick up the bike from one of the nineteen positions where they are parked. Easy and above all free!

For information on this service I leave you the official link of Bike Sharing Jtaca Jesolo

As an alternative to the bike sharing service I suggest you take advantage of the availability of numerous hotels (members of the Bike Hotel circuit) that make available to their customers bicycles for men, women and children, even with rear high chairs!

Where to sleep

Jesolo offers many possibilities for accommodation thanks to the presence in the city of hundreds of hotels, B & B, campsites and residences. For a good value for money I recommend the central Hotel Nettuno which is located in front of the beautiful waterfront Jesolo. The flagship of this structure, also very well reviewed on Tripadvisor, is its swimming pool park. They are perfect for a dip at sunset, to enjoy the sun on beautiful summer days or even to take advantage of a relaxing bath with bad weather in the “Winter Garden” thanks to the indoor heated pool designed for when out is a bit ‘ cooler.

A weekend in Val di Non

The Val di Non is a concentration of sights to see: castles, lakes and sanctuaries. Making base in Fondo , a mountain village with a crucial position, here are 3 ideas for a weekend (not only) winter.

This is the link to the map of the area

Visit the Sanctuary of San Romedio

Legend has it that here the noble Romedio lived as a hermit in the company of only a bear. This is why the wildlife area has been created where an exemplary Abruzzese circulates in semi-freedom.

The Hermitage can be reached by car ( Google Maps directions  ) or on foot.

Do not miss the panoramic walk along the path in the rock , path carved into the wall and protected by a parapet. Admire from the valley where the Rio di San Romedio flows … it is indescribable!

The departure is in front of the Rhaetian Museum of Sanzeno and takes about 45 min. (here the route map )

Six reasons to see the Hermitage:

  • It is a pilgrimage destination
  • It is immersed in the silence of the woods
  • It stands on a rocky spur about 70 m high
  • It consists of five small churches perched
  • The latter are connected by a staircase of 131 steps
  • The small balcony is a panoramic point

Open all year, admission is free and Masses are also celebrated.

Walk to the ravine

It is an alternative to the Rio Sass Canyon , closed in winter. The walk starts from the historic center of Fondo , takes about 30 min. and ends at the suggestive Lake Smeraldo. Along the way, equipped with walkways and ladders, you come across a mill and a waterfall.

During the Christmas period this small (artificial) water mirror turns into a skating rink, while in summer it is suitable for bathing. On its banks is the Al Folon restaurant-pizzeria . It is a local Trentino local who offers specialties such as dumplings, gnocchi alla nonesa and carne salada … without forgetting the local trout!

Destinations in Florida for First-Time Backpackers

Florida is an adventure-friendly destination with its parks, beaches, and ecological sites. First-time backpackers may have a bucket of tourist spots and many things to do there.

Backpacking is an incredible choice for adventure. Two common reasons include making it handy and traveling light and hopping on from place to place. First-time backpackers will be apprehensive about packing things, language, and safety.

For backpacking, one may carry health-related accessories, light suits, sneakers, and wears based on the weather, location, and course. Some tips to avoid risks are being wary of things around, caring one’s belongings, staying away from strangers, using GPS to get around, and using one’s mobile and the Internet to know about the happenings. If concerned about knowing a language, one may use a language-learning platform, read language books, and get help from a linguistic fellow.

Here is a list of must-sees in Florida for first-time backpackers.

Orlando Theme Parks

If getting to Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, there are only loads of fun and nothing to be anxious about. First-time visitors to these theme parks can enjoy rides, provided that they plan for their schedule, stay, transportation, and dining. A slew of entertainment, dining, and shopping options are in front of them there. Some things to do are taking rides, zips, and adventure shows. Wonderful spaces to romp around are the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and The Islands of Adventure. Attractions that can be easily headed from this theme park are Everglades, Kennedy Space Center, and TibetButler Nature Preserve. If you plan for a food trip from Orlando, go for steakhouses in Jacksonville, which takes only 2 hours to reach. Salento Steakhouse is the best steakhouse Jacksonville Fl restaurant.

Gulf Islands Natural Seashore

It is a 6-hour trip from Jacksonville. It is the largest natural preserve in Florida with maritime forests, wetlands, forts, and salt marsh habitats. First-time backpackers should take guided tours for not getting lost. A swathe of activities through guided tours include bird watching, kayaking, snorkeling and watching mattes, bicycling, camping, hiking, visiting historical sites, and hunting.

Miami Beach

Explore the art deco buildings in Ocean Drive, Miami Beach. It is amazing with a mix of architectural styles. The coastal city has many beaches, stylish buildings, museums, palm-fringed parks, and boutiques.

Hemingway Home

Visit the home of the great novelist Hemingway in Key West. This heritage site is home to his works and souvenirs including the six-toed cat.

Truman Little House

It is remarkable that the president residence has been the naval headquarters during the Spanish–American War and the World War. This government building is surrounded by tropical gardens and walkways. It showcases his official trip logs and presidential logs.

Fort Zachary Taylor

This historical park includes Fort Taylor, a red fort built by President Taylor, and a beach located south of it. Walking through the corridors of the fort, you may explore a treasure of weapons. The beach is best suitable for picnicking, fishing, paddling, and snorkeling.

The cultural state of Florida is abode to an endless chain of cultural and natural spots. First-time backpackers may plan itinerary to at least these highlighted ones.

5 things to do in Val di Fiemme

It happens every year that at the turn of spring  the Val di Fiemme (Trentino), hosts a series of high-altitude concerts. Famous artists such as Javier Girotto, Francesco Bearzatti, Scott Hamilton are the protagonists of this festival along with the views of the white Dolomites.

For a week, during the day in the shelters between the slopes and in the evening in the theaters of the beautiful alpine villages, bands that play jazz are almost always free, whose notes go hand in hand with the atmospheres of the Val di Fiemme .

To find out more, this is a useful link to the official website of Val di Fiemme >> www.visitfiemme.it

Go cross-country skiing at the Lavazè pass

I am an ex-skier downhill snowboarder and I have always seen cross-country skiing with a skeptical eye, imagining it as a hard sport with few emotions. After having had the chance to try it I can only confirm my first point: yes, it is tiring but not boring.

If like me you are a beginner in this sport, Lavazè is the right place to start. Here, at the beginning of the track there are training areas where you can try, perhaps for the first time accompanied by an instructor, to slide along the slopes. Even if you are a beginner the fun is not lacking, it is a fairly simple sport and already after 4/5 lessons you reach a sufficient level of skill to deal with the many kilometers of slopes in the area.

For those who know how to ski the 80 km of cross-country trails of the Lavazè area are defined by many professionals among the most beautiful in Italy and beyond. The slopes are traced according to different degrees of difficulty but all are joined by the great spectacle of the landscapes, in the presence of the great giants of Pietra. Of these tracks, the quality of the bottom is especially appreciated, treated with avant-garde equipment.

4 black slopes, 8 red and two blue runs of lengths ranging from 3.5 to 15 km are all indicated in maps that can be consulted at this link >> https://www.lavaze.com/it/inverno/piste

Where to park and the ski school

At Passo di Lavazè there is a large free car park, right next to where the cross-country ski school is located. The teachers are also specialized in teaching cross-country skiing to children and the disabled; this sport is for everyone.

Ski rental

Renting cross-country skiing for a day does not cost much: the kit includes skis and boots as well as skis. The cost? Less than 20 euros. The rental is the  Vuerich Shop and is located in the parking lot, easily identifiable given the triangular shape of the store.

How to get to the center of Fondo di passo Lavazè

This is the navigation link with the Google Maps navigator to get to the Fund center.

Eat at the Fuciade refuge

Fuciade is located in the beautiful valley of Fuciade, surrounded by the Costabella chain, with a breathtaking view of the legendary Pale di San Martino and the Margherita hill.

The refuge can be reached on foot from the path that takes you near the Miralago hotel. I recommend leaving the car in the free municipal parking located about 50 meters from the hotel. This is the parking position on Google Maps

From here you have 2 possibilities to reach the Fulciade refuge and if you want to have lunch there I highly recommend you to book in advance due to the great demand.

Take a snowmobile ride

I reached the shelter with a “snowmobile taxi”, it was an experience that I recommend and that gives a smile. The weather was not the best but even under an intense snowfall, darting up and down along the meandering path that leads to the shelter is sensational.

The snowmobile takes about 7 minutes to get to the shelter and the cost is 5 euros per person, the frequency of the races is about one every half hour but I recommend booking the lift to the number 0462 574281 (number of refuge Fuciade).

Lake Como Tour: itineraries and tips

The Lake Como is one of the places in our country renowned worldwide and tourists throughout the year who appreciate what abroad is called “Lake Como”

What I suggest in this post are some points and tips for a short tour of Lake Como with itineraries and tips.

#How to move

To turn the lake you can choose whether to use the car, but be careful because during the summer due to traffic and small spaces for parking in small villages the choice could be counterproductive while the bike is better suited to establish a direct relationship with the fresh lake air.

I feel, however, to suggest an additional means which is the boat , so you will have no problem with traffic or parking but especially you can admire the beautiful villas that overlook the lake while browsing.

For more information on the seasonal timetables and the different types of tickets, I leave the link to the site of the Navigazione Laghi Management 

# Como-Bellagio-Argegno-Pigra

To get to Bellagio I suggest you take one of the first hydrofoils of the day from Como (make a few stops with respect to the boat) so as to be at your destination in the middle of the morning. In this way you will have the chance to see the country with fewer tourists.

Directions to reach Bellagio -> Google Maps

Once you arrive at your destination head south, a few hundred meters you will find the entrance to the garden of Villa Melzi d’Eril , the variety of arboreal species is impressive. The advice is to visit the spring when the park is in full bloom and the bright colors contrast with the green of the meadows and the deep blue of the lake.

After visiting the garden, return to the town and look for the famous Salita Serbellonithat leads to the upper part of the town with shops and restaurants. Here you can have a quick snack and then continue a few hundred meters to the north in the direction of Punta Spartivento, or the point where the two branches of the lake come together , the place is very suggestive, you will find a restaurant and a small garden where you can relax a bit’.

In the early afternoon take the boat, the one that makes all the stops, so you can admire more closely the mountains that line the lake, the villages that cling to the afternoon light and the villas that become the protagonists of the landscape.

In Tremezzo you can see the splendid Villa Carlotta with its majestic garden to continue immediately with the sobriety of the luxurious Grand Hotel Tremezzo and its swimming pool in the lake. Subsequently you will divide the promontory of Lenno on which stands the splendid and renowned Villa del Balbianello, owned by the FAI, which stands on the tip of the promontory between wisteria and ancient trees.

Once you arrive at the village of Argegno head immediately to the church overlooking the lake, behind it a few tens of meters along the main road you find the funicular, less famous than the one that leads to Brunate, and climbs up to the small village of Pigra .

These are the directions to reach -> the funicular 

From here start several trekking routes, but what I recommend is to follow the belvedere, after a short walk in the woods you will come to admire a beautiful view from about 600 meters above the lake, from the promontory of Lenno to the island Comacina and villages of the opposite bank Lezzeno and Nesso.

What to see in Brescia in a weekend

Let’s start with the discovery of the city with an itinerary that will allow you to visit the 5 most interesting places for a weekend to discover the high-light of this city.

Brixia. Archaeological Park of Brescia Romana 

The archaeological site of Brixia, the ancient name of the city in Roman times, is the first place to visit in the weekend. In fact, together with the forum and the city theater , it represents the most important complex of ruins and remains of Roman public buildings in northern Italy.

Here are the remains of the buildings related to this period and that pass on the deeds of the Celtic tribe that in 225 BC makes an alliance with Rome to prepare for war against the Gallic peoples that raged in northern Italy.

The temple was brought to light only in the 1800s thanks to the intervention of the commune that made the ruins resurface in their splendor. Inside the Capitolium, the most evocative monument, you can admire the floors made of colored marbles that form different motifs and geometric figures.

Precisely the Capitolium was the subject of a particular restructuring work that started from a very in-depth knowledge of it to allow its archaeological and architectural recovery, enhancing it in a complete way.

Opening time

The Archaeological Park can be admired every day, except Monday, observing the following times: from October 1 to June 15 -> 9.00-18.00, Thursday extension until 22.00 and from 16 June to 30 September -> 10.30-19.00, Thursday extension up to 22.00. Admission 8 euros.

Useful links

From the official website of the Brescia museums >> Bresciamusei – the archaeological park

How to get to the archaeological park with >> Google Maps

See the Santa Giulia museum

As soon as you leave the Archaeological Park, the second mandatory stop is at the Santa Giulia museum.

It is one of the most interesting museums of our peninsula and is located within the Longobard Monastery of S. Salvatore – S.Giulia, from 2011 UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Brixia Archaeological Park of Brescia Romana (serial site: Longobardi in Italy: places of power 568 – 774 AD).

Its history is very ancient and dates back to the year 753, the year from which numerous testimonies of the history of Brescia were collected.

The most important works are the reflection of different eras, for example the beautiful statue ” La Vittoria Alata”   testimony of the Roman age, was so appreciated by Napoleon third, who wanted a copy, now exposed to the Louvre museum.

Entering the museum you will end up walking among the  Domus dell’Ortaglia  of Roman times.

The Basilica of San Salvatore within the complex is one of the few surviving examples of Lombard architecture and is in good condition.

Do not miss the frescoes of the Coro delle Monache in the Longobard church recalls the Renaissance age.