Il Bollettino di Gina’s Italy
Spring 2008

Did you know that over 75% of the world’s art treasures are found in Italy and most of these are in Rome? Napoleon recognized how important Italy was in the world of art. In 1796, Napoleon as commander-in-chief- of the French army in Italy decided to abscond with every piece of valuable art he could. He succeeded in looting around 1,000 paintings, 300 sculptures and 20,000 drawings from Italy. Luckily many of the pieces were returned to their proper homes. Ironically, Cardinal Albani, an art collector, preferred to sell his 294 statues in Paris, rather than pay for their transport back to Italy.  Isn’t history fascinating?

New Tour with Gina’s Italy

Recently, Gina’s Italy introduced Adventures in Tuscany, a villa adventure in northeastern Tuscany. With the high exchange rate of the Euro, this tour offers a traveler the opportunity to shave costs by a villa stay for 13 days. Participants can opt to live like the locals, shop at the local grocery and prepare a simple feast for the evening. Each day an outing is planned to surrounding small towns, castles, wineries, Florence, an archaeological dig, woolen factory, and pottery center. With this tour Italy becomes more affordable even in the year of high Euro. For more information write us at: Adventures in Tuscany. We will send you a brochure with details of this enjoyable opportunity.

Olive Oil

As mentioned in the previous Bollettino, we enjoyed a successful holiday shipment of olive oil from Chianti Tuscany. Thanks to you, Daniela of Casanova di Ama still plans to send us her fabulous product. Have you wondered why the taste of her oil is so unbeatable? Well her oil is produced without any chemical intrusion whatsoever. Many labels will lead a consumer to believe the integrity of the product with the words, “extra virgin, first-pressed, or cold-pressed”. These statements do not prove the organic qualities of the oil. Short of knowing first-hand the grower, it is most probable that chemicals are used in the first press in order to extract the maximum amount of oil from the olive. Rest assured the oil imported by Gina’s Italy is organic in every way. We toast our health every time we open the spout and use it in our kitchen. Alla Salute!

Travel Inconveniences

It is not unusual to read about travel delays, cancellations, and misrouted luggage. Why let a mishap spoil the first days of a trip to anywhere? Would it ease the pre-trip planning to know there is a solution? There is a plan that will locate luggage and reimburse costs of necessities until the bags are found. There is a plan that will assist when flights are cancelled and the airlines fail to deliver a resolution. Travel Guard insurance has been assisting travelers with Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Travel Delay, Missed Connections, Baggage Delays.  For more information go to: Compare & Purchase Travel Guard Policies  Buon Viaggio!

Car Rentals Abroad

Traveling Abroad? Thinking about a car? Many companies will quote low prices in order to close the sale. Be aware there can be hidden costs that are not disclosed at the time of the reservation. At check in, when it is too late, costs not previously disclosed will appear. At that point, there is little to do. The company we use discloses all costs at the time of rental. Also there is no penalty for changing your plans. It is always advisable to reserve the car in USA. Within Europe the pricing can double. Check this link for comprehensive pricing with no hidden charges at a discount at: Car Rentals Abroad

Thank you for your interest in Gina’s Italy. Hopefully you have found the news interesting. Remember you are invited to share this Bollettino with friends and family. Invite others to sign up for the quarterly newsletter. Gina’s Italy is a company devoted to specialized tours in small groups. When we say small we mean small. Most tours run with 6 to 8 travelers. For custom trips, 12 participants are welcome. If you wish any information, please contact Gina at Info@ginasitaly.com. If you prefer to remove your name from the newsletter list please write at: Remove.                      

Until next time,         
Gina