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UNITED KINGDOM WORLDWIDE TRAVEL

SUSIE BOULTON

INFORMATION

Photos SUSIE BOULTON & Artist Impressions for

Tour-smart's latest travel

Expo 2015

information for the U.K.

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LATEST WORLDWIDE TRAVEL NEWS

ITALY
EXPO MILANO 2015

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The Thailand Pavilion at EXPO 2 0 1 5
Milan has seen a makeover for Expo 2015. Susie Boulton visits the city as it gears
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up for the great global fair, and discovers the nearby delights of Lombardy.
Undisputed city of fashion and design, Milan is now turning its attention on two of

Be the first of your frien

its other great strengths: food and art. From May to October the city is hosting
EXPO 2015 (www.expo2015.org) whose theme is Feeding the Planet, Energy
for Life. This mammoth exhibition will feature a record 140 participating nations,
50 cutting-edge pavilions, many designed by top international architects, and

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receive an expected 20 million visitors.

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Visit Tour-Smart on
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receive an expected 20 million visitors.

The UK 'Hive' Expo Pavilion

Dedicated to the plight of the honey bee.
Taking place on a million square metre site north-west of the city, the fair will
celebrate food cultures around the world, including of course those of Italy and its
host city, but more importantly will focus on sustainable food production and how
we might feed a world population of 9 billion by 2050. On the less serious side
there will be activities for youngsters, DJ sets, cooking shows, concerts, a 12,000seater open-air theatre and the famous Cirque du Soleil performing an exclusive
nightly show. Not to mention the tasting of some of the best dishes in the world.
To coincide with Expo the city of Milan and surrounding regions (Lombardy,
Piedmont and Liguria) are offering a rich programme of cultural events. Milan has
seen a makeover, not only with major urban development projects (still in
progress), but with new and revamped museums, creative new shopping hubs,
luxury hotels, night spots and cultural centres.
The trendsetting Triennale Design Museum will be mounting the Expo-linked
exhibition Arts and Food: Rituals since 1951, while the Palazzo Reale (Royal
Palace) is to host the largest ever Leonardo da Vinci retrospective with over 100
original drawings along with manuscripts and paintings. For Leonardo's iconic Last
Supper, hidden away in the refectory of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie,
book as far in advance as you can on www.cenacolovinciano.net. Models of the
ever-inventive genius can be seen at the Museum of Science and Technology
Leonardo da Vinci while the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana will be displaying 12 chapters
one a month during 2015 - of Leonardo's Codex Atlanticus, the vast collection of
his notes and drawings. The manuscripts, normally only accessible to scholars,
span almost the entire life of Leonardo and provide evidence of how his studies
anticipated great scientific discoveries ahead of time.

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The Duomo in Milan

During Expo numerous other musical events will take place throughout the city,
including jazz, dance and free concerts in Piazza Duomo in the heart of the city.
The dazzling Duomo (cathedral), third largest church in Europe, provides
sensational views of the city from its roof terraces, stretching as far as the
Matterhorn on a really clear day. The renowned La Scala opera house
(www.teatroallascala.org) will be hosting 140 events during Expo, including
recitals, opera and ballet, many aimed at families. If you dont get to a
performance at the opera house you can usually get a peek into the fabulously
opulent auditorium on a visit to the La Scala museum.
The city has also seen the opening of culinary hotspots, inspired by Expo, such as
the innovative Carlo e Camilla restaurant (www.carloecamillainsegheria.it)
converted from a sawmill and part-owned by top Chef Carlo Cracco or the fourstorey food concept store, Eataly (www.eatily.it) occupying the site of the former
Smeraldo Theatre, with 19 eateries (one Michelin-starred), top-of-the range delis,
food workshops and free music, from pop to opera.

Eatily Smeraldo
Beyond Milan
Food-themed Expo is spreading its tentacles beyond Milan. The city is capital of
Lombardy, a land of infinite variety embracing great lakes, art and culture, wine
and gastronomy - all within easy reach of the Milan.
The underrated city of Brescia, 45 minutes from Milan by train, is hosting an Expolinked exhibition on Food in Art, Masterpieces from the great masters from 17th
century to Warhol at Palazzo Martinengo. This takes you on a culinary journey from
still lives of the Old Masters to Andy Warhols interpretation of The Last Supper and
shows how artists, at least up until the 19th century, used to love painting the
dishes of their native regions.
If this foodie exhibition whets the appetite head for La Sosta (www.lasosta.it ) in
the beautiful Palazzo Martinengo delle Palle, a five minute walk away. Try their
fabulous Casoncelli, pasta parcels resembling perfectly-wrapped sweets, which
are stuffed with cheese and herbs and served oozing with sage-flavoured butter.
Brescias modern outskirts are pretty grim but the city has outstanding art and
architecture, an attractive old centre, good food and fashion boutiques with far
cheaper price tags than those of Milan. The not-to-be-missed cultural site is the
Santa Giulia City Museum, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

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RECENT
COMMENTS
linkonthomas The author

was patience that he describe

the Sweden in very beautiful
manner. I also went to

Santa Giulia City Museum

Sweden last month. Liseberg

Converted from the 8th century Benedictine convent of San Salvatore it was turned

amusement park was very

into a church and convent complex and covers Brescias history from Roman to

nice,and the flowers are

Renaissance times. Exhibits number 11,000 and include the exquisite 8th cross of

beautiful i never saw those...

Desiderio, encrusted with 212 jewels. You would need a couple of days at least to

Sweden

absorb it all.

information,tourism,holiday
destinations,vacation
ideas,accommodation,travel

Beguiling Bergamo is a walled medieval city in the foothills of the Alps, rich in

& culture,Sweden 4 years

culture, strong on gastronomy and liberally endowed with stylish shops Bergamo

ago

has it all. Whats more it is only two miles from Orio al Serio, Ryanairs Milan
airport (www.ryanair.com). While summer tourists make a bee-line for Milan the

telavivvacationapartment

Milanese make for to Bergamo for a weekend break in the cool hills its just 45

so many wonderful spot and

minutes by train from the city.

place,seems that I will enjoy

this places too.

Seen from a distance the city is a mass of bell towers and domes, silhouetted
against the mountains. It is in fact two towns, the more modern Citt Bassa (Lower
Town) and the Citt Alta (Upper Town) which is bound by a circle of 16th century

Ecuador
information,tourism,holiday
destinations,vacation
ideas,accommodation,travel

walls, built by the Venetians after the city expanded beyond its medieval ramparts

& culture,Ecuador,South

and fortresses. A funicular links the two, trundling up through terraced gardens,

America 4 years ago

and bringing you to a medieval quarter far removed from the bustle below.
Shantanu I'm heading to Hong

Kong in 3 weeks so this was a

timely article. Thank you.
Hong Kong Travel News
Article from Tour-Smart 4
years ago
James Kamroon Hello,

Very informative and helpful

post. You have good
command on the topic and
have explained in a very nice
way. Thanks for sharing.
UnwrappingAlbania,Business Travel
,Information on
Albania,Vacations and
Holiday Magazine. 4 years
ago

Brescia Castle

Best Cruise Lines for

Couples Denmark is one of

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In the atmospheric streets of the Citt Alta you can feast your eyes on home-cured

the beautiful place i've seen.

hams, handmade pastas, honeybread and pastries, local wines and liqueurs.

Denmark

Bergamo is also all about polenta, but the bright yellow 'polenta e osei' you see in

information,tourism,holiday

the shops are polenta only in name. These sugar-coated cakes, topped with little

destination,vacation

marzipan black birds, hark back to an earlier age when polenta was served with
spit-roasted wild birds on top. For eating out, which is one of the great pleasures

ideas,accommodation,travel
& culture in Denmark 4
years ago

Page 4 / 9

hams, handmade pastas, honeybread and pastries, local wines and liqueurs.

Denmark

Bergamo is also all about polenta, but the bright yellow 'polenta e osei' you see in

information,tourism,holiday

the shops are polenta only in name. These sugar-coated cakes, topped with little

destination,vacation

marzipan black birds, hark back to an earlier age when polenta was served with
spit-roasted wild birds on top. For eating out, which is one of the great pleasures

ideas,accommodation,travel
& culture in Denmark 4
years ago

of Bergamo, look no further than Da Mimmo (www.ristorantemimmo.com) on

Via Colleoni 17 where two of the seven Mimmi sons carry on the family tradition
producing honest Bergamesque cuisine. Try specialities such as Chisl from a 17th
century recipe: a little polenta antipasto oozing creamy Stracchino cheese from the
Orobiche valleys, or the home made casonsi alla bergamasca, ravioli stuffed with
meat, pear, amaretti, cheese and pancetta.

'polenta e osei'
Bergamos architectural showpiece is the Piazza Vecchia , often described, despite
its medley of buildings, as the most perfect square in Italy. The piazza has an
enchanting fountain with marble lions of St Mark, and is overlooked by the Palazzo
Ragione and the Campanone (belltower) which chimes 180 times every night at
10pm in memory of the curfew under the Venetians. Beyond the arcades the
hybrid Duomo may disappoint but Santa Maria Maggiore is one of Lombardys
finest Romanesque churches, albeit partly shrouded by later buildings. The
renowned Venetian condottiere (mercenary) Bartolomeo Colleoni had no hesitation
in demolishing an apse of the basilica to build his own mausoleum, opting for one
of the most prestigious locations in the city. Known as the Capella Colleoni, this is a
masterpiece of the early Lombard Renaissance, with an interior sheltering ceiling
frescoes by Tiepolo and the tomb of the condottiere.

Piazza Vecchia
Lago di Como, the Celebrity Favourite. Como city no longer sells fine silk, but it has
a glorious Gothic-Renaissance cathedral and makes a great base for boats trips
on the lake. From Milan central station you can be by the lakeside in 40 minutes.
Ferries for Bellagio, pearl of the lake', stop at lakeside villages en route, and are
more fun but far slower than the enclosed hydrofoils. The renowned villas and
gardens are on the sunny west bank, among them Villa dEste, the most luxurious
hotel on the lake, hosting royalty, politicians and film stars and Villa Le Fontanelle,
favourite home of the late Gianni Versace (he had four), now home to a Russian
multimillionaire. If passengers get excited and act like paparazzi as the boat
approaches the little village of Laglio, its all about the 25-room Villa Oleandra on
the waterfront which belongs to George Clooney. The actor fell in love with the
mansion while on a motorcycling holiday around the Alps in 2002. House prices in
the vicinity have been soaring ever since and the mayor has made Clooney an
honorary citizen of Laglio.
Villa del Balbianello

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A waterside village on Lake Como

Before you reach Bellagio, you'll see the lovely Villa del Balbianello
(www.fondoambiente.it) on the tip of a wooded promontory between Lenno and
Sala Comacina. Romance, peace, seclusion, tranquillity and fabulous gardens: this
villa has everything you might hope to find in the region. Visitors can be taken
across in the private shuttle boat at Lenno (where the public ferry stops) or walk
from the village (about half a mile). The villa, which was bequeathed by the last
owner to the FAI (the Italian National Trust), has featured in numerous movies set
in the region, among them A Month on the Lake (1995), Star Wars II: Attack of the
Clones (2002) and Casino Royale (2006).

Villa del Balbianello

Lago dIseo- The Lakes best kept Secret. You wont find celebrity villas or movie
locations on lovely Lake Iseo. This peaceful and atmospheric little lake, tucked
between lakes Como and Garda, tends to be neglected in favour of its larger
neighbours. Overlooked by mountains it has fine walks and a beautiful central
island, Monte Isola, which supports a 200-strong community of fishermen, boat
builders and net-makers. The pace of life on the island is palpably slow and the
only car belongs to the local vigile (policeman). You can walk or cycle right round
the lake promenade (just over 5 miles), stopping for refreshments and fine views
from little fishing villages, where salted lake sardine (translated as 'twite shad' on
menus) dry out on poles by the lakeside. A steep climb through tiers of olive
groves, vineyards and chestnut groves, will bring you to the highest peak (nearly
2000ft), surmounted by the sanctuary of the Madonna della Cerioa, built over a
pagan shrine.

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Drying out the salted lake sardines

Dotted around Lake Iseo are villages worth visiting for their medieval centres and
waterside promenades. Lovere has a grandiose basilica and Count Tadinis
palace, full of Old Masters and ceramics collected on his Grand Tour. At Pisogne
across the water the fascinating Chiesa di Santa Maria della Neve, dubbed 'The
Poor Man's Sistine Chapel', is entirely frescoed with scenes from the Passion of
Christ by Girolamo Romanini, a contemporary of Michelangelo. Clusane in the south
is famous for restaurants serving tinca ripiena, tench stuffed with cheese, bread
and spices, and busy little Iseo retains a medieval core and offers attractive strolls
by the lakeside. One of the loveliest place to stay is Riva Lago (www.rivalago.it)
at Sulzano, right on the lake and just a ferry hop away from Monte Isola. Order a
glass or two of the sparkling Franciacorta, the rolling wine-growing region to the
south, and enjoy the views across to Monte Isola from the lakeside terrace. With a
car, follow the hairpin bends up to Polveno, high in the hills, for the lovely
Ristorante Ginepro (www.gineprofoodwine.it). Try the mouthwatering malfalde
verde alla zucca, green pasta with pumpkin flowers, the bagoss cheese from the
Brescian valleys or pike or perch from the lake. The views from this rustic
restaurant down to the lake have to be seen to be believed.

malfalde verde alla zucca

With the tranquillity of lakes and mountains less than an hour away from their city,
its little wonder that the Milanese take short breaks year round from the bustle of
the metropolis.
For information on Expo, Milan and surrounding regions go to:
http://wonderfulexpo2015.info

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DESTINATION INFORMATION

For information on Expo, Milan and surrounding regions go to:

http://wonderfulexpo2015.info

DESTINATION INFORMATION
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