Tips from the T-List » Italian

Vespa Museum: A Look into Italy’s Engineering History

WildJunket — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:09:17 +0000

On a recent trip to Tuscany, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a childhood fantasy land. With antique aircraft, military coaches and thousands of Vespas on display, the Piaggeo Museum was quite an eye-opener for the inner child in me. The museum, located in the town of Pontedera, was just a hop away from Pisa and made for an excellent day trip.

At the museum entrance, we were greeted by a gorgeous stainless steel vintage coach dating back to 1937. Since the invention of the combustion engine, Piaggeo has played an important role in Italy’s transportation history. Besides the famous Vespa, it produced numerous aircrafts, submarines and railway trains for the World War. Through the archives, exhibits and real-life prototypes on display, we took a walk into Piaggeo’s past. Here are some photos of the most interesting exhibits, enjoy!

An electic collection of vintage Vespas. Did you know that the Vespa was given its name because the sound of its engine and the shape of the scooter resembled a wasp (which is what the word ‘vespa’ means in Italian)?

A giant scooter towering at over 50m.

The Mythological Vespa, with a sword on its dashboard and alasbaster for its seat, was created by Mino Trafell.

One of my favorite exhibits was the travel Vespa decorated with stickers from all over the world.

The Ape (meaning ‘bee’ in Italian), similar to the tuktuks found in India and Southeast Asia, is still being used in various parts of Italy.

A military scooter.

The prototype of a futuristic vehicle made for a sci-fi film.

One of the many black and white photos on display at the Piaggeo Museum.

*Entrance Fee to the Piaggeo Museum is free, but the 1.5-hour guided tour costs 20euros for 20 pax.

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This experience was made possible by Casa Gentili and Avventurosa, but all opinions are my own. Read more about my travels in Tuscany, Italy here or follow me on Twitter with the #TuscanyTrip hashtag.

Food Galore in Argentina

WildJunket — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 21:46:00 +0000

Oh boy do we love to eat! The gastronomic capital of South America is blessed with thick culinary heritage especially from its ancestry Italian and Spanish roots. Famous for the best barbequed meat (parrilla), Argentina is paradise especially for the meat lovers. From sophisticatede fine dining to simple snacks, food here comes at a good price and definitely in generous portions!

Parrillada

Most authentically Argentinean, the parrillada is an assortment of meat and internal organs barbequed to perfection. As the world envies the Argentineans for their world class grilled meat, this nation definitely never gets enough of its parrilla. For the faint-hearted, internal organs such as intestines, liver and kidney are also served up. Coupled with ice cold Quilmes beer, the grill definitely fills you up to your heart’s content.

Bife de Chorizo

Undoubtedly Argentina’s créme de la créme, the bife de chorizo is the most popular beef steak in the country. Thick and juicy, chorizo is one of the best parts of the cow to be grilled. Almost any restaurant in Argentina serves up juicy steaks at tempting prices.

La Pergola at Plaza Dorrego in Buenos Aires, offers dinner sets for 40pesos (8euros) that includes a generous platter of bife de chorizo and fresh salad. Tango performance (additional cost of 10pesos) at the restaurant allows you a glimpse into the high-end local Porteño life.

Cazuela de Llama

Like any other country, different parts of Argentina have its own culinary specialty and typical dish to take pride in. Northern Argentina has its unique Andean flavors that are rarely found in other parts of the country and are created to suit the geographical and climate of the region. The llama stew is typically found in the Jujuy province, with tender llama meat and its internal organs stewed into a rich gravy based concoction.

Napolitana con arroz

Due to the influx of italian immigrants, Argentinean cuisine is also deeply influenced by Italy. Napolitana consists of a beef steak, topped with melted cheese and ham. Served with rice, this dish is unique, although I personally think the taste of the beef is overshadowed by the ham.

Bife al Milanesa

Milanesa refers to the method of breading the beef and deep-frying to golden brown perfection. Found in every part of Argentina, this is a popular dish, usually served with fries or salad.

Humitas

Wrapped in corn leaf and steamed, humitas are grinded corn bits mixed with quinoa (Argentinean soy beans). With a slightly sweet flavor, the dish is extremely popular in the north and also in other Latin American countries.

Pizza

Commonly eaten for lunch, pizzas play a big part in Argentinean gastronomic life, almost as much as the italians’ lives. Pizzerias are found in every other corner of Argentina, providing an economic and culturally thick culinary delight.

Empanada

Argentina’s pride, the empanada, is a simple snack of meat/vegetables wrapped in a dough and baked to crispiness. Often taken as a tea break, the empanada is so popular among the locals and foreigners. With a variety of lfavours to choose from, from meat empanada to vegetarian or llama empanada, they are tasty and convenient.

Argentinean Wine

Wine is quintessential in an Argentinean culinary experience. With its own breed of wine, the most famous coming from the region of Mendoza, Argentinean wine is light and dry, perfect for a combination with steaks. The Malbec is one of my favourite with various species to choose from.

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A longer and richer tail

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:47:09 +0000

In a recent article published in the Harvard Business Review (n. 1-2 2008), university professor and forecaster Vito Di Bari predicts the appearance of the longer tail by 2015. Starting from Chris Anderson’s ground-breaking long tail concept, namely the grassroots diffusion of supply and demand on line, and the prevalence of “many niche items” as opposed to “few mass items”, Di Bari has hypothesized the growing density of the long tail concept, with users increasingly interested in specific,…

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

Usability: what’s in a name?

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:33:50 +0000

Usability is a very broad issue, so broad it can often be overwhelming when it comes to choose the right kind of testing methodology for your travel website and the right kind of company to conduct the analysis. Yet usability is a vital aspect for the success of a travel website, as it directly affects the conversion rates (i.e. your revenue) and the user experience (i.e. the perception and reputation of your brand).

Additional benefits of revising your website based on a usability test…

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

Christmas wishes from Relactions (and a very special guest)

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:22:07 +0000

And a happy new year from all our team!

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

Emerging trends in the hotel industry: no frills, more trills for European travellers?

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:09:53 +0000

No-frill chic is a new consumer trend that is going to deeply affect the hotel industry, by shifting consumer expectations and changing the traditional segmentations in which marketeers try to squeeze – with decreasing success – the modern travellers.

Trendwatching defines the No-frill chic trend as:

“low cost goods and services that add design, third-party high quality elements and/or exceptional customer service to create top quality experiences at bottom prices.

No-frills chic is…

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

A new star in hospitality? Exclusive interview with CitizenM’s CEO Michael Levie.

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:54:43 +0000

Today we are interviewing Michael Levie about his new start up chain CitizenM (please note that this name was disclosed on September 3rd 2007; the brand was previoulsly referred as Onestarisborn, as you will read throughout this interview which took place before the brand launch): a new business hotel concept that is promising to take hotellerie by storm by introducing a luxury contemporary hotel for the cost conscious traveler.

They say that successful businesses have clear, simple and…

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

Travel industry and Deep Web: exclusive interview with Marcus P. Zillman

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:42:07 +0000

Today we are interviewing Marcus P. Zillman, International Internet expert, author, keynote speaker, corporate consultant and one of the most renowned expert on Deep Web, information retrieval and Internet.

Marcus is currently the Executive Director of the Virtual Private Library. He is a member of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, and is also actively involved as an internationally known speaker and author.

Marcus will talk about Deep Web, search engines’ future…

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

Lost in Second Life

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:30:18 +0000

Every day, nowadays, there is news of someone reaching the shores of Second Life: companies, politicians, entertainment celebrities, famous brands. So, as it seems that Second Life is the marketing and Web 2.0 event of the day, I decided that I would set out to explore it before it went out of fashion.

After a few clicks, there I was, transformed into Trax Chandrayaan, my avatar. During the first log-in to Second Life, there was help on all sides to prevent me from getting lost. There were…

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.

Starwood Aloft leaves Second Life

Annalisa Ballaira — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:17:02 +0000

Almost every day, there is news of a new company opening an office in Second Life. Nevertheless, it is also time to close for some of them.

About two weeks ago, the online newspaper www.latimes.com reported Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worlwide closing its Second Life shop and donating its virtual land to the nonprofit social-networking group TakingITGlobal.

Starwood was one of the first big brands to establish a presence in Second Life, with their much-hyped Virtual Aloft hotel property….

This article was originally posted on Relactions blog.You can read and comment on the original article here.