Blue Wrench

As so often in Australia’s history, Melbourne was founded through fraud when adventurer John Batman, an Australian fluent in several aboriginal languages, made a “deal” with aborigines to lease land on behalf of speculators.

While offering the Aborigines any compensation at all was progressive in a colonial culture that preferred to simply run them off the land, the fact that the native people had little understanding of rents, leases or indeed, the concept that land was something to be bought, sold and leased at all, made his arrangements no less exploitive. In return for a long term lease of 240,000 hectares of the finest grazing land in Australia, Batman gave the aborigines axes, salt, flour, blankets and jewelry. The total value of the goods was said to have been around £200.

Colonial rulers later declared his leases unlawful, claiming that the government, not the Aborigines, were the true owners of the land. After paying Batman compensation, they took over the territory and founded a settlement as the seat of Victorian regional government. The settlement became the city of Melbourne in 1837, named after Viscount Melbourne, the British prime minister at the time.

A strict grid plan

Melbourne’s location was its strongest suit. While the “acquired” farmland was of excellent quality, the city’s location on the banks of the Yarra River and well protected Port Phillip Bay contributed to its rapid commercial development. The influx of energetic immigrants and eager investors from England were determinants in the economic growth of the young city.

Once the city had 5,000 residents, city planners intervened and imposed a strict grid plan to check chaotic growth in every direction. Melbourne’s planners decreed that every main street would be exactly 30 metres wide, with perpendicular side streets one third that width. The strict grid plan has been in place ever since.

Melbourne became the capital of the new Victoria Colony in 1851. As luck would have it, miners in the outback came upon a rich seam of gold just four days later. Melbourne prospered like no other city on the continent, even after the gold rush waned.

A second boom was sparked by industrial development and immigration after World War II. Melbourne’s population more than tripled, and the plains around the Yarra River gradually grew crowded as 3 million people from 140 nations arrived to claim their piece of the Australian dream.

City planners again stepped in, authorising the construction and development of suburbs and satellite towns. In the downtown commercial districts, Melbourne began building upward and large office buildings appeared on the horizon.

A rather unassuming city, Melbourne’s grand sights are few in comparison to stylish Sydney. Of course, there is still a great deal to see, including the Melbourne Museum, the State Parliament, the royal exhibition buildings, the Stock Market, majestic St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Flinders Street Station. Freshwater Place is a luxury residential complex, with a striking, elegant design that makes it Australia’s thinnest building as well as one of its tallest.

Melbourne is well known for book shops, live shows and the arts. Many northerners desperate for culture travel south to Melbourne for their arts fix. Melbourne hosts a world class writers festival and comedy festival.

Melbourne is also renowned for sports. The annual Melbourne Formula 1 Grand Prix held at the Albert Park Circuit is famous around the world, but there are many more sporting highlights to enjoy.

The professional tennis season starts here with the Australian Open, drawing the best players in the world to compete in the first of four major tournaments. Local sports attract an even greater following.

When the Magpies, Bombers and Kangaroos take the field, life is put on hold. Melbourne’s football players have always been their sports heroes, but cricket and rugby are also popular. The Grand Final of the Australian Football League (AFL) takes place each year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. One of the eight Melbourne teams usually participates.

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After climbing 508 metres up the Taipei 101 tower, the highest structure in the world, it can be seen easily from anywhere in the city, one can look down on the genuine Taipei amidst all the modern buildings: temples, markets, the National Palace Museum and in between them, the many old streets and lanes where everyday life in Taipei actually happens.

First steps

There was a swamp there about 300 years ago, right where one of Asia’s most modern cities now stands. Only the Pingpu, the original people of Formosa, who lived in the higher lying regions around the Taipei Basin, were able to reach this area by canoe.

Han Chinese from mainland China came later to fish and trade, but they stayed on the banks of the Tarsui River and did not venture into the area of modern Taipei. In 1709, a Chinese farmer named Chen Lai Chang from Chuanchou laid the cornerstone of a farm in Takala, which is now central Taipei. From then onwards, the number of settlers continually grew. The original settlement was known as Manka.

From Manka to Tataocheng
The administration of Manka and the surrounding area was mainly handled by immigrants from various parts of mainland China. Because of differing views regarding the future of the administrative structure, tensions between the residents soon escalated. The violent confrontations that resulted came to an end in 1823.

One of the groups that was defeated fled from Manka, on the bank of the Tamsui River, to Tataocheng. There they began to make the land arable land laid the foundations for a flourishing community. Tataocheng surpassed Manka in the nineteenth century, and became the centre of Taipei Prefecture in 1875.

Fast development

When the Japanese colonised Taipei in 1895, they built their main district in Taipei, and the city continued to develop steadily thereafter, even after the departure of the occupiers in 1945 and after the break with mainland China. Within a hundred years, the once rural district had developed into the administrative, economic and cultural centre of Taiwan.

Manka, Tataocheng and Chengnei have all lost their original appearance, but a number of historically important sites have been restored, including the Lin Family Villa and Garden, once the home of a very powerful family in the nineteenth century, as well as the Peace Park and the 1919 Presidential Palace.

Modern city with ancient traditions
Today, all glass office high rises, luxury condominiums and modern shopping districts are situated along wide, tree lined boulevards. Elegant restaurants, stylish nightclubs and appearances by international stars are all part of people’s lives. Yet the traditional culture and way of life carries on below the contemporary surface.

Everywhere you go, you stumble on timeless scenes: believers praying to their gods in ancient temples, long religious processions winding their way through the streets to the accompaniment of firecrackers, and little shops offering herbal medicines that have been relied upon for millennia. Clearly, this is one of the oldest cultures in the world.

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The Lithuanian city of Vilnius exudes southern charm under the northern sun. Positioned in the natural amphitheatre of the surrounding Lithuanian hills, Vilnilus has much to offer visitors besotted with classical buildings.

Vilnius, which can look back on a thousand years of Lithuanian history, can boast one of the largest historical town centres in Eastern Europe. Among its almost 1,500 buildings are representatives of nearly every European architectural style and historical period. Vilnius has wonderful examples of architecture from the Gothic, Renaissance, baroque, neoclassical and Jugendstil periods, all of which are located within easy sauntering distance of the town centre. The uniqueness of the Old City of Vilnius led to its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994.

Heathens and Christians
After most of Europe had adopted Christianity and prayed to a single Christian God, the population of Vilnius continued to pray to their pantheon of heathen deities. For centuries, it mattered little. Founded in the eleventh century as a walled fortress at the convergence of the Vilnia and Neris Rivers, the city has always been well protected from invaders.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t until Vilnius became the capital of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under Prince Gediminas in 1323 that other nations took an interest in its economic potential. The German confederation, Poland and the Russian czar all cast their envious eyes on Vilnius, each wanting a piece of its wealth and prosperity. Merchants, businessmen and priests arrived in droves, and with them came Christian missionaries. Soon afterward, most Lithuanians finally became Christian.

The Jesuits in Vilnius

As a result, unlike many of the other cities in the Baltic region, Vilnius became an eastern outpost of the Roman Catholic Church, and a multitude of glorious baroque churches and buildings greets visitors today. In the wake of the Reformation, a period of industrious building activity was begun under the support of the Jesuit order.

Jesuit activities were also at the heart of Vilnius’ intellectual revival, as the first Jesuit University was founded in 1579. Today, the University Quarter is recognized as a one of a kind architectural ensemble. Its buildings were inspired primarily by the styles of the early Italian baroque. Its courtyards, the church of St. John the Baptist, the clock tower, the observatory and the library are unparalleled anti City of churches. Vilnius lost its political significance following the union of Lithuania with Poland in 1569.

From this point onwards, rulers and occupying forces came and went. The city suffered greatly, again and again bowing to the will of more powerful nations. The construction of churches, however, continued unabated and Vilnius became known as “the Rome of the East”, a city noted for its abundance of churches and cloisters. Rapid growth continued to attract craftsmen, artists and labourers to the city, and by the beginning of the nineteenth century, Vilnius was the third most populous city in eastern Europe: only Moscow and St. Petersburg were larger.

Vilnius today

After fifty years of occupation by the USSR, Lithuania gained its independence in 1990, and Vilnius was announced the capital of the modern, democratic state. Lithuanians are busy restoring their city today, in full recognition of the weight of history.

More than buildings need to be restored; the very identity of Vilnius needs to be remade as well. As the Lithuanian government proudly proclaims, “here we are not only repairing the facades, but also the foundations”. The president of Lithuania resides in a residence near the towers of the university, in the midst of the lively Old City. An office and business quarter has recently been established nearby, on the opposite bank of the Neris River. Vilnius, already a growing tourist destination, has set its sight on once again becoming the economic centre of the Baltic.

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Mumbai, once known as Bombay, is one of the most populated cities in the world. In 1533, when the Portuguese set up Bom Bahia, which means “good bay”, no one could have thought what Mumbai would end up like.

In India there is no official system in place to register people and addresses. This makes any estimate of the population of Mumbai a highly uncertain task. This sprawling city is modern India’s centre for business and commerce, its financial capital and site of the the largest money market in the country. The Bombay Stock Exchange, founded in 1875 and based in Mumbai, is the oldest in Asia. Mumbai is also home to the largest film industry in the world. Even Hollywood cannot match the sheer number of films that are produced in Bollywood.

Mumbai is a city of contrasts where gleaming skyscrapers stand side by side with decrepit shacks, where air conditioned tourist buses cruise along next to ox carts. The city pulses with activity day and night. European style shopping centres, recreation venues, bars, discos and pubs are everywhere. Whatever your taste, whatever you desire, you can probably find it in Mumbai. Multiplex cinemas are found on every street because Indians have a love affair with movies. As is the case with many large cities, Mumbai is also burdened with a long list of social problems. The biggest problem is the size and growth of the population.

Land is scarce, and the cost of living is extremely high compared to the rest of the country. Approximately 6 million people live in slums today, making up nearly half of the city’s population. Many of the poor, unable to afford Mumbai’s relatively costly housing costs, live far outside the city centre in impoverished commuter communities. Many spend several hours a day travelling to work via Mumbai’s extensive rail and bus system.

Mumbai is not an easy, relaxing city to visit and it is not exactly packed with typical tourist attractions. Nevertheless, if you are ready and willing to travel to every corner of the city, there are certainly some beautiful places to see. The home where Mahatma Gandhi lived from 1917 until 1934, for example, is open to the public. Known locally as Mani Bhavan, it includes a museum and research centre devoted to the life and work of its famous former occupant.

The Gateway of India is also worth a visit. This monumental gateway directly on the harbour is a symbol of both Old Bombay and modern Mumbai. It was constructed in 1911 to welcome King George V and his queen, Maria von Teck on the occasion of their visit to the city. Boat tours of the harbour leave from this point, offering the best views of the Mumbai skyline, with the Gateway of India in the foreground and the Taj Mahal Hotel in the background. It is also possible to take a boat ride to Elephanta Island, where the Temple Cave of the Lord Shiva is found, one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city.

The second UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminal. Dedicated in 1888, it has long been one of the largest and busiest railway stations on Earth. Its imposing scale was deliberately designed as an assertion of British claims to power and the right to rule. Architect Frederick Stevens designed a functional building that is nothing short of monumental, combining the neoGothic style of the early Victorian era with elements derived from traditional Indian architecture. Richly ornamented, with every detail precisely rendered, this magnificent behemoth is under threat today from the damage done by smog and acid rain. From a purely practical point of view, the train station remains as important today as it once was to British colonial administrators. Over 1,000 trains pass through the station daily, carrying an average of 3 million passengers.

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Located in the centre of Europe, Vienna is both a bustling city and a city known for its coffee houses, historic districts, beautiful parks, elegant squares and romantic courtyards.

Vienna means cafe culture, music and wine. Where else can one so happily spend all day sitting in a cafe, reading a magazine, sipping a Viennese coffee or drinking a glass or two of wine?

Roman Vindobona, founded in the year 15 CE, was completely destroyed by the Germanic migrations of the fourth and fifth centuries. With the Roman legions long gone, only a small settlement remained. The name Vindobona is likely a version of the Celtic “Vedunia”, which means “torrent”, a reference to the settlement’s location on the banks of the famous Danube River.

Vienna was a city of doubtful repute at the end of the twelfth century. Its ruler, Duke Leopold V, was complicit in the abduction of the English king, Richard Lionheart, on his way home from the Crusades. The two noblemen had clashed during the Third Crusade.

Forced to stop in Vienna, Richard was recognised and arrested. A huge ransom was paid for his release, roughly twenty five tons of silver, an enormous sum for those days. The duke used the silver to start a mint, the vast profits from which enabled him to grow the city and build new fortifications. Although Emperor Henry VI had given his blessing to the duke’s illegal activities, the pope had not, and in 1194 Leopold V was excommunicated.

The first version of Vienna’s cathedral was completed in 1147 as a small parish church, and was far too large for the tiny population of Vienna at that time. The city would not become important for another ten years, after it was named capital of the Duchy of Austria. A hundred years later, the original church was replaced by one built in the Romanesque style. Its facade, known as the Roman Towers, was preserved when construction of a Gothic church began in 1340.

In 1359, Duke Rudolf IV laid the cornerstone for the soaring Gothic nave, which was completed in 1474. Vienna’s early dukes had not been successful in elevating the town to a bishop’s see, which was necessary for St. Stephen’s to be declared a cathedral; it had always been simply a church within the diocese of Passau. It did not become the seat of a bishop, and thus formally a cathedral, until 1469. St. Stephen’s has undergone many changes since then. As tastes changed, the interior and exterior were upgraded to reflect the times. Recent restoration has uncovered traces of older versions of Vienna’s beloved “Steffl”, as the church is known locally.

The sixteenth century was very much focused on rebuilding Vienna’s fortifications, which had been damaged during the Turkish siege of 1529. Work was not quite finished when the Turks returned in 1684. They were stopped just outside Vienna, the gateway to Europe, and never got that far again. Bombardment from Turkish positions in what is today the Wienerwald (”Vienna Woods”) left the city badly damaged in the wake of the Turkish retreat.

Rebuilding Vienna brought a large number of baroque architects to the city. The most beautiful constructions from that era are noble and royal residences, including the Schonbrunn, Liechtenstein, Schwarzenberg and Belvedere Palaces.

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Almost everyone who comes to Copenhagen visits the little mermaid harbour. Hans Christian Andersen’s popular fairy tale is about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince.

Love is capricious. In the end, the unhappy mermaid looks on mutely as her beloved abandons her in favour of a real woman. In Andersen’s fairy tale, the little mermaid throws herself into the sea, dissolving in the foam. Today, the bronze mermaid cast by Eric Eriksen sits on a rock on the harbour.

Vandals have attacked the statue on several occasions, but luckily, city officials keep the original bronze moulds in a secure location. Identical replacement parts are always available.

When Denmark became a kingdom in the tenth century, what would later become the great city of Copenhagen was a small, non-descript fishing town named Havn. Located at the entrance to the Baltic Sea, its strategically advantageous location attracted the attention of the Danish crown. Recent archeological discoveries show that by the 11th century, Copenhagen had already grown into a small town with a large estate, a church, a market, at least two water wells and many smaller suburbs spread over a fairly wide area.

Havn was transformed virtually overnight into an important business hub. The building of Slotsholm Fortress in 1167 is usually said to mark the city’s founding. Three years later, Copenhagen was given its current name, which in Danish means “merchant’s harbour”. In 1443, the emergent city became the official capital of the Kalmar Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. When the union disbanded in 1523 it became capital of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Amalienborg, the famous winter palace of the Danish royal family, stands on a broad, paved, octagonal plaza. Four nearly identical palaces were built along the four diagonal sides of the octagon. At the centre of this beautiful rococo complex, one of the loveliest in Europe, is an equestrian monument honouring King Frederik V. A changing of the guard takes place outside the palaces each noon.

The best view of the Old City of Copenhagen may be from the wide platform on top of the Round Tower. Although the tower is only 36 metres high, the spiral staircase to the top winds around 209 metres. It was once possible to ride to the top on horseback, as Peter the Great did when he visited.

Unfortunately, horses are now banned from the tower. Trinity Church is adjacent to the tower, with the shopping districts of Stroget and Straedet nearby. Most of the Old City is off limits to cars, making it one of Europe’s biggest pedestrian zones. Christiansborg Palace is on the small island of Slotsholm, the site of the original fortress, which is today joined to the rest of the city by several bridges.

The palace was once home to the Danish royal family, and is now the seat of the Danish government and its parliament, the Folketing. This is the sixth building to stand here since the 1167 founding of the city. Invading armies, fires and modernization have all taken their toll. While the first castle on the site stood from 1417 into the late eighteenth century, rebuilding and renovation has been fast and industrious ever since.

The present Christiansborg was built in the early twentieth century. Accessible from every quarter of the city, Tivoli Gardens amusement park first opened on 15 August 1843. Visitors can take a trip in a small boat on the moats once used for Copenhagen’s defense or take a pleasant ride on the big wheel looking down at the city from on high. It has a new, zero-G roller coaster (”the Demon”) and twenty-five other rides, as well as many restaurants and concert venues.

The mime presentations in the Pantomimes are extremely popular. After 150 years of continuous operation, neon signs are still banned in Tivoli. Instead, more than 110,000 incandescent lanterns brilliantly illuminate one of Europe’s oldest surviving pleasure gardens. The white bulbs hung from trees contribute to Tivoli’s uniquely old-fashioned atmosphere, even as the roller Demon hurtles by.

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Thailand is a kingdom in southeast Asia on the Indochinese and Malay peninsulas. Through most of its history Thailand was called Siam. The people call themselves Thai, which in their language means “the free people.” In 1948 the Thai government changed the name of the country to Thailand.

Thailand has an area of about 511,770 square km, which makes it not quite as large as the American state of Texas. About sixty one million people live there, which is nearly three times as many as the population of Australia.

The People of Thailand
The first people in the region of Thailand were Negritos, a Negroid pygmy people. The Negritos became mixed with invading Mongols and tribes from China to produce the modern race of Siamese. There are two main groups in the population, the true Thai and the Lao. Thailanders are rather short, but well built. They have brownish skin and straight black hair.

Thailanders are an independent and courageous people, and there are no caste divisions in Thailand. All the people, including the women, have equal rights. Thailand is a very musical country, although its music sometimes sounds strange to Western ears, and the people are artistic dancers.

Education in Thailand is provided mainly by the Thai government through the Ministry of Education. A free basic education of 12 is guaranteed by the Thai constitution, and a minimum of nine years’ school attendance is mandatory.

Thailanders are noted for their artistic abilities, ranging from the making of jewelry to the architecture of the beautiful Buddhist temples. There are many religious festivals in Thailand, with colorful costumes and ceremonies.

The people speak the Siamese language, which is a member of the Indochinese family of languages. Religion plays a very important role in Thai life. Religion is considered an essential foundation of society, it is not only the major moral force of Thai family and community but has also contributed to the molding of freedom loving, individualistic, and tolerant people for many centuries.

Hinayana Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand, but there is total religious freedom and all major religions can be found in practice. There is absolute freedom of religion – Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and other faiths are practiced and protected by the constitution. Buddhism is the faith of 95 percent of the population, 4 percent are Muslims, 0.5 percent and Christians, and the remainder Hindus, Sikhs and other religion.

Despite the fact that Buddhism is the faith of majority, both the king and the government uphold and support all the religions accepted by the people. Amidst rich diversity of beliefs, until recently people of Thailand have always lived together in peace and harmony.

How they Live
Thailand is largely a nation of farmers, fishermen, and lumbermen. The principal foods of the people are rice and fish. Nearly all of the farm land is planted with rice. In addition to the large quantities eaten by the people, Thailand exports a large quantity of rice as well as electronic products. Other farm crops include cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, corn, soybeans, peanuts, and sesame seeds. The rivers of Thailand are full of fish, and large catches also are made in the Gulf of Thailand (previously the Gulf of Siam). Much of Thailand’s wonderful food contains seafood dishes.

Three-quarters of Thailand is covered with forests from which come the country’s famous teakwood, as well as bamboo, ebony, rosewood, boxwood, and Palmyra palm. The forests provide important quantities of lac (a resin deposited on trees by the lac insect) , rubber, oils, dyes. and tanning bark.

Thailand has large and varied mineral resources, the most important of which are tin, wolfram ore, coal, copper, antimony, gold, iron, manganese, molybdenum, silver, lead, gypsum, and lignite. There is a growing hi-tech economy and foreign countries have been encouraged to build factories there for the production of chemicals, textiles, and other goods.

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Many small businesses spend far too much time on debt collection rather than their core business. Over the last 2-3 months I’ve noticed an increasing lag in payment cycles.

If you are in any sort of operation that uses small businesses as service providers or product suppliers it’s well worth your while to pay your bills on time and completely ignore to some “clever” accountants mantra of not paying until the second reminder. Guess what? People are human and they will pay back and pay forward. One way or the other you will pay in the end for screwing around your suppliers.

Here’s why:

1. If you pay on time you will get much better service. I know with my clients, the one’s who pay on time or early get the best service, day or night 365 days per year. These are A-Class clients. They pay on time or early, don’t bitch about the price, and as a result get excellent service and great value for money. They respect me, and I respect them. We both win.

2. If you don’t pay on time you reputation is on the line. Small business owners love to gossip. They slag off any customers who pay late. And with the Internet so freely available, your reputation can become crap overnight with one blog post. This leads into …

3. If you don’t pay on time, you can end up paying a premium. The current cost of money is about 1.5% per month. If your payment reputation is shite, than expect to pay at least 10-15 % more than if it were good or unknown. In some cases bad payers can be locked out of they supply chain completely and have to spend enormous amounts of time to find a new supplier.

With existing suppliers, if you screw them around, they will either add 10% to their next quote, or refer you to a lower-class competitor – hoping to send them broke because you don’t pay when due.

4. If you pay on time your staff don’t get harassed by debt collectors from your supplier’s accounts departments. This is a big source of staff burn-out. If you pay on time your staff won’t have to make up excuses for late payment and may actually start to enjoy their jobs.

In summary, if you want good service, good products, happier staff and ongoing loyalty, pay on time or before time and ignore your accountant’s advice.

What do you think? Why do you like early payment or not?

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The cost of flying within Italy is often comparable to the cost of train travel, although be sure to include the expense of getting to and from the airport. When flying out of Italian airports, always check with the airport or tourist agency about upcoming strikes, which are frequent in Italy and often affect air travel. The work stoppages are called by trade unions over contractual disputes, and can also ground or delay flights to and from Italy operated by several European carriers, including British Airways and Air France.

Things to Think About when booking
When you book, look for nonstop flights and remember that “direct” flights stop at least once. Try to avoid connecting flights, which require a change of plane. Two airlines may operate a connecting flight jointly, so ask whether your airline operates every segment of the trip. You may find that the carrier you prefer flies you only part of the way. Check web sites to find more booking tip, to check prices and to make online flight reservations.

When flying internationally, you must usually choose between a domestic carrier, the national flag carrier of the country you are visiting (Alitalia for Italy), and a foreign carrier from a third country. National flag carriers have the greatest number of non stops. Domestic carriers may have better connections to your hometown and serve a greater number of gateway cities. Third-party carriers may have a price advantage.

On international flights, Alitalia serves Rome, Milan, and Venice. The major international hubs in Italy are Milan and Rome, served by Continental Airlines and Delta Air Lines. American Airlines flies into just Milan. US Airways serves only Rome.

Alitalia and British Airways have direct flights from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Milan and Rome. From Manchester, British Airways has daily flights to Milan and Rome. Smaller, no-frills airlines also provide service between Great Britain and Italy.

EasyJet connects Gatwick with Bologna. British Midland connects Heathrow and Milan. Ryanair, departing from London’s Stansted Airport, has daily flights to Milan, Rome, Pisa, and Venice. Meridiana has two or three direct flights each week between Gatwick and Olbia on Sardinia in summer, and daily flights to Rome and Florence throughout the year. From its hub in Brussels, Virgin Express files to Milan, Catania, and Rome.

Alitalia connects Canada and Italy. Air Canada flies to Munich for connections to Rome, Florence, and Milan via Lufthansa. Qantas flies from various cities in Australia via Bangkok, arriving in Rome. Alitalia and New Zealand Air fly from Auckland to Rome with a stop in London. Another option if you’re coming from Australia or New Zealand is Thai Airlines, landing in Rome via Bangkok.

When buying tickets for flights within Italy, on Alitalia and small carriers such as Meridiana and Air One shop around for the best deals. Tickets are frequently sold at discounted prices, so check the cost of flights, even one-way, as an alternative to train travel.

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