• Based on popular demand, I'm doing an extended post on winter in Italy and will also name a few events taking place during the months of January and February. This year, the winter season in Italy has been exceptionally mild and has caused some concern, especially where skiing and agriculture is concerned. Nevertheless, an Italian winter can be a totally satisfying experience for anyone visiting Italy during this period.
• Winter in Rome is usually mild and interspersed with occasional sunny days. Tranquil winter landscapes meet you and although it can be cold outside, on some days the weather is mild enough to allow lunching outdoors.
• Venice is quieter and more enjoyable in winter, without the usual crowds that throng this city during the summer time. You can absorb its beauty at a slower pace and have the streets to yourself, at least for a short while.
• And Florence celebrates winter with great pomp and splendour with several shows, concerts and exhibitions.
• The beautiful city of Florence comes alive in winter and there are many activities you can enjoy so as to get a better understanding of this ancient and noble city. You can also visit their website Winter in Florence ( http://www.invernoafirenze.it ) for more details.

• Here is a list of activities taking place in Italy during the months of January and February.

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Italy is an ideal holiday venue during the winter with a surprisingly diverse climate. The many monuments, attractions, streets and shops are less crowded and most of all, the incredible winter bargains are an additional bonus impossible to resist. The climate in the south is warm and dry than in the north and central areas during winter. The mountain regions are cold with heavy snowfalls.

Most of the airlines and hotels offer discount packages during winter that affords an ideal opportunity to realize your dream of spending some of that much earned vacation visiting Italy. As you know, Italy is internationally famous for its cuisine, art, fashion, luxury vehicles and its natural treasure of beautiful coasts, lakes and mountains. Entire families head towards the regions that overlook the Alps like Aosta Valley, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino and Friuli Venezia Giulia to participate in skiing and mountain climbing.

If you want to escape the frigid temperatures, head towards the Amalfi coast, one of the warmer regions of Italy although there are occasional showers. Please note that some of the hotels and restaurants close for winter. Climbing to the top of Amalfi's Cathedral, shopping for ceramics in Vietri sul Mare or excursions to Sorrento, Naples, Mt. Vesuvius, Capri and Pompeii are some of the activities that will keep you entertained. Venice in winter is more peaceful and will give you the chance of viewing this floating city. The festive season in Italy starts around 8th December and continues till Epiphany on 6th January. Celebrations take place all over Italy and the famous presipio, nativity scenes are on view. Generally there are firework displays and public events on New Year. A popular belief in Italy is that it's lucky to wear red underwear to usher in the New Year. Whatever traditions you follow, Italy is a beautiful place to vacation during winter and will fill your holiday album with many memorable pictures of a truly wonderful experience.

Travelers often choose to visit Rome during Christmas to be a part of the celebrations. And needless to say, the city is absolutely magical during this time.

Most of the museums, galleries, shops and restaurants close from 24th to 27th December. Public transportation including taxies reduce their services and is uncertain at best. Having said that, Rome has enough entertainment to keep you busy during your vacation with lots of festivals, religious events and loads of activities to enjoy.

Piazza Navona comes alive during Christmas, with booths and stands selling locally made items like laces, handkerchiefs and tiny nativity figurines. You can also buy home baked cakes, biscuits and nougats. At this time of the year the smell of roasted chestnuts fill the air and adds greater flavour to the Christmas activities. Try and spot Old Saint Nick patiently having his picture taken time and again with various children. The Presepio in this Piazza is enormous. The sound of bagpipes dominates the air, played by pifferai, the shepherd pipers. Many Christmas markets afford shoppers an opportunity to stack up on gifts and festive knick knacks for the season.

For some, Christmas means the Vatican. The Papal midnight mass is one of its major attractions which is over around 2 a.m. You may find yourself stuck for transport as public transportation comes to a standstill on Christmas Eve. Tickets should be requested well in advance to avoid disappointment.

For others, Christmas means shopping. The streets of Rome sparkle with festive decor, and shopaholics spend a great time browsing through Christmas goodies.

Annually a tall Christmas tree is displayed in Piazza S. Pietro. The main Piazzas too have Christmas trees that are beautifully decorated. Presepi are elaborate nativity scenes that are on view all over town and in churches as well and the oldest is believed to be housed in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. The Pope visits the Presipio at the Spanish Steps on the 8th of December on the feast of the Immaculate Conception and places a veil over the figure of Mary before proceeding to perform a mass at the Basilica.

Christmas in Rome can be a wonderful and memorable experience. Buon Natale!

To see Venice's Grand Canal is to see just how innovative humankind can be. Instead of a main road, Venice is dominated by its 2.5 mile, Grand Canal waterway (called "Canalazzo") which is the heart that drives this ancient city. So instead of seeing cars go to and fro, you will see a wide variety of boats including gondolas, ferries, vaporettos (a type of waterbus) and even police vessels going about their day at a blissful leisurely pace.

The best way to experience the Grand Canal and the beauty of Venice is by taking a ride on vaporetto Line 1. This waterbus service is relatively cheap and runs from the Venice Train Station (Ferrovia) to Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square). Though you can get on at various stops along the way, taking the vaporetto Line 1 from the train station is the way to go if you want to see more of Venice.

The entire journey (train station to Saint Mark's Square) takes about 45 minutes and on the way you will get to see intricately designed buildings, churches and palaces ranging from the 12th to the 18th centuries. If you want to fully experience Venice, take the same ride again at night when the buildings are lit up and the city undergoes a magical transformation. The vaporetto Line 1 operates from early morning (around 5 AM) till midnight and departs every 10 minutes during the daytime.

For the romantically inclined, you can take your partner on a moonlight or sunset time gondola ride down the Grand Canal where you can whisper sweet nothings, pledge your love or better yet, propose!

Contrary to what most people think, Rome is not mere monuments and museums, but has lots of kid friendly attractions as well.

One such place is St.Peter's Basilica where its colorful interiors, bronze statue of St. Peter and dome top view will keep kids more than occupied. Remember not to wear anything short or which exposes the shoulders when visiting.

A definite kids favorite is Luna Park (in Via delle Tre Fontane) which offers all the thrills of an amusement park including a roller coaster, a haunted house and plenty of stalls and games. The park which opens around 3 PM (open on Sunday morning though) and goes on until late, is a great place to end the day.

Another place to visit is Explora (Via Flaminia, 82), which is an interactive museum for kids. Covering areas such as the environment and technology, the museum gives children (and their parents!) a chance to poke, handle and touch different exhibits and learn about them as well. Explora is closed on Mondays.

Other kid friendly attractions include Rome's zoo, Villa Borghese which is made up of several parks, the popular Aquapiper water park (open in summer) and the Time Elevator (Via S.S. Apostoli, 12) which takes you on a virtual journey through Rome's history.

Also not to be missed is the Teatro Verde (Circonvallazione Gianicolense, 10) where kids can enjoy Italian puppetry at its best. Shows take place on weekends from mid October till about the end of April (starts at around 5PM).

As you can see, Rome has plenty of things which children will enjoy and is a great place to expose them to some culture as well.