Tag: rimini

Finding Castles in the Sky and Amazing Views in San Marino

Posted on by Keane Li

Panoramic view of Guaita Castle from top of San Marino

What do Gondor-esque castles, Duff Beer and vintage Fiats have in common?

They can all be found in the Republic of San Marino!

Located within Italy along the border shared by the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Marche, the Republic of San Marino is an independent microstate that rises high into the sky. Constituted in part by the Apennine mountain range, its capital city, the City of San Marino, offers breathtaking views and quite the bit of exercise. Continue reading “Finding Castles in the Sky and Amazing Views in San Marino” →

36GB of Photos from Rome, Naples and Emilia-Romagna

Posted on by Keane Li
Rome - Piazza Venezia and Il Vittoriano during the rain

I’m slowly trudging through the 36GB of photos taken during my Italy trip last May. If you’re interested in seeing some unique travel photography from Italy and around the world, check out my Instagram profile.

Here are a few shots from Rome that I like in particular…

Continue reading “36GB of Photos from Rome, Naples and Emilia-Romagna” →

A Close-Up Look at the Grand Hotel Rimini

Posted on by Keane Li

Grand Hotel Rimini - Bar menu and sunglasses

Last night I had a dream I was back in Italy. I opened my eyes and saw the Roman Colosseum in front of me, as if coming up from the Roma Metropolitana. I remember feeling instantly elated. My parents were there. It was winter. Little kids were ice skating (it was a dream) and little bits of white dust or snow were falling gently like they do in every other Ridley Scott film.

Not being able to sleep, I decided to revisit Italy. Not Rome this time, but Rimini. I wanted to go back to a particular sunny day when fellow BlogVille photographer Asgeir Pedersen, writer Gina Stark and I visited the Grand Hotel Rimini, the most historic and, perhaps, the most beautiful hotel in Rimini. Continue reading “A Close-Up Look at the Grand Hotel Rimini” →

Five reasons to visit Emilia-Romagna

Posted on by Keane Li

While I wait for the restoration of Internet connectivity at my place after returning from Italy, I’m forced to leave all my awesome videos (like this one of the view from the clock tower in Brisighella or this other one of a horse-drawn carriage ride in a nature reserve in Savio) of Emilia-Romagna on my computer, lest I jam up the connection for everyone else in this cafe with large uploads.

I don’t want to be that guy.

Anyway, I’ve been reminiscing about all the great moments I had in Emilia-Romagna as a part of BlogVille. There are so many reasons to visit this beautiful region in Italy; here are my top five.

1. Food

A huge majority of Italy’s most delicious exports originate from Emilia-Romagna. There’s Modena’s balsamic vinegar, the great cheeses of Parma, prosciutto, lasagne, ravioli, tagliatelle al rag๠(oddio!), Sangiovese wine and the amazing piadina. Along the coast, fresh seafood is in abundance, often served as a mixed platter of fried goodness. In short, it’s impossible not to get a little grasso here.

That’s Italian for “fat.”

Tagliatelle al rag๠at Trattoria Renzi Continue reading “Five reasons to visit Emilia-Romagna” →

Taking a break from BlogVille – How to help the victims of the Emilia-Romagna earthquakes if you live in America

Posted on by Keane Li

Terremoto Emilia 2012 – Emilia (Italy) Earthquake May 2012 from Roberto Mettifogo on Vimeo.

The above video is a quick representation of the devastating effects of the recent slew of earthquakes in Italy’s region of Emilia-Romagna. Occurring in May and well into June—the most recent of which I felt a few days ago in Rimini, an earthquake centered in Ravenna—the earthquakes destroyed many historic buildings and left important businesses in shambles. Over 15,000 people were left homeless and many lost their lives. In short, much of Italy’s perhaps most productive region was left shattered.

Emilia-Romagna produces much of the world’s most revered food products (prosciutto, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Sangiovese, aceto balsamico di Modena, etc.) and maintains timeless art, while housing a population of some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. The beautiful medieval towns are irreplaceable, and they provide as tourist attractions for a country that really needs it.

But how can you help if you live in the United States?

The fine folks at L’Italo Americano Newspaper are currently running a campaign to raise funds for the victims of the Emilia-Romagna earthquakes. While any donation amount is accepted, anyone contributing over $50 and fans them on Facebook gets a free annual subscription to the publication.

L'Italo Americano Newspaper's Relief Fund for Emilia-Romagna