10 Things To Do In San Gimignano

  

San Gimignano, the magical hilltop Tuscan town famous for its towers is my second home. With all my travels in Italy San Gimi is always home base. Arriving back there heals me, leaving there makes me a bit tearful, every time. Perched on a hill between Florence and Siena, watching over the fields  and vineyards, it is the perfect medieval town.

Piazza-Cisterna-San-Gimignano

If you find your way to beautiful San Gimignano, here are 10 things you need to do:

1. Visit the Duomo. 

the view from my apartment window, looking over the Duomo

The fresco cycles are spectacular and date back to the 13th century.

The Duomo is in the heart of town, so you can't miss it.

2. Eat an artisanal gelato. 

Late night gelato in Piazza Cisterna, San Gimignano

The gelato store in the neighboring Piazza Cisterna makes fresh gelato each day in a variety of sensational flavors. Try raspberry with rosemary, or any flavor with lavender. Actually, it's probably impossible to find a flavor that isn't fantastic. Sometimes there are lines across the piazza with locals waiting to get a scoop or two of this delicious homemade gelato.

Wander back through to Piazza Duomo and sit on the steps while you eat your gelato. Look up and you will see my apartment looking right back at you!

3. Walk down to the medieval font.

one of my travelers in June 2016 exploring the font on a rainy day

The history of this idyllic mountain town is just wonderful, and there is just so much to see. Most people don't make it down to the font. Every time I've been we are the only people down there having a look.

4. Take a stroll.

You can walk around San Gimi forever and not get bored. The light hits the walls and the towers differently every minute of the day, so it always looks new. Wander through the medieval arches and alleyways, explore the little piazze, window shop and walk from one end of town to the other. Wander off the main shopping street and explore all the little neighborhoods. This little town is magical!

wander around in the evening for a different view of the town.

5. Walk the wall.

walking along the wall in San Gimignano, summer 2016

The views from the walls of San Gimi are absolutely breathtaking. A glass of local Sangiovese in the late afternoon at one of the little restaurants along the wall, with a view of endless vineyards, olive groves and fields that have been farmed for centuries. The view is so lovely it will haunt you forever...

late afternoon glass of wine along the wall, taking in the view in San Gimignano

6. Visit iSculpture San Gimignano

This one is a fantastic find in a region full of historical sculpture my friends Francesca and Patrick have built a tremendous business and a wonderful gallery featuring only contemporary art created by Italian artists.

The works are fresh and exciting and new, and make for an all encompassing experience housed in an ancient, historical building. The gallery is deceptively huge, and is the perfect showcase for both small and gigantic pieces. It's one of those places that keeps drawing you back in.

7. Climb the rock at sunset.

The highest point of town at the San Matteo end affords you the craziest, most sensational views as the sun goes down.

8. Eat Pizza at Il Trovatore

Summer evenings spent on the patio at Il Trovatore with pizzas cooked in their giant wood burning oven and jugs of local wine just cannot be beaten.

Tuscan pizza is nothing like pizza stateside. It's fresh and light and explodes win flavor. Don't expect it to be drenched in tomato sauce and wallowing in melted cheese like it is here - this is pizza the way it was meant to be eaten.

9. Enjoy Prosecco in the Piazza

late afternoon spritz and prosecco in the Piazza Cisterna, San Gimignano

My favorite time of day is Prosecco o'clock in the piazza. That late afternoon /early evening glass of prosecco siting at one of the outdoor restaurants that line the piazza Cisterna watching the early evening light hit the walls of the palazzi, people watching as the tourists leave for the day and the locals come out.

It's absolute magic.

10. Be there for market day

buying fresh local cheeses and prosciutto at the San Gimignano market

Every Thursday San Gimi wakes up to market day. The market takes up all of the Piazza Duomo and most of Piazza Cisterna. 

the local ladies buying their fruit and vegetables at the weekly market

From local cheeses and meats to fruits and vegetables, from Italian leather handbags and belts to clothes and shoes, from housewares to fabulous Italian tablecloths and napkins, there is so much to look at and buy!

Plan on buying lunch from one of the food trucks and eating it sitting on the Duomo steps.

(The leather handbags are the same as the ones you will find in San Lorenzo market in Florence. I have always found them to be cheaper at the San Gimi market. Expect to pay between 40 and 50 euros for an incredible handbag that will last a lifetime.)

I hope you take time to visit San Gimignano - it is so lovely!

What To Do If You Get Sick While Traveling

It's a nightmare.
You've finally made it - you've traveled across the world or across the country to the vacation you have been saving up for, and out of nowhere you get sick.

It happened to me years ago, thankfully in Australia where medical care is amazing and affordable, and where I speak the language.
3 days into a dream vacation with my family in beautiful Noosa, I came down crazy sick. Frighteningly sick. The am-I-going-to-die kind of sick.
The kind of sick that can nearly bankrupt you in America kind of sick.

On the super long flight from Los Angeles to Brisbane I contracted an incredibly vicious and aggressive upper respiratory infection. 
At first I attributed it to jet lag or a slight cold that days lying on Aussie beaches, under the perfect Aussie sun, breathing pure Aussie air would heal. But no such luck. I woke up on day 3 thinking that short of an ambulance arriving in about 2 minutes I would be dead. (Dramatic, I know, but terrifying too)

Luckily I was in Australia, got immediate help and it cost next to nothing. In America the same illness would have been financially
devastating.
I always, always, always travel with travel insurance that has a strong medical policy, (and in fact I make all my Glam Italia Tour travelers buy travel insurance before leaving), and now I always get a super immune vitamin IV prior to international trips to boost my immune system and make it fight off infections that I may come in contact with. I've never been sick traveling since. But I always know anything could happen.

I also got very sick while spending a month in Egypt many years ago, and again just a few years back in Mexico while on a workout video shoot. Lying on the floor of a Mexican airport, too sick to sit up and not knowing how you will survive a flight home is no fun.
If you travel frequently it's bound to get you at some point.

Smarter Travel did a great article on what to do should you get sick while traveling. Check it out below. (all text and images in the following article are via SmarterTravel.com)

What to Do When You Get Sick While Traveling

by Shannon McMahon

The worst thing that can happen on a long-awaited adventure isn’t missing a flight or losing your luggage—it’s getting sick. Flights can be rebooked and personal items replaced, but your wellbeing can’t. Even if you’ve attended your pre-travel clinic appointments and packed all the preventative sanitizers and medications in the world, the flu or infectious diseases can still make you miss a lot of your vacation.

The good news is there’s plenty you can do to make that misfortune less disruptive, especially if you have travel insurance and a game plan. Here are some tips—including the advice of a travel-clinic doctor—to keep in mind for those times you become sick while traveling, especially abroad.

Know Your Travel-Insurance Policy

The moment that symptoms of an illness set in is the moment you'll either be relieved you purchased medical travel insurance or promising yourself you'll never skip it again. Having a travel insurance policy that includes medical coverage is especially important if you're traveling abroad where your health insurance may not cover you. You can get an insurance policy in just a few minutes and for as little as a few dollars a day—it could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Out-of-pocket medical care isn't cheap.

Worry less about the unexpected. Get a Free 10-Day Look with Allianz Travel Insurance, the world leader in travel insurance. Make sure you're covered!

Once you have travel insurance, know its terms. Some policies cover extensive medical-related costs like body casts and flights home, while others might only cover emergency-room care. Know what your options are so you can assess what's necessary and what will cost you.

Don’t ‘Wait and See’ on Flu Symptoms

Traveling during flu season makes you more prone to debilitating sickness in already germy areas like planes, but many infectious diseases (Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya) also start out with flu symptoms like fever and nausea. It's important to get to a doctor for a diagnosis as early as you can if you have debilitating symptoms—waiting to see if you'll feel better could mean missing the window for treatment, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

"If it really is the flu, medication can be given early in the course of illness to reduce duration of symptoms," Dr. Natasha Hochberg, co-director of Boston Medical Center's Travel Clinic, told me. "Many other illnesses such as malaria and dengue can manifest with fever and aches too; these often require medical attention, so I would urge travelers with these symptoms to seek medical care."

Find the Right Clinic

Finding a doctor abroad doesn't have to be a shot in the dark. Dr. Hochberg recommends the International Society of Travel Medicine's website, which is home to a Global Travel Clinic Directory that lists clinics by country based on the type of care they provide, the languages their doctors speak, and where they're located.  Travelers without Internet access can also call the destination's U.S. embassy for that information—so don't forget to save the necessary Department of State phone numbers in your phone before you travel.

Listen to Your Body

Once you've been diagnosed, it's important to heed the doctor's advice and to listen to your body. You might be tempted to try to keep up with your travel plans, especially if you made arrangements for exciting new experiences—but your immune system is down and recuperating is important. Avoid potentially risky food situations like street food, and get plenty of sleep and fluids. "Hydration and rest are helpful," Dr. Hochberg says. Getting enough of both might help you recuperate in time to finish out your trip in good spirits.

Let Your Doctor Know

It's important to keep your primary doctor back at home in the loop. There's no need to be calling him or her with updates, but sending an email or calling once you've returned to let them know is important. They'll want to know your condition in case of any lasting effects or complications related to other conditions or medications you might have.

"Importantly, anyone returning home ill should reach out to a travel care provider or their primary care doctor as quickly as possible," Dr. Hochberg says.

Have you booked your summer travel yet?
Maybe you've just decided to try and getaway and are worried that everything will be too expensive now?
I found this article on how to save on summer travel on Airfare Watchdog

8 Ways to Save on Summer Travel

The summer travel season is here and we've found that more and more travelers plan to hit the skies this year. In an effort to help you get the best value from your vacation, we've put together a list of our top money-saving tips for summer travel.

1. Avoid ‘peak’ summer travel. Summer doesn’t officially end until well after Labor Day. Since school starts earlier and earlier these days, you’ll find that airfares and hotel rates tend to go down for travel after around August 18, when kids go start to return to school. So plan your travels for “off-peak summer” if you can.
2. Look into low-season destinations. Check out some of the not-as-popular summer destinations that still offer great activities and good weather. Since thousands of tourists won’t be flocking to those locations, prices for hotels, transportation, and everyday activities will be lower. Plus, crowds will be much smaller.
3. Use a flexible search to find better deals. When planning your travel, try to be as flexible as possible with your departure and arrival dates. That way, you can take advantage of flexible travel date airfare searches. If you can flex your travel dates slightly, and don’t need to travel on specific date, you can take advantage of huge savings, sometimes simply by booking a day or two earlier or later. Some of our favorite flexible search tools include those of JetBlue,Southwest, and United for airlines, along with Google Flights and Kayak.
4. For European travel, focus first on crossing the Atlantic cheaply. At this point, it’s no secret that fares to Europe are at historic lows, and the euro has dropped considerably, both of which make for cheaper travel within the continent. However, some cities may still be pricier than others, so to get the best deal you may have to fly into a nearby airport and then travel city-to-city by plane or train. Check out some of our favorite smaller airlines, such asNorwegian, Condor, and Wow Air, where you’ll find great deals within Europe. While you might have to spend some extra time getting to your actual destination, you’ll save money while touring two cities for less than the price of one. For example, while round-trip fares to Vienna may be about $1,200, you could instead fly into Milan for under $700 (thanks to US and European carriers trying to keep pace with low fares from Emirates). A flight or overnight train ticket from Milan to Vienna is fairly inexpensive and the savings certainly add up!
5. Check out your options with frequent flyer miles. When researching flights, see if it makes sense to cash in reward miles with any of your frequent flyer programs. In certain situations, you might have better luck calling the airline’s reservation center and speaking directly with a booking agent.
6. Do your research before booking an air + hotel travel package. While the package deals for airfare and hotels stays seem promising, sometimes they are significantly overpriced. Before whipping out your credit card and snagging that “great package deal,” search airfare and hotel prices on their own. That way, you’ll get a feel for what the prices are when they are separate and you’ll know if you’re actually saving money by booking a package. For example, British Airlines often has package deals for airfare and five nights in London for far less than the cost of the flight alone. In these scenarios, the package deal is a definite a no-brainer!
7. Check to see if your credit card offers travel insurance. Many travelers purchase travel insurance without first checking to see if their credit card offers any coverage. The credit card you use on a daily basis might already offer you enough insurance to cover your trip. Our favorites are the Chase Sapphire card, United Explorer card, and some Citibank AAdvantage cards, which all offer superb insurance protection.
8. After you book, check for airfare and hotel price drops. Airfare and hotel prices fluctuate on a daily basis. It’s a total bummer when you’ve paid for a hotel or flight and find out that someone else paid less. If you stay on top of it and check for price drops after you book, however, you might still be able to save some money. You can either get cash or a credit for future travel if you know how the system works. For example, Tingo will give you your money back if the price of your hotel room drops after you book.

Travel Scams To Watch Out For This Summer

I don't just love to travel - I live to travel.

Traveling the world is fun and fabulous, there is always so much to discover!
If you are traveling this summer you need to be aware of some of the scams that are floating around and keep yourself protected.

Travel Scams To Watch Out For

WiFi

If you've traveled internationally lately you will already know just how maniacally expensive data is. My cell carrier, Verizon, charges $25 for every 100 MB. It's crazy, especially with our lives functioning around our smartphones. When you travel you tend to use your pocket sized portable mini-computer all the time - googling facts about what you're seeing, searching for a great seafood restaurant nearby, downloading driving directions, watching the 30 second video you just took - it's constant. 
100 MB doesn't go far, so you need to use Wifi as much as possible, but it comes with certain risks.

image via Jarrang.com

The latest wifi scam involves free wifi. Maybe you are in an airport, a hotel lobby, a public square, maybe you are in a coffee shop, and bingo - you find free wifi. You quickly log on to facebook, upload photos, check your email, and please no, check your bank account before heading off on your way. Public wifi is not secure at the best of times, it is well known to be an easy hack.

One of the current scams involves hackers setting up free wifi hotspots and targeting your personal information, your private photos, your social security number, your mobile banking, your insurance information, your credit cards, you name it.

Hackers use both SSL decryption to capture your personal information, and SSL stripping to downgrade secure domains and gain access to your passwords and payment information. No matter how tech-savvy you are, assume they are a step ahead of you, because they probably are.

Airport ATM Machines

Travelex ATM Hong Kong airport

The first thing you need to know about changing currency at the airport is that you are going to get the absolute worst exchange rate. They know they've got you - either you are arriving and need local currency or you are leaving and want to unload it, so they can make the exchange rate as terrible as they want. 

If you are using the ATM machine at the airport be super savvy. Many international airports are no longer using ATMs operated by large national and international banks, instead opting for ATM machines run by companies such as Travelex. 
Retail foreign exchange companies have the monopoly on airport ATMs. They pay big fees to the airport and recoup that money plus more from you, the unsuspecting and weary traveler.

They advertise 'free withdrawals', so you think you are backing a winner when in fact they are killing you with their exchange rate.
I was just reading that travelers are losing more than 10% with the exchange rate these ATMs give.
You are better off to buy foreign currency from your bank at home before you leave, and then use bank ATM machines inside banks at your destination. If you have to use the ATM at the airport, only pull out what you absolutely need to get you from the airport to your hotel.

(Traveling through Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport? Phoenix has the highest out of network ATM fees. Check it out here at Phoenix's ABC15.com)

RFID Credit Card Readers.

This is not just a problem when you are traveling, it is a huge problem domestically too.
For as little as $50 a hacker can buy a cell phone sized card reader that will wirelessly read the information on the magnetic strip on your credit or debit card, through your wallet, hangbag or pocket.
The reader will pick up your card number, expiration date and CCV code and then seemlessly transfer that information to a $300 magnetizing tool which encodes that info onto a new card. 

Both domestically and when you travel you should keep all of your credit and debit cards inside RFID blocking sleeves in your wallet, or RFID blocking wallet. Your passport information is readable too, so you can now get RFID blocking passport sleeves that protect the information digitally stored in your passport. All of these are available at The Container Store

Check out this article on Forbes.com about RFID hacking





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How To Deal With Airport Delays This Summer

There has been much in the news lately about the excessive delays at the TSA checkpoints in the airports. This summer is expected to be one of the biggest air travel summers on record, so putting the two together it's not hard to foresee some potential problems ahead.

SEattle Sea-Tac Airport

Here are some tips to get you thru it.

Get to the airport early.

Like really early. For domestic flights be there a minimum of 2 hours ahead. For international at least 3 hours ahead. Yes it is totally inconvenient to sit at the gate for a couple of hours, but it is much worse to miss your flight because you are in long lines at the security checkpoint.

Airlines are having an added problem in that flights are full, and they can't necessarily get you onto the next flight, so you could find yourself stranded.

 

Plan ahead.

Plan your outfit to make it as quick and easy as possible to get through security. The more layers and belts and jewelry and bags etc that you have to offload, the longer it is going to take and the more fractious everyone around you is going to be.

Wear something simple, but all your bangles and bracelets etc inside your handbag, wear shoes that can slip on and off and don’t cause delays while you are unlacing them.

Have your laptop out, keep all your toiletries in clear or ziplock bags – basically streamline your game.

Chicago Midway

Be Nice.

Even when everyone around you is being an ass.

Imagine how it must feel to have your entire day filled with angry and aggressive people. That is how it is for TSA agents and gate crew, all day, every day. It must be hell.

I was reading today that TSA agents are the lowest paid of the government workers, are mostly hired as part timers so don’t get benefits, and generally have a really tough time of it. So no matter what is going on, be nice.

If you let yourself get agitated and stressed out you just make everything worse anyway, and it won’t get you to your gate any faster.

3000 bags missed their flight at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Avoid The Bad Airports.

If you can, route your trip through an easier airport. It may take a little research, or driving further than you wanted to, but it can be well worth it.

I won’t fly through Chicago O’Hare, as every time I have flown through there, there have been delays and problems.

Last year I flew back to America via JFK twice. What a nightmare. I think the main attributes they look for when hiring TSA agents at JFK are hostility and being a colossal asshole. Every single person working there was not just scowling, but going out of their way to be an ass. The first of the two was in September. The lines were ridiculously long, they were refusing to let pre check people the pre check line, just to be dicks – it was quite something. I luckily had oodles of time so it didn’t matter that my entire layover was spent standing in their stupid lines, but other travelers were in tears, which I think was the TSA agents’ goal. I kept thinking it could be worse – I could be at La Guardia.

Funnily enough four days later I was flying to Australia out of the Tom Bradley terminal at LAX. The difference was like night and day. Firstly, the Bradley terminal is an airport to be proud of. It’s modern, sleek and ridiculously chic. You would think you were in Dubai. Furthermore every airport worker you encounter smiles. The TSA still deal with the same volume of people as JFK, maybe even more, but everything moves along smoothly. What I noticed most was how chill the other travelers were when everyone was treating them nicely.

If you haven’t booked your airline tickets yet, look at the other airports nearby – they might make for an easier trip.

10 Totally Awesome Airport Hacks

I spend a ton of time in airports.
A ton.
Whether I'm flying domestically or whether I'm flying internationally it seems as though I am always on my way to the airport. Over the years I've come up with some great tricks to make the airport experience run more smoothly, and I also regularly check travel blogs to pick up more tips.

Here are 10 awesome airport hacks that I use all the time.

Always Dress Nicely And Smile.
Here is a simple fact. When airlines and airport personnel have the opportunity to upgrade someone, be it to first class or to business class or to any other opportunity, they are not going to give it to someone in sweats and an old t shirt who is scowling at them.

I always make sure I'm dressed nicely, keep myself decently groomed, and make sure that no matter what is going down I am always friendly, courteous and kind. 
Even when I want to murder someone. 
People will go out of their way to help you when you are the sane, calm, empathetic person in the sea of screaming maniacs. I always feel so badly for gate agents when flights are delayed or something is going wrong, and everyone is yelling at them like it's their fault.

I get upgraded all the time, and gate agents are constantly doing me little favors. A friendly smile goes a long way.

Go Left.

Most people are right handed, so when they get to the front of the line they turn right, making the lines on the right-hand side longer and slower. if you turn left instead you will find the line going through security are shorter and move more quickly.

Plan Ahead.

image via Vogue.com

You know you are going to go through security, so plan ahead. Think out what you're going to wear on your flight. Remove belts, loose change from pockets, jewelry that will set off the x-ray machine. Only wear a long dress or long skirt if you are planning on having an intimate pat down from an angry TSA chick.
Think out your shoe game so that you are wearing something easy to slip on and off.
Have your laptop at the top of your carry on so that it's quick and easy to reach and your toiletries all packed together in a clear ziplock bag.
Planning ahead simplifies everything for you and all the other travelers waiting in line behind you.

Bring An Empty Water Bottle.
Airport shops charge extortionate amounts for a small bottle of water. Take an empty bottle through security and fill it up from the water fountains on the other side. Most airports now have purified water machines in the gate areas.

Get Gate Guru
I swear by this app. Load your flight details into the app and it will not only tell you which gate your next flight is departing from, which is super helpful when you are making a tight connection, but it will also notify you when your flight is delayed or your gate has changed, long before the airline notifies you. It's brilliant!

Pack An External Battery And/Or A Power Strip
You don't wait to be caught waiting for a delayed flight with no cell phone/iPad/laptop battery life. If you have an external battery you can power back up. There are very few power outlets at each gate and they always seem to be full. If you have a power strip with you not only can you power up but so can the others around you.
I just bought this Anker Mini charger in rose gold (to match my new iPhone)

Anker Mini charger

Use The Club Lounge

Emirates 1st class lounge, Dubai

Plenty of airline club lounges have one day rates, so even if you are not a member you can take advantage. I fly American Airlines as much as I can, partly due to the fact that I can use their club lounge.

I haven't tried this hack, but I was reading that first class fliers get automatic access into the club lounge, and can bring in a guest. The blogger writing about it said that if you are dressed nicely and are clean and polite you can wait outside the door and get someone to take you in with them.
I'm not sure that I would actually ever do that, but it is a pretty clever idea.

Save with Booking.com, Planet Earth’s #1 Accommodation Site. No booking fees ever!

Rest In The Chapel.
If you are experiencing long delays or have a long layover and you don't have access to a club lounge you can escape the madness going on at the gate by hiding out in the peace and quiet of the chapel. Just make sure you have your Gate Guru notifications turned on so that you know when it's time to go back.

Fly Early
If you are scared of turbulence or get air sick in turbulence, book a morning flight. The factors that cause turbulence tend to occur in the afternoon.

Pack Food.
Airport food is notoriously high sodium, high sugar, high fat and high calorie. Guaranteed to bloat you and give you jet lag.
Do yourself a favor (and save yourself a ton of money) by packing healthy snacks. If by any chance you get caught in some major delay at the airport (- hello every time I have ever flown through Chicago O'Hare!) you will be so glad that you did.

image via Stilettos And Spice

The image above is from Stiletto And Spice's blogpost Fuel For The Plane