Backpacking in Italy: Five Cool Cities to Check Out

I’ve backpacked through Italy a few times down the years and even border delved into the two real landlocked countries it houses – San Marino and the Vatican City State. As I prepare to return to Milan this year on route to the Euro 2016 tournament in France, it seems a good time to reflect Read more about Backpacking in Italy: Five Cool Cities to Check Out[…]

Backpacking in Italy: My Top 5 Memories

I don’t write about Italy as much, despite having visited the country seven times on my travels. I’m planning to visit Italy again this year, in June on route to France for the Euro 2016 football tournament to watch Northern Ireland in. Italy is one of the best countries for food. I love pizza, any Read more about Backpacking in Italy: My Top 5 Memories[…]

4 Reasons to Visit the Roman Catacombs

This post was posted by The Hipmunk on Hipmunk’s Tailwind blog on 30th September 2015. Skulls in the Catacombs In ancient Rome, burial within the city walls was forbidden. The pagan culture of the second and third centuries preferred cremation, despite the objections of the Christian minority. As land for graveyards was scarce, the Christians of the day cultivated Read more about 4 Reasons to Visit the Roman Catacombs[…]

Visit the World’s First Ghetto..in Venice

This post was posted by TheHipmunk on Hipmunk’s Tailwind blog on 14th August 2015. The Jewish Ghetto is a small island in the Cannaregio section of Venice, located among the maze of canals and waterways that crisscross Venice and just a short walk from the main train station and the famous Grand Canal. There are lots of Read more about Visit the World’s First Ghetto..in Venice[…]

Backpacking in the Vatican City State: Top 5 Sights in This Mini-Country

Whether The Vatican City State is a real country or not is very much up for debate. While the TCC recognise it, FIFA, the UN and UEFA don’t. All that aside, most travellers to Rome will be keen to visit this unusual religious state out of curiosity. A country within a country. I’ve added its Read more about Backpacking in the Vatican City State: Top 5 Sights in This Mini-Country[…]

World Borders: How to Get From Italy to the Vatican City State

The border crossing from Italy into the Vatican City State has to be one of the most peculiar from my journeys. I’d say it was really similar to the crossings from England to Austenasia, from Lithuania into the Republic of Uzupis and from Denmark into Christiania. The reason being, despite crossing into a new country, Read more about World Borders: How to Get From Italy to the Vatican City State[…]

Backpacking in The Vatican City State: The Complete Vatican Tour with Walks of Italy

When backpacking in the Vatican City State, I decided to get a full grasp over what on earth this mini-country within a country is all about. It has to be one of the oddest places I have visited and so I decided to do a complete Vatican City Tour with Walks of Italy. Visiting the Read more about Backpacking in The Vatican City State: The Complete Vatican Tour with Walks of Italy[…]

Backpacking in Italy: Staying at the Hotel Papa Germano in Rome

My recent adventure backpacking in Italy saw my return to this country for the first time since my Venice trip in 2009. It was a long overdue visit to a country I have dipped in and out of some six times now on my journeys. However, I hadn’t yet been to Rome and it made Read more about Backpacking in Italy: Staying at the Hotel Papa Germano in Rome[…]