Most peoples perception of Italy is that of style, a country whose taste for the good life is matched only by its panache. The food is full of flavour, created with a desire to serve nothing but the best.
Variety is the spice of life; kitchens all over the country try to outwit one another with new recipes, each one tastier than their neighbours.
But what drives the Italian people is their passion, their zest for life. Nowhere else is life lived with so much enthusiasm.
The boys cruise by street cafes in their open top sports cars looking cool, trying to catch the eyes of the girls. The girls drink their coffees, dressed to the nines in their Versace designer dresses and pretend not to notice. This modern day mating ritual continues endlessly.
Elsewhere in Italy, tourists flock annually to this culturally diverse country, making it the fourth most popular destination in the world.
The majority of holidaymakers fly into Rome and make a beeline for the Colosseum. Brought to life in the recent Hollywood epic Gladiator, the ancient ruin makes no less impression in real life. Built in 80 AD, this bloodthirsty arena became graveyard for many a...