Italian top 40 radio hits!

We spent a lot of time in the car in Italy recently, listening to two stations - Radio Subassio and Radio Deejay!

Here's a little selection of hits that they seem to play a lot. Mostly, it's just the same stuff we have at home (Katy Perry, lady gaga, Cee Lo Green etc etc) - but here are a couple of hits from homegrown Italian artists and stuff we don't get at home:

Vero Nero - Zucchero (Olivier's personal favorite)  (the video is, uhmm ... a little weird - and yet, somewhat enjoyable)

Lorenzo Jovanotti Cherubini - Il Piu Grande Spettacolo Dopp Il Big Bang ... (yeah, seriously, that's the name of the song!)
danza kuduro - Don Omar

Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar

Day -1 ... Chicago. Beer, Spinach salad and french onion soup. Yup, definitely back in North America

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day -1 ... Chicago adventure. Crowne Plaza hotel bar. Almost got in a fight with a cab driver. Great night so far!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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In chicago - en route to hotel. We have (at this very moment) been in transit for 24 hours ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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The trip just won't end ... Still @ chicago O'hare, with a whole lot of other angry travellers.

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Last flight ... and then HOME!!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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And in conclusion - Our trip favourites and bests ... Let's narrow it all down ...

Favourite hotel: villa Vignamaggio, Greve-in-chianti, Tuscany.

Favourite restaurant: TIE - angiol d'or, Parma. And Villa Vignamaggio

Favourite local food: Prosciutto di Parma ... tuscan sausage and the spaghetti in Montalcino

Favourite city (urban): parma - but Rome is a close second

Favourite town (rural): Montalcino and Volpaia

Favourite quick lunch: 'Ino (panini) in Florence - and some little pizza place we found in Trastavere - no idea what it was called.

Favourite sit-down lunch: La Bottega in Volpaia

Favourite church, from the outside: florence duomo

Favourite church, from the inside: st. Peters, Rome.

Best Lemoncello: Montalcino ... Obviously!

Favourite Gelato: San Crispino, Rome

Best aperitivo: caffe alle logge di piazza wine bar, Montalcino

Favourite Museum: TIE! Capilitaline in Rome and Uffizzi in Florence

Best view: vechhia olivieri - without a doubt!

Favourite Drive: from greve-in-chianti to sienna (worst: Florence. By Far)

Favourite Wine: villa vignamaggio Cabernet Franc

Best coffee: eustachio, rome

Favourite excursion/experience: villa vignamaggio cooking class

Best walk: cinque terre hike and trastavere in Roma

Favourite site: rome - forum and coloseo

Best hotel breakfast: hotel flora, venice

Best airport lounge: frankfurt

Favourite other couple: betsy and nelson, from Atlanta

Best shopping: rome - around the spanish steps

Best dressed locals: Florence

Best lines:
"You're not American? ... But you speak English?" - anonymous american

"Why didn't you tell me before I picked it up?" (about the diesel gas spout) - Heather


- O

Olivier Cullen
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Lounge at Chicago O'hare ... Few hours here, then take off and land in Ottawa.

- O

Olivier Cullen
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We flew over the alps ... It was cool ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Ciao Venice ... Ich must jetz mine Deutsch uben

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Arrivaderci Venizia! View from the water taxi.

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Venice - at 4:35am ... No tourists!! Awesome!!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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23 hours in transit starts now ... The longest day of the year will definitely be our longest day of the year!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - the last supper - a simple, delicious primi

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - ok - seriously, I've never before taken a picture of a toilet - until now ... That's pretty cool ... It's square!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - the last supper ... Proscuitto (obviously) and H had Mediterranean style eggplant ... #AWESOME!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - the last supper ... A special vino for our last meal ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - the last supper - outdoor patio @ a beccafico ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - a couple glasses in the garden patio @ Flora Hotel, Venice ... Trying to figure out what to do for 'the last supper'

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - on ponte d'accademia over the grand canal!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - been exploring all over Venice - now on the grande canal !

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - hey look! Another church!!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - gelato!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - another typical shot of #Venice

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - the perfect honey!! :) luna di Miele!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - @ ai nomboli for some fresh panini ... And vino, of course!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - pitstop @ rialto market ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - View from Doge's palace terrace ... Not bad!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Dat 19 - the giant's staircase ... Not a bad entrance!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - Venice ... Inside the doge's palace

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - Early morning in Piazza San Marco ...

Just us, a couple hundred others ... And a few thousand Pigeons!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - Traffic Jam in Venice

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 19 - the last day! Starts with breakfast @ hotel flora #Venice

In our lovely garden patio off the back of our hotel - sipping a couple cappuccinos and some croissants, granola, toast with nutella - typical!

Heading out for a walking tour today - as per the Lonely Planet guide. If yesterday was any indication, the streets ought to be packed full of tourists ... We heard a LOT of languages being spoken yesterday ... But, no Italian! Where are we? ... Lots of people speaking American though ;)

Off we go!

Tomorrow we have a 3am wakeup call - yikes!! Get it all in today!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - Venice by night ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - water windows ... Keeping this idea

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - Dinner. Ordered a local speciality, Lobster Taglietelle ... Uhh, that's half a lobster! Haha. Was not expecting that!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - a little flavour of Venice!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - Aperitivo in Venice!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - it's busy at the Riato in #Venice

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - yup, if there was any doubt ... This is certainly Venice!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 ... Some more Venice - almost at our stop!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - first glimpses on Venice!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - so, on our little Peugeot we put 1,648 KMs ... Not bad for a few days in Italy.

And considering most of that was on ridiculously narrow and steep tuscan roads - I'd say we did pretty darn well!

Good bye Peggy the Peugeot ... you will be missed!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 18 - welcome to Venice! On the watertaxi to our hotel.

Left Parma ... Had gas issues (gas for the car) ... But all sorted now!! We said goodbye to Peggy, our rental car - and hello to public transit!

Watch out Venice!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - Dinner ... Mains ...

I have a local delicacy - swiss chard ravioli-type pasta and H has ordered fish ... Seabream - with zuchhini crust.

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - dinner. Deja vu ... Recognise? Yup, same as last night.

When you have perfection, why go anywhere else?
Isn't that the same philosophy behind marriage?

Didn't order the same for our mains - but anti-pasti and wine, yes ... same as yesterday.

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - late afternoon pit stop ... Espresso and a dolci

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - NO JOKE - just got passed by a police car ... That was a Lamborghini diablo - all blue, lights, the whole deal ... But a Lambo!! #italyisawesome

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - Balsamic vinegar producer in Modena ... Not what we get at home ... This is special stuff!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - on the road again ... On our way to a balsamic vinegar place in Modena ... You know, like Modena Balsamic? Yeah ... Too bad it's like an hour away :(

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - I'm actually looking forward to NOT having 4 courses FOR LUNCH everyday ... But - c'mon, look at how good this is!!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 ... @ ariola winery (yes, ariola! ... Like aerola) - devirginizing ourselves on red sparkling wine #lambrusco ... "Interesting"

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - lunch ... A tasting of ... Well ... Pretty much everything

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - in the prosciutto cellar! Hams all around us!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 ... That a lot of prosciutto!

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 - this prosciutto is about 25 days old ... In forced air / salty environment

- O

Olivier Cullen
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Day 17 ... Prosciutto, wet salted and laid in the fridge for 5 days ...

- O

Olivier Cullen
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