When you've spent all summer in a wardrobe of bathing trunks, a tux can feel like a straightjacket. George Clooney may have put on his fall uniform to attend a gala at the Venice Film Festival, but he'd clearly rather be on his boat.

He'll have to don the monkey suit again tomorrow for the world premiere of his new film, the Coen Brothers' "Burn After Reading." He doesn't have a film lined up for the fall though, just some voice work for the children's film "The Fantastic Mister Fox," so maybe he'll be back in vacation mode next week.

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· Hideout Travel: George Clooney Doing Just Fine In Italy [Jaunted]
· In The Dark Travel: Five Must-Sees at the 2008 Venice Film Festival [Jaunted]
· Celeb Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Faded Youth Blog]]]> egw 2008-08-27T09:20:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/10/15/61143/624

How would you like to fly with a budget airline which began life as an aerobatic team? That's what you get if you book a flight with Italy-based Alpi Eagles. The airline has stopped flying upside-down and now heads to an eclectic range of destinations from its Venice hub: other Italian cities, Ukraine, Spain, Romania and France.

Alpi Eagles ticket prices follow a slightly complicated structure that's explained in the website in half Italian, half English, just to make it more fun. Flexible tickets are refundable and therefore expensive. But if you're sure of your travel date and want to use Alpi Eagles like a true budget airline, you can buy the Tuttotondo ticket which is often set at €50 ($70).

Unlike some LCCs, Alpi Eagles says it loves to take good care of its passengers. The fine print about sending children without parents assures us that the Alpi Eagles staff can handle kids, and passengers with disabilities will receive special care so they can "face the journey with serenity"--as long as the pilots remember not to fly their favorite stunt from the old days.

Related Stories:
· Site Scramble: Alpi Eagles [Jaunted]
· Alpi Eagles [Official Site]

[Photo: mdmanit]]]> amandak 2007-10-15T09:30:01-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/12/1/8447/31852

The New York Times often keeps it domestic with its 36 Hours series--stories on destinations that can be seen in a long weekend. Not this week, though, as Danielle Pergament sings the praises of Venice. The timing couldn't be better: the summer hordes of tourists have now thinned, the weather is cool but not frigid and flights are way cheaper than in, say, June. Oh, and there was that great--albeit fake--scene in the new Bond movie, Casino Royale.

According to Danielle, you'll have to stop off in a European hub in order to get to V-town, but that's not entirely true. Delta, if you can bear to fly trans-Atlantic with them, offers non-stop service from New York on flight 150. (Our buddy once talked to the captain of "the old one-fifty" who said it's a favorite among Delta crews.)

No matter how you end up getting there, there should be enough going on to keep you entertained after you arrive. The art-filled Palazzo Grassi recently reopened after a long renovation. The best hotel deal in town--Hotel Albergo San Samuele--is just down the block, or you could try La Villeggiatura. For grub, try the creative Venetian menu at Lineadombra.

[Photo: Lylla Lausanne]

Related Stories:
· 36 Hours: Venice [NYT]]]> pbb 2006-12-01T11:20:05-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/8/31/121136/110
Some things look better in the dark. Whether it's Francesca, the girl with the missing front teeth that you met last night at the bar, or a legendary museum in Tuscany, a lack of light can bring out best of the hot and the not. The Uffizi certainly qualifies as the former.

Once the hordes of frantic families and annoying backpackers empty the halls of the museum, make your way to the courtyard as night falls. You might encounter the occasional couple passing by but the deserted square is pretty much there just for you. What better way to experience the place?

A few strategically placed lights give some life to your only companions for the night: the stone representations of legendary artists, writers and know-it-alls from the Renaissance. We recommend that you kick back on the small stone steps, wave to the caribinieri that pass by every 15 minutes and pretend that the sexy, unflinching Dante is just playing hard to get with his distant stare.

[Image via johnnew/Flickr]]]> blahdre 2006-09-05T10:55:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/8/24/103052/443

Italians--what's their deal? No, it's not the beginning of yet another Seinfeldian riff from these quarters, but the subject of a recent book by Corriere della Sera columnist Beppe Severigni. His recent volume, La Bella Figura, is all about Italians being Italians. For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, it's quite similar to Manny being Manny.

Apparently, you can gain a valuable insight in the differences between Italian and British culture solely on the basis of their flight attendants. While the British may be better at the whole pleasant and efficient service thing, Mr. Severigni posits, the Italians are better at cleaning up their spils and making you feel better about it. He calls it the "national talent for responding creatively to small crises".

What can you learn from American flight attendants, you ask? Why, that it's time to sit the hell back down and wait your turn for your snack box. At least the Italians are spilling a tasty meal on your lap.

[Image via kOAn/Flickr]

Related Stories:
·   La Bella Figura [NYT]]]> AVB 2006-08-24T10:30:52-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2006/8/9/15241/08874


Madonna took her newest world tour to Italy this week, where she took great and purposeful pleasure in using crucifixes inappropriately and causing press releases to issue from the Vatican.  And while we in America may assume  the Vatican speaks for all Italians, truthfully they do not.  Everyday Italians are to busy drinking coffee and making out on the backs of their motos to notice iconoclasm.

Eating and sleeping is of interest to everybody, though, so we present two of Rome's hottest destinations, where celebrities such as Madonna go with regularity. Both are located on the somewhat ironically-named People's Plaza (Piazza del Popolo), and both are ridiculously expensive.

Wealthy Sleeping
Hotel de Russie: This is perhaps the most elegant hotel in Rome, all subdued colors and perfectly appointed guests rooms.  You can get some serious shopping done and only have to schlep your bags one block, as the hotel is on an excellent stretch of road for spending money.  The doormen are hot, too.


Wealthy Eating
Dal Bolognese: One of the consistently best restaurants in Rome.  Like the name suggests, it's not local food, but heartier fare from further north.  The highlight is dessert: a bowl of chestnuts, tiny bananas, and the like, hollowed out, reshaped, and filled with the corresponding gelato flavor.  Cutest dessert you'll ever have.

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