Passanger airplane flying above clouds in evening.

There are those who have an innate talent to find cheap flights: he manages to find every opportunity and to book real business, even if he is not a travel agent. A new site, called Farefetch , now wants to exploit these qualities, allowing hunters of low cost flights to earn and the lazy ones to rely completely on those experts in the field who have decided to join the community of Farefetch.

The application, available on Apple Store and Google Play, is easy to use: just indicate the destination and how much you intend to spend. At that point the flight hunters will come into play. They will also be able to make money if they find the best offer: if, for example, the user was planning to spend £ 400 on a direct flight from London to Los Angeles and the best opportunity is £ 370, who has found it will earn 30 pounds, or the difference. To win the loot will be the first person who can find an offer under the budget limit available to the user.

Want extra cash? Of course you do! Who doesn’t? Head over to http://Farefetch.com and start Fetching today for some extra $$$.

Once the flight is found, the parties will have to accept the terms of service and at that point the hunter will be able to book the flight and receive the money, in a period of time that goes from 48 hours to the following seven days.

As the Independent states, which reported the news, there are a number of against the use of the site or application: first of all, once the conditions are accepted, the user can no longer cancel or be compensated for the flight. There may not be a range of amenities, such as seat selection, early check in, and other extras. It is reasonable to think, moreover, that more than anyone can make impossible requests. But the minds behind the app are optimistic: “This could be a problem: we now have a beta version, but we hope to solve it in the future, and we are confident that over time people will start asking for realistic tariffs”. In any case, although not perfect, the app gives the opportunity to those who love to find cheap flights to share his art and make happy not only friends, but also strangers. And with a little more money.

Benedetta Costiera for an end of summer vacation between the sacred and the profane. Where is it? A few minutes from Amalfi, with a stop in Conca dei Marini, the third most beautiful village in Italy, ( decreed by the recent contest “Borgo dei Borghi” , promoted by the transmission Rai Kilimanjaro) in the landscape of the most evocative in the world, sung and painted from artists of all ages, since the Grand Tour, to immerse themselves “soul & body” in the seventeenth-century monastery of Santa Rosa , one of the most beautiful and important historical residences of the Amalfi Coast, transformed into an exclusive boutique hotel with spa and area thermal that alone is worth the trip (it is masterfully obtained in what were the cellars and rainwater cisterns of the monastery) that usually closes at the end of summer.

This year, however, for the first time, the monastery extends its opening to the bridge in early November: an opportunity not to be missed to experience the mild climate of the summer of San Martino and an off-season experience seasoned by “virgin” traditions and virtuous “. With a dash of healthy vices for vacationers: from tastings (food & wine) to dedicated massages.

So we enter the magical “enclosure” of a unique place in the world, itself overloaded with exaggerated beauty that the special effects certainly do not serve (indeed would be inappropriate) and where the motto is in force (which – not surprisingly – is also the password to access the wi-fi ed ) wanted by the owner, the American Bianca Sharma and the talented director Flavio Colantuoni: the “luxury of simplicity”.

The cells of the nuns, for example, have now become the rooms, one different from the other, connected to give more room to the rooms: 12 rooms and 8 suites in all that have taken the Latin name of the officinal plants of the garden ( Rosmarinus, Lavandula, Salvia) and have kept the characteristic vaulted ceilings (from the outside easily identifiable by their dome shape) to preserve discretion and “monastic” intimacy in the highest luxury.

Not more than 40 guests, therefore, in that dwelling that since 1681, on the ruins of the ancient church of Santa Maria di Grado, became “the spiritual home” of the abbess sister Rosa Pandolfo, descendant of a rich and noble Italian family, who had always expressed the desire to build a monastery next to the church to house the “sacred virgins”. And so that monastery was dedicated to Santa Rosa da Lima , who had taken the vows of the third Dominican order: the nuns put at the disposal of the community their own pharmaceutical knowledge, preparing medicines and remedies for the most common diseases, but they were also appreciated for the their culinary virtues; The famous sfogliatella di Santa Rosa is born from one of their recipes, a variant of the Neapolitan curly sfogliatella, which in the morning the hotel waiter serves on a hot baked terrace in the daily good morning (written in letters also on the plates and hand-painted cups) to the hotel guests on the notes of the live harp .

Around 1866, following the subversive laws of the ecclesiastical axis, the religious settlement was forced to move and the monastery was abandoned. And in the centuries between first negligence and then management of local entrepreneurs the building finally became a charming hotel distinguished by the motto: “At every window the sun, from every window the sea”. But after various vicissitudes, the hotel was abandoned and forgotten and again left to neglect.

In 1999 Lady Sharma , an American entrepreneur, widow with two children (today adults and married) of Ken Sharma, or “mister Texas Instruments”, who built her immense fortune on the electronics, during a cruise with friends in the Gulf of Salerno , was literally “kidnapped” by the poignant and lonely beauty of this abandoned building that he saw from the sea. He decided to buy the building and turn it into one of the best hotels and spas in the world. Thanks to the collaboration of a team of architects and artisans, a meticulous restoration of the monastery took place immediately, aimed at preserving its spiritual and historical atmosphere and at the same time providing itself with all the modern comforts necessary to make it an inimitable stop.

Since 2012, the White Sharma Dream became a reality.

Weddings in The Throne of Swords are usually not very happy. Often wedding banquets are the scene of brutal murders and bloody deaths, as Robb Stark and Joffrey Baratheon well know. Many married couples, who follow the show on TV, put aside any hesitation and decide to live a honeymoon in the name of the places that characterize the fantasy series. A tendency of our times in which the young husband and wife want to share their common passions.

“Theme trips today are increasingly in demand,” says Jessica Sardella from CartOrange , the largest Italian travel consultant company. “For honeymooners, the honeymoon is not a holiday like any other: it is seen as a unique and special moment in one’s life together”. The result is very special theme itineraries, often inspired by the television and film works that build our imagination. We have selected five alternative honeymoons to get out of the box, away from the usual cruises and walks on the beaches of the Indian Ocean with a cocktail in hand.

In the footsteps of Stark, Lannister and Targaryen

CARTORANGE
Game of Thrones is a series that also conquers the places where the events of the protagonists are set. The sets of the very rich HBO production are located in different places: from Ireland to Spain, from Iceland to Malta, passing through Croatia. In the latter country, for example, Dubrovnik is found that has seen exponentially increase tourism after being chosen to be the main location of King’s Landing. A honeymoon in the places of Game of Thrones is long, but certainly rewarding. Spending a night in Grande Inverno is a very suggestive experience.

In the New York of Woody Allen

CARTORANGE
The Big Apple is an open-air set. All of his places have been immortalized in films (we think about Io and Annie or in Manhattan by Woody Allen, in Harry, I present you Sally with Meg Ryan and Billy Cristal) or from TV series with a worldwide success ( Sex and the City , for example) . Who wants to live and relive the places so much admired on the screen is spoiled for choice. We are already ready for a coffee at Central Perk so dear to the six protagonists of Friends .

Vegan honeymoon

CARTORANGE
According to the latest reports, 3% of Italians follow a vegan diet. Those involved in tourism must be prepared for every type of food requirement. “We need to plan well in advance to look for the structures that provide the right guarantees”, recommends Jessica Sardella from CartOrange. “The best destinations are the Caribbean, equipped to receive vegan customers very present in the neighboring United States, and the East, where the food is traditionally rich in plant proposals”.

Step by step

CARTORANGE
Marriage is a long journey together in which dedication and attention go hand in hand. To begin with the right foot, many couples decide to tackle their honeymoon journey. The possible destinations for a honeymoon, which makes its main feature slowness, are many: from Peru to Patagonia, from Indonesia to New Zealand. The vision of breathtaking landscapes is guaranteed. For those who stay in Italy there is the opportunity to follow the Via Francigena in Sicily or the Via degli Dei, a route that links Bologna and Florence.

Archaic landscapes and deserted streets in the presence of the Supramonte, disturbing pagan masks, the highest stalagmites in Europe and a sea of ​​Gaugin paintings. Sardinia, with its millennial traditions, the scented air of berries and aromatic herbs and the cyclopean stones smoothed by the Mistral wind shrouded by turquoise reflections of rare intensity, is a land of extraordinary beauty and rare historical overlaps immersed in harsh and enchanted landscapes .

Strategic docking from the dawn of time and a crossroads of civilization from the Nuragic period onwards, the second Mediterranean island is also a precious collection of archaeological finds, soothing activities in nature, great food and rarefied emerald atmospheres, great luxuries in candid architecture and rounded off just a few steps from the shore. An experiential itinerary; a prestigious two or four-wheel on the road adventure with incipit in Civitavecchia with a car in tow in the belly of the Grimaldi Zeus Palace.

Poetry starts sailing under a star-studded sky and continues in crescendo with the certified stages of this route from the eastern side of Sardinia to the majestic and unrepeatable northern coast. A Barbagia di Nuoro – Capo Testa only going through San Teodoro, the refined Pevero and the Tombe dei Giganti near Arzachena; unique and precious places that reach maximum enjoyment at the end of the high season as in the months of September and October; moment of the year when the beaches are empty, the water is still warm and the hinterland is illuminated by cutting light to announce the autumn.

1: Barbagia on the road

MATTEO MORICHINI
Once you get off the ferry at Olbia proceed for an hour towards the south towards Nuoro until you see the imposing profile of the almost Supramonte dolomite. When the photograms become barren and bucolic, go into the heart of the archaic Barbagia di Nuoro along the SS19 and the SP58 passing through Oliena, Mamoiada, Orgosolo until you reach Fonni in the heart of the Gennargentu ogliastrino. The landscape, nostalgic, seductive, silent and remote among olive trees, gorges, crags and streams born at high altitude among the rocks, appears wild and wild. The roads, not all of impeccable asphalt, are often empty and almost always panoramic with ups and downs in sequence and panoramas contended between the sky, mountains with rounded peaks and a sunny countryside with an ancient flavor and traditions unchanged over the centuries.

2: On Gologone

MATTEO MORICHINI
A name three destinations; source of pure water from the heart of Supramonte to feed the snake Cedrino, one of the best restaurants in central Sardinia but above all jewel of the Italian hotel industry with stories, perfumes, history and stories of Barbagia. The Su Gologone is unusual – as particularly special in terms of charm and references to local traditions – a four-star structure built in typical style in the shadow of the famous mountain plateau. Here, among cacti, geraniums and stylistic vivacity, the colors bring back to the ancient costumes of the nearby Oliena and every element and detail conveys sweet sensations of authenticity. Materials, furniture, objects (bertulas and collanas on all ed) ceramics, paintings and masks located in the common areas and in the halls of the hotel are decorated with craftsmanship, recipes of the memory and territory while the exciting artistic routes, located in the common areas depending on the genre, reach a climax in the suite dedicated to Giuseppe Biasi; one of the greatest interpreters of Sardinian artistic identity.

EasyJet is launching a new service that allows passengers to check in their hand luggage. The “hands free” option – will cost 4 pounds and is designed to encourage people to leave all their parcels in the baggage area before performing security checks.

It is The Independent who reports the news.

the airline said it hopes to give passengers a stress-free travel experience, as they can go for security checks without luggage and will not need to transport suitcases to the airport.

The idea has already been tested this spring in France, and in just four weeks over 9 thousand passengers have chosen to try it. Now “hands free” will be extended to all the airports where the company flies, with the exception of Londoner Gatwick.

Passengers who choose the option will be given small plastic bags to get the essentials and can also bring on the plane the latest purchases made at the airport. They will also be able to embark immediately after those who have purchased priority boarding.

The parcels will receive a priority card and will be taken to the hold. When they reach their destination, the airline makes sure that the “hands free” are among the first to end up on the conveyor belt. Andrew Middleton, under easyJet’s shopping manager, said:

We have seen a fantastic response from customers who have chosen “hands free” and we have faith in the fact that once you try the service you will not want to go around the airport with suitcases in hand.

CT2J22 airplane overhead console with air conditioning and lighting system

The air-conditioning vent placed above the passenger seat on the plane does not have an excellent reputation: some close it due to low temperatures, those who believe that they circulate the bacteria present in the cabin and therefore favor contagion of diseases. According to Dr. Mark Gendreau, deputy director of the emergency medicine department at Lahey Medical Center-Peabody and an expert in infectious diseases caused by air travel, the air conditioning outlet plays, on the contrary, to our advantage. At “Travel + Leisure” he explained why we should not be afraid of it .

“The bad reputation of these outlets is completely unfounded,” he said. The fear, according to what reported by the specialist, is given by the lack of proper information on the subject, since there is no research in the last 15 years. Many people therefore ignore its operation.

“The flow of air does not necessarily flow from the end to the start of the plane and vice versa.The conduit is made up of compartments that are found in various sections of the aircraft,” he added. The air circulating inside the cabin is combined with the air outside: the flow passes through a system called HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) , which has the task of removing powders and microbes. The air that is fed into the cabin is therefore clean.

According to what reported by Gendreau, the number of these ventilation zones on the aircraft varies depending on the size of the vehicle, but each of these areas is usually filtered from 15 to 30 times per hour, with 50 for 100 percent of the air cleaned up and recirculated and 50 percent of the air coming from the outside.

The doctor then revealed another curiosity: the system was developed when smoking on aircraft was allowed. At the time, the airlines had to have an efficient filtering and ventilation system to clean the cabins from smoke.

The ventilation, moreover, would contribute, contrary to what is believed, to keep bacteria away: by opening the air vent and setting it to a medium or low power, it is as if we create an invisible barrier around us that can hinder the passage of microbes. The air intake is, therefore, an ally, not an enemy to ward off.

Learning a language while traveling is essential and rewarding. I have always loved foreign languages. As a child, it was for me a way to travel before the hour and a mirror on the cultures . I do not really know why, but as soon as I started learning English , it was a kind of click and I became gifted, already reading English books in college (yes, I partly learned the language thanks Harry Potter). And then, I did German, Latin, Japanese and Swedish, some learning more successful than others …

I have always loved languages ​​and when you know a foreign language, learning a new one is certainly easier. On paper, I was good in English, but I had not really had the chance to test my abilities on the field with natives or travelers. To be good in a language in a class and to be good in language while traveling , it is not really the same thing … Then, I had the chance to study one year in Sweden. The beginnings were not easy and shyness helping, I stammered my English more than anything else. I quickly met two Hong Kongese, one Argentina, one French, one Romanian, one German and many others and with them, it became immediately easier. Friendship, total immersion far from the French and the French pushed me to speak English without stuttering. A year later, I returned bilingually, without a hint of recognizable French accent. Of course, my subsequent travels to Canada and the UK have helped me keep the level.

When I went around the world, I spoke only English. I had vaguely learned some Spanish on online applications, sites and podcasts, but concretely, landing in South America, I could only say “Hola” and “Gracias”. I still remember my arrival at the Colombian border, where I did not understand anything and where I had wondered what I had come to do here. It took me a month in Colombia to stammer a little tongue and three months in South America to have a good foundation. I know that I have facilities, but it is also important to make efforts to learn a language while traveling!

Remember, I recently told you about my stopover in Dubai and I shared with you my thoughts on this strange country. I also mentioned that by opening my eyes, we could see another Dubai , a Dubai that I liked and touched, with art, history and culture in its heart.

f we think of Dubai, we do not immediately think about culture . On the contrary, we think present, future, money, bling-bling, etc. My first impressions confirmed that. Yet, by scratching the surface, going beyond the clichés, we can see another Dubai, a Dubai that tries to bring culture and art to the center of his concerns and this, in many ways. This seems to be one of the priorities of the government and private companies for the years to come. It is really inspiring to see this cultural scene develop as well. Even if, despite everything, money and appearances always have their place.

Fairs and festivals

Festivals and other events come together in an incredible whirlwind in Dubai and the cultural agenda is already full in the months and years leading up to the 2020 World Expo . I had the chance to visit two of these international fairs: Design Days , an international design fair for artists from the Middle East and around the world; and Art Dubai , the Middle East’s largest contemporary art fair showcasing artists from around the world and the Middle East. This year, a very interesting parallel was drawn between the art of South America and that of the Arab world, creating imaginary and real bridges between these two worlds. Dubai Artis more than a fair: it’s an event spanning several weeks, mixing editing, performance, video, sound, education, painting, sculpture, design and much more.

Because I am curious, I am ready to go anywhere in the world. Of course, I still have some preferences. We can not say that Dubai was at the top of my  list , on the contrary. I told myself that I will probably stop there one day, without really thinking about organizing a vacation. The opportunity came much earlier than expected, as I was invited by Visit Dubai for a four-day stopover in the city.

Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates and is the best known of them. It is also the name of its capital. They will welcome in 2020 the Universal Exhibition. Several people asked me before my departure if it did not bother me politically to go to such a country. I have never allowed my political opinions to hinder my travels. Even if the blog is not the place for such debates, I think it’s important to go somewhere to learn more about a country’s situation and judge for yourself. I am not at all an expert on the situation in the UAE and it was definitely not during a press trip that I could have a complete and clear picture of it. However, I would like with this article, to give you my raw and uncensored impressions ofmy stopover in Dubai .

To land in Dubai, stopover, on vacation or expatriation, is to set foot in another world, in a parallel universe, in his wildest dreams. I can only remember this brief stopover in Doha, Qatar, where from the windows of a bus and a hotel, I had glimpsed a world so strange, which left me perplexed. In Dubai, from the windows of the bus that brings us to the hotel, I am completely amazed by the buildings, cars and passersby parading before our eyes. Is all this real?

The desert … a word carrying dreams and adventures. I had never had the opportunity to tread the sand of a desert. This dream finally came true when I took part in an excursion in the desert of Dubai . This is one of the favorite activities of tourists going to Dubai and they are right … In just 45 minutes drive, you can find yourself in the desert, so why deprive yourself during a stopover in Dubai .

After a cultural day in Old Dubai , we go on an excursion. A minivan picks us up and we leave the city. I am overwhelmed by the sight that passes in front of me. We leave little by little the big city and we find ourselves very quickly in a beginning of desert. The sand surrounds the highway, dilapidated huts appear here and there and herds of camels walk slowly with their master. Welcome to another world …

The adventure takes place in a desert reserve in Dubai established in 2003. Vintage 1950’s Land-Rover, a legacy of the country, are waiting for us. The group of forty people is far too big for my taste, but cars drive a good distance and stop at different places to let us enjoy the desert. A fence marks the entrance to the reserve. On the right, the city that can still be glimpsed. On the left, the immensity of the desert. The jeeps engage on the dunes and I can only admire the beauty of the horizon, this infinity of sand and bush. Two stops allow us to enjoy the place, to feel the sand under our feet, to descend the dunes at full speed, to jump for photos. It’s too short: I’ll stay there, lying on the sand, for several hours … Meanwhile, it’s a kind of mini-safari that we start and the jeeps rush at full speed on the dunes for a small moment of adrenaline (and sand in the eyes) very nice! We see the passage of beautiful oryx.