Selinunte
The ruins of Selinunte are the most impressively sited ruins in Sicily. Try to visit in spring when the surroundings are ablaze with pur ple, yellow and white wildflowers. The huge city was built in 628 BC on a promontory overlooking the sea, and for two-and-a-half centuries it was one of the richest and most powerful in the world. It was destroyed by the Carthaginians in 409 BC and finally fell to the Romans in about 350 BC, at which time it went into rapid decline and disappeared from...
Valdostan Cheese
Something like a cross between Gouda and Brie, fontina is preserved under its own DOP designation of protected origin . It must be made from the full-cream, unpasteurised milk of Valdostan cows that have grazed on pastures up to 2700m above sea level. During a period of three months it matures in underground rock tunnels, and is turned daily and brushed and salted on alternate days. Learn more about these and other local cheese-making traditions at the Valpelline Visitors' Centre 0165 7 33 09...
INFORMATION Ctt
Boats to San Benedetto Po amp Venice Imbarco Motonavi Andes. V.olor 1,1 vi Andel, N lt i vi Andei, l' lt ll lt l o Illoletto l'.ll.1 o dell.I U.l lofle K1I.1 0 Dm ,i e Rotonda di San Lorenzo. Torre della Gabbia lt 11 lt 1V lt 1II1 loi, VVille I . l.igolett.i Anlu.i illtolle II lt iluo M orteil lt 1 del itlovxl I lt 1 llt lt lle I ihelltel .Viodelll lt i htell lt l P azza BU27 i Marconi I ' Piazza . Largo gt m corso Vittono di Porta Tf 'Pradella admission free S 10am-12.30pm amp 3-6pm , which...
La Mattanza
A centuries-old tradition, the Egadi Islands' mattanza the ritual slaughter of tuna is on the critical list. For centuries, shoals of tuna have used the waters around western Sicily as a mating ground. Locals recall the golden days when it wasn't uncommon to catch giant breeding tuna of between 200kg and 300kg. Today, tuna stocks are less than 70 of what they were in the 1970s due to competition from long-line trawlers and, more recently, a new 'hi-tech mattanza' that deploys satellite...
ORIENTATION Xkx
Rome is a sprawling city, but most sights lie within the centro storico historical centre comprising the areas around the Piazza Navona, Campo de' Fiori, Pantheon, Ghetto, Capitoline, Piazza Barberini, Trevi and Tridente . Vatican City and Trastevere are over the water on the west bank of the Tiber. Distances are not huge and walking is the best way to get around the city. The city's major transport hub, Stazione Termini its full name is Stazione Centrale-Roma Termini is a useful, if...
SHOPPING Bel
Beautiful Como silk scarves and ties have been sold at A Picci Via Vittorio Emanuele II 54 since 1919. A craft amp antiques market Piazza San Fedele S9am-7pm Sat fills the piazza out the front of the basilica. Wines, vintage whiskies and grappas, along with olive oils and balsamic vinegars, line the walls of the sociable wine shop and bar, Enoteca da Gigi 031 26 31 06 Via Luini 48 S 9am-1pm amp 2.30-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm Sat, 11am-9pm Sun . Drop by in the evening for a glass of Prosecco or a...
SHOPPING Xms
Most shops hoping to sell to tourists open all weekend during the high season Easter to September . The main shopping area for clothing, shoes, accessories and jewellery is in the narrow streets between San Marco and the Rialto, particularly the Marzarie and around Campo San Luca. The more upmarket fashion-shopping area is west of Piazza San Marco Calle Larga XXII Marzo, Calle Vallaresso and Frez-zaria, as well as Calle dei Fabbri . Classic gift options include Murano glass, Burano lace,...
Verona
Wander the streets of Verona on a winter's night and you might believe the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet to be true. Beyond the Shakespearean hyperbole, however, you'll find plenty to keep you occupied in one of Italy's most beautiful cities. Known as pic-cola Roma little Rome for its importance in imperial days, its truly golden era came during the 13 th and 14th centuries under the Della Scala family also known as the Scaligeri . The period was noted for the savage family feuding of...
Lush Locations
Puglia's most luxurious masserias cluster around Fasano, with discreet drives leading to worlds where the linen is soft, the pools glorious, the look rustic-regal and the golf courses pea-green. Masseria Torre Coccaro 080 482 93 10 www.masseriatorrecoccaro.com Contrada Coccaro 8, Savelletri di Fasano d 333-466 i , around 10km from Locorotondo, has a hacienda feel. This super-chic yet countrified masseria is set in an evocative fortified farmhouse, with a glorious spa set in a cave, a...
TRAIN Ork
Although Perugia's main train station is named 'Stazione Fontivegge', the sign at the station simply reads 'Perugia'. It is on Piazza Vittorio Veneto, a few kilometres west of the city centre and easily accessible by frequent buses from Piazza Italia. The ticket office is open from 6.30am to 8.10pm closed for lunch 12.50pm to 1.20pm , but you can buy tickets at the automated machines at any time of day with a credit card or cash. For train information, call Tren Italia 89 20 21 . Perugia is on...
Piazza della Repubblica Around
The area around Piazza della Repubblica Map p102 is not immediately appealing, but it is here that you will find the bulk of the Museo Nazionale Romano's world-famous archaeological collection. The complex of baths, libraries, concert halls and gardens that made up the Terme di Diodeziano Diocletian's Baths Map p102 was the largest of its kind in ancient Rome, covering about 13 hectares, with a capacity to hold 3000 people. Completed in the early 4th century, it fell into disrepair after the...
Saline Di Trapani
Drive along the SS115 coast road between Marsala and Trapani and you will find yourself in a bleached landscape of shallow saline salty pools and softly shimmering heaps of salt. The salt from these pans is considered the best in Italy and has been big business since the 12th century. Now, however, only a cottage industry remains, providing for Italy's more discerning dinner tables. The most attractive spot along the coast is the Riserva Naturale di Stagnone, a shallow lagoon and noted wetlands...
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The lake's main transport hub, Desenzano del Garda, is more residential than its lakeside counterparts, and many tourists pass straight through with barely a backward glance. But while Desenzano is not as quaint as some other spots, it's also not as touristy, and buzzes with activity year-round. Hidden amid its urban sprawl is an attractive old port and historic centre. You can get information on the town here from the tourist office 030 914 15 10 Via Porto Vecchio 34 S 9am-12.30pm amp 3-6pm...
Mustsee Italian Movies
Before you start your real trip, why not embark on a celluloid adventure through Italy with some of the following classics, new and old See p64 for reviews. Ilpostino 1994 Director Michael Radford La dolce vita 1960 Director Federico Fellini Il gattopardo 1963 Director Luchino Visconti Ladri di biciclette 1948 Director Vittorio de Sica La vita bella 1997 Director Roberto Benigni Roma citt aperta 1945 Director Roberto Rossellini Mamma roma 1962 Director Pier Paolo Pasolini Nuovo cinema paradiso...
Panarea
Tiny Panarea is just 3km long and 2km wide and feels like a Greek island with its adobestyle whitewashed houses. Exclusive and expensive, it is the smallest and most fashionable of the Aeolians, attracting the international trust-fund babes and Milanese fashionistas for a little taste of dolce far niente sweet noth ing . In the summer, luxury yachts fill the tiny harbour while flocks of day-trippers dock at San Pietro, where you will find most of the expensive accommodation. Originally a bigger...
Cefalu
This popular holiday resort wedged between a dramatic mountain peak and sweeping stretch of sand has the lot a great beach a modern town with good shops and services a truly lovely historic centre with a grandiose cathedral and winding medieval streets lined with restaurants, boutiques and small, intriguing shops. Avoid the height of summer when it's hard to find towel space on the beach and the charm of the place is tainted by bad-tempered drivers trying to find a parking space. From the train...
Sansepolcro
Sansepolcro is an important stop on an itinerary of Piero della Francesca's work. Between the two, make a brief stop in Monterchi to see the artist's famous fresco Madonna del parto Pregnant Madonna 0575 7 07 13 Via della Reglia 1 adult child 3.10 free S 9am-1pm amp 2-7pm Tue-Fri, 9am-7pm Sat amp Sun Apr-Sep, to 5pm Oct-Mar . A sensitive touch pregnant women get free admission. Sansepolcro is the birthplace of Piero della Francesca. The artist left town when quite young and returned in his...
Gunk Alert
It's not just bag snatchers and pickpockets you need to watch out for in touristy old Florence says Janet C of the USA, who sent the following tale to Lonely Planet 'I was crossing the piazza at Santa Maria Novella on the way to the train station in Florence last Friday morning when a very well-dressed Italian gentleman on his way to work walked past me and pointed out gunk dripping down the front of the luggage I was wheeling behind me. My natural response was 'Gross What's that ' and when he...
Lago Dorta
Shrouded by thick, dark-green woodlands, little Lago d'Orta measures 13.4km long and just 2.5km wide. It's separated from its bigger and better-known eastern neighbour, Lago Maggiore, by Monte Mottarone. The focal point of the lake is the quaint medieval village of Orta San Giulio population 1130 elevation 293m , which is often referred to simply as Orta. Just across from the town's web of squares and cobbled lanes sits the island of Isola San Giulio. The island is almost entirely taken up by...
Gay Lesbian Milan
Like that other queen of the catwalk, Paris, Milan confounds visitors trying to figure out the city's gay scene - because, as one baffled traveller put it, 'everyone's so stylish and sexy'. Added to that, virtually all of Milan's venues attract a mixed gay lesbian straight crowd - even on allocated 'gay nights'. But the reigning confusion keeps things interesting during any night out in Milan. Centro d'Iniziativa Gay - ArciGay Milano Map pp254-5 0254122225 www.arcigay milano.org in Italian Via...
Mt Etna
Dominating the landscape of eastern Sicily and visible from the moon if you happen to be there , Mt Etna is Europe's largest volcano and one of the world's most active. Eruptions occur frequently, both from the four craters at the summit and on the slopes of the volcano, which is littered with fissures and old craters. The volcano's most devastating eruptions occurred in 1669 and lasted 122 days. A huge river of lava poured down its southern slope, engulfing a good part of Catania and...
Lucanian Apennines
The Lucanian Apennines bite Basilicata in half like a row of jagged teeth. Sharply rearing up south of Potenza, they protect the lush Tyrrhenian Coast and leave the Ionian shores gasping in the semi-arid heat. Careering along its hair-raising roads through the broken spine of mountains can be arduous, but if you're looking for drama, the drive could be the highlight of your trip. The Fascists exiled writer and political activist Carlo Levi to this isolated region in 1935. He lived and is buried...
Giudecca
Ai Tre Scaini Map pp338-9 041 522 47 90 Calle Michelangelo 53c, Giudecca meals 25 S lunch Fri-Wed, dinner Tue, Wed amp Fri-Sun The popular local eatery. It's a no-nonsense place for seafood and other goodies. You can dine in the garden out the back. Yes, the coffee-and-music surcharge are a little on the pricey side at Venice's centuries-old caf s on Piazza San Marco, but how many times in your life will you have a hot cuppa in such a setting Go on, let your hair down Caff Florian Map pp344-5...
SLEEPING EATING Weh
In the height of summer many hotels operate a compulsory half-board policy. Acquaviva 0565 91 91 03 www.campingacquaviva .it person tent car 12 13 3 S mid-Mar-mid-Oct About 4km west of town is Portoferraio's nearest camp site. A great choice for sunsets over the sea, it's about as close as you can get to the beach without getting your feet wet. Albergo Ape Elbana 0565 91 42 45 www.ape -elbana.it Salita de'Medici 2 s 40-70, d 60-100 S In the old town, this hotel overlooks Piazza della Repubblica...
Wine Cheese Tasting
The Valle d'Aosta is home to vineyards producing sought-after wines that are rarely available outside the region, including those from Europe's highest vineyard, Morgex et La Salle www.caveduvinbland.com , named for the two villages strung together by its vines. Aosta's tourist office has a free, comprehensive booklet in English with information on cellars you can tour and taste. Local cheeses can be tasted at the Valpelline Visitors' Centre - see boxed text, below. You'll need your own wheels...
Info Nbh
To Pesaro Superstrada 15km Fano 45km Gubbio 5Qkm Perugia 80km Rome 245km To Pesaro Superstrada 15km Fano 45km Gubbio 5Qkm Perugia 80km Rome 245km religious artefacts, vestments and more paintings, including Andrea da Bologna's Madonna del Latte Madonna Breastfeeding and one by Giovanni Santi Raphael's father . The 14th-century Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista 347 671 11 81 Via Barocci admission 2 Sl0am-12.30pm amp 3-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-12.30pm Sun features brightly coloured frescoes by...
Liguria Piedmont Valle dAosta
Italy's most seductive attributes - stone villages baking in the sun, rows of vineyards, castles, palm-shaded beaches and rich cooking traditions - all abound in this trio of regions. Shaped like a rainbow, Liguria arcs from Tuscany to the French Riviera. Its ancient maritime capital, Genoa, is a seething port city with a maze of medieval passageways. Liguria's coastal walking paths wind past pastel fishing villages tumbling down vine-terraced cliffs to the sea while dazzling marine life lures...
Icon Painting
If the extraordinary array of religious art in Rome inspires you to create something in a similar vein, why not book into an icon painting workshop at the Centro Russia Ecumenica il Messaggio dell'Icona Map pp94-5 06 687 93 55 www.russiaecumenica.it Borgo Pio 141 These small classes maximum 15 participants are run by master iconographers. At the end of the six-day course 520 , you will have created your own original icon using materials such as gold leaf.
Classical
Italy's classical contributions can be heard nightly at music venues around the globe, including ever-trendy Gregorian chants and Vivaldi's ubiquitous Four Seasons, played on prized Stradivarius violins from Cremona. But within Italy, there's also a modest revival of 'early music' from the baroque and Renaissance periods and the Middle Ages. Ensembles in Venice, Naples, Milan and Rome are playing historically accurate arrangements on period instruments like recorders and harpsichords,...
INFORMATION Jwa
Coordinamento Lesbiche Italian o. .1 F8 Ospedale Bambino Gesu 2 E7 Ospedale Santo Spirto 3 E6 Tourist Information Point 4 F5 Vatican Post Office 5 D5 Arco di Druso 6 C3 Art Studio Caf see 19 Battelli di Roma see 8 Castel Sant'Angelo 7 F5 Messaggio dell'lcona see 30 Ponte Sant'Angel o 8 F5 Prefettura della Casa Pontificia . see 10 Sistiiie Chapel 9 C5
BOAT Btk
Regular hydrofoil and ferry services operate between the islands. On Lipari nearly all hydrofoil and ferry services arrive at and depart from Marina Lunga. Siremar and Ustica Lines have ticket offices in a cabin opposite the port. Full timetable information is available at all offices. On the other islands, ticket offices are at or close to the docks. The following table lists destinations, fares and approximate sailing times from Lipari. If you're only visiting the islands for a couple of...
Medical Services Gte
24-hour pharmacy Map pp254-5 02 669 09 35 Stazione Centrale Farmacia Carlo Erba Map pp256-7 02 87 86 68 Piazza del Duomo 21 S 8pm-8.30am daily, plus 2-7pm Mon, 9.30am-1.45pm amp 3-7pm Tue-Fri, 10.30am-12.30pm Milan Clinic Map pp256-7 02 760 16 047 www .milanclinic.com Via Cerva 25 One of several private clinics with English-speaking doctors. Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Map pp256-7 02 5 50 31, foreigners 02 550 33 171 Via Francesco Sforza 35 Hospital.
Information Tne
Hospital 0376 20 11 Via Albertoni Mail Boxes Etc 0376 32 53 00 Via Cavour 5-7 per hr 2 S 9am-12.30pm amp 3-7pm Mon-Fri Has an online computer to check email. Police station 0376 20 51 Piazza Sordello 46 Post office Piazza Martin di Belfiore S 8.30am-5.30pm Mon amp Wed, to 2pm Tue amp Thu-Sat Also has currency exchange and an ATM inside. Tourist office 0376 43 24 32 www.turismo.man tova.it Piazza Mantegna 6 S 9.30am-5.30pm
INFORMATION Dvn
Centro Servizi per i Turisti see 3 Feltrinelli International 1 B1 27 D3 Net Arena 3 B1 Post Office 4 B2 Tourist Office 5 B1 Tourist Office 6 A1 Uff icio per la Relazioni con il Pubblico 7 A1 Basilica di San Petronio 9 A2 Basilica di Santo Stefano 10 C3 Biblioteca Com un ale see 21 Chiesa delIa Tri nit see 10 Maggiore 12 C3 Collezioni Comunal i d'Arte, see 19 Hammam Bleu 14 C4 Metropolitana di San Pietro.15 A1 Museo Civico Archeologico . 16 A2 Museo Civico Medioevale e del Rinasciment 17 A1...
Treviso
Touted by the locals as 'little Venice', Treviso is the home of the Benetton fashion dynasty along with radicchio, a tart red lettuce and is blessed with a pretty historic centre. This much-overlooked town dates to Roman times and was long the most faithful of Venice's subject cities. Treviso is an easy day trip from Venice or a fine stop on the way north to Belluno and the Dolomites. If you're coming to Venice with Ryanair, stop in here overnight on your way in and out. From the train station...
MONTEROSSO pop
Enormous statues embedded into the rocks overlook one of the area's only sandy beaches at the village of Monterosso. The westernmost of the five villages, Monterosso is the most accessible by car to the village edge. Footsteps from the sea, Carla 0187 82 90 39 Via IV Novembre 75 d 60-70 has charming affit-tacamere rooms for rent. Monterosso also has a handful of hotels, including good value-for-money at the four-star Hotel Palme 0187 82 90 13 www.hotelpalme.it Via 4 Novembre 18 d from 155 S...
SLEEPING EATING Ilk
There are 40 camping grounds up and down the lake's western shore the tourist office has a list. Seasonal closings are generally November to February, but this can vary, so it's always best to check ahead. Hotel Luina 0323 3 02 85 luinastresa yahoo.it Via Garibaldi 21 s 38-55, d 55-80 n In the heart of Stresa's cobbled streets, Luina is a simple but friendly place with comfortable rooms some with balconies and lake views and a fun local restaurant that often hosts live music in summer....
Eating Vuq
Being a university town, Pisa has a good range of eating places, especially around Borgo Stretto, the university on Piazza Dante Alighieri and south of the river in the trendy San Martino quarter. Trattoria della Faggiola 050 55 61 79 Via della Faggiola 1 meals 20 S lunch Mon-Thu, lunch amp dinner Fri amp Sat An excellent value, locally loved spot, this traditional trattoria with brick interior and a line-up of lovingly tended potted plants outside is delightful for lunch. The menu, chalked up...
ORIENTATION Gzt
Venice is built on 117 small islands and has some 150 canals and 410 bridges. Only three bridges cross the Grand Canal the Ponte di Rialto, the Ponte dell'Accademia and the Ponte dei Scalzi. A fourth bridge should already be in place but the Ponte di Calatrava, between Piazzale Roma and Fondamenta di Santa Lucia for the train station , has been beset by problems - a completion date now is anyone's guess. To the north and south stretch the shallow waters of the Laguna Veneta, dotted by a...
Specialist Shops 1
Via de'Gondi and Borgo de'Greci, east of Piazza della Signoria, seethe with leather shops selling jackets, trousers, shoes and bags, as do the street markets above . Otherwise try Scuola del Cuoio, adjoining Basilica di Santa Croce see p476 . For gold and jewellery, browse the shops on either side of the Ponte Vecchio. Pineider Map p470 055 28 46 55 www.peneirder .com Piazza della Signoria 13r Shop for Florence's famous delicate marble-patterned paper at its most exclusive stationer, dating to...
Walk The Coast
Rising steeply from the coast, the densely wooded Lattari mountains provide some stunning walking opportunities. An extraordinary network of paths traverses the craggy precipitous peaks, climbing to remote farmhouses through wild and beautiful valleys. It's tough going, though - long ascents up seemingly endless flights of steps are almost unavoidable. Probably the best-known walk, the 12km Sentiero degli Dei Path of the Gods 5V2 to six hours follows the steep, often rocky paths linking...
Gay Lesbian Rome
Rome is essentially a conservative city and although homosexuality is well tolerated, the gay scene is not a patch on that of many other international capitals. Rome's main cultural and political gay organisation is the Circolo Mario Mieli di Cultura Omosessuale Map p91 06 541 39 85 www.mariomieli.it in Italian Via Efeso 2a , off Via Ostiense near the Basilica di San Paolo Fuori-le-Mura, which organises debates, cultural events and social functions. It also runs free AIDS HIV testing and a care...
Parco Regionale Della Maremma
This spectacular nature park admission 6-9 includes the Monti dell'Uccellina, which drops to a magnificent stretch of unspoiled coastline. The main visitors centre 0564 40 70 98 www.parcomaremma.it h 8am-5pm mid-Mar-Sep, 8.30am-1.30pm Oct-mid-Mar, 8.30am-4pm mid-Mar-Jun is in Alberese, on the park's northern edge. Park access is limited to 11 signed walking trails, varying from 2.5km to 12km. Entry by ticket bought at the visitors centre varies according to whether a minibus transports you to...
Ci B Ai B 1
Via Foder admission free S9am-1.30pm amp 4.30-6.30pm Mon-Sat above the old church. The nuns here will sell you cakes and pastries, including dolci di mandorla, cuscusu couscous made of almonds and pistachio and bucellati rolled sweet dough with figs . The tourist office can provide you with a list of multilingual guides. The official rate is 84 for a half-day. Michele Gallo 0922 40 22 57, 0360 39 37 30 www .sicilytravel.net temples 90, incl museum 115 is an excellent English-speaking guide who...
Golfo Di Castellammare
Saved from development and road projects by local protests, the tranquil Riserva Naturale dello Zingaro 0924 3 51 08 www.riservazingaro.it adult concession 3 free h 7am-9pm Apr-Sep, 8am-4pm Oct-Mar is the star attraction on the gulf. Sicily's, and Italy's, first nature reserve, Zingaro's wild coastline is a haven for the rare Bonel-li's eagle along with 40 other species of bird. Mediterranean flora dusts the hillsides with wild carob and bright yellow euphorbia, and hidden coves, such as...
Pizza E Mortadella At 279 Via Cavour In Rome -tripadvisor -babies
Casa del Pane Map p102 06 495 83 37 Via Goito 9 S 7am-2.30pm amp 4.30-7.30pm, closed Sat afternoon In the Termini area, this swish bakery rustles up a mean slice of pizza, as well as some mighty fine bread. Pizza amp Mortadella Map pp100-1 0648904328 Via Cavour 279-283 There aren't many cheap eateries around the Colosseum, so it's useful to know about this deli-cum-pizza al taglio joint. A hefty slice of its pizza or torta di ricotta ricotta tart at lunch should keep you going for the rest of...
ATP Tigullio Trasporti wwwtigullio
trasporti.it in Italian runs buses to from Portofino every 20 minutes and Camogli every 30 By train, there are hourly services to from Genoa 2.10, 35 minutes and La Spezia 3.95, 1 hours . Servizio Marittimo del Tigullio 0185 2 8 46 70 www.traghettiportofino.it Via Palestro 8 1b runs seasonal ferries to from Cinque Terre one way return 15 22 , Porto Venere 18 28.50 , San Fruttuoso 8 13.50 , Portofino 4.50 7.50 and Rapallo 3 4 .
HIGHLIGHTS Duv
Lap up the animated atmosphere in Bologna p413 , the region's dynamic capital Marvel at the kaleidoscopic colours of shimmering mosaics in Ravenna p449 Pay homage to the king of cars at Maranello's Galleria Ferrari p426 Study the finer points of Romanesque architecture at Modena's inspiring cathedral p423 Throw yourself into the medieval maelstrom at Ferrara's Il Palio p446 , the oldest horse race of its kind in Italy Add a drop of aceto balsamico balsamic vinegar to a hunk of parmigiano...
The Horror Of The Foibe
After years of repression under the Italian Fascists and Nazi Germans, the communist Yugoslav partisans of Josep Broz Tito were in no mood for handing out chocolate bars when they occupied Trieste in May 1945. During May and June of the Yugoslav occupation, thousands of people there appears to be no reliable figures in and around the city, Italians and Slavs alike, were rounded up, tortured and cast, often alive, into foibe sinkholes in the Carso area especially around Basovizza, where there is...
SIGHTS Tco
Sightseeing in Alberobello mainly consists of wandering around admiring its eccentricity. Within the old town quarter of Rione Monti over 1000 trulli cascade down the hillside, most of which are now souvenir shops. To its east, on the other side of Via Indipendenza, is Rione Aia Piccola. This neighbourhood is much less commercialised, with 400 trulli, many still used as family dwellings. You can climb up for a rooftop view at many shops, although it might make you feel obliged to buy something....