Helping those in need one eBook at a time

As a follow up to the announcement of our new eBook release, I'm delighted to share that we've partnered with Expedia to donate 100% of our eBook proceeds collected through June 30th, 2009 to Opportunity International, a non-profit organization dedicated to reach the poorest people through its microenterprise development programs.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, there has never been a better time to equip yourself with the right 'Italian knowledge' and feel good for having contributed to a noble cause.

Preview a sample chapter of our freshly updated eBook and enjoy a 30-Day Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee.

A sincere Grazie from Expedia, Paolo & Francesca

New updated version of Italy From The Inside eBook now available

We're happy to announce another fresh update of our popular eBook Italy From The Inside: the Definitive Survival Guide for Travelers.
We have been hard at work to verify the accuracy of all our tips, links and include new facts and insights to keep our publication as current as possible.

We're confident that you'll find our eBook an extremely useful resource, particularly if this is going to be your first time in Italy. Here are just a few customer testimonials:

I am absolutely enjoying the book! My husband and I will be visiting Italy and the book has already become an invaluable resource after one day.
Deidre B., South Carolina, USA

It isn’t until you read Italy from the Inside that you realize these are all the things you wanted to know. Should I get a car, what about kid seats, train travel, reading signs, what if I need a pharmacy or hospital, food suggestions and more.
I can’t imagine a better resource for planning a trip to an unknown destination and having all the information I need.
Thomas L., Washington , USA

As a student traveling to Torino for the first time, this eBook was extremely helpful in adjusting to life in Italy. The information was up-to-date and accurate, making my trip that much more enjoyable.
Chad S., Nevada, USA

It is by far the best resource we've seen about traveling in Italy. The info in it will absolutely make our trip more enjoyable.
Mike C., California, USA

Download a FREE chapter of our eBook
and read many more testimonials!

P.S. Customers of previous versions of our eBook are entitled to a FREE update. Get the updated eBook from the former download link or feel free to contact Paolo to receive it by email.

Follow us on Twitter @ItalyFromInside

If you like our blog and you are on Twitter, now you can follow us at @ItalyFromInside.

Twitter is a fast growing micro-blogging platform where people share ideas and information in just 140 characters.

Twitter doesn't replace existing blogs, podcasts, Facebook or other social media resources out there. It actually augments them and offers another way to quickly communicate your thoughts and find people who share the same passion (in our case, our love for Italy).

We plan to make a creative use of our Twitter account and look forward to meet with you in our Italian Twittersphere.
p.s. If you'd like to follow also our private accounts, Paolo is @tosolini and Francesca is @fromitaly.

Create great Italy photo memories with Microsoft AutoCollage

Here is a creative and fun way to impress your friends who are eager to see your Italy photos.

My colleagues at Microsoft Research UK have released an inexpensive application called AutoCollage, that blends together a variety of photos in a 'smart' way'.
I say 'smart' because the software applies face recognition and predicts the optimal photo arrangement out of a large set of possibilities. In other words, you can expect a wonderful job done in a very short amount of time.

Click on these collages I created out of a selection of my eBook photo archive.


Italian Deli shop collage (1MB High Res)


Italian pastries collage (1MB High Res)


Italian cars collage (1MB High Res)

If you're interested, you can download the free AutoCollage trial version from the Microsoft Research UK web site (full version is $9.95).

Enjoy 300+ photos of Trieste (copyright free)

Several years ago, my wife and I decided to produce a photo CD of our home town Trieste, a beautiful city and port in northeastern Italy near the Slovenian border. We collected numerous pictures and selected the best 300 for the CD, including landscapes, food and panoramas. We also published a screensaver.

With mixed feelings, we decided it was time to discontinue the CD (old digital world), but we are happy to share these images with all of you under the copyright free license called Creative Commons (a small contribution to the social media travel community).

Next time you're visiting Venice, if you want a nice day trip off-the-beaten path, jump on a train for a couple of hours and visit Trieste. We hope these pictures will entice you to do so.

- View Trieste CD photos as a slideshow
- Download Trieste CD photos from Flickr.com