Pompeii, The frozen Roman town

The astounding city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town near the more modern town/city of Naples which means you can hit two birds with one stone and visit both! 

And now for a bit of history that can't go amiss when talking about Pompeii. Pompeii was partially destroyed (along with Herculaneum) and buried (4-6 meters) in ash and pumice in AD 79 when the nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, and was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1749. Ever since then there has been excavation in this remarkable place to uncover the mysteries of the frozen town. 

There aren't really particular areas that you must see for this town because you must really see it all to grasp at the enormity of this natural disaster. There are things that looks like plaster casts of whole people that are actually people that were covered in the ask and pumice. 

Many of the artifacts found are in the Archaeological Museum of Naples so if you are in Naples and are interested after you visit, also go here. Hotels and bars etc. are in Naples as there are no hotels in Pompeii.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

You may not have heard of it, you may not even be able to say it but trust me this place is BEAUTIFUL. As you walk down to the city gates you get this overwhelming feeling of amazement only to reach its climax as you climb the brilliant city walls with their own unique view over the Mediterranean sea. You cannot help but imagine what it was like back in the days of old and what they must have felt like, Gods and Goddesses? Kings and Queens? I would. I have.
This city was described by Lord Byron as “The Pearl of the Adriatic”. Even though it has been under the protection of many vast empires it remained as one of the most independent and self-governing republics. The weather is hottest in July and August but is generally warm from May until October with a generally warm sea.
 Unfortunately there are few renaissance buildings that survived the Earthquake in 1667 but thank goodness enough are still standing to give an idea of the cities architectural heritage. Some that remain include; Sponza Palace (used to house the national Archives), Rectors Palace (Gothic-Renaissance structure that displays finely carved capitals and an ornate staircase), Dubrovnik Cathedral and the Franciscan Monastery (which coincidently are very close to one another).

Conveniently all of these places are within the city walls and are quite close together. If you get a decent hotel you can walk to almost all of them.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna is the Capital city of Austria. and holds more than 25% of Austria's population. Vienna hosts many international organisations ( for example United Nations and OPEC) the city is close to the borders of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. It is regarded as the City of Music because of its musical legacy. It is also known as the City of Dreams because it was home to the worlds first psycho-analyst Sigmund Freud.

You can see many attractions in Vienna for example the Kunsthistorisches Museum (That's a mouthful!) which is a museum that tells the history of Vienna and other countries. You should also try and visit the Schonbrunn Palace (which is a World Heritage site) this is a little out of the city but is worth the trip. It is easy to get to on the metro but you'd have to choose a nice day with no rain in order to fully appreciate it. 

Another place to visit in Vienna is the Tiergarten Schonbrunn which is a Zoo. It is rated as number 7 on the list of things you have to do in Vienna! It was absolutely amazing and with such cute animals. This would probably be a good idea to visit if you are bringing children with you so that they have something else to look forward too.

Whilst in Vienna you should also try to go to Salzburg *Sings* The hills are alive! With the sound of music! (If you don't know where that comes from first of all watch The Sound of Music and then hang your head in shame for not watching it before hand.) I'll probably upload a blog of Salzburg soon and I'll put a link on this when I have (it was a beautiful place to visit).

Vienna is generally cold, the coldest being in January where it can be 2.9°C or sometimes even as low as -2°C and in July and August the highest could be 25.9°C or 15.3°C so in that sense Vienna's climate is very much like Britain's and I wouldn't recommend it for a hot holiday because you wont get it.

Vatican City, Vatican City

You cannot visit Rome without visiting the Vatican City! It is literally in Rome but its own country, Its amazing really. It is basically a walled enclave within Rome and is about 110 acres this makes it the smallest independent state in the world by both area and its population. 

The Vatican City is an ecclesiastical state, this means that it is ruled by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). The  Vatican's climate is the same as Rome's (Please see Rome for more details of the climate and temperature details.) 

The main thing to view in the Vatican City are the Vatican Gardens which account for more than 1/2 of the territory. These gardens were established in the Renaissance era and cover approximately 57 acres of the Vatican City. Other attractions of the Vatican City are obviously St. Peter's Basilica which is arguable one of the prettiest Cathedrals in the world. This is probably because it is the center of the entire Catholic religion so it would have to be the finest one in the world. The Vatican Museum should also be seen because it will give you all the factual information of the Vatican and the previous Popes etc. The Sistine Chapel should also be visited. 

You can stay just outside the city walls the closest is probably Hotel Columbus which is only a 3 minute walk (250m) or you could stay more in the city center of Rome which would mean that you could see Rome's attractions more easily. 

Rome, Italy

Rome is the capital of Italy and has a history which spans over 2,500 years. Rome was the dominant power in Western Europe for over 700 years from the 1st century BC until 7th century AD and is known to be one of the birthplaces of western civilisation. It is home to many great man made sights including the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and the Gardens of Villa Borghese.
There are countless artists and architects such as Michelangelo, Bramante, Bernini and Raphael who have lived for a period of time in Rome contributing to its Renaissance and Baroque architecture. Michelangelo’s painting of the Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican city which is its own country within the walls of Rome and is a must see whilst in Rome.
The Colosseum is where the ancient roman’s held their entertainment including lion fights, gladiator fights and even roman games. It is one of the best attributes that Rome has, being built in AD 80 making it over 2000 years old and being in the condition it is now makes it one of the oldest things to see in such good condition.

 Rome has a Mediterranean climate which means that Spring and autumn are mild to warm and in the summer months it is easy for the temperature to climb to 30°C. January is mainly around 11.8°C however sub-zero lows are not uncommon. The summer seasons last for about 6 months (May-October) and are the best times to go.

Rome though is expensive being it is in Italy, and because it uses the Euro and exchange rates aren't the best right now. I don’t recommend it as a student holiday unless you have just got your student loan in. However there are certain places you can go if you want to save a bit of money. For example there are camping villages just outside the city centre that can be a lot quieter than the hustle and bustle of the city.
There are also various clubs, bars, cafés and restaurants around Rome and the main streets however the real treasures are the hidden ones in the alley ways where tourists tend not to go. This is where you will get the real Italian food with the freshest of ingredients and a really homely atmosphere. The best that I have been to was Fortunato al Pantheon, It had a lovely friendly service but was also very professional.