Italy: Venice and its lagoons (November 13, 2011)

Who in his right mind would not want to visit Venice? The City of Canals has always been on my mind, especially when I listen to the music of Vivaldi. The former capital of the Venetian Republic, Venezia is actually built on 117 small islands connected to each other by hundreds of bridges.

Landmarks include the Piazza San Marco with St. Mark's Basilica and Campanile, the Doge's Palace, and the Grand Canal and Rialto Bridge among many others. Too bad we weren't able to try out the gondola ride since it comes out quite pricey if there are just a few of you sharing the cost. But we did hop on one of their vaporetto (water buses) to see the architecture along the Grand Canal. Photos of Venice, Italy are in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

San Marino: Centro storico di San Marino e Monte Titano (November 13, 2011)

Since we were driving, passing by San Marino on the way to Venice was very convenient. The Repubblica di San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. The landlocked country is the fifth smallest and is surrounded by Italy.

The Centro storico di San Marino e Monte Titano or the San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the major landmarks of San Marino are the Palazzo Pubblico, the Basilica di San Marino and the Torri di San Marino. Check out the San Marino album in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Italy: Exploring Rome and the Vatican City (November 12, 2011)

Rome is steeped in history. It no doubt deserves the title Eternal City. In fact, you will see layers of history as you walk its streets and visit the various sites and landmarks which make Rome what it is. We visited the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain as well as the Vatican City, among other attractions that make Italy's capital city a must-visit when in Europe. Here are photos of Rome, Itay and Vatican City in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Italy: Leaning Tower of Pisa & Piazza del Duomo (November 11, 2011)

From Florence, we drove to Pisa which was about an hour away. We made it just in time for sunset at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, located in the Piazza del Duomo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We climbed up close to 300 steps to the top of the tower. Here are photos of Pisa, Italy in the Ivan About Town Facebook page.

Philippine holidays and long-weekend schedule for 2012 (Proclamation No. 295)

Malacanang issued Proclamation No. 295 declaring the regular holidays, special non-working days, and a special school holiday for 2012. Here is the list of holidays and long-weekends of the Republic of the Philippines for 2012:

• January 1 (Sun) - New Year's Day (three-day long weekend from December 30 to January 1)
• January 23 (Mon) - Chinese New Year (three-day long weekend from January 21 to 23)
• February 25 (Sat) - EDSA Revolution Anniversary (holiday for schools only)
• April 5 (Thu) - Holy Thursday
• April 6 (Fri) - Good Friday
• April 9 (Mon) - Araw ng Kagitingan (five-day long weekend from April 5 to 9)
• May 1 (Tue) - Labor Day
• June 12 (Tue) - Independence Day
• August 19 (Sun) - Eid'l Fitr (confirmed four-day long weekend from August 18 to 21 with Proclamation No. 455, s. 2012 declaring August 20 as a non-working holiday)
  
• August 21 (Tue) - Ninoy Aquino Day
• August 27 (Mon) - National Heroes Day (three-day long weekend from August 25 to 27)
• October 26 (Fri) - Eid'l Adha (three-day long weekend from October 26 to 28, regular holiday by virtue of Proclamation No. 488, s. 2012)
• November 1 (Thu) - All Saints Day
• November 2 (Fri) - Special Non-Working Day (four-day long weekend from November 1 to 4)
• November 30 (Fri) - Bonifacio Day (three-day long weekend from November 30 to December 2)
• December 24 (Mon) - Special Non-Working Day (by virtue of Proclamation 361, s. 2012)
• December 25 (Tue) - Christmas Day (four-day long weekend from December 22 to 25)
• December 30 (Sun) - Rizal Day
• December 31 (Mon) - Last Day of the Year (four-day long weekend from December 29 to January 1)