The Art of Travel

Frank Capra was to movies what Norman Rockwell was to painting ­ insightful, a master of the evocative detail, eternally optimistic. Capra’s characters in classic films such as It’s a Wonderful Life, Meet John Doe, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, are common people whose spirit and good will enable them to triumph over more powerful adversaries and claim the opportunities that America promises. His characters struggles mirror the immigrants journeys, the same journey that brought Capra to America at the age of six.

Capra was born near Palermo in 1897. His family emigrated in 1903 and settled in Los Angeles. After graduating from the California Institute of Technology, Capra started on the lower rungs of the filmmaking ladder, writing gags for Max Sennett of Keystone Kops fame and eventually directing quickie comedies. He emerged as a major director at the end of the silent era and went on to create such classic films as Platinum Blonde, It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe and It’s a Wonderful Life. Capra’s Why We Fight series of propaganda films during World War II was hailed for its truthfulness in explaining the causes of the war and exposing the evils of fascism, which during the 1930s had been quite appealing to many Americans demoralized by the Great Depression. Film historian Joan McGettigan of Texas Christian University says the movie industry was largely invented by immigrants and that their sojourns from Europe to America, from fear to hope, shaped many of the films they made. The immigrants projected an idealistic image of America where the possibilities of success and fulfillment were open to all. “Immigrants like Capra were fleeing situations where they had no future,” McGettigan says. “They had no hope of success. But in America, if they worked hard, they could achieve anything.” Read the rest of this entry »

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to brush up on your Italian language skills for a few hours and spend the rest of the day sunning at the beach? Or drive to the nearby Roman baths, ancient towers and breathtaking seascapes? Or walking among the ancient churches in the city dubbed “The Florence of the South”? I had the chance to do just that at the Apulia Domus school in Lecce.

Apulia Domus,the first school in Lecce to offer Italian courses to non-Italians, operates on a simple premise: give small classes, offer individualized attention with lively, well-trained instructors and a staff that bends over backward to accommodate you. And simple is good because the resulting product for the students is measurable improvment in speaking Italian no matter your level of skill. Read the rest of this entry »

‘Prague is a city with a enormous cultural life and architecture from periods spanning ten centuries’

The capital of the Czech Republic is situated in the Vltava valley and is a city rich in cultural heritage and a long history. Remember to get cheap flights to Prague for your trip. Prague is a city which blends the old with the new, and this is evident when walking down the cobble stone streets of the city centre. You can check the availability of cheap flights to Prague via our flight links. You will see the mixture of Gothic churches and old traditional town houses, which stand side by side with the more modern and sleek glass buildings. Read the rest of this entry »

‘If you are tired of London, you are tired of life’
Samuel Johnson

London has so much to offer the tourist, it is difficult to know where to start. Remember to get cheap flights to London for your trip. London is an ancient city whose history is evident on every corner, from Buckingham Palace through St Paul’s Cathedral to the Houses of Parliament there is something for everyone in London. You can check the availability of cheap flights to London via our flight links. The tourist hotspots such as Picadilly Circus and Leicester Square provide ample entertainment and are packed with top quality restaurants and theatres and some of the best hotels in the country. We provide information from many budget London Flights. Read the rest of this entry »