Siena: Beautiful, medieval, geometric

#1. Take the advice of little old Italian men.
Over the course of your trip, several endearing Italian grandfathers who seem like they may or may not have escaped from a mental institution will attempt to give you advice on what to see, what bus to take, where to eat. Often this advice will be in the form of genial yelling. Listen to them. Advice from locals can be priceless, particularly locals who have lived in the area for decades. (Little old Italian men are identifiable by their white hair, taxi driver-style hats and tweed sports coats, as opposed to middle-aged Italian men, who are identifiable by their salt and pepper hair, pastel V-neck sweaters, and navy blue blazers.)

#2. Buy groceries.
Italian food in Italy has fresh ingredients, meaning that even someone whose culinary experience lies mainly in Pop-Tarts and microwaveable spinach dip can enjoy good food on a budget. Find a good local grocery or co-op and buy a loaf of bread, a basket of cherry tomatoes, and some proscuitto and mozzarella. (Hint: Not sure how to find a good grocery? Ask a little old Italian man. They’re there every day arguing with the woman behind the counter over the price of olives.)

#3. Take local and commuter trains.
Do some research on the trains before your trip. Many times a Eurostar ticket between cities will cost $100, while a second class train ticket between the two will cost $40. ‘Non-deluxe’ tickets can be less than 50 percent of the fancier ticket’s price. You may have to stand-up for the first part of the trip and your seat will not be nearly as elegant-looking, but you can save an enormous amount of money if you shop around for train costs—and this is money you can spend on gelato and food.

#4. Don’t spend a full day in Pisa.
There’s a tower. It’s leaning. That pretty much sums up your trip to this beautiful but non-eventful city. My advice is to go to both Florence (with many beautiful non-leaning buildings) and later to Cinque Terre and if you’re taking the local non-fancy train (which, again, is cheaper) it should stop in Pisa. The train station there has a place that will watch your bags. Walk across town, get a good look at the leaning tower. There will be people positioning themselves to take pictures as if they are holding up the tower with one hand. Feel free to take a similar photo, or brainstorm one of your own. Walk back and hop on the next train. You have seen the leaning tower of Pisa.

#5. Spend a full day in Siena.
Sienna is a beautiful medieval city and even if you do nothing all day, it’s worth walking the streets, wandering in and out of churches or sitting in Il Campo—the bathroom sink-shaped town square, sunning yourself while you stare up at the square’s tower and wonder if it’s going to fall on you. Almost everyone I talked to recommended spending a day in Siena. If you go I’d recommend Trattoria La Torre, which is right near the bottom of Il Campo, serving homemade pasta and delicious food including (if you’re so inclined) pigeon.

Enjoy the view from the Cinque Terre. And then spend another 12 days looking at statues

#6. Rent an apartment on the coast.
I spent a week in the Cinque Terre, the five waterfront towns on the west coast of Italy that are connected by trains, coastal hiking paths, and longer, more intricate paths through the mountainous Cinque Terre National Park. Rather than wander into yet another hotel, I located a beautiful, quaint studio apartment with a view of the sea through Arbaspaa (www.arbaspaa.com). For about 60 euros a night, it came complete with kitchenette (to prepare the groceries I purchased), had a beautiful arched brick ceiling, and folding chairs that allowed me to sit on the porch drinking local wine. There, I enjoyed my view of the sea, letting my consciousness loosen its grip on randomly acquired information about the Medici family and Florentine marble.

The garden at Eau Spa

South Florida has long had a reputation for spicing things up, so it’s no wonder that a concept as exciting as Eau Spa has hit the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach. The new spa is the last piece of a four year, $100 million renovation project that the entire resort has undergone. Characterized by design that’s stepped away from the traditional buttoned-up approach of Ritz-Carlton, the look is better described as whimsical and quirky. Those two words are taken to a very hip extreme at Eau Spa.

Take your typical spa and turn it on its head. Replace any lulling, Enya-esque music with buoyant Brazilian tunes upon entry. Throw a couple of disco balls in the steam room. At Eau Spa, it’s about relaxation, but also about playfulness and socializing. These ideas are the cornerstone of the spa’s “play, pause and perfect” philosophy. It’s all a little secret garden meets Alice in Wonderland — a giant chess set sits outdoors in the garden and baroque design details meet peculiar elements like a chandelier made of upside down crystal wine glasses.

The scrub and polish bar at Eau Spa

One of the coolest aspects of the spa is the veritable buffet for the body — dubbed “scrub couture,” a range of ingredients like salts, vanilla, mint, and pumice await at a do-it-yourself scrub and polish bar, where you can concoct your own body treatment with the aid of a resident mixologist. The customization doesn’t stop there, though — nineteen treatment rooms can be tweaked to your preference via LED color therapy lighting, your choice of aromatherapy scents, and a selection of music (reggae, classical, or smooth jazz) to suit your mood.

For the second time, we’ve taken to the streets and trails to test out some of the best travel footwear out there. Why, you ask? Well, good shoes can be the most important thing you pack — often the enjoyment of your entire trip will be riding on their soles, and you may be down for the count if you’re suffering blisters, rubs, backaches, and other consequences of an improper fit or poor quality shoe. Remember to break in your shoes before you depart and to properly size yourself for each different brand — even top notch shoes will be uncomfortable without accurate sizing or if used under extreme conditions. Without further ado, here are our recommendations from an eclectic variety of shoes that were tested.

Terra Plana’s Yukam

Terra Plana: Yukam

Who wouldn’t be psyched about a brand that uses recycled parts to form fashionable footwear or is socially conscious, helping support AIDS affected orphans in Africa? Add a genuine concern for comfort and foot health to the list, and you’ll have Terra Plana. Check out the new line using Vivo Barefoot Technology (and pardon our pun), but we think it‘s a step above the rest. Available in a range of styles, the Vivo sole is super thin (just 3 mm, yet is puncture resistant). Though this may sound counterintuitive when talking about comfort, wearing these shoes allows your foot muscles to perform in their natural range of motion, which is so often hindered by modern footwear. Since you’ll be mimicking going barefoot, these shoes will help realign your natural posture and stimulate nerve endings in your body — which according to Terra Plana, enhances your sensory perception. Who wouldn’t want an extra sensory boost while traveling? Try Yukam, a canvas slip on that has an antibacterial, removable insole and is quick drying. Terra Plana recommends allowing a break-in period to give your feet time to adjust to the “barefoot“ state. You’ll notice right away how much more you’ll feel through the sole…very cool indeed.

Check out the Yukam and other styles at http://www.terraplana.com.

Privo’s Acacia shoe in Smokey Brown Nubuck

Privo by Clarks: Acacia

One word — Soleassage.This is the name the Privo people came up with to call their shoe’s insole, which features soft bumps that give a massage-like effect on the foot. All Privo shoes come with this insert, but the Acacia style is a good bet if you’re looking for something that’s attractive while staying snug and comfy on the foot. An adorable slip-on with an adjustable strap, these shoes stay secure and cushion each step. The sole has got major tread, making these great for on and off road gallivanting. Though these shoes are comfy in every other way, they may cause some rubbing on the back of the ankle during the first few wears. Be sure to give yourself a good break in period though, or pack some blister blocking shoe tape (Dr. Scholl’s For Her Rub Relief Strips are a preventative godsend when on the road).

Find Acacia and more styles online at privo.zappos.com.