Italy - Strikes, Demonstrations etc. - It's always a good idea to check this site prior to traveling to or in Italy.

Transportation Strikes - Here is another site that lists transportation strikes in Italy. Check this site prior to traveling to or in Italy.

Rome Specific - Strikes, Demonstrations etc. - If you are stopping in Rome on your way to or from Il Rifugio, check out this site first. It is full of information about Rome. The link is to the section on strikes etc. but you can also check out other great information about Rome on this site.

Driving in Italy - This is a fantastic web site with everything you will ever need to know about driving in Italy. It was created by Slow Talk moderator, Cristina, it is a wealth of information including pictures of all of the road signs used in Italy with descriptions in Italian and English.

Measurement Conversions - This page is on this site and it has conversion calculators for length, area, volume, weight and temperature. It is here mostly for the Metric to US conversions you might me interested in.

Exchange Rate - If you are wondering what the most recent Dollar value is against the Euro, then go here.

Weather - Want to now what the weather is like? At this Weather Base site you can get statistics for the are (Arezzo is the closest city to Cortona that is monitored) and if you click on the link at the bottom left of page you can get the 5-day forecast.

International Airport Guide - Guides to major airports in US and world cities. International Airport Guides information for each airport includes; hotels at and near the airport, airport car parking, car rental options, driving directions, area maps and details of the airport terminals including the airlines and destinations.

Italy World Club - Did you know that Tuscany is one of 20 regions in Italy and is made up of 10 provinces one of which is Arezzo and that the Arezzo Provence has a surface area of 323,195 square meters divided into 39 Municipalities one of which is Cortona? Well now you do and you can find many other facts and the answers to burning questions like this one about Italy at this site.

Regions of Italy - This goes to a page on this site with a map of the regions of Italy. You can place the mouse pointer over a region and a more detailed diagram of the region with some cities and towns is displayed along with the flag for the region.

Things To Do - This is a link to a page on this site that lists, in no particular order, some simple no cost things that I like doing when I am at Il Rifugio or in Cortona.