Italian skiing was born in Sauze d’Oulx. Here in 1897 Adolf Kind, a Swiss engineer, made his first appearance on skis and then taught locals how to organise the first competitions. Sauze d’Oulx – which once hosted the Olympic Winter Games - is a village with a delightful little centre of traditional stone and wood built buildings. The area of Sauze d’Oulx is also famous because of its eco-system: close to it, in the Gran Bosco (Great Forest), live 21 species of mammals, including deer, roe-bucks, chamois and wolves, more than 70 species of nesting birds and 600 types of flora. Via Lattea consists of five Piedmontese resorts: Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Sansicario, Cesana, Claviere, and Montgenevre in France. It offers 203 skiing-connected runs (52 blue, 111 red and 40 black), for a total linear extent of 400 km. There are 78 lifts that range from an altitude of 1,350m in Cesana to 2,800m at Mount Motta, a peak that gives a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains, allowing skiers to appreciate the vastness and beauty of the area. There are also two snowparks, one in Sauze d’Oulx and one in Séstriere. You have the possibility to purchase a one day ticket, a multi-day pass (e.g. a 2-day card) or a weekly card, according to your needs. Don't worry about the equipment because in Sauze d’Oulx there are many ski rental shops where you can get anything you need! Downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country are the main disciplines taught in all the ski schools of Via Lattea, but there are also instructors who specialise in telemark skiing. Moreover, some instructors are experts in teaching children and the disabled. Here are two schools in Sauze d’Oulx: Sauze Sportinia www.scuolascisauzesportinia.com +39 0122 850218 Sauze Project www.sauzedoulxproject.it +39 0122 850654

Moored in San Pedro, the Battleship USS Iowa Museum lets you wander through one of the most magnificent and surprisingly personal pieces of U.S. naval history. Known as the “Battleship of Presidents,” the Iowa once carried FDR across the Atlantic and later served through WWII, Korea, and the Cold War. As you move through the ship’s narrow corridors and out onto the decks, you get a real sense of what life was like for the crew: giant gun turrets towering overhead, cramped bunks stacked in rows, and glimpses of the command centers that once buzzed with activity. Veteran volunteers are often on hand to share stories or point out easy-to-miss details.

Travellers who enjoy going slightly off the beaten track should not miss the Museum of Human Anatomy in Pisa. First opened in 1832, the museum collected thousands of pieces of highly accurate anatomical models made for educational-scientific purposes. Certainly an unusual and macabre attraction. A section of the museum is dedicated to anatomical paintings by Giovanni Paolo Mascagni, who was famed for his mind-blowingly intricate and accurate colour illustrations. Another section contains archaeological finds, such as funerary objects from pre-Columbian civilisations, with fabrics, vases and various utensils, mummies and sarcophagi.

The Tuttomondo mural stands in fun contrast to the historical sights of the city. Bright colours and fun shapes cover a whole side of a house just off Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II. Stare at it long enough to see some of the not-so-obvious details Keith Haring put into the work of art. Keith Haring painted the mural in 1989 and this is one of his last public works of art.