Hey, kids! Where do you want to go? Around the world(wide web)! You’re on. This is the time on the UpTake show where we link to a bunch of doings in the online travel biz and then you click on them and say nice things about us. Sometimes you send us flowers.

Buckle up, it’s go time:

Enter the Great Kiwi Adventure to win a trip for 4 to New Zealand!

The classic Italian coffee house (and its impressive guests).

Thinking about checking out the National Parks of France? Here’s a list of the top ten.

Taste Napa Valley at Rubicon Estate.

Mexico is looking for Arizona tourists… to have a good time.

TripAdvisor announces an iPhone app.

Enjoy Cancun in a boutique hotel.

Snorkel and explore off Maui’s coast.

The Top 5 places to eat ice cream at Walt Disney World (you know you want to know this).

KLM offers a new à la carte menu.

BP keeps Florida beaches off the best lists.

The untouched(ish) Society Island of Hauhine.

Cancun’s underwater museum rocks!

Check out the New England Aquarium package in Boston.

ABC presents Summer Travel Planning 101 (video opens automatically).

USA Today offers some tips on pet travel safety.

The Millennium Hotel in NYC is celebrating 20 years with a giveaway per day.

Hike Israel’s National Trail, it’s the destination and the journey.

The first Toy Story meet-up at Disneyland is FULL.

Looking to keep the romance alive while on the road? It can happen.

Are smartphones the new room key?

Win a trip to San Luis Obispo — sign up for the newsletter and you’re entered!

The 10 Best Amusement Parks (this list could use a good shuffle).

National Geographic on U.S. National Parks and travel.

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That just happened. Another rousing round of online travel tidbits for your consumption.

You’re welcome. Contact us via email or Twitter to get your link included next week!

The view from my villa

When I say romance, you think Paris, right? Well stop it; you’re limiting yourself. I, hopeless romantic that I am, would like to submit for your consideration the Isle of Capri.

First, it is the place Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ran away from her troubles as first lady. Second, poet Pablo Neruda lived on Capri while writing “The Captain’s Verses,” a book of love poems. The island has been home to many a writer and artist. Is there anything more romantic than that?

Of course there isn’t. Don’t be silly.

And let’s not forget that it’s an island. One with a population of just over 7,000. One that doesn’t allow cars above a certain point. It’s isolated. It’s intimate. It’s perfect for walking. Now that’s got romance written all over it. And did I mention it’s in Italy?

Enough said.

Get it all started with the right place to stay. Capri offers elegant hotels, cozy B&Bs and my personal recommendation, the private villa. Private being the operative word here. Plus many of them have patios with spectacular views, perfect for a leisurely morning of cappuccino and cornetti (I’ll have the chocolate creme one, please).

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Manarola from the hiking trail

The Cinque Terre region of Italy is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Cinque Terre means “Five Lands” in Italian and is a collection of five small villages nestled into the cliffs on the Ligurian Sea. The villages were founded on agriculture and fishing, but now survive with the help of tourists dollars.

Cinque Terre is an easy day trip from Florence, Pisa or Milan (Pisa is the closest airport), but you should plan at least two days on the shortest trip, and more like 4-5 if you really want to relax. There’s not a whole lot to do in Cinque Terre really, but that is its charm.

Each of the five villages has its own distinct personality. Monterosso is the most resorty of the towns. It is the only one with full-service hotels and a true beach – though it is a rocky one. Just south of the town is Vernazza, another village popular with tourists and known for its picturesque harbor (it also has a very small beach).

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The Tenuta di Canonica Agriturismo in Todi, Italy

I’m one of those parents who prefers to keep my children penned in to the backyard area with a hose and some water balloons, because when I take them out in public we are bound to meet mishap of one kind or another.  As such, our travels, while increasing in frequency as the boys get older, have yet been limited to family visits and low-profile excursions.  I have read with envy the blog posts about families traveling to Europe or the Amazon, experiencing epic adventures together.  “Someday…” I dream, wistfully.

Someday might come sooner than later if opportunities like Piccolo Chef’s Italian Culinary Vacations become possible for us.
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