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22 Apr 07 - 10:42 PM (#2033050) Subject: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: leeneia In a month, I am going to Italy with my husband and another couple. Mostly we are going to the famous cities - Florence, Rome, Naples, Venice. To tell you the truth, I am not excited about this trip. I have had art museums up to here! Can anybody suggest any fun, mudcatterly things to do on such a trip? Examples of things I like: traditional music, beads, fabric, pottery, people having fun, birds. There is one unusual thing we are going to do. We are going to stay on the island of Stromboli (home of the famous volcano) for three days. I wonder what the air quality is like on Stromboli? |
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22 Apr 07 - 11:04 PM (#2033078) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: bobad Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman, Ingrid Bergman Let's go make a picture On the island of Stromboli Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman, you're so perty You'd make any mountain quiver You'd make fire fly from the crater Ingrid Bergman This old mountain it's been waiting All its life for you to work it For your hand to touch its hard rock Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman If you'll walk across my camera I will flash the world your story I will pay you more than money Ingrid Bergman Not by pennies dimes nor quarters But with happy sons and daughters And they'll sing around Stromboli Ingrid Bergman This old mountain it's been waiting All its life for you to work it For your hand to touch its hard rock Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman found on: Mermaid Avenue words: Woody Guthrie debuted/last played: performance history back to the Wilco lyrics archive |
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22 Apr 07 - 11:09 PM (#2033083) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: jacqui.c When in Venice do the trip to the islands - one of which is Murano, famous for beautiful glass. It's much more fun just wandering around, seeing the sights, than going to museums. I wish I could remember the names of the hill towns in Tuscany, one known for production of alabaster, that other for the numerous 'towers' put up as a symbol of wealth in previous centuries. Then there's the marble quarries at Carrera - the source of the marble for many important works of art. Well worth a visit, even just to marvel at how they got the stone out in the days before mechanisation. whatever you do have fun. Italy is one of my favourite countries and the people are very friendly! |
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22 Apr 07 - 11:38 PM (#2033101) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Mrrzy Eat in Naples. Don't miss the ferry to Capri. take a boat round to see the Stromboli. Eat everywhere and then tell us what you ate... |
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23 Apr 07 - 02:55 AM (#2033155) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: GUEST,KT not logged in leernia, if you have the time, go to the Cinque Terras. Five seaside towns that are built into the cliffs that tower above the sea.The longest hike was no more than 2 hours or so and they're all easy hikes. We went to all 5 in two days with a 7 year old in tow. The trails are all groomed and a couple are even paved. We went last year and absolutely LOVED Cinque Terra. look here If you're spiritually inclined, visit Assisi. There's something special about that place. Hard to describe, but ...we were deeply moved by Assisi. and here Also, get yourself a copy of RIck Steves' latest Italy tour guide book. We found that VERY helpful. Lots of good tips on restaurants, how to avoid waiting in long lines to get into certain places, etc. The food is fabulous and the people so friendly. Eat lots of gelato and start each day with a cappecino... Jimmyt is an expert on Italy. |
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23 Apr 07 - 04:55 AM (#2033195) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Liz the Squeak If you go to the Plaza San Marco in Venice, they'll charge you a fortune to sit down, the pigeons will mob you and if you're really unlucky, the same quintet will be playing as were when Manitas and I visited last May. Piano accordion, violin, grand piano, double bass and viola. The accordionist doubled on second violin and shaky egg... Watch out for a lemon drink called Limonitto or variant thereof - it's evil and will snare you! It's fantastic ice cold, in Italy, not so good on a cold, wet, winter's night in London! Visit Verona if you can, it is an amazing town. Apparently it's lucky, when visiting the 'House of Juliet' to make a wish whilst touching her left breast. Make sure you are touching the statue, and not some tourist called Juliet. Padua is also a wonderful town, some great shops and fantastic historic buildings. We visited the Villa Contarina on a Sunday, which had the most incredible market in the grounds and throughout the town. This market must have been a good square mile or more... You could have bought anything from amber beads to a three piece suite, kitted out a church with full ecclesiastical robes and furniture, WWII ordinance and equipment or acquired the world's worst selection of cutesy google eyed porcelain kittens.... you name it, it was there! I only wish I remembered the villa as well as I do the market! LTS |
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23 Apr 07 - 04:59 AM (#2033198) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: bubblyrat Some years ago , I read this story in the Readers Digest. An American aircraft -carrier was on a visit to Naples ,and anchored in the Bay thereof. One of the first crewmen to go ashore was a very young enlisted man ,who had never been abroad before.On his return to the ship, he was very excited, and couldn"t wait to tell his companions his news ! "Hey! Guys! " he shouted--- " Guess what !! They do PIZZA here !! " ( My belief is that it is a deliberate ploy by the Italians, to attract American tourists ! ) |
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23 Apr 07 - 05:03 AM (#2033203) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: alanabit An hour north of Milano is the lovely town Como, built on the side of a lake of the same name, on the Swiss border. It's a lovely, friendly place to walk around. |
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23 Apr 07 - 05:24 AM (#2033214) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Blowzabella A little treasure that is not very well known about is the ruined town of Ostia Antica (Old Ostia). It was a port, in Claudius' time, but the river changed course etc etc. It is a vast site - parts of it still under grass - it always reminds of of how the Forum in Rome would have appeared to the C18th engravers - columns, with ivy growing all over them etc. Because it is so big and not too touristy, it is always spacious. You can go there with a picnic and eat your lunch, on the grass, in a temple - or fall asleep in the sun in the forum. The ruins themselves are as amazing as Pompeii - houses several storeys high, wall paintings etc, but without the coachloads of tourists! After time spent visiting sights / sites in cities, Ostia is always a welcome relief - breeze, grass, birds etc Ostia Antica |
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23 Apr 07 - 05:31 AM (#2033222) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Blowzabella http://www.igougo.com/travelcontent/JournalEntryActivity.aspx?Caption=Rome_Ostia_Antica&BusinessCardID=58489&oIndex=4&Mode=10 More Ostia Antica reviews - really cannot praise this place too highly - and it seems it is still as cheap to visit as i remember - 5 euros! |
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23 Apr 07 - 06:15 AM (#2033252) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: mandotim If you go to Venice (and you really should)then it's worth having the experiencer of arriving by boat, especially at night. There's a ferry from (I think) Lido di Jesolo that drops you off outside the Doge's Palace and the Campanile. Get off the beaten track in Venice; the real delights are behind 'the facade' that the tourists see. Also; just up the coast towards Trieste is the old Roman seaport of Aquileia. Full of ruins and great churches (one of which has a mosaic floor that is over 1000 years older than the roof.) Rome itself is just fabulous, with a sense of being surrounded by most of Europe's history. Tim PS eat lots of ice cream, it's great in Italy! |
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23 Apr 07 - 06:43 AM (#2033264) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: The PA PortoFino - its just so beautiful. |
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23 Apr 07 - 08:57 AM (#2033347) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: leeneia Thanks, everybody, you are cheering me up immensely. LTS, if you are still reading this, in what city was the Villa Contarina that you spoke of? |
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23 Apr 07 - 09:02 AM (#2033351) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: jacqui.c All those memories are coming back - I wanna go to Italy again! |
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23 Apr 07 - 09:10 AM (#2033365) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Liz the Squeak Not entirely sure, but it wasn't that far from Padua. Try this one? Manitas remembered it as Contarina, but it may well be Contarini. LTS |
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23 Apr 07 - 09:40 AM (#2033391) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Liz the Squeak That is the one, the other link I was going to post threw me out so I won't post it. LTS |
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23 Apr 07 - 03:34 PM (#2033680) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: GUEST,KT not logged in Jacqui, I wanna go with you!! |
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23 Apr 07 - 05:37 PM (#2033770) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Blowzabella What! Ya don' wanna go wid me???!!! |
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24 Apr 07 - 02:46 AM (#2034066) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Phot Avoid eating at the restraunts near the Colliseum, they are horribly overpriced. Take a trip to thew top of St Peters, the view is stunning, but the Sistene Chapel is only open until two in the afternoon, so go early in the morning, buses in Rome are cheap and frequent, the main tourist information office near Roma Termini Station gives out free maps and lists of whats on, and it's a good place to start from. Hope this is helpful. Wassail!! Chris. |
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24 Apr 07 - 01:27 PM (#2034514) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: leeneia Thanks, everybody, especially Phot. I am especially interested in "what's on." Just to chat a little - I do not wish to go to the Coliseum. I am not interested in seeing the place where people fought and were tortured and where helpless animals were cruelly abused. I think the Coliseum should be bulldozed and a butterfly garden should replace it. I am much more interested in music, markets, et cetera where people are being pleasant to one another. |
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24 Apr 07 - 02:31 PM (#2034583) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: GUEST,mg If you are not interested in what the others are for the most part, I would rent cell phones there (unless you can use ones you have) and perhaps just agree to stay in the same general area and meet for dinner...mg |
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24 Apr 07 - 03:33 PM (#2034647) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Gulliver My favourites are Bolognia, parts of Rome and the Amalfi Coast. I lived for 3 years in Naples. It's a bit rough but interesting. You can read all about it at my Naples site here If you need any further info, PM me. |
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24 Apr 07 - 03:50 PM (#2034663) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: MartinRyan Found some good jazz (and outstanding food!) in Bologna. Enjoyed Siena much more than Florence. Regards |
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24 Apr 07 - 08:19 PM (#2034878) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: The Fooles Troupe You want suggestions for trip to Italy? Send Shanbles!!! |
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24 Apr 07 - 08:49 PM (#2034904) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: michaelr KT beat me to the Cinque Terre recommendation. It's a gorgeous area, just down the coast from (pretty but thoroughly touristified) Portofino. No cars allowed, but the walking is great. We stayed in Riomaggiore. Chheers, Michael |
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24 Apr 07 - 10:00 PM (#2034943) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Donuel I traced this thread since my idea of a most wonderful journey is seeing Italy from the red mountains on top to the blue islands down below. Gore Vidal has chosen to live in Italy for the last 30 years. |
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24 Apr 07 - 10:21 PM (#2034954) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: dianavan I will be the third to suggest Cinque Terre, a World Heritage Site. My daughter and I stayed in Manarola and visited the other towns from there. We took the train. |
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25 Apr 07 - 03:10 AM (#2035081) Subject: RE: BS: suggestions for trip to Italy From: Dazbo Folkermesse is held every spring/early summer in north west Italy (Piemont). |