The Italy Thread

[Surly Bevo 24908]

47 minutes ago, naija said:

What’s the word on 4 days in Venice?

It's probably a day too much?

 

Seriously, I liked Venice, if the weather is good it's like being in the middle of a picture but once you get all of that and the few main places out of the way it's time to move on

[naija 2854]

I keep reading about how crowded it gets

[Spankytoes 1739]

1-2 days too many

[naija 2854]

7 hours ago, Spankytoes said:

1-2 days too many

would you do Costa Rica over Venice

[Spankytoes 1739]

2 hours ago, naija said:

would you do Costa Rica over Venice

Yes, but I’m not an Italy guy. Costa Rica has more action, scenery and activities. Venice can truly be seen in a day. 2 if you want to stroll. There are no cars so you’re either hoofing it or taking water taxis. If you’re going in summer, it’s crowded, hot and the canals become sewers. We stayed at the Boscolo, which is somewhat isolated from the tourists, and enjoyed it. Huge rooms and beautiful hotel grounds.

It’s not as romantic as it is portrayed. Unless you want to break the bank for a private gondola, you’ll be sharing with 8 other people in a pack of 10 with a mafioso singing. Worth it to cross off the list but 4 days is too many unless you’re taking side trips. The train station is impressive.

[Spankytoes 1739]

Here was our Don Giovanni

[pch 1259]

I would do three days in Florence and two in Venice.  Florence is my favorite city in Italy followed by the Lake Como region of Bellaggio.

[VABuckeye 2472]

I agree with two days in Venice.   If you’re adventurous there are tons of books and crannies to explore in the city. Despite what spanky said we found the water in the canals to be fine in the heat of August.  No smells at all. 

[G650 14229]

Venice is super unique.It's also very small and you'll get bored after a couple days.

[South Austin 52439]

Echoing what others say about Venice.  We spent two days there as part of an Italy tour in 2014.  So glad we went to Venice, and I have no desire to go back.

[texasdago 7563]

On 3/27/2018 at 4:50 PM, 52-80 said:

I wouldn't eat pizza outside of Naples buy that's just me

That's one of the dumbest things I've seen written here

[kevwun 15758]

Especially since you can make a Napoli style pizza at home without much effort.

[52-80 19142]

47 minutes ago, kevwun said:

Especially since you can make a Napoli style pizza at home without much effort.

It's a protected product.  I can get the DOP tomatoes and cheese here, but no can has stone oven

[kevwun 15758]

Wood burning ovens still work the same outside of Italy.

[Guest]

For the last 10 years I've gone to Italy once or twice a year for work, usually for fairly long stays; I've made some really good friends over there and always look forward to my trips (although I hate making the long flights more and more these days).  Italy still seems almost surreal to me.  

When I'm there I typically rent a car and go visit places I haven't been.  It's pretty easy to drive around Italy; the only place I recommend not driving is within Naples (I did this once during a weekday and will not make that mistake again).  Within Rome is not so pleasant either, but if you're used to big city driving it is doable.  Between cities on the highways (autostrade) is just like being on US interstates.  So I recommend renting a car if you will be there awhile because it gives you broader access and you'll see stuff you wouldn't ordinarily see.  

Beyond the usual recommended places to visit of Rome, Naples, Amalfi, and Florence, which I think are all fantastic, I personally like Puglia and Salento in particular.  If I were selecting a trip for personal R&R, I would fly in to Bari in the late spring, rent a car, and make a loop around Puglia starting in Trani and stopping at Polignano, Alberbello, Brindisi, Lecce, Otranto, Leuca, Gallipoli, and Taranto.  This region looks like the Texas hill country if it were dropped into the Mediterranean and covered in olive groves.  The people are friendly,  the pace of life is slow, it's not near as touristy in the spring as other parts of Italy (you'll run into more Germans than Americans), you can find bed & breakfast places for 45 euro, the seafood is as good as it gets and is reasonably priced, and the sea is as beautiful as any place I've been.  The one thing it doesn't have is massive cosmopolitan cities.  So if that's what your looking for I'd go to Rome, Naples, or Florence.  But if you want to see a more isolated slice of Italian culture and don't mind driving, I'd recommend a trip around Puglia.   

Edited April 23, 2018 by Guest

[Tonesky 932]

In Trastevere, we were blown away at Antico Carlone, Via della Luce, 5.  Reservations strongly suggested.  And, don't go with plans to be somewhere any time soon.

[South Austin 52439]

4 hours ago, texasdago said:

That's one of the dumbest things I've seen written here

He also would never eat a Charleston Chew outside of Charleston.

[52-80 19142]

4 hours ago, kevwun said:

Wood burning ovens still work the same outside of Italy.

Given one has a wood burning stone oven ....

[G650 14229]

25 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

Given one has a wood burning stone oven ....

We have several in the area at restaurants. I know a couple people that have them at their house as well.

[52-80 19142]

1 hour ago, G650 said:

We have several in the area at restaurants. I know a couple people that have them at their house as well.

If I'm so inclined, I might build one at the new place.

 

If not, tons of people are making these fiery portable little wood-fires ovens.  Seems ....intedassting.

 

https://uuni.net

[VABuckeye 2472]

Going back in September.  Lake Como, Piedmonte wine region, Tuscan wine region (Gaiole in Chianti) and finishing up on Capri.  Can’t wait and there’s 10 days sailing in the BVI before Italy. 

[South Austin 52439]

3 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

Going back in September.  Lake Como, Piedmonte wine region, Tuscan wine region (Gaiole in Chianti) and finishing up on Capri.  Can’t wait and there’s 10 days sailing in the BVI before Italy. 

Wife and I spent three days in Barolo and fell in love with the place. What town are you staying in?

[VABuckeye 2472]

Near Alba.  We staying at the Paolo Manzone vineyards agritourismo.  Can’t wait.  Doing a 15 flight tasting at a dinner there. 

[kmac30 416]

Beyond the usual recommended places to visit of Rome, Naples, Amalfi, and Florence, which I think are all fantastic, I personally like Puglia and Salento in particular.  If I were selecting a trip for personal R&R, I would fly in to Bari in the late spring, rent a car, and make a loop around Puglia starting in Trani and stopping at Polignano, Alberbello, Brindisi, Lecce, Otranto, Leuca, Gallipoli, and Taranto.  This region looks like the Texas hill country if it were dropped into the Mediterranean and covered in olive groves.  The people are friendly,  the pace of life is slow, it's not near as touristy in the spring as other parts of Italy (you'll run into more Germans than Americans), you can find bed & breakfast places for 45 euro, the seafood is as good as it gets and is reasonably priced, and the sea is as beautiful as any place I've been.  The one thing it doesn't have is massive cosmopolitan cities.  So if that's what your looking for I'd go to Rome, Naples, or Florence.  But if you want to see a more isolated slice of Italian culture and don't mind driving, I'd recommend a trip around Puglia.   

I wish I could convince my wife to do something like this.

[South Austin 52439]

2 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

Near Alba.  We staying at the Paolo Manzone vineyards agritourismo.  Can’t wait.  Doing a 15 flight tasting at a dinner there. 

Check out Barolo, La Morra and Montforte d'Alba. Really great towns that are about a 5 minute drive from where you are with fantastic restaurants and tasting rooms.

[bularry1 23]

11 hours ago, South Austin said:

Check out Barolo, La Morra and Montforte d'Alba. Really great towns that are about a 5 minute drive from where you are with fantastic restaurants and tasting rooms.

This would be my trip   i want to spend a week in Piedmont hitting these villages

[G650 14229]

Lombardy or gtfo.

[texasdago 7563]

13 hours ago, kmac30 said:

I wish I could convince my wife to do something like this.

It's a great suggestion and your wife has no idea what she is missing.  Three summers ago we stayed on the Gargano peninsula in Puglia and spent time on the beach, also took day trips on the peninsula and longer side trips to Alberobello, the grotte di Castellana (caves), Melfi in Basilicata, Laghi di Monticchio... it was amazing.  Yes, everyone was awesome, the pace was easier and the prices drastically cheaper.  Aside from Alberobello, we heard one American in two weeks.  One.  Mind you, this was in July during the middle of tourist season.  People have no idea what they are missing out on.

As for wood burning ovens, I can drive two miles from my house and go to a pizzeria that uses the proper ingredients and had their oven built in and shipped over from Naples.  I've had great pizza Napoletana in many places.  Yes, not the same water but if you nail the other ingredients and cook it right, you can get great pizza napoletana in Rome, Trapani, wherever.

[staboner 4969]

hottest chicks in the world. 

their median score is just outstanding in Italy. really outstanding. 

[VABuckeye 2472]

16 hours ago, South Austin said:

Check out Barolo, La Morra and Montforte d'Alba. Really great towns that are about a 5 minute drive from where you are with fantastic restaurants and tasting rooms.

Thanks. They are on the list.   We’ll be there a little early for the white truffle festival but we’ll be around grape harvesting time.   Big group of wine lovers going so the focus is on food and wine. 

[South Austin 52439]

I recommend Osteria La Cantinella in Barolo. Wonderful family restaurant. Father speaks no English, mother speaks good English, and daughter—a gorgeous blonde hottie—speaks English, French and I think we heard some German.

[trubbaman 36]

My daughter is going to go to school in Florence, starting this October. I'll be visiting her for a couple of weeks around Thanksgiving because she'd like for me to cook what I can of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for her.

Do any of you have any tips for her living there - the day to day stuff that she'll need to figure out, and tips for me when I visit her? All I know is it's great for leather goods, and since I'm less stylish than a rusty Yugo I'm going to be embarrassingly out of step over there. Thanks in advance.

[VABuckeye 2472]

45 days until over two weeks of wine and food bliss. 

[Thetexashammer 1062]

Italy does indeed kick ass. That said, one day in Venice is enough, giant tourist trap. Visit Piazza San Marco then move on. 

[Biff Tannen 45661]

2 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

45 days until over two weeks of wine and food bliss. 

Hey, me too.  Sept 19-Oct 5.  All of northern Italy.

[52-80 19142]

On 7/29/2018 at 3:28 AM, trubbaman said:

My daughter is going to go to school in Florence, starting this October. I'll be visiting her for a couple of weeks around Thanksgiving because she'd like for me to cook what I can of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for her.

Do any of you have any tips for her living there - the day to day stuff that she'll need to figure out, and tips for me when I visit her? All I know is it's great for leather goods, and since I'm less stylish than a rusty Yugo I'm going to be embarrassingly out of step over there. Thanks in advance.

read this first

 

https://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Be-Heard-Amanda-Knox/dp/0062217216

[VABuckeye 2472]

6 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Hey, me too.  Sept 19-Oct 5.  All of northern Italy.

Nice. We’ll be in Bellagio on lake Como until the 15th then off to Alba for four days. Then we head to Gaiole in Chianti from the 19th -23rd and then off to Capri. 

[G650 14229]

1 hour ago, VABuckeye said:

Nice. We’ll be in Bellagio on lake Como until the 15th then off to Alba for four days. Then we head to Gaiole in Chianti from the 19th -23rd and then off to Capri. 

Shoot across the water to Tremezzo while you are there.

 

Edit:In Bellagio that is.

Edited July 30, 2018 by G650

[Biff Tannen 45661]

4 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

Nice. We’ll be in Bellagio on lake Como until the 15th then off to Alba for four days. Then we head to Gaiole in Chianti from the 19th -23rd and then off to Capri. 

Wow, kinda all over the place then.  Looks like you'll be a bit ahead of me in Como.  We are doing a big loop from Venice through the Dolemites, then over to Bellagio, then down to Cinque Terre for 3 days and back through Tuscany for the last week.  I'm nervous, as this is my first foray into a foreign country by myself, but I'm sure it will be amazing.  I've traveled all over the world, but have always been with someone who knew what they were doing and/or spoke the native language.

[52-80 19142]

40 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Wow, kinda all over the place then.  Looks like you'll be a bit ahead of me in Como.  We are doing a big loop from Venice through the Dolemites, then over to Bellagio, then down to Cinque Terre for 3 days and back through Tuscany for the last week.  I'm nervous, as this is my first foray into a foreign country by myself, but I'm sure it will be amazing.  I've traveled all over the world, but have always been with someone who knew what they were doing and/or spoke the native language.

easy

 

 

 

[VABuckeye 2472]

We're there mainly for the two major wine regions.  The last time I was in Italy we had little to no problem with people speaking English.  I'm told it's a little tougher up north.

[Gil Bang 25907]

I’m going after Maryland and will be back for USC. Missing Tulsa unless I can stream it. A couple of days in Rome (no hotel reservations yet) a few days on Almafi Coast (rented a small apartment from a friend of a friend of the GF), then up to the Tuscany area, where a buddy of mine retired to 15 years ago. He’s got a guesthouse that he rents out.

[G650 14229]

47 minutes ago, VABuckeye said:

We're there mainly for the two major wine regions.  The last time I was in Italy we had little to no problem with people speaking English.  I'm told it's a little tougher up north.

I've never had too much issue up north unless you got way off the beaten path.

If you want wine, stop in the Valtellina. Lombardy wine >>>>>>>> Piedmont Wine.

[sidis 9822]

1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

Wow, kinda all over the place then.  Looks like you'll be a bit ahead of me in Como.  We are doing a big loop from Venice through the Dolemites, then over to Bellagio, then down to Cinque Terre for 3 days and back through Tuscany for the last week.  I'm nervous, as this is my first foray into a foreign country by myself, but I'm sure it will be amazing.  I've traveled all over the world, but have always been with someone who knew what they were doing and/or spoke the native language. 

you will have zero issues in any of those places.  while you are on the lake, go south about 10 mins from bellagio on the west side (towards como instead of lecco) to a small little town called lezzeno.  there is a hotel their called villa aurora that is an okay hotel but across ss583 and on the water, they have a little restaurant that they run.  go for lunch and order their lake fish risotto.  then, when you get back, come here and thank me.

your plan is a good one.  no reason to be nervous at all...and if you spend a day efforting the basics of italian, you'll find a lot of it is very easy. 

are you driving or training everywhere?

[Biff Tannen 45661]

4 minutes ago, sidis said:

you will have zero issues in any of those places.  while you are on the lake, go south about 10 mins from bellagio on the west side (towards como instead of lecco) to a small little town called lezzeno.  there is a hotel their called villa aurora that is an okay hotel but across ss583 and on the water, they have a little restaurant that they run.  go for lunch and order their lake fish risotto.  then, when you get back, come here and thank me.

your plan is a good one.  no reason to be nervous at all...and if you spend a day efforting the basics of italian, you'll find a lot of it is very easy. 

are you driving or training everywhere?

Driving.  We have set parking in Belaggio and are going to garage the car at the hotel just south of Cinque Terre while we are there.  I've been taking Italian via phone app for the past few months, so I know the basics, but I still would like to be able to at least try and converse if possible, just to not be the ugly american.

[Biff Tannen 45661]

7 minutes ago, sidis said:

you will have zero issues in any of those places.  while you are on the lake, go south about 10 mins from bellagio on the west side (towards como instead of lecco) to a small little town called lezzeno.  there is a hotel their called villa aurora that is an okay hotel but across ss583 and on the water, they have a little restaurant that they run.  go for lunch and order their lake fish risotto.  then, when you get back, come here and thank me.

your plan is a good one.  no reason to be nervous at all...and if you spend a day efforting the basics of italian, you'll find a lot of it is very easy. 

are you driving or training everywhere?

And thanks for the restaurant rec!

[sidis 9822]

couple of things re: driving...

1) italian drivers are criminally insane.

2) embrace roundabouts.

3) if you aren't an experienced standard driver, practice on hills here before you find yourself driving up the lake to bellagio on 583 (which is extremely hilly and seemingly about 3 feet wide with giant fucking buses constantly en route on it). 

4) the two giant parking garages in venice fucking suck.

5) good plan on cinque terre.  a lot of people not staying in monterosso don't realize they're screwed.

6) work into your budget anytime you are going to take the A highways.  they toll the fuck out of them.  we drove from como to venice with a stop in brusaporto and it was a substantial amount of money.

7) take a few turns that aren't in the plan...

[VABuckeye 2472]

Re: Driving

Do not drive in the cities and particularly in Rome.  It's a free for all.  We had no issues driving in the countryside last time.

[G650 14229]

17 minutes ago, sidis said:

couple of things re: driving...

1) italian drivers are criminally insane.

 

This should really be item 1-7.

[VABuckeye 2472]

28 minutes ago, G650 said:

I've never had too much issue up north unless you got way off the beaten path.

If you want wine, stop in the Valtellina. Lombardy wine >>>>>>>> Piedmont Wine.

I'm a huge fan of the wines produced by the Nebbiolo grape.  Likewise with Sangiovese.

Lombardy next visit.