Italy: Where to go? What to do?

Yes. I'm hoping groszi can identify those buildings and square for us, because I don't have that info in my photo album.

cicerone imposter, yes it's Poznan
in the first picture you can see the Old Market and in the second it's our Renaissance City-hall...
but you made this photo ten years ago (yes?) and it was before renovation... now City-hall looks much more beautiful see here ---> http://www.polska.pl/fotogramy/show.htm?photo_id=559 and here http://www.welcometo.poznan.pl/2000.06/pl-ratusz.html
and of course Poznan in 1994 was very different you must visit my city again and see all of changes by your own eyes:P

Kicky I spent 6 months in Firenze wooing a little red haired girl...well actually she was 5'10". It's a wonderful city.

Also went to La Spezia and Carrara and watched them cut marble which was very fascinating



My 2 cents.

Wowza--I'm not surprised (I think!) that this forum has been going on since February!

Osso can tell you I am a twin Italophile; having made the pilgrimage 9 times in 11 years, and heading back again next October.

To kind of jump into the Veneto discussion, I loved Verona for Giardino Giusti--wonderful formal Italian gardens. There's an incredible small church with some of the most amazing wood carving and intarsia work (wood inlays cut to make complex "paintings"), I think it's the Sta. Maria in Organo.

Padua, especially with the restored frescoes is a must if you're a frescoholic as I am; plus it's a fun college town. It's also a jump off point to the Brenta Canal and the Palladian villa barge tours.

I also enjoyed just strolling around Treviso, with its amazing wealth of outdoor frescoes, trendy shops, and some of the best hot chocolate I've ever tasted!

Asolo is a wonderful small hill town with a lovely aspect, a few empty castles, fortresses and palaces and a killer lunch spot.

I love the deep quiet of Torcello. The old church there has amazing mosiacs, and the pace and feel of the place is wonderfully calming.

sigh...I just gotta get back!

Oh, LoisLane, I am all ebulliant to see you here.

And by the way, I saved some abuzz threads, some with your posts on them, re italy, but I am a computer fool and they are here and there on discs and on files somewhere on my mac.

Anybody who is still listening, LoisLane is a traveller to listen to.

Lois, we have picked up a couple of a2kers from italy, luukas , for example. I think he is from Padova....

Smiling...

Pardon our mutual admiration society a2k-ers, but Osso & I posted mighty Italian threads in our Fodor/About/abuzz careers! And funny thing Osso, when trying to find the name of the church, I googled it and got an old abuzz post of mine and one of yours! Have missed you! And ciao, Cicerone!

I'm thrilled we've got some actual Italians in the loop! I met 2 gentlemen from...Roma tonight on the bus. Since I was reading L'Inferno, we got to chatting. Great practice!

I think there's plenty of action in the Veneto to keep one busy for months! I did a Venice/Padova/Vicenza/Treviso/Castelfranco Veneto/Asolo/Verona loop for two weeks and felt mighty rushed. Asole and Castelfranco were only day trips from Treviso, and there were plenty of small towns I didn't get to that I would have loved to. All those winged lions of St. Mark!
yumm!

LL, we need to tap tap a bit, while our erstwhile most italo enthusiastic person catches up, that is Kickycan. Don't be put off by his obnoxiousness, he is actually a sweetie pie.

What a wonderful thread this is, been going back to its beginnings!
Kickycan, pleased to post you! I love another person who is helplessly in the grasp of italy.
Margo sounds pretty much part of the crew too!
And Fiona & McTag--ciao!

And Clary, who is a very adept traveller, was just in bagnowhatsis, near Ravenna. I am thinking you and Clary would understand each other.

And Margo, margo is someone I am keen to meet.

None of these people, including me, have all so lovely lives.. .
We have certain interests in common.

I watch myself being salesy - re the sort of regulars here - to loisL, an old pal -

silly of me, I know she'd like all of you, if she get into posting here.

I am obnoxious about this since I've missed her... she is very smart, on italy and other stuff.

Ok, I'll be quiet...

And here are some web sites for us starved for Italy types, especially us now more than ever types!

Fun Veneto site-I think there's a English part, but who cares, ya gotta go to the webcams: Vicenza--although lately it's gone cattywampus, no longer showing the Palladio statue; Caorle and Jesolu in fast update speeds, Verona--which is a joy to tune into just before New Year's Italian time--it focuses on the arena where the huge stage and parties are. And my personal favorite--Venice on the Grand Canal!
http://turismo.regione.veneto.it/

My favorite Venice blog has fabulous information, wonderful photos and super links to webcams, media, you name it! You'll love it! Go way back and read the titles and check out great stuff.
http://veniceblog.typepad.com/

And if you're a total Venetian head, this website not only has 3 separate cams (will someone tell me why they have a picture of the leaning tower of Pisa on the scaffold covering the Venetian clock in San Marco???), but it also has a "Venice from Space" mosaic picture which allows you to get really close to neighborhoods (Hey, I can see my pensione from here!).
http://www.comune.venezia.it/

Buona notte!

Ok, kicky, I tolddddddddddd you she was sharp...

LoisLane
Wonderful to see you here with the Italy junkies.

I relished your Abuzz posts!

I don't see you on Fodors - or do you have another name - or have I missed you? I'm active on the Oz board (go with your strength!) but a lurker on the Europe board.

Thanks, Margo--no I've been "off the boards" as we ex-theater types say! Mostly swamped with a full time job, running a cultural center which produces a festival here in SF, and trying to get my own photography off the ground.
I hope to be working on a website soon so I can show the a2k crowd my views of Italy--oh and Belgium, London, Paris and Africa. But mostly Italy!
Hope to get back on the posting trails at Fodors sometime soon. Meantime, having too much fun here!

just reading this again now.

Yes on all of it.

I'm going to Italy in September for 16-days. Staying 7-nites in Chianciano to visit the north, and in Sorrento for 7-nites to visit the south. Highlights will include Chianciano, Radicofani, Florence, Pienza, the Orcia Valley, Sienna, Cortona, Sorrento, Isle of Capri, Amalfi Coast, Stabiae, and Rome.

Any suggestions on "not to miss" places to visit or do will be greatly appreciated, because we're going to have plenty of "free" time.

posting up, much later

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariccia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Gandolfo