Trip to Italy, Part 1--Bologna, Venice, Parma

Ah, calcio! I look forward to seeing at least one match while I'm there. I suppose tickets for either team in Milan are expensive but I'll go nonetheless.

The margo thinking is that airfares are generally not the most expensive part of the trip- even coming from Oz - which is a bloody long way from anywhere - except NZ. The cost of living and getting around in Europe will devour much more of your money. You may as well take the most convenient / comfortable plane ride - even if it costs a cuppla (hundred) dollars more.

Waiting with interest to hear more about Bergamo - north of Italy was in planning for the trip that got cancelled this year - now waiting to build up some more funds.

I don't much about Bergamo. I only know that it's located about 30-40 minutes by train northwest of Milan. I has a population of about 150,000. I understand it's a city with many retired people making it an expensive city to live in. Compared to what I'm used to and repeated on this thread it's very cold there as it's more north (norther?) and has a higher altitude.

Seeing how this thread is visited by many Italy lovers I'll ask the next question on this thread rather than a different one?

What italian music would you recommend?

Ehm.... Bergamo is actually about 50 Km Northeast Milano

It is an expensive city, but it is not impossible to live in, the weather is quite cold, closer to Germany's one more then to the rest of Italy. Summer is hot, anyway, but you can be sure you will see quite some snow in winter

About the music question...

De Gregori, Guccini, De Andrè, Ligabue, Vasco Rossi, Ruggeri, Concato, Battisti.

Those are the singers I like most

Am I mixing it up with someplace else that starts with a B, or is it Bergamo that has a high city and a low city, altitude wise? I seem to remember that the high part is more expensive. And is that the city with a fabulous old wooden bridge?

And thanks, Raphillon, I'll look up that music too..

Hmm, I can't find that bridge on google. It's a bridge I have a photo of somewhere. Hmmm, what other northern italian cities start with B.

Back in a bit.

I might be thinking of Bolzano, but I can't find a link for a wooden bridge there either..

double post, sorry.

Osso - do you know that not far from Bergamo there is a city which name is "Ponte di Legno", 'wooden bridge' in English?

Aha, I think I'm thinking of the wooden bridge at Bassano, by Palladio.

http://www.cdi.gsd.harvard.edu/resources/pdfs/900101-039.pdf

Once I stopped here to get my car fixed ( those damned Germans dont tighten bolts!).

I just looked up the ponte di legno bridge and that's not the one I'm remembering. It was the Bassano bridge in a dramatic photo from below, in some magazine years ago.

Hmm, so I still don't know much about Bergamo...

another photo of Palladio's bridge at Bassano -

here's a link to the immediate area surronding Bergamo. Not much I recognize, except San Pelligrino di Terme..



http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&searchtype=address&country=IT&addtohistory=&address=&city=Bergamo&zipcode

Oh, phooey, it doesn't work. As I remember, sometimes websites are hard to link for maps.

Hmmm, I wonder why I alsways thought it was to the NW instead of the NE.

Anyways, Bergamo does indeed have two parts: Città Alta where the old part of town is and Città Bassa where (yeah, you guessed right) the modern buildings are.

Don't know about the bridge though.

Thanks Raphilion, do these singers have a particular style?

Is this the link you need, Osso?

Bergamo

Oh, that's good, Francis. It has less towns on it than the one at mapquest, but much more in topography and transportation routes.
Hmmm..... Gorgonzola!

Indeed!!

and hmmmmm............. Vivaldi - the red priest - some magical music!

Margo, did you see it on the map? There's a town named Gorgonzola...