Italy - next vacation project!

Oooooh. THAT friend. Margo, I'm madly jealous. Maybe he'd consider a layover in Seattle??

I'd like to go to Italy, too. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

*watching and living vicariously, wishing I were in a time of my life where more travel was feasible*

Many years ago, I was briefly in northern Italy, on a whirlwind youth orchestra tour of bits of Europe. The tour director was a horrible, awful, nasty person, the tour was way too organized, there was not enough time to explore or do anything much. I have no idea what cities we were actually in.

We spent two nights in different cities in Italy, and most of the intervening time in a bus. Not much time to play. Despite these obstacles to fun, I remember that wherever we were, it was absolutely beautiful. And I had my first real authentic pizza margherita, which was a truly life-altering culinary experience.

Can I come to Italy too?

Piffka

He was the one in Seattle last year. I enlisted advice from Seattlefriend and Stoat as to things to do / see. He loved it - changed his itinerary as a result of some of the suggestions I got, and still raves about the beauty of the area.

But - I guess he's not that interested in going back yet. Like me - he hungers for Europe, and he's not seen as much of it as I have.

So far, I haven't even suggested Spain, as he's a bit of a control freak - and things can get out of control very easily there (and they can't in Italy, she wonders????)

Discussions this coming weekend, I hope?!

Oh, not economy class? oh, oh, oh, I am glad for you, you can move your feet!

What can I say Margo...you know italy. Just don't do all tourist cities...or at least put something different in between them. Like a country inn...

Hi, PDiddie!


MaryCat, sure, we'll all go with Margo on a virtual trip. We need to make sure she remembers her camera and takes a little notebook and and and...

Is that friends cute and good looking and single ? I live in hope !!! Hee Hee

I am going to India, and this time, after abt 5 yrs, I will be flying economy (not enuff airmiles, and I just cant pay 2500 quid for a ticket)...god help me - I will try my best to get an upgrade, try and charm the check in staff, but that usually does not work, I wonder why ???

But great to know Margo will be in Europe again next year !!!! Italy....(swoon, THUD)

Maybe we should just all plan to go to Italy and help Margo "control" her friend? We'd be lotsa help. Really!!!!

I would agree with heading for the north only. Whenever I go to Italy nowadays, I always head north of Rome... places like Florence, Siena, etc. They get my vote. Unfortunately, on my few experiences south, I haven't had the best of luck (eg. got my camera stolen in Naples). I head the south coast isn't so bad but have never ventured that far.

Aaron

There's a Tivoli Gardens in Denmark. Didn't know there was one in Sweden.

The Gröna Lund Tivoli, the tivoli of Stockholm since 1883, is a really nice place, c.i.!
Cederholms Tivoli advertises to be the most modern Swedish tivoli, with say those of Helsingborg and a couple of other towns as well.

(Most old amusement parcs were first called "Tivoli ":
"Tivoli" alluding the Jardin de Tivoli in Paris (which in its turn had been named from Tivoli near Rome),

and/or "Tivoli & Vauxhall"/"Vauxhall":
"Vauxhall" from the Vauxhall Gardens in London.)

When we visited Stockholm, I don't remember hearing or seeing a Tivoli Garden, but that's not surprising; my memory was never that dependable. Walter, Thanks again for the clarification and insight. c.i.

I missed who mentioned Tivoli (the italian one). That's where Villa d'Este is, very elaborate water garden, which I saw in the rain, no one else there but a few gardeners playing with the cats.

What I wish I had known before I went is that there is a nice hotel overlooking the temple of Sybil - if we had stayed there, we could've spent some time at Hadrian's Villa, which we didn't go to since there is a long walk before you get in, and then it is extensive...and it was raining, and hub forgot his umbrella, thus we had already wandered around with one umbrella.

Have to go to work now, but I'll look up the hotel in case anyone is interested. Haven't seen it in guidebooks.