Brahmama Home from Italy May 06 (WAY off the beaten path)
May 21st, 2006 | 04:59 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,336
Likes: 0
Brahmama Home from Italy May 06 (WAY off the beaten path)
Hello Fellow Travelers,
Got home late last night - and up at 4:00 AM in the throes of JETLAG.
I'll be doing a "real" trip report, but if you have any questions about Italy right now - weather, what people are REALLY wearing, money changing, driving the roads, airports, how to flush, what to pack, etc etc. - please ask and I'll reply before the trip report as it will take a while to get put in some kind of workable format.
Also, feel free to email me at [email protected] for a quick reply.
Carol
Got home late last night - and up at 4:00 AM in the throes of JETLAG.
I'll be doing a "real" trip report, but if you have any questions about Italy right now - weather, what people are REALLY wearing, money changing, driving the roads, airports, how to flush, what to pack, etc etc. - please ask and I'll reply before the trip report as it will take a while to get put in some kind of workable format.
Also, feel free to email me at [email protected] for a quick reply.
Carol
May 21st, 2006 | 06:34 AM
#2
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 0
Curious where you went way off the beaten path. We are leaving in less than 3 weeks for our second trip to Italy and going to visit (although not staying in) some very small villages as they are where my husbands family is from. (Tortona and Vignole Borbera in Piedmonte and Favale in Emilo-Romagna).
We will also be staying in some smaller towns, Aqui Terme in Piedmonte, Lerici in Liguria and Castellina in Chianti so any tips on driving the roads and visiting very small villages would be appreciated.
Also, always interested in what people are REALLY wearing!!
We will also be staying in some smaller towns, Aqui Terme in Piedmonte, Lerici in Liguria and Castellina in Chianti so any tips on driving the roads and visiting very small villages would be appreciated.
Also, always interested in what people are REALLY wearing!!
May 21st, 2006 | 02:14 PM
#4
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,336
Likes: 0
Hi Jody!
Yes, this was the trip that we planned last Oct and had to cancel. It's hard to know how to write it because I have some contradictory information and I want to be kind and tactful. But I'll do it in a few days, when I can focus again!
Hi JGG,
We stayed for 2 weeks in one place (would not do that again) and took day trips out. Our base was in the very tip-top of Lazio - about 10 miles to Tuscany in one direction and 10 to Umbria in the other. The largest town that we visited was Orvieto! We absolutely loved our day trips - everyone was different from the previous and all very walkable. Our base was the town of Proceno, very close to Acquapendente and west of Orvieto.
The thing that amazed us was how easy it was to get to the tiny little towns just going by the names on the signs (but no road numbers). I had read how difficult it was and to expect to get lost. We drove for 11 days and never got lost; we did turn around a few times! The roads are narrow and the pace is fast, but we didn't see any accidents. There is no road rage - if someone sees a car approaching in a dangerous way (around a curve) they just move over and adjust - no horn honking either. We were in the middle of hill cities, so we had a manual and just chugged right on. We had a diessel and traveled about 1300 kilos and the total fuel cost was about 84 Euro. That was for a "big" car (Fiat 4 door); there were 4 of us.
The little villages were wonderful - hardest thing for us was to remember that they would close at 1:00 and not open until 5:00. And on Thursday, they didn't reopen! We learned to sightsee in the am - eat at 1:00 and return to our base to nap for a couple of hours to get up our strength to eat again.
Ahhh, I already miss the food.
Have a wonderful trip! I love the way you are doing it - take a chance on the mom and pop places - the best food we had was in the little places that I *didn't* have on my list! I used my fractured Italian every chance I had and they loved it. They would correct it and pat me and smile at my efforts. Smiles just make it all work out. I already miss it.
And people were wearing anything and everything. We tried to tell who was an American by the clothes/footwear, etc. No way! We all look alike. Now bear in mind - I was not in a large stylish city - just plain charming people.
I'll have a trip report up before you go!
Carol
Yes, this was the trip that we planned last Oct and had to cancel. It's hard to know how to write it because I have some contradictory information and I want to be kind and tactful. But I'll do it in a few days, when I can focus again!
Hi JGG,
We stayed for 2 weeks in one place (would not do that again) and took day trips out. Our base was in the very tip-top of Lazio - about 10 miles to Tuscany in one direction and 10 to Umbria in the other. The largest town that we visited was Orvieto! We absolutely loved our day trips - everyone was different from the previous and all very walkable. Our base was the town of Proceno, very close to Acquapendente and west of Orvieto.
The thing that amazed us was how easy it was to get to the tiny little towns just going by the names on the signs (but no road numbers). I had read how difficult it was and to expect to get lost. We drove for 11 days and never got lost; we did turn around a few times! The roads are narrow and the pace is fast, but we didn't see any accidents. There is no road rage - if someone sees a car approaching in a dangerous way (around a curve) they just move over and adjust - no horn honking either. We were in the middle of hill cities, so we had a manual and just chugged right on. We had a diessel and traveled about 1300 kilos and the total fuel cost was about 84 Euro. That was for a "big" car (Fiat 4 door); there were 4 of us.
The little villages were wonderful - hardest thing for us was to remember that they would close at 1:00 and not open until 5:00. And on Thursday, they didn't reopen! We learned to sightsee in the am - eat at 1:00 and return to our base to nap for a couple of hours to get up our strength to eat again.
Ahhh, I already miss the food.
Have a wonderful trip! I love the way you are doing it - take a chance on the mom and pop places - the best food we had was in the little places that I *didn't* have on my list! I used my fractured Italian every chance I had and they loved it. They would correct it and pat me and smile at my efforts. Smiles just make it all work out. I already miss it.
And people were wearing anything and everything. We tried to tell who was an American by the clothes/footwear, etc. No way! We all look alike. Now bear in mind - I was not in a large stylish city - just plain charming people.
I'll have a trip report up before you go!
Carol
May 21st, 2006 | 02:36 PM
#7
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 17,226
Likes: 0
Don't care about clothes reports - can dress myself and don't really care about others' opinions on that topic.
Did you get to Cinque Terre or anywhere on the coast? What small towns did you especially like? What were TWO surprises - that you didn't expect but absolutely loved.
Did you get to Cinque Terre or anywhere on the coast? What small towns did you especially like? What were TWO surprises - that you didn't expect but absolutely loved.
Trending Topics
May 21st, 2006 | 04:44 PM
#8
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,683
Likes: 0
Thank you so much for the info. Yes, visiting the smaller towns we need to be mindful that most will close down for the afternoon - but the nap or resting by the pool should be easy! Glad to hear that the driving was easy, this will be our first attempt in Italy.
May 21st, 2006 | 05:38 PM
#9
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Hi Carol, I can hardly wait to read your trip report when you are up to posting it!! Your comment about your fractured Italian made me chuckle..sounds like me..which is why I always say the Italians are the so intelligent (I am always amazed they understand me) and so kind (their patience regarding my Italian is amazing). Get over the jetlag..I always have it after flying home! Best wishes to you.
May 22nd, 2006 | 03:42 AM
#10
Original Poster
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,336
Likes: 0
Jet-Lag still. Awake at 2:00 AM (ARGH) I never have it going over, and this is the worst coming back!
Couple of quick answers.
JGG,
Will (dh) thought maybe I misled you with my comments about the driving and the signs. It is important to check the map and look for the big cities that the road is ultimately going to - the little cities will be on the signs when drawing close, but the direction to take is always toward the large city. (Do I make sense?!?)
Starsville:
The two things that surprised me the most! What a hard question! At least it gave me something to think about while I was staring out the dark window from 2 until 5 this morning.
And my answers sound so trite and commonplace - but......
1. No matter which direction we headed from our base, the scenery was unbelievably beautiful and different every day. This was our 5th trip to Italy - but the others encompassed large cities with some expected urban blight. This was pure magic - like stepping way back in such a simpler time.
2. The unbelievable (there's that word again) friendliness of the Italian people - especially in the tiny little towns where they spoke the same kind of English as I did Italian! There were two restaurants (which will be named in the trip report when I find all the info) where I was embraced and patted by the lady that was cooking. (One even did that cheek pinch thing on WILL which Will said his grandmother used to do!) I felt the love - and as I said earlier, I chalked it up to trying to speak the Italian and loving them back. And omigod, the food at those two places excelled any food we have had for many Euros more.
Lovelady,
So glad to hear from you (as always!). I always have a picture of you smiling and encourging (in my head - as I've never seen your picture!) and I'll fix on that picture as I'm working on my trip report!
Carol
Couple of quick answers.
JGG,
Will (dh) thought maybe I misled you with my comments about the driving and the signs. It is important to check the map and look for the big cities that the road is ultimately going to - the little cities will be on the signs when drawing close, but the direction to take is always toward the large city. (Do I make sense?!?)
Starsville:
The two things that surprised me the most! What a hard question! At least it gave me something to think about while I was staring out the dark window from 2 until 5 this morning.
And my answers sound so trite and commonplace - but......
1. No matter which direction we headed from our base, the scenery was unbelievably beautiful and different every day. This was our 5th trip to Italy - but the others encompassed large cities with some expected urban blight. This was pure magic - like stepping way back in such a simpler time.
2. The unbelievable (there's that word again) friendliness of the Italian people - especially in the tiny little towns where they spoke the same kind of English as I did Italian! There were two restaurants (which will be named in the trip report when I find all the info) where I was embraced and patted by the lady that was cooking. (One even did that cheek pinch thing on WILL which Will said his grandmother used to do!) I felt the love - and as I said earlier, I chalked it up to trying to speak the Italian and loving them back. And omigod, the food at those two places excelled any food we have had for many Euros more.
Lovelady,
So glad to hear from you (as always!). I always have a picture of you smiling and encourging (in my head - as I've never seen your picture!) and I'll fix on that picture as I'm working on my trip report!
Carol
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
shothyme77
Europe
39
Dec 18th, 2017 02:25 AM
buongiorno
Europe
23
Dec 10th, 2004 09:28 AM
ang
Europe
4
Oct 27th, 2003 09:55 AM
