Ger, You can see two of my previous articles at the wonderful web site at www.twenj.com [Ed & Julie--Fodorites]. <BR>The trip report is for southern Italy and is named "Navigating with Bob & Ed in southern Italy"--not the same Ed. I will send you my trip report from this past spring to you directly.

Hello Golden girl, Given only 10 days you would face some tough choices. But, May is a perfect time to go. I would settle on 3 destinations only and 2 of them would be the Lakes-probably Como-- and Venice. The third is a toss up between the Ligurian coast and the Dolomites and depends if you are driving. Hope this helps.

Thanks Bob---sounds good !

Sorry, forgot to answer the question about hotels inside of Lucca. The Piccolo Puccini is hard to beat. It is close to the Doumo and very reasonable.

Wonderful report. Those are places we missed on our trip last May (except for the days' drive through the Dolomites on the way to Venice!) Sounds like a good itinerary for another Italy trip. <BR>I agree with Bob's suggestions for 10 days in the North of Italy. Although I might suggest Verona, the Dolomites and Venice. (I like cities and Verona is a nifty little city. If you're a country-girl, go for Lake Como!) Going straight to Venice after spending time in those extraordinary peaks is a real treat to your eyes. How can two places so nearby be so dramatically different!?!

Hey Bob, What do you think about Verona? Is it worth my time???

Enjoy your trip report very much.

Hello GG, I like Verona but it another city venue. I am not really a city person--I will always opt for place of great natural beauty.

GG- quick notes regarding Verona - There is a wonderful Roman Arena that is still used for Opera performances (although open for tours other times). All the white marble is still intact (The Roman Coliseum was stripped of its marble to help build St Peters. I was glad we visited Verona's arena first as it made it easier to visualize the coliseum as it must have been.) and it is quite glorious. Verona is situated at the bend of a fast-moving river and there are some wonderful bridges between the centro historico and the rest of the city. It is a very residential city, with a large university. There's a wonderful museum - Castelvecchio - and a number of beautiful churches. Juliet's balcony is a real tourist trap, but you sort of need to see it just to say that you have (and can do so quickly -- don't expect to marvel.) It is in one of the best shopping areas :-) We spent two nights in Verona, just across the river, and found it to be a very romantic little city. If you are the kind of traveler who likes to read books set in destinations, head to the library and check out Tim Parks "Italian Neighbors," "Italian Education," or any of his novels set in and around Verona.

Hi Bob the Nav<BR><BR>Just back from our five weeks in mostly Italy. Working on regaining consciousness and will post a report when that finally happens. Thanks so much for recommending the Jolanda. We loved it. Had a corner room with a balcony on the fifth floor. We appreciated the airconditioning when we were there Oct. 4, 5 and 6. Did you get the note I left for you at the desk?<BR><BR>By the way we had two good dinners in SML, one at San Siro and the other at Da Pezzi, both mentioned by Margo in her book, Hello Italy.

Welcome back Betsy,<BR>Yes, I did get your note--mille grazie.<BR>We would all love to hear your highlights when you get time. Things are a bit slow at the Forum these days.