Mom's Gone Wild in Italy

Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:07 AM
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Mom's Gone Wild in Italy

Okay, maybe we won’t go that wild, but we are three fun-loving women in our 40’s from So. Cal. (2 single friends, I am married) are taking a trip to Italy in May 2008. I have been before, 6 years ago with my husband. We did an independent driving tour basically from Venice, meandering thru Tuscany and on to Rome, before ending our trip in Capri. I can’t recall how many days it was because we had covered most of France on this trip as well. Our overall trip was about 3 weeks long. My questions are about how to entertain my two “single” attractive friends on this trip (who would love a bit of flirtatious fun), and still see something new myself. Hard to imagine not taking them to Venice, I absolutely loved it. I loved all of Tuscany and we hope to do a cooking class. I could skip Rome myself (although hard for them to imagine skipping Rome on a first trip to Italy), but I’m kind of thinking about seeing Sicily this time. I just don’t know how to do this with only 9 days, plus 2 for traveling there and back. Would the Italian Riviera be a good choice? Does anyone have any suggestions of what other locations we should consider that would be more feasible?
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:28 AM
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Since it's the first time for two of you, why not do the Big 3? You could fly into Venice and out of Rome. Rome is so huge, there are so many things to see that perhaps you missed the first time. Have you been to the Villa Borghese? Have you been to Ostia Antica? If you make Florence the 2nd destination, you can take day trips to San Gimignano, Siena, even Pisa. I've even done a day trip to Le Cinque Terre from Florence with friends. The other benefit is that you can easily travel to all of these destinations by train. You can more easily schedule time for a cooking class if you aren't changing towns every two nights. Have fun!

As for Sicily, the island is huge and as long as you're traveling that far, you'd want to see as much as you can. Getting to Sicily will take several hours out of your day. Same thing for leaving Sicily for a flight back to the states. I would for sure give it at least 9 days all by itself.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:39 AM
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Thanks Pilates. I have considered the big 3, it seems the obvious, but I'm just not sure it will satisfy their need for an opportunity to maybe meet some nice men, such as they would in a resort-like beach setting or a cruise. None of us are real keen on hanging out at bars and I'm afraid we'll be on the go so much, eating, shopping, seeing, that the opportunity won't come up for much nightlife. Also, one of them really loves the ocean and I'd like to somehow work that in for her.

Good to know that Sicily would take up our whole time. Perhaps I will make it there with my husband someday.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:43 AM
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What is their goal? to meet men first of all and sightsee secondly? Sightsee first and then if they meet someone, great?

It is easy to meet people, just be friendly at a cafe, not overly, but if they are themselves they should meet people who are attracted to their personalities.

If they just want to meet men, they should just go to a resort and be done with it. There are many on the Adriatic. Handsome men (and beautiful women galore).
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:46 AM
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Most of the men on a beach in Italy in May will be Germans and other northern Europeans; the rest will be Italians on the hunt for opportunities such as your friends would seem to present.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:47 AM
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Their goal? Hhmmm... I think they want it all, lol.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 11:09 AM
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Back in 1996, I went to Italy with two girlfriends with the sole purpose of sightseeing. One day while picture taking in Piazza della Signoria, I met what turned out to be my future Italian boyfriend of three and a half years. Believe me, Italian men will find you.

The attention started at baggage claim and didn't end until we headed home. I remember coming up the escalator from the metro and an Italian man going down the escalator saying, "I would like to take you for a cappuccino" as we passed one another on the escalator. They will approach you.

OK, so fly into Venice and out of Pisa. You can spend time in Venice, Florence area and lastly the Italian riviera before flying out of Pisa or Genova. Or maybe fly into Venice, see Lake Como/Bellagio then the Riviera and then fly home from Pisa, or even Milan.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 11:20 AM
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They may want it all but in nine days they will have to make choices. You had better have a meeting with them and find out what they want to do and see. Hopefully it will be something you want to do too.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 12:55 PM
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Hi L,

>My questions are about how to entertain my two “single” attractive friends on this trip (who would love a bit of flirtatious fun), and still see something new myself.<

That is not your concern. If they haven't figured out how to find flirtatious fun by now.....

With only 9 days, I suggest Venice and Florence or Florence and Rome.

You couldn't possibly have seen all that there was to see on your last visit.

Enjoy your trip.

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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 12:56 PM
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PS,

For safety's sake, warn your friends that they are not to bring any strangers back to the hotel.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 01:19 PM
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I think this sounds like you may be in for more than you hoped. I would not travel to Italy with anyone who wasn't going there for the sole purpose of visiting Italy. Agendas like those of your friends could be disastrous. Their expectations are probably out of line with reality.

Are they gorgeous? Because the competition is. 9 days in Italy just barely leaves time for sightseeing, dining, and soaking in atmosphere. When will you have time to hang out at a resort? And I would never ever fly from CA to Italy to visit a resort that may have more opportunities for flirting than the most beautiful cities, full of the most amazing history, art and architecture, in the world.

I have made repeat trips to the Italian Riviera. Lots of honeymooners, families, and I guess some singles, but it didn't seem that way to me. There are bars and clubs in Santa Margherita Ligure, but they seem to attract a young crowd.

My brother once had a brief thing with a woman he met in Rimini, but why go to Rimini, just on the chance that there might be some flirting opportunities. A friend of mine fell in love in Italy, but she was there working for a few weeks.

It just seems really odd to me. And why should you have to entertain these women in a country that most people are dying to visit?

I would not enjoy this type of trip. So I can't tell you where to go to find flirty fun, but I can tell you that if they aren't entertained by Italy itself, and have to have some extra sorts of fun, I have to wonder about the soundness of traveling with them. And does flirty fun ever happen when one is planning on it, or looking for it? If memory serves, that's the least likely way to run into flirty fun.
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Old Jul 22nd, 2007, 02:49 PM
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Hello loves2sing, tuscanlifeedit posted what I have been thinking.

Putting aside the fact, imo, that with just 9 days I would skip Sciliy this trip I would if I were in your shoes tell my two single friends where I was going to visit and then they could decide to join in or go their own way. I certainly wouldn't feel obligated to "entertain" two grown women in their 40's who sound like, from what you have posted, are going to Italy to find some quicky romance.
Good luck to you..hope you get this worked out to your satisfaction.

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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 10:57 AM
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OMG! You guys have really missed the point. My friends are not ONLY going to find men, or for some quicky. And they certainly are not looking to find men to bring back to the hotel! I said flirty fun, not skanky fun. I do not have to "entertain" them like they are idiots without their own minds but I have been before so they will be looking to me for suggestions. It's what friends do. I never said they didn't know how to flirt or find men, I was simply looking for some suggestions of locations THAT "I" HAVEN'T BEEN TO YET that are a little more trendy and social, aside from all the obvious art, history, and culture to be found. SO NEVERMIND!
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 11:00 AM
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My dear L2S,

You posted "My questions are about how to entertain my two “single” attractive friends on this trip (who would love a bit of flirtatious fun), ...".

Why are you upset that we responded to what you wrote instead of what you meant?

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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 11:04 AM
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Hi loves2sing,

In Venice, we loved the vibe at Naranzaria. I believe the web address is naranzaria.it but you could always google it. There was a nice scene with people late twenties- late forties. There are a few bars that open onto the same square, so it would be a nice place to hang out in the evenings. There were many Italians there as well as non-Italian tourists.

We took a cooking class that departed from Florence with www.accidentaltourist.com and loved it! It is more appropriate for a regular cook than for a gourmand.

Hope that helps, have a nice trip with your girl friends!

Liz
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 11:16 AM
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Ira:
Conveniently you left off the... AND STILL SEE SOMETHING NEW MYSELF. Obviously I went on from there about places I'd like to see again and places I wouldn't.

Seriously people, some constructive input would be better than a bunch of judgments of our reasons for travel or essentially that I should ditch my friends if need be. I don't think I'd like traveling with some of you either if that's your idea of a girlfriend trip.

Tim_and_Liz:
Thank you! This is the kind of information I was looking for.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 11:28 AM
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loves2sing-

I agree with you that "flirtatious fun" does not warrant the "For safety's sake, warn your friends that they are not to bring any strangers back to the hotel." response!

Try and let this roll off of you and I am sure more people will chime in with suggestions.

I think that you and your friends may want to skip Rome. As you know, it's less a place for soaking up Italy (IMHO) than Florence and Venice (and I imagine the Amalfi Coast) is/are.

Liz
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 11:47 AM
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Thanks Liz
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 12:30 PM
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OK, I have the place for all of you to go, it is on the beach below Ravenna and north of Cervia. It is Milano Marittima, where the singles meet and mingle and frolic on the sea.

I have a friend who just returned with photos and stories, it sounds just what you are looking for when you leave the big cities.

But in nine days you do not have much time to do much else.
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Old Jul 23rd, 2007, 01:45 PM
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SeaUrchin: I googled some images from this area and it looks like what I'm looking for. After all, we are some busy moms who want some downtime on our trip as well as all the sightseeing, so a day or two at the beach will be great. With one friend prefering a beachy vacation and another wanting history and architecture, this should please both as well as let me see a part of Italy I haven't seen before. Looking forward to doing some research on it. Thank you!
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