thanks! I'll have to see if I can pull myself away from the cool sea breezes, but it would be fun to taste them very fresh.

We stayed in the Hotel Flora in Frascati which was very nice, but as I said it was only one night.

If you do end up in the hills around Rome, bear in mind Subiaco where we visited the monasteries last year - not worth staying over but extremely interesting to visit.

It is so wonderful that you have a chance to live in a place as beautiful as the Ligurian coast!

yup

hi ek,

what a lovely dilemma to be in. sometimes there's just too much choice, isn't there?

sadly I am unable to assist in your decision making process as I've never been to any of these places, just Rome itself.

as my italian teacher comes from Ischia, I have a hankering to go there, but that doesn't help you, does it?

regards, ann

Eks - Some views of Castel Gandolfo - if you're still considering it -

http://tinyurl.com/c2y82v

Steve

Ann: Yes, so many choices--not a bad dilemma, right? I know that we will enjoy wherever we go..that much is almost guaranteed!

Right now I am still wavering--I have to do more reading when I get a bit of free time. This will include Caroline's report with Subaico..

Steve: Those pics are beautiful! Many thanks, once again!

Here's some grist for your mill

If you go through the list of towns in Lazio, the include some in the Sabine Hills that look quite fascinating:

http://www.borghitalia.it/html/borghi_centro_en.php

PS: Don't use the interactive map or you'll only get Italian. Use the regional list that has hot links for each town

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/fa...ine-hills.html

in case you didn't have it already

That villa is gorgeous! By did you see the price??


Look at this one, in Ischia:


http://www.villa-beatrice.com/

I am adding this Chowhound tip to my original post in case anyone is looking for a daytrip from Rome, or an overnight and cooking class or wine/olive oil tasting. The town is accessible by an hour-long train/bus ride from Rome and the owners pick guests up at the station:

http://www.latorrettabandb.com/oliveoil.html

Here is an article about the area, which is accessible by train from FCO as well:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...ytravelsection

Hi ek, sorry I didn't notice this post earlier. Are your plans already set in the meantime, or are you still looking for advice on Lazio? I know the region quite well, and I think its best parts have not been mentioned on this thread yet.

Ciao Franco!!!

I decided upon Ischia for September, so will not be visiting these parts for the immediate future. But I am DELIGHTED that you have returned here....we had such excellent "conversations!" in the past.

I know that I could plan a terrific Lazio adventure relying on all of your tips..

Why is this area so ignored on this forum? And so close to Rome, too??

Lazio is ignored not just on this forum - it's ignored by tourism in reality, as well! And it's indeed a "difficult" region for more than one reason. But sights are certainly terrific!

Franco: You have left me hanging! Why is Lazio difficult? My guess is a less-than comprehensive network of public transportation(??)

No, ek. It's difficult because it's an artificial region without any naturally grown ties or historic tradition - a fancy creation by the Fascist government. Formerly, just the part south and east of Rome and the immediated surrounding north of the city formed "Rome's region" (I don't even know what it was called then - shame on me). The north, however, was a part of Umbria, and that's where it still belongs, culturally. However, ties with Umbria have been cut in certain respects - economically, for instance, northern Lazio didn't absolutely take part in Umbria's economic boom over the last few decades.
Much of the region is a typical backwater, both with regard to Rome and (as far as the north) to Umbria. Just the southern part along the coast, and eastern inland Lazio (the Ciociaria, as this area is called) seem quite prosperous, particularly the coast.
And it's still Italy's most fascist region, they actually seem kind of indebted to Mussolini there (who also drained the infamous Pontinian swamps, thus creating the Pontinian plain). The two most radical right-wing parties of Italy have their homebase almost exclusively in Lazio (even Rome has currently an ultra-fascist mayor, though for Rome, this is an exception). Well, and does fascism seem like positive, joyful thinking? Not exactly, and actually, large parts of Lazio (not the southern coast, once again) are ill-kept, neglected, run-down. No dolce vita, there. Crumbling palazzi. The landscape along the roads so littered that it's really hard to imagine; nobody seems to have cleaned for years. Incredible eyesores of brutalist modern architecture in the most panoramic positions. Plus: it's almost impossible, in northern Lazio, to get a decent meal! Just imagine! All this in the heart of Italy! (In the southern/eastern part, on the contrary, food is particularly delicious.)
I'm perfectly aware that all of this sounds pretty negative, and yet I absolutely recommend travelling the region. There are many sights of rare quality and beauty, and you'll always be the one and only tourist. For me, difficulties notwithstanding, it was one of the great Italian experiences. I wouldn't recommend it for somebody who doesn't know Italy at all. But for experts like you, I think it's a must. We can discuss single destinations another time, as soon as you really decide to travel there...

Franco this is fascinating. I had no idea! I always associated modern Italian fascism with the Lega Nord, so that goes to show you how inept I am in any kind of political discussion.

Would you count the area discussed above, around the Sabine Hills, as part of this neglected landscape?

Hopefully I will have many trips to Italy in my future. The problem at the present time is that my usual travel partner is limited to one-week jaunts which does not leave us nearly the amount of meandering time as I would like.. But with many trips to come, I will point myself in this direction sometime.

The B&B I linked above, in Casperia, would seem like a good place to dip a toe into that area since it is easy to reach by train from Rome--less than one hour. Maybe I will fit that into a Rome visit sometime soon..

I don't recall the Sabine area (Rieti province) as neglected like, say, the surroundings of Viterbo. It's so sparsely populated that people don't perhaps succeed to litter all the rural roads :) (ok, that was mean). Among all the backwaters of Lazio, this one is the backest, if you allow this neologism. It's pleasant and calm, and yes there are some hidden treasures, but really just some, and frankly, I think it's Lazio's least interesting part.
And to complete our short survey of Italian right-wing extremism, the Leghisti are of course extremists, but NO fascists - on the contrary, the fascists are their biggest adversaries, not because they are more or less rightist, but because the Lega's raison d'être is federalism, and the fascists (never mind of which party, there are three or four of them) are Italy's fiercest advocates of centralism.