We are confused as to how to use the prize money. We don't like to be in tours and have traveled on our own many a time but we do have to use the money about $4200. We are not really into old architect and seeing the Cistene chapel I think on TV would better than being crammed with a lot of people. Reading some of these tour guide books make me tired just reading about them. We like to meet people, drink, eat and be merry. Does anyone know of a tour that isn't so fast paced and takes in some of the places I have read about in this forum. Most of what I have read of how people have seen Italy gives me some hope I will enjoy going because I was really afraid I would not enjoy myself. Also does anyone know if any of Dale Chilhuly's glass sculptures still exist over the canals in Venice? Also is it better to do a stay over in London from the US to avoid jet lag? I noticed someone alluding to that. We were thinking that it would be better to just get there and avoid getting on and off planes so much. Thank you.

Congratulations, Cherie! Sounds like travelling without a tour would suit you better. Do you have to do a tour, or can you use your money to purchase better hotels in the places you want to go? For leisurely people watching, strolling, eating and drinking, it's hard to beat Italy. You don't have to set foot in a museum if you don't want to. I think just getting there is the way to deal with jet lag. Don't collapse into bed the minute you arrive. Do something relaxing, but try to stay up until something close to a normal bedtime (Italian time), then sleep and get up in the morning. There are many other excellent tips on this forum about jet lag, but a stop in London isn't necessary, unless you want to see London!

I am 99% sure that the Chihuly "chandeliers" were all temporary installations.

If you don't want to see old architecture....well, then, you're really going to be disappointed in Italy! And, you're really going to miss one of the key reasons why Italy is so special! Do you really mean that? <BR>It almost sounds like you're really torn about exactly what you want to do. <BR>As for a tour, I might suggest what we did and take what is called an "independent" tour (American Express, Delta and others offer it). It only includes hotels with breakfast, first-class trainfare between the cities (Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan) and a few other incidentals. Otherwise, you are pretty much on your own to devise your own itinerary. Ours was a 10-day tour and we added three extra days at the beginning for a two-week trip. <BR>

A custom tour might suit your needs best (I offer them), but I won't plug myself unless you write to me. Check out www.untours.com - - they might suit you well. <BR> <BR>As for the Chihuly art (note spelling, only one "L", none before the "H") that was (temporarily) installed over Venice, no, none of it was permanent. The Chihuly over Venice work will re-appear in 2001, September 7 - November 11, at the Milwaukee Art Museum - - www.mam.org - - but no info listed at their website yet. <BR> <BR>www.chihuly.com lists all exhibitions, including the latest spectacular event: Jerusalem 2000 (opened July 1, 1999; close date indefinite sometime in "spring" 2000). <BR> <BR>If you liked Chihuly over Venice, you will gasp with joy when you browse through some of the photos of this exhibition! <BR> <BR>As for whether London helps avoid jet lag - - no, maybe not exactly, but if you are strictly an English speaker, I do think it's true that a few days in London lets you "get over" the time zone change without also having to be so bewildered by the language barrier. <BR> <BR>And besides, there are so many good cheap flights from London to everywhere, it can often save you money to fly to London and then branch out from there. <BR> <BR>But as has already been mentioned here, this makes sense if you want to see some of London (or other SE England) - - and that's very worthwhile, of course! <BR> <BR>By the way, if you have substantial latitude in how you spend the money (maybe you do, maybe you don't), why do you refer to your winnings as a trip to Italy? Is there some requirement about spending all of your time in Italy? <BR> <BR>

The Sistine Chapel would be better on TV? Do you really mean that? Maybe you could donate the prize to someone who'd really appreciate it.

sorry, but i have to go along with "stunned"! not wanting to see the sistine chapel and all the other art and museums in italy is like having chocolate milk without the chocolate. i will be going to rome, venice, florence and milan next year and can hardly wait to see all i have only seen on tv and in books. i sure hope you think this through, you have a wonderful chance to see all of this for free, while some people have saved for years for the experience. you sound like you might be a young couple that will have some regets later that you did not see what italy is all about.

Stay home, take the money and buy an oversized TV so you can see the Cistern chapel in peace and quiet. Old architects will appreciate your absence from their environment.

I applaud your interest to meet people. I hope, for a trip to Italy, you have or will study some Italian, if the people you want to meet are to be Italians. <BR> <BR>Will you like Italy? With no Italian and apparently no interest in architecture (and history or art?) you may well not. See http://twenj.com/whyrome.htm for some reasons why so many do like Italy (and certainly Rome.) <BR> <BR>As to seeing masterpieces like the Sistine Chapel, Forum, Colosseum, St. Peter's in the flesh as opposed to on TV, there's hardly any comparison. <BR> <BR>Crowds can be annoying at times, but the view of any of these, or dozens (hundreds) of other masterpieces of mankind are more than worth the wait and bustle in the end ... for most of us. <BR> <BR>A leisurely tour? Few and far between, and rarely within the budget you mention. From what you've written I suspect you're far more likely to enjoy your trip traveling independently. You'll find pros and cons of group tours at http://twenj.com/pkgtours.htm <BR> <BR>For those who speak no foreign language but want to 'get to know' people, who would rather see things on TV than in person, perhaps a better choice would be to stay home, rent some video tapes, order in pizza and beer and invite friends over. <BR> <BR>More likely, if you invest a little time in finding out what there is to enjoy in Italy ... and it's full of enjoyment for nearly everyone ... you'll have a very special visit. There are lots of excellent resources on the web to start your research, and some excellent books as well.

Fodorites! Is all this bashing necessary? Is Cherie's "in-appreciation" of architecture from centuries past so terrible? <BR> <BR>What if she phrased the question like this - - I prefer new and modern things over older cities - - should I go to Orlando or New Orleans? easy answer - - New Orleans. <BR> <BR>And if she said I think I like mountains and lakes better than cathedrals and art museums - - should I go to Italy or Switzerland? Well you COULD answer Switzerland - - or you could remind her that BOTH countries have terrific lakes and mountains, instead of putting down her personal preferences! <BR> <BR>Admittedly, it will be somewhat harder to fit that budget around a vacation in the midst of Lucarno, Lake Comoo or Val d'Aosta - - but okay - - so she just stays a week. <BR> <BR>There's a lot of Italy to like, north of Turin, Milan and Venice. <BR> <BR>But by the way, Cherie, if you want to meet people, the advice to study Italian is a very good idea - - you will have so much more fun that way. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex

Boy, what an embarrassing mis-type in the previous message - - obviously I meant Orlando, not New Orleans!

I really must say that I have had an enjoyable afternoon reading all the thoughts about my windfall trip to Italy!! I got some good ideas about touring Italy via video and having a beer. Sounds good to me. As to speaking Italian we have been to other countries and have learned some Portuguese when we went to Rio and Spanish when we go to Spainish speaking countries. I think that we may pick up a few phrases so we can manage in Italy. But thank you for your concern. As we speak we will probably go for a wine tour type of trip with dinners every night. Sounds good to me. I'm sure I'll pass a few old buildings on the way. Yes you are right I will be a miss if I don't see the Sistine Chapel but if someone can get me a private tour I'd be glad to see it. I hate crowds and feeling like cattle. Thank everyone for your input. It was very entertaining. Cherie

yes the sistene chapel is crowded, but they have these cd players you can rent for about $10, and a good many of the exhibited pieces have numbers on them that correspond to the number on the cd so you can play each track as you see each piece. if you want to listen to it all, great, if not jsut pick the ones that appeal to you. and the sistene chapel has several tracks, one for the ceiling, each wall, etc. it is the best way to see the chapel b/c you are not allowed to talk inside the chapel, and there are guards that Shhh! you, and when you try to look down at a book and then look up to see what the book is describing, it loses something. with the CD player you can stand in the middle of the room, play it all, and look around as you hear the story of the paintings. and nothing in italy is better seen on TV, b/c on TV you get no sense of the spirit of the place, which is what italy is all about.

Hi Cherie: <BR> <BR>IMO it would be nuts to go to Italy and not visit the 3 major cities at least for a day. That said, I think you should take a trip that starts in Venice, goes down into Tuscany where you can stay in a quieter place like Siena or in Chianti country, go down to Rome and then to Sorrento, Capri and the Amalfi Drive--one of the most beautiful places in Italy.

Another tour group that books your hotels and transportation, but leaves the rest to you (they will provide guides if you want to arrange that) is Go Ahead Vacations. Never taken one, but the costs are reasonable and they cover the major cities (like Florence, Rome, Venice, etc.). <BR>Maybe, since you don't want to do an art/architecture tour, you might check into a cooking tour! There are several companies that arrange days/week(s) at cooking schools (Tuscany seems to be the biggie), including lodging. If I just won $4200, and was FORCED to go to Italy, I'd look into a cooking/eating frenzy!

Cheryl, <BR>Maybe you can call the Pope directly and see if he will give you a personal tour of the Cistene (sic) chapel after hours, so you can avoid the crowds. Maybe it would be better if you didn't add yourself to the crowds and just stayed at home. I'm terribly curious how you managed to win a trip to Italy if, as it seems, you have little interest in any of its features. Go to the Olive Garden, rent an Italian travel video and have some friends over to help you enjoy your vino. I'm having a really hard time feeling charitable toward your concerns. Surely you jest...I hope.

Congratulations Cherie!!! Come on Folks, lighten up. Cherie asked for some help and opinions. Not everyone enjoys the same things. <BR>I find it interesting that the people who get the nastiest always hide behind pseudonyms....Paul J

Hold on a minute. A lot of us were deadly serious in our advice to Cherie. How can anyone seriously want to go to Italy and not want to see the antiquities! Admittedly, you can go there and have wonderful time without going to museums, etc., but more than most other countries in the world, it's the long history that is its greatest attraction. <BR>And further, you've got to admit that it's a bit naive (for want of a better word) to say that seeing the Sistine Chapel on TV "would [be] better than being crammed with a lot of people."

<BR>Cherie - I'd recommend as another poster above did: use the money to stay at better hotels. (not to mention the terrific food and wonderful vino you'll find at little trattorias, very inexpensive, actually.) Don't take a full tour, but once you're at the hotel, the concierge can help you choose individual day or half day tours. There's usually a variety to choose from (and yeah, they're gonna include all the "old stuff") but some are smaller (and therefore probably pricier) and more individualized so you don't have to end up on a crowded tour bus for the day. Also - skip London this time if you're thinking of it only for the jet lag problem (unless you really want to see it, of course). <BR>And as for Chilhuly - you'll have to come here to Seattle for now. But you'll love much of the other exquisite glass you'll find in Venice. <BR>Have a great trip, and tell us how you spent the money when you return. <BR>

Howard, <BR> <BR>Congratulations on your promotion to chief of the "touristically correct" police! <BR> <BR>You've got a lot of people to go after - - I understand there are travelers who go to the Italian Alps JUST to SKI! <BR> <BR>There are also travelers who go <BR> <BR>to Austria and never listen to Mozart <BR>to France and never eat a baguette <BR>to Germany and never drink a beer <BR>to Spain and never see a bullfight <BR> <BR>Get these people off our airplanes, Howard - - they're confused and might hurt themselves. <BR>