Italia

[dancerjodi]

Brian and I are planning a trip to Italy next spring (April). We were originally planning on doing a Collette tour through AAA that's 10 days, hits a bunch of cities and basically gets you there, puts you in a hotel and leaves you free to wander.

Brian's new job only gives him about 3 weeks vacation time though and he'll need some days for a wedding in late March. 10 days is kind of what I'd think you'd want to spend doing a high-level Italy tour.

Any of you have any other suggestions? We haven't seen anything there, so we thought the organized tour would be a good way for us to get a taste of it without spending a lot of effort in the planning. Places we want to see include Rome, Venice, Florence and Como (Sicily would be nice, but that's way further South and I'm not expecting it).

Thanks in advance! :)

Comments

[sanguineempathy.livejournal.com]

Rome: Capuchin Crypt beneath the Capuchin Church of the Immaculate Conception, located on Via Veneto, near Barbarini Square; also if you can get out the Catacombs in Rome - St. Sebastians etc. You can also visit on of the cat sanctuaries in the center of Rome that tends to the feral cat colonies that live in the ruins. I also recommend Nero's Palace Ruins ... which are neat 'cause they predate the Colisseum ... and you think of the Colisseum as always having been there ... Eating: go to L'Orso 80 on the Northside of Piazza Navona (a short street called Via dell'Orso, ironically, the restaurant's address number is not 80). Order "house mixed antipasto" ... you'll get a bunch of fantastic dishes and then order a "secundi" plate - a pasta or something. Good group outing :) and Get Gelato...MMMMMmmmm so many flavours. And check out the priestly shipping at Via de’ Cestari (just before you reach the Pantheon coming from Largo Argentina) = where monks go shopping :)

Venice: Definitely feed pigeons St. Marks; go out on boat to Cemetary Island and do some walking around the back streets - away from the more touristy areas

Florence - Uffizi Gallery - Amazing ceiling panels; Get timed tickets ahead of time - miss the line :) & Watch "A Room W/ A View" before you go - you'll recognize the Square.

Other suggestions - Pompeii, Etruscan Ruins north of Rome,