Visiting Monza offers a chance to step beyond the well-trodden tourist paths and encounter a site that invites reflection on the complex interplay of personal loss and political upheaval.
Seriously....I am not a huge history buff...but I love food (especially pasta and pizza)....and wine. Hence my lifelong interest in the country....but I can not justify a cross Atlantic trip for food...some I am working on coming up with reasons that my husband...and maybe even my mom would like to visit. Is Tuscany all its cracked up to be? If I had 7 days...where should I spend 2 of them?
So, from my 30 years of experience with tourists, if I had to visit Italy for the first time and had 7 days, I probably would organize my trip to see ALL of Italy (north, center, south): one day, a great city, another day the sea, third day the central part... so to say, for example, to see the differences. Because this country is VERY different from north to south, it would be a great experience as a knowledge visit, and you would learn about different cuisines, too. :-)
Yes, it's hard, such a tour. But it's not every day that you cross the ocean. So, for me, some "sacrifice" is absolutely justified.
After reading your replies I would love for you someday to do a post on “an authentic Italy vacation”…..I know I will hate Venice…I hate tourists!!! If Tuscany isnt what they claim….where is??? You seem to read my mind about places and think lots of other people would be interested….the problem….then I have to see them too!!!!…..If I ever get the money together maybe I will just have to call you personally!!!!……Love your site and your wisdom….keep up the good work….Ill keep reading and making notes!!!!
Why? Because everybody writes about it. Surely "Cinque Terre".
It means 1/ all prices are without any reasonable explanation;
2/ there are ALL the American tourists there — I assure you, because I know the statistics (and many other tourists, too, because the same advertising you will find in all the countries of the world). So that you do not have place where to put your feet (Once, in Venice, the crowd took me in air, without I could touch the ground, for about 20 meters. It was a bad experience, believe me. Other time I was with a family of tourists in Naples in San Gregorio Armeno street when the crowd nearly crushed their 8-year-old child) and, with the great probability, you have the possibility to meet your neighbor on the path.
Tuscany is too much advertised. And everything “too much” is not what you expect to see. In my experience. Once I had an internet-friend from German and told her how much I dreamed to visit Octoberfest in Munchen. This was the first time I was “told the truth” about those events (a bunch of drunks, everything is vomited everywhere).
Then I was disappointed many times in overly hyped places (Venice for example) and now I prefer not to waste time on such things.
In my opinion, you need to think: what exactly do I want? Just a change of places? Then it doesn't matter where to go, as long as you move back and forth.
Or do you want to see something specific? For example, I like the Ancient World, the Roman civilization — then I'll go to the most “Roman” places. After the film about Spartacus, for example, many men wanted to see places associated with him. (And only some persons can show you these places, by the way)
Seriously....I am not a huge history buff...but I love food (especially pasta and pizza)....and wine. Hence my lifelong interest in the country....but I can not justify a cross Atlantic trip for food...some I am working on coming up with reasons that my husband...and maybe even my mom would like to visit. Is Tuscany all its cracked up to be? If I had 7 days...where should I spend 2 of them?
==>> Continue my comment
So, from my 30 years of experience with tourists, if I had to visit Italy for the first time and had 7 days, I probably would organize my trip to see ALL of Italy (north, center, south): one day, a great city, another day the sea, third day the central part... so to say, for example, to see the differences. Because this country is VERY different from north to south, it would be a great experience as a knowledge visit, and you would learn about different cuisines, too. :-)
Yes, it's hard, such a tour. But it's not every day that you cross the ocean. So, for me, some "sacrifice" is absolutely justified.
After reading your replies I would love for you someday to do a post on “an authentic Italy vacation”…..I know I will hate Venice…I hate tourists!!! If Tuscany isnt what they claim….where is??? You seem to read my mind about places and think lots of other people would be interested….the problem….then I have to see them too!!!!…..If I ever get the money together maybe I will just have to call you personally!!!!……Love your site and your wisdom….keep up the good work….Ill keep reading and making notes!!!!
Thank you for your nice words!
If everything is good, I'll try to write how I would choose an Italian vacation next days for you :-)
==>> I continue the previous comment
Imagine: you want to go to Tuscany.
Why? Because everybody writes about it. Surely "Cinque Terre".
It means 1/ all prices are without any reasonable explanation;
2/ there are ALL the American tourists there — I assure you, because I know the statistics (and many other tourists, too, because the same advertising you will find in all the countries of the world). So that you do not have place where to put your feet (Once, in Venice, the crowd took me in air, without I could touch the ground, for about 20 meters. It was a bad experience, believe me. Other time I was with a family of tourists in Naples in San Gregorio Armeno street when the crowd nearly crushed their 8-year-old child) and, with the great probability, you have the possibility to meet your neighbor on the path.
Tuscany is too much advertised. And everything “too much” is not what you expect to see. In my experience. Once I had an internet-friend from German and told her how much I dreamed to visit Octoberfest in Munchen. This was the first time I was “told the truth” about those events (a bunch of drunks, everything is vomited everywhere).
Then I was disappointed many times in overly hyped places (Venice for example) and now I prefer not to waste time on such things.
In my opinion, you need to think: what exactly do I want? Just a change of places? Then it doesn't matter where to go, as long as you move back and forth.
Or do you want to see something specific? For example, I like the Ancient World, the Roman civilization — then I'll go to the most “Roman” places. After the film about Spartacus, for example, many men wanted to see places associated with him. (And only some persons can show you these places, by the way)
==>> see next comment
I have always wanted to visit Italy....will keep this post in mind!
You can ask me for suggestions - I'm active enough in exploring the country even if I'm old ;-)