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nicegirl512
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 114
Location: Washington DC
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 Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:41 am Post subject: Guess Who's Going to Italy! |
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I got word today that I did get into the bike tour of Tuscany, and I booked my flights this morning. I'm arriving into Rome on September 26, and flying back to DC on October 8. I'll have a few days in Rome at the start and a few days in Florence at the end and the bike tour in the middle. I am so excited I feel like I'm going to cry!!!! If anyone has any tips on hotels/pensioni, sights, restaurants, train travel, or just about anything re: Italy, let me know! |
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ticklisheo
Joined: 22 Jul 2004
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:01 am Post subject: Congratulations! |
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Congrats on getting to go on this trip! That's all I really wanted to say right now-my mum lived in Italy for eons and I've got family from there visiting so I'm SURE they can give you tips and stuff-but they're not here at the moment-I'll have to post later.
Anyway have fun!
oh, btw-the pizza looks very different from what you're probably used to. I'm partial to the real stuff, having spent quite a few years in Italy, but for someone coming from the US it'll probably look a little weird.. |
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sun bear
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 443
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:09 am Post subject: |
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That is so awesome!
Congratulations!
I've never been to italy before, I myself will be going in early september :)
As a single traveller the only advice I can give you is to travel light. Last vacation i took i went for 2 weeks and brought 2 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, 4 pairs of socks and enough underwear so i could toss a pair each day (old stuff i didn't want anymore) and maybe 4 bras. This way i could hand wash items at night and they had a couple of days to dry. This seriously cut down on my luggage. For the pants I had the hotel launder them, two times, I know that might be expensive in italy, but where I was it was only about 3 or 4 dollars, so it was totally worth it b/c they pressed them.
The only drag is that you wear the same outfit ALOT. The cool thing is I bought a tee shirt in amsterdam at the airport (didn't stay there, just flew through) for a night shirt and I totally love it and wear it all the time now. This gives you an excuse to buy yourself something (this is if you have any room in your pack/suitcase) while you're there. Luckily when you're alone there aren't a huge amount of you photos, so there won't be 80 photos of you in the same tee shirt :)
I've had so much fun on tours, people who take tours are generally pretty friendly b/c if they wanted to hike around themselves w/o others, they find a way to do things alone.
congrats, I'm excited for you, and me :)
Ciao! (see the lessons are working already!)
jt |
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nicegirl512
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 114
Location: Washington DC
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 10:22 am Post subject: |
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| sun bear wrote: | | As a single traveller the only advice I can give you is to travel light. Last vacation i took i went for 2 weeks and brought 2 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, 4 pairs of socks and enough underwear so i could toss a pair each day (old stuff i didn't want anymore) and maybe 4 bras. |
Agh, you don't know what you're asking a clotheshorse to do here! I have already picked out four dresses (with a possible 5th), 7 skirts, and one pair of totally hot jeans (tops are always a problem for me, but H&M got some cute light fall sweaters in that are tempting me). But they're smaaaallll. I wanna take them aaallll. Heh. I will make my suitcase so that i can easily lift it and carry it up stairs, and see what I can fit in. I really hope to be able to bring some boots, a pair of dressy strappy sandals, attractive walking sandals/mary janes/something like that, and athletic shoes for bike riding. Already I see that is half my suitcase. The boots may have to go, but I look so darn cute in them and if the nights are cool I'll neeeed them to go with my dresses. |
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sun bear
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 443
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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dang that's a lot of clothes! where will it go when you're cycling? or is this a leave the hotel in the am and cycle, come back at night? Where I went people had to leave stuff at the first hotel and retrieve it at the end b/c it was too heavy, it's a shame to take more than you need, but then again i'm not very fashionable :-P
jt |
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anati
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 122
Location: massachusetts
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:32 pm Post subject: |
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congratulations:)
make sure to check what the weather's going to be like when you're there, i was in europe during that awful heat wave and i definitely didn't bring enough shorts.
have fun!
_________________
shoot for the moon.
even if you miss, you will land among the stars. |
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zabe
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 14
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| Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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| I am so jealous of you. I can't wait until I can go. My school went this year but as an unemployed high school student, I could get my hands on $2500 in less than two months. Have tons of fun. |
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teagrrl
Joined: 05 Jul 2004
Posts: 462
Location: Far away
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Cool! When I was in Rome I stayed in this convent-type place...they have a curfew (10 pm I think) so if you want to be out partying don't stay there. :-) But for 20 Euros (this was two years ago, but I don't think prices have changed that much) you get a nice bed in a clean, four-bed room (when I was there I was actually the only person staying in that room, I guess most people who stay there are families) and breakfast is included. The main reason why I recommend it is that when I arrived and went up to my room, I opened the windows and looked out over Piazza San Pietro. I swear the place is located just across the street. Can't beat that view from your window for 20 Euros a night...
I'm not religious, but that wasn't a problem to the nuns, they welcome anyone. The place is called Suore dell'Addolorata (sp?) and it's on Borgo Santo Spirito. Here's their email address listed, as well as contact info to other convents in Rome: http://www.santasusanna.org/comingToRome/conven
ts.shtml (prices are in lire, so the page isn't really up to date, but hopefully the email works).
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nicegirl512
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 114
Location: Washington DC
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:54 am Post subject: |
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| sun bear wrote: | dang that's a lot of clothes! where will it go when you're cycling? or is this a leave the hotel in the am and cycle, come back at night? Where I went people had to leave stuff at the first hotel and retrieve it at the end b/c it was too heavy, it's a shame to take more than you need, but then again i'm not very fashionable :-P
jt |
Ah, this is cycling for the lazy and pampered. They have a van carry your luggage from one hotel to the next (and if you get tired of riding you can also ride in the van). There was a tour company that sounded like it would be a younger crowd, but you have to transfer your own luggage and I just don't want to live without dressy clothes for dinner. I am not an animal! `-) |
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sun bear
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 443
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:41 am Post subject: |
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ah, well if you don't have to carry anything, that's a different story. :)
BTW i'd bring feminine hygene products even if you don't think you'll need them, as it really sucks big time to pay 8 dollars for panty liners that should be 97 cents and then b/c they're 'breathable' (the only option they had) they don't actually work. (Hopefully that's not TMI) basically if you're going to be cycling etc, or riding on bumpy roads, it's better to be prepared, i hate paying more for something just b/c i'm stuck at a hotel.
have fun!
jt |
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mystril
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 83
Location: The Great State of New Jersey
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| Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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Oh, I stayed in a wonderful pensione in Florence. The owner filled it with sculpture and art. And, of course, I can't remember the name of it.
One warning...the men in Italy are very aggressive, particularly to a group of women or women travelling alone. It's a lot worse in the cities and my friends and I had a few minor problems with pushy men on the streets at night. |
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nicegirl512
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 114
Location: Washington DC
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| Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2004 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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| mystril wrote: | | One warning...the men in Italy are very aggressive, particularly to a group of women or women travelling alone. It's a lot worse in the cities and my friends and I had a few minor problems with pushy men on the streets at night. |
If you dig up the name of your pensione I'd love it, particularly if it's the Pensione Bertolini. `-)
Do you have any advice for dealing with the men? I am petite, fair skinned, red haired...my friends are telling me I will be a huge target, and I will be alone the whole time I'm in Rome and Florence. I really don't know what will egg them on and what will get rid of them. I understand rape is not as much a problem over there, just the annoyance of harrassment and butt pinching. |
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sabrinabobina
Joined: 02 Aug 2004
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2004 5:15 pm Post subject: |
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you must be so excited, as you should be! i just moved to Rome from Canada less than 3 months ago. it's so beautiful i still pee my pants when i see these amazing landscapes full of mountains and olive groves. i live in a tiny town on the out skirts of Rome called Fiano Romano.The population is less than 5000 and my nearest neighbor is a sheep, but i love it. oh , if your single ,be prepared to fall in love at least twice a day(the men are absolutly yummy!) There must be something in the water . Or maybe all the cheese or something. Anyways, if you have any questions or if i can help at all just let me know. I have family in Florence and also spent a couple weeks there, it is amazing. And your cycling, that is going to be such a great way to see the country.
Buon viaggio! |
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