General Italy Travel Questions- Update with my own Answers

[Mattstolz]

@Neal.Mollen

@Michael Martin

@Neal.Mollen

I sorta like the fact that getting lost in Venice is a certainty. You find things you’d never have seen, including areas well off the beaten path. It is especially fun at night, after having a nice meal and a bottle, meandering along until you eventually find your way back “home”

It’s the world’s largest human maze.

Yup. The maze, the water, the lack of the modern, and the absence of traffic make Venice one of my favorite places. I totally get those who dismiss it as touristy, but tourists want to go to unique places of historic and architectural significance; if you avoid areas tourists want to go, you miss out on some of the most amazing places in the planet. Venice is one of those, to me.

I agree. it is definitely touristy. But places THAT popular with tourists are popular for a reason. my problem is when places lose the thing that makes them special when they over cater to tourists, which is very easy to do when there are so many. The nice thing about Venice is that fact that the special thing is the place itself, so that is much harder to do.

[Michael_Martin]

@Neal.Mollen

@Michael Martin

@Neal.Mollen

I sorta like the fact that getting lost in Venice is a certainty. You find things you’d never have seen, including areas well off the beaten path. It is especially fun at night, after having a nice meal and a bottle, meandering along until you eventually find your way back “home”

It’s the world’s largest human maze.

Yup. The maze, the water, the lack of the modern, and the absence of traffic make Venice one of my favorite places. I totally get those who dismiss it as touristy, but tourists want to go to unique places of historic and architectural significance; if you avoid areas tourists want to go, you miss out on some of the most amazing places in the planet. Venice is one of those, to me.

I agree with you 100% Neal. There are places so special, that you put up with the crowds or inconveniences just so you can experience them. I would add though that there are places equally as magnificent that don’t get the same level of publicity, are a bit further off the main tourist trail and for whatever reason not as popular that can offer the traveler some amazing experiences. For me personally, some of those places were the Douro region of Portugal, the Dolomites and the Dordogne region of France. Seeing ancient ruins, cave paintings and experiencing micro region cuisine with the areas own special wines, is as much of a treat as walking the back alleys of Venice. I guess in life we should all do both.

[Joe_B]

Just got back from Italy last Thursday.

Was very glad to see Venice. Once for me is enough though. Everybody should go once and if the maze is your thing, go back for more Murano glass.

Florance was beautiful and I would go back but travel more rural next time. Find some wineries nearby. Best dinner I had was at Buca Mario. I ordered the Osso buco Piazza degli Ottaviani 16
50123 Florence Italy. Make reservations.

Also went to Rome and to be honest I would rather go rural in this area than return. It was fun and great but I would expand outward. One of my favorite things, outside of the colosseum, Vatican or Parthanon was a little deli called Antica Salumeria right at the Parthenon. They are not a restaurant but go to the back area and sit down. Order a carafe of wine and a board of meats and cheeses. Yummmmmm.

[Mattstolz]

@Joe B

Just got back from Italy last Thursday.

Was very glad to see Venice. Once for me is enough though. Everybody should go once and if the maze is your thing, go back for more Murano glass.

Florance was beautiful and I would go back but travel more rural next time. Find some wineries nearby.

I feel the same. The smaller surrounding towns are beautiful and the Tuscan countryside is breathtaking. We didn’t spend more than a few minutes in Montalcino, mostly cuz there wasn’t a whole lot there, but its worth going from Florence just for the drive. The wines being made in the area around the town sure dont hurt.