~courtney and derek
In May Matt and I are going on the vacation of our lives. We'll be in Italy for nine full days. We are for-sure going to Rome and Cinque Terre. We are figuring out the rest (though Florence and Venice are our current top contenders). We have just under four months to do so. :D
This is a huge deal for me because a) I have wanted to visit Rome ever since my freshman year in Latin class (which was 15ish years ago) and b)I have been as far out of the country as exotic Vancouver Canada. Don't get me wrong, Vancouver was pretty cool. We went to Butch@rt Gardens, visited a house of miniatures, and the McD0nalds had pizza. Cool, right?
After college I was going to (begrudgingly) take a trip to France. That whole freed0m fries, the French-don't-like-us thing was going on then, and we decided to change our plans. So, no international travel for me then, either.
And then, while we were engaged, Matt suggested that we take a trip to Italy, and that it be our "thing we do before we have babies." I told you about it a while ago. and we're leaving just shy of a year after I wrote that post!!
So on Saturday, after weeks and weeks of trying to pin down the details (seriously, the four of us have been talking about this since, like, August, and we've been doing the nitty gritty part of it since early December)--we FINALLY BOOKED OUR TICKETS! Ironically, when we've met up to discuss Italy we've eaten sushi, mexican and now, when celebrating our ticket purchase, we had americana. Ha!
Anyway, I am SO EXCITED to go! And despite our hilarity on Saturday night (e.g., when Derek said he was going to learn to "Talk Italian" and Courtney and I told him that he needed to learn how to "Speak English" first), which included saying the names of Italian foods while gesturing ridiculously, it's kind of still not "real" to me yet. I'm pretty sure it will be when my credit card bill comes :)
But enough about Saturday...
So, what suggestions do y'all have for places we should visit? Rome and Cinque Terre are non-negotiables, but the rest are subject to change! Just don't be offended if we don't go where you suggest--we want to do more than just see Italy--we want to experience it--and that, to us, means going fewer places and "hanging out" longer!! Also, any travel tips? Or places you'd suggested within Rome or Cinque Terre? Any and all suggestions are welcome and appreciated!!
Monday, January 31, 2011
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4 comments:
i have no suggestions because i've never been, but i am greeeen with envy that you're going! how exciting to already have the tickets! now it's a for sure thing!!! viva italia! :)
i've already given you my suggestions but i didn't mention that rome is the MOST CONFUSING CITY EVER. so plan to leave some time to just wonder around and get lost, it's a lot of fun and you might find something you didn't even know you were looking for! but find at least one landmark that you KNOW you can get to your hotel from. we had an intersect in which each corner had a statue representing one of the four seasons. we knew if we could make it there, we could make it back "home"! :-) also, italians don't do breakfast. this was a shock since we were coming from our several months in france and the french DO breakfast. we figured we'd be able to go out each morning and find a pastry or something. if your hotel doesn't serve breakfast, find somewhere that does before you head out to "just find something" and then (like me) are super grumpy an hour later when you are starving and still haven't eaten. also, get one of those giant donuts they sell from carts near the tourist attractions (especially around the Colosseum). yum!
I, too, was a Latin nerd, and Rome is one of those rare places where even the most ridiculously tourist-y things still delighted me. See all the ruins you can.
I second Renee's suggestion about getting lost in Rome. Its subway system I remember finding particularly inconvenient. I think it crosses the city in a big X but otherwise wasn't all that developed. Still, I can't remember having that many issues getting around.
The Vatican was pretty great, even if Catholicism isn't you thing (and even if you don't consider it to be Italy, per se). I remember thinking that the Vatican gift shop was kind of hilarious.
Divert to Pompeii if you're in Naples. I thought it was one of the cooler things I've seen in Europe. And, according to an Italian friend of mine, the government isn't so much funding its upkeep, and many people are afraid it's going downhill fast. Now might be the time to see it.
I loved both Florence and Venice so if you have time, I'd say go! your vacation sounds wonderful, eat a lot and enjoy! i bet the weather in may will be perfect!
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