I've spoken about Italy before. I've been studying before. I've also been abroad studying. I've NOT been in Milan. I've been late august, but NOT till early january.
That's awesome! I spent 4 months in Rome studying and it was assuredly the best experience of my life. Texxxxxxx-- Rome might not have country music super stars, but it has more character in its left pinky than you could ever hope to achieve.
My brother went to Venice and said he was surprised at how disgusting it is. Said it was the nastiest place he's ever been to - the whole place smelled like sewer. He got food poisoning while he was there and spent time in a Venice hospital. He'll never go back.
Well, you might not be, but you fail to portray it in a great light. No, you won't get robbed unless you're an idiot, I've never had anyone blow smoke in my face, and although some parts are dirty, some other parts are ridiculously clean. You have to remember how old the town is, Downtown Galveston looks a lot dirtier than downtown Houston, but that's mainly because its older.
Slickvick. Ya better go to the Vatican. It was the best part of the trip I took to Rome. I hate the damn mopeds and the city is too damn dirty. ~~~~A MUST: ---------- Also, while we were there we took the train to Pompei, and DAMN! That place was amazing! I highly recomend it. THe train ride is along the coast so it is beautiful, and the ride isn't that long. To see all the old w**** houses and streets with flying/running/walking penises as names was just jaw dropping. (plus there is a small arena (gladiators fought there) and the volcano is right there hovering over the city. Just amazing to walk through all those old buildings knowing they were once covered in ash. I was in awe.
Damn, that's too bad. I feel the same way about Naples. I found the city itself to be wretchedly disgusting. Although the surrounding towns were quite nice. But Venice I thought was not all that bad. Could be that your brother went in the peak of summer when the canals are boiling over from the heat and maybe he got sick from some meat or fish that was rotten. One things for sure about Italy, the refrigeration and A/C are very low rate. In the summertime, they believe that 80F is an acceptable room temperature!
You're spending 10 days in Rome? Why not by a train pass and see some of the other Italian cities like Venice, Florence or Milan? Unless you're seeing family, 10 days seems like a long time to spend in one city for a vacation.
I was in Rome twice during the last six months. You should walk around in Trastevere at night. This is the quarter where many young Romans hang out in the evening. It is safe and you can really get a feel for the city there. I would strongly recommend Taverna Trilussa in Trastevere, Via del Politeama 23. Taverna Trilussa Set slightly off the beaten path, this festive restaurant is great for large groups. The menu is limited and heavily favors carne, but the classic Roman pastas served in frying pans are guaranteed to delight no matter how many times you’ve had carbonara. Lovely outdoor seating in the warmer months. Open daily. No lunch. Visa and Mastercard. Via del Politeama, 23-25. Tel. 06.581.8918. Trastevere. (MSP) http://www.theamericanmag.com/features.php?show_column_id=9 They have great original Roman food. Another restaurant I can recommend is Sabatini. If you need a hotel to stay at, have Diamond status with Hilton and manage to get a good rate or don't mind paying tons of money, I would recommend the Cavalieri Hilton. And if you really want to spend tons of money, you can try their "La Pergola" restaurant, but that is obscenely expensive, and I think you get more (and imho better) food at something like Taverna Trilussa. Apparently, there is a club at Villa Borghese if you want to go dancing in the evening. Not too sure about other night club recommendations in Rome.
actually, if you could plant and detonate some sort of nuclear device, preferably a large one, as you pass by Naples that would be great. the most disgusting place i have ever been in my life. i wanted to leave as soon as i stepped off the train. the good streets just have tons of vendors on them and are dirty. the bad ones have the vendors, the dirtiness, horrendous traffic*, and people who will try to pick-pocket you. naples is a must-miss. milan was a very nice city and easily the most modern and cleanest looking city in italy. the friggin' front of the duomo was covered up with scaffolding when we went but from the postcards it looked spectacular. the sides and inside are of course nice as well. oh, and it has the biggest and nicest mcdonald's i've ever seen. and bigtexxx, you thought rome was dirty? i was pleasantly surprised by how clean most of the cities, except naples, seemed to be, considering we were right in the middle of the cities most of the time. growing up the suburbs most of my life, i just assumed the inner cities were going to be dirty but they weren't. and i never felt unsafe in them, except for naples. *crossing a street in italy is an adventure. people will just walk right out into the middle of traffic and make the cars stop for them. it took a while to figure it out b/c you're so unused to that in america. sometimes people wouldn't even break stride as they got to the curb, even if traffic was moving pretty good. i'd be waiting for the one person that forgot to stop. on the more dangerous streets, i just waited for an italian to start crossing and then went with them. on the calmer streets, i figured it out but could never get my friend to go along. i'd be on the other side waiting forever until traffic was clear.
I seriously can't wait to do this again, after about a week my whole Rome class picked it up that it was a federal offense to hit a pedestrian and those guys will not hit you. Mopeds and smart cars only get up to 35 km/hr anyway though.
Well, after my visit I was convinced that it must ALREADY be a nuclear fallout zone. It certainly looked, smelled, sounded like, and felt like the place had been cursed as the end of all humanity. Good Lord I cannot stress to fellow BBS'ers how truly bad that place was. Please don't go to Naples, SlikVik!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One of these days, probably late at night when I'm being stupid, I'll tell my little story about staying in a seedy hotel in Naples in 1971, the van, the guys from Baltimore, the chick I was with, the assault on the van by a gang of Naples' finest young toughs, the pursuit with the spear-gun, the wineshop, and the aftermath.
"hot box" = honies. Come on you should know that! Man sometimes I have to tone it down with these internet types.
