Hi- I ran into Slowtravel while planning an upcoming trip to Umbria (mid March). It is a pleasure to find folks who travel the same way (or close to the same way) that I do. What I do, and am doing for this trip is to rent a place for a couple of weeks an just get to know it. I look forward to exchanging favorites with all of you folk. -Howard Pollack

Hi Howard and welcome to Slow Travel.

I went to school at Berkeley so I know the area. My husband is a plantsman/nurseryman so we occasionally make trips to Northern California to checkout the Bay Area Nurseries which take us to your area in the East Bay.

Please tell us more about your trip to Umbria. Where else have you rented on vacation?

Hi Howard,
Welcome! I also live in the Bay Area(Moraga). Maybe you can join us at a future get together.

gloria

Thank you for your responses. The Bay Area has some fabulous nurseries, some specialized and some general. I love prowling around in them. As for renting places, I've done it in Rome several times, near Arrezzo once, in the Veneto (two different places), and Montecatini Terme. They've all been wonderful trips, for my money this is the way to travel. With regard to get togethers in the Bay Area, that would be delightful, thank you. -Howard

Welcome from another northern Californian ( now living in Spain).All the talk about Italy gets me excited about seeing it again this spring.