R.G. Diamond suggested a "greatest hits" approach to Italy in the Cinque Terre thread. I am starting a new thread to collect ideas.

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Steve and I finished a major work milestone today (got out our final release (for this year) of his school administration software product) and to celebrate we went for pizza and then to Borders (are we just a wild couple or what?). Of course I went to the travel section - and what did I see? A new small book by Dorling Kindersly (or whatever that name is - the old Eyewitness Guides) - Top 10 Thing in Tuscany. Top 10 museums, etc. Didn't look great.

Our "Italy: Greatest Hits" is a better approach.

Also got the latest Cadogan for Tuscany, Umbria and the Marches for our September trip. Seems like the couple that wrote all the Cadogan guides have "retired" - a new couple are now doing the updates. Dana Farcoes and Michael Pauls are still listed as the author, but the 2001 edition was updated by Nicky Swallow, Jon Eldan and Carla Lionello (the last two are a couple, keeping up with the Farcoes/Pauls tradition).

Bill Thayer posted this:

Complete with color scheme, courtesy of the same recording industry; here's my candidates:

PLATINUM: Rome, Florence, Venice
GOLD: Siena, Taormina, Pompeii, Cinque Terre, Amalfi, Como
SILVER: Sirmione, Assisi, Orvieto, Milan, Loreto, Naples

You could take a "towns and cities" approach, or you could take a "things to do" approach.

1. Have an espresso in Tazzo d'Oro off the Piazza della Rotunda in Rome.
2. The Sistine Chapel.
3. ...etc.

Fabulous idea!

My Number 1 "thing to do" in Rome: after a leisurely dinner in a nice restaurant, go for a stroll in the Piazza Navona before bedtime...enjoy the pantomimists, the street musicians, the families out for their own late-evening walk. Then go back to your room and sleep like a baby! Makes you feel like a native. We never--never--vary that routine when in Rome.

This sounds good - keep posting. Warning - Anything posted in this thread might be used to create a page on the web site. The Slow Travelers do Italy's Greatist Hits.

Bill, the church in Spoleto - is that the one just outside of town with all those carvings around the door?

Yes. It's more important, art-historically, than the Duomo; and of course it's in a far more scenic setting with its view of the city, the Rocca, and the incomparable aqueduct. The time to be there is when the sunflowers between it and the aqueduct are in full bloom, which I have not managed to do, despite timing my 2000 trip for it. It's possible that in 2000 the farmer who owns that parcel of land had rotated it out of sunflowers.

I've got about a roll and a half of film on S. Pietro but my subsite on the church is on hold pending repair of my negative scanner, or purchase of a new one, which in view of my finances these days, won't be for many months.

For two feeble ideas of S. Pietro, see this page with a number of detail photos (and notice that you can click open the photos to definitely larger), and this page with your basic text and overall shot of the façade. All I have of my own before the scanner broke is this one photo of a rather hungry lion.

Sorry, Bill -- you'd think that I'd be able to talk about interesting, perhaps out of the way, opera experiences in Italy. I've only seen opera in 3 places in Italy -- La Scala, Verona and Spoleto, all very interesting experiences, but actually they wouldn't necessarily be on my top 10 list. I take that back -- the Arena in Verona is kind of special -- just for the venue and the crowd -- not necessarily the productions.

Having only made 2 trips to Italy, I know there is so much I have yet to see (I know there will be more visits) but here are my nominations based on what I have seen.

Gold - church - Santa Maria in Trastevere
fountain - Trevi
town - Siena and Pienza
restaurant - Le Logge del Vignola(Montepulciano)

Silver - town - Monteluciano
church - Sant' Antimo Abbey
town - Portovenere
restaurant - Trattoria Tre Torri (Portovenere)
da Guilio - Lucca

I guess I have to go back again to complete my list.

David - one of the top five experiences of my life so far was seeing my favorite band, Radiohead, at the Verona Arena last May. It was really a beautiful experience, me and however many thousand Italian Radiohead freaks, screaming when warranted and completely silent when necessary. (RAH-DIO-HED!!) I felt so alive. They don't just have opera there.....

Good point, Shannon.

When I saw a bizarre, relatively mediocre production of La Traviata at the Arena last August, what I enjoyed most was the venue -- the place itself. I'd imagine that many different forms of entertainment would be really exciting there, especially rock concerts.

Maybe they should stage the Italian version of "American Idol" at the Arena (of course they'd have to call it "Idolo Italiano" and feature women wearing minimal outfits.....)? Perhaps I shouldn't have gotten us started on that, but.......

In response to that last comment from David, does anyone have any idea exactly WHY Italian TV is so cheesey? I'm not all that impressed with network TV in the US, but Italian TV has got to be the WORST!!!! What's up with that?!

Barb, you must have never seen SuperZap or Super Sexy Blob. That is TV at it's finest.

Until you have participated in a real 'passegiata'you have not experienced a great gret hit! A few years ago at Christmas the passegiata in Bassano del grappa was amazing ... the town was literally empty and closed one minute and then jammed the next minute as all the familes came out. Wish we had that here.

OK- now that you mention it, I have a list of my personal top ten to add.

In no particular order

Snorkling in Vernazza and sunning on the rocks

Assisi at night when most of the tourists have cleared out.

A quiet early morning in Portovenere, watching the fish mongers do their work.

Listening to a choir in Basilica di San Francesco.

Riding bikes up on the wall in Lucca.

Wandering through the antique market in Lucca.

Lunch at Bocco divino in Montalcino.

Practically laying on my back in the Bapistry in Florence in awe over the mosaics.

Hearing our own David sing to my daughter on a beautiful evening in San Gimignano.

Enjoying dinners on the terrace at our favorite castello.

Barb, you better start learning to appreciate Italian TV -- it's your #1 doorway into the language and the popular culture! It does look cheesy to us at first, but as you grow into the culture it "improves." There are actually some really good shows, like Porta a Porta, Linea Blu (Bianca, Verde) Made in Italy, Passagio Nordovest, and the variety show is alive and well and will introduce you to the personaggi and music of the 20th century.
I think US TV is pretty cheesy, too, but it's what we're used to, and just like in the US, the remote kills the worst stuff.

Every time we return I first try to get "Lotto a Otto" on the tv. Haven't seen it in three or four years. Now that was entertainment!

Where do you start with a hit parade after nine wonderful trips to Italy---about to be ten Here is an article I did for a friend about 3 years ago that may at least give a good start to the " best of" locations. Hard to draw the line, but here is a start:

SO, YOU WANT TO SEE ITALY !
FIRST, GET A GOOD MAP ! Having planned more then sixty personalized itineraries to southern Europe and Italy, I have learned that the best trip plans start with a good
map. It takes about six weeks to see most of Italy, and that does not include Sicily. So, any typical two week sojourn requires a geographic orientation and thoughtful
planning to optimize the total experience. The temptation is to try to see too much, and that is a big mistake. My advice is to limit yourself to FIVE DESTINATIONS
OR LESS for any two week itinerary. Perceive Italy as geographic regions and plan accordingly. Here is a menu to help you to plan well. Let your total time
in Italy, and a good map, determine your feasible choices !

THE BEST DESTINATIONS IN ITALY---BY CATEGORY---NORTH TO SOUTH

REGIONS OF NATURAL SPLENDOR:
1. The Lakes of Lombardy/Piedmonte [ Maggiore, Como, Lugano, Orta]
2. The Dolomites/Lake Garda [ Cortina, Ortisei, Merano, Riva del Garda]
3. The Ligurian Coast [ Portofino, Cinque Terre, Portovenere]
4. Tuscany/ Umbria [ quaint and historic hill towns]
5. The Amalfi Coast [ Sorrento, Positano, Ravello, Capri]

THE HISTORICAL ART CITIES:
1. Venice & Veneto [ allow 3 days---more if you include Vicenza, Verona et al]
2. Florence [ it all happened here--plan for 2 days just in Florence]
3. Siena [ deserves a full day, perhaps as a day trip from Florence]
4. Rome [ the Eternal City demands 5 days---some would say two weeks]

ROMANTIC RESORT DESTINATIONS:
1. Bellagio [ the best of Lago Como]
2. Cortina [ the Vail of Italy--ski resort in heart of the Dolomites]
3. Portofino/ Santa Margherita [ splendid sea-side venue]
4. Positano [ the best location to explore the Amalfi coast]
5. Taormina [ fabulous sea-side location in Sicily]
6. Ravello [ la dolce vita above the Amalfi coast]

BOB THE NAVIGATOR
blittle@net-magic.net