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scrabblesquirrel
Joined: 27 May 2004
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 Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 11:10 pm Post subject: It's a Travel Thread! |
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Due to popular demand (uh well just 3 ) I thought I'd start this thread where we can talk about all the places we've been to.
Really though it's just an opportunity for me to bore you all with the details of my trip to Italy but please do tell about all your travels.
I got to go to Italy because I received a travel scholarship from my university. I study ancient history so of course Italy was my obvious choice. There weren't really any limitations on my trip, I just had to keep the sites I visited within the boundaries of what I study. For example I just couldn't lie on a beach for 2 weeks, I had to visit some of the places I've learned about.
This was also the first time I would visit a country where I wouldn't know anybody and where I don't speak the language. I've travelled before (to New York City and to Holland) but in New York they speak English and in Holland I have lots of family and I speak Dutch. So I was a little nervous because I was travelling with a friend for the first week but the last week and a half I'd be on my own.
I ended up visiting Rome for 2 days then from there we went to Herculaneum and Pompeii and then Sorrento for 3 nights. From Sorrento we went to Capri, Salerno, and Paestum. Then my friend left for Greece and I went to Assisi for 2 days and then Ravenna for 3 days. Then I was off to Florence for a planned 2 days and 1 unplanned day and then back to Rome for 4 days.
What can I say? I had an amazing time. I wish I could've stayed longer. I enjoyed Rome most of all mainly because it's what I study and I find it amazing that wherever you look there are ruins. Ancient building are built into modern buildings. There's a pile of bricks right beside the train station, which were actually part of the Servian Wall from the 3rd Century BC. The ruins are just there, people pass them daily on their way to work. I wonder if they realize how important they are?
I liked Herculaneum better than Pompeii because there were less tourists and the sites were more accessable. Pompeii was hectic. It's hard to appreciate the history when there are hoards of tourists being led from one place to the next.
I loved Sorrento. It's not as hectic as Rome and very picturesque. It's also a smaller city and I felt completely safe there. Capri was pretty but we didn't do much there. Although the guy who sailed us into the Blue Grotto was quite charming
Salerno bored me. Paestum I liked because it was an ancient Greek colony and it has several temples.
Assisi was a quiet town with lots of old buildings. I'm not quite sure how old the town is but all the homes looked like they had been around for a while. There wasn't much to do there though and I was bored by the 2nd day. I did go into the old Roman Forum there and the guy running the place was the nicest person. When I told him I studied that sort of thing he told me I could come back on the same ticket and I wouldn't have to pay. So I did and when I left he gave me a poster with a reconstruction drawing of what the forum would've looked liked. That totally made me love Assisi.
Ravenna was interesting. It's not a chaotic city and it encourages the use of bicycles. I found that Ravenna was the city that reminded me most of home. They have a lot of nice Byzantine Mosaics and that's why I came. But 3 days was a bit too long and I was quickly bored. This was also the place where I experienced a horrible bout of homesickness (I wasn't staying in a hostel but a hotel) and I was ready to go home. But then I went to Florence and stayed in a hostel and met some cool people.
Florence I didn't like so much. It was just so busy, so many tourists. It's hard to enjoy the sites when there are hundreds of people crowding around you. I didn't do too much, I just paid a ridiculous amount to get into the Uffizi and the Accademia. The Uffizi was probably worth it but the Accademia? I can do without the statue of David. It was nothing special.
I did go to the archaeological museum there, which I loved. I could've spent the whole afternoon there. They have an amazing collection but unfortunately hardly anybody visits it.
Florence was also the place where I had a little accident. We had gone to dinner and had a lot of wine and decided to walk up to Palazzo Michelangelo and get a nice view of the city. On the way back down the ground was a bit uneven and I fell and hurt my foot. I'm telling you that Italian wine is evil! So I had to hold off on my trip to Rome the next day because I couldn't walk. When I got to Rome I stil couldn't walk very well so basically I missed 2 days in that city. I was very upset because I wanted to do lots there. I ended up paying for a tour bus, the ticket was valid for 24 hours and you could just hop on and off at the major sites. The last couple of days the foot began to feel a bit better so walking wasn't a huge issue.
Rome is my absolute favourite city though. There is so much to see there, I want to go back so badly.
I have some random thoughts about Italy and Italians in general but I think I've gone on long enough. So I'll save those thoughts for another time.
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albinoni 2
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 1365
Location: Como
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 2:10 pm Post subject: Re: It's a Travel Thread! |
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| scrabblesquirrel wrote: | Due to popular demand (uh well just 3 ) I thought I'd start this thread where we can talk about all the places we've been to.
Really though it's just an opportunity for me to bore you all with the details of my trip to Italy but please do tell about all your travels.
I got to go to Italy because I received a travel scholarship from my university. I study ancient history so of course Italy was my obvious choice. There weren't really any limitations on my trip, I just had to keep the sites I visited within the boundaries of what I study. For example I just couldn't lie on a beach for 2 weeks, I had to visit some of the places I've learned about.
This was also the first time I would visit a country where I wouldn't know anybody and where I don't speak the language. I've travelled before (to New York City and to Holland) but in New York they speak English and in Holland I have lots of family and I speak Dutch. So I was a little nervous because I was travelling with a friend for the first week but the last week and a half I'd be on my own.
I ended up visiting Rome for 2 days then from there we went to Herculaneum and Pompeii and then Sorrento for 3 nights. From Sorrento we went to Capri, Salerno, and Paestum. Then my friend left for Greece and I went to Assisi for 2 days and then Ravenna for 3 days. Then I was off to Florence for a planned 2 days and 1 unplanned day and then back to Rome for 4 days.
What can I say? I had an amazing time. I wish I could've stayed longer. I enjoyed Rome most of all mainly because it's what I study and I find it amazing that wherever you look there are ruins. Ancient building are built into modern buildings. There's a pile of bricks right beside the train station, which were actually part of the Servian Wall from the 3rd Century BC. The ruins are just there, people pass them daily on their way to work. I wonder if they realize how important they are?
I liked Herculaneum better than Pompeii because there were less tourists and the sites were more accessable. Pompeii was hectic. It's hard to appreciate the history when there are hoards of tourists being led from one place to the next.
I loved Sorrento. It's not as hectic as Rome and very picturesque. It's also a smaller city and I felt completely safe there. Capri was pretty but we didn't do much there. Although the guy who sailed us into the Blue Grotto was quite charming
Salerno bored me. Paestum I liked because it was an ancient Greek colony and it has several temples.
Assisi was a quiet town with lots of old buildings. I'm not quite sure how old the town is but all the homes looked like they had been around for a while. There wasn't much to do there though and I was bored by the 2nd day. I did go into the old Roman Forum there and the guy running the place was the nicest person. When I told him I studied that sort of thing he told me I could come back on the same ticket and I wouldn't have to pay. So I did and when I left he gave me a poster with a reconstruction drawing of what the forum would've looked liked. That totally made me love Assisi.
Ravenna was interesting. It's not a chaotic city and it encourages the use of bicycles. I found that Ravenna was the city that reminded me most of home. They have a lot of nice Byzantine Mosaics and that's why I came. But 3 days was a bit too long and I was quickly bored. This was also the place where I experienced a horrible bout of homesickness (I wasn't staying in a hostel but a hotel) and I was ready to go home. But then I went to Florence and stayed in a hostel and met some cool people.
Florence I didn't like so much. It was just so busy, so many tourists. It's hard to enjoy the sites when there are hundreds of people crowding around you. I didn't do too much, I just paid a ridiculous amount to get into the Uffizi and the Accademia. The Uffizi was probably worth it but the Accademia? I can do without the statue of David. It was nothing special.
I did go to the archaeological museum there, which I loved. I could've spent the whole afternoon there. They have an amazing collection but unfortunately hardly anybody visits it.
Florence was also the place where I had a little accident. We had gone to dinner and had a lot of wine and decided to walk up to Palazzo Michelangelo and get a nice view of the city. On the way back down the ground was a bit uneven and I fell and hurt my foot. I'm telling you that Italian wine is evil! So I had to hold off on my trip to Rome the next day because I couldn't walk. When I got to Rome I stil couldn't walk very well so basically I missed 2 days in that city. I was very upset because I wanted to do lots there. I ended up paying for a tour bus, the ticket was valid for 24 hours and you could just hop on and off at the major sites. The last couple of days the foot began to feel a bit better so walking wasn't a huge issue.
Rome is my absolute favourite city though. There is so much to see there, I want to go back so badly.
I have some random thoughts about Italy and Italians in general but I think I've gone on long enough. So I'll save those thoughts for another time. |
Rome is very cool city,i have been there two times,people are a bit arrogant but nice,i think that your trip was good.....funny that i like more Florence than Roma,really Florence i don't know it's magic......maybe because i visited them with the school trip when i was 16 years old it was my first shool trip of 3 days.....i like cities full of streets only for foothpaths...... 
And Florence is a medioeval town,my fav. historical period
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Eol
Joined: 25 May 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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The city that was most fascinating for me was Vienna - a really nice city!
Haven't we a Vienna-User here on the board?
Rome is also a nice town - as far as I can say, I was only a little time there.
A german town I would suggest you is Dresden, this town is a bit like Vienna - absolutely beautiful!
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dizzyweasel
Joined: 25 May 2004
Posts: 1422
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 7:53 pm Post subject: Re: It's a Travel Thread! |
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| albinoni 2 wrote: | Rome is very cool city,i have been there two times,people are a bit arrogant but nice,i think that your trip was good.....funny that i like more Florence than Roma,really Florence i don't know it's magic......maybe because i visited them with the school trip when i was 16 years old it was my first shool trip of 3 days.....i like cities full of streets only for foothpaths......
And Florence is a medioeval town,my fav. historical period |
oh, i agree with you! i love florence soooo much! it's the best place i've ever visited...the twisting little streets, incredible pieces of renaissance and baroque art popping out at you in the strangest places, the museums, the architecture...sigh. and then at night, sitting on the bridge, listening to the violin music drifting out from the cafes...such a romantic city, fascinating history.
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albinoni 2
Joined: 26 May 2004
Posts: 1365
Location: Como
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 10:41 pm Post subject: Re: It's a Travel Thread! |
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| dizzyweasel wrote: | | albinoni 2 wrote: | Rome is very cool city,i have been there two times,people are a bit arrogant but nice,i think that your trip was good.....funny that i like more Florence than Roma,really Florence i don't know it's magic......maybe because i visited them with the school trip when i was 16 years old it was my first shool trip of 3 days.....i like cities full of streets only for foothpaths......
And Florence is a medioeval town,my fav. historical period |
oh, i agree with you! i love florence soooo much! it's the best place i've ever visited...the twisting little streets, incredible pieces of renaissance and baroque art popping out at you in the strangest places, the museums, the architecture...sigh. and then at night, sitting on the bridge, listening to the violin music drifting out from the cafes...such a romantic city, fascinating history. |
i have climbed by foot until the very end of the brunelleschi's dome,what a large view of Florence from there 
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dizzyweasel
Joined: 25 May 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 10:47 pm Post subject: Re: It's a Travel Thread! |
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| albinoni 2 wrote: | | i have climbed by foot until the very end of the brunelleschi's dome,what a large view of Florence from there |
oh, how fabulous! i didn't climb the dome when i was there, but i did stay in a hotel right across the plaza from it, so i had a great view of the duomo!
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scrabblesquirrel
Joined: 27 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 1:04 am Post subject: |
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| Eol wrote: | The city that was most fascinating for me was Vienna - a really nice city!
Haven't we a Vienna-User here on the board?
Rome is also a nice town - as far as I can say, I was only a little time there.
A german town I would suggest you is Dresden, this town is a bit like Vienna - absolutely beautiful! |
Dresden, why does that sound so familiar to me? Is it close to the Dutch border? An uncle and aunt of mine live in Didam in Holland but it is close to the German border.
Funny that everybody loves Florence except for me. I just found it hard to appreciate the architecture and the history when there are thousands of tourists swarming around me. I remember walking down the Ponte Vecchio and seeing this sea of people coming straight at me. It's the same reason why I prefer Herculaneum to Pompeii. On my next trip to Italy (yes there will be others) I don't know if I would go back to Florence. If I went during a time when not many tourists go there maybe.
And I didn't make it up the duomo. I saw the long line and didn't bother.
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Eol
Joined: 25 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:00 am Post subject: |
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no, Dresden is situated here:
http://www.gprust.de/darss/karte.gif
search in the east - it was the city that was completely destroyed in the 2nd world war - but to ones estonishmend one can't find any traces of that, anymore.
For all Florence-Fans: Dresden is also calleed 'Elb-Florence' because the town is so similar to the Italian city
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scrabblesquirrel
Joined: 27 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:18 am Post subject: |
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Wow! I was way off
uh, that's slightly embarrassing. I'm going to go now and uh, brush up on my geography skills.
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dizzyweasel
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 2:19 am Post subject: |
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i saw italy in march, when there weren't many tourists. although, venice has tourists, like, year-round, so that was packed. but florence was pretty dead in march. good for me!
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albinoni 2
Joined: 26 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| dizzyweasel wrote: | | i saw italy in march, when there weren't many tourists. although, venice has tourists, like, year-round, so that was packed. but florence was pretty dead in march. good for me! |
I visited(some years ago) Florence in April and was allready full of turists ,really claostrophobic sometimes ,but Florence is always Florence
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dizzyweasel
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| Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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you know where else is good times? barbados! so hot...but great beaches. and the rum...and the...um...'illegal cigarettes'. heehee! i doubt i'd have very much fun there anymore though - i don't drink or indulge in illegal substances now. 
but there was so much fabulous partying at the time!
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albinoni 2
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:34 am Post subject: |
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Dizzy,do you travel a lot?just curious......
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dizzyweasel
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| albinoni 2 wrote: | | Dizzy,do you travel a lot?just curious...... |
i did when i was in high school - went to italy, the netherlands, barbados, spain - and i've been all over the USA and canada. since i started at the uni, i haven't been able to afford to travel. i (well, my parents) pay $14,000 a year for school now. no money for anything else really. 
do you travel a lot?
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albinoni 2
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| Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 1:10 am Post subject: |
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Only,Scandinavia and Finland,i visited:Norway;Sweden;Finland,Germany,Denmark and Switzerland(  ),i live 2 km near them,but it's always a foreign nation
Also Spain(only Barcelona)
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