Kevin

We soon leave for a 3 week trip to Italy, which we have partly planned with advice
from this group of savvy travellers. Thanks for your help!

We would like advice on what you have enjoyed seeing and doing in the 3 cited
locations. (We have previously seen the "highlights" of Rome, i.e. Vatican,
Pantheon, Forum, Coliseum). We like history, architecture, art, and good Italian
food (who doesn't?)

Here is our itinerary, and after discounting travel time we will have:

3 days in the Assisi/Umbria area. 3 days in Rome 6 days in Sorrento (interested in
the area from Naples to Amalfi coast to Paestum)

On arrival in Rome, we pick up a car and spend a few days in Umbria (staying 2
nights in Hotel Brunamonti, Bevagna; then 2 nights at the Agriturismo Malvarina
near Assisi).

We return the car to the airport and spend 4 nights in Hotel Forum, Rome (we're
running in the Rome Marathon on Palm Sunday, so that will be our primary focus).

Next, we take the train to Sorrento (Hotel Il Nido) for 7 nights.

We finish off with 2 nights in Rome (Residenza San Pantaleo, nr. Piazza Navona),
before returning to Canada.

We welcome opinions on the hotels we have chosen and tips on dining and sightseeing.

Thanks,

Kevin

Cucuzzahead

I am leaving for a similar trip on Monday.

In Rome, have a meal in the Jewish section of town. Find a restaurant that serves
deep fried artichoke. Also, they have the best arribiata there.

Be sure to go to Paestum to get the buffalo mozzarella. The ruins are OK, but the
mozzarella is to die for.

Vincenzo

"Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > We soon leave for a 3 week trip to Italy, which we have partly planned
with
    > advice from this group of savvy travellers. Thanks for your help!
    >
    > We would like advice on what you have enjoyed seeing and doing in the 3 cited
    > locations. (We have previously seen the "highlights" of Rome, i.e. Vatican,
    > Pantheon, Forum, Coliseum). We like history, architecture, art, and good Italian
    > food (who doesn't?)
    >
    > Here is our itinerary, and after discounting travel time we will have:
    >
    > 3 days in the Assisi/Umbria area. 3 days in Rome 6 days in Sorrento (interested in
    > the area from Naples to Amalfi coast to Paestum)
    >
    > On arrival in Rome, we pick up a car and spend a few days in Umbria
(staying
    > 2 nights in Hotel Brunamonti, Bevagna; then 2 nights at the Agriturismo Malvarina
    > near Assisi).
    >
    > We return the car to the airport and spend 4 nights in Hotel Forum, Rome (we're
    > running in the Rome Marathon on Palm Sunday, so that will be our primary focus).
    >
    > Next, we take the train to Sorrento (Hotel Il Nido) for 7 nights.
    >
    > We finish off with 2 nights in Rome (Residenza San Pantaleo, nr. Piazza Navona),
    > before returning to Canada.
    >
    > We welcome opinions on the hotels we have chosen and tips on dining and
    > sightseeing.
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Kevin

Helen Donegan

I live in Perugia, about 20 minutes from Assisi.
There are so many places I can recommend I don't know where to begin!
If you have any specific questions I will be more than happy to answer them.
I have also got a friend in the Sorrento area who is going to starting writing for my ezine about his part of Italy - I am sure he can answer any question you have on the Campania region.
I hope you have a great holiday here - and enjoy Assisi, which is one of most beautiful places in the world.

John Walton

When you go to the Vatican Museum, make sure to get there early, and make a bee-line
for the Sistine Chapel. That way you will have time to really see the paintings. I
would read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" on the plane going over. You can usually
convince the guards that you aren't really going the wrong way. The sculpture gallery
in the Vat Museum is also wonderful. I have found that most of the restaurants,
despite the fact that they serve to large crowds, actually have good food in and
around the Vatican. If the Farenese is open (for some reason, it usually isn't, and I
don't know why) see this museum. The Doria Pamhpilii is also a great museum which
doesn't get an enormous amount of traffic. Watch out for pickpockets on the subways.
Of the basilicae, I like St. John Lateran for its striking interior. If you like
walking, you can include a jaunt to S. Pietro in Vincoli to see Michelangelo's
"Moses". I wonder whether they have changed the "light" boxes to accept the new
Euro-coins.

"Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > We soon leave for a 3 week trip to Italy, which we have partly planned
with
    > advice from this group of savvy travellers. Thanks for your help!
    >
    > We would like advice on what you have enjoyed seeing and doing in the 3 cited
    > locations. (We have previously seen the "highlights" of Rome, i.e. Vatican,
    > Pantheon, Forum, Coliseum). We like history, architecture, art, and good Italian
    > food (who doesn't?)
    >
    > Here is our itinerary, and after discounting travel time we will have:
    >
    > 3 days in the Assisi/Umbria area. 3 days in Rome 6 days in Sorrento (interested in
    > the area from Naples to Amalfi coast to Paestum)
    >
    > On arrival in Rome, we pick up a car and spend a few days in Umbria
(staying
    > 2 nights in Hotel Brunamonti, Bevagna; then 2 nights at the Agriturismo Malvarina
    > near Assisi).
    >
    > We return the car to the airport and spend 4 nights in Hotel Forum, Rome (we're
    > running in the Rome Marathon on Palm Sunday, so that will be our primary focus).
    >
    > Next, we take the train to Sorrento (Hotel Il Nido) for 7 nights.
    >
    > We finish off with 2 nights in Rome (Residenza San Pantaleo, nr. Piazza Navona),
    > before returning to Canada.
    >
    > We welcome opinions on the hotels we have chosen and tips on dining and
    > sightseeing.
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Kevin

Sulpicia

"john walton" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > When you go to the Vatican Museum, make sure to get there early, and make
a
    > bee-line for the Sistine Chapel. That way you will have time to really
see
    > the paintings. I would read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" on the plane
going
    > over. You can usually convince the guards that you aren't really going
the
    > wrong way. The sculpture gallery in the Vat Museum is also wonderful. I have found
    > that most of the restaurants, despite the fact that they serve
to
    > large crowds, actually have good food in and around the Vatican. If the Farenese is
    > open (for some reason, it usually isn't, and I don't know why) see this museum. The
    > Doria Pamhpilii is also a great museum which doesn't get an enormous amount of
    > traffic. Watch out for pickpockets on the subways. Of the basilicae, I like St.
    > John Lateran for its striking interior. If you like walking, you can include a
    > jaunt to S. Pietro in Vincoli to see Michelangelo's "Moses". I wonder whether they
    > have changed the "light" boxes to accept the new Euro-coins.
    >

Not yet (as of February 23rd)

--
Sulpicia

Me

"Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > We soon leave for a 3 week trip to Italy, which we have partly planned with advice
    > from this group of savvy travellers. Thanks for your help!
    >
    > We would like advice on what you have enjoyed seeing and doing in the 3 cited
    > locations. (We have previously seen the "highlights" of Rome, i.e. Vatican,
    > Pantheon, Forum, Coliseum). We like history, architecture, art, and good Italian
    > food (who doesn't?)
    >
    > Here is our itinerary, and after discounting travel time we will have:
    >
    > 3 days in the Assisi/Umbria area.

My "don't miss" list would include Perugia and Cortona. Passigimano is nice but
this time of year might be just a bit cool and deserted. But if ya like sea food
I'm always told that's the place to have it. I don't so I ended up eating alot
of "Fungi".

    > 3 days in Rome
[snip]

Make sure that you have visited/eaten in Terestevere. It's a part of Rome (well
sort of, the name means out side the wall or other side of the Tiber or something)
that alot of folks miss.

They have english speaking graduate students that give walking tours in Rome. They
are studying history predominately (some might be doing art history). I understand
they are quite knowledgable and very inexpensive. I think the organization that
runs it has some sort of web presence.

Ken Blake

"me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > "Kevin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > > We soon leave for a 3 week trip to Italy, which we have
partly planned with
    > > advice from this group of savvy travellers. Thanks for your
help!
    > >
    > > We would like advice on what you have enjoyed seeing and
doing in the 3
    > > cited locations. (We have previously seen the "highlights" of
Rome, i.e.
    > > Vatican, Pantheon, Forum, Coliseum). We like history,
architecture, art,
    > > and good Italian food (who doesn't?)
    > >
    > Make sure that you have visited/eaten in Terestevere.

Sorry to correct spelling, but if you're looking for someplace, it's important to
know how to spell it. It's "Trastevere."

    > It's a part of Rome (well sort of,

Yes, of course it is part of Rome--no "sort of" at all.

    > the name means out side the wall or other side of the Tiber or something) that alot
    > of folks miss.

"Tras" mean "across," and "Tevere" is the Italian name for the Tiber. It means
"across the Tiber."

--
Ken Blake Please reply to the newsgroup

Me

"Ken Blake" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > "me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
[snip]
    >
    > > It's a part of Rome (well sort of,
    >
    >
    > Yes, of course it is part of Rome--no "sort of" at all.
    >
    >
    > > the name means out side the wall or other side of the Tiber or something) that
    > > alot of folks miss.
    >
    >
    > "Tras" mean "across," and "Tevere" is the Italian name for the Tiber. It means
    > "across the Tiber."

Well, my understanding is that it was formed by folks banished from the city and
sent outside the "walls" of Rome.

Barbara Vaughan

me wrote:
    >
    > "Ken Blake" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:<[email protected]>...
    > > "me" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > > news:[email protected]...
    > [snip]
    > >
    > > > It's a part of Rome (well sort of,
    > >
    > >
    > > Yes, of course it is part of Rome--no "sort of" at all.
    > >
    > >
    > > > the name means out side the wall or other side of the Tiber or something) that
    > > > alot of folks miss.
    > >
    > >
    > > "Tras" mean "across," and "Tevere" is the Italian name for the Tiber. It means
    > > "across the Tiber."
    >
    > Well, my understanding is that it was formed by folks banished from the city
    > and sent outside the "walls" of Rome.

Where did you hear that?

Barbara

Me

Barbara Vaughan <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > me wrote:
[snip]
    > > > "Tras" mean "across," and "Tevere" is the Italian name for the Tiber. It means
    > > > "across the Tiber."
    > >
    > > Well, my understanding is that it was formed by folks banished from the city
    > > and sent outside the "walls" of Rome.
    >
    > Where did you hear that?
    >

Actually, I believe the usual response is "cite?".

Ooooo. That's a tough one. My head is full of useless trivia but source is often
lost. My guess would be a Fodor's guide or some such thang.

Barbara Vaughan

me wrote:
    >
    > Barbara Vaughan <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:<[email protected]>...
    > > me wrote:
    > [snip]
    > > > > "Tras" mean "across," and "Tevere" is the Italian name for the Tiber. It
    > > > > means "across the Tiber."
    > > >
    > > > Well, my understanding is that it was formed by folks banished from the
    > > > city and sent outside the "walls" of Rome.
    > >
    > > Where did you hear that?
    > >
    >
    > Actually, I believe the usual response is "cite?".
    >
    > Ooooo. That's a tough one. My head is full of useless trivia but source is
    > often lost. My guess would be a Fodor's guide or some such thang.

My recollection from some other guide is that it was started by a small community of
fisherman who operated a ferry.

Rome didn't have a wall for most of its history. There was a wall enclosing a very
small part of the city in Republican times, but when Rome was a great empire there
was no need of a wall around the city; the "wall" was the Roman frontier. The 3rd
century emperor Aurelius built a wall when the frontier defenses were falling apart.
By that time Trastevere already existed.

Barbara