International Connections

<< e) Should we go all the way down to Sicily or ferry over to Corsica
instead? I guess Corsica is wilder, but going there means we miss all
of southern Italy. >>

If you decide to go to Corsica:

Corsica (Corse), the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, is a
wild and beautiful place, still one of the most unspoiled destinations
in Europe. The coastline is glorious, with rugged, windswept cliffs,
wonderful beaches, and unpolluted sea. Inland are remote mountains,
chestnut forests, clear lakes and streams—a paradise for walkers.
Corsica also has delightful, lively towns such as Ajaccio and Bastia,
a wealth of fine Romanesque churches, and important megalithic
monuments, such as the statue-menhirs of the Filitosa Archaeological
Site at Sollacaro.

I know a nice place named Stella di Mare.
For more information go to: http://contactez.net/vacations

Stella di Mare is a small residence of vacation situated in the region
of Porto-Vecchio, at 100 meters of a thin sand beach. Comfortable
mini-villas with two bedrooms, water room with shower, WC, living
room, kitchenette, large terrace, barbecue, sunbathes and garden
furniture, view on the sea, parking, launderette. Car rental at the
departure of the harbors and airports consult our Internet site
http://www.corsicadriving.com

Do not send me direct emails at this address, use the newsroom or for
contact information go to:

http://contactez.net/portfolio.html

[email protected] (Juu) wrote in message news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > Hi,
    >
    > Four of us are planning a two-week car trip from Riga, Latvia to Italy
    > on the last two weeks of July (so only around 12 days in Italy,
    > starting from the North).
    >
    > My personal priorities are:
    > a) Language tourism - I've tried to learn a tiny bit of Italian in the
    > last year and would like to reinforce it as much as I can (so going to
    > where English is not spoken, but people are friendly and speak with
    > little accent would be best - but is probably a pipe-dream),
    > b) Nice relaxed countryside/landscapes/wilderness and small villages -
    > preferrably diverse
    > c) Old castles (I don't care so much for cathedrals and fine arts)
    > d) Perhaps a few days of hiking in the mountains, but not serious - we
    > have no equipment and not much stamina
    > e) Seeing some wineyards, tasting some wine
    >
    > My compagnions will make me go to (at least) Rome and Florence as
    > well, whether I want to or not.
    >
    > I hoped perhaps you can answer these questions:
    > a) Which regions are best for language tourism?
    > b) Considering staying in B&Bs, small hotels and (as a last resort)
    > campgrounds, what should be the accomodations budget?
    > c) Are reservations a must? Only on weekends?
    > d) How much does Southern Italy differs from Northern Italy in terms
    > of landscape, architecture, people?
    > e) Should we go all the way down to Sicily or ferry over to Corsica
    > instead? I guess Corsica is wilder, but going there means we miss all
    > of southern Italy. Whose dialect is worse?
    > f) Will the temperatures be unbearable, or only in the south? July is
    > still better than August from the crowds and heat perspective, right?
    > g) Does it make sense to go back through
    > Slovenia/Croatia/Hungary/Slovakia at the expense of time in Italy?
    > We're likely just to make a judgment call on this I guess.
    > h) Any other advice or suggestions you can offer, esp. as to where to
    > find fortresses in Italy? I'd presume there would be a bunch, but most
    > tourism books talk of cathedrals and artwork instead (and mention
    > Milan and Ferrara).
    >
    > Thanks in advance and apologies for the many questions - any answer to
    > any one of the questions will be much appreciated (they're in
    > prioritized order).
    >
    > Best regards,
    > Juris.
    >
    > P.S. We evaluated going back through
    > Greece/Bulgary/Rumania/Hungary/Slovakia, but figured it's too much too
    > quickly.

M

Hot yes, try to get a place with a pool. If you are in one area for a week
try a rental or perhaps even with its own private pool. Beleive it or not
the cost isn't a crunch. Have a great trip.
"Juu" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Ronald,
    > Judith,
    > Giovanni,
    > Thank you for your comments / Grazie per le vostre response.
    > A few quick responses:
    > a) Thanks for the Lunigiana suggestion - I was looking exactly for a
    > suggestion for where to stay in Tuscany area!
    > b) The heat I'm worried about, but our schedules don't permit an
    > earlier time. We'll hopefully be able to go for a swim often enough.
    > c) Somehow there always seem many more cathedrals/churches around than
    > fortresses/castles (the latter are more likely to be destroyed and
    > less likely to be rebuilt perhaps?), so if I go out of my way to find
    > castles I arrive at a balance that works for me.
    > d) We'll definately try "agriturismo" - I assume that's the Italian
    > equivalent of B&B in the countryside, right?
    > e) It should be "only" a 24h drive from Riga, all four of us can
    > drive, and we will likely lay over somewhere in Germany or Czech
    > Republic. I've never done such a drive, but given the ridiculously
    > expensive prices our airlines charge it is the cheapest, if not the
    > most pleasant, way to get to Western Europe (and bring a means of
    > transportation with us).
    > Best regards,
    > Juris.