Correction: Desenzano and Gardone Riviera are on the southwest part of
Lake Garda, not the southeast. My mistake.


[email protected] (acca) wrote in message news:...
    > BB wrote in message news:...
    > > We're going to be driving across N. Italy en route to Lyon (France), and I
    > > have a day of slack to stop somewhere. Does anyone know of a town that
    > > would be good to stop in? Milan just seems like another big city, and I
    > > haven't heard much about Torino.
    >
    > Verona has a lot of charm. Just about everything but on a very small
    > intimate scale. Roman amplitheater, renaissance castles, elaborate
    > medieval plazas, walking street for elegant shopping, wonderful
    > restaurants, a beautiful and gracious city that seems off the heavy
    > tourist horizon.
    >
    > Or take the turnoff to Lake Garda and visit Sirmione for its fairy
    > tale draw bridge castle, gorgeous garden hotel and walks along the
    > lake. Or drive up to Gardone Riviera on the south-eastern end of Lake
    > Garda. Not as elegant as the other Italian lakes but still wonderfully
    > charming and unique. Other find the more austere Lake Orta, further
    > inland to be a good destination too. A short drive off the autostrada.
    >
    > Bergamo - the upper town is another charmer.
    >
    > All of these are off the autostrada going from Venice to Milan, about
    > half way or so.
    >
    > I lived in Desenzano on the SE end of Lake Garda and loved it. Very
    > small town but the beauty is the lake and if it is summer, the lagoon
    > there is wonderful for sitting have having a coupe of icecream and
    > walking around the old town sn by the lake. Tuesday morning is their
    > "market day" which they have been holding since the 1600's and fun to
    > see.
    >
    > This area is heavily touristed by the summer lake crowds however in
    > July and August. Far better off-season. May is glorious.
    >
    >
    > >
    > > Thanks,
    > > -BB-
    > > To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

I think that the reason the Cinque Terra villages are immensely popular is
because Rick Steves popularized them a number of years ago. Before Rick Steves,
guidebooks scarcely mentioned them. [This is not an anti-Steves posting].
Younger people read about them in Steves' book and the Cinque Terra became a
destination.

There are many other cliff side villages that did not receive the notoriety
that the Cinque Terre villages did.

Crowded in the summer, I think - but nice off season. And yes, I was there
because I was introduced to it by Rick Steves. I did the whole walk a few years
ago (but divided it into two days) while my wife did half the walk and then
visited the villages. No problem walking (I was 71 at the time). And regardless
of their popularity, a nice place to visit.

And it is a shame that so many are using this travel board to express political
opinions. It would be nice to keep it to travel opinions.

I just love the Piemonte area on Italy and I can summarize it with 2 words.
Barolo and Barbaresco. The most fantastic red wine you will ever taste, with
apologies to the Chianti-making regions of Tuscany.

"BB" wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > We're going to be driving across N. Italy en route to Lyon (France), and I
    > have a day of slack to stop somewhere. Does anyone know of a town that
    > would be good to stop in? Milan just seems like another big city, and I
    > haven't heard much about Torino.
    > Thanks,
    > -BB-
    > To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)