I'm going to Italy

[Hermiod]

^Do that in London and you'll probably get arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

(KIDDING!!!!)

 

[Niorah]

O tempora, o mores.

 

[Elmo Dukat]

In the same vein, don't expect everything to work as expected or in due time. Things will be done when they will be done. Just be patient, and have a coffee during the wait.

Best piece of advice ever. How true.

Oh and Alidar, do take your time to enjoy the food whenever you can, it's worth it (understatement of the century, I know).
Restaurants can be a bit expensive if you try to have a meal in a "tourist trap", so stay out of the main streets and squares.
I find that when I'm visiting a new place in Italy if I see policemen on patrol and ask them where they go for their lunch I always end up in places that give you great food for little money.

Cool! I might be going to Pisa next summer for a few weeks (still not sure yet). I'd prefer going to the Provincia dell'Aquila, since I come from that particular Italian stock, but it's a work thing so I don't have much of a choice. If I get to go, I'd be excited, regardless.

EDIT - we come from Vittorito, namely.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

I'm not sure if I made it clear in the first post, but it's a study abroad trip. While I can travel some places, I'm somewhat limited geographically to places near Siena or Rome for the most part.

For those mentioning hot Italian men, from what I've been told by people who went on this trip before, I will have to pretend to be the boyfriend of girls on my trip more than once because creepy older Italian men will try to hit on them.

Don't get mad at jokes. They are a national past-time, not to be intended as serious. Expect an high level of sarcasm. Italians can be very cynical.

Sounds like my family (especially on my father's side). I'll actually be trying to visit some distant relatives in Rimini if I have time.

We don't live in a postcard, so expect some ugly places, rude people and some litter around. We make up for this in other departments.

That's fine. I always expect people to be people everywhere.

Since you are coming in January, remember that Italy is cold in winter. Not freezing usually, but cold. Around 0-10 Celsius, often below zero at night. Bring a raincoat, and some heavy sweaters. Don't forget heavy shoes, too.

That'll be warm compared to home, so I should be fine.

Don't be surprised when people will go out of their way to help you. We take great pride in our hospitality. Don't refuse, it won't work.

Sounds great to me

I hope you will have a great time staying here! Tell us how it went when you are back!

I'll try and tell you guys while I'm on the trip if I can. And I'll take lots of pictures like the worst of tourists (sorry, I won't be able to help it).

In the same vein, don't expect everything to work as expected or in due time. Things will be done when they will be done. Just be patient, and have a coffee during the wait.

Best piece of advice ever. How true.

Oh and Alidar, do take your time to enjoy the food whenever you can, it's worth it (understatement of the century, I know).
Restaurants can be a bit expensive if you try to have a meal in a "tourist trap", so stay out of the main streets and squares.
I find that when I'm visiting a new place in Italy if I see policemen on patrol and ask them where they go for their lunch I always end up in places that give you great food for little money.

I think I'll be fat when I get back. Seriously, though, thanks for the advice

 

[An Officer]

^ You lucky so and so. I would say do lots of shoe shopping. Nothing quite like Italian shoes.

 

[iguana_tonante]

For those mentioning hot Italian men, from what I've been told by people who went on this trip before, I will have to pretend to be the boyfriend of girls on my trip more than once because creepy older Italian men will try to hit on them.

Well, still try to be kind with those old creepy guys, one of the could be me.
Seriously, I never heard something like that, but maybe it's true. While we surely enjoy being (sometimes shamelessly) flirty, more often than not it's just for fun. However, better safe than sorry.

I'll try and tell you guys while I'm on the trip if I can. And I'll take lots of pictures like the worst of tourists (sorry, I won't be able to help it).

Actually, I'll look forward to see them.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, I don't mean to generalize. I don't know if it's true, it's just what I was told. It could be cultural differences (just that they're more flirty than American girls are used to), I don't know. I was just told that I should expect someone on the trip at some point to grab me and say "il mio ragazzo" when they think some Italian dude hitting on them is going a bit too far.

 

[An Officer]

I didn't see any of that. Now I feel as though I didn't experience the FULL treatment.

Although one teenage boy crossed himself as he walked by me, mumbling "Madaonna mia" to himself... it may well be he merely didn't approve of my semi-mohawk...

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

That sounds like a lot of fun. I spent a semester in Rome as a sophomore in college. We were able to travel extensively and even spent 10 days in Greece.

When you go to Siena, look around the main piazza and then imagine a horse race being run in there every year- the Paolio. I can't imagine.

You should be able to hit Florence, Ravenna, Assisi, and Padua to name a few around Siena, and as fro Rome- you could spend months exploring and not make a dent.

The Pope holds a weekly audience, you can request tickets here.

Near the Spanish Steps is a church that contains a crypt that holds the skeletons of the deceased members of the order.

If you're able, get a Eurail pass and get out of town. Munich is only an overnight train away from Rome. From Munich you can go to Dachau. It's a night train back, and starting from the Hofbrauhaus, there are 5 beer halls on the way back to the train station.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

When you go to Siena, look around the main piazza and then imagine a horse race being run in there every year- the Paolio. I can't imagine.

Yeah, I've seen video of the Palio. It's a shame I'm not going to be in Siena in July.

You should be able to hit Florence, Ravenna, Assisi, and Padua to name a few around Siena, and as fro Rome- you could spend months exploring and not make a dent.

Florence I'll try to visit more than once (since I'm actually skipping the official visit to go somewhere else). I could probably spend years in Italy and not see everything, so I think seeing everything in a month is a hopeless cause.

The Pope holds a weekly audience, you can request tickets here.

Near the Spanish Steps is a church that contains a crypt that holds the skeletons of the deceased members of the order.

I'll try and check those out if I can.

If you're able, get a Eurail pass and get out of town. Munich is only an overnight train away from Rome. From Munich you can go to Dachau. It's a night train back, and starting from the Hofbrauhaus, there are 5 beer halls on the way back to the train station.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that, but I do have a friend going to Geneva (and I think a weekend to Munich) as well as a friend going to Germany, so I'll let them know.

My school is really, really big on study abroad in case you couldn't tell.

I didn't see any of that. Now I feel as though I didn't experience the FULL treatment.

Although one teenage boy crossed himself as he walked by me, mumbling "Madaonna mia" to himself... it may well be he merely didn't approve of my semi-mohawk...

The basic idea is that American girls have a reputation of being easy, so they try and hit on them (once again, I'm just reporting what I was told, it's not my opinion since I don't know). It's possible you didn't fit that image so they didn't do that

 

[Roger Wilco]

I'd suggest not to plan too much, just go with the flow and stay at one place as long as you like if you feel like it even if you intended to go somewhere else too. There's too much to see to go everywhere within a couple weeks anyway, so take it easy.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Excuse the bump, but the 2 weeks has shrunk to three days. The anticipation right now is killing me (I think I watched Quantum of Solace just for the Siena scenes at the beginning of the movie). I'll try and keep everyone updated as things go along, so I apologize if things are a bit bloggy.

 

[wew]

I spent three years living in the Veneto region.

If you going to go to Venice and have some time built in for long weekend, you might also check out Verona, its about an hour west of Venice by train. Vicenza has neat architecture throughout the city including the Teatro Olimpico, based off Andrea Palladio's work, (Jefferson borrowed from him), but I'd say Vernoa is a bit more interesting.

Trieste might be nice, its an hour by train from Venice, but they also have a horrendous cold wind known as the "bora" which blows quite strongly and is quite cold. I was in Trieste last summer, I'd say in terms of time, skip it.

If you want someplace interesting, you might also check out San Marino and Vatican City; two microstates; Vatican should be a piece of cake, its in Rome, San Marino is near the eastern coastline, but around Rimini/Ancona. Its a nice old republic.

As noted earlier, Italy does get extremely cold.

When you go out to eat, be careful of prices, especially in Rome- read the small print on the menus, otherwise you could end up paying about $100 for a double dip gelato. Also, unlike the US, where bread is usually free at the sit down resturaunts, anything put on your table can result in additional charges being placed on your bill. If you don't want to get charged for it; have the server remove it immediately, so you won't be tempted eat it and get charged.

One particular scam which occurs in some places is the switching of the 2 euro coin for the old 500 lira coin; when someone hands you back change, make sure its euros not lira.

My opinions about Italians, is they are like Americans to some degree; they run the gamut from being friendly and open-minded to being xenophobic and distrustful (the latter not to often) I have some great memories of my time there.

Also, be careful about getting on trains, some places sound a bit similiar Piacenza and Vicenza; etc.

Enjoy your trip.