Comments | golden_berry: Well, I'm back!

golden_berry

Well, I'm back!

Jul 05, 2005 08:44

Yes, Virginia, there really is a LOTR quote for every occasion. :>D ( Read more... )

Comments 15

juliebeth July 5 2005, 14:26:43 UTC

Count me in on the Tuscan villa.

Glad you had a good trip!

golden_berry July 5 2005, 16:36:41 UTC

Oh good! I hoped you'd be in! How much longer will you be in Germany?
Rentvillas.com has a great selection of villas to rent. I got our apartment through them.

juliebeth July 5 2005, 19:24:57 UTC

We're here three more years.

golden_berry July 5 2005, 21:25:58 UTC

We could have two or three Tuscan Hoots during that time! Woo hoo!

suspect_terrain July 5 2005, 15:23:36 UTC

Did you go to Pompeii? (You know where I would go if I went to Italy!)

golden_berry July 5 2005, 15:34:09 UTC

Oh yes! It was awesome--once we found the "Scavi" as they call it. Southern Italians don't seem to be too good at directional signs, and they have a curiously lax attitude toward one of their biggest tourist attractions. The ancient walled city is huge. We spent 5 hours there and didn't see everything. Some of the buildings were closed for renovation, such as the brothel *sob*. We didn't have time to go to the top of Vesuvius, but its crater-indented hulking form still looms ominously in the distance.

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golden_berry July 5 2005, 16:34:21 UTC

(((Poil))) Actually there was considerable stress at times, and the heat didn't help...but the great thing about time is that it tends to emphasize the good times while the not-so-good times fade.

I hoped you would be up for a Tuscan villa Hoot! I now know of a great company that rents villas, and have experience with them through renting the apartment in Rome. Perhaps in May of 2007? It's never too early to plan!

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golden_berry July 5 2005, 18:29:36 UTC

Sister is doing well and is considered cured after her hysterectomy. Poor baby had to have her ovaries out too, and is now going through an early menopause. Hot humid weather AND hot/sweat flashes, oh my!

The rental company I used is Rentvillas.com. Frommer's travel guides recommend them, and I know someone who used them to rent a villa in the recent past. Check out their website--they have listings with photos of all the properties they handle.

April might be a good time to rent also. Did you ever see the film 'Enchanted April'?

sixth_queen July 5 2005, 18:57:12 UTC

Sounds like a good place for our post-oil commune. Surely they won't mind some new people; isn't Italy losing population? Think what we could grow. Tomatoes, basil, durum wheat semolina...And don't forget the interns!

golden_berry July 5 2005, 21:24:56 UTC

We'd be doing our part to decrease unemployment in Italy! I've heard that there are so many jobless young men in Italy that they end up living at home into their 30's. Surely they would prefer living amongst us excellent and admirable hobbitlasses, even if it meant having to do farm work. ;)

merylmarie July 6 2005, 03:56:00 UTC

So that's where you were! It sounds magnifico! Renting an apartment and doing your own thing sounds much better than a guided tour. I've been to northern Italy, but am pining to see Rome and Florence, not to mention Sicily and the Greek islands. Glad to have you back--you were missed. Also glad to hear that your sister is doing well. (((goldie)))

Every time I've seen that adorable movie "Enchanted April" I've thought about the Tuscan villa hoot idea and am so happy to see you put it into action. Pleeeez put me on that list! (May is better for me work-wise than April.) Si, andiam!

golden_berry July 6 2005, 14:29:11 UTC

A Tuscan villa is the perfect spot for day trips to both Florence and Rome. Firenze was overrun with huge tour groups, which made us shudder every time we saw them swarming around the Duomo and other sights. My first impression of Roma was not favorable, due to the noise and the graffiti--in fact I had a moment of panic, thinking "I've made a terrible mistake scheduling a whole week here!" But after less than a day, we were all completely charmed, and we weren't ready to leave when the time came. I was a little nervous about renting an apartment, but it was much less expensive for a week than two decent hotel rooms would have been, and more comfortable for four people.

May is a great time to visit Tuscany and Umbria. The only downside is the sunflowers aren't blooming yet. The posters for EII with the sunflower field remind me of Tuscany in June.

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golden_berry July 6 2005, 16:15:59 UTC

May 2007 is almost two years away! Waaaaaaah! :(