languish meet in Italy : 7 - 11 May

[Tamas]

Oh that's fine, I know that me and Ank have to get an early start on the monday anyway, and Tamas has to drive all the way back to Hungary. So sunday evening was always going to be a bit quiet, it makes sense for you guys to relocate to Venice ready to get going there on monday morning.

Indeed. I will need to get some healthy sleep time on Sunday night, with that 800km trip back home on Monday.

[Pedrito]

Mean Streets - A primer of italian driving habits

"Traffic lights are perceived as: a rule, in Milan; a suggestion, in Rome; Christmas decorations, in Naples"
Nicola Mancino, president of the Italian Senate, 1996-2001


A feeling of shock and hopelessness pervades the unwary foreigner who rents a car and immerses himself in the seemingly endless stream of traffic on the roads of the Bel Paese. Not unlike Cairo or Mumbai, despair fills the hearts of those watching the driving behaviour of most part of the italians.
As a notable member of this caste  , I will share some of the secret tricks needed to survive in the urban jungle.

Always remember that adherence to traffic laws is strongly linked to three factors:
a - the dimensions of the urban centre: big city, bad behaviour.
b - the latitude of the urban centre: southern city dwellers are wild outlaws in respect to their northern counterparts.
c - the size of the vehicle: almost everywhere, bicycles and mopeds will act like crazed molecules in a Brownian motion diagram.

Behaviour in the city:
- while wandering around, be VERY careful of bikes and scooters: they usually don't obey to traffic lights, and bicycles almost everywhere use to run on pedestrian sidewalks
- in southern cities, traffic lights are REALLY an option: it's not unusual for a foreigner to stop with the red light, and be immediately horned by the driver behind him that wants to cross the street and doesn't give a fuck about the lights.
- contradictory signals can be easily spotted around, the usual reaction is simply not obeying to anyone of them.

Behaviour on the highways:
- highways are used as high speed tracks by all kinds of vehicles, including heavy trucks; for cars, the 130 kmph limit is usually laughed upon; trucks don't care about limitations to surpassing, and easily break the 80 kmph speed limit.
- in the last couple of years, though, the police set up a lot of speed traps along highways and routes, so don't be fooled by our manic behaviour and remain inside the limits (130kmh for toll highways, 70 to 110 kmh for non-toll freeways and regional roads).
- there are A LOT of heavy vehicles on the highways!

Hope this is useful, 

L.

[Grey Fox]

It seems that driving in Italy is quite similar to driving in Montreal.

[Zanza]

I'll not be able to make it.

[Richard Hakluyt]

I'll not be able to make it.

deadbeat 

There are North Americans on this very board who drive that far just to get their breakfast 

[Barrister]

I'll not be able to make it.

All our rooms are booked, except May 6th.  Still trying to find a place just across the border, but not actually in Cortina.

We have rooms booked in Venice May 10-12, Rome 13-16, San Gimigniano May 17-18, and Como May 19.

I'm quite looking forward to San Gimigniano - little village in the middle of Tuscany.  Unfortunately with so little time we'll barely get a whiff of Florence I'm afraid.

[Pedrito]

If the projected invasion route will be down the Brenner Pass coming from Germany and austria, I can suggest sleeping in Merano/Meran, along the Isarco river valley, a beautiful and quiet town in the heart of the area where the best wine in the Alps is produced ; but it's quite far from Cortina (a couple hours by car along the Val Pusteria).
Else, you can sleep in Dobbiaco/Toblach, a small nice town about 30 minutes from Cortina; if you need, i can make a couple of phone calls and look for a room.

L.

[Barrister]

If the projected invasion route will be down the Brenner Pass coming from Germany and austria, I can suggest sleeping in Merano/Meran, along the Isarco river valley, a beautiful and quiet town in the heart of the area where the best wine in the Alps is produced ; but it's quite far from Cortina (a couple hours by car along the Val Pusteria).
Else, you can sleep in Dobbiaco/Toblach, a small nice town about 30 minutes from Cortina; if you need, i can make a couple of phone calls and look for a room.

L.

Thanks P - I'll see what I can find in Merano.  A couple hour drive is absolutely nothing.

So the countdopwn is on.  I'll be seeing you guys in 14 days (15 for Pedrito).

[Tamas]

I can't wait. I hope this company trip of mine will not interfere at the last moment.

[Pedrito]

What will be the definitve lineup of the meeting?
And what size of t-shirt do you guys usually wear?

L.

[Richard Hakluyt]

We are down to 6, but I think they are now certainties :

Barrister and Mrs Barrister, me, Ank, Tamas and yourself.

I'll go for a L or XL t-shirt 

[Pedrito]

Ok, some news about the weather:
in Cortina there's still so much snow that they've decided to keep open the ski areas until the weekend of May, 3. It is an exceptional decision, since usually in Italy the ski season ends after the Easter holidays. On the pistes there are still 3 to 4 meters of snow so, even in case of intense melting in the next two weeks, deathmarches are to be ruled out of the program 
Night temperatures fall to 2-3° Celsius, while during the day they reach 15° Celsius.
Next monday I'll call a guy I know who lives there and ask him precisely about the weather.

L.

[Pedrito]

On a vaguely related note:
anyone of you having recently been to Mexico? having snizzles? runny nose?   

L.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Astounding weather conditions, I'm beginning to wonder if pushing for Cortina was a good idea 

Well, if the worst comes to the worst we will just have to visit Verona, Padua and Venice. Or maybe there are lesser places nearby that are nevertheless very interesting, what is Trento like for example?

[Tamas]

Well RH, who would have thought you could still ski there on May Day.

I am still eager to meet you guys, altough with me having to be on a plane toward Berlin on the 11th, things got more thight for me time-wise.

Pedrito, any chance, or even need,  for us to relocate the base of operations somewhere lower but still in the general area? Altough on pictures that town and the sourroundings look lovely, would hate to miss it.