The Great Italian Funkstravaganza

[garbon]

I'd visit Tivoli - short bus ride outside of Rome and nice views.

[CountDeMoney]

I saw Under The Tuscan Sun once.  It was nice.

[alfred russel]

Rent a car at least one weekend and drive somewhere beyond Tuscany and outside of a big city. Break away from the tourist hordes.

[Caliga]

I think the places I most want to visit are places where there are a shit ton of Roman ruins. Obviously I'll be in Rome so that's already checked off. Any other places?

I didn't think about Monte Cassino, Cal. Is it in ruins or is it a museum now or still in use of what? Will I still find Germans hidden in caves on the cliffs?

I need someone to help me brush up on my (non-existent) Italian. Do most people know some basic English in Italy? Where is Pedrito? 

Unfortunately no, the abbey on Cassino has been rebuilt.   But there's a museum there of course and a cemetery full of Martinuses.

If you want ruins, then you must go to the aforementioned Pompeii.  It's one of the most bitchin' things ever dude.  Imagine walking down an actual Roman street that looks EXACTLY like it did back in the day, and it's not even some repro.... it's real!  It's real to the point that there are even dead Romans laying around all over the place... sorta (basically skeletons encased in concrete).  There's also a whore house with a picture of a dude with a gigantic wang painted on it.  How can you pass up something like that, son?  Answer: you cannot.

Yes, almost everyone speaks English.  The only place I encountered a wop I needed to speak with who didn't speak English was in Verona when we wanted to buy something from a shopkeep.  Between my French and Latin, Princesca's Spanish, and a very limited amount of Italian we both knew, we were able to communicate with her.  Nowadays if you have a good smart phone translator, it should be way easier.... I have a neat little tool on my Galaxy S4 called S Translate that can translate two-way conversations in close to real time.

[Caliga]

I'd visit Tivoli - short bus ride outside of Rome and nice views.

Good one, I was there too and forgot about it.

[Caliga]

Rent a car at least one weekend and drive somewhere beyond Tuscany and outside of a big city. Break away from the tourist hordes.

Stresa.

[CountDeMoney]

If you want ruins, then you must go to the aforementioned Pompeii.  It's one of the most bitching things ever dude.  Imagine walking down an actual Roman street that looks EXACTLY like it did back in the day, and it's not even some repro.... it's real!  It's real to the point that there are even dead Romans laying around all over the place... sorta (basically skeletons encased in concrete).  There's also a whore house with a picture of a dude with a gigantic wang painted on it.  How can you pass up something like that, son?  Answer: you cannot.

I would love to see Pompeii during my lifetime.  I think I've devoured every possible documentary on it.  Definitely a city frozen in time, one of the greatest archeological gifts ever.

[Ed Anger]

The problem with Italy is that it is full of Italians.

[Caliga]

The problem with Italy is that it is full of Italians.

I'm ok with that as long as all of them are chicks.

[CountDeMoney]

Meh, loud and hairy.  They're like South Americans, only with more pasta in their diet.

[Ed Anger]

The problem with Italy is that it is full of Italians.

I'm ok with that as long as all of them are chicks.

Milan was full of hotties when I was there. 

[garbon]

I'd visit Tivoli - short bus ride outside of Rome and nice views.

Good one, I was there too and forgot about it.

The other day I saw a photo of Hadrian's Villa and I was like that would be nice to visit. Then I remembered I had.

[Caliga]

I would love to see Pompeii during my lifetime.  I think I've devoured every possible documentary on it.  Definitely a city frozen in time, one of the greatest archeological gifts ever.

Yeah.  I kind of compare that to the Colosseum of Rome in my mind.  The Colosseum should be OSSUM, but it's not, because every where you turn around there's another douche in a really fake 'Roman' outfit trying to pressure you to pose with a photo for him.

[Caliga]

The other day I saw a photo of Hadrian's Villa and I was like that would be nice to visit. Then I remembered I had.

I remember seeing some giant garden complex in Tivoli but not sure if that was it.

[Ed Anger]

I want to see the Pantheon.