While I generally don’t have time to respond individually to comments and questions posted on my blog, here are answers to a few questions I thought people might find interesting:
Question: Will you look into the Marche area or more of the “toe” and “heel” of the boot of Italy? Or any of the smaller islands off the coast?
Answer: Italy is my favorite country for many reasons. Most of those favorite aspects come from Italy’s rich heritage. And by “rich,” I mean money. Both during ancient Roman times and during the Renaissance, Italy’s extreme wealth gave it the wherewithal to fund marvelous culture. That money was in central and northern Italy — and that’s where that rich culture remains today. Southern Italy has a rustic culture. Part of its allure is that it’s relatively untouristed and much less expensive than the urban and touristic north. People love the south of Italy. (It’s one of our most popular tours.) But the goal of my guidebooks is to introduce travelers to what I think is the best first 30 days a country has to offer. And in Italy, the boot and the heel don’t make the cut. If I had 30 days, I wouldn’t go south of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. About islands: I don’t know much about the resort islands of the Mediterranean. My feeling is that the famous resort islands are often inundated with Europeans enjoying their fun in the sun. For that, I’ll take a winter trip to Mexico. The French, Italians, and Spaniards can keep their Mediterranean getaways–they have an impressive knack for enjoying extremely congested beaches.
Question: How long before the Italy updates are out? We leave October 31, 2007. Do you think printing will make my deadline so I can take the most up to date information?
Answer: Our 2008 editions will begin to appear by the end of this summer (mid-August). The first books will be Europe Through the Back Door, Best of Europe, Rome, Florence, Venice, and Italy–appearing in that order, each about a week after the last. All of our Italy books will probably be out by mid-September. The specific dates aren’t set yet, but keep an eye on our website for a specific list of arrival dates as soon as we know them.
Question: What’s a folding board that you mention (in your packing description)?
Answer: Eagle Creek makes a clever “Folder” the size of a folded shirt. It comes with a stiff vinyl board that you fold the shirt around. You stack your shirts, put the board on top, and wrap and fasten the Velcro flaps to make it a tight little package. With my TV work (both in Europe and going from PBS station to station) I travel with my backpack and, thanks to this board, still have reasonably well-pressed shirts.
Question: Do you carry a handheld GPS?
Answer: No. People rave about these. But I have never thought, “Boy, if only I had a GPS.” Part of the fun of being immersed in Europe is navigating. By being engaged, I learn and internalize the lay of the land. But then, for several years after owning a computer, I still insisted on writing out manuscripts on paper, committed to the notion that the paper was a fertile battleground upon which my ideas would be scratched and organized and pounded into a good order. And then, only when that all was in order, did I type the article or even a book into a computer. I may have been the last writer in America to cling to WordPerfect. So, it’s a fair bet that in a few years I’ll wonder how anyone ever traveled without the help of a handheld GPS.
Hi Rick,
If possible, please let us know how much of the Uffizi complex is under scaffold for construction. We leave for Italy in mid-May.
Thanks and happy travels.
Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions Rick! One more for you – with so many airlines asking to put the carry on (the RS-Bag) on the scale to make sure its under 8kg – do you find your list still works the same? (Do you now just keep your heavy laptop, books and camera in a day-pack as “personal item” in tandem with the RS-Bag as carry on?
Thanks!
Hi Rick,
Just a note to say if you are headed to Venice, if you would like some contacts, my son-in-law is Venetian and all his family lives there. He lives here in Seattle with my daughter and grandson (I live in Edmonds and frequent the Edmonds Theater for a variety of your classes). Last year I met the entire family (I now have 30+ new Italian relatives!). If you would like a gondolier contact or contact for a glass factory owner in Murano, just ask someone on your staff to get in touch with me and I would be happy to share this info. They are all charming people and the factory is fabulous (they do not even have a website).
And, if you haven’t already, check out the Capriani restaurant on Torchello, it’s amazing (and will “eat” your food allowance up for the day, easily). But, well worth it for the fresh, homegrown food, and ambience.
Safe travels and be well,
Vivian
Hi, Rick! Very interesting questions and answers. Thanks for taking the time from your busy schedule to answer. May you have safe, pleasant travels. Have fun!
Hello Rick…sounds like you are enjoying yourself as usual. We are traveling to Italy middle of Sept. beginning of Oct. Two days in Rome, one week in Amalfi, and one week in Tuscany-renting villas in both areas. For these two weeks we are 7 persons but my husband and I have a week to ourselves to do what we please while the others are off to Croatia. Any must sees outside the areas we will already be in? Venice? Lake Como? Just hop on the train and see where we end up?
Your books and videos have been a huge help for us first timers. Tomorrow we will attend some classes at the travel center which I’m sure will be helpful. Any more advice you can lend would be helpful. Be safe and continue to enjoy yourself.
Dulcenea
I may have you beat on the WordPerfect thing, Rick. I wept when it went away. It was far superior to MS Word in so many ways. I can’t imagine myself ever buying or wanting a GPS. One of the great joys of travel is getting lost and having to connect with the local people when it’s necessary to stop and ask for directions. That’s when the magic moments happen that truly enliven a trip.
I’m still clinging to WordPerfect, too. (I grew up in Ballad with all those stubborn Scandavians; maybe that explains it).
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If you are able to get in your car, or take a bus, train, or plane, and visit the US on your own, there is no good reason why you can’t do the same in Europe. If you speak the language, you will still have difficulties at times, and if you don’t speak the language it can be more confusing, but that’s part of the fun. Just make allowances for what you don’t know, and look for a place to sleep before it gets too late in the afternoon. Remember, after a good night’s sleep you can put up with most anything the next day.
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Rick,
When you are in Sicily, would you recommend a guide, and if so, who would that be?
I have to disagree about your decision not to carry a handheld GPS. Okay, maybe I’m a bit of a gadget freak, but since a cheap one isn’t much bigger than 2 decks of cards these days, I find it helpful. Not just to see how accurate the speed screen is on the ICE train, but also to mark where I parked! This was invaluable in Strasbourg last year. Dear Traveling Companion said, “Oh, we’ll be able to find the garage again”, but I spent a minute to “mark” it, and boy was I glad we did! After a day of sightseeing, it was a pleasure to be able to go directly back to the parking garage with no confusion in a strange city.
I think that the area south of Naples is some of the BEST of Italy!!! I stayed in Noci, in one of the trulli houses (near the “heel” of Italy), and travelled through Alberobello, Ostuni, and Cisternino (very tiny and charming). The area is gorgeous! I also loved riding horses on the beach in Maratea (near the “toe” of Italy). I didn’t like my hotel–I’d stay downtown Maratea if I went back. The town is ancient, charming, and unforgettable. I would have liked more time in the south, to explore the caves and other cities, but I will go back again! I also loved Positano and Capri, but those are heavily advertised–but still sweet and innocent–tourism has not spoiled either. Thank Heaven! Also, the people in these regions are ultra-friendly and sweet!
Rick, my husband and I are lucky to be living in southern Italy for 6 months. It is wonderful! Sara is right, it’s charming, beautiful, peaceful. The small towns are amazing. You might want to re-consider your stance about southern Italy someday.
You really do need to reconsider Southern Italy. There are many wonderful sites there. Luckily, I have family there that take us on great tours. Calabria and Gerace, Serra San Bruno, and wonderful Greek Ruins. You cannot base Culture on money and I am rather offended to hear your take on the matter. Be bold. Go where no other tour books have gone before and you will be surprised at how many thanks you receive.
Rick: I have to agree with Sara, Teresa, and Brittany — you’re depriving yourself and your readers of spectacular scenery, history, warm people, and, contrary to your belief about wealth being relegated to Northern and Central italy, there is a wealth of architectural and cultural heritage in the south (there is some disagreement as to what constitutes the south), a legacy of quite wealthy Norman, French, and Spanish royalty who ruled the south for hundreds of years. If you’d like to know more, you could read an interesting book by a Georgetown University professor, Tommaso Astarita, “Between Salt Water and Holy Water, A History of the Italian South.” The scenery in Abruzzo and Molise is quite dramatic, and it’s these regions, along with other southern regions, that were the birthplaces of many Italian-Americans. And there are no guidebooks devoted to these regions — you could do your readers a service and sell a lot more guidebooks. Thanks.