Italy...
 

As someone recently pointed out. I posted this on the 'fest, but neglected X5 world. :)

I just had a bit of a whirlwind last minute week long trip to Italy; got back last night. Christmas evening we got together after dinner and wanted to go somewhere fun. Found round trip tickets to Italy for ~600 bucks, so off we went! :)

There were 8 of us over there, so it was kind of crazy. Definitely interesting traveling with THAT many family members. ...but I went out solo just about every night, so I ended up having a total blast.

This was my first time in Italy-WOW! I already want to go back! I've never met so many nice people!

Flew into Rome was there for 2 days. Then we took a train to Florence went to Florence. We finished up the trip in Milan.


I think Florence was my favorite, because it had more of a small town feel. But...there wasn't any part I disliked, although next time I'd rather go more southern + Tuscany region. It's so freaking cold in the north- I HATE being cold.


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Beautiful pics!!!!!

Great pictures! Must have been an awesome trip.

Weird: it let me post more of the pictures on the 'fest...

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=254441

:thumbup: :thumbup:
Looks like you had a great time!!

Thank you! We had a blast! I'm kind of shocked that that many family members (8 of us) together for so long didn't argue more, it went surprisingly well.

Looks like a great trip..

Boy do I miss the food in Italy !!

The food, the people, the atmosphere... I miss everything about Italy.

Can't wait to go back!!! Ugh, wish we had more than a week to spend there!

We were there for 10 days this past June. Florence was my favorite too. Michelangelo's David alone is worth the trip. Stayed in the heart of the city at the Hotel Brunelleschi. I'm ready to go back too...

Something about Florence really struck me. London used to be my fav city, it's been replaced. :)

Italy's my favorite country to vacation in! The food and the people cannot be beat.

I especially like the islands off the west and south coast. The Marche area is currently my favorite though; it's not as spoilt as part of Tuscany and Umbria are.

Florence is amazing - over 2,000 years old; founded by Julius Caesar in 59BC. You walk down narrow cobblestone streets past shops, restaurants and residences, the street gets even narrower and just about the time you think you've reached the end, you turn a corner and there's another large piazza with more restaurants and shops. We spent hours every evening just walking. Happened upon Casa di Dante(home of Dante of Dante's Inferno) purely by chance and then his chapel another block down the street, which holds a shrine to him.

There's a tremendous amount of history there - much of which they seem to take completely for granted. When we toured the Ufizzi Gallery(home of Botticelli's Birth of Venus), the first landing on the first set of stairs we climbed had a 2,000 year old marble bust of a nameless Caesar sitting there. I couldn't believe a two millineum old piece of art sitting there would I could touch it(no I didn't dare!). You can't even take a picture of David tho'.