ITALY (AGAIN)  ROME - food secrets and more

One of my supplier friends who is in Rome now, said this..and I agree. I see and felt something new everytime I went. Waiting to go back and see what else. Trastevere, I think,.

Rome is not just a city, it’s an experience. Every corner tells a story — from the ancient ruins of the Colosseum to the quiet charm of Trastevere’s streets, where time seems to slow down. Whether it’s your first visit or your tenth, Rome always finds a way to surprise you again.

History, culture, food, and life — all in one place.

ITALY - TUSCANY and PUGLIA Destination Secrets

Did you know, everyone who visits Tuscany wants to go back. Everyone who visits Puglia wants to move there. They are not the same feeling, and that difference tells you almost everything about what separates these two regions.

Let me explain what each place actually is, what each one costs you, and which one fits your trip.  Having been  to both, I feel people need to “feel” the difference. This is going to be a series, not an all at once trip or destination area experience. Summer is coming so we will do Tuscany first.  Remember, the tourist season is high cost and LOTS of people, plus Italy is hot in the summer.

WHAT TUSCANY IS

Tuscany is the Italy of the imagination. The cypress trees, the rolling hills, the vineyards of Chianti, Florence at the center with its dome visible from thirty kilometers away. When people who have never been to Italy picture Italy, they are picturing Tuscany.

This is both the region's greatest strength and its most important limitation. Tuscany delivers exactly what it promises. The landscape is genuinely that beautiful. The medieval hill towns — Montepulciano, Pienza, Cortona, Volterra — are the real thing, not reconstructions. Florence is one of the greatest concentrations of art and architecture on earth.

The limitation is that Tuscany now knows exactly what it is worth. Florence in July receives more tourists per square kilometer than almost any city in Europe. The Chianti route in high summer is a traffic queue of rental cars. Siena's Piazza del Campo, one of the most beautiful public spaces in Italy, is ringed with tables charging €5 for a coffee. The region has understood its own mythology and priced itself accordingly. This does not make it less beautiful. It makes it less Italian

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Tunisia and doors, plus traveling during Ramadan from a Viking Cruiser view: 

A morning excursion was not as interactive as it normally would have been. With the start of Ramadan, certain celebratory days, etc… the Souk was mostly closed up, with locals being home with their families. I can’t fault that. It’s their life, their traditions; we are merely visiting. I hope I would never be so selfish as to begrudge their choices.

Our guide spent a great deal of time assuring us (not that we needed assurance per se) how evolved their country is. In terms of autonomy for women, ongoing education for all, quality health care, and so on… she was very proud of her country.  

In the afternoon, the same guide was assigned to our optional tour. We visited a portion of a Roman aqueduct, saw other examples of Roman occupation, saw the bathhouses of Carthage, and ended up free exploring a Moorish village called Sidi Bou Said.

Shopping: gads almighty, some of the shop keepers are persistent. I made the mistake of looking too long at the lovely ceramics. I know better… but I did see an appealing serving platter. The cost went from $150 (yes dollars) to $75. As I was politely leaving, thanking him for his time but declining a sale, he was all over me, lowering the price… following me out onto the street. The last sentence from him as I was walking away, “Miss, MISS! $40 for you.” I held my resolve. It was probably worth every penny. But the plate will find a home in someone else’s suitcase.

Tunisia - a Visitor Standpoint

In Tunisia, we saw, Roman, French, and Tunisian cultures melded into one, in the short time ashore. That’s what these experiences are with Viking, a taste of multicultural immersion.