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Pics from our Italy vacation! We had an amazing time.

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@DigDog you asked me if I had a chance to try the wine in Tuscany. The Tuscan wine we tried in Siena was delivered today. The two Chiantis on the left are gifts for family members because that is the defined wine from the region.

The Monsanto Chianti, Argiano Brunello, L'Albereta Riserva, and Salcheto are for us to enjoy.

PXL_20251030_201349642.MP.jpg
 
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these bottles all need a solid half hour uncorked before they can be drunk. given the quality, i would splurge $10 for a amazon decanter.
 
bbhaag said:
We have enjoyed wine for many years but back in 2022 we visited Napa Valley California. That is when I learned a true appreciation for wine and after coming back from that trip I purchased a nice decanter.
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How does it pour? Looks like it would pour weird and gloppy. My interest is just academic. I don't really drink wine. I don't dislike it, but I don't like it enough to get involved in the whole /thing/, when I'd rather just have some scotch. I'm always up for trying rustic novelties though. I enjoyed the retsina I had.
 
lxskllr said:
How does it pour? Looks like it would pour weird and gloppy. My interest is just academic. I don't really drink wine. I don't dislike it, but I don't like it enough to get involved in the whole /thing/, when I'd rather just have some scotch. I'm always up for trying rustic novelties though. I enjoyed the retsina I had.
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It pours fine. Weird and gloppy it not really something I'm familiar with when it comes to wine or scotch. I'm a big scotch fan as well and I hope to god that neither my wine or my scotch is gloppy when I pour it into a glass.🙂
 
bbhaag said:
We originally left O'Hare with two backpacks similar to yours and two checked suitcases also similar in size to the one you linked to.

Iberia Airlines lost my suitcase in Madrid so the only clothing I had for the 20 days I was there were the items I packed in the backpack which was not much. A few t-shirts, some socks, a couple pairs of shoes, my dopp kit, a pair of pants, and of course what I wore on the plane.

Thinking back if we had to do it over again we would pack much lighter. We would still keep the two backpacks but instead of two suitcases we would just share one suitcase.

This only applies if you have easy access to a laundry service but expect to pay around 20 euro for said laundry service. Keep in mind we were their for 20 days so with the limited clothing I had and even wearing the clothing multiple days without washing I still needed to do laundry.

I can wear a pair of jeans for several days without washing them as long as I don't get them to dirty but items like socks and underwear are harder for me to go multiple days without washing. Especially when you consider we were walking an average of 10 miles per day.
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Thanks @bbhaag. Ah man, didn't realize its that much for laundry. I will be looking paper undies so we can just toss them at the end of the day.

BTW, did you drive or did you guys took the buses/trains? Experienced any delays or trouble?

Did anyone tried to pick your pocket? (we heard too much horror stories and that's the main concern for the wife)
 
nisryus said:
Did anyone tried to pick your pocket? (we heard too much horror stories and that's the main concern for the wife)
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i want to clarify this once and for all.

pickpockets pretty much only exist in two very specific spots in Rome, and these two spots are the area right in front of the Colosseum, and the buses that run the route through Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. And it's pretty much exclusive to gypsies. If you see people dressed like this
1761929165661.png
then you have to be very careful. They may well be kids, instead of adults. Thank you italian bureaucracy for having written an absurd law which makes gypsies practically immune to prosecution, and cannot be rescinded because *italy*.

I understand that the situation is much worse in Naples, but then again i would simply recommend that you don't go to Naples. But, Rome and north, pickpocketing is extremely rare. If you can stay safe in NYC, you will be safe in Rome.

do not carry your passport with you.

We have a weird law that every italian, at every moment during their waking life, has to carry their ID card - at all times. Seriously. However, this does not really apply to foreigners. The passport can stay in the hotel, because if you get it stolen, it will be a massive pain in the ass to get a new one, regardless of you being Glorious American Eagle Citizen or not. The US embassy in rome blows camel dong, you don't want to have to rely on them.
 
nisryus said:
Thanks @bbhaag. Ah man, didn't realize its that much for laundry. I will be looking paper undies so we can just toss them at the end of the day.

BTW, did you drive or did you guys took the buses/trains? Experienced any delays or trouble?

Did anyone tried to pick your pocket? (we heard too much horror stories and that's the main concern for the wife)
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I should clarify that there are self service laundry places that will cost less but you have to weigh that against what it costs you in your time.

For example, for us it was worth the 20 euro to drop the laundry off at the service and then spend the time we would have spent waiting at a laundry mat and take the 2 to 2.5 hours and head to the Baths of Caracalla and explore the ancient ruins. For us exploring an ancient Roman bath house was worth the extra money but for you it might not be. That is something you will have to figure out.

Travel was done exclusively by train, bus, taxi and our legs. The Trenitalia app is something you should DL before hand and familiarize yourself with ahead of time. It is an invaluable tool when traveling from city to city. Don't discount taxis either. While more expensive than public transit they can be a quick and somewhat cheap way to get to a place fast especially in a larger city like Rome. Our legs did most of the heavy lifting on this trip.

@DigDog nailed it again when it comes to the pick pocketing. IMO it is WAY overblown as long as you play it smart. I use a Ridge wallet and kept it in my front left pocket at all times. The only items in my wallet were my US drivers license, my two credit cards, and a couple hundred Euro. Use tap to pay via your phone if your phone supports it and DON'T carry your passport on you.

We felt completely safe during our time in Italy. At no point during our visit did we feel otherwise whether we were in a big city like Rome and Florence or a smaller city like Monterosso al Mare. 100% of our interactions with the people of Italy were positive. Everyone was very friendly.
 
Kaido said:
Just waiting on @bbhaag for permission to edit the people photos 😛
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I don't mind the landscape pics but I'm asking nicely to please not edit the people photos. I get it's a public forum and I posted up the pics so you are free to do whatever you want but if you could please refrain from editing them I would appreciate it.🙂

Also, to answer your question. All the pics were taken on either my P7P or my wifes S24+.
 
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Thinking about it it's Italian wines that seem to need a bit of an airing the most!
I've drunk Spanish or French wines that might have been a bit better with some air but some Italian wines turn from "that's ok. Ish." to "OH! Oh yeah, we're here" with a bit of a breather.
 
WelshBloke said:
Thinking about it it's Italian wines that seem to need a bit of an airing the most!
I've drunk Spanish or French wines that might have been a bit better with some air but some Italian wines turn from "that's ok. Ish." to "OH! Oh yeah, we're here" with a bit of a breather.
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I'm not 100% sold on the Sangiovese grape like the Italians are. Don't get me wrong there are some very good Italian wines but......they might not be for me. I'm looking forward to letting these breathe for a little bit in the decanter before we try them. Pairing them with some fatty food before I make a decision on whether or not Italian wine is for me might not be a bad idea either.
 
Thank you for sharing your pictures and experiences with us. Brings back so many memories. Husband and I and the children lived 7 1/2 years in Germany and made many trips to Italy. For me the favorite place was Florence. The Baptistery and its gorgeous doors, the Uffizi Gallery, David, the outdoor market, the Ponte Vecchio, and so much more. One trip we stayed a week there at a convent. Dinner every night was cooked by the nuns and we ate family style with them. A never to be forgotten experience.
 
bbhaag said:
I should clarify that there are self service laundry places that will cost less but you have to weigh that against what it costs you in your time.

For example, for us it was worth the 20 euro to drop the laundry off at the service and then spend the time we would have spent waiting at a laundry mat and take the 2 to 2.5 hours and head to the Baths of Caracalla and explore the ancient ruins. For us exploring an ancient Roman bath house was worth the extra money but for you it might not be. That is something you will have to figure out.

Travel was done exclusively by train, bus, taxi and our legs. The Trenitalia app is something you should DL before hand and familiarize yourself with ahead of time. It is an invaluable tool when traveling from city to city. Don't discount taxis either. While more expensive than public transit they can be a quick and somewhat cheap way to get to a place fast especially in a larger city like Rome. Our legs did most of the heavy lifting on this trip.

@DigDog nailed it again when it comes to the pick pocketing. IMO it is WAY overblown as long as you play it smart. I use a Ridge wallet and kept it in my front left pocket at all times. The only items in my wallet were my US drivers license, my two credit cards, and a couple hundred Euro. Use tap to pay via your phone if your phone supports it and DON'T carry your passport on you.

We felt completely safe during our time in Italy. At no point during our visit did we feel otherwise whether we were in a big city like Rome and Florence or a smaller city like Monterosso al Mare. 100% of our interactions with the people of Italy were positive. Everyone was very friendly.
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Thank you bbhaag.

Just downloaded the app and playing with it now.

In Japan we were told to always carry your passport, so the wife was surprised that to leave it in the hotel instead in Europe. But i guess it is safer that way.
 
nisryus said:
Thank you bbhaag.

Just downloaded the app and playing with it now.

In Japan we were told to always carry your passport, so the wife was surprised that to leave it in the hotel instead in Europe. But i guess it is safer that way.
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The Trenitalia app is a little wonky but once you get it dialed in it works pretty good. The only delay we experienced during our stay was when we went from Roma Termini to Milano Centrale.

As far as punctuality goes.....its Italy. Most trains run on time but sometimes they don't so you just learn to roll with it and catch the next one. If you are expecting Japanese efficiency then you might need to realign your expectations.
 
WelshBloke said:
Thinking about it it's Italian wines that seem to need a bit of an airing the most!
I've drunk Spanish or French wines that might have been a bit better with some air but some Italian wines turn from "that's ok. Ish." to "OH! Oh yeah, we're here" with a bit of a breather.
Click to expand...
it depends on the age of the wine. wine does continue to age in the bottle (as it does in the cask), and the majority of quality wine needs several years before it's "ready". A few wines exist that are meant to be drunk "young", but these tend to be few and far between; and also are mostly sweet wines.
If you buy a made-for-export wine, be it spanish, french, italian, or the stuff that comes from california, chile, australia, etc, you're not drinking quality wine. most of that stuff is 2-3 years old at best, while a more robust wine from tuscany will want at least 5-8 years to come to perfection. a good way to know if your wine is quality .. it will have the year of production on the bottle, bang in the middle of the label. this is *very* important in the sommelier world, as different years have different qualities, depending on the harvest.
 
bbhaag said:
The Cinque Terre region was HANDS DOWN our favorite place of the entire trip. It has beautiful views, friendly people, and more relaxed vibe. If we ever go back to Italy this region would be at the top of our list.
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Thanks for sharing and glad you had a great trip! Cinque Terre was the highlight of our trip to Italy too and we also brought back some glass from Murano. Not as cool as that piece though!
 
I haven't traveled to Italy yet, but they tell me me its nice. Lucky Im the same after all I've been through. I can't complain but sometimes I still do, lifes been good to me so far.

Thanks for sharing your adventure and pictures with us. 🙂
 
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