OT - Things I learned in 18 days in Italy

Ahhh, San Gimignano. That is one of my favorite towns around. Couldn't say it at first, so we called it St. Jimmy's.

I love the wines from Puglia. Their olive oil is to die for.

The wine we buy at the local Super Mercato costs 2.99 Euro for a liter and a half and it is outstanding. It is considered table wine.

I got to jump in here and defend the Pugeout's. Last trip rented a 104 deisel and not only it was a good lokling car, it got high 40's mpg and it "ripped"! I had to put some air in the tires, they seems to run lower pressures, but it was a fantastic car. I thought so much of it I thought it would be wise for them to bring them back to the USA again.

As for the wine, I agree with the guy that said buy the cheap house wine in the restaurants. For me it has always been excellent. My logic is, they wouldnt dare sell a bad wine for fear of losing their regular customers. This is even more true in France.

As for the women, I love them all.

I will say that Italian drivers can be big wimps too. The trip over before, I rented a Daihatsu and was having fun trying to keep up with the big boys, and coudnt. But then it started raining. I am from Oregon, it rains here. Allot! True story, the Italians that were driving crazy a few minutes earlier , even in their sports cars, were cowering over in the slow lane  like they were out of gas. Race over. I sprayed them good!

Hey Bill

I can say this with humor now that it's been at least 20 yrs. ago. I was was very lucky as her family was old San Francisco money, if you catch my drift. This is the lucky part....I was going through a terrible divorce and one day I found a dead fish on the hood of my car! 

Steve 

Because several people in our group are professional wine and food types it was arranged for us to have a private winery tour and luncheon at the Guiciardini-Strozzi estate near San Gimignano.  The estate has been in the same family since 994. The wine and the food were fabulous and our wonderful hostesses have been proven to be descendents of the model for the Mona Lisa. 

We also enjoyed the Chianti Festival at Panzano.  E 12 bought a glass and all the Chianti you could sample - Classicos, Reservas and Super Tuscans.  I was the DD dammit but I did have some and they were all outstanding - some more than others.

The only wine we didn't like drinking the whole week was some nasty jug wine but one of our group reduced a gallon and a half down in a big pot with an onion and some spices and sugar and made a fantastic syrup we drizzled on our pear, walnut and Gorgonzola salad.

Exactly what I did just a few weeks ago (except that I had pasta rather than the steak!) and the two bottles that I'm saving are indeed Brunellos (I've already finished the Rosso's which are a much better buy IMO...)

Just last night I had a cheap white from Puglia... not quite as good as a Vernaccia from San Gimignano but very drinkable and a great buy...

Bill

Ahhhh, lunch in Montalcino! A nice Brunello d'Montalcino (although some Rosso's are just as wonderful) and a most fantastic 30 oz steak  [shared, of course]

Hard to find bad wine in Italy. Even down in remote Puglia the wine is cheap and excellent. Salice Salento and Primitivo d Manduria are good choices.

Make it idiot proof, and someone will make a better idiot....

 

So what you are saying is that if we take up a collection then you'll go?

I won't argue with you at all that I am not at all well-travelled outside of the general "Western" world... but my trip to Cairo this spring (I would assume much more "Westernized" than a lot of areas) while enjoyable and educational only served to reinforce that I'd rather spend my limited time and money traveling to the wilds of Bermuda, Italy, the British Isles, and the like... ;-)

If I had more time and more money, maybe... ;-)

Bill

Bill, I have decided that you're living too sheltered of a life. Your next vacation spot, Lagos, Nigeria

Make sure you register at the US Embassy upon arriving with a detailed itinerary

You're very lucky... it always seems that most Sicilian "ex-wives" are widows, not divorced... ;-)

Bill

I know it's not Italy......

but my ex-wife was Sicilian, need I say more!

In general I prefer California wines, but what astounded me was the quality of the cheap wines. A cheap wine in the US is say $5-12 a bottle and the quality is extremely variable. In Italy we were finding bottles at the grocery store for 1.5E (say $2.50 a bottle) that were more drinkable than the best of the upper end of cheap CA wines.

We rarely ordered anything but house wine in restaurants because it was _never_ unimpressive and always cheap. We even had waiter direct us to the house wines instead of some of the more expensive options.

And even at the upper end (where I don't typically reside), the absolute best Italian wine I've ever had was 50E (or about $90)... and it blows away the Californians in that price range... only losing out once you get closer to $150 or so. Have a couple of bottles of that stashed away for some special occasion yet TBD...

I've done a lot of driving in Italy and while getting dreadfully lost on back roads is a lot of fun when you don't have to be somewhere at some specific time, buying a little Garmin Italy map SD card (Ebay, $50) for my US based GPS unit was the best travel money I've spent...

I'm not an urban type nor am I good with languages, but Italy is my favorite place to go visit and Rome is by far my favorite city to play (but not to drive) in... I've never felt unsafe there, the people are wonderful, etc, etc...

Bill

Italy is one of the places you MUST visit. I'm a tad biased as my grandparents are from the Lake Cuomo area. I’ve been fortunate to go several times (honeymoon, business and pleasure) Maranello is a must visit. If you can swing it a visit to the Ferrari factory is incredible. The tour is tough to get on but worth the effort. Thanks for the list, it put a great big smile on my face………. Looks like it is time to book another trip!  

Bill 

"Aaa the Luftwaffe, the Washington generals of the history channel"

2006 Time magazine person of the year.

Got to agree with your comments. The area around La Spezia, Cinque Terra, Monterosso is Gorgeous and perfect for Minis or Bikes. Lake Como is also spectacular at the weekends when everybody and their Granny wheels out the Scooter, Bike or Car and then tries to emulate Fangio. Ironically Cinque Terra was full of American students when I was there last year.

Due to the Financial Downturn, the Light at the End of the Tunnel must now be switched off.

Sounds like you had a fantastic holiday!

I haven't been to Italy for a while, but I remember the taste of their 'proper' fresh pizzas put Dominoes to shame

Clubman & 1275GT - its hip to be square!

Well - I saw black smoke only twice.  We commented on the lack of it several times.

I agree - Italian wine is GREAT - our mid trip group of 15 friends drank 115 bottles in a week.

Fiat Pandas could NEVER grow on me.  The world's most hideous vehicle.

I LOVE Lemoncello and did before I went.  My wife and I drank 2 bottles there. It's good and it's cheap

Maybe more people here need to be kicked in the junk before they drive on the freeway.

Ciao

I have to chime in on your comments. 

After having lived here for a few years, I have to agree with most of your comments.

The one about diesels is untrue. Due to the way they drive them, most diesel cars here puke out black smoke (not very efficient and not enviro friendly at all).

A point I must disagree on is that Italian wine is GREAT, not good. Never liked the stuff before I came here. I would hate to see what I will pay for a bottle of Chianti back in the states.

Most Italian women have bodies of angels and faces of the devil or vice versa.

Fiat Pandas are ugly, but they are growing on me. Pugeots are ugly regardless the model.

You did not say anything about Limoncello, you must not have came down south. Tell him, Pete.

I love Italy, but Italians are like Americans. Individually, they are the best people you have ever met. As a group, they suck.

Every morning, getting on the Autostrada here is like getting kicked in the junk. It jerks you awake and makes you in tune with life (at 160KPH). I love it.

Viva Italia.

 

The ENTIRE Italian National Defense System is...NO STREET SIGNS-WE'LL CONFUSE THE ENEMY

 So true! I've driven from Rome to Lecce a few times, and around Tuscany. I've used back roads around Italy and the signage in small towns and villages is horrid. Still, what better place to be lost? I just got back last Saturday from a week over there. What a great place to drive my son's 83 Mini! The food and wine -OMG!

Make it idiot proof, and someone will make a better idiot....

 

Was in Sorrento a short while ago and your observations were spot on, Sounds like you went to some places I REALLY would have liked to have visited as well.

cheers. peter

No more cars left, Westpaminis is now just a memory, Good luck to all those hard working dealers left out there, We can tell you its not easy. We have fully enjoyed meeting all the fine folks we have in the business.