Popular Post stogieluver Posted May 6, 2017 Popular Post Share Posted May 6, 2017 It's payback time for the wifey. We had always planned to go to Italy for our tenth anniversary in 2012, but an "opportunity" to go to Cuba came up that year, and my bride, best friend, and love of my life, was all in because she knew how much I had grown to have a love affair with Cuban cigars and the motherland of such. After ten days in Cuba, with a few days of no hot water in our hotel (Habana Libre), one working elevator, no toilet seats in most public places, and a parasite that decided to take up residence in her intestines for three weeks, she never complained. I owe her. This sweet lady has made my life. I love her so much. This is the second marriage for both of us, and I wouldn't change any of the stupid crap I've done in my life if it altered me finding her. We are attached at the hip. She gave me a man cave in our house, and stocked it with an Aristocrat M Plus. God, I love this woman. We're leaving tomorrow for Rome, Florence, and Venice, with side trips to Sienna, Pisa, and other parts. I've been reading HurlTim's posts and responses, and can't wait. This will be our first trip outside of the U. S., except for a couple of trips to Saint Lucia (our honeymoon), and a cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. I proposed to her on the bow of the ship on that trip. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCgarman Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 Enjoy! Be sure to post pics when you come back. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oliverdst Posted May 6, 2017 Share Posted May 6, 2017 Congratulations. I guess you have a great trip and life ahead. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gweilgi Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Fair's fair! Sounds like you will both have a brilliant trip! Do have a great time ... and if you still feel you owe her when you hit Florence, take her to the leather market for some handbag shopping. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saintsmokealot Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 You both are lucky and enjoy a trip of a lifetime! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Optic101 Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Have a great trip and enjoy every minute ! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomhsu Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 If you are in Siena, consider to visit San Gimignano and visit an open air performance if these have started. Gesendet von iPad mit Tapatalk 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigcars Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Enjoy yourselves there, folks! I'd be so afraid of becoming a house if I went there - all that wonderful, wonderful food in Italy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planetary Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Have a blast. Live in the moment, and not on social media! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Japan Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Have a great time . I'll be out of the country these days but I'm sure you will not need any help. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perla Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 San Gimignano is a very nice town with all the towers around. Sienna great as well, don't miss to pop into one of the pastiercias to ask for cantuccino. Pisa is nice, but Lucca is better. Very old town, well located, rich, outstanding market place. If you drive by car, it would be easy to take Sienna, S. Gimignano, Lucca and Pisa. Venice, avoid the tourist hot spot otherwise you pay 20€ for a Cappuccino. You can do that if you are in the mood. Don't miss the Hemingway Bar and don't miss the Opera. Florence great town, you can't do anything wrong in Florence. Rome will be packed as usual, don't miss the Coloseum and for that go there early. Enjoy it both. Treat your wife, sounds like she is a wonderful lady?. And you deserve it ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MostlyHarmless Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I just came back from florence, what a wonderful city. Just yesterday i bought a box of La Flor de Cano Casanovas in the cigarshop right next to the piazza republica. He just got 25 boxes and it's € 104,00 for a box (10 pcs). I haven't tried one yet, but a Italian regional edition is a nice memory. Have fun and prepare for fantastic food, coffee and wine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madandana Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Nicely said my friend. Have a great time. Be sure to post some pics. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puros Y Vino Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 The tour inside the Colosseum is worth it. San Gimigniano is great. Florence and Rome in general are loaded with pick pockets. So be wary. Wear body wallets. Rome LCDH is nice, when it's open. ? Venice is pricey so eat and drink off the beaten path. Have a great trip! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squarehead Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 Have a nice vacation and stay safe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PigFish Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 17 hours ago, stogieluver said: It's payback time for the wifey. We had always planned to go to Italy for our tenth anniversary in 2012, but an "opportunity" to go to Cuba came up that year, and my bride, best friend, and love of my life, was all in because she knew how much I had grown to have a love affair with Cuban cigars and the motherland of such. After ten days in Cuba, with a few days of no hot water in our hotel (Habana Libre), one working elevator, no toilet seats in most public places, and a parasite that decided to take up residence in her intestines for three weeks, she never complained. I owe her. This sweet lady has made my life. I love her so much. This is the second marriage for both of us, and I wouldn't change any of the stupid crap I've done in my life if it altered me finding her. We are attached at the hip. She gave me a man cave in our house, and stocked it with an Aristocrat M Plus. God, I love this woman. We're leaving tomorrow for Rome, Florence, and Venice, with side trips to Sienna, Pisa, and other parts. I've been reading HurlTim's posts and responses, and can't wait. This will be our first trip outside of the U. S., except for a couple of trips to Saint Lucia (our honeymoon), and a cruise to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. I proposed to her on the bow of the ship on that trip. Great post my friend. Travel safe and enjoy your best friend's company. Sounds like a dream! -Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stogieluver Posted May 7, 2017 Author Share Posted May 7, 2017 Thanks for tall he well wishes and travel tips. We're off to the airport. I'll try to post some photos along the way. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luv2fly Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 1 hour ago, stogieluver said: Thanks for tall he well wishes and travel tips. We're off to the airport. I'll try to post some photos along the way. Have a great trip and please do post some pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gweilgi Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 10 hours ago, bundwallah said: The tour inside the Colosseum is worth it. San Gimigniano is great. Florence and Rome in general are loaded with pick pockets. So be wary. Wear body wallets. Rome LCDH is nice, when it's open. ? Venice is pricey so eat and drink off the beaten path. Have a great trip! Was in Rome in March, and for me the biggest issue wasn't the pickpockets but the hawkers. Typically Africans, they would come up to us and try to start a conversation. When we did not respond, they would call us racists to our faces, accusing us of not talking and/or buying stuff only because they are black. VERY uncomfortable.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smallclub Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 12 hours ago, gweilgi said: VERY uncomfortable.... It's not uncomfortable if you know how to decline politely, with a smile… These guys are everywhere in western Europe, selling the same products (leather hats, shell necklaces, fake African craft and other trinkets…); never had a problem… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurltim Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Woo hoo and a great love story to boot!!!Here are my tips:Pickpockets: Put your wallet in your front pocket and wrap a rubber band around it like your mom told you. A cross body purse for the wife works perfectly. I am a Chicagoan by birth so I never got alarm bells until our 1st day in Rome. After that, I was fine.Hawkers: Florence isn't too bad, Rome was worse. The Spanish Steps and the Coliseum area were packed with them. Most were dismissed with a smile and a hand wave but we had one guy who tried to stick a rose in Jen's purse. Jen gave him an elbow to the chest You will come to loathe selfie sticks (for multiple reasons), gooey sqeaky splat thingies and roses. Lol!Florence: Absolutely loved Florence. Go to the top of Hotel Nationale to have a cigar. Best view in the whole city.Caffe Bolli for the greatest hot chocolate on the planet. Seriously. Get it with whipped cream. Do NOT miss this.The longest two lines we saw were for the Uffitzi and the Duomo. Our tour guide said to skip the duomo tour because the inside isn't as nice as other less visited Basilicas. She recommended the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella near the train station. That one of the best places we saw. 10 eu and no line. Well worth it.The boboli garden are awesome. We tried to make it to gusta pizza but they were closed. We found a really great restaurant right by there. Nobody spoke english but it didn't matter. Jen wound up dancing with the chef. Be sure to try Almond Biscotti and Vin Santo as a desert. Friggin awesome!The Palazzo Vecchio has the Hall of the 500. That was our favorite museum. Harrys bar is great and the Prosciutteria di Firenze was so good we went twice.Rome: So much to see... We hit the Coliseum area on our day off prior to our tour the following day. That turned out perfect as there is just too much to see on a typical tour. Our tour guide for the Coliseum spend his twenties actually excavating at the Coliseum. Unless you pay the money to have data service in Italy, use a map. We would sit down and use the hotel wifi and find places we wanted to go and mark them on the map. Then head out the next day.A lot of places do not take cards so use an ATM. The problem you have to break the 50's the ATM gives you. Our hotel was willing to break the 50's.Have fun and get lost! One of our best times was walking the Tiber near the island. All the trees cover the path and hang over the wall. Beautiful.Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stogieluver Posted May 9, 2017 Author Share Posted May 9, 2017 Thanks, @Hurltim We hit the Coliseum & The Vatican area today. Know what you mean by the hawkers, selfie sticks, etc. No problems from the hawkers or the pick pockets. Wait, where the hell is my wallet?? Thanks so much for all the good rec's. We will be in Rome until Friday, & then off to Florence, which I can't wait to get to because everyone says that's their favorite city, for a few days, & then on to Venice. I will post pictures as soon as I can figure out how to on my phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurltim Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Thanks, @Hurltim We hit the Coliseum & The Vatican area today. Know what you mean by the hawkers, selfie sticks, etc. No problems from the hawkers or the pick pockets. Wait, where the hell is my wallet?? Thanks so much for all the good rec's. We will be in Rome until Friday, & then off to Florence, which I can't wait to get to because everyone says that's their favorite city, for a few days, & then on to Venice. I will post pictures as soon as I can figure out how to on my phone. Hahaha! Awesome! Rome is crazy. So much to look at and not enough time to see it all. It's hard to take a bad pic in the historic area. If you have a restaurant that you want to try that's on anybody's top ten list, you will need a reservation--unless you go there for lunch (hint hint.)Trivi Fountain is heavy with hawkers too but worth it. Hell, crossing the street in Rome is an adventure!!! We sat at one corner waiting to cross and local came up to and said "You just gotta go sweetie." Hilarious!The Borghese Museum is great and a quick hitter that you can fit in between tours. Our hotel was down the block from it. It was closed the first time we stopped there. "Italian Time" I guess. Lol!Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beanaux Posted May 9, 2017 Share Posted May 9, 2017 Save room for a bit of il dolce far niente Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post stogieluver Posted May 9, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 9, 2017 Our first view of Italy, and a great dinner in Rome. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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