Tell me your favorite memory/experience in Italy

Wandering in Venice later in the evening, no direction intended, just wandering... Finding little churches in Tuscany and being the only ones in them... The Parthenon on Rome, always! Just walking back to where we are staying after dinner every night and enjoying the time together. Pulling out maps to get the general direction we need to head in and then wandering and stopping in churches and piazzas along the way, not a direct route, but much more interesting. Gelato!!!! and often.

Well... the most beautiful views in the world in Varenna, and some really great food too, the small village Italian riviera experience in Vernazza, at night, Montepulciano in the evening at Ai Quatrro Venti. You just have to try it to believe it! Driving through tuscany with my wife, and no map. priceless. San Marco square late at night with my wife, and no where to be. Italy by train! I still wonder why we don't have more trains here in the states. ENJOY! caio, Jeff

Doh! I actually typed Parthenon, meant Pantheon. My only excuse is having a beagle about to go into labor with 7 puppies so we've had very little sleep as she can not get comfy at night and insists on keeping the rest of us awake with her....

Jill,

It's hard to find only a few favourite memories/experiences in Italy, as there are many.

My trip last year is still somewhat fresh in my memory, so a few experiences I remember.....

Sitting at the outdoor patio at Albergo Olivedo in Varenna having a fine hot meal in the late afternoon sun, watching the Ferry traffic come and go and chatting with fellow travellers. There was a group from France at a nearby table celebrating something, and they kindly sent me over a glass of Champagne. There was another couple seated next to me (originally from Canada but now living in southern California). Fortunately, the woman was from Quebec, so I asked her to thank the French group on my behalf (I didn't think to have her ask what they were celebrating?).

My visit to Stresa and the wonderfully scenic trip on the Centovalli Railway to Locarno, Switzerland. When I arrived in Domodossola, there was some kind of "festival" or something taking place, complete with a group of about six guys dressed in period clothing with black top hats sitting in front of the station having their morning Espresso. The trip back from Locarno on the boat was memorable too, again a beautiful sunny evening.

Which part of Italy will you be visiting during your "belated honeymoon"?

Happy travels!

sunday morning mass at st. peters. not super religous, but catholic. it was hard to keep my eyes dry throughout the service.

As another poster said, hard to pick out of the wonderful memories - here's just a few.
The waiter in Vernazza (older than dirt) who kept saying I'll take care of you and bringing out dish after dish of the best seafood in the world, asking us if we wanted water or wine, and saying "water is for bathing, I'll bring wine" bringing out the wine and saying You'll love it, I made it myself.
Falling in love all over again with my husband of 25 years in Venice.
Getting lost in Florence with my husband who has to plan to be spontaneous. Also eating the best steak in the world in Florence, but not finding the restaurant again when we tried to go back!
Loving everything so much, anxious to go back (we'll be there in June!)

My fav highlight would be staying in Sorrento and taking the bus ride down the Amalfi Coast. Once we hit Amalfi we took another bus to Salerno, and once we hit to Salerno we took yet another bus to see the Greek ruins at Paestum. It was hands-down the best day of our trip. Misadventures always seem to make the best memories anyway, so the whole getting lost, not knowing which bus to catch back to our hotel, not knowing if we missed all of our connections that take us back to the hotel, wondering if we'd be stuck in Paestum, etc... made it even more fun to look back on. It was all capped with the nighttime ride back up the Amalfi Coast. The sea and the towns and the lights is just so magical. It's a MUST DO!

hmmmm. This is hard...

I'd probably have to say the most memorable would be the first time I visited my Father in Law's village and experienced "Festa". A mid-evil tradition of honoring the village's patron Saint. It is a two day affair and has not changed in 1,000 years. I was in awe and could not believe what I was witnessing!!

Descending the first hill out of Florence on a motorcycle, on the 222, on the way to Siena. My wife says that this is when she decided to marry me.

My best experience was in 1980 at the Hotel Desiree on Via Fiume in Florence. My oldest son was conceived there on our last night. The second best experience was leaving the next day for Calabria to meet my family. All contact had been lost since just before World War II and I managed to locate them through some very good luck.

All in all...it was a very good trip.

Buon viaggio,

RB

The first was dancing with my wife at midnight to the orchestras in St. Marks Square on our very first night in Italy.

The second was in Cinque Terre after hiking from Vernazza to Maranola and sitting on the rocks in the harbour with a bottle of wine and some bread and cheese and watching the boats come in.

Enjoy your honeymoon.

Too many to pick a favorite. But I love those times when I have been mistaken for Italian.

Yeah, so many, but a number are variations of a small outdoor restaurant, warm sun, a good wine, and dish after dish of little nibbles, perfect pasta, fresh vegetables, and of course, my wife for company.

Sitting quietly in the early morning on my balcony in Positano sipping cappucino and taking in the view; wandering the streets of Venice, Venice is a great place to explore. Walking through the markets in Naples, singing with a man playing the accordian and eating the most delicious cannoli I've ever tasted! And one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen was from Ravello!

Too many to pick just one... but having some wine and watching the sunset across the Val di Chiana and seeing Lago Trasimeno in the distance from atop Cortona certainly sticks out..

The Spanish Steps at night. Walking with my husband's Roman family members to the Piazza Navona for the most delicious tartufo at an outside cafe. The singing gondoliers in Venice. The beautiful road along the Amalfi Coast. Most importantly, the kindness and hospitality and vitality of the Italian people. Too many to count!

It's hard for me to pick just one... the first glimpse of the Colosseum, the first time I got off the bus at Piazzale Michelangelo, sunset over the Rialto Bridge, waking up the first morning in an agriturismo to an orange glow of sunrise pouring into the bathroom window, tasting olive oil less than 24 hours old, that taste of REAL prosciutto, watching up close and personal the making of parmigiano-reggiano, and on and on and on....
but perhaps, if I HAD to pick just ONE, it would be that moment nearly 3 years ago, after a month of traveling around the rest of Europe, I stepped off that train in Venice, coming from Vienna, at about 1:30pm, finally after a life of anticipation I stood on Italian soil, and I stepped out of that train station and the canal was literally right there in front of me, bustling with people and boats and excitement, and I just knew at that moment that my life was different. Sigh! :)

Too many great moments to pick out just one, but a few would be: first seeing the piazza in Perugia after walking up from the train station (note to self: take the bus!), having lunch in Spello and stepping into a restaurant with patio seating overlooking the beautiful Umbrian countryside, getting a hotel room with a sea view (by just asking, as RS suggests in his book) and being stunned with the beauty of standing on the balcony and looking out at the wonderful view, a seafood dinner in Pesaro along the water that was one of the most memorable I've ever had, same for a seafood dinner in Monterosso.

I think that you can see from these responses that the best moments are rarely planned or scheduled. Nor do they necessarily involve a famous tourist site or a great deal of cost. Please allow yourself the time to kick back and enjoy your surroundings, allow yourself to be sucked into the moment. Magic happens when you take in what is around you, especially when you are sitting next to one you love.

Ive had many but we stayed in Glurn(small town north of Como on way to Bolzano).On sunday morning a parade formed and all the townspeople in their sunday finest joined the band and many children.It was a first communion.They went to a small church and the cildren went in for a short time and then the parade went to a larger church for mass.It was a very neat experience.

Loved reading all the replies. As someone said, too many to count. My first sight of Piazza del Campo in Siena - completely took my breath away. Joining the palio madness in Siena. Experiencing 'acqua alta' in Venice and seeing St Mark's Square flooded at night. Seeing the Romans erupt with joy when Italy won a match in the 2000 Euro football championship, and getting caught in the noisy traffic jam after that. And, the stinky hotel my friends and I stayed in, the first time in Venice, a real bonding experience! Jill, have a wonderful honeymoon and please return to post your favourite experiences.

Having a family dinner at a restaurant in a small town in Tuscany that's not in any guidebook. But the place was strongly recommended by our agritourismo host. And sitting next to my brother whom I hadn't seen in years.

And when we arrived at the Campo dei Miracoli in Pisa. The beauty and [i]harmony[/i] of the place took my breath away - and I didn't notice anymore that I was one of thousands of tourists crowding the place. It was completely unexpected.

It was definitely when we got lost and ended up walking along the shore in Livorno after dark, eating gelato. Not a care in the world...

This is a way back moment. I lived in Napoli for a year, courtesy of the U.S. Navy. I woke up one morning to see Vesuvius covered with snow. Magical and weird.

Second: Went to Pompeii on a very cold and snowy day. Left the cafeteria area and got lost. Spooky, very, very spooky. It didn't take much imagination to hear the cries of the doomed through the wind and snow.

Walking by the Pantheon and seeing a dog sneak a lick off of his owner's gelato cone.

Listening to an old gentleman play his harp as we enjoyed the view on top of a hill in San Gimignano.

Walking through Rome our first night and getting my first look at the Colosseum all lit up.

Visiting the American Cemetery in Nettuno and remembering that our freedoms are not always free.

Watching the last rays of the sun gleam off of the Grand Canal during our gondola ride.

An afternoon glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe watching children play in a piazza in Venice.

Just being in Italy with my husband.

Waking up my first morning in Venice to hear the "acqua alta" alarm, and not knowing what it was at the time. It's only when I got to Piazza San Marco and the water was ankle-deep in several areas. As I made my was back to the vaporetto, the water had gotten knee-deep, and I learned the vaporettos were on strike, so I had to take a water taxi back to my hotel near Piazzale Roma. It was Venice's worst flood in 20 years, and it was an experience I'll never forget.

Took my friend out ot dinner for her birthday in Florence. A delicious meal, nonstop wine (our waiter was very generous) and several hours later, same waiter was getting off work and treated us to a peaceful drive around Florence, including a stop at Piazzale Michelangelo just after midnight.

before cruise in october 2008,my first trip to europe, we spent 5 days in piazza navona area. spent morning at campo de fiori farmers market tasting all the liquors "yum yum", sampling lots of limoncello and wine in shops near pantheon, throwing coin in trevi fountain (going to venice this oct)walking all around late at night no problems. then an invasion of student protestors everywhere!! no way out except pulling luggage thru cobblestone streets, italian cops at every street corner with their guns and shields, directing the crowds, all we want is a ride to cruise port. can't believe i found a taxi that took us to port (140 euros later LOL) great taxi driver. laughed so much as we got on the ship. enjoy and just go with flow.

Sunset, gelato, and wine in Vernazza's harbor. Turning around and looking at the sun hitting the village and never wanting to leave.

Pinch me, I'm here (almost everywhere, but especially cruising down the Grand Canal of Venice and at Vatican City)

Eating with the Pirates in Vernazza and enjoying the company of fellow travelers (some from our backyard!)

About 20 years ago crossing on the ferry, not the hydrofoil, from Sorrento to Capri in beautiful weather. Noticed a large group of Germans on the boat. They turned out to be a choir on tour and they started singing Neapolitan songs. It was beyond magical and will live with me forever.

We were sitting on a stone bench eating gelato in Orvieto, when an old gentleman asks to sit. He didnt speak a word of English, but I manage about 500 words of (caveman) Italian, and we held a held a conversation. He basically adopted my wife & I and took us around town, visiting his friends, sitting by the duomo, and inviting us to eat at his home. I have many great memories of our times in Italy. This one stands out. The Italian people are the best!

the 1st sight of the colosseum...........stepping inside the pantheon the 1st time.......entering the sistine chapel and looking up

We were 21, first trip abroad and riding a bus late one night in Rome when I asked the only other passenger, in my best college Italian, how to locate a particular church I wanted to see. He jumped up, shouting and gesticulating, and when I calmed down, I realized he was correcting my mispronunciation. He had me repeat it several times, said something to the driver, and ignored us. A few minutes later we got a bit uneasy as it seemed the bus was now off the main road and toodling through tiny back streets. It stopped, the doors opened, and our fellow traveler demanded we alight with him. We walked a few blocks, and turned into a street where he exclaimed with pride, "Ecco! San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane!" I turned to thank him, and he'd disappeared. 38 years have passed but I will always remember the kindness of that man who went far out of his way to show 2 kids the city he loved.

In a last min trip, 2 days notice, I booked flights and met a friend who had been touring for 3 months.Flew to Treviso from Uk
Then had a couple of crystal blue sky days in mid oct on the via ferratta strada delgi alpini.The best mountain day of my life
On trust I'd been allowed to book a place to stay.. but I never let on anything about where it was
Her trip ended out of Rome so we wandered south after a week..I said can we vist San Gimignano as she drove south, unsurprisingly a place she already had marked up in her guide book. So we had a wander around the town , lovely lovely indeed after a week in hostels.. what I hadn't let on was we were staying the week as I had booked
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torri_dei_Salvucci
I remember asking."Have I done ok?" How does that song go.."I've had the time of my life.."

In 5 trips to Italy over the past several years our family has had numerous memories but the one that stands out in my mind was in July 2006. We were in Sorrento when Italy won the World Cup! The energy was amazing and when Italy finally won there was an impromptu parade down the main street with fireworks all over. Truly an unforgettable experience for all of us--something our 2 boys will never forget!

Staying in Cinque Terre,and hiking to the five small towns. Sienna - staying in a small hotel I found on RS's web site run by nuns and sightseeing in the town, exploring Venice and finding the little store front that fills up your plastic bottle with wine for 1-2 euro (again found this out on RS's graffiti wall)then grabbing some cheese and crackers and finding a spot to sit with our good friends and watching the sunset, taking the accidental wine tour in Florence and ending up with just 5 of us on the tour, which made this an awesome experience. Seeing the duomo in Milan. So many choices, good luck.

Meandering down an alley in Rome and finding a small, family run taverna serving local food.

On the balcony of our cave looking down on the lower
old town of Matera. Amazing, magical and haunting.

Amarone with aged parmesan and 25 year old basalmic
in a wine bar in Verona on a balmy evening.

An agroturismo 30 minutes east of Barga on a very
dangerous one lane road through the oak forest -
porcini gatherers waiting on the side of the road
for their rides back to civilization.

Taking the 'wrong' road and ending up driving all the
way through Genova on a sunny Saturday morning. All
sorts of folk going about their weekend business -
we felt like extras in an Italian film.

Seaside waterfront cafe in a beach town in Sicily -
a annual festa honoring the Madonna wends its way
past our table - candlelit and choral.

Alessandia and the BEST risotto ever near the
Borsolino factory. Very cool.

Artemis in all her glory in the Naples archelogical
museum.

I've been Italy-bound since 1961 and my hope is I
will be able to return many more times to many more
parts of this wonderful country.

This is from the 'Way Back' machine. I was in the Navy and one of my fellow Corpsman woke me to come out on deck. We were sailing down the coast of Scicily, right through the Straits of Messina, right between the island and the tip of the boot, on the way to Malta. What he got me up for was to see Mt. Etna erupting at night. From the ocean, seeing the lava flow down the flanks and suring up in fountains, was just stunning.

The second was waking up one day, in Naples harbor, and seeing Vesuvio completely covered snow at the summit. It was surreal.

I hope to have some more very magical moments in just a few days!

An unplanned free concert in the Basilica San Francesco in Assisi. A beautiful choir of adolescent voices from a choral school gave an hour long concert. It was magical. Sitting next to my husband in a medieval church at night. We happened upon it and we both wept at the absolute beauty of the moment.

I love Italy and had a great time both times went there. But it was Florence that I loved the most.

Jeff who replied about Mass at St.Peter's you are spot-on.The tears just keep flowing.
Ray you are so correct we Italian people are the best!Dennis