Easter

[Big Frank]

We had mid 60s yesterday. Easter was nice too, in the 50s, but some other counties nearby had 1 or 2 inches of snow. The weather is just crazy. I hope we've all seen the last snow of the season.

[tombogan03884]

      I want 50's and 60's      

Crocuses are coming up about on time, it's coming.
So are 80's and 90's   

[alfsauve]

For security reasons I did not blast this about, but I just returned from 11 days in Italy.  Missed everyone.  Sorry I haven't be participating in the forum the last two weeks.

My wife and I, along with her brother and his wife, did a 10 day Insight Tour.  5 major cities, several smaller ones in 10 days.  Got a great taste of the country.  Wish I could say I toured the Bennelli factory in Ubrino, IT, but it wasn't on the tour.  We came about 50 miles from the town, but I couldn't talk the bus driver into a short detour.

Of all the European countries, Italy is the one I'd go back to in a heart beat.   While crowded, Rome and Venice are great places to visit.  For quiet country-side, Assisi is fabulous.

Had some wonderful meals.   Our first night, on our own, we went to a small restaurant where we had an introduction to the owner from a friend of his.   We were treated like family and had a wonderful evening. 

BTW, many Italians who remember WWII don't look upon the USA as the enemy but as the liberators from the Nazi's.   

[tombogan03884]

Did you get to Genoa, or Naples ?

Long long ago, when I was on Med cruise we had a few days in Genoa which seemed pretty cool once you got off the water front.
We also had 3 weeks in Naples which was even cool on the water front, near where we were tied up you could see Roman columns sticking out of the water. The city was mostly communist in those days so we had to be careful where we went. It was fun sitting in the outdoor cafe's in the Castle sipping cappuccino watching the girls   Back then there was a glass roof over the whole castle .
I have heard that it got removed later by an earthquake.
The one native that I really spent any time talking to said he really had no preference between the Germans and Americans, but the Germans on liberty were better behaved, more interested in a good meal than the bars, less apt to get rowdy in the bars, that sort of thing.
Knowing the guys I was with I was more than willing to believe him 

[alfsauve]

Rome, Assisi, Venice (side trips to Murano and Burano), Pisa (for an hour), Florence, San Gimigano, Sorrento, Positano, Capri.   Our tour didn't include Naples and our guide wasn't keen on it anyway.  Probably a lot to see, but it's not one of the safer cities.

Germans in WWII left a very bad taste, like war crimes bad taste, with many older Italians.

[Sponsor]

[Solus]

Pisa, Pisa??  doesn't sound familiar, but looks like the same guy did our garage.   

[tombogan03884]

Did I mention that the old guy I was talking to was an unrepentant Fascist ? 
That was OK though, because we both hated the communists.