schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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Going to Italy.
Rome - Dec 1st - 7th or so.
Florence - Dec 7th - 12th.
Haven't been since 1998 when one dollar made me a millionaire.
Tell me what I can't miss.
Go.
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Surlyboi
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10963
eat a bag of dicks
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Literally just got back. Spent the week in a farmhouse outside of Pisa. If you can make it outside of Florence, some of the best pizza I've ever had was in a little joint outside of the San Romano train station.
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Tuned in, immediately get to watch cringey Ubisoft talking head offering her deepest sympathies to the families impacted by the Orlando shooting while flanked by a man in a giraffe suit and some sort of "horrifically garish neon costumes through the ages" exhibit or something. We need to stop this fucking planet right now and sort some shit out. -Kail
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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Rome is better in winter at least. Do the tourist things like the Coliseum, it's pretty awesome.
Florence... eh. Are you staying somewhere nice? The gardens are ok IIRC.
Edit: Also that is pretty much two weeks.
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schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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Paelos
Contributor
Posts: 27075
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If you're in Florence take a day trip to Siena and schedule to see some of the Palio museums. That's a cool town.
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CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
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Surlyboi
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10963
eat a bag of dicks
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Actually, now that I'm less drunk and jet lagged, a few other places to visit if you've got the time.
There's a small hill town about an hour's drive from Florence called Certaldo Alto. In addition to just being a great example of medieval/renaissance Italian architecture; it was the home of Bocaccio, the man who inspired Dante Alighieri to write the Divine Comedy. Also in the old prison/town hall there's a fresco there that may have been done by Michelangelo, but is still waiting the rigamarole of Italian art bureaucracy to determine if it's real or not.
There's a cool Modigliani exhibit going on in Pisa until January. About three blocks from the museum where that's being held is a really good restaurant that served up some truly amazing food for really reasonable prices.
There's probably other shit I'm forgetting, but I'll add it here as I got through my photos and remember stuff.
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Tuned in, immediately get to watch cringey Ubisoft talking head offering her deepest sympathies to the families impacted by the Orlando shooting while flanked by a man in a giraffe suit and some sort of "horrifically garish neon costumes through the ages" exhibit or something. We need to stop this fucking planet right now and sort some shit out. -Kail
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IainC
Developers
Posts: 6538
Wargaming.net
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This sounds like the time to light the Falconeer signal.
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Signe
Terracotta Army
Posts: 18942
Muse.
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Since you're going to be in Rome, you really should meet up with Drew. I have a feeling he knows all the good places to go for lunch. I'd suggest visiting the pope, too, but I'm sure he's still pissed off at you for going Jewish. Also, according to a friend, the restaurant "Aroma" is awesome. It's on a rooftop and overlooks the Colosseum. Go at night when they turn the lights on. Best make a reservation now! I regret not going to Italy the last time I was in Europe. Half my family lives there. Maybe next time....
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My Sig Image: hath rid itself of this mortal coil.
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Paelos
Contributor
Posts: 27075
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Make sure to spend some time in the Uffizi gallery in Florence. Probably one of finest renaissance art collections I've ever seen.
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CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
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eldaec
Terracotta Army
Posts: 11841
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Ostia Antica. It is a huge archeological site just outside Rome. An entire harbour town of Roman ruins. It is so large they can't be bothered to rope off millennia old baths and mosaics out at the far end of the site.
Find a tourist info office and buy a Roma Pass (it might not be called that). It acts as a ticket to the major tourist stuff but most importantly let's you skip the queues.
Bologna. Fuck Florence. The food is better in Bologna. Well don't fuck Florence, but do visit Bologna anyway.
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"People will not assume that what they read on the internet is trustworthy or that it carries any particular assurance or accuracy" - Lord Leveson
"Hyperbole is a cancer" - Lakov Sanite
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Strazos
Greetings from the Slave Coast
Posts: 15542
The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid
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Maybe San Gimignano as well?
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Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
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Surlyboi
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10963
eat a bag of dicks
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Maybe San Gimignano as well?
Yes! |
Tuned in, immediately get to watch cringey Ubisoft talking head offering her deepest sympathies to the families impacted by the Orlando shooting while flanked by a man in a giraffe suit and some sort of "horrifically garish neon costumes through the ages" exhibit or something. We need to stop this fucking planet right now and sort some shit out. -Kail
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Paelos
Contributor
Posts: 27075
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I found San Gimignano to be too artificially touristy and almost Disneylandish compared to the other towns I visited but YMMV.
There's some cool restaurants in Colle Di Val D'Elsa, plus it's a neat looking town. It's just south of Florence. Just see Tuscany. Tons of cools towns and places to eat and walk.
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CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
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Furiously
Terracotta Army
Posts: 7199
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Go at night when they turn the lights on.
This is true of all the famous buildings. A night tour of the city is awesome. The Vatican Museum is great. Wander the streets, get your wallet stolen at the forum, pay too much for a coliseum tour, eat some gelato. |
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schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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Go at night when they turn the lights on.
This is true of all the famous buildings. A night tour of the city is awesome. The Vatican Museum is great. Wander the streets, get your wallet stolen at the forum, pay too much for a coliseum tour, eat some gelato. Having been to Italy, I can assure you I will not be carrying my wallet. |
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Strazos
Greetings from the Slave Coast
Posts: 15542
The World's Worst Game: Curry or Covid
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I had no problem keeping my wallet in my front pocket.
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Fear the Backstab!
"Plato said the virtuous man is at all times ready for a grammar snake attack." - we are lesion
"Hell is other people." -Sartre
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Teleku
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10510
https://i.imgur.com/mcj5kz7.png
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I still don't understand how anybody can stand having their wallet in their back pocket. Would drive me insane. I've been using the front pocket since I started carrying one. Incidently, never had anything stolen from me, even though I've spent a lot of time being a tourist in places way sketchier than Rome.  As for the topic, can't really add more than has already been said. I was in Rome about two months ago for a long weekend trip, so I just rushed around and saw all the major stuff. Make sure you get ahold of Falc, he is in fact a cool dude. Had a nice meet up with him for drinks, though I only told him last minute I was in Rome, so time was limited. |
"My great-grandfather did not travel across four thousand miles of the Atlantic Ocean to see this nation overrun by immigrants. He did it because he killed a man back in Ireland. That's the rumor."
-Stephen Colbert
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lamaros
Terracotta Army
Posts: 8021
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Yeah front pocket is very safe. They only time I've had anything stolen was when I left my eurail pass in my coat pocket and then left that coat on a chair in Brussels while I got quite drunk drinking about 35 different brands of beer.
I'd be wary if you have a camera though. But at least you're not going to Naples.
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schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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I'm gonna hog as much of Falconeer's time as possible. There's NOTHING like having a local to take you anywhere in any city.
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Baldrake
Terracotta Army
Posts: 636
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I'm unusual in that Florence didn't grab me that much. I felt that everywhere I went I was listening to lawnmower-style motorcyles screaming around, and I found the smog annoying. The centre is nice to walk around. Paelos is right about the Uffizi museum. (But that place is the equivalent of the Eiffel Tower in Florence. Everybody goes there. Go early or you'll be in line for hours.) The evenings are nice - the whole town turns out and just walks around socializing. I'm guessing that's more a summer thing. Most of the artists there are named after Ninja Turtles. It was cool to see Michelangelo's David.
But I'm mainly with Paelos' other suggestion of getting into the countryside and visiting Tuscany. Absolutely beautiful. Siena is a good idea.
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Paelos
Contributor
Posts: 27075
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Florence to me is like Vegas in that I can only spend 72 hours there before it starts to drive me nuts. That's why whenever I go I stay in the smaller towns.
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CPA, CFO, Sports Fan, Game when I have the time
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Pagz
Terracotta Army
Posts: 490
I AM GOING TO WRESTLE THIS BEAR WITH MY BARE HANDS!
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Italy is a bit too... Italy. Spend a few days in the cities but the real gems are in the country (anywhere north of Rome).
You're crazy far but try to grab a day or so near the Italian Alps, especially Lake Como, it's depressingly gorgeous.
The Vatican is the only thing really worth seeing in Rome, the rest is replica obelisks and scaffolds.
I had a rude waiter get annoyed at me in Florence because my partner and I wanted to sit down with drinks I just brought from him and had not discovered the joy of "cover charges" yet.
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« Last Edit: November 03, 2014, 05:42:06 PM by Pagz »
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Falconeer
Terracotta Army
Posts: 11124
a polyamorous pansexual genderqueer born and living in the wrong country
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Funny, I just noticed this thread today. Proof that I only use 20% of f13's power.
Going to meet with the Schild tomorrow and I am gonna make sure he's properly fed. (Not so) Funny how we had the warmest November in Roma since 1782 (for real, apparently) and it started raining non stop the day he landed.
By the way, fuck this country. I wonder who between me and Schild will be hating it more by tomorrow night.
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Signe
Terracotta Army
Posts: 18942
Muse.
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Try to have fun, you guys, despite Rome's best effort to thwart you! Take pics!
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My Sig Image: hath rid itself of this mortal coil.
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Falconeer
Terracotta Army
Posts: 11124
a polyamorous pansexual genderqueer born and living in the wrong country
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Lucas had an amazing idea for a picture to take. Too bad he won't make it to Roma. That would have been fun, even thought I don't think it would have been possible to take that shot without knocking Schild out first.
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Sky
Terracotta Army
Posts: 32117
I love my TV an' hug my TV an' call it 'George'.
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I'm gonna hog as much of Falconeer's time as possible. There's NOTHING like having a local to take you anywhere in any city.
Be sure to share all the titty pics when you get back. |
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Lucas
Terracotta Army
Posts: 3298
Further proof that Italians have suspect taste in games.
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Lucas had an amazing idea for a picture to take. Too bad he won't make it to Roma. That would have been fun, even thought I don't think it would have been possible to take that shot without knocking Schild out first.
LOL   |
" He's so impatient, it's like watching a teenager fuck a glorious older woman." - Ironwood on J.J. Abrams
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schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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Trip was awesome. Chilling with Falconeer was great. I'll miss black truffle pasta in Florence.
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Falconeer
Terracotta Army
Posts: 11124
a polyamorous pansexual genderqueer born and living in the wrong country
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I really had a great time. Schild and his lovely wife are so cool. Needless to say, we all forgot to take pictures. Well, here's the secret subtly Lovecraftian place where we had the most amazing bruschette ever and almost bought a painting of a haunted child, although I am sure the Innsmouth people wouldn't have been happy with that. That's when they tried to poison Schild with motor oil coffee.  |
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schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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The coffee would put hair on your actual eyeballs.
Also, forget the creepy child. It's all about the fucking cat in an astronaut costume. was so pissed I didn't buy it.
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Pagz
Terracotta Army
Posts: 490
I AM GOING TO WRESTLE THIS BEAR WITH MY BARE HANDS!
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No photos?!  |
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Signe
Terracotta Army
Posts: 18942
Muse.
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No photos?! Yeah, I'm really kind of upset about that. I really wanted to see pics of Schild in the Pope's back yard. I bet there were papal ninjas stalking him the entire time. |
My Sig Image: hath rid itself of this mortal coil.
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Teleku
Terracotta Army
Posts: 10510
https://i.imgur.com/mcj5kz7.png
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Damnit, where the hell was that picture taken Falc? Was that something close to Rome that I missed!? Also, I LOVE bruschette.  |
"My great-grandfather did not travel across four thousand miles of the Atlantic Ocean to see this nation overrun by immigrants. He did it because he killed a man back in Ireland. That's the rumor."
-Stephen Colbert
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schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345
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45 minutes from Rome. Falconeer drove us there and we didn't die. It was great.
Also, wife and I replicated the bruschetta here. It was trivial and fucking amazing - again.
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Falconeer
Terracotta Army
Posts: 11124
a polyamorous pansexual genderqueer born and living in the wrong country
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Shame on us for the pictures, really. There was just too much talking and eating to be had. I was drunk with food and videogame talk that I've completely forgotten about you all. Sorry.
And yes Teleku, that place is very close to Roma and one of the best kept secrets around. Come back anytime, I'll drive you there too. And anyone else who doesn't mind hanging out with a bloody SJW.
And bruschette are without a doubt the easiest, healthiest and most divine food in existence.
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