Florence (Carrara)

[edinburgher]

Dukefan

As a result two years later, we booked a week in Florence on a Tuscany three week vacation. 

 

That would have been a wonderful trip, but would you not have expected that without a short cruise day there first ?   Same with  some of your other cities.  If you loved Tuscany, consider a trip combining Lake Garda and Verona. Side trip options include The Dolomites, Padua and Bologna, plus of course Venice which are mostly on the same rail line (not the Dolomites of course).  Lake Garda is super scenic, as is Lake Como which could be combined with Milan and Bergamo. Milan remains one of our most disappointing cities, so it was just as well we only took 2 days out from our Como stay and didn't make it a standalone city break.

 

cruisemom42.

We also love most things Roman and we also find Turkey a fascinating country to visit.  Not only for Roman of course as there is much more to it than that and Istanbul is one of our most favourite cities.  So far 13 days there (one week city break and 3 overnighters on cruise calls) and we would still have more options should we ever return. Envy you your Syria visits as we would have loved that.  A friend who had toured Syria on a land trip was staying with us when it came on the news that "you know which group" had destroyed Palmyra and she was moved to tears. Since then, we have wondered what has happened to 2 of the  sites we visited in Libya.  Leptis Magna and Sabratha.  Both were wonderful but we have no idea if either or both were left  undamaged or similarly destroyed.

 

Slidergirl.

 

Bravo.  Thinking you would also love Turkey. and would especially  love Sicily, especially Palermo.  There are several churches in the city which have  breathtakingly beautiful interiors. Having visited so many over the decades, we had thought we were "all churched out" but having looked at TA reviews and photos  before our visit we entered these for a unique experience and they truly are "different" from the norm. A surprising bonus in Santa Caterina is the bakery shop.  They sell all manner of traditional Sicilian bakery products made on the premises  and the cannoli were superb, but very filling.

 

Anyway we have all of us digressed from the thread subject of Carrara.

 

Happy travels everyone.

Edited April 14, 2022 by edinburgher

[cruisemom42]

8 hours ago, edinburgher said:

Since then, we have wondered what has happened to 2 of the  sites we visited in Libya.  Leptis Magna and Sabratha.  Both were wonderful but we have no idea if either or both were left  undamaged or similarly destroyed.

 

Libya has been near the top of my "bucket list of Roman ruins" for a long while. I'm not sure I'll ever get there. US citizens were not allowed to travel there for so many years, then there was about a one-year opening right before the Arab spring -- and I hesitated, thinking I'd give them a few years to work out some of the kinks in their travel infrastructure. Mistake on my part....

 

The situation there is like a black hole. It's hard to get much information about the sites you mention. Indeed its hard to get much information at all about what seems to be a very lawless place at the moment. 

[edinburgher]

and I hesitated, thinking I'd give them a few years to work out some of the kinks in their travel infrastructure. Mistake on my part....

 

Sorry you had to miss the Libyan sites for so many years, and then it was too late. Following our visit, we put Leptis at our #1, relegating Ephesus to #2.  Also visited Tripoli, but didn't see much of it as we opted instead  for a shorex to visit a couple of recently uncovered coastal Roman villas. The intention at that time, was for the authorities  to uncover a number of others thought to be buried underneath the sand dunes along that coast line, but I expect that might now never happen.  Feel immensely priviledged that we got there at all. The itinerary was called In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great, and we visited many other interesting locations, and I think you would have loved it.

 

At least there are still many other options for travel.

Edited April 15, 2022 by edinburgher