3130 Do share your thoughts on Umbria!

After some discussion and head scratching the Italy Magazine moderating team has decided to launch its biggest project to date!

Following Iona's excellent suggestion about tackling each region of Italy we thought it would be a nice idea to embark on a concentrated effort of sharing information about travelling and living in Italy, region by region, town by town.

Here is how it is going to work:

Every 21 days the soon to be established Italy Grand Tour forum and our distinguished and esteemed forum members will focus their energy in coming up with tips, stories and experiences about a specific region or area on the following topics:

[B]See[/B]: What have you seen and what you would recommend others should see? Do you have photos from the region - post them in the forum!

[B]Understand[/B]: Is there a particular custom, festival, way of doing things that needs a bit of explanation for the uninitiated?

[B]Talk[/B]: Did you talk with the locals? What did you manage to get across? What did you understand from answers? Did the regional accent or dialect trip you up?

[B]Get in[/B]: How did you arrive to the region?

[B]Get around[/B]: How did you get around? Was it a vespa, an ape, a taxi or just a plain old car. Did you hire a bike or did you just walk?

[B]Do[/B]: Other than the big monuments (that fall under the See category) what else did you do?

[B]Eat[/B]: What did you eat and where?

[B]Drink[/B]: What did you drink and where?

[B]Stay safe[/B]: Any issues regarding safety? Do you have a story to share?

Now here comes the best part (or at least the next part!).

The information collected will not just be left languishing there for those lucky enough to be able to find it again. We will pull it all together, edit it, add some of the pictures to make it nice, and make it available through a free to download PDF file that everyone can print and have as their own mini-guide when visiting the area.

But it gets even better!

The person who has offered the most informative, funny, exciting or in any other form or way significant comments regarding a region gets a free Italy magazine subscription AND a polo shirt! Of course many of our forum members already have subscriptions so in that case you will receive an equivalent gift through the Italy Magazine shop!

On Monday we begin with Umbria (why Umbria you ask - well its more or less in the middle between Piedmont and Sicily, has so much to offer and allows us to break the usual way of traversing Italy which is North to South or South to North!).

This project is long and far-reaching but by the end of it the forum members and hopefully some of the hundreds that visit the forum daily will have a pool of information generated from people who have been there and done it!

So get your remembering hats on and think back to when you where in Umbria...

Category
Do & See

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/03/2006 - 13:23

this is an excellent idea. one thing can we leave the more well known areas
till much later? would be nice if areas such as umbria, trentino, ect were
explored first. alas i know very little about umbria[without picking up a book]
so will enjoy reading the posts more so...

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 04/03/2006 - 14:08

Ronald ,

want you to visit a page on my real estate web site at

you can "click" wherever :)))

Ugo

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/04/2006 - 09:17

I think this "Grand Tour" is a wonderful idea, but (from looking at the Eastern Umbria, Castellucchio thread) I think it is already evident that "sectorising" the sub-forum into see, do, eat etc. isn't going to be as usefully productive of tips, facts and opinions as just letting it roll!!
Castellucchio led to Norcia led to sausages (and deltaplaning will get in there somewhere soon) with wildflowers and the roads to Norcia!
It is going to be one heck of an editing job when all the posts are in!! :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/04/2006 - 10:10

Hi Relaxed - you have a point. It would be great if people could try and stay in nice little boxes but I realise that only exists in my idealised computer world :-)

You just post where you feel like and if you think you can fall under a category then go for it.

otherwise I will be sorting and arranging posts as we go along!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 04/04/2006 - 13:45

Maybe some of our forum members who have places in Umbria could ask their Umbrian friends there to join the forum and post their stories? This would be a good way to meet new people, find out more about Umbria and expand the forum too :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 04/06/2006 - 09:59

DO HELP ME OUT!!

I'm posting messages in the Grand Tour Umbria sections like a mad thing, in the hope that they will spark off some replies, and further in-depth information from other members.
Not a lot of success yet - come on!

How about people who have been to one of Umbria's international music festivals for example. There must be some Umbria Jazz fiends, or some Spoleto Festival afficionados?

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/26/2006 - 15:00

Last call for Umbria posts!

We have almost reached the 21 day limit for Umbria feedback - come on - anyone who has visited please drop in an opinion quickish!!

I want to get on to reading about another region - I know Umbria rather well, and I am keen on getting an inspirational "must see" excuse for a day (or even overnight) trip to somewhere equally delightful in Italy! :) :)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 04/26/2006 - 15:54

LOL Relaxed!! :D

Well, I suppose these sections can always be updated... and good to know we can always return to them.

I love learning about places and Umbria has already showed me a lot of nice things to ponder about - and hopefully to try out one day!

Looking forward to the next 'corner' of Italy... wonder where Ronald may head to next... ;)

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Mon, 06/26/2006 - 15:00

We went to Lake Trasimeno last year, it was the last week in August; Weather was a bit iffy at times but it was a wonderful holiday.
On a particular Sunday morning we were hanging about Passignano waiting for our bus trip to Assisi when all of a sudden there was a grand parade of Ferrari's, i've never seen so many, there must have been 40-50 cars red and yellow.

One of the best sights i've witnessed.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 05/07/2008 - 07:55

A chance to find a bargain or sell one...CAR BOOT FAYRE - SUNDAY 18TH MAY

I Dilettanti (an amateur dramatic group based at Umbertide) are holding a Car Boot Fayre at Casa Vialba - on the white road between Montone and Pietralunga. Sunday May 18th. Take the road towards Pietralunga and follow the signs for the Astronomic Observatory. The Fayre will be held on the left one km further than the Observatory and will commence at 10.30 am.

To participate the fee is E10 so bring along your unwanted goods and join in the fun. There is ample parking for sellers and buyers (for whom entrance is free) and wine will be available at 50 centismi a glass and free pony rides for the kids.

All proceeds go to the funds of I Dilettanti and if you wish to ensure your car space please feel free to ring Jeannette Prust on 075 941 7814.