Mermaid, tell us more about Provence

[Teresa]

Barga is funny because it does get a bit of tourism (mostly Scots) and it has an annual contest for the best bathroom in a restaurant. The town started this contest because one tourism book once said that Barga had the most disgusting bathrooms (it's true that they used to be horrendous) so the town started a contest so restaurants would upgrade their bathrooms. Barga also has opera, jazz, and other events -- mostly throughout the summer.

this is hysterical! I love the annual bathroom contest! Many cities throughout Italia and France could benefit from such a contest , in my experience. We could do an entire threat about european bathrooms!!!!

thanks for the info on Tuscany - we've been to Lucca and Sienna and next time would definitely like to seek out non-tourist towns.

 

[Smiling JOe]

this is hysterical! I love the annual bathroom contest! Many cities throughout Italia and France could benefit from such a contest , in my experience. We could do an entire threat about european bathrooms!!!!

thanks for the info on Tuscany - we've been to Lucca and Sienna and next time would definitely like to seek out non-tourist towns.

I didn't know they actually had bathrooms in restaurants in Italy. I did find one or two, but you had to walk down a spiral staircase to the dungeon to get to the hole in the wall.

 

[Mermaid]

this is hysterical! I love the annual bathroom contest! Many cities throughout Italia and France could benefit from such a contest , in my experience. We could do an entire threat about european bathrooms!!!!

thanks for the info on Tuscany - we've been to Lucca and Sienna and next time would definitely like to seek out non-tourist towns.

Lucca...my daughter's favorite Italian town. My mother took Fyl and her cousin to Italy when they they were 12 and 13 years old--first trip for either--and at night they'd do the passegatia (sp) and the Italian boys would whistle "Bella! Bella!" Fyl thought she'd died and gone to heaven.

 

[Cil]

--and at night they'd do the passegatia (sp) and the Italian boys would whistle "Bella! Bella!" Fyl thought she'd died and gone to heaven.

The passeggiata in Lucca or Cortona is one thing, but the #64 bus in Rome can bring on an entirely different experience for a young woman.

 

[Mermaid]

The passeggiata in Lucca or Cortona is one thing, but the #64 bus in Rome can bring on an entirely different experience for a young woman.

Pickpocket Bus! Did you get groped?

 

[Cil]

Pickpocket Bus! Did you get groped?

No pickpocketing.
Guys planted themselves behind me and the girl I was traveling with and proceeded to get, um, very excited. After a couple minutes of this, my girlfriend and I got off two stops early to escape their "attentions."
In Florence, there was indeed a pickpocketing attempt which actually was kind of funny. A dwarf woman began rummaging through an empty leather purse I had just purchased. I yelled at her to stop, and everyone on the bus, locals and all, began scolding her and basically shamed her off the bus.

 

[Mermaid]

No pickpocketing.
Guys planted themselves behind me and the girl I was traveling with and proceeded to get, um, very excited. After a couple minutes of this, my girlfriend and I got off two stops early to escape their "attentions."
In Florence, there was indeed a pickpocketing attempt which actually was kind of funny. A dwarf woman began rummaging through an empty leather purse I had just purchased. I yelled at her to stop, and everyone on the bus, locals and all, began scolding her and basically shamed her off the bus.

Italy makes for great pickpocketing stories (in a manner of speaking :roll: ). My parents were accosted by a bunch of young hoodlums at a train station in the Italian countryside. They thought my parents would be easy marks. NOT! My father is Brooklyn born and bred. He screamed at them at the top of his lungs, in his best New Yawk accent, "GET OUTTA HERE!" and they were so flummoxed that they actually did. :clap_1: Funny thing is that my father is a very slight man with a peaceful, calm demeanor. Sometimes.

 

[Cil]

heh
Mermaid, having spent 7 years on Long Island, I can hear your dad's Ged-ouda-heah loud and clear in my mind. Good for him!
We never had any trouble with Gypsies or pickpockets but have seen both and were able to avoid them.
And we've had *good* things happen, too. The last couple of Italy trips, the younger son would play soccer with the local kids in just about every piazza where we happened to be. It was for relaxing for us and invigorating for him: a win-win situation. And once our rental car got stuck in a ditch and some young guys stopped to help us out.
But now the husband is getting burned out on Western Europe and wants to move eastward a bit.

 

[Mermaid]

But now the husband is getting burned out on Western Europe and wants to move eastward a bit.

I know what he means; I've traded in Paris for the Panhandle. All I want to be at now is 'my' beach.

 

[Paula]

This is a fun article about the competition for the winning toilet in Barga, as well as a fun description of the winning toilet -- the Xray dept. at the local hospital. The site also has links to useful information and some photos of the area.

http://www.barganews.com/information/toilets/hospital.html