italy

i did a lot of traveling in italy. my number 1 italy travel tip: don't drive there. i hate italians now because i had to drive with them. bad way to be introduced to the country. milan was a great city. they have this thing called aperitivo where you go from like 5-8 and if you buy a drink you get this free buffet. it's more of appetizers for italians, but we're american students so it's a meal. it's only in milan though. milan has a duomo which is like the third largest cathedral in the world. definitely worth it. it was under construction when i was there though. they also have a castle and the fashion district which are worthwhile. cinque terre is a series of five coastal towns in italy. it's a great experience. they have this hike along the coast which is cool. the towns are all really colorful and although it's become fairly touristy over the last couple years, it's more old school italian than the other places you'll go. venice is an interesting place if just for the whole on the water thing. we found some irish bar with absinthe and spent most of our time there. they have some flea market type area which is cool too. florence (in italy it's called firenze) was decent. they have a cathedral which is mostly empty but you can pay to go to the top which is supposed to be cool. they are known for their big flea market. fun just like the bazaar in istanbul. rome is a must. i've attached some notes from a former architecture student. that'll be better than what i can tell you. my advice is just to find an arkie and have them give you a tour. that's what they do for class anyway so they know everything.