Re: [Leica] ROMAN HOLIDAY

["Bruce R. Slomovitz" <brslomo@erols.com>]

Bennett,

Thanks for the information and the offer of tips.  I'm always happy to learn
something from friends and acquaintances.

However!  If I had to pay $120 a night for a hotel, the chances are good
that I'd still think that Chef Boyardee was italian food.  My idea of a
reasonable price for a night's lodging is more like $50.  I've discovered
that there are any number of hotels run by nuns which will provide you with
a very comfortable and safe room for this amount.  Sure, you sometimes have
to share a bath with other lodgers but think of it as an opportunity to
engage your fellow travellers (who are also waiting for the bath) in
conversation.  One example in Rome is a hotel called Foyer Phat Diem, run by
a group of Vietnamese nuns.  This place is very popular with European
(mostly German actually) religious tourists, so you will have to make
arrangements well in advance.  It's located at 45 via della Pinetta
Sacchetti.  They even have free parking behind a very tall fence.  There's a
great park across the street (called Pinetta Saccetti), and it's only
minutes by bus from the Vatican. Soon there will be a subway station within
walking distance.

When you visit places like this you talk to the staff and other lodgers and
learn about other deals throughout Italy and the rest of Europe.

Bruce S.


- -----Original Message-----
From: BenTroGa <BenTroGa@aol.com>
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Date: Monday, March 23, 1998 9:49 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] ROMAN HOLIDAY


>Bruce:  Italy doesn't have to be expensive.  If you want some great tips,
>contact me.  How about great hotels for $100-120?  Sure beats $200-250!
Meals
>can be bargains, too. We flew round-trip from Dallas/FtWorth to Milan for
>right at $500.  Travelling before April 15th can save big bucks, there are
few
>tourists, and the people are really glad to see you!  And, the hotels are
much
>less expensive, etc. etc. etc.  You may miss the foliage, but if it is
>architecture and people you want to see, they are the same regardless of
the
>season.  No line to see David.
>
>Feel free to contact me if you need!  (By the way, my better half is a
travel
>agent who seems to be able to work miracles.  And, years ago, I lived in
>southern Italy, so I learned to avoid the tourist trails).
>
>Bennett
>