Hello!

[socialcaesar]

I'm Hab from the old THC boards. I'm a hockey loving, beer guzzling Canuck from the Great White North. I enjoy reading and discussing history especially ancient history and especially Roman history. History has awoken the traveler in me which has led me to such places as Pompeii, Egypt, Angkor Wat, Israel, Turkey, Rome, Berlin among other notable places.
As for my politics, I am a centrist as I see good in both conservative and liberal point of views and policies.

[Arethusa]

Oct 4, 2011 6:38:29 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

I'm Hab from the old THC boards. I'm a hockey loving, beer guzzling Canuck from the Great White North. I enjoy reading and discussing history especially ancient history and especially Roman history. History has awoken the traveler in me which has led me to such places as Pompeii, Egypt, Angkor Wat, Israel, Turkey, Rome, Berlin among other notable places.

As for my politics, I am a centrist as I see good in both conservative and liberal point of views and policies.

*****

Hey Hab/SC,

I don't think we posted together much (if at all) at the old THC boards, but I also have an interest in classical Rome and have visited the Eternal City, Pompeii and other Italian sites of interest, plus a little of Austria and Germany as well.

I ran a classical Rome thread in the Europe forum at THC concentrated upon the period during which the Julio-Claudians ran the show - 100 BC - 68 AD.

Here's a link, if you didn't know it was, and is, still there:

auth.history.com/topic/23135/t/The-Roman-Empire-The-Julio-Claudians-100-BC-68-AD.html

I started a thread on the same subject here at The Outpost, with thus far hilarious results. You'll find it in the "History" forum here under the same title as the thread above.

I've been trying to find some of the posters who contributed to the THC thread - FunkyJazz/Beebop for one has indicated a desire to join up at The Outpost, but, like many of us, works and has other obligations that make his posting time limited.

I haven't found Sean82UK yet or Harold 1066 - a Brit with a great sense of humor - but saw Swampy's name at the boards Tellurian has been pushing over at the old site.

I hope that posting in the "Romans" thread here will interest you and, as a centrist myself of the left leaning type, that you will enjoy your membership at The Outpost and talking about politics too.

Welcome and enjoy your Tuesday and the rest of the week ahead!

Arethusa

[socialcaesar]

Oct 4, 2011 11:30:46 GMT -8 Arethusa said:

Oct 4, 2011 6:38:29 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

I'm Hab from the old THC boards. I'm a hockey loving, beer guzzling Canuck from the Great White North. I enjoy reading and discussing history especially ancient history and especially Roman history. History has awoken the traveler in me which has led me to such places as Pompeii, Egypt, Angkor Wat, Israel, Turkey, Rome, Berlin among other notable places.

As for my politics, I am a centrist as I see good in both conservative and liberal point of views and policies.

*****

Hey Hab/SC,

I don't think we posted together much (if at all) at the old THC boards, but I also have an interest in classical Rome and have visited the Eternal City, Pompeii and other Italian sites of interest, plus a little of Austria and Germany as well.

I ran a classical Rome thread in the Europe forum at THC concentrated upon the period during which the Julio-Claudians ran the show - 100 BC - 68 AD.

Here's a link, if you didn't know it was, and is, still there:

auth.history.com/topic/23135/t/The-Roman-Empire-The-Julio-Claudians-100-BC-68-AD.html

I started a thread on the same subject here at The Outpost, with thus far hilarious results. You'll find it in the "History" forum here under the same title as the thread above.

I've been trying to find some of the posters who contributed to the THC thread - FunkyJazz/Beebop for one has indicated a desire to join up at The Outpost, but, like many of us, works and has other obligations that make his posting time limited.

I haven't found Sean82UK yet or Harold 1066 - a Brit with a great sense of humor - but saw Swampy's name at the boards Tellurian has been pushing over at the old site.

I hope that posting in the "Romans" thread here will interest you and, as a centrist myself of the left leaning type, that you will enjoy your membership at The Outpost and talking about politics too.

Welcome and enjoy your Tuesday and the rest of the week ahead!

Arethusa

Thank you Arethusa. I've seen your thread on Classical Rome. Can anyone get started. Or will you be the one posting tidbits?

[Arethusa]

That's great news, Hab, that you are aware of the old thread!

Yes, by all means, knock yourself out, post in this new thread at will and share your knowledge and talk about your travels, please!

The reason there's so much of me in the thread at THC is because there weren't a lot of people as interested in the past as there were in CE, The Universe, UFO's and Swamp People.

I'm thrilled to find someone else here who is interested in that place and time and I look forward to reading your remarks and sharing mine too.

Arethusa

[Sailor]

Oct 4, 2011 6:38:29 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

I'm Hab from the old THC boards. I'm a hockey loving, beer guzzling Canuck from the Great White North. I enjoy reading and discussing history especially ancient history and especially Roman history. History has awoken the traveler in me which has led me to such places as Pompeii, Egypt, Angkor Wat, Israel, Turkey, Rome, Berlin among other notable places.
As for my politics, I am a centrist as I see good in both conservative and liberal point of views and policies.

Hey Hab! Welcome aboard. Beer's in the fridge, your brand of course (funny how that works, huh.)

I did a little traveling myself on Uncle Sam's dime once upon a time. Visited historic Naples, Pompeii and climbed Vesuvius along with port visits to Istanbul and Izmir Turkey, Israel several times (see the fortress Masada if you haven't already, fascinating.) Stationed at Pearl Harbor and on Okinawa where the last major battles of WWII were fought on, above and in the sea around.

Do you still get out and about?

[socialcaesar]

Oct 4, 2011 15:42:19 GMT -8 Sailor said:

Oct 4, 2011 6:38:29 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

I'm Hab from the old THC boards. I'm a hockey loving, beer guzzling Canuck from the Great White North. I enjoy reading and discussing history especially ancient history and especially Roman history. History has awoken the traveler in me which has led me to such places as Pompeii, Egypt, Angkor Wat, Israel, Turkey, Rome, Berlin among other notable places.
As for my politics, I am a centrist as I see good in both conservative and liberal point of views and policies.

Hey Hab! Welcome aboard. Beer's in the fridge, your brand of course (funny how that works, huh.)

I did a little traveling myself on Uncle Sam's dime once upon a time. Visited historic Naples, Pompeii and climbed Vesuvius along with port visits to Istanbul and Izmir Turkey, Israel several times (see the fortress Masada if you haven't already, fascinating.) Stationed at Pearl Harbor and on Okinawa where the last major battles of WWII were fought on, above and in the sea around.

Do you still get out and about?

Thanks for the welcome, Sailor. I read you've been to Izmir, Turkey then surely you stopped by Ephesus? You climbed Vesuvius, eh? What was that like? I will make sure to see Masada next time I'm in Israel.

Of course I still travel. In the last year, I've been to Vienna (not that great btw although the city and its transit are clean as a whistle. Budapest, is a great little European city, it'll sweep you away back in time. Berlin, again. If you've never visited Treptower Park and the Soviet War Memorial then you should. It is a a great piece of history with some great Soviet propaganda sculptures, statues and artwork. San Francisco. San Francisco is a great American city minus the politics. Alcatraz is a great visit but I recommend going in the evening as the sun sets. Beautiful and surreal at the same time. And Dubai. Dubai was freakishly hot but I made the most of it by going scuba diving in a tank full of sharks and sting rays in one of their aquariums in their mall. Some sharks were almost 6 feet long. And I'll tell you, if you've never been in battle, nothing else gets your blood pumping and your adrenaline going than being surrounded by sharks.

[Sailor]

When we pulled into Izmir we were only there 2 days and I had the duty on one of them so my wanderings were necessarily limited, but yeah Ephesus was fascinating with the ruins in a better state of preservation than I would have expected, on a par with parts of Pompeii.

On Vesuvius, my party and I only climbed to the top edge of the crater from a parking lot about 200 meters vertical below, at the time about a half mile climb up loose cinder paths but even with the cloud cover closing in the view inside was interesting. You could see steam rising from some of the cracks in the crater floor, a reminder that this volcano is still "alive" and only lightly sleeping. Much of the cinder cone consists of reddish "clinker" like stones sand size up through an inch in diameter. While I doubt they'd float like some in the Pacific Ring of Fire would they are still surprisingly light for their size.

If Vesuvius erupts again as it did in 79AD not only would Pompeii be reburied but it would be joined by Naples, the loss of life would be horrendous.

Other than Naples I didn't really have much chance to poke around in mainland Europe though during my last cruise in Nassau we spent 5 days in Portsmouth England after a February cruise up through the Denmark Strait and over to Norway well above the Arctic Circle (Deadliest Catch on steroids guys.)

While there I fell in love with the "Channel Snake" former HMS Warrior and with the Ship of the Line HMS Victory. Both ships are unique, the last of their kinds and beautifully preserved. Warrior was, I believe, the very first iron hulled warship in the world, predating both USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (Merrimack.) Wikipedia has good write-ups on both.

I got a quick tour of Dubai when Nassau docked there in 1991 right after the ground war ended. My impression was of a modern westernized city. We were there in January so the days weren't really hot.

You can keep the bloody sharks mate.

[Arethusa]

On Vesuvius, my party and I only climbed to the top edge of the crater from a parking lot about 200 meters vertical below, at the time about a half mile climb up loose cinder paths but even with the cloud cover closing in the view inside was interesting. You could see steam rising from some of the cracks in the crater floor, a reminder that this volcano is still "alive" and only lightly sleeping. Much of the cinder cone consists of reddish "clinker" like stones sand size up through an inch in diameter. While I doubt they'd float like some in the Pacific Ring of Fire would they are still surprisingly light for their size.

If Vesuvius erupts again as it did in 79AD not only would Pompeii be reburied but it would be joined by Naples, the loss of life would be horrendous.

Other than Naples I didn't really have much chance to poke around in mainland Europe though during my last cruise in Nassau we spent 5 days in Portsmouth England after a February cruise up through the Denmark Strait and over to Norway well above the Arctic Circle (Deadliest Catch on steroids guys.)

*****

Hey Sailor!

Hope all's well. Am writing to say I had the experience of standing on the "edge" of Vesuvius too. I remember the "soil" being rust colored and grainy and managed to bring a small rock of that color with little black bits, likely obsidian, home with me from the trip.

It sits on my desk in front of me as we speak.

I share your impressions of that experience and have seen the documentaries describing the effects of another eruption on Naples, a very interesting city.

Loudest place I've ever been in my life, and does the name "Chicken Corner" mean anything to you? It was a massive intersection with no traffic lights that drivers in tiny little cars had to navigate inch by inch to get through.

Horns and tempers blazing the whole time. ;D

I've also been to Nassau and have a nice little sandstone rock as a souvenir - that's been my habit, to bring a piece of places I've visited home with me when I could.

And from Nassau as well, the memory of the best tasting Pina Coladas this side of heaven.

Thanks to both of you for your great travelogues. I look forward to reading more of them.

Arethusa

[socialcaesar]

Ephesus is just as great as Pompeii. The outdoor theatre, which is very big, holding up to 45,000 people, is in pristine condition.
I didn't enjoy Naples as it is too polluted, dirty and there are too many thiefs. Whenever I'm in the area I stay in Sorrento as opposed to Naples.
The Isle of Capri is another must do. The hiking is great and the views are breathtaking and there are gardens and ruins from Tiberius' old villa scattered all around the island.
If you enjoy hiking then you would absolutely love the Cinque Terre on the northern coast of Italy near Genoa. You can hike along trails and through five picturesque villages which if you are high enough on the trails you can catch some stunning views of the villages jutting out into the sea.

[Arethusa]

Oct 6, 2011 9:35:40 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

Ephesus is just as great as Pompeii. The outdoor theatre, which is very big, holding up to 45,000 people, is in pristine condition.
I didn't enjoy Naples as it is too polluted, dirty and there are too many thiefs. Whenever I'm in the area I stay in Sorrento as opposed to Naples.
The Isle of Capri is another must do. The hiking is great and the views are breathtaking and there are gardens and ruins from Tiberius' old villa scattered all around the island.
If you enjoy hiking then you would absolutely love the Cinque Terre on the northern coast of Italy near Genoa. You can hike along trails and through five picturesque villages which if you are high enough on the trails you can catch some stunning views of the villages jutting out into the sea.

*****

Yes, Capri is a great site to visit for all those reasons, plus the fun of traveling across the Bay of Naples on what they call an aliscafi - a boat that is held aloft by downward thrusting jets for speed over the water.

Did either of you get to Oplontis to see Poppaea's Villa unearthed from the ashes of Vesuvius near Pompeii - a site I hope to visit on my next trip to Italy?

Poppaea was one of Nero's wives - the one he reportedly kicked in the stomach and killed when she was pregnant:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Poppaea

Others are the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace - Augustus) and Nero's Domus Aurea (Golden House) in Rome:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_Pacis

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domus_Aurea


Thanks and have a great evening,

Arethusa

[Sailor]

I totally agree with you guys about Naples; crowded, dirty and ... well ... I wouldn't want to drive there. I don't recall "Chicken Corner" by name though the traffic on the main street just outside of the pier area where we had moored was wild.

I was on my first Mediterranean cruise in USS Caron when we made port there. My first impression of Naples came even before we made it into the inner harbor, passing garbage and used condoms floating in the tide. The hucksters lining the side streets in the port area were willing to sell you anything, and I do mean anything. I leave it to you and your fertile imagination to fill in "anything."

And yeah, it's dangerous. A couple of my shipmates got robbed and one beaten badly on that first visit.

I never made it over to the Isle of Capri, didn't feel like getting off one boat (ship) just to get onto another for the trip.

Glad you still have your souvenir from Vesuvius Arethusa. Mine disappeared several years ago.

I think you might have misunderstood my use of the name Nassau. I should have written USS Nassau though my first trip outside of the US was to Nassau in the Bahamas in 1971.

[Arethusa]

Oct 6, 2011 16:06:42 GMT -8 Sailor said:

I totally agree with you guys about Naples; crowded, dirty and ... well ... I wouldn't want to drive there. I don't recall "Chicken Corner" by name though the traffic on the main street just outside of the pier area where we had moored was wild.

I was on my first Mediterranean cruise in USS Caron when we made port there. My first impression of Naples came even before we made it into the inner harbor, passing garbage and used condoms floating in the tide. The hucksters lining the side streets in the port area were willing to sell you anything, and I do mean anything. I leave it to you and your fertile imagination to fill in "anything."

And yeah, it's dangerous. A couple of my shipmates got robbed and one beaten badly on that first visit.

I never made it over to the Isle of Capri, didn't feel like getting off one boat (ship) just to get onto another for the trip.

Glad you still have your souvenir from Vesuvius Arethusa. Mine disappeared several years ago.

I think you might have misunderstood my use of the name Nassau. I should have written USS Nassau though my first trip outside of the US was to Nassau in the Bahamas in 1971.

*****

Hi Again, Sailor,

The trip that time was to spend the Christmas holidays and do some traveling with my boyfriend - a Navy man stationed at the NATO base in Naples.

He and some buddies and their wives rented a villa in the hills above the city - gorgeous place and huge - but you never got away from "see Naples and die", which is what the Europeans called it then and probably still do.

The neighbors had a pack of mastiffs that barked all night from a likely sense there was something to bark at, or they would have been quieter. Took me awhile to get the sound out of my head when we left there each time.

Found out that summer how smart those dogs were when my boyfriend's car was stolen practically right from under him when he was getting the paperwork done to ship it home.

Oops. Edited to add that "Chicken Corner" could've been a Navy nickname for that crazy intersection.

During the month I was there, we went into the city only once and there saw the "Fagins" you described yelling "you wan' somet'ing? I sell you cheap!" - guys standing on street corners opening their overcoats to show watches and jewelry pinned to the linings inside - stolen by child pickpockets from naive tourists, no doubt.

Sorry your Vesuvian souvenir is no more - mainly because if you tried to bring one back these days, you'd never get it through customs.

Sorry also for confusing the name of the ship with Nassau in the Bahamas as well, but happy to hear you got there too.

And thankful for the memories you've shared about places I've also visited myself.

Arethusa

[socialcaesar]

Oct 6, 2011 15:54:31 GMT -8 Arethusa said:

Oct 6, 2011 9:35:40 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

Ephesus is just as great as Pompeii. The outdoor theatre, which is very big, holding up to 45,000 people, is in pristine condition.
I didn't enjoy Naples as it is too polluted, dirty and there are too many thiefs. Whenever I'm in the area I stay in Sorrento as opposed to Naples.
The Isle of Capri is another must do. The hiking is great and the views are breathtaking and there are gardens and ruins from Tiberius' old villa scattered all around the island.
If you enjoy hiking then you would absolutely love the Cinque Terre on the northern coast of Italy near Genoa. You can hike along trails and through five picturesque villages which if you are high enough on the trails you can catch some stunning views of the villages jutting out into the sea.

*****

Yes, Capri is a great site to visit for all those reasons, plus the fun of traveling across the Bay of Naples on what they call an aliscafi - a boat that is held aloft by downward thrusting jets for speed over the water.

Did either of you get to Oplontis to see Poppaea's Villa unearthed from the ashes of Vesuvius near Pompeii - a site I hope to visit on my next trip to Italy?

Poppaea was one of Nero's wives - the one he reportedly kicked in the stomach and killed when she was pregnant:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Poppaea

Others are the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace - Augustus) and Nero's Domus Aurea (Golden House) in Rome:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_Pacis

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domus_Aurea


Thanks and have a great evening,

Arethusa

I've never visited Villa Poppaea. But I'll take that into consideration the next time I visit?

I went to Herculaneum instead which is every bit as fascinating as Pompeii.

Have any of you been to the ancient Greek temple at Paestum? They're southeast of Sorrento maybe an hour by train. Really great and very well preserved.

This whole area south of Naples is my favorite part of the world. It's just so relaxing.

Sailor, if you and the missus ever decide to visit this area? Don't go in the summer. Rather go in January. No crowds and you practically get the whole area to yourself. My wife and I hiked Capri at this time and didn't see nary a soul. Temperatures are in the 50's and 60's, maybe you'll need a light jacket?

[Arethusa]

Oct 7, 2011 13:50:04 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

Oct 6, 2011 15:54:31 GMT -8 Arethusa said:

*****

Yes, Capri is a great site to visit for all those reasons, plus the fun of traveling across the Bay of Naples on what they call an aliscafi - a boat that is held aloft by downward thrusting jets for speed over the water.

Did either of you get to Oplontis to see Poppaea's Villa unearthed from the ashes of Vesuvius near Pompeii - a site I hope to visit on my next trip to Italy?

Poppaea was one of Nero's wives - the one he reportedly kicked in the stomach and killed when she was pregnant:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Poppaea

Others are the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace - Augustus) and Nero's Domus Aurea (Golden House) in Rome:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ara_Pacis

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domus_Aurea


Thanks and have a great evening,

Arethusa

I've never visited Villa Poppaea. But I'll take that into consideration the next time I visit?

I went to Herculaneum instead which is every bit as fascinating as Pompeii.

Have any of you been to the ancient Greek temple at Paestum? They're southeast of Sorrento maybe an hour by train. Really great and very well preserved.

This whole area south of Naples is my favorite part of the world. It's just so relaxing.

Sailor, if you and the missus ever decide to visit this area? Don't go in the summer. Rather go in January. No crowds and you practically get the whole area to yourself. My wife and I hiked Capri at this time and didn't see nary a soul. Temperatures are in the 50's and 60's, maybe you'll need a light jacket?

*****

Sorry - on that trip to the region, it was either Herculaneum or Capri and after two days at Pompeii, going to the island had more appeal.

Didn't go to the Greek temple you mentioned either, but sounds like a great addition to the bucket list for the reasons you've given.

Speaking of Vesuvius, we did go to Pozzuoli, near Napoli, where the earth bubbles volcanically beneath your feet. Grey clay bubbles and sulfury fumes I'll never forget seeing - or breathing either LOL.

Here's a link featuring pics from Vesuvius and Pozzuoli and other sites around Naples, Italy visually showing some of what we've been describing here in words:

m.world-guides.com/naples/attractions_nearby.html


Other sightseeing ventures were, of course, to major churches - the Vatican included.

An odd one I'd never heard of before going to Rome is the Capuchini Chapel featuring the bones of the monks of that order decorating the place - put up in the late 18th century.

For simplicity, it is colloquially known as "The Bones Church".

Here's a link to a site dedicated to the place with photos not for the squeamish - although once there, the sight of thousands of skeletal remains mounted decoratively like sconces on wall paper wasn't so shocking as had been anticipated:

www3.sympatico.ca/tapholov/pages/bones.html


Plus, Hab, I agree with your recommendation about going to Southern Europe from this time of year into January, known in days of yore as "the off season".

The weather was fine most of the time - a tad rainy occasionally, but not wintry by any means.

Next trip, I'd also like to see more of Tuscany and the ruins the Etruscans - the precursors to the ancient Romans - left there. We did spend a couple of days in Florence seeing the artwork.

And yes, girls, Michelangelo's "David" - both in clones around town and the original in Florence's Academia - is not to be missed! ;D

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo)


A thought on future trips overseas is that I'm also thinking of going to countries once called "The Third World" or the "Smokestack Countries" during the Cold War Period in American foreign policy that ended not too long ago.

Real life friends who've toured modern day Poland and Czechoslovakia, for instance, have loved every aspect of those places - there are castles, skiing, fabulous sites to visit just like in "real" Europe, ha ha ha, and wonderful people hosting you too.

Plus, the prices can't be beaten - so if you're looking for a fabulous European trip with a more reasonable pricetag, I highly recommend that location for touring.

Arethusa

[socialcaesar]

Oct 7, 2011 15:48:12 GMT -8 Arethusa said:

Oct 7, 2011 13:50:04 GMT -8 socialcaesar said:

I've never visited Villa Poppaea. But I'll take that into consideration the next time I visit?

I went to Herculaneum instead which is every bit as fascinating as Pompeii.

Have any of you been to the ancient Greek temple at Paestum? They're southeast of Sorrento maybe an hour by train. Really great and very well preserved.

This whole area south of Naples is my favorite part of the world. It's just so relaxing.

Sailor, if you and the missus ever decide to visit this area? Don't go in the summer. Rather go in January. No crowds and you practically get the whole area to yourself. My wife and I hiked Capri at this time and didn't see nary a soul. Temperatures are in the 50's and 60's, maybe you'll need a light jacket?

*****

Sorry - on that trip to the region, it was either Herculaneum or Capri and after two days at Pompeii, going to the island had more appeal.

Didn't go to the Greek temple you mentioned either, but sounds like a great addition to the bucket list for the reasons you've given.

Speaking of Vesuvius, we did go to Pozzuoli, near Napoli, where the earth bubbles volcanically beneath your feet. Grey clay bubbles and sulfury fumes I'll never forget seeing - or breathing either LOL.

Here's a link featuring pics from Vesuvius and Pozzuoli and other sites around Naples, Italy visually showing some of what we've been describing here in words:

m.world-guides.com/naples/attractions_nearby.html


Other sightseeing ventures were, of course, to major churches - the Vatican included.

An odd one I'd never heard of before going to Rome is the Capuchini Chapel featuring the bones of the monks of that order decorating the place - put up in the late 18th century.

For simplicity, it is colloquially known as "The Bones Church".

Here's a link to a site dedicated to the place with photos not for the squeamish - although once there, the sight of thousands of skeletal remains mounted decoratively like sconces on wall paper wasn't so shocking as had been anticipated:

www3.sympatico.ca/tapholov/pages/bones.html


Plus, Hab, I agree with your recommendation about going to Southern Europe from this time of year into January, known in days of yore as "the off season".

The weather was fine most of the time - a tad rainy occasionally, but not wintry by any means.

Next trip, I'd also like to see more of Tuscany and the ruins the Etruscans - the precursors to the ancient Romans - left there. We did spend a couple of days in Florence seeing the artwork.

And yes, girls, Michelangelo's "David" - both in clones around town and the original in Florence's Academia - is not to be missed! ;D

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_(Michelangelo)


A thought on future trips overseas is that I'm also thinking of going to countries once called "The Third World" or the "Smokestack Countries" during the Cold War Period in American foreign policy that ended not too long ago.

Real life friends who've toured modern day Poland and Czechoslovakia, for instance, have loved every aspect of those places - there are castles, skiing, fabulous sites to visit just like in "real" Europe, ha ha ha, and wonderful people hosting you too.

Plus, the prices can't be beaten - so if you're looking for a fabulous European trip with a more reasonable pricetag, I highly recommend that location for touring.

Arethusa

You've got to see the Capuchin monks in Sicily. They are hanging on the wall like dried prosciutto.