Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Bill, I have to pass on Leica dealers, and I have never been to Rome, but Florence and its surroundings are definitely wonderful. The city itself is well documented, so I will not dwell on it. But if you rent a car, I would highly recommend driving south to Chianti (20 km from Florence) and further to Montalcino (40-50 km). You can also go on to Siena (perhaps 40 km from Florence), a beautiful medieval town. Chianti and Montalcino are home to Italy's greatest wines. Many of the wineries can be visited, and often are not nearly as commercially oriented as those in, say, Bordeaux. You will have the opportunity to taste and buy wonderful wine (at great prices), meet really interesting people, and of course take nice pictures. In Montalcino my favorite is Fattoria dei Barbi, tel. 0577-849356. Chianti's principal town is Greve, and the most interesting winery to visit is Villa Calcinaia, 055-854008. We went there in the summer of '97, and our two-hour visit with the owner, talking about the history of the place (owned by the same family since the 16th century) and drinking their wines, was the high point of our trip to Italy. It is wise to call before coming to visit. Nathan Bill Grimwood wrote: > I will be going on vacation to Italy (and I know that is not America) ( I > have learned my lesson well) ( all in good fun) in a few weeks, 4 days in > Rome and 4 days in Florence. Can anyone recommend some good Leica dealers? > I am always looking for a good piece of used equipment. Is the exchange > rate good? > > I think my equipment will be as follows: 2 M bodies, 21mm, Tri Elmar, 50 > Noctilux, and 90 Elmarit and a small flash. Do any of you have been there > have any other recommendations. Are tourists allowed to make photos inside > the buildings of the Vatican? This will be a new experience for me as I > have only been to the Italian Alps. > > Is there any crime problem I need to be especially aware of? > > Thanks in advance > > Bill Grimwood - -- Nathan Wajsman Overijse, Belgium Photography page: http://members.tripod.com/~belgiangator/index.html Motorcycle page: http://www.geocities.com/motorcity/downs/1704/index.html