RE: [Harp-L] Goin' to Italy

["Tom Klingl" <tom.klingl@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob,

Che bello ... this is quite a trip which you are planning... 

Travel tips:

You might want to go to San Gimignano SI, Italy
http://www.sangimignano.net/the-town.html

Map:
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=san+Gimignano&ie=UTF8&cd=1
&ll=43.468385,11.042612&spn=0.011368,0.018797&t=h&z=16>

which is almost en route between Florence and Siena. You take the road fom
Florence to Poggibonsi. After Poggibonsi you turn right (it's about 8-10
miles from there and there will be signs all over). San Gimignano is a
lovely medieval town kept in excellent condition. We've been there last year
and I liked it much better than Florence which unfortunately has a problem
with traffic and construction everywhere (despite Florence's beauties we had
to be careful not to get hit by a car or one of these stinkin' scooters...).


We drove around the ring road (San Gimignano itself is mostly pedestrian
zone) to the north-eastern side and parked our car there. We accessed the
town on a pedestrian walkway at - I think it was - Sant Agostino which is a
lovely church and a piazza. And there we heard him playing: Andrea Piazza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GolQdo4F_rU with his harp (I mean a real
HARP), played through a Digitech JamMan Looper hooked up to an AER Compact
Mobile. It was a nice and sunny morning with few people hanging round the
piazza and we sat there and listened and enjoyed. Somebody told me he sits
there quite often because he lives there. But I do not promise that he WILL
be there.

Unfortunately I cannot tell you much about the Italian harmonica scene. 

There are quite a few players
http://www.angelfire.com/music/harmonica/harmonica-links.html

...and I found this URL a bit misleading
http://www.harmonica.it/

I hope some of the Italian colleagues on this list will reply to your
e-mail.

If you happen to like Italian Cantautori (singer & songwriters) and look for
some records to bring home I can highly recommend Gianmaria Testa
http://www.gianmariatesta.com/. 

And as Dave Payne already mentioned: Keep your valuables in safe places.
Tuscany is a wealthy region but unfortunately the tourism attracts also
thieves of all kinds.

Have a safe trip and enjoy

Tom (Berna, Svizzera) 








-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Loomis [mailto:miltloomis@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Saturday, August 30, 2008 10:07 PM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] Goin' to Italy


I and wife Bev are headed to Italy Sept. 10 through 30, arriving in Milan
and staying in Vernazza (at Lake Como), Venice, Fiesole, Florence, Siena,
Lucca and the Cinque Terra, then back to Milan and home.

Anybody know of harp happenings along our route or have other travel tips?
Thanks in advance.

Bob Loomis
Concord CA
SFBayharpers Moderator