Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with italy

A new tradition for a toast...

eatdonuts — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:06:22 -0800

Wonderful pink kind of champagne-esque drink found in Italy was had on my birthday and I've completely forgotten the name but would like to find it again...? I spent one of my birthdays in Florence, Italy some years ago and was treated to a wonderful fizzy kind of alcohol drink that was surprisingly pink when poured. The local who purchased it said it was a special of the area.

We're drinking it here in the photo... anyone know?

A Two-Part Question About Italian Dialects and The Mechanics of Breaking Glass Windows

jason's_planet — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:51:50 -0800

This is a two-part question about a video on YouTube. The first part of the question is about the Sicilian dialect of the Italian language; the second part deals with the mechanics of breaking a glass window with a crowbar. (You don't have to watch the whole video if you don't want to; there are two sections I'm curious about and each one only runs for a few seconds.)

Here's the video: the opening sequence of the early-seventies Italian crimesploitation flick "Il Cittadino Si Ribella", featuring the song "Goodbye My Friend."

Now, at about :51, there are a group of hooligans trashing an apartment. One of them happens upon a poster on the wall with the words "Italiani Ribellatevi". He mutters something that sounds like "Italiani Ribel-ad" before he tears it off the wall. Is this meant to be Sicilian dialect? I ask because it reminds me of the bits of New York Italian slang I've heard here and there, with "Gallamad" for "Calamari" and so on and so forth.

From 1:50 to about 2:10, there's a scene where a guy smashes a shop window with a crowbar. Prior to doing so, he wraps the crowbar in newspaper. Now why would he do that? Is that for personal safety? Is the newsprint supposed to protect him from shards of broken glass flying back at him? Or is there some other reason?

So there you have it. A question involving the Italian language and breaking glass windows. And the song "Goodbye My Friend." I submit that this question is unique in the six-year history of Ask MetaFilter.

As always, many thanks in advance.

Hunting for Italian cosmetics: How to be bella in Italia?

purpleclover — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:52:20 -0800

I love cosmetics, and I'm in Rome. What should I buy here that I can't get in the United States? Things I'd love to find here: the best eyeliner, delicious blushes, fabulous mascaras, luxurious lotions, wrinkle creams that aren't FDA-approved, the eye cream that changed your life, the bronzer that makes you seem like you just got back from Cozumel, hand creams that make you weep, etc.

Has globalization eliminated this kind of shopping? Should I use all my liquid allocation for olive oil, or are there still Italian cosmetics and beauty elixirs worth seeking out?

2 weeks driving around Europe at Christmas - what not to miss?

allkindsoftime — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:12:48 -0800

European road-trip for the holidays (filter). Meeting up with a friend in Paris on the evening of the 19th - both of us traveling there from different continents and wrapping up on Jan 2nd back in Paris. Here's the current plan:

Week 1 (Road Trip!):
12/19 - Arrive Paris, stay overnight.
12/20 - Drive to Munich, staying with friends.
12/21 - Explore Munich, Christmas markets, etc.
12/22 - Drive to Vienna with a stop in Steyr, Austria*.
12/23 - Explore Vienna, Christmass markets, etc.
12/24 - More Vienna, Christmas Eve Mass at St. Stephansdom*.
12/25 - Drive to Venice.
12/26 - Explore Venice.

Week 2 (based out of Geneva, where we have a free apartment):
12/27 - Drive to Geneva.
12/28 - Ski Chamonix, stay in Geneva
12/29 - More skiing, still in Geneva.
12/30 - More skiing, last night in Geneva.
12/31 - Drive to Paris for New Years.
1/1 - Explore Paris
1/2 - Friend flies out, I'm off to London for a day then flying out myself on the 3rd.

*Both of these were "local recommendations" given by friends - cool things to see and do. I am particularly interested on these around our route.

My questions:

1. Cheap / decent hotel near the airport in Paris - any suggestions?

2. Driving - we're both pretty set on it because a) we both love driving / road trips, and b) we crave the flexibility of being able to stop off in this or that place along the way, stay at a B&B outside the city rather than a hotel in it, etc.. We realize trains are good around here but would really need a strong argument against driving to sway us at this point. Any tips on tolls / etc. appreciated, as well as things along our routes not to miss.

3. Hotel in Vienna - same as above, we are looking for something more local / small, preferably on the city outskirts. From what I understand most of Europe will shut down on the 25/26th, so I figure on spending Christmas day on the road.

4. Hotel in Venice - see above.

5. Best skiing recommendations within reasonable driving distance of Geneva? I'm pretty set on Chamonix as I've been reading about skiing there my entire life, and extreme skiing is my "thing," although not my friend's, so I'm only pushing for one day there - the other 2 days we're looking for something more enjoyable to ride together.

6. New Years Eve in Paris - where to go? What to do? Where to stay?

Any input on the above or anything I'm not thinking of is appreciated in advance. I've only been to the UK and Greece before so if parts of (hopefully not all!) my plans are idiotic, please hope me. We're pretty much going off of the Lonely Planet guide and the AskMe tags (i.e. Vienna, Venice, etc.) for things to do in the cities we are at, but any other suggestions on stops along the way that are don't-miss are appreciated.

Warmish places to go in Europe?

walla — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:44:37 -0800

Where in Southern Europe should we go for a few winter months? We work remotely and are considering spending January through March in Europe. We've done this before in Northern Europe (Germany, northern France & Italy), but because of the season we're thinking about going south. Ideally we'd rent an apartment for a month in each of 2 or 3 places.

We love smallish, walkable, affordable cities - Freiburg, Germany was one of our favorites - but we're flexible. It's great if there are day trips nearby, as we won't have to start working until 3 PM.

Thanks for any ideas!

A day or two in Sicily? Worth the trouble of getting there?

purpleclover — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:04:16 -0800

Is a quick trip to Sicily worth it? I've got a ticket to fly to Rome 4-11 December, and am considering a quick trip to Sicily (max 3 days, min 1 day) via a low-cost air carrier. I spent three days in Rome 10 years ago, but I'll want to do the big sight-seeing (Vatican, Colosseum, Capitoline Museums) again.

I'm drawn to Sicily, because my family is from Termine Imerese, but I don't know anyone there, so it's not like I'm going to literally see any family members.

A couple of additional factors: First, 8 Dec. is the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a national holiday, so everything in Rome (and I'm sure in Sicily?) seems like it will be closed. (Strolling around the streets of Rome and gawking at ruins is always open, though, thankfully.) Second, we won't have a car in Rome, of course, but it seems like we would definitely have to rent one in Sicily. Is this going to be a hassle?

Also, Mr. Clover and I are prone to overscheduling when we're on vacation, so I'm trying to balance the feeling of "I'm not going to be so close to Sicily in the foreseeable future" with the fear that we'll spend our whole trip transporting ourselves with no time to see anything of interest.

We are coming from Europe, so jet lag is not a factor.

Can we have any kind of meaningful vacation experience in Sicily in such a short time? Or should we stick around Rome?

Italy when no one is there?

parmanparman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:29:32 -0800

Going to Italy at the end of January. Not the most ideal time to take a vacation. We are going to Milan, Tuscany, and Venice. How can two people make the most of it?

Buon Natale a Roma?

i less than three nsima — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:08:53 -0800

Rome and Italy for X-Mas: bad idea or not? My wife and I are considering taking a long overdue vacation and honeymoon to Rome, Florence (and other Italian sites as time permits) this Christmas. I don't expect the weather to be the nostalgic Mediterranean April of my memories from my last visit to the boot, but what will it be like, exactly? While I am perfectly happy strolling through the open-air piazzas in a jacket, 10 days of rain would be a little less romantic.

I've read some of the previous questions about Rome and Italy at Christmas time, but they don't seem to address the crowdedness factor. Is it really crowded in Rome or the other popular sites in Italy over the Christmas and New Years holidays? I would be naive to think a place like these would ever be without tourists, but the summertime throngs have to die down at some point, right?

Finally, what's the exchange rate (a whopping $1.47 to 1€ !!!) like for US travelers these days?

Aiutami!

Partario — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:41:07 -0800

Help me remember the name of a poet/playwright from northeastern Italy. I can't remember much about his writing but I know he has focused on the confusion that arises from living on borders. I think he was from Friuli-Venezia Giulia because he seemed to have a particular fascination with the Italian-Slovenian border. He was alive two years ago and is between 65 -75. I should add that I he maybe a professor - I got the impression that he was well-versed in German literature. Anyone recognise this man?

Help me fight Italian car rental scammery!

COBRA! — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:02:32 -0800

I am being badly ripped off by Maggiore, an Italian rental car company (with a strong assist from a cab driver in Lucca). Please help me. Executive summary: I worked with a company called Europe By Car to book a car rental in Italy for the past week; they set me up with a rental through a company called Maggiore who rented us a bum car, are sticking me with thousands of dollars of undeserved charges, and we're pretty sure that one of their workers colluded with a cab driver to shake us down.

Details: We picked up the car at the Pisa airport, and drove just past Lucca. On the Autostrade, just before the Capannori exit, the clutch went out, forcing us to push the car off of a busy freeway. After getting off the freeway, we called the Maggiore roadside assistance number, and a tow truck was sent out. We were towed to a garage in Lucca, where we called the Maggiore desk; they told us to bring paperwork from the man who towed us and take a cab from Lucca to the Pisa airport.

We did so, and were told the cab fare (which was supposed to be reimbursable) was 70 Euro. We paid it and got a receipt for the
reimbursement. We gave the paperwork to the Maggiore people, and they gave us a different car, and everything seemed OK for most of the week.

Yesterday, then when we returned the car, the cab driver was standing at the Maggiore desk, and the man running the desk (he said his name was Alberto, and wouldn't give us his last name, which does not exactly fill me with confidence) said we had never paid the cab driver, and could not leave until we did. This is simply not true; we remember paying the man, and have a receipt to prove it. During the ensuing discussion, "Alberto" also started accusing us of breaking the first car (not possible-- we simply did not have the car long enough to burn out a clutch, even if we were driving poorly. Which we were not) and denting the second (also not true-- we were extremely careful, and returned the car in good condition). In the end, we got worried about missing our plane, and paid the cab driver another 70 Euros just to get the hell out of there.

This morning, my credit card is showing charges from Maggiore for $1177.04 and $1469.38.

So, my complaints are manifold: a Maggiore worker colluded with a cab driver to scam us, and now appears to be sticking me with thousands of dollars of undeserved charges.

What recourse do I have? I've sent an email to Europe By Car, the booking company we worked with (the text of that email is pretty similar to this post). I would love more information on how to fight this.

Walking resources for Pollino National Park, Italy?

knapah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:37:28 -0800

Where can I find resources on walks in the Pollino National Park in Basilicata, Italy? My parents are going to be in the area in a week or two and are very interested in doing a few walks in the park. They want things on the light end of the walking scale, up to 10km at most, but any maps and things would be great.

If you have any experience walking there, or know of any good resources (in English) on the park, I'd love to hear about them.

Help finding and renting apt west of Ancona, Italy.

avocade — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:12:27 -0800

Good inexpensive family apartments for rent inland from Ancona, Italy in end-October? Need some assistance. We're going with the family to Venice from Sweden by plane, then car down to Ancona (my dad is an accordion freak and wants to visit the famous maker there). We're thinking of heading straight inland from there, up the mountain range and hopefully stay in a nice, very italian apartment in some nice, very italian (see a pattern?) picturesque town where we can just enjoy life (gastronomically and wineonomically) for a week or so longer.

Any tips? Need to probably book asap, over the internet would be best. None of us speak italian (I know a few phrases), and only my mother has been to Italy for a week or so (Milan, Rome). We're five people, youngest is 22 yo. No smokers, no pets :)

What books should I read about historical Rome and Venice?

garlic — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:27:54 -0800

I'm looking for books about Italy, specifically Rome and Venice, and also books set in Rome and/or Venice. What would you recommend? When I was in Paris in 2007, I was reading The Three Musketeers by Dumas at the same time. It was pretty cool to be reading about the musketeers playing tennis 4 blocks from where my hotel was, and it made the experience much richer. So now that I'm going to Rome and Venice, I'd like to do the same while there -- reading something during downtimes set in the city I'm visiting, set in the cities heyday. Since this is a downtime sort of read, I'd like it to focus on the entertainment aspect over the educational aspect.

And when I was thinking about how to find that sort of book, I realized that I have more general french cultural knowledge through studies and Dumas and Hugo so I'd be a good idea to get a more historical educational book about the realities of Rome while the empire was there, and history after that probably up to the Rennaisance, so a book or two about Roman and Venetian history that I can finish before my trip (Sep 18) would be helpful too.

Mel Gibzetti

kittensofthenight — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:41:36 -0800

In the recent documentary not quite hollywood , the talking heads mention the Australian influence on Italian genre films, where an entire genre of Mad Max–style rip-offs emerged. What are these movies, and can I get them on netflix? If there is a whole Italian sub-genre of Mad-Max rip-offs, I have high hopes. Spaghetti apocalypse?

What are some of the best Italian movies of the last 30 years?

katemonster — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 21:15:39 -0800

What Italian movies am I missing out on? I'm familiar with the post-war classics, but it's hard to come by more modern stuff in the States. DVD region is not an issue for me; English subtitle availability is nice but non-essential, as my Italian will suffice. I'm not particular about subject matter or genre -- children's movies, action flicks, documentaries, whatever -- I just want to know what's out there in Italian film that's worth seeing, particularly from the last 30 years or so.

Movies I've seen and loved:
I cento passi (The Hundred Steps)
Caterina va in citta'
Mio fratello e' figlio unico (My Brother is an Only Child)
Pane e tulipane (Bread and Tulips)
Il ladro di bambini (Stolen Children)
Mediterraneo
Il postino
Hamam (Steam)
Cinema Paradiso
Johnny Stecchino
La vita e' bella (Life is Beautiful)
Kaos

And as a minor subquestion, does anyone have any recommendations for online sources for Italian DVDs that will ship to the US? I've used ibs.it in the past for books, but don't know if there are any other viable options for DVDs.

Good publisher of Italian classics?

vespr1610 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:37:51 -0800

Good publisher of Italian classics? I ask only this: the text is as it was first written, the book is free from the pollution of study notes. I suppose I'm looking for the Italian equivalent of England's 'Oxford University Press', or Germany's 'Reclam'.

Vespa!

Misciel — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:02:52 -0800

I'm looking for a video of an Italian vespa commercial from the early 60s (probably aired on the show Carosello), which featured the scooters driven by the boys and all the girls sitting side-saddle behind them. It had snappy music that was punctuated every few seconds by the single lyric "Ves-PA!" (The commercial I'm looking for isn't this one... It was instead made earlier and the kids should be dressed more formally.) Can you help me find it?? Thanks!!

Holy juxtaposition

acidic — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:41:50 -0800

What's the story behind the (contemporary) sculptures scattered in and around the Forum in Rome? When I was in Rome earlier this month, I was surprised and delighted to see almost a hundred white sculptures (many of very abstract, spherical human bodies) scattered around the ruins of the Forum and surrounding areas. Google failed me. What are they? Did the artist win an amazing competition of public art, and was there ensuing art-world controversy? Do the installations rotate? Etc etc.

RV'ing in Italy

pearlybob — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:45:10 -0800

Ok, I conquered the US, now I want to go RV'ing in Italy!! Anyone with experience? We just got back from our RV tour of the west (previously) and I LOVED it! Just LOVED it! I was scared to death to go, having never done anything like that, but it was fabulous. What a way to see the country. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, especially those with kids. Ok, enough chatter. We are seriously thinking about flying into Rome next summer and renting an RV to see Italy. I've done some online research and it doesn't seem too complicated, of course, I'm only in the earliest stages of investigating. Has anyone ever done this? Do my Italian Mefi friends have any ideas, any details I should be made aware of? Do you know anything about RV sites in Italy? Of course, we'll need passports, etc. but what about driver certifications? Any stories and or advice will be great. Thanks all and go RV'ing this weekend!!

Good books about the Italian Renaissance?

nickhb — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:04:43 -0800

Can anyone recommend good books about the interaction of Italian City-States during the Renaissance? My brother is writing a 200 page paper over the next three years, and his topic is Rome, Venice, Florence, and Milan and how their interactions shaped the Italian Renaissance. He doesn't have any good books to go on, and I'm at a loss to help him (I'm not a history person) Any help would be appreciated.

Time to gut airline pricing.

paultopia — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:31:24 -0800

Arline prices: a specific question (Italy, late September, how to minimize cost?). And a general (airline econ 101). I'm flying from the SF Bay Area to to Milan in late September. How on earth do I minimize my cost on this? Particularly, when do I buy? The fares seem to fluctuate wildly from day to day, with almost a hundred dollar swing in the lowest price in a single day recently. And, based on previous experience, not always upward either -- sometimes they go down, or sales crop up. So I feel like there should be some smarter strategy than just "buy as early as possible."

And, generally: can someone explain to me the economic reasons behind airline pricing? It seems almost impossibly random from day-to-day, airline-to-airline, source-to-source -- far more random than any other competitive industry I can think of. I can understand how if they dealt in extreme commodities like stock, gold, or oil, these fluctuations can happen (and I suppose some of it may be tied to fuel prices). But I can't come up with a theory for this happening in an ordinary service industry.

I'm curious about this in two ways: first, out of general econ-wonk interest. The airline industry seem too competitive for the simple paranoid explanation -- that they randomize prices in order to extract more surplus from consumers -- to work, because randomized prices are basically the same as increased prices and shouldn't be sustainable under heavy competition.

Second, to make buying airline tickets feel less like a gamble! If I wanted to gamble with my money, I'd go to Vegas (preferably not by plane). I don't.

This question may be beyond even mefi... I kind of wonder if anyone has ever just put a crapload of airline pricing data into a stats program with things like calendar date, fuel price, weather, destination, etc., and just thrown regressions at it until it says "ow." If not, perhaps I will one day. But first, I turn to you.

8 Hours in Milan?

universal_qlc — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:31:45 -0800

Things to do close to the central train station in Milan? My good friend and I have a few hours in Mllan (probably about 2 PM until 11, when we get on an overnight train) in late July; neither of us have ever been there before. Ideally, we'll check in our luggage at the central station and wander around for the day. What would be some good things to do (preferably within walking distance of the train)? Most tourist sites I've seen assume that we'd be staying for a few days.

I like shopping, but am not made of money. We both like eating ridiculously good but cheapish food. Like most tourists, we love seeing and doing new things, especially things we can't do just anywhere.

Bonus: how avoid looking too much like nerdy Americans while we're there?

Thanks!

How do I make the best cannoli filling ever?

jroybal — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:34:13 -0800

Headline says it all: how do I make the best cannoli filling? Ricotta+powdered sugar+vanilla? How much of each (or other ingredients) should I use? I made it last night with 1.5 lb ricotta, 1 c powdered sugar, and 1/4 tsp vanilla, using a recipe in some old Italian cookbook, but it came out a bit chalky and not as thick/creamy as it is when it comes from a restaurant. Any specific pointers (or any particularly great add-ins)? Lots of Google hits, but I'm trying to filter out the noise. Thanks in advance.

Seeking recomendation for immigration attorney in Los Angeles for Italian citizenship by descent case

Asparagirl — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:58:02 -0800

Please recommend an attorney -- preferably one in the Los Angeles area -- for an unusual Italian citizenship by descent case. Looking for one with knowledge of complicated 20th Century treaties regarding the former Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey, Italy, and Greece, and experience dealing with a lack of some typical primary citizenship evidence. Short version:
Know a good immigration/citizenship attorney, or someone with experience with the Italian consulate system, preferably in Los Angeles? If so, please drop a note.

Long version:
My mother-in-law "Jane" was born in California in 1949. Her family are Sephardic Jews who lived for hundreds of years on the island of Rhodes, which is just off the coast of Turkey in the Aegean Sea. Rhodes was formerly part of the Ottoman Empire. Much of the population was Greek and following the break-up of the Empire, the island was "supposed to" go to Greece. However, it was illegally seized by Italy in 1912 and, seeing as possession is 9/10 of the law, was formally made a part of Italy under the Treaty of Lausanne in July 1923. This treaty gave Italian citizenship to the people of Rhodes, and according to knowledgeable sources I've talked to in the Rhodes genealogy community, this new citizenship also applied to people born on the island even if they weren't actually living there at the time of the treaty signing.

Jane's maternal grandfather Ray was born on Rhodes in either 1895 or 1896 (reports vary), and immigrated to the US in 1913. Jane's maternal grandmother Amelia was born either on Rhodes or in Milas, Turkey (reports vary) in 1904 and immigrated to the US in 1916. They got married in Los Angeles in August 1923 and had their first child, Jane's mother Esther, in Los Angeles in late 1924.

Ray filed his Declaration of Intention for US naturalization and citizenship in 1916. He and his family believed he became a US citizen shortly thereafter. However, he apparently didn't actually file his final papers for citizenship until the 1950's and did not become a full US citizen until 1955. (Copies of all the papers have been obtained from the Department of Homeland Security under an FOIA request.) This raises questions about his citizenship status in the 1916-1955 period, and whether that citizenship can be passed down to his children and/or grandchildren.

Specifically, Italian citizenship is one of the rare European nationalities that can pass down by descent. It used to be that only men could pass it down, but after 1948, women can also pass it down to children who were born after 1948.

As mentioned, Ray was born 1895/1896. Assuming that he became an Italian citizen in July 1923, then Amelia also unknowingly became an Italian citizen upon marrying him a month later in August 1923 -- although she probably assumed that she was becoming an American citizen upon her marriage, under the Cable Act of 1922. Their daughter Esther was born in the US in 1924, at a time when both her parents apparently had Italian citizenship, thus making her a dual citizen. As she likely never knew this, she never formally renounced her Italian citizenship. Esther married Ralph in 1944, also from Rhodes and also an Italian citizen, who had come to the US in 1937, fleeing Mussolini. Ralph became a US citizen in 1945. Their daughter "Jane" was born 1949 -- and so could have inherited Italian citizenship from Esther under the post-1948 law allowing female lines to carry citizenship.

"Jane" would like to claim her Italian citizenship by descent, if in fact she is entitled to it (as we believe she may be). However, we're going to need a good immigration lawyer for this case, preferably in the Los Angeles area, because of several complicating factors:

- Applying for Italian citizenship by descent usually includes getting copies of your Italian ancestors' birth certificates, as proof. However, there are no known birth certificates for people born on Rhodes under the Ottoman rule -- the Empire was kind of lax about record-keeping by that point. Furthermore, it is unclear (but unlikely) that any formal documents, such as passports, were issued to the people of Rhodes when they became Italian citizens en masse in 1923. Therefore we have little primary evidence for Ray and/or Amelia's Italian citizenship.

- There are probably only two surviving modern censuses of Rhodes under Italian rule, one from the 1920's and one from the late 1930's. They contain minimal information on the population outside of names and birthdates (or in some cases estimated birth years). Ray had already left the island by that point and while he may have had family members show up in the census records, he himself would not. So, more lack of primary evidence of citizenship.

- Around 1943/1944, the Italian anti-Semitic governor of Rhodes illegally stripped all the local Jews of their Italian citizenship, above and beyond the impositions already placed on them by Italian Racial Laws. This meant that some then supposedly reverted to Turkish citizenship again...or not? It was unclear at the time. In any case, the Jews of Rhodes were shipped to Auschwitz in 1944 and nearly all murdered there. So there is very little previous "case law" before the Italian consulates on the subject of Italian citizenship for Rhodes descendants, as only a few people chose to apply for it in the intervening years.

- In 1948, Rhodes was formally transferred from Italy to Greece, and the people of Rhodes were now given Greek citizenship. However, unlike the Treaty of Lausanne in 1923, this only applied to people who were actually living on the island at this time...probably. This is a sticky wicket that needs research by a good attorney.

- Finally, copies of all US-based evidence -- birth certificates, US citizen papers, etc. -- have already been collected, but apostilles are still needed.

So, names of immigration/citizenship attorneys, people involved with the Italian consulate system, and suggestions on how to proceed are welcomed. Thanks, MeFi!

Help me plan my destination wedding in Italy (and avoid getting scammed).

mockjovial — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:19:44 -0800

Help me plan my destination wedding in Italy (and avoid getting scammed). My fiancé and I (thank you green team for helping to make it happen) are planning a destination wedding in Rome for June 2010.

We have been exchanging email messages with a planner through a site called http://www.italian-weddings.com.. This site is associated with a firm called World-Weddings LLC which is apparently based in Colorado somewhere. The specific planner who has been emailing us is from Euroevents & Travel, LLC. Even though she has been helpful so far, after some Google action, I think I am SCARED. of Euroevents & Travel, LLC.

My question is: Can you recommend any quality planners or firms (based on your or own experience or that of someone you know) to help us set up our dream wedding in Rome next year?