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caesar novus

Rome Meet spring 10 or 11?

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I wonder if anyone would want to meet or at least "group think" plans for an excursion to the Rome area during the week when they open all state museums/archeo sites for free?

 

You can stay cheaply such as at http://www.monasterystays.com/index.php and some can fly for just pennies on http://www.whichbudget.com/en/cheapflights.php?to=ROM . Daytrips from Rome sometimes can be made easier or cheaper with knowhow, such as public buses passing near Hadrian's Villa.

 

Challenges where group-think or meeting in person might help: 1) Finding out the dates of "culture week" ahead of time. Usually notice pops up a couple months ahead of time on gov't web pages (in Italian). In the past it has been in March, April, May, or skipped a year. 2) Making travel / accom arrangements at last minute. 3) working out logistics of local excursions on the cheap (such as getting on/off busses apparently in the middle of nowhere with no language skills).

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I might be passing by Rome again next spring, but probably only for a few days and of so early in April. A meeting would be lovely though.

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Rome would be a great idea but it depends upon finances for me as it would for others undoubtedly. If you wish to organise that as a seperate meeting to that of the UK ones then do go ahead. I think it is important to keep the UK trips alive for at least the forseable future and if they prove successful they should be an annual event as was agreed on our first meeting.

 

So, yes, if folk wish to go to Rome then go for it but please do not confuse it with the original UK Meets.

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OK, let's try revising this idea for a deep pocket forum demographic. A final headcount please... anyone wishing to join a tour of Roman archeo sites normally closed to the public, send a signed blank check to http://www.romasotterranea.it/guided-tours.html and tell them since it was my idea, to let me tag along for free.

Edited by caesar novus

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Rome would be a great idea but it depends upon finances for me as it would for others undoubtedly. If you wish to organise that as a seperate meeting to that of the UK ones then do go ahead.

I would never organize any such thing because just getting myself there has some of the most extreme hurdles. But I hoped we could post a clearinghouse of ideas.

 

One approach I had about given up on is getting piles of frequent flyer miles for a free flight. But I did notice one flight on one airline that was being offered for very few miles. I then checked corners of their website for obscure ways of earning miles. The did in fact offer the number of miles I needed for simply testing the services of a company for something I needed anyway. Well, I am pursuing it even though nearly certain the plans will crash to pieces (there is a yearend deadline for the program), but maybe food for thought in your strategies...

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frequent flyer miles for a free flight. But I did notice one flight on one airline that was being offered for very few miles. I then checked corners of their website for obscure ways of earning miles. The did in fact offer the number of miles I needed for simply testing the services of a company for something I needed anyway. Well, I am pursuing it even though nearly certain the plans will crash to pieces (there is a yearend deadline for the program), but maybe food for thought in your strategies...

Success! At least so far. In case anyone else might pursue a similar cheapskate strategy, I will recount how several obstacles were overcome, since to the inexperienced they can seem practically insurmountable.

 

I changed service providers and waited for ff mileage award which didn't arrive. Emailed them a reminder. They said sorry we forgot, then assigned me the wrong "reward", for which I about bust my blood vessels getting straightened out. Continued daily checking, and the tiny ff mileage just now arrived before yearend deadline.

 

Normally nearly impossible to actually use, I lowered my hopes and prepared to pound the pc keyboard all night to snag a Rome flight. As usual, only a couple weird, irreconcilable flights avail for the whole springtime period around "culture week". Found one end that was usable, then looked for the other connection out of another Italian airport with open jaw (success). Had to find a buried option on web back pages to avoid having 4(!) flight connections outbound or 3 plus a ground connection. Of course the act of finding it triggers a timeout, which means logging in again possibly to find the option disappeared.

 

Then, as usual, with the itinerary finalized (in middle of night, when little competition getting flights) the darn thing accepts all my pages and pages of input, but upchucks on the final reservation. As usual for no good reason it simply says cannot complete reservation and to try later. Over and over and over. But I notice a date contradiction among the pages, so try to schedule the same itinerary thru different menus - and it works!

 

Well, this isn't meant as a blog so much as an example of how you might make something like this happen thru maniacal persistance rather than money...

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OK, now is around the time Italy announces if and when there will be a spring Culture Week. Usually this extends beyond free admission to museums and archeo sites, but many normally closed sites are open for one day only! If you see any notice of this please post (may need some translation help for the special openings).

 

P.S. One of the compensations of hot days trudging thru Roman brick and marble (besides gelato) is the super refreshing carbonated fruit juices Italy has. I noticed the US "Safeway" chain actually imports some of this from Italy although not of the best value. I tried to home-make this with CO2 at first, but settled on a simpler approach they use for gourmet ginger ales. Just flick some yeast into a bottle of fruit juice! You recap it instead of venting, so neglible alcohol is made - it just makes bubbles, clouds up a bit with sexy flavors, and stops the reaction when it pressures up (then you refrigerate). Also puts some drama in your life in avoiding creation of a fizz bomb.

Edited by caesar novus

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TRANSLATION HELP PLEASE!! http://www.unsabeniculturali.it/DIR_GEN_VA...rcolare_N.9.pdf

For some reason I can't run this pdf memo into google pdf translation or even into text (can you?).

 

*** IS IT SAYING APR 16-25 IS FOR SURE "CULTURE WEEK"? ***

 

Is it saying final arrangements or announcements wait for March 16 (like the one time openings?).

Normally this is announced by now in http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/MiBAC/index.html

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TRANSLATION HELP PLEASE!! http://www.unsabeniculturali.it/DIR_GEN_VA...rcolare_N.9.pdf

For some reason I can't run this pdf memo into google pdf translation or even into text (can you?).

 

*** IS IT SAYING APR 16-25 IS FOR SURE "CULTURE WEEK"? ***

 

Is it saying final arrangements or announcements wait for March 16 (like the one time openings?).

Normally this is announced by now in http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/MiBAC/index.html

 

Yes, April 16-25.

Instutions wanting to be part of it should send in their details before March 16 when they will be announced. Late entries might be added to the site in due time.

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Yes, April 16-25.

Thank you, and now I found the official public announcement below.

http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/opencms/...amp;pagename=52

 

From April 16 to 25 back to the "Week of Culture"

 

Published 05 febbraio 2010

 

The cultural event 'since the year: the twelfth week of culture.

MiBAC opens free for ten days, all the places state of the art: monuments, museums, archaeological sites, archives, libraries with large popular events throughout the country.

 

Thousands of events: exhibitions, conferences, special openings, workshops, guided tours and concerts that will make it even more special experience for all visitors. Occasion to approach the greatest wealth of our country: our artistic and cultural heritage.

Looking forward to special event announcements which will appear in the wrong end of Italy than my reservations... well, at least readers of this thread got a chance to get bargain reservations ahead of the hordes who may block everything up now. SPQR!

Edited by caesar novus

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Too bad, those ones in Florence looked awesome, but I won't be there until June. Eh, I know there's plenty going on then!

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Here's a list of special events starting up. Nothing Roman yet...

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y...sl=it&tl=en

That event list is building, but disappoints me so far. I guess march 16 will have a complete list, plus a list of (practically all) museums+archeo that will be open for free that week. You can stay within translate mode and back up the level of hierarchy for the march 16 announcements, etc.

 

Another resource is http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y...sl=it&tl=en which lets you reserve entrance into closed bldgs such as in Pompeii. To make the actual reservation you have to pop out of the translate mode, but first get oriented there. I was hoping it would offer the famous silver anniversary villa, but I guess not.

 

Lastly I noticed that for avoiding the bad lines for getting in to Vatican museum and it's fantastic Roman sculptures (not a part of culture week) you can sign up for a garden tour then afterwards they will let you loose into the museum with presumably no waiting.

Edited by caesar novus

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1268236269754_LOGO-XII-vett.jpg

 

OK, this supreme and titanic opportunity for any Romanophile was fully announced along with gi-normous list of special events, but in a very challenging form to translate into english (please post if you find a straightforward way). Unlike previoius years, I don't see a list of archeo sites and museums that are free that extended week, but almost all of them are

 

Download site maps and such, which may not be available to freeloaders (the ticket booths then tend to have a hostile sulker, best not talked to). It's not about saving coins anyway, but now you have freedom to make short sampling visits, and return if you wish, etc. Be experimental, but don't linger in boring or crowded places; have a big list of plan B alternatives. Take full advantage... no eating, sitting down, or socializing during daylight hours! And in the meantime toughen up your feet for hard duty using the same museum/cobblestone footwear.

 

Is it saying final arrangements or announcements wait for March 16 (like the one time openings?).

Normally this is announced by now in http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/MiBAC/index.html

Sigh, the final March 16 announcements just about break the limits of http://translate.google.com/# . Now and in years hence, you may need the top level in italian above and/or the translated http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e...AC%2Findex.html

 

They seem to keep changing the location of the details, so be aware you can click on "cultural events" then "major events", then the obvious. Currently this lands you in http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y...sl=it&tl=en or italian http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/opencms/...amp;pagename=52 . But the next step of clicking the region breaks translate. I found you can copy and paste the Rome events into translate, and it will work (but not the whole page which is too long).

 

Many of the special interest tours of archeo sites seem to require reservations, and probably knowledge of Italian. I think it may be bad etiquette for a nontaxpayer english speaker to freeload into some of these - once I shot my hand up when they asked if any were english speakers and was embarrased to have the other 999 folks wait as every sentence was repeated in english. But other events look quite appropriate... so I gather there is no interest in sorting out these events and which ones look appropriate for Rome lovers? Looks like a lot of effort and reward...

Edited by caesar novus

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Some interesting goings on in Ostia by the look of it, and this is your chance to get into Portus.

Otherwise, a cursory glance through the list doesn't overly impress me, to be honest. Nothing you couldn't see/get into otherwise.

I'm not slagging off the culture week, I've stood in line for 4.5 hrs a few years ago to get into Palazzo Farnese (it was worth the wait), but I'm not blown away by this list.

Edited by Maladict

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