I'm over here for a couple of weeks, so thought I'd share a few pictures. It's hard to beat Italy for sheer scenic beauty.
Great photos! I'm guessing the Italian Riviera and parts of Umbria or Tuscany, with a trip into Rome and Florence (I think that bridge shot is Florence?). If you have time, Cinque Terra is definitely worth a look as well as Venice. One of those shots may be in Cinque Terra--I can't tell. Hvar in Croatia is an overnight train ride away that I personally think is worth it. When I eventually get back there I'd love to see Sicily and the southern end. How affordable are things right now? Say, for example, what does a pint of average beer or a dinner a moderate-budget restaurant run you? I know the trains have always been ridiculously cheap, but I'm curious as to how the euro spends in the current economic climate.
That's got to be the Cinque Terre. I think I stayed in one of those houses in the upper left in, I want to say, Riomaggiore?
The first 3 pictures in the last batch of photos are from Cinque Terre. There are also several shots of the Amalfi Coast, and yes, Rome and Florence. The bridge shot is the famous Ponte Vecchio in Florence. We stayed in Positano for three nights and the prices were steep at the restaurants. We weren't looking specifically for budget restaurants, so I can't tell you how much those are. We paid about $60 to $80 for two at most of the restaurants in Positano. We got a good deal at an excellent hotel in Positano for about $200 a night. In other parts of Italy, Siena for instance, prices are lower, but Italy as a whole is not cheap. We found a hotel inside the city wall in Siena for about $100 a night, but that was the exception.
those are some awesome pics. Check out Assisi if you have a chance, really fucking nice there. There's a long walkway of old cobble stone leading to the Church of St. Francis, really great views there. You can't take pics inside the church though.
Thanks for posting that. You definitely travel on a bigger budget than me! I was hoping Italy might have gone down in prices a little, but it doesn't sound like it. I may take my tourist dollars further south and east.