How things have changed. 30 years ago, a holiday would be worked out by the travel agent or one just signed up to join the herd of a packaged holiday. For this trip, everything was booked online and the prices pakdokter obtained were much better than what the travel agent could offer. And the choices of hotels were also unlimited compared to the short list of 3 or 4 the tour company offerred.
Although pakdokter had been to Italy several times in the past, this trip has been the most satisfying. Sicily was indeed a discovery. In fact, pakdokter agreed with the few tour guides we engaged in Sicily that this poor sibling of Italy has not been adequately promoted and marketed. Holidays in Italy have always been associated with Rome, Florence and Venice. And the poorer South is seldom in the itinerary. Sicily has a lot to offer actually. And sometimes good bargains too! A Geox pair of shoes was on sale in Palermo for 75 Euros whereas the same pair at the Geox store on Via Nazionale in Rome was tagged 125 Euros for the summer sale!
The 5 days in Sicily was not enough actually. There were still places we did not have the time to explore.
Tuscany was also great in that this visit co-incided with the Palio Festival. In fact after experiencing this, pakdokter and gang has decided that some of the future trips to be considered would be the 'Bull Run' in Pamplona, Spain and the 'Tomatinas' festival also in Spain. "Events" holidays like these actually give a different feel to the total experience....
Europe, now being in recession, is also somewhat of a bargain. When pakdokter was there, the Euro was exchanged at RM3.9! So, it was somewhat easier on the pocket.
Sicily has only 3 golf courses - one in Palermo, one at the foot of Mount Etna and another in another town which pakdokter has forgotten. The island has the potential of developing a golfing industry as in Spain and Portugal.
Tuscany, on the other hand has 15 golf courses. Pakdokter saw a few of them while travelling from Siena to the Ligurian coast.
Rome - and Italy in general this time - has less of the crowd usually seen during summer. Perhaps again a 'sign of time' - the effect of the global recession....And the absence of the 'gypsy' families or gangs on the streets of Rome was also a 'relief' actually! ( Wonder what happened to them?) And pakdokter was glad that our trip ended with no untoward incidence as what happened to us in New Delhi in February when Siti's hand-bag was stolen by a gang of Caucasian thieves at the breakfast table in a 5-star hotel.
Perhaps the gang of street thieves notorious in Rome those days have now migrated to booming Asia.....
This trip was also a great culinary experience. All the 3 or 4 districts pakdokter visited had their own local pastas. There is more to just spaghetti and linguini.....And in Tuscany, the local delicacies include rabbit, duck, lamb and wild boar! And of course, truffles....And seafood ( especially mussels) was aplenty in Sicily and Liguria. In fact, in Rome we chanced upon a ristorante ,on the last day of our stay, near our hotel which served a linguine with half a large lobster for 18 Euros....(remember Cephalu? in Sicily - it was 145 Euros a kilogram).
About tour guides and drivers. The ones in Sicily were less formal. But once you are in Rome, they all come in dark suits. But all of them were 'professional' - they were always on time - they were all 'informed' and gave a good guide on history, architecture etc ....(no flat chinaman jokes that run down our own country that pakdokter experienced when taking a local tour with some foreign delegates to an international conference pakdokter organised in Malaysia some years ago).
And one last note - the only way to see the town or city and to 'feel' the place - is to walk. Pakdokter and family walked almost the whole city of Rome in 15 hours. And the whole town of Siena, San Gimignano, Ligurian Coast were covered on foot.
Well, how many of us have 'walked' the KL Chinatown or Little India?
the above two pictures are from Sicily...
.jpg)
the Palio race in Siena..
the Ligurian Coast at the 'via della amore'....the street of love...
the Colloseum at 2 am in the morning..
2 versions of the 'riboletta'..
a vegetable soup typical in Tuscany..
the local pasta of Liguria...
15 golf courses in Tuscany....
the new STAROBA committee led by Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad
Mihdzor,Radzi Selampit,pakdokter,
Samat Moain and Mihdzor Hilal..
Zulkifli Mohamad and Hasan Bahaudin..
Anoiar Jalil and ADI @ Ahmad Daud Ismail...
pakdokter and Radzi Selampit..
Alias Shaarani...who in his youth 
Alias Shaarani, Anoiar Jalil, and Zulkifli Mohamad...
Hasan Bahaudin..
Alias singing and swinging to 'dangdut'...
