Steve_Pisteve wrote:

Samurai wrote:

I see that good budget hotel options are just disappearing, so I highly advice to hurry up. Most of the places that I considered are already fully booked.

AirBnB is worth checking; it looks like there are still some reasonably priced places near Terraza Mascagni. I used to be a bit dubious about airbnb, but the place we stayed at last year was fine. It is definitely a good idea to find somewhere near the festival site, however much or little alcohol you consume. It's a drag having to "commute"!
My family and I stayed on in Livorno for another couple of days after the festival last year. One day we went to a beach down the coast and the other day we visited Lucca. There are lots of great places to visit near Livorno - as well as the town itself.

I have also booked my trains to Livorno and back. Is anyone else coming by train? Worth considering, especially if you fancy staying overnight somewhere (nice) on the way there and back. Probably not too practical for visitors from outside Europe though

I use both booking.com and airbnb, surely some nice options can be found on both platforms. In 2018 I’ve booked on airbnb a room in a beautiful old villa on a seaside, but during last years booking.com performed better.
There’s a train connection from Frankfurt to Milano and then to Pisa but it costs more than plane and takes whole day)

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Only one month to go, and I can hardly wait!

Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!

empty_glass wrote:

No although that would sort of be cool. . I probably mean more Europe in general. Going to be in Amsterdam and some other cities while there and don't want to be a target for pickpockets and that sort of thing. I want to blend in as much as possible. I'm considering buying some shirts as a lot of what I have is t shirts with English print. I think I read somewhere Europeans generally speaking don't wear shorts in social settings although there seems to be a lot of contradictions on the internet. More than likely in the information age everyone might be becoming more and more alike which is some ways is good but others ways not so good as I think the differences in people is what makes life more interesting.

I do have a straw hat I could wear but I might get some looks on the plane wearing it. Not sure if that would fly while visiting some of the old churches either.

I'd say a 'professional' pickpocket will spot tourists in a crowd no matter what. Just be careful, and you'll be fine. I wouldn't worry about shirts with English print either. They're quite common over here.
A straw hat might be dead giveaway though ;)

As for churches, I guess it depends on what churches you'll be visiting. You might get asked to take off your hat (any hat) inside, but other than that, I don't think you'll run into any issues. Maybe that's different if you want to attend a service. That I don't know, as that's not my cup of tea.

Regarding Amsterdam: one thing to watch out for is bicycles. If you're not used to (m)any bicycles among traffic, then A'dam can be quite overwhelming, especially since both pedestrians and cyclists tend not to adhere to traffic rules too much, here in the Netherlands.
Central A'dam can be quite chaotic in that sense. It's definitely not a reason not to visit though. Just be aware that what might look like a regular sidewalk to you, might in fact be a cycling lane, even if many pedestrians are walking on it (many of whom are also tourists).

Enjoy!

Surfin’ Europe – Surf gigs in Europe
The Malbehavers – Instrumental Surf Music from Tilburg (NL)
Tout Tilburg Surft – Malbehavers’ debut EP

I will talk with my ex-wife and my son if they would like to join you on a walk in Livorno or a trip to Florence. Myself is severely handicapped and my walking distance is only two kilometers or less-using a stick.My son and me had been in Florence last year -but my ex-wife had not been there I believe. We will stay at the Grand Palazzo Hotel in Livorno from Tuesday night.The CRUNCHER and his wife will come on Wednesday night.Samura where do we meet ???

I'd recommend a bus trip down to the beach south of Livorno, about 15minutes. The bus stops pretty much outside the diner, and a bus ticket each way is 1.70. Buses are about every 15 minutes, I think.

There are cafes to sit by the beach and and the sea is warm. It's a nice place to spend the day. Pretty much anywhere the other side of the Naval Academy is nice.

Buy your tickets at a news-stand, then validate them in the machine in the bus.

http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/

Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)

bjoish wrote:

Samurai wrote:

If anyone wants company in Livorno for some walks before the fest - I may show some nice places there, beautiful channels, fortress, good places to eat and surely legendary Ponce Bar.

I am also planning a trip to Florence on Friday to be back at 6 pm or so, so let me know if someone wants to join.

Sounds nice I will be there on Thursday too.
I have still not tried the Livorno Ponce, this year I have too!

If you are up for a small excursion, I recommend a trip with the local bus to Montenero, just outside Livorno. There is a cool mountainside railway to the top. And there you will find a "miracle church"!

Sounds interesting but weekend is so packed with action)

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

da-ron wrote:

The SJ diner makes a good Ponce Livornese.

Yep, but Civili bar is a special place)

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Samurai wrote:

da-ron wrote:

The SJ diner makes a good Ponce Livornese.

Yep, but Civili bar is a special place)

I just googled Civili bar!
It seems indeed very special !!!
https://www.petermoore.net/bar-civili-livorno/

Unfortunately quite far from the SJ diner...

bjoish wrote:

Samurai wrote:

da-ron wrote:

The SJ diner makes a good Ponce Livornese.

Yep, but Civili bar is a special place)

I just googled Civili bar!
It seems indeed very special !!!
https://www.petermoore.net/bar-civili-livorno/

Unfortunately quite far from the SJ diner...

That’s near the railway station and half an hour walk from the center

Waikiki Makaki surf-rock band from Ukraine

https://linktr.ee/waikikimakaki

Lost Diver

https://lostdiver.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/vitaly-yakushin

Last edited: Jun 17, 2024 10:07:07