normandy of italy?

[Hooahguy]

im planning to take a trip this summer to either normandy (too see the D-Day sites) or italy (to see roman ruins).
ive done a lot of research on both, and both will cost about the same, but now it really comes down to what others think about the places. none of my friends have been there, so im turning to you guys. (i want more input than just what the tavel sites tell me)
so where should i go? im planning to stay for a week, me, my dad, my brother and my grandfather.
many thanks!

[Decker]

Make a poll... Normandy? Italy? Gah? You'll find your answer

[Rhyfelwyr]

Go to Sicily - its in Italy but it was ruled by the Normans, its a compromise.

[||Lz3||]

hum.... go to see a graveyard or several of the most beautiful cities of the world (Rome, Vatican)

though one...

EDIT:

im planning to take a trip this summer

you mean next summer? 2009? or you live in south america?

[PBI]

Given a simple choice I'd have to say Italy purely because of the food, but it depends on where you're thinking of in Italy and what sort of thing you're interested in (history, culture, food etc).

Only bit of Italy I've been to is Rome, which is fantastic. You get Roman ruins and rennaisance art & architecture, so it's two for one really.

[Hooahguy]

hum.... go to see a graveyard or several of the most beautiful cities of the world (Rome, Vatican)

though one...

EDIT:
you mean next summer? 2009? or you live in south america?

Lz3, you know where i live.....

[Pannonian]

I thought you were talking about Anzio, as the Normandy of Italy.

[Hooahguy]

ignore

[Kralizec]

I've never been to Rome or further south, but northern Italy is great. Venice is the most beautiful city I've ever visited (twice), though the multitude of tourists and street vendors kind of diminish the experience. Lot's of historical architecture; never visited a Roman site though.
The one thing I remember from Normandy besides the Allied graves is the Mont Saint-Michel, quite a sight.

Unless you intend to spend 100% of your time visiting and studying WW2 sites/Roman sites, I'd suggest Rome because it would be more enjoyable overall.

[Yoyoma1910]

Rome won't accidentally blow you up, and there's WW2 sites in Italy.

[Hooahguy]

well considering im jewish and i keep kosher, ill be eating from those travel meals
so no good food here....

but both trips will be soley for the roman ruins or the normadny beaches/sites

[TinCow]

If you're only looking for Roman ruins, I would recommend the South of France over Rome. There are plenty of other wonderful things to see in Rome, but if the only thing you're interested in is Roman stuff, there are better spots. Despite the few major structures (Colloseum, Pantheon, Curia, etc.) nearly everything in Rome has been totally destroyed and built over. The forum and Palatine Hill are interesting, but they are all essentially foundations with a few reconstructed columns here and there. If you want to see the best Roman ruins in Europe, I would recommend a trip around Arles, Nimes, Orange, and Pont du Gard.

If you do go to Rome, for Roman ruins I actually recommend visiting the Vatican and many of the churches. Most of those structures took a significant majority of their parts and decorations from the Roman buildings, and that is where you can see them intact and in the best condition. You'll just have to use your imagination as to what they would have looked like originally.

[||Lz3||]

well it depends on what are you looking for...

purely warfare ruins/sites are more interesting in normandy , well there, one of the most important events of the last century happened so I gues it's an interesting travel

Italy however will give you more historical data, not only ancient roman times, but also the reinassance , roman era, ww2, medieval ages etc etc.

[Hooahguy]

ok, the judgement is in: for the first day and a half, we go to normandy, then for the nest 4.5 days we are in southern france.
many thanks guys! ill psot pics when i get back. =P

[TinCow]

For Roman ruins in southern France, I recommend the following:

Pont du Gard - Aqueduct, a must see site, one of the best preserved in the world. More impressive than the Coliseum in its present state IMO:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Nimes - Amphitheater (still in use) & Maison Caree (possibly the best preserved Roman temple in the world):

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Orange - Theater (still in use) & Triumphal Arch:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Arles - Amphitheater (still in use) & Theater (ruins, but still in use)

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Fragony]

Biggest nobrainer ever. All quiet on the western front, nothing to see or do in Normandy. Italy.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Restaurants cachères. Kosher restaurants, bakeries, shops etcetera. No need for travel meals all the time! France has the largest Jewish community of Europe, third in the world.
Ouside of Paris and the Northeast and Southeast it gets difficult, though.

[Centurio Nixalsverdrus]

France and Italy are the best countries regarding food and the poor Jewish guy has to bring is own kosher food. This is so... well thank god not my problem.

There's absolutely nothing to see in Normandy. Thank you to the American People though for preserving Western Europe from the Communist threat. Go to Italy. It's just plain wonderful, so much beautiful things there, you would have to make 10 visits to see the most important things...

In Nimes, didn't they shot some scenes of Ronin there in the amphitheatre?

[KarlXII]

Lz3, you know where i live.....

Argentina?

[Hooahguy]

nah. USA!

[Alexanderofmacedon]

It REALLY depends on when you plan to go. Honestly, If you decide to go to Normandy this June or summer area, you'll be bogged down in tourists. The other thing to think about is that, many of the bunkers etc. on the beaches have been tagged by French idiot youth. It's still a cool place to visit, but it's not the same thing as the Roman ruins.

I went to Rome in 2006 and Normandy area a few years before that. I don't remember much from Normandy, but I can say I'd still go to Rome. Italian youth is just like French and I foresee some problems with antiques as well....

[Megas Methuselah]

ROMA!!!! bello totalum!

[Jolt]

Honestly, I don't know what kind of tourism D-Day attracts. As such, my vote goes fully to Italy.

[Megas Methuselah]

I suppose if your ancestors fought on the beaches of D-Day, there would be a very good reason to go to Normandy. However, my great-grand-uncles were fighting in Italy during D-Day, so... ROMA!!!!

[Jolt]

I suppose if your ancestors fought on the beaches of D-Day, there would be a very good reason to go to Normandy. However, my great-grand-uncles were fighting in Italy during D-Day, so... ROMA!!!!

My ancestors fought in WW I the Battle of La Lys, where they were grinded to bits by the Germans, and left to fend for themselves by the Brits and the French, eventually beating back the massive German offensive. I don't feel any special attraction to go visit the site. >_>

Still he can always go visit Cuba, that's where his ancestors kicked the Spanish out of the island. :P