Mi sposa and I will be visiting Lago di Bolsena (VT) in autumno 2008. Would someone like to recommend some coastal areas within an hour or two from Bolsena that are laid-back and enjoyable, not so much "touristy"? We... er, I... plan to speak as much Italian as I can learn by then, so the more native, the better. Thanks for any hints! /tb

I will be going to Bolsena next week. I will be meeting with the publiser Bonechi and maybe take a few area books back. The area around Bolsena is full of Tourist during the summer. They are mostly european tourists however. I do not think that autumn will have many tourists in the area at all . The lake is of course most attractive in the Summer season. Anyway if you ask me again in 3 weeks I will be coming back from Rome Bolsena. About the area: several books have been written so it is hard to write it all in a post - it also depends on what you like to do / see
Paolo

Never have visited Tarquinia, but they are having a mushroom festival next Ottobre... could be interesting...? Chances are the farthest north we'll visit will be Firenze, and (on this trip) we were not planning to head anywhere but north from Roma (so no Amalfi Coast for us). Subsequent trips (every year/every other year?) will likely see us checking out Sardegna, Sicilia and we-don't-know-what. But we plan to make Lago di Bolsena our base, for the most part.

Thanks Paolo for your input! Anyone else?