I love Italy. Just the landscapes alone are inspirational enough to make the trip but if one likes history and art going back to ancient Greek times there is a lot to see. There is something magical about staying in a hotel room that was built in 1340 like I did in Florence. Where I live in NJ, one of the oldest parts of the US, there are homes still standing from the mid-1700's. I've been in a number of these as I know some people who own them but that doesn't compare to having diner in a cellar room 2000 years old. I must admit though after awhile of looking at all the "classical" art I couldn't wait to get back to New York to see some modern abstractions for some relief.