Ed Zubrow asked what to pack for Italy (musically): >so that I won't suffer withdrawal from CD's and book ... Not a radio! The moment you hit Italy, there is a total dearth of classical music, in fact you hit absolute stasis; I know no other country where the 1950's pop song has lingered so long - it is about the only thing you will hear! So all recommendations to stuff a laptop with MP3 or WMA (Windows Media Player) files are heartily supported ... Books, on the other hand ... you will find little Italian bookshops in the best tradition of total chaos, with treasures hiding on dusty seldom visited shelves; but books in Italy are priced like treasures - very expensive. Classic paperbacks (Manzoni, Dante, d'Annunzio etc) are cheap - but your Italian had better be good. CR