How many leave the Big Dog (D700/D800) at home while traveling and take a smaller camera instead?

Sure - but I'd say that's irrelevant for most avid photographers. I don't want photos of places I've visited shot by someone else. I want to be able to show the place as I saw it myself. Many interior locations in Italy will not allow cameras - or even a bag to be carried around with you - you'll have to check them at the door. Are you comfortable taking a claim slip for your gear?

I was recently in Italy for two weeks, and while I visited a number of places with "no photos" policy, no one asked me to check my camera.

Everyone in my family had a camera with them (7 of us). I agree that travel companions will often have little patience for a lot of lens changing or tripod setup/ teardown, but just doing your best to shoot some interesting handheld photos is not usually a problem. And I would argue that shooting quickly is a useful (occasional) discipline, as it helps to develop your eye and instincts. During my trips with family, I usually get up early each day and go out for an hour or so of golden-hour shooting on my own, so I can get at least a few more carefully composed shots of each location we visit.

I usually travel these days with a P&S in addition to a DSLR, so that I have something near-pocketable to take with me to dinner or when I know I'm going some place where I may need to check my gear. My results are usually better with the DSLR, though, as that's what I'm more used to.

I do agree with you on that. I compensated in Italy by going with the D800 and a lighter-weight lens (the 24-85VR). If I were purchasing an entire rig specifically for tourist shooting with emphasis on light weight, I'd still want something with an eye-level viewfinder, though. I really hate composing and shooting at arms length from an LCD display - it's too hard to see the display in bright light, and the shooting position is not as stable.

Having said that, though, I've done a number of days of hiking in the Swiss Alps and other challenging locations with a full pack of camera gear and a tripod on my back - my tolerance for weight depends a lot on the circumstances.

I'm there for the total experience, which often includes spending a lot of time with my family, but always includes photography. Part of that, for me, is to have the opportunity to photograph unique and memorable locations and to attempt to bring back shots that I am proud to display on my wall. And once in a while, I actually sell a few.

Ray
My blog: http://www.rritchie.com/wordpress