view from Orvieto, June 2008
So am I excited? Hell, yeah, it is very exciting to be planning another trip to Italy. We knew that 2009 would be an "off" year, what with the grandbaby and the wedding, and even though the wonderful Alaska cruise came up in a most unexpected manner, it has been awhile since I have done any Italy planning.
Thanks to changes in my school calendar year, I will be on summer break a week earlier next year, and when we realized we could actually spend the first half of June in Italy, we decided that as soon as the window for FF tickets opened with American Airlines, we would see what we could do. That actually found David on the phone with AA during wedding week in Bodega Bay to arrange our trip there, and just this weekend we were able to arrange flights back. This is how we work, first flights, then the rest, although we do have to have some idea of where we want to start our adventure. Flying from the West Coast, we find that it is far easier to use the bigger airports, like Rome and Milan, it's harder to make the connections to the smaller ones like Venice or Florence, especially when using FF miles in Business (we feel so fortunate to be able to take this trips in Business, and yes, we are spoiled rotten, as someday this pile of miles will probably run out).
So here we are, with the beginnings of a trip - flying into Milan on June 5th, and out again 2+ weeks later. We will be staying north this trip as our first goal is to spend time in Emilia-Romagna, new to us, and at the top of that list. We are also thinking of heading to Torino, also new to us, for a few nights, and then spending the remainder of the trip in Piemonte. We had been to Piemonte on a trip a few years ago, but ended up spending less time there than originally planned, and we knew we had to go back and see it in more depth.
It is always exciting, the beginning of a new travel project, and I am starting to make notes, drawing up versions of plans (so if we spend x nights in Bologna, and x nights in Torino, that would leave us x nights in Piemonte, and so it begins . . .), reading through threads and trip reports on Slow Travel, revisiting the Europe boards over at Fodor's, etc.
At the same time, it's not as though I don't have any unfinished projects, including the wedding album (ours) from Sarah's wedding almost 3 years ago, the illusive closets in 3 empty bedrooms, etc, etc, etc. We won't even begin to discuss the boxes of photos from almost 3 decades of children (Matt turns 30 in January), that one doesn't even begin to clear my summer horizons anymore. And while we are still only in July of this summer, I have 3 week of summer break left, this one full of nothingness at home, then a trip to Sacramento next week, followed by a week's visit here at home with Sarah and Sebastian.
But let the planning begin for June 2010 - it's great to be be looking ahead.
Ciao . . . .
Comments (11)
Yay! Have fun planning!
Posted by candi | July 27, 2009 12:03 PM
Posted on July 27, 2009 12:03
Oh Marcia enjoy every minute of the planning. The other chores will always be there.My 2 decades of kid pictures are just staying in the boxes.They are separated by kid, and there are a few boxes of "together"/family pictures. Some day.....
Posted by sheri | July 27, 2009 5:21 PM
Posted on July 27, 2009 17:21
Woo Hoo, Marcia! That is so exciting!
Enjoy the planning, but don't stress about it.
Posted by nancyhol | July 27, 2009 9:19 PM
Posted on July 27, 2009 21:19
Do you have room in the trunk for a third party?
Posted by Rhonda Lawrence | July 30, 2009 4:20 PM
Posted on July 30, 2009 16:20
The way I look at it, home projects can wait for another time when traveling is not a priority. Enjoy the planning and the rest of your summer vacation.
Posted by María I. | July 30, 2009 7:56 PM
Posted on July 30, 2009 19:56
Time flys very fast. Soon it will be summer again. Planning a trip to Italy, well it doesn't get much better than that. I'm so happy for you Marcia.
Posted by Barb Cabot | July 30, 2009 9:08 PM
Posted on July 30, 2009 21:08
That is the beginning of a GREAT itinerary, and exactly what we did in 2008 (plus lakes and Lerici). I LOVE Bologna, and may even be there when you are!
Posted by Palma | July 31, 2009 11:32 AM
Posted on July 31, 2009 11:32
Sounds like the beginnings of a fun trip. I'm off work today, and have spent all day reading trip reports, etc. Hoping to make it to Italy next Sept. Last visit flew BA, but with their fuel surcharge (up to $500) if using Ak Air FF miles, we won't be flying them. Will be looking at American and Delta/NW. Is American 100 miles to fly business? Where do you fly through. Being west coast, it's sure a lot easier if we don't have to go to NY or NJ first.
Posted by Cindy Ruth | July 31, 2009 5:33 PM
Posted on July 31, 2009 17:33
Exciting news! It sounds as if you have the beginnings of a wonderful trip there. Now you have the joys of planing the trip.
Have a great weekend!
Posted by Jerry | August 1, 2009 5:18 AM
Posted on August 1, 2009 05:18
We are getting out early also next year. I always fly into Milan or Rome also. It cuts out one more layover and is usually cheaper (not that it is cheap at all to fly from Hawaii). Your plans sound great! You will love Emilia-Romagna. Torino is also a wondeful city. Too bad we weren't there at the same time.
Posted by girasoli | August 1, 2009 7:42 PM
Posted on August 1, 2009 19:42
Cool, I think I may just miss you there - we'll talk next week.
Posted by Kim | August 21, 2009 6:44 AM
Posted on August 21, 2009 06:44