The Plan...

Have you ever wanted to visit a place that has so many years of history built into it, with so many media references and friends' recommendations that you want to see it all? And then you pick up a book or visit a website to check out what there is to see only to find WAY too much information that you become overwhelmed and just need a vacation from researching your vacation? That's how I felt for the first few months I started to look into Italy. Rome alone has enough to see and do that it could take six months to ever get through the travel book's offerings!

But, finally, after sitting down and slowly going through all the information, a plan began to form. I decided on 3 weeks because I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to see and do and thought it would be best not to rush the entire trip. Originally I was planning for September 2011, but a new job and subsequently another new job last October pushed that out. It felt a bit wrong to be planning a 3 week vacation my first year at Encana but I figured I couldn't keep pushing this out forever. There are more places to explore after Italy and I've been dreaming about this for so long. It was, and now almost is, time to go!

ROME (4 nights)

We fly into Rome on June 8th around noon and probably will be ready to crash fairly early that day. There will be time for some walking and exploring and maybe we'll see the Forums and Colosseum from afar but I think that day will be fairly slow and quiet.

June 9th we have tickets to the Vatican and St Peter's. Luckily, Bryan hadn't seen that on his previous trip so we're both excited for the tour. After that, perhaps we'll stop in Spagna and window shop, explore and make our way to Fontana di Trevi. Villa Borghese is supposed to be a nice place for a picnic and many of the cafes offer takeout just for that.

I think fate was keeping me from going to Italy last year because from March to September 2012 (only, apparently), Musei Capitalione has an exhibit called Lux Du Arcana going on - the Secret Artifacts of the Vatican are on display! Galelio's trial, the Quill, Archive Sand, and many more amazing items will be available. www.luxinarcana.org On June 10th, we have tickets for this exhibit. After that, I'm hoping to wander around Palazza Navona and find a really great, quaint local restaurant. Maybe we'll find a rooftop bar to take in Rome at night.

June 11th is a free day so I'm sure we'll explore more of the city. The transit systems are very comprehensive and we could visit areas outside of the core. I read Trastevere has great shops and eats and sites. I'm happy to explore and take in every piece of the city and experience it all.

VENICE (2 nights)

Our train leaves Termini at 10:45am on June 12th destined for Venice, which is approximately 3 1/2 hours from Rome. This will be my first chance to see how well my TrenItalia research skills paid off! We hope to see Palazzo Ducale and Saint Mark's Square and Basilica, and perhaps spring for a gondola ride (though at €80 each I'm more inclined to take the water bus for a ride).

FLORENCE (3 nights)

We get into Florence around noon on June 14th so we have that afternoon and one other full day to explore. I'm hoping to take a day bus trip to Siena on one of the days we're in Florence because I've heard such beautiful things about Siena. It's like Florence but more elegant and romantic. Again, nothing much specifically planned but more walking and exploring. Did I mention that Bryan hasn't yet realized just how much walking there will be???

LUCCA (3 nights)

I took a chance and bought a Dealfind voucher for a 3 night stay at a Lucca resort called Albergo Casanova. This is a 14th century property with suites, chapel, restaurant, bar and many gorgeous outdoor views of the sea. We easily were booked into the resort and the Assistant Manager, Victoria Ikel, has been extremely helpful, answering all my questions for arrival and getting around.

We are also booked in for a 4-hour cooking class on June 18th at Cucina Italiana, learning to make fresh pasta, ravioli and sauces!

CINQUE TERRE (2 nights)

We'll be staying in La Spezia rather than one of the 5 Cinque TERRE towns for easier access out, but the train for Cinque Terre leaves from La Spezia so it will be simple to get to that area. There is a 14 km walking path from Riomaggiore to Monterosso that I'm determined to complete but Bryan thinks it's too far...we'll see. We are also going to try to scuba dive at Monterosso but I'm not sure if we'll have time. Only about 1.5 days in Cinque Terre.

SORRENTO (3 nights)

June 22nd will be our longest day of traveling - our train out of La Spezia leaves at 5:45 am! We travel to Rome, have about an hour of waiting, switch trains and head to Naples. Since I haven't read too many great things about Naples we will stop there just to experience Napolean pizza. From there, we'll take the subway train to Sorrento, about 1.5 hours away.

The next day we'll likely head to Capri for the day. There is tons to do there, or so I hear! The following day the plan is to visit Herculaneum.

ROME (2 nights)

I don't think I will get enough of Rome so we're headed back for two more nights. I'd love to see some Catacombs during this stint and spend the rest of the time relaxing and reflecting on the trip. It's nearing the end so I imagine I'll be sad.

LIDO di OSTIA (2 nights)

Ostia Antica is supposedly where Rome originated and now the ruins are open to explore. We'll stop there on the way to the beach, and then spend the rest of our trip hanging out by the sea. The beach is much closer to the airport and seemed like a good way to end the trip.

Conto di trattenermitre settimana!

Here we are, two weeks away from our much anticipated vacation to Italy! My friend wrote me yesterday with a full description of everything we should see and do if we make it to Capri, and after reading all the activities and sights he experienced first-hand, I am even more excited than ever to get over there and create my own memories of that beautiful country! With Bryan, of course!

Our Travel Book Arsenal.

Bryan and I have both made our "What to Bring/Pack" lists and now we're working on those "What To Do Before We Leave" lists. I mustn't forget to stock up on food and litter for the cats, as well as clean out their litter boxes before I go! My good friend, Jocelyn, has agreed to check up on them while we're away, and I'm grateful for that. I know they'll be in good hands! And she will know just what to do to keep our plants and flowers alive too.

We hit the AMA Travel store on the weekend to grab the power converters we need and some last minute information on Italy. We now are stocked up with a couple of good maps, two travel books on Italy, and all the information I've researched for 2 years saved on my iPad!
My favourite sites for learning about hostels and sights we must see have been www.fodors.com and www.tripadvisor.ca. Aside from the helpful comments and ratings that other travelers have provided for various particulars within our itinerary, I was pleased that people offered friendly, prompt and extremely useful advice for any question I posted on the forums. Trying to figure out the Rail Pass I bought and which lines went where, with reservations or not, was challenging and I am especially grateful to all those who provided me with such great feedback. Because of them, I am very confident that Bryan and I will reach our destinations without too much difficulty!

While out sitting by our new fire table on Sunday night, I pulled out this wonderful little Italian Phrasebook I bought a couple of years ago. It's got some very useful phrases and words that I'm sure we'll need on many occasions! I'm certain Bryan will have "Vorrei prenotare un bicchiere di birra, per favore!" I am trying to remember that I should say "Sono Canadese" if asked where I'm from, and of course, the one word I won't soon forget - "Vino!"

A useful little book.

No matter what Italian we do learn (or more likely stumble over), I know we are going to have a fabulous time! The weather is starting to warm up in both Rome and Venice, and I am finding myself smiling every time I think about our flight leaving! We are almost all set to go, my bag is mostly packed and looks like I'll still have lots of room to bring home some Italian shoes. Next week we are taking a Scuba Refresher course just in case we do find some great diving spots in our travels.

Up next, I will be posting our Itinerary!

 

Ready for a Vacation...

Thinking about the time left before our Italy vacation, it does still seem quite far away.  However, in 3 weeks from Thursday we will be on our way!  The weather has been pretty good in both Rome and Venice for the past month (yes, I check daily) so I'm hoping we luck out and don't have to worry too much about rain or cool weather.  But, I know that I am always cold, so I will go prepared!


I don't know if it's the warm weather here, or the fact that it's been over a year since my last vacation, but lately, my mind is just not in a happy, productive place.  I find myself daydreaming and staring off into space more often than not, which isn't good to be doing at work!  I'm imagining us sitting in a beautiful piazza, sipping wine and watching people walk by.  My dream is to find a beautiful, quaint cafe that isn't overrun with tourists, where we can experience the real Rome (or Venice or Florence) the way the locals often do.  


My vacation will be superb - I don't doubt that one bit.  The day we leave can't come fast enough (though, honestly, I still feel like I have a ton of things to do to prepare for the trip), and I am so excited and happy to finally be counting down the days until this much anticipated vacation.  


Next up, I will post our planned itinerary closer to June 7th, because I'm curious to see how well we stick to the "plan"...neither of us are afraid to be spontaneous and make a new decision based on something we've heard or read.  I hope to find many unexpected adventures during our 3 weeks in Italy, as well as experience those sights and tastes that I have been dreaming of for many, many years!

The Countdown is On!

Three years ago I decided to go to Italy.  I bought the Lonely Planet book at the time, I found some maps, I started to read up on the sites and history of the country.  I always wanted to visit Italy - there is something magical and romantic about the pictures and architecture of the nation, not to mention the idea of fabulous, fresh food and wine at your fingertips.  


Needless to say, I haven't quite made it to Italy - jobs changed, financial issues arose, and other travel plans and life experiences occurred.  But, in one month from tomorrow, I will be leaving for Rome, for a 3 week excursion to that beautiful country.  And I am so very excited.


Because we have a whirlwind itinerary planned, I felt that starting this blog as a sort of diary of our travels as well as a way to really share with family and friends our experiences was an important planning aspect of this trip.  We have returned from other vacations with the excitement and thrills of the experiences only to find we can't quite remember what we did each day, nor a true in-the-moment way to describe how amazing the trip really was for us.  My friends, Jason and Capri, have been blogging about their extraordinary travels for years and I thought I would follow in their footsteps.  


Bryan has allowed me to starting counting down sleeps as of tomorrow, the one month mark before our flight out of Calgary, so I am going to take him up on that!  I've gone through the budget this morning to make sure I can account for all the hostels, flights and tickets I've purchased in the past few months.  I have a couple more train reservations to make and Bryan is going to look more into scuba diving locations while we're there, but I think most of the accommodation and travel arrangements have been made to date.  I recently purchased my duffel bag (with wheels!) and some good walking sandals, so we should be doing some practice packing one of these nights to determine what we need to pack and what we may still need to buy.  

The Duffel bag I will be taking with me to Italy, from MEC.
It's 100 L so lots of room!

I am looking forward to this trip so much, for many reasons.  One, I've been dreaming of Italy for years, and been planning this trip for over 3 of those years.  Two, neither Bryan nor I have had a real vacation since last April when we went to Puerto Vallarta for a week.  We are both feeling the need to get away, and the stress of his job has really been getting him down.  I hope that this 3 weeks away from the office will refresh him and give him the motivation he needs to make some changes with his situation.  But, he does a fantastic job at work, so I understand why he is so dedicated.  


Some days I worry that I am romanticizing this vacation too much, and that in some way I'll be disappointed, especially when it's over.  But, I am trying to hold some perspective in that it is just a vacation for now...but I will be scouting out job opportunities and chances to take up residence over there!  There seems to be a large demand for quaint, cozy hostels!  


So, one month, one day until we leave for Italy - June 7, 2012 - June 29, 2012!


So excited!!