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!