Do it while you're young---travel, that is.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I recently returned from Italy and I'm hoping someday to return to normal in terms of mental functioning and sleeping. It is six hours later there than here. The flights were good and on time! The weather was great except for half of one day. The scenes are quaint and beautiful and impressive...The people are lovely except when they're driving. We had some wonderful meals. Good desserts! Overall it was a good trip but...

Biggest mistake, we had no GPS or city map until we were in the city. You never can get to there from here. The highways are navigable but the cities, oh dear. What's the point of barely legible stone markers on corner buildings with no way to tell the cross street unless you turn around the corner, if allowed, and are lucky enough to be able to see the marker there. I kept telling my sister she was the worst navigator in the world. Somehow she didn't like that. There is virtually no parking in the entire continent. When walking if it's not just a hill it's steps of one kind or another. And this is often on little squares stones that are not always user friendly. Luckily they have lots of wine in Italy, sometimes it's cheaper than water : )

Perhaps it was a bad omen that I stepped on my glasses just as I was leaving my house. Needless to say I always have backups to my backups : ) Seriously, this kind of driving all over, schlepping bags , trying to find hotels sort of trip may be for the younger folks. Go now!

If you'd like to see some pictures, I put a select, really I culled out most of the photos I took, group on my page in an album entitled Italy 2011 I just took my point and shoot camera since I knew I'd have a hard enough time without a mega camera to lug around. I think my Canon and I did well enough to give a taste of northern Italy.

Buon viaggio.

 

 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

What beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks Caitlin, hope you get the chance to do it soon. How's the internship going?

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

f you think Italy is bad for signage then come to Ireland. You are spoilt in the US as your cities are all on a grid system whereas ours in Europe sort of evolved over centuries and little windy streets that were once made for a horse and cart now take lots of cars.  I go to Italy every year and my advice to anyone coming to Europe is to be extremely flexible about where you plan to go.  Just ambling about can lead to the most interesting places.  Your photo's are fab and it's obvious you had a brilliant trip.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks, Jane. Funny thing is I use my phone GPS around here too but sadly it wouldn't be compatible with the  European phone system. I have been on tours and some have been good. I don't like the regimentation, and I am really no longer interested in more information on famous churches or religious art. The best tour, and maybe best trip ever, was a small ship tour in Alaska. I loved the talks by the naturalists and that they would spot wildlife for us. It was like being in camp!

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

The photo album is just amazing!  I'm so glad you had a fun trip!   We're big "tour travelers".  We love the idea of not doing the driving or planning.  We make sure we pick tours that do allow some free time, and where there's a historian/narrator who travels with you.   My DH and I are both terrible navigators (we even use the GPS in our home state)....I'd hate to think of how lost we'd be in another country.  Great to have you back!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Hope you all get to Italy soon a,d 54 is definitely not too old!

[Kyoko]

Welcome back!! I hope you get enough rest and get rid of the jet rag!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

What is the cut off age for Italy? Is 54 too old..LOL? I loved looking at all of your photos and experiencing a little of Italy myself. I am a terrible flyer, so it might not be in the cards for me! Thanks for sharing.

[Camilla and Darwin]

Glad you had an enjoyable trip, it sounds so exciting! I would love to travel, I hope to do a big trip soon. :-)