Granite

Weird title for a travel post, eh? Thought you were going to read more about our travel plans?

You would think that our day would have been spent finishing up with the stuff that needs to be done at the office; rounding up electrical converters; picking up Dickle's shirts at the dry cleaner, and crossing off the "Things to Do Before We Leave" list.

But I spent the day with a favorite client traveling to Andy Griffith land of Mt. Airy, NC to pick granite slabs for their Smith Mountain Lake house that is in the process of being remodeled.  Mt. Airy is probably an hour northwest (?) of Greensboro so with travel time included I was gone for most of the day...

The good news is we found these beautiful gray slabs of White Vermont Granite which is going to look spectacular with her white cabinetry and the overall light feel of the house.

The bad news is that I still have lots of work to do both at home and at the office.  So this will be short and act as a reminder to check back tomorrow for some news on the tours we have scheduled.

Dumb.... we should all be able to take two days off before you head out for a trip like this but no matter how well you plan something there are tons of things to do in the days before you go.

Stressed?...Just a little bit!

Driving with Crazies

“Europeans, like some Americans, drive on the right side of the road, except in England, where they drive on both sides of the road; Italy, where they drive on the sidewalk; and France, where if necessary they will follow you right into the hotel lobby.”

During the course of this trip there is only one destination where it will be necessary to get around by car… and that would be in Sicily.  

One of my younger brothers, “Bud”, is a chiropractor that has lived & practiced in Catania for many, many years…has even met & married his wife, Lourdes whom Dick and I will get to meet for the first time on this trip. 

We haven’t seen Bud in almost 20 years. He and Lourdes have made sporadic trips back to the US but those trips are always back to upstate NY where we were born & raised, and where my other siblings still live.

Bud and Lourdes have a vacation cottage located in Castiglione, a town on the northern slopes of Mt. Etna, about an hour’s drive from Catania. We are headed there on one of our days there to see his vineyard and to sample the fruit from his two cherry trees there which he says produces some excellent cherries, and to have a lunch complete with the wine from their vineyard.

Castiglione

And, as mentioned in an earlier post, our BIL Joe’s parents were born and raised outside Catania in a town called ‘Nicolosi’ on the opposite side or down slope of Mt. Etna. Joe hasn't been back to Nicolosi since he was a kid (…a hundred years ago!) but wants to head there on another day to see the old family homestead and town again.

Some residents of Nicolosi...they must be relatives of Joe!

Mt. Etna as seen from Nicolosi

So, how to get from Catania to these places? A car rental seemed logical. Fran & John (friends who will be on the Sicilian part of our trip) were assigned the task of finding a car rental. A minivan for six people. Cost? with insurance? Almost $1000 for three days!

John to Joe: “I can get an international driver’s license but there should be a second person who can drive as well.” Logical.

Joe: “I’m not driving in Sicily. Dick, you can be the relief driver”.

Dick: “I don’t wanna drive in Italy.  You drive Joe.  After all it’s ‘your’ country”.

Back and forth; back and forth.

I remind Dick about a month ago that he has to go to the local Greensboro AAA office to get his international license. Another balk. I cannot say that I blame him! I don’t want to drive there! We’re reading nightmare stories online about driving in Italy.  The internet is littered with links:

http://blameitonthemuse.com/viva-italia/

http://coachingincatania.blogspot.com/2011/02/driving-in-sicily-its-crazy.html.

And http://my-sicilian-home.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-primer-to-driving-in-sicily-picking_27.html). 

Enter a solution. A highly recommended driving service comes to us by way of a recent visitor (another cousin of Joe's) to Sicily. http://www.goingsicily.com/home.php.  'Simone' will be waiting for us in the Arrivals section of the airport & taking us to the Catania hotel.  He will spend 8 hours one day driving us touring us around Sicily and to my brother’s place on the North side of Mt. Etna; and another 8 hours the next day going to Nicolosi. Enroute we will see what's supposed to be some of the most beautiful coastal cities in Sicily. On our last day they will be doing the early morning run from the hotel back to the airport.  All four days will cost us about $750.  Split between three couples.

A bargain.

Peace of mind.  

Dick & John are two happy campers.

Trains ~ Part Two: Getting from here to there...to there...to there!

Years ago we took a day trip in Switzerland on the Glacier Express train which went through the Swiss Alps.. While we weren't on a skiing trip the train excursion was still, nonetheless, one of our favorite parts of that trip...

So when we discussed traveling between the cities in central Italy we opted for trains as opposed to buses.  We see enough highways in the US and while the scenes of Italian countryside may differ from those here we know from experience that traveling by train in Europe compares with none other. We may not see much tho as we are catapulted from one city to the next at 180 mph!

Googling on 'Trains in Italy', a couple of sites popped right up ...Rail Europe was probably the first one where, in English you could purchase advance train tickets.  Reading the reviews however we discovered that it didn't list or show all of the available trains on it's timetable. (Sidebar: How did we live, breathe and plan a trip like this before Al Gore invented the internet? What would we do without all of the reviews that guided through every choice we had to make?)... From those reviews we discovered that purchasing tickets directly from the train companies...of which there are only TWO... was slightly less expensive.  If there was a disadvantage it was that the site was in Italian and you had to use the handy translator which caused some minor translation glitches but, overall, this site seemed less expensive.

Rail Europe also does not list or offer all of the class options, such as where you can plop yourself for a two-hour trip. "No big deal" says we..."We aren't picky about where we sit".  Did you say SIT?  Oh, you mean you want a SEAT on the train? The ticket entitles you to take the train...and find your own seat...providing there is one. Together? You mean you want to sit together too? Asking alot aren't you?

Humor aside, open & available seating is no different than any train here in the US but when we discovered that the trains between Venice and Florence, and Florence to Rome can be busy commuter trains at the times we wanted to travel, we decided that it might be a good idea to sit for the two-hour trips. We opted to upgrade to Italo's club seating which accommodates four people.  We think it's a private compartment but we're not sure.... Regardless it guarantees us seats, even if we happen to travel at busy times, and only cost us an additional $10 per person.

At the time we checked Italo (http://www.italotreno.it/IT/Pagine/default.aspx) had less expensive fares than it's competitor (http://www.trenitalia.com/). For a really funny review of these two companies see the link below... it was written last year so some changes have definitely been made but the writer gives an informative, often hysterical analysis and the lowdown on the two train systems in Italy.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/garywalther/2012/11/02/rating-italys-high-speed-trains-frecciarossa-vs-italo/

For a more comprehensive and understandable information on Italian trains I highly recommend that you read the "Transportation/Trains" section of this book "Rick Steves' Italy" available at Barnes & Noble, or by visiting his site at: http://www.ricksteves.com/rail/.   He covers minor but critically important details like validating train tickets before you board to avoid being fined, deciphering Italian train schedules, etc.    

So planes and trains are our major avenues for travel. We were (notice the PAST tense) going to rent a car for our travels in Sicily but that's another short story which we'll save for another entry...                                                                                         

Countdown to Takeoff..

As excited as we are about this trip we've had to “shelve” the enthusiasm this week to concentrate on…of all things…. Work!  The High Point Furniture Market was taking place; there were clients who needed to go to see and sit upon furniture; specific pieces we needed to find for-out-of-state clients; and reps to see. Taking place twice a year, it’s an invigorating week to spend in High Point; exciting to see all of the new things…the change in colors for fabrics and styles. It's normally exhausting all by itself but couple it with the upcoming trip & it becomes another thing to do & falls under the category of “Things to Do before We Leave”…

Transportation Hub at High Point Furniture Market

… along with newspaper subscriptions to stop; bills to prepay; mail to divert; wills to update, and sc-eighty-eight million other things to do. On top of it all, Dick’s lower back started acting up mid-week which made getting around difficult for him. So he’s ‘gimping’ (maybe faking it to get outta work…) been back and forth to the chiropractor; the massage therapist and popping Advil just to get through the days and nights.  Think he’s stressed? He's thankfully better each day. 

At any rate, the promised train portion of “Part 2 of Getting from Here…to There…to There”, will have to wait until tomorrow. Hope you all have a good Friday evening! 

Part One: Getting from Here to There...to There...to There...

"People, people we're not picking out furniture here...please just find a seat and get in it!"....... [Heard on a Southwest flight where you sit where you are able ....passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, LOL!]

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Da Plane; Da Plane

Since we are not taking a leisurely sail with the Queen Mary to get to Europe I'll state the obvious... We are flying! ....Delta/Air France for Dick & I from Greensboro through Atlanta; MJ & Joe, and Frannie & John (friends of MJ & J who will with us for the Sicilian part of this trip) are flying United from Dulles outside of their DC location.

Arranging for airline travel is fairly simple in this day and age so I will only mention a couple of points that seem important:

1) Consider a small upgrade to Economy Comfort seats if they have them... More room, free drinks, advance boarding (this can be important when you're carrying on all of your luggage as we are. Have you ever boarded a plane, gotten to your seat only to find that some annoying slug or 'Back-of-the-Plane' passenger stashed his/her luggage over your seat? %#+^£\!!!. We think there might not be anything more aggravating than trying to weave your way through deplaning folks to the back of the aircraft to reach your suitcase that had to then be stored near the rear!).

For more info on Economy Comfort see: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/in-flight-services/products/seating/economy-class-premium-seating/economy-comfort.html


2) Be prepared for frequent reservation and flight time changes if you (do the smart thing and) book several weeks or months ahead. Use Trip Advisor who, once you are registered, will continually scan the Internet for changes and updates and then send you a notification that something has changed. Air Italia's flights to and from Sicily have been changed no less than three times on our itinerary... some of those changes impacted connecting flights....and the airlines did not always send out notices. (Sad face). By the way, resolving these issues with Air Italia online is difficult at best because everything is in.........Italian. Calling them might be slightly easier but l.i.s.t.e.n. c.a.r.e.f.u.l.l.y because they are speaking very broken English.

3) I can let MJ give me some comments about their experience to date with United but to date they are not all positive. Their designated and pre-selected seats have been automatically changed with the new assignments finding them separated in different sections of the plane. Not desirable for a couple on a nine-hour flight...she might be snoring on some neighbor's shoulder! The situation as been somewhat corrected but not without a poor grade given to their customer service rep representative who said they do not have to guarantee seats together... (VERY sad face!) ...so, just a word to the wise...

Coming Next: Trains in Europe...

A Different Bed...Every Three Days!

Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.  ~Seneca

Deciding to go to on a trip like this was really easy. It was instinctive, instantaneous and an impulsive decision! "Sure, we'll go" was our response when asked... None of us had a clue as to what it would cost.  And where would we stay?  All we knew was that we were going and that the cost would be determined at some later date...!  Risky! 

Have you ever heard of Air B + B? Last year we took a cruise that left out of Montreal.  We had decided to lengthen that week's vacation by heading to that city a couple of days early... Hotels were expensive! Our "DDD"...Darling Daughter Danielle asked if we had even head of Air B + B.  "Air B + B?  What's that?", we asked.  (Here's a good Wikipedia explanation...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbnb).... Check it out...it's a great way to reduce your costs when traveling with another couple, or with children or family.  

Long story short we stayed two nights prior to that cruise at this couple's spare condo with free WiFi  in the heart of Montreal.  "Monica" greeted us when we arrived; showed us around the studio apartment; gave us a city map, brochures from local attractions along with their recommendations for restaurants.  They had stocked the kitchen with fresh bakery bagels, cream cheese, coffee, a carton of orange juice for our morning breakfast; a bottle of their favorite wine along with cheese and crackers.  And before she left we were given her cell number in case we needed help or additional info about Montreal... It was cheaper than a hotel, had a washer & dryer & a full kitchen where we could have cooked a full meal had we wanted. In short, it was an impressive first-experience with Air B + B!

So based on that we decided that we would start to investigate the possibilities in Paris and the other cities in Italy.  As we mentioned in an earlier post, the investigative part of searching for the right place in the right part of a particular party of any given city takes LOTS of time.  It first requires that you download a city map to figure out what section of the city you want to stay in, and then to narrow your search to that area and your price range. We used Mapquest and listed the addresses to figure out how far the places were from transportation stops and attractions. Hosts list their places with an appropriate name or catchy title to entice you to click on their listing. For example, our selection for Paris is listed under the caption "View of Eiffel Tower".  Now if you're visiting Paris who wouldn't want to click on that listing???

Probably the most helpful aspect of Air B & B is the ability to see the timely posts and comments made by recent travelers who used and stayed at each of these places.  They are invaluable for weeding out and narrowing down your choices, so if you decide to pursue the Air B & B avenue for lodging...whether it be in NYC or in another country...make sure you read all of the comments to get a fairly good idea of whether this would be a good fit for you.

Since Dick and I will be alone in Paris we only needed a one bedroom place...Here's where we are staying there:  https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/30969. Click on the link to see lots more pictures and details...

At the end of the Paris stay we will be hooking up with MJ & Joe and staying staying in two bedroom places so the nightly costs will be divided by two! ....

Our Venice lodgings with a view of the Grand Canal: ttps://www.airbnb.com/rooms/235221.

And in Florence: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/282770

And finally in Rome: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/466155

It would be negligent of me not to mention how helpful each one of the hosts in these cities have been...from their assistance with the best & most cost effective methods to get to their places from the train stations; to letting us leave luggage with them should we arrive early; to giving suggestions for little seen and not-to-be-missed attractions in their cities. We have emailed them frequently with questions about their respective cities and they have been so accommodating with prompt answers, advice and seemingly great suggestions.

So, at this point Air B + B is high on our "RL"....our Recommendations List... and we are hoping that this next journey will find us continuing to brag about it! We will let you know!

Now back to packing...after all there are only ten days left! Hope your day wherever you are is as pretty as our NC weather today!  It a spectacular day to spend on our porch enjoying the sunshine!

Inlaws, Outlaws and Planning Sessions!

Hours spent reviewing various tours on the web!

All that are familiar with Dick & I know that we have five million family members!  And we just love getting together with every last one of them! 

Because Dick's sister M.J. and her husband Joe have always lived within 5 hours driving distance, and because each of us had four children around the same age we often got together through the years!  They were some of our favorite times, particularly in Spring  when we got to head to their home just outside the Washington D.C. city limits. 'Dickle’ is as docile as a dog that rolls over to get a belly rub.  His sister M.J. is the same.  They are two of the sweetest, most vulnerable people that ever walked the face of this earth…and that scenario is pretty much the way most of their wonderful unique Sarine family was, and still continues to be.

Joe and I?…We are but two of the outgoing, verbal, sometimes uncouth "outlaws"… (Yes, there are more of us…)  He & I band together to overpower those sweet Sarine genes.  We tease our respective spouses… those two loveable siblings… unmercifully. And we typically can manipulate the course of events to get & be exactly where we want! In short, opposites have married and it’s made for some fabulous laughs and weekend getaways thru the years....we love to get together! Good thing because there was lots of planning to do for this European trip! 

...Back to the trip....Our destinations include Paris (Dick & I alone); then hooking up with them to see Sicily, Venice, Florence and Rome…. An energetic itinerary for young at hearts! So where do you start? The immediate no-brainer was just to book a tour that would encompass the last three cities.  Rick Steeves…. renowned for his books, tours and travel hints was MJ’s first go-to travel guru! … But his three-city excursion for Venice, Florence and Rome cost $3700 per person.  It included bus transportation between cities and hotels and, of course tours during the day. In general, food was additional excepting for one or two meals during the ten days. It didn’t take us long to convince MJ that she needed to cancel her RS tour but she then dutifully entrusted Dick and I with the herculean job of finding lodging for our three-day stays in each of those cities! I think the additional concern D & I had about the RS tour was for her knees…tons of walking and it was categorized as ‘strenuous’, something we weren’t sure that her aging knees could handle.

So there were several planning sessions…some took place here in Greensboro; others in their Chevy Chase, MD location.  Hours…we spent HOURS…searching the web for the right tours; the right methods of transportation; the right hotels/private apartment stays (lots more about that in another post); hours spent pouring over travel books; previewing Rick’s mobile iPod downloads; TONS of time spent
researching websites for the best tours to take; the ‘not-to-be-missed’ highlights to see in each city; and the smartest way to get from here to there.  All of a sudden we knew why Rick’s tours cost $3700 per person… This was work!   But we had the greatest time planning it!

MJ & I have compared notes on the best wrinkle-free clothing (www.travelsmith.com); the easiest & best spinner suitcases. We've spent time in REI figuring about the best  & most compact packing accessories that you can get... (We are each taking just ONE 21” carry-on suitcase only with one additional-under the seat-type of bag). We visited Mori Luggage (www.moriluggage.com) who probably has the greatest assortment of travel necessities and accessories anywhere. And we have purchased some of the most pick-pocket-proof bags available thru www.magellan.com . 

In short, I think the four of us would have to admit that we are glad that we didn't opt for the easy way out….for the expensive ‘canned’  tour.  While the agenda is set our days are loosely scheduled.  We are traveling by train from Venice to Florence, and Florence to Rome.  Europe has a fine rail system and we thought it silly to take a bus when we could see more than highways when traveling by train. If we are exhausted one day we don’t have to catch up with the group & a tour guide…we can lazily enjoy an espresso on a piazza and people-watch. All in all, we are much happier with this arrangement and have enjoyed this planning experience; saved a ton of money and would highly recommend it as an alternative but only if you can devote several months to the planning phase.

Coming Next: Where we are staying....

....A Travelogue of our European Trip!

Note: Thank you for following us over to this new blog address!  Our original site would not let us list companies or commercial venues like hotels, tours, etc. which we thought was unfair to those of you who have asked for hints and the names of companies where we found useful services/products that will aid in the planning of your trip to Europe.  Hopefully we will not have this problem here!

Who came up with this brilliant idea??? 

I honestly don't remember but the seed germinated some five years ago during a lunch conversation with the realization that my brother lived/lives in the same Sicilian town as my brother-in-law Joe's Italian cousins. Wow, how ironic!  'Ya know, someday we should travel over there together; what a fun trip that would be"!

 I live in a mind that wants to be footloose, fancy free and able to just plan a trip like that on a whim. But with feet firmly planted in the daily obligations of owning a business thoughts & dreams like that are shelved for 'sometime in the future'. 

As we get older we've realized that we are living our future each and every day. Life has this way of speeding up and zooming by... Today and tomorrow are yesterday's 'future'. Days pass becoming weeks; then months, and all too often we find ourselves marveling that Christmas is here already and we are about to start yet another year! We are not getting any younger. So during some very enjoyable visits with my SIL and BIL we decided to take the plunge and plan the trip! 

Many of you want to follow our trip that will begin in just two weeks so hopefully I will be able to document our travels...where we are going; what we will be seeing. We are so grateful to "Frances and Charlie" who will be staying & watching our house while we are gone...making sure that all is copacetic on the home front.

In the days ahead I will preview some of our planning sessions, which I have likened to preparations for the high school junior prom...it's been as much fun as the trip itself! I'm not sure that France and Italy are ready for four adventurous travelers but we certainly are gearing up to see those fabulous countries!