I'm in the groove!

In what started as a really benign conversation with Dee the other night, I suddenly got a fire under me to begin really investigating my responsibilities in this planning thing.  So I dug in and accomplished the following:  I found at least 2 (what appear to be) really nice or at least handy hostels in Edinburgh for our stay there and dropped an e-mail to the booking place for a little more information.  I found out what the hours and cost of visiting the Edinburgh Castle are (one of my 'wants'), I found out what the deal is with visiting the distillaries around Edinburgh (one of Dee's 'wants'), researched the lodging options on the Isle of Bute (no hostels there so we have to choose a B&B or a guest house).  That was fun and I've narrowed it down to about six!  I found out how to get from Glasgow to the ferry to Bute (by train). 

One decision we've made is that when we leave Bute, we need to get to Italy, but we are taking that detour through Vienna so I get to enjoy my childhood fantasy of seeing the Spanish Riding School.  I got pricing, times and directions for the Riding School and found a really neat hostel near the train station that is in an 1800 building.  It's beautiful!


             garden in the hostel in Vienna

What's really going to be fun is that the way we will probably get from Scotland to Vienna is via a 20 hour ferry that leave Newcastle, England and lands in Amsterdam.  It will be like a mini cruise in the middle of our trip.  Actually all the fun stuff they have make it  (in Dee's words) 'like Las Vegas on the water'.  Five Restaurants, 3 bars, shows, and gambling.  Doesn't that sound like fun?

                                                                                         

this is a BIG ferry!!

Becky

“Ach! The breid’s gone foosty.”

Foosty 

Translated:

foosty : mouldy, musty.

“Oh my goodness! The bread has gone mouldy.” …

*******************************************************

Wonderful Scottish-English dictionary...here  Best get with it, Becky.

Dee

Realtà....ciò che un concetto! or "What do I do now?"

Now it gets scary...January 1, 2011 means there are only about 9 1/2 months to go before we will be leaving.  The Fantasy is going to be officially over, and Reality needs to set in.

Venezia, our first stop in Italy

Becky got the reality check and started really researching, and has sent me a bunch of e-mails about her plans. She has found some really neat places, but I will let her write about them.  I keep thinking of all the work I did before, and how much fun just play-planning was, and how much really intense work is ahead of me.

I am going to get together with Aldo, a friend of our sister-in-law, Cathy.  They just got back from Rome, and Aldo is a travel agent, not only a travel agent, but a travel agent who is Italian!  I need help with "take-offs", "landings", and the train schedules.  All of the in between things we are pretty much going to let take their own course, but we need to get there, get home, and get from place to place (generically). 

Piazza San Marco, Venezia

So, here is my new plan:
1a)  Set dates (gulp)
1b)  Get hold of Aldo and make an appointment
2)  Find out the best way to get from Scotland to Vienna...be it ferry+train, or train+train, or air.  We really want to do ferry+train, so I hope that works out.
3)  Get my passport extended.  Of course, it is going to expire right in the middle of the trip, so I have to get a new one.
4) Start looking for airfares....which means we have to have dates, so make "pick dates" number one.
5) Take a deep breath...I am making this too hard.  I am getting away from my initial idea which was to make this an adventure.  I don't think it will be an adventure if it is too planned, so I am going back to the basics:  Get there, get back, and have fun in between (see 1a and 1b).

Ok, time to find Aldo's phone number and make an appointment.

To do a virtual tour of Venice, click here.

Dee
+5!

What it might sound like pub crawling

One of the things I really want to experience while in Scotland is what they call 'pub crawling'.  Here we'd call it bar hopping I suppose.  But since one of the things I really can't wait to experience is listening to the accents in Scotland, it is something that simply sounds like fun.  I mean, really, sitting with a drink and listening to the locals... doesn't that sound like fun?

So anyway, while watching a fun show last night on TV - The Late Late Show with Craig Fergueson (who happens to be a Scot), I heard this bit of hillarity.  Now I know the local Scots won't probably be this funny, but really it is a hoot to listen to.  You don't have to watch it all, but it's pretty fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pACQy7CUNU

And.. by the way, once January 1st arrives, do we get to start counting down for our trip in weeks? or do we stay with months.  We have lots to do!!

Becky
last week -2.6
today -.4

Kiwi Inspiration

I just finished catching up on our Kiwi cousin's adventures in France.  (http://www.kiwiinfrance.blogspot.com/).  She is there as an English teaching assistant and is my inspiration for writing this blog.  I am so impressed with the way she will just hop on the train and travel an hour to Toulouse, six hours to Paris, then an hour to Sens...not to mention the layovers and "wanderings", and a lot of this is alone.   

I can only hope our adventure will be as interesting as hers, and that we will find ourselves in the position to interact with the local people.  Her photographs are beautiful, and I love her humor.  Good on you, Leebee...keep up the good work. (oh, are you speaking German?...love it!)

PS:  see her Blog to find out:
1) Why she is pointing at a poster of Libya.
2) Why, although she studied Spanish and French, she is "speaking German" in France.
3) Who her teeny-tiny traveling companion is.
4)  What Pastis is.

Dee
-1

A Little Side Trip

So one day during one of our discussions, Dee asked me if there was anything in particular I'd like to see while were were on our trip.



The first thing that popped to my mind was a wish I've had since I was about 9 when I first watched a movie called "The Miracle of the White Stallions." It's about the Lippizaners at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria.



So for a little side trip, we are going to spend a day or two in beautiful Vienna.  I can't wait



     

Too Much Liguria, Not Enough Time





Thanks to Giada Valenti

One of the places I really would like to go while we are in Italy is the Cinque Terre (literally, five lands).  It is five villages which sit on the cliffs overlooking the Italian Riviera.  There are both a five kilometer hiking trail and a train linking the five villages. 

 The ruggedness, remoteness, and beauty are some of the things that draw people to the CT.  

Now, I have found another place on the Ligurian coast that looks stunning. It is
Ventimiglia (humm, that means "twenty miles") and it sits at the French-Italian border (thanks to a facebook friend for telling me about it).  Here are some pictures of it.  You will see why I would love to see it.








Click here for a page with a lot of pictures of the town.  It is a place that will have to wait until another trip, but certainly would be worth seeing. 

This reminds me of something I read, ( I think from Rick Steves) about trying to not see everything on one trip.  I think narrowing down where you want to go is one of the hardest things to do when planning a trip. It is also one of the most fun, because you get to look at all of the possibilities, and pick the areas you would like to see.

 

I really don't want this trip to be one of "we have to go there" or "we have to see....".  I think this takes the adventure out of a trip and makes it just a "trip".  I do think we need to narrow down the area we want to explore, and some of MY fun is seeing all of these great places and then picking the area that appeals to us the most.

Ok, on to more pictures and places.... ( check out Giada Valenti's blog)





Buon Compleanno!

Ah, and it seems like just yesterday that I was an only child, and then my world changed with the birth of a sibling (the first of many, I must say).  Over the long run, in spite of how I felt when I was 5, it has been a much better world.  Thank you for the good times we have had, and the support you have given me.  I am looking forward to our "Grand Tour" together.

Love, Dee

Addendum to Dee's 11/28 Post

So the trip to Vegas was fantastic.  The best birthday I've ever had and a great way to 'welcome' my 60th. (Lord that sounds OLD).  Here's what I learned in Vegas. There is NOTHING in Vegas that will help prepare you for Scotland (my part of the trip to plan).  There are no casinos in Vegas styled after a Scottish castle - although it could be kinda cool.  There is no Scottish food to practice on.  But, what I did find is the following:

*  I agree that comfortable shoes (preferably with a complete sole) and good socks are a really good idea
*  I am capable of pushing myself to walk further than I thought I could - although 6 miles in one day was a surprise
*  I am going to have a great time traveling with my sister

Becky 
+1.3

The Venetian and Bellagio are NOT in Italy

Ok, so this past week wasn't exactly in Italy, but there were Italian moments, even though it was only Las Vegas. 

Becky and I went on a birthday (hers) trip to Las Vegas as a practice run.  Well, sort of, because we didn't do much practicing.

We did spend an unproductive 30 or so minutes trying to find the Carnivale mask shop in the warren of shops at the Venetian hotel.  We watched the gondaliers in the "canal" sing to their passengers at the "Piazzo San Marco".  (I know that is where we were because I could see the Leon di San Marco, and the Campinale...so it had to be Venice, right?  And there really was a canal, of sorts.) 

We went to the water show outside the Bellagio.  We went on an adventure through Caesar's Palace.  We found out first hand the importance of good shoes.  We found out we were capable of walking past gelato.  We also found out that we have about 10 months to get ourselves to the point where we can walk more than two blocks without breaking into the anti-inflammatories.  Now, that could be the major challenge of this whole adventure. 

We also stopped by the travel agent's office in the hotel.  We were trying to get information on the train and ferry systems, and on the best ways to get from Great Britain to the continent.  Unfortunately, we have to have dates.  Real dates, not just chocolate flavored dates.  I think I get a little nervous when I think about actually picking the date we are leaving, and even more nervous when it comes to buying the tickets.  We need to take deep breaths and get committed to having a date before the end of the year so we can start trolling for the best ticket prices. 

Lessons: 
1)  Shoes are going to be a major and thoughtfull purchase
2)  Picking a date is a priority.  Getting the nerve to do it....?
3)  Getting lost even in a fake Venice is fun

Dee

+2

Allora, perché l'Italia?

I have never been interested in anything more Italian than eggplant parmesan, but then I discovered Andrea Bocelli.  He introduced me to Zucchero (an Italian rock-pop-blues singer who discovered Bocelli). I was watching a video of Zucchero's daughter singing at Sanremo, and that introduced me to Nomadi (I was aware of them before, but not really a fan). Nomadi, Zucchero, Bocelli, and Irene Fornaciari introduced me to Italy, and La Bella Lingua-Italiano. 

Now I am in the process of planning the Italian leg of our trip.  Ok, I have never been there, know little of the country, and haven't the first idea of how to get around on the European train system…especially from Great Britain to Vienna to Italy.  Mostly, my planning will consist of getting us from Edinboro or London by train to Vienna, and then to Venice.  We have some ideas about how we are getting to the Continent from the Island, but still in the "good-idea-but-can-we-do-it" stage.

Oh, and did I mention CHOCOLATE?   Since Becky and I have dedicated our lives to chocolate, I believe we are well beyond the amateur label of chocoholic, and should be considered connoisseurs (chocosseurs?).  Our trip dates are being dictated by the Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia October 14-23.  Since we wanted to go in either May or October, this worked out well.  Now to figure out how to plan the trip so we are in Perugia on those important dates, and where to stay in a country where we don't really speak the language.

OK, time to go do my Italian language homework.  SOMEONE had to be able to read a menu and pick the wine….and I guess it is going to be me. 

Dee

The Planning So Far

At this point, we are planning what we conservativly call our "Fantasy Trip."  You have to start someplace, throw it all out there then pare it down to something manageable.  It all started a few years ago with Dee's interest, then obsession, with geneology.   The result, however, was some wonderful, fascinating history about our family.  We learned that while we are in fact, mostly mutts, there is a little bit of purity in our paternal history - that being Scottish.  What's really fun is that she also found not only the part of Scotland our family was from, but the island and eventually probably the cottage we are from. How cool is that?

So we know we will be going to the Isle of Bute off the west coast of Scotland and spending time.  We want to go pub crawling in Edinburgh (although I don't drink whiskey or beer so I think I'm sunk). Our basic plan for the whole trip is to stay in hostels, eat cheap which may not be a problem in Scotland since who's ever heard of going out for Scottish?  After Scotland for a couple weeks, we plan to head to Italy. That's Dee's baby so she can talk about that. We will make a quick stop in Vienna, Austria because since the age of about 9, I've dreamed of going there to see the Spanish Riding School (Lipizzaners) and Dee is kindly indulging me.  Of course in return I will be indulging her with Nomadi or Zucchero (more about them later).

Becky