Buon Giorno tutti!
I can't believe I leave for Europe in a week! Seemed like yesterday when I booked my flight.
Here's a song to start this whole thing off! (click on the link to listen!)
I have to tell you, the pre-planning for this adventure has really had its ups and downs. How many days here or there, what trains go where, etc.... but I think I have it down. Well, I THOUGHT I had it down until my cousin, Melinda, checked out my already set itinerary and said "this just won't do!!!" So there I went back into planning mode. I can happily say that I worked through some things, begged at the feet of Expeida and finally got my itinerary down.
4 nights in Rome
3 nights in Venice
2 nights in Vienna
1 night in Bochum
3 nights in Amsterdam
Does that add up?? I think it does!!!
I have located my passport, bought my ticket for the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel and of course, my ticket for Starlight Express in Germany. I have a medium sized suitcase and a lovely shoulder bag purchased from the Rick Steve's website. I have a bluetooth keyboard for my iPad so I can continue this blog - hopefully daily - from abroad, as well as an electricity converter - 2 in fact. I have Rick Steve's books for each city I'm visiting and my iPod is full of great music for airplane and train rides, not to mention my Kindle app is ready!!
It's been a very busy summer, and I'm finally getting excited about this trip. 2 weeks from home is a long time. I'm going to miss Ben so much!!! I'm sure he won't even know I'm gone as he'll be left with some really great people to hang out with. I'm going with absolutely no expectations of what I will encounter. It will be nice to just get up and go each morning with a slight plan in my head and nothing more than that - except a smile, which I'm sure will get me everywhere!!
So, this is it for blog post #1 while still in the USA. I'll try and do one more before I leave.
Oh, I'm going to post this link on Facebook, but it will be emailed to some of your when there is an update!!
Ciao!!
Maestro
