This was great to read!! My boyfriend and I will be visiting a few of these places in just 2 weeks and it is so exciting to read about. We too are both 28 and he has been to Italy once before while stationed there in the Air Force. This will be my first time. We rented a car as we are spending a few nights in Chianti and you have to have a car to get around. I hear the driving is a bit crazy, which should be interesting since I live in LA. Thanks for a wonderful trip report!

Hi there Tra6,

I just finished reading your wonderful trip report and loved your photographs.

When I was in the bank last week (I am a People's customer), your husband told me to check out your trip report on Fodors.

It is such a small, small world!

BTW, when is your next trip to Italia?

Hi,
I just finished your report and looked at your pictures. What a great trip. Don't you feel so blessed that you were able to do this. Thank you for sharing.

Hi kane, my husband told me about you. Glad you saw my trip report. When planning the trip, this site and all the trip reports were so helpful to us!

yipper - We do feel very blessed to do it. we have been saving our money and miles, and planning for years. It was the trip of a lifetime!

ttt... for Katerbug...

Best wishes,

Rex

ttt

Rex, now I know I look a bit dense regarding the TTT; I just had to post one myself and there it was, after you posted one for me! Too many late nights on this site....((O))

Tra6: When you said you were in your "own compartment" on the train from Monterroso to Tuscany did you say that in jest cuz the train was empty? Or did you really have your own private compartment? I'd love to have my own compartment when we travel via the train from Rome to Naples after 13 hours of flying arriving early in the morning! /:)

Katerbug, the compartment we had was 3 seats per side, so 6 all together with a little door to the cooridor. It was jut the two of us in it so we had lots of room for our bags. We didn't expect that, we were pleasantly surprised! It was a 2nd Class reservation and an IC Plus train. The ES and Regional trains we took were not like that, they were just traditional seating. I am really not sure if all the IC Plus trains are like that or not. I am sure someone on this site can help you with that! Have fun!

Great trip report. I'm starting the "serious planning stage" of my fall 2006 trip, and the info in your report is invaluable...and a pleasure to read! Many thanks.

Tra6

Great pictures. Thank you for sharing your Roman vacation. You guys are a beautiful couple.

Hi everyone,
Since our July 2005 trip, I haven't visited this site much. I just read a bunch of posts in the Italy section and it brought back such great memories of planning and taking our fabulous trip. I am living vicariously through you all! My husband and I are now expecting our first baby in April so it will be a while before we have another 3-week trip like last summer. We're pretty sure it was an "Italian baby", but our family and friends are convinced it was! I guess we'll enjoy some time at home with the new addition for a couple of years, and return once we've saved up money and are ready to try for baby #2 :)

ttt

CONGRATULATIONS to both of you on the news of your baby!

I haven't seen your husband at the bank recently, but I will be sure to congratuate him in person when I do see him.

What a beautiful baby you will have!

Congratulations Tra6!
Your trip report helped me plan my own trip to Italy last September. Best wishes to you.

Kane - Are you planning a trip this year?

I loved reading your trip report-- am heading to Tuscany in July--I am a teacher-. Did you ever find out how much wine each person can bring back?
thanks
ann

No we didn't. We saw lots of people on the flight back home with packages of wine though so I guess it's okay. There must be a post about it on this site somewhere. We shipped 7 bottles and I think I put the price in my report. 50 euro or so? It took about a month, but it eventually came and none was broken. The pasta in the box with it was all smashed and the bottles were sort of loosely rolling around, but no wine was spilled! The bubble wrap had come off. I guess it was a rough trip!

Do any of you know of a tour company called Padillo. This company bills itself as one who takes you to places the "big" tour companies don't go. Their website's title suggests a "cultural and artistic" theme, limited to 6 - 8 travelers per tour.

Tracy,
Thank you for the wonderful trip report. I don't know how I missed it before. And I enjoyed the pictures, too. Hope all is going well with your Italian baby.
Judy