Patrick

Guess I have been offering a lot of advise to a lot of people and mentioning my stays in those places this summer. I ignored the first email I got telling me that I couldn't be going to all those places, but now that I've gotten two more (and yes, I believe in using my real email address), I decided to let people know my full itinerary. So here it is: <BR>May 1, leave Naples, Fl. via Miami to London for two weeks where we rent a flat and visit friends in Isle of Wight for one weekend. Fly to Istanbul for 4 nights, then fly to Cappodocia for 3 nights, get a car and spend 8 days driving through Konya, Egridir, Antalya and up the coast to Kusadasi for 3 nights. Boat to Greek Isles for three nights each on Samos, Kos, Rhodes, Symi, Santorini, and Mykonos, with a week in the middle driving on Crete. Athens for 3 nights then fly to Rome where we meet friends for two weeks by train. Rome-Florence-Venice-overnight in Verona for opera, Zermatt, Grindelwald, and Lucerne. They fly home and we continue to Zurich, Berchtesgaden, and Vienna 4 nights each, Prague, Krakow, Warsaw, and Gdansk 2 & 3 nights each. Berlin and Amsterdam for 5 nights each with 2 nights in Hamburg between. Then Paris for a week, an overnight in Colmar, 4 nights each in Annency and Montpelier, then Barcelona for 3 nights. 2nights in Bilbao where we end our Eurrail passes and get a car to drive to paradors in Leon and Santiago, then 8 days in Portugal --2 nights each Porto, Sintra, Lisbon, and Faro. Drive to Seville and Madrid for 3 nights each with overnights in Segovia, Ronda, Toledo, and Cordoba (2nights). We fly home from Madrid on October 2. Sounds exhausting, 153 nights, staying in a total of 55 places, and I have planned and booked everything myself (with just a couple of nights built in for spur-of-the-moments). We did a similar trip in Northern Europe and Scandanavia for four months a few years ago, and love the pace of it all. Three days seems to be our perfect level of enjoyment for most places, with longer stays in some of the bigger cities. <BR>So please, don't email me any more accusing me of not telling the truth about where I am going this summer. Yes, we are covering a lot of territory, and I am looking forward to every minute of it. <BR>

Lori

It sounds wonderful - I envy you having the luxury of time to take such a long trip! Don't worry about what others think, it's sounds great.

ilisa

It sounds like a fabulous trip! You must post a report afterwards. Those who doubt you are also those who can only dream about such a trip.

curiousgeorge

Patrick, you are my hero. I'd like to ask a couple of personal question if you don't mind: how old are you and what do you do (or are you retired)? Because a lot of my friends (late 20's, early 30's) are itching to do some serious traveling and none of them seem able to (insert cliche of choice here) and leave their jobs and just take off around the world. (I would in a heartbeat but they all want to go with their s.o.'s -- go figure.) So how do you manage to do it?

Patrick

To curiousgeorge: I am in my early 50's and am sort of retired. Several years ago my partner and I sold our interior design store, and now I do freelance design work for old clients. As I live in a primarily "winter" area, I travel for 5 months in the summer--what a great time to get away from South Florida heat and humidity. I sometimes refuse to take on new jobs because the timing would not allow me to do a good job for the client and still leave for the summer. I am not a wealthy person, but comfortable. Many of my friends my age have summer cottages or homes somewhere. I have never desired to do that. I would rather spend that money on traveling to new and exciting places every year. "It's a rough life, but somebody's got to do it!!"

Linda

Patrick, <BR> <BR>I'm soooo jealous! Will you adopt me?

kay

Wow. I got exhausted just reading your itinerary, Patrick. But bully for you. Question: How much luggage are you taking? And what kind?

Monica

I'm ready to leave my office in a few minutes where I can go home and have my bags packed and be ready to go! Sounds like a WONDERFUL trip. Do write at this forum when you return.

dan woodlief

Yes, you must write a travelogue. However, I think you should write it in installment, as I cannot possibly read about all those places in one sitting. All I can say is wish I was going, and I hope you have some good walking shoes.

Patrick

About the luggage: We each carry a backpack as a carry on and to keep necessaries close at hand. That also allows us to have one hand free to pull our other bag. We each have a large rolling duffel from Orvis, wheels at one end, a small pull strap at the other and handles on top to lift. The top zips all the way open for easy access and has two pockets on the front. We try to pack fairly light, but with trips to the Swiss Alps, the Greek Isles, the opera and everything in between and going from May to October, it is hard to cover all our bases. We plan to do laundry about every two weeks; scouting and using laundromats is a great way to meet locals --but sometimes hard to find. <BR>About the shoes: We each wear a pair of Ecco Cross shoes, in brown that are the greatest walking shoes I know but still dressy enough to wear with a sport coat. We also each take Ecco hiking boots. Normally that is it for shoes, but this year we are adding Ecco sandals for Greece and Turkey. Do I sound like a commercial for Ecco?? <BR>And yes I will report in, maybe installments from internet cafes as we go. Several of our booked hotels in Turkey and Greece have noted that they offer free use of computers and emails. Now that is a welcome addition to international travel.

Dayle

Sounds like a fabulous adventure! I'll volunteer handle the luggage..... <BR>

elvira

What sort of mean-spirited spitwad would email someone "oh you must be lying"? Geez, even if Patrick were delusional, he's happy in it... fortunately, as I see, most folks are dee-lighted for you, and coming up with solutions to enjoying this trip with you (some rat stole the adoption ploy that I'm so fond of). <BR>Do give us travelogue treats as much as possible (I'm not delusional - except for the voices that tell me to take trips - but I do live vicariously). <BR>Happy travels, Patrick! <BR>

rosiec

Patrick, I am very envious! I dream of being able to travel for longer than a month. My longest adventure was 33 days thru Australia/New Zealand/Fiji. That was 11 years ago, and since have only done 2 to 3 weeks away. I actually was very tired of travelling after 33 days and glad to be home. But it has been so long that I would be willing to re-live all the "living out of luggage" stories!! I look forward to every vacation, whether it is a three day weekend or a long trip away. Enjoy every minute!!! <BR>Rosie

MarkJ

Sounds great, have a wonderful time, looking forward to reading your travel reports! <BR> <BR>MarkJ

kay

I too travel vicariously so the fact that you can/will report in from your travels will be fantastic. It will be terrific going along with you. <BR>Now, bully for you, taking so little luggage to such different places for such a long time! And you certainly are super persuasive about your footwear! I bet you two are counting the days until May 1.

Maira

Patrick, you are not the first one this happens to. In the past Donna, Elvira, even Wes, have dealth with somebody hinting the same to them. People judge by their own standards, so it is likely these people are in the habit of doing just that. Best thing to do is ignore it. Have the BEST time!!

Paciano Diaz

Patrick I will definitely be looking out for your travel logue. Reason is that my wife and I are gearing up for our one year travel around the world journey within the next two years. We too are not wealthy and probably have less than you Patrick since we are in our late 20's. But through smart management of our money and investing as much as we can, we will definitely make it happen. We don't want to wait til we are 65, or so, and not be able to reach/walk/hike/see/go to places we want to go (like Machu Pichu). After all, the following quote has always stuck with me. " In the end, the only thing you take with you is your memories", not your money or your job! <BR>By the way, a couple from the San Diego are is currently traveling around the world. Every Sunday the L.A.Times prints their travel journal. <BR>

Brian

Patrick, I just found this old post and am curious. You must be about ready to go, have you altered your plans, and are you still planning to give us installments?

Patrick

I was surprised to see this resurface. I reviewed my itinerary and yes, everything is still set exactly as before, except thanks to the good people on this forum, I have filled in a lot of details since I originally posted. Depending upon the availability of cyber cafes and more importantly, the amount of time I have available in such a busy schedule, I plan to send along my reports as we go. One interesting point --since beginning my planning almost a year ago and penciling in prices for hotels along the way --with the great increase of the dollar, I think I am now nearly $15 a day ahead of the game in hotel prices alone. Does that give me a "free" bottle of wine at each destination??

Elise

Hello Patrick, I think what you are doing is great. My boyfriend and I are planning on going through Europe next summer for 6 months, I have just started planning it & I'm VERY excited. How did you know where to start? Do you think it would be ok to leave most of the hotels to chance? We hope to stay in mainly youth hostels anyway but I read somewhere that youth hostels have strict curfews, what do you suggest? Good luck and thanks if you manage to answer any of my questions.