sandi

I'll try again. <BR> <BR>Section #1 <BR>Verona: <BR>Arrived at Malpensa and took the shuttle to Milan’s Central Station. Shuttle costs only about $15.00 (US) for 2 adults a 1 child. Boarded a train to Verona (about 1 ½ hrs). <BR> <BR>Stayed at the Guilietta e Romeo hotel. (Vicolo Tre Marchetti, 3) Very clean, excellent location to the main piazza and friendly staff. (The hotel was about $150.00 US) Arrived in time to participate in the Sunday eve. stroll. Lovely town to get lost in. Beautiful scene from the Adige River and the Ponto Nuova bridge. <BR>Piazza Bra has a beautiful Roman amphitheater (built in AD30) right in the middle of it, which is fun to visit and climb to the top. From there you can look over and view the city and watch the evening strollers around the Piazza. We visited only one of several stunning churches, the Cathedral of Verona. Piazza Erbe is a lovely place with an incredible 14th century fountain of the Madonna of Verona and 16th century statue of St. Mark's Lion. You must also see the Scaligeri Tombs just down from the Piazza Dei Signori. It's a masterpiece of 14th century Gothic funerary art. Needless to say, we missed alot of Verona but saw enough to know we'd like to go back <BR> <BR>more to follow.. <BR>

Sandi

Section #2 <BR> <BR>Venice: <BR>Took a train to Venice, (about 1 ½ hrs from Verona). We loved it there. I didn’t expect it to be so laid-back and comfortable. Had a blast. Our 12 yr old said (upon leaving Venice) that he was ready to return by himself. We were even tempted to cancel the rest of our plans and stay there another week. The weather (late Oct.) was perfect and no huge crowds of tourists. <BR> <BR>Stayed at the Locando Leon Bianco just off the Ca’ d’Oro stop in Cannaregio. The small family-run hotel was exactly what we needed (except for the 4 flights of stairs w/ bags). Andrea was not only charming and spoke excellent English, he was born in Venice and was able to give us the history on anything we asked about. The hotel only has 6 rooms. We had a room with a view of the Grand Canal. A large room with all the amenities and filled with antiques. This was a wonderful, clean, no-frills hotel filled with charm. The breakfast was served in the room. The room was about $160.00 for 3 people w/ Grand Canal view. I highly recommend this hotel and can’t wait to go back. We noted the interesting painting on part of the ceiling of our room. In one corner there was a cupid resting against a large graphically phallic image. He seemed to be “encouraging” it with a string or something…we tried not to stare at it too much because I really didn’t want to explain its representation to our son, who’s bed was just under it. <BR> <BR>Everyone on this forum suggested that getting lost in Venice was the best thing to do and I agree. We walked everywhere and saw so much. We loved the quietness of the city at night and not having to dodge cars and Vespas at every turn. You must see the obvious things such as the stunning San Marco square and a million other sites mentioned in other posts. You have to have tea or coffee at The Florian. It’s an opulent café in St. Mark’s square that was built in 1720 and was a rendezvous for Dickens, Proust and Lord Byron. A wonderful rest stop after hours of walking. (check out www.venetia.it/florian) <BR> <BR>We had a fabulous meal at Ostaria Antico Dolo (Ruga Rialto 778). Small place, specializing in fish. Since I’m not too fish crazy, I had the most incredible taglietelli a vedure. Simple but wonderful. Took a very touristy, but fun gondola ride. They would not budge on the prices. It costs us 150,000 lire for the 3 of us for about 40 minutes. You have to do it once. <BR> <BR>*Note: I left my large toiletry bag on the train..it disappeared in about 5 minutes. The shampoo, toothbrushes etc.. weren’t so bad to replace but it also contained prescription drugs. You may want to keep those more important items close to your side so they don’t get separated from you. Also, Italian deodorant is very different from American… <BR> <BR>

sandi

section #3 <BR> <BR>Florence: <BR> <BR>Stayed at the Hotel Accademia (Via Faenza 7) just about 4 blocks from the train station. The hotel itself was very clean and the rooms were extremely plain and sparse. The staff was friendly and the location pretty good for getting around by foot. Our room faced the street and it was very noisy, all night long. There were a few hostels around so there were lots of boisterous young ‘ens coming and going (and singing) at all hours. Plus it’s a block or so from part of the open leather market and you get to hear them dragging the carts to their places at about 5am…other than that…great hotel for the money. (About $145.00 for 3 inclu. breakfast) In case you need it, there’s a small laundry-mat a few doors down. We arrived around 4:30pm and I asked the gentleman at the desk if he could make reservations at the Accademia, for the next day. He immediately picked up the phone and called, only to find out that there was a strike the next day but we could get in if we could leave right away. Needless to say we left to see David (an awesome sight). Does anyone know the history as to why his hands are so large? They look like catcher’s mitts….anyway.. <BR>We did not go to the Uffizi..I know, we should have but after the Accademia we took our son to the amazing Museum of Science (Museo di Storia della Scienza- Piazza dei Giudici 1) that we found out about on this board. If you are travelling with kids between about 11-up you must go to this museum. It’s around the corner from the Ufizzi by the river. It contains Galileo’s telescopes, globes, instruments he used to measure the distance between planet, the lens that was used in which he discovered the moons of Jupiter…even the bone of his index finger! Needless to say, adults and children will be truly amazed. <BR> <BR>I personally didn’t care for the Ponte Vecchio, but the river Arno is beautiful. My son and I did climb the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo and were treated to a spectacular view of the city. My husband climbed the Campanile (just 20 feet shorter than the dome), just across from the Duomo and we photographed each other..I recommend it to anyone that can handle the climb….and it is exhausting. <BR>The Piazza della Signoria, outside the Uffizi, is wonderful. My son really enjoyed walking among all the sculptures and fountains. To be able to walk right up to these masterpieces and touch them was incredible. Probably my favorite public space in Florence. The sculpture of Perseus beheading Medusa, The rape of the Sabine women and the Neptune fountain etc..were within my reach. My son, who loves Greek mythology, took great pleasure in telling me all about Perseus. Bring art to the kid’s level and they will learn to appreciate it forever. <BR> <BR>More Florence to follow...

sandi

section #4 Florence cont'd <BR> <BR>We happened upon the Antica Pizzeria dell’Arte on via del Giglio, 28 where we had the best pizza in our lives, I kid you not. Their pizza Margherita is to die for. Fresh, simple tomato sauce, with thick slices of fresh mozzarella and cooked in a wood-burning pizza oven then drizzled with olive oil. We had this same pizza elsewhere and it never compared to this place. They also had great homemade soups, which was just what we needed on a cool, rainy evening. My son had this pizza 2 nights in a row. <BR> <BR>We rented a car from Avis (being from Tx. we pronounced it with a long “A” sound and were corrected by the cab driver, “oh, you mean Ah-vis”) We arranged the car through Auto Europe. We got a cool Alpha Romeo 146 for about $260.00 for a 5-day rental (it actually covered about 7 days but we needed it only for 5 days). It was plenty big enough for the 3 of us and our 3 suitcases fit in the trunk. It was a lot of fun to drive on the winding roads through Tuscany. (It costs about $50.00 to fill the tank!) <BR> <BR>Fortunately the Avis location was on the outskirts of town, by the river (128R via Borgognissanti) and it was no problem to follow their directions out of town and onto a main road. Don’t get me wrong, driving anywhere in Italy is not always a piece of cake. We headed for the tiny but lovely city of Vinci (as in Leonardo di) to tour Il Museo Leonardiano di Vinci. We were urged to go there by this young art student that my son befriended while at the Accademia. <BR> <BR>**A note about train travel: I asked a lot of questions about the trains, but failed to understand that even if you have a first class ticket, you may not have a seat. You have to specifically request reserved seats. Make sure, before you leave the ticket window, that you check your tickets for seat assignments. If you do not, you can only sit in car #1 without the fear of having to move everytime someone discovers that you’re in his or her seat. When buying the ticket for the last train, Venice to Florence, I insisted that we have reserved seats and the guy just said that it was not necessary. He wouldn’t give it to me. It was a little maddening. Other than that, the EuroStar was very comfortable. The meals in the dining car can be quite expensive. <BR> <BR>

sandi

Section #5 <BR> <BR>Vinci: <BR> <BR>I found Vinci to be a beautiful, quaint city. It’s quite tiny with scenic vineyards and olive trees around. In a light fog it was magical. The museum itself was interesting. They took the writings and diagrams of Leonardo and (as best they could) constructed his inventions and describe it intended purpose. What a brilliant man he was. He also had some strangely interesting designs on a machine gun (multi-barrels strapped together that each shot once) and of course the famous wings that probably sent many a man to their deaths. He had bicycles, airplanes, cars, scuba gear, skis for walking on water….things that we use everyday. Very cool place to take a youngster…of any age. <BR> <BR>From Vinci it was west to Pisa. We did this so my son and husband could see the tower. I had seen it the year before but was anxious to see the beautiful Basilica once again. It was raining pretty hard so we looked, took a few pics and hit the road again. <BR> <BR> <BR>San Gimignano: <BR> <BR>From Vinci we drove towards San Gimignano. We first wound up the mount to Volterra then down to San G. I know several of you don’t like this place because it’s too touristy, but so are Venice and Assisi. Unless you seek out the less traveled cities you have to pass up some gift shops along the way. I still love the look of this city. I personally think that the Tuscan scenery is the most spectacular here. We stood on part of the wall and enjoyed a blood red sunset. We had dinner at La Stella ristorante on via S. Matteo,77 just doors down from our hotel. My husband and I tried so hard to order, and eat, like an Italian but there’s no way I can ingest that much food. We had fabulous gnocchi (?) with a tomato cream sauce and the steak Florentine. We ordered it medium but it was still very rare..and the pieces were huge. I felt so bad that so much was wasted. (The spinach with butter is delicious) The food was excellent though. For the 3 of us, including wine and service, was only about $50.00 (US). <BR> <BR>We stayed at Hotel L’Antico Pozzo (Via S. Matteo, 87). I thought this was a lovely hotel. The layout is bizarre with staircases going all over the place. Felt like I was in an Escher drawing. The room was “L” shaped and our son and a beautiful twin-size sleigh bed in the leg of the “L”. The windows opened out to the main street (San Matteo) below. Such an incredible view of the Tuscan hills if you look left out the window, the cobble stone streets below and the piazza with the tall tower to the right. The hotel was about $140.00 (US) for the 3 of us. <BR> <BR>The next morning we climbed the tower, around 10am, and were in awe of the beauty. Fortunately I had a video camera to capture the clouds creeping over the hills, slowly covering every nook and cranny. Alas, it’s time to go. <BR> <BR>We’re heading in the direction of Assisi, where we’ll spend the next 2 nights. We moved on to the tiny hilltop village of Monteriggioni and bought some great Chianti. We also spent several hours in Siena. What a great city. We strolled through the cities winding streets towards the beautiful church. It’s an awesome sight, even from the outside. We had lunch around the Piazza del Campo (not recommended) but we were hungry. I know, I know, we didn’t spend NEARLY enough time in Siena but there’s always next time. <BR> <BR>

sandi

Section #6 <BR> <BR>Assisi: <BR> <BR>I stayed in Assisi for a couple of nights in Oct. ’99 and couldn’t wait to go back. I’ve been telling my husband how quiet, peaceful and spiritual it is. I love this place. We arrived to a madhouse! Two days before All Saints Day and there was a youth rally. Cars and people everywhere. Oh well. We stayed at La Fortezza off the Piazza del Comune. Many steps lead up to this 2-star hotel. It was quite a climb with all of our luggage. The room was quite large with a full bath. The staff didn’t speak English very well but with our broken Italian and their broken English, we got our points across. The hotel was only $60.00 (US – does not inclu. breakfast) Such a deal. Walk down the steps and you’re in the Piazza Comune, just steps from Basilica of Santa Chiara. Things have changed in Assisi, in just a year. You could find many shops, in ’99, that were a mess with ceramics stacked floor to ceiling. I remember wading through a packed store (not packed with people) wading through platters and bowls and finding that perfect piece. Now they all look like galleries and the piles are gone. It has become even more touristy than before and way more expensive. Too bad. Of course, you cannot miss the Basilica of San Francesco. This place moves me like no other, especially the tomb. Exquisite frescos. We did find a small ristorante that was off the beaten path. We were definitely the only tourists there. It was the Ristorante Bar Anfiteatro on Via Anfiteatro Romano, 4 near the Porta Perlici. This is on the tall hill behind Santa Chiara. In this area was a tiny, ancient outdoor theatre and is now a lovely little neighborhood. I swear, I had the best Zuppo di vedure in my life. My son had penne with 4 cheeses and he ate more than I’ve ever seen. It was truly a treat. Find it if you can. (Tel 075 813 025). <BR> <BR>On the way out of Assisi, don’t miss the Porziuncola. The beautiful, tiny chapel “St. Mary of the Angels” may move you to tears. It was here on February 24, 1208 that Francis heard the gospel which was to be his earliest Rule; it was here that the Poor Clares were founded when Clare received her habit from Francis; and it was just outside this chapel that Francis composed a verse of his canticle "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" to Sister Death and left from this world to the next. <BR> <BR>We made a quick stop in Deruta. I had purchased ceramics from a shop called SBERNA before and wanted to go back for more coffee mugs and to look for Christmas presents for my Mom and Mother-in-law. This store happens to sell to a shop 2 miles from my house in Dallas, small world huh? <BR> <BR>

sandi

Section #8 <BR> <BR>Heading South to Sorrento: <BR> <BR>We gassed up the Alpha Romeo and hit the road to Sorrento. We actually only stopped for roadside Espressos, bathroom stops and an Auto Grille for lunch. We stayed on the Autostrada most of the time and drove really fast. We realized later that we had been going over 100 MPH in a rental car where we knew nothing of its maintenance history, but luckily had no problems at all. It seemed to take as long to drive from Assisi to Naples as it did from Naples to Sorrento. The traffic was horrible, and the roads much more narrow. There seems to be a hundred tiny towns from Torre del Greco to our hotel. I’m very familiar with driving in Italy but this area was the wackiest I’ve seen yet. Many small roads intersecting, some with no signals. Everyone goes whenever they can and the scooters usually drive on the wrong side of the road to get past the line of cars. If I remember correctly the streets were one and two lane each direction. Most of them skirted the edge of the peninsula. Our plan was to drive to the hotel and next morning drive back to tour Pompeii. We quickly agreed that we didn’t want to drive back thru this in the morning and then again that night. The sweet ladies at the front desk of our hotel assisted us in reserving a spot with a guided tour, Golden Tours. We stayed at the Hotel Villa Maria on Via Capo, 8. ($120.00 US) The room was sparse but clean and had a balcony from which we had a spectacular view of the Bay of Napoli and Vesuvio. We didn’t realize when we sat down for dinner in the hotel, that they had a fixed menu and everything was already prepared well ahead of time. The waiter became very rude and impatient with us because we were trying to decide what we wanted to do…stay or go. His attitude made the decision for us. We just walked down the street and found Gestione Ristorante La Pazziella (Via Gegli Aranci, 13) We had wonderful grilled and marinated veggies for the antipasti. I also had a pasta vedure which was fab. My son, the pizza lover, had pizza which met with his approval. It was all very good and the entire meal, for 3, was about $25.00. <BR> <BR>Regarding the tour to Pompeii; it wasn’t what we had intended but it wasn’t so bad. For about $75. for all of us, we were picked up in front of our hotel at 8am and were driven to Pompeii. The $75.00 didn’t cover getting into the ruins..just fyi. Our guide seemed to really enjoy what she was doing and the info that is provided to them was really quite interesting. Of course, we only saw a fraction of what was there, but that alone took about 3-4 hours. We had lunch at the hotel on site (10,000 lire ea.). It was not great but edible, then boarded the bus to Vesuvio. I had no idea that Vesuvio is in the remains of an even more ancient volcano..we learned that on the bus, on the way up the mountain. My son was very excited to be there. Just a word of warning…we went in Nov. of 2000 so I can’t speak for the weather any other time but please take a coat no matter the temp on the ground. We had glorious 75 F degree weather until we were in the clouds that hung on the volcano and a biting wind came up and the temp dropped to about 35 F degrees. The walk is also pretty steep so be prepared. There are a couple of extremely cheesy gift shops along the way but the postcards tend to be soggy due to the humidity. Anyway, the last few yards to the top you have to stop AND PAY to go up! It’s only 9,000 lire but come on. We went and still couldn’t see a thing because of the dense clouds. We did pick up some small pieces of lava to take back home with us. Some people were carrying back huge chunks of lava. I kept thinking, like in the US, there’ll be a Park Ranger checking your pockets for rocks etc.. but no one seemed to care. The tour ended by dropping us at our hotel around 5:00pm totally exhausted and glad that we hadn’t been driving the whole time. <BR> <BR>

sandi

Last one was #7, this is #8: <BR> <BR>Rome: <BR> <BR>The next morning we got on the local train, of course now I’ve forgotten its name, and headed for Napoli where we then took the Eurostar to Rome. We arrived to the glory that is Rome around 4pm. We took a cab to the hotel. We stayed at the Hotel Spring House (Via Mocenigo, 7) just blocks from the Vatican. <BR>The hotel was pretty nice and was about $160. (US) again for 3 people. I keep reminding the readers of this because it does costs less for 2. It may not be a prime location for a hotel but we are walkers and had no problem getting all over the city. The first night we walked to the Spanish Steps and to Trevi. Both were incredibly crowded but I expected that. The steps are a hang out for a lot of teenagers in the city. One of my favorite places was to just stand on the Ponte S. Angelo or Emanuelle and gaze across the Tiber toward St. Peter’s at dusk. Again, thank God for a video camera to capture the beauty. We had dinner at the hotel (not recommended). The next morning we got up early to stand in line to see the Sistine Chapel. We took everyone’s recommendation from this board and headed directly to the chapel once the doors were open. We stopped and purchased the audio tour also. Great idea. Along the way, in the magnificent hallways and galleries of the Vatican, there were crowds of people getting educated about the chapel before they entered, but we decided to go for it. We entered to a near empty chapel and were able to relax and stare in awe. Even my son stood for a long time listening and craning his neck to find that comfortable spot. (It doesn’t exist) His favorite piece was the Last Judgement on the wall nearest the entrance. He and I stood and looked at every inch, pointing and quietly discussing. Within an hour the chapel began to fill and the guards repeatedly had to tell everyone to remain quiet. Very difficult to do. We spent about 2 hours in there, I believe, and were walking on air the rest of the day. We did not go back to see anything else but did enjoy gazing at the artifacts that are encased in the hallways as you make your way out. We made our way across the Tiber towards the Forum. It is such a fun city to walk in, stop and have a latte, window shop along the way, grab a slice of pizza or gelato and keep going. We finally got to the Forum. I was speechless. Don’t you all wish you could get a glimpse Rome in its glory? It’s surreal to be able to walk among the ruins, the history…it was obviously more than I am able to describe. I think we may have taken about an hour to walk thru it. Then, on to the Coliseum. What can you say about it that you haven’t seen on a documentary or read in a travel book? Nothing, other than it’s all true and well worth it. After lunch at a café we walked to the Pantheon. Like the Coliseum, you grow up hearing of this architectural wonder and to be able to walk up to and into it is wonderful. I can’t imagine growing up in Rome and actually getting used to the significance of its content. <BR> <BR>Rome cont'd

sandi

Section #9 - Rome cont'd <BR> <BR>As it began to get dark we decided to go back to the Trevi to see it lit up. It was still crowded but we threw our coins in for our family and friends. We strolled to Piazza Navona and gazed at the incredible fountains and people-watched. There’s a gelato shop on the piazza, can’t remember the name but the coconut gelato was pretty darn good. We walked down Via dei Coronari off the piazza which is known for its fine antiques. I mean really fine. We window-shopped only. It was a lot of fun though. Later that night (our last night in Rome) we took a cab to Trastevere to eat at a place recommended on this board, Ristorante Galeassi (Piazza S. Maria in Trastevere 3-3a). We had the Roman artichokes (like butter), also the roasted chicken and beef filet was perfectly prepared. We ordered a bottle of ’94 Brunello from the Castello Banfi vineyards and was quite impressed. My son had the lasagna, which he thoroughly enjoyed. We finished the meal with a strange round chocolate sponge cake. That was the only time in the entire trip that we actually exceeded our budgeted amount for dinner. The delicious meal for 3 was about $100.00 and worth every cent. We were even serenaded by a guitarist who sang “Arrivederci Roma”. <BR> <BR>The last full day was spent leisurely taking in the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica. The most breathtaking church I’ve ever seen. Massive beyond imagination. If you can, take as much time as possible to look in every nave and soak it all up. Beyond description. Don’t miss Michelangelo’s Pieta in the 1st nave on the right as you enter. You are allowed to photograph inside. <BR> <BR>We knew that the time here was precious and we weren’t going to see everything but we did want to see catacombs. The closest one to our location was under a beautiful unassuming church called San Clemente just blocks behind the Coliseum off Via Labicana. The church has exquisite mosaics inside and is from the 12th century. Pay about $5. and go down a level to the ruins of a 4th century church. Still further down are the ruins from the Temple of Mithras from the 1st century BC. It was an all-male fertility cult. At this level they have a few catacombs into which you can peer. <BR> <BR>We ended our last evening by packing the breakables into our carry-on bags, being careful to surround them with clothes. Any extra clothes were put into cheap nylon bags we bought while in Rome. We had a 8:30am flight on British. We discovered that British, unlike AA, weigh carry-on bags and may force you to check it. Well, guess what? Yep, they were too heavy. They made us check them. I didn’t understand because these were regulation size bags! What's the difference if they're in coach or under the plane? Well, we met back up with our bags at Newark, NJ to go thru customs and were to re-board on American. We rechecked only the nylon bags and carried our other ones on. Before the last leg home, from Newark to Dallas, I opened my bag to find a platter from Deruta had shattered and a bottle of Brunello as well. Just be aware of this if you travel on British Air. <BR> <BR>My thanks to everyone on this board for your wonderful suggestions. They helped to make this a most memorable trip. <BR> <BR>

nancy

Sandi, Must admit, skipped a few sections (places we will not be going to) <BR>But *very* much enjoyed the posts on rome!! <BR>I am copying this for our summer trip. <BR>How old is your son by the way? an under 13 yr old, or teen? <BR>Sorry about your plate

howard

My compliments, not only on an excellent report, but on creating an experience that your son could really enjoy and relate to...and obviously remember for many, many years.

howard

P.S.: What a great idea--you and your husband taking each other's picture from the top of the Duomo and Campanile. Wish we had thought of that. (Hey, at the time, we were happy just to have climbed the 463 steps!)

sandi

Nancy, he'll be 13 in May.

Diane

Thanks for the report Sandi! We're following a very similar itinerary in May, including staying at Locanda Leon Bianco. I like hearing another positive report - sounds like the kind of place we like to stay. We'll have to study the map carefully -- we go from Orvieto to pick up my sister at FCO before heading for the Amalfi coast (We expect to stop for a night somewhere along the way, knowing she'll be travelled out!). I think we'll try to do Pompeii as a daytrip from Maiori, or on our way to Rome.

Louise

Hi Sandi, what a wonderful trip report. You didn't miss much while you were there. How many days? I had tears in my eyes from your description of the Sistine Chapel. Don't think you had enough gelato though - you hardly mentioned it! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.

sandi

Louise, I had gelato only 3 times..I'm not a bbig sweet eater. I did enjoy it though. My son, however, had gelato about everyday. We were there from Oct. 21st to Nov. 4 th.

Patti Suttle

Sandi-thank you so much for your trip report! I really enjoyed it-brought back memories from our trip last June. <BR>When do you find the time to take your notes? I want to do that on my trip to Ireland, London and Paris next summer. <BR>Patti

Mariarosa

Sandi, thanks for sharing your trip with us. We will be staying at the Leon Bianco and are looking forward to it. <BR> <BR>The last time I was in Itay I had an Eurail pass (2nd class), so for our upcoming trip, we're thinking about buying first class tickets - is there a surcharge for getting seat reservations? Did you buy your tickets at the train station just before your trips or did you go to a travel agent a few days before your trips?

sandi

Patti, <BR> <BR>Before we left in Oct. my husband and son gave me a beautiful leather bound journal for my birthday (in Sept.) For the first 5 days I wrote everything down when we would settle in each night. I found that I was really tired at the end of ea. day and started skipping days. I decided to take little notes in our budget notebook throughout the day so I wouldn't forget specific places etc..then when I had time, I'd put them in the journal. The reason it took so long to finish the trip report was because I briefly lost our budget notebook with the last of my notes in it.

nancy

<BR>Sandi, <BR>Thanks. <BR>I know all children are different, but knowing your son's age helps. <BR>Our son turned 13 this past autumn, (daughter turned 10 same time) <BR>It is helpful to read about other children on their travels. <BR>Esp. since this is our first overseas trip. <BR>Again, really enjoyed your trip report. <BR>