wvmom

Bookmarking so I don't miss the next entry.

Liz2005

Bookmarking too. Very nice report!

missypie

I, too, am becoming frightened about the luggage, as we are also flying DFW to Rome.

bardo1

dfm,

Enjoying this a lot.

<<1. cut hair
2. color hair
3. eyebrows waxed
4. pedicure
5. teeth bleached
6. botox injections >>

After reading this intro I thought: "the only thing they forgot was some hair removal cream for the armpits" - little did I know...

AngelaS

Mr. & Mrs. StopLess - awesome!! I can just hear the guy at the counter saying this! Waiting for more!

I too, am becoing quite anxious at the thought of losing luggage - will soon be purchasing carryon bag!!!

socaltraveler

There is very little Da Baffeto and gelato can't cure, but I'm really starting to feel sorry for you and your brown pants.
But I am rolling (silently, I work in a library) with laughter at thought of Mr. Stopless and his skivvies in the Italian department store.
Looking forward to more,
Marcia

roadlesstraveled

dorkforcemom - Loving your trip report. I am still laughing about dorkforcedad's shopping adventure. I also have a husband who is not a slimfit. Eagerly anticipating your next post.

sundowner

We have a guy at work known as TrAAAAcy and it doesn't have anything to do with a sheepskin condom - just a sheep. So I know exactly how to pronounce BrAAAd.

LCBoniti

Just hilarious! Keep it coming!

cantstayhome

Gosh, I feel like we had very similar trips! Mine was last month. We stayed at the Albergo del Senato. Our traveling companions (two of which originated in Texas) did not arrive with thier luggage either. One of the two with the missing luggage (by the way, none of our luggage made it home less than 2 days after we did, but that's AF for you) was definitely not a "slimfit," not huge, but not "slimfit." He ventured out to search for a shirt and some pants and wandered into a shop recommended by somebody at the hotel and selected a few items that he found appealing. He showed them to the store clerk and asked, "Do you have this in my size?" Answer, "No." "How about this?" "No." "This?" "No." "O.k., do you have anything in my size?" Clerk looks up and down, "No."

kureiff

I love your report. I can't wait for more!

Ralstonlan

bookmarking to read later

FauxSteMarie

I am still laughing from your trip report--proving my theory that the trips you remember the best are the ones filled with disasters. Last September I home exchanged in Bavaria. Believe me, I wish I had lost all my luggage rather than what happened:

The house was filthy (proving that not all Germans are clean).

The car had about 95 things wrong with it--which the people knew in advance but chose not to fix because they do not drive it often.

4 hours after arrival I tripped and fell and broke my ankle. There I was, traveling solo, with over two weeks to kill on a broken ankle before I could go home. LOL.

I did not sit around bemoaning my fate, but, shall we say, it did not rate as my best European trip/home exchange ever. I was in a small town with indifferent bus and train connections (half of the trains were "down" due to repairs too). I took some day bus trips and did see the Ludwig musical at Fussen and two performances at the Marionetten Theatre in Lindau, but it was not exactly the trip I planned.

There is a thread that I began called "Amusing things I have learned from my European trips". You might want to check it out and add to it as you no doubt have some funny things to add.

dorkforcemom

FauxSteMarie - what a sad, sad trip you had! It's one thing to be inconvenienced, it's another to be injured!

Thanks to everyone for the encouraging words - I realize my trip report is not chalked full of travel details (addresses, websites, phone numbers, etc.) so it will probably not prove helpful to those actually planning a sojourn to Italy! I took copious notes on the details that are now in a purple binder...I have a newfound respect for those who can organize the business cards, receipts, travel journals one accumulates!

LCBoniti

No worries, dfm! I personally benefit more from this type of trip report. When we went in Feb I had copious notes of restaurants and did not go to even one! But the trip reports which were more personal experiences really excited me for my trip and gave me a very realistic idea of what it is like to travel in Italy.

So, keep up the good work! And thanks!
Linda

mcnyc

dorkforcemom: I, too, found that having a cell phone abroad was very useful. Particularly when you're dealing with lost luggage, as we had the misfortune of experiencing ourselves last July. My sympathies are with you...hope you got your luggage before you got home. Or at the very least got your luggage period.

Unlike myself and cantstayhome's friends...our luggage had their own vacation!

Can't wait to read more!

youngandrestless

Good thing you did your botox before the trip so you could at least LOOK carefree during the lost luggage fiasco!

5alive

You make me feel better about all the stuff I took on carry-on!

I have a feeling this Trip Report could be one of those Fodor's all-time greats, up there with the gas in the diesel engine or Barb...

3mkids

Love your trip report! While fortunately we rarely have had lost luggage problems (I seem to recall that we have experienced this, but can't now remember the details), we did have what we now remember as a funny calamity with a car rental somewhere between Plitvice and Split. The bottom line was our rental car basically didn't work, and there was no one to call for a replacement. At the time DH and I only spoke Spanish and French which was little help in what was formerly Yugoslavia. Some kind German tourists got our car started, and for the next couple of days we would start the car (after having said a prayer that it would work), and not stop the car until we got to our final destination that eve. This doesn't mean that we didn't stop during the day. We just left the car running - ate several meals while our car ran outside.

dorkforcemom

You're right, youngandrestless - I had that frozen, happy look the whole trip. Truth be know, I was happy!

3mKids - what a hoot of a tale regarding your car rental experience. It goes to show, not all memories are good memories, they truly last a lifetime, don't they? (and then you can share them with fellow fodorites!)

I'm off to my son's college graduation - what a perfect Mother's Day gift (and, better yet, he has a job).

Will organize for upcoming installment, stay tuned...