Twenty days and counting

Only twenty days and add the fourteen traveling and I will be as sage as veteran posters on trenitalia,Rome restaurants and Cinqueterre sites, may be I’ll start adding a signature emoticon ala Budman

In twenty days I’ll haul my not light packing, black but with bright colors (banded?) as accents wardrobe to Italy.

In 20 days or so I’ll either love my research on hotels or listen to intense griping about lousy accommodations(boy where were you while I trolled venere,tripadvisor,fodors...?)

20 days hence and I’ll be subject to accusations of nazi tourist director like poor Amy in terrible tennesse trio (my sympathies Amy-really how can you do all the planning then have THEM wreck it by eating at the wrong time?)

After 25 days will my excellent heavy packing allow enough bandaids for the blisters caused by shoes I thought comfortable but more importantly fashionable?

Will our sixt rental car lead us astray and into terse comments about driving abilities?

Did I overplan …?Nah what would overplanning look like? Maybe my compendium of notes that are now three inches deep BUT organized in plastic sleeves.

So new pope, old and faithful spouse, new clothes, hyper itinerary, no pedometer, big appetite, gsm phone, new camera (gosh I hope we can make it work), deflated dollar, free cattle class tix…..Italy here we come!

<i>will my excellent heavy packing allow enough bandaids for the blisters caused by shoes</i>
- I can't emphasize enough - get a roll of sports tape!

<i>Will our sixt rental car lead us astray and into terse comments about driving abilities?</i>
- Subvert this possibility by launching a pre-emptive strike against the <i>navigator</i> first!

Hi suehoff, is this your first trip to Italy? I get the feeling it is!

I can read the excitement is your post. I always get the same way.

Uuuhm, do watch what shoes you wear. I got a blister while in Charleston and it is now infected and consequently I am on antibiodicts which makes me feel awful. So do take care of your feet, LOL.

And have beautiful thoughts while you do the count down to your Italian trip. And write a trip report when you get home and settled in!

Best wishes.

This is our first trip to Italy and we are very excited!! We sent our two kids as the proverbial guinea pigs a month ago (darn they came back) thus the gsm phone complete w/ fried charger...oh well. I am afraid that a 19 and 21 yr old are not great travel guides or resources I guess they are better at depleting parental resources rather than adding to them. But we are armed and probably dangerous with our bits of knowledge, so we shall see. And of course all disaster shall be laid at the feet of my Fodors mentors!!

Lucky you to be heading to Italy. Yo usound well prepared so you will surely have a great time.

The spate of references to Fodorisms suggest you have studied *us* well -- and all our mannerisms and crochets

I hope it turns out well -- and invite you on your return to post extensively -- and with the same light epistolary touch as in your OP!

sue,

Just saw you post and realized we're leaving in 15 days, but I don't get REALLY ORGANIZED until 10 (that's when I start counting down for real).

I've been through the shoe dilemma and after wearing a pair of &quot;fashionable&quot; pointy heels (almost typed hells, which is what they felt like) around the house for 1/2 hour went out and bought a VERY COMFORTABLE pair of black &quot;ballet&quot; flats (plan to wear my tested old faithful Eccos most of the time).

Let's see...last minute things...well, there's still time to brush up on Italian, si?

Have a great PREtrip!

You are off to a good start, I cannot wait to read the trip report

You sound like you are all set, the old and faithful spouse is such a valuable addition to a trip .
And so is the camera!
Don't leave either one of them at home ~

Banded, schmanded, you will shop when you get there and come home looking like an Italian movie star!

and remember <b>moleskins!!</b>

I am getting excited now too! Keep checking in!! Almost 19 more days

artlover:re shoes: we are meeting friends for the last five days but last week, she and I soloed to Honolulu (inspired by the Fodors post about Paris, two women) and tried out our shoes, handbags, which necessitated an emergency trip to Prada on Kalakaua Ave, and packing. So now we are revising...my friend's suitcase may have its own zip code it's so huge!Anyway in hot and humid Honolulu we definitely found that blisters erupt in the oddest places and one box of moleskins is not enough!!!

sue,
sound like your friend and my DH's suitcases are in the same category...I just ignore him when he's struggling with it (I went to Europe for a month last year with a carryone and that's how I'm going again this year!)

I have to say I really missed my DH on our solo trip because even though my bags are light, it's nice to have someone else stronger to stow them above the seats. The monster case of course had to be checked (using a forklift I think)

I'm leaving in 11 days! Can't wait!

I know the feeling and really the anticipation is half the fun. Problem is I keep dating everything May ___ because my head is already in May and Italy

I'm not going to Italy, but to the neighbouring Switzerland, so I'll whisper not to disrupt the Italian chorus: only 29 more days...

We are leaving on May 23rd, this shoe thing is driving me crazy. Darn legs and feet. I have bad knees and can't even drive home from the local warehouse store after shopping without putting the car in auto drive on the way home. Italy will be a challenge once again for me but I shall survive. I found last time traveling with 20 something daughter that there are plenty of places to stop and rest the weary knee (need a new one) and drink wine. This time traveling with hubby it may not be as much fun, ha ha. Now just trying to settle on the hotel situation, Pantheon or Piazza Navona, hum can't decide. One will be about 800 euros cheaper but the cheaper one was just written up in Bon Appetit, so should it be Albergo del Senato (a sure thing, I have stayed there), or the unknown and less expensive Hotel Portoghesi?

Ahhh ! 15 nites in Sicilia--leaving 27 April---that is next week and I am already packed.

Bob-it must be the male chromosone because I have mentally packed, repacked, stacked, baggied etc but still cannot commit to the wardrobe. Plus I think men and shoes just don't get it. I once memorably wore &quot;cute&quot; shoes in Las Vegas, when the blood bubbled over the edges I had to stop on the strip, buy painkilling spray, and bandage wrap and hobble along sans shoes all the while my DH just lounged about in his oh so comfy (read-dorky) nikes.
Faina-switzerland sounds wonderful too so go ahead and keep counting aloud!!

Hi Sue! loved your note, isn't it great to have so much to look forward to?! 15 days for me, fly out to Naples via Milan May 6! Nice to see that others share my excitement. This is sort of my second trip to Italy, but the first was just a taste, went to Genoa and stuck my toes in the Mediteranean. Like you Bob, my mother (this is her first trip out of the east coast of the US!!!) is packed and ready to fly! Wish the comfortable &quot;old&quot; spouse were coming but he's sitting out this one. 14 days with his mother in law would be a lot to ask! LOL
I'm still trying to decide what to do about the shoe thing. I don't have a suitable pair. What would you buy that would be presentable enough for restaurants but comfortable enough for tons of walking?
Hey, art lover, I'd really love to hear what you packed in that carry on for four weeks. I would love to do the same for our two week trip...
Counting the days! Kay

Here's my &quot;current&quot; solution re: shoes
One pair fancy flip flops for evening (I've been wearing them at night to toughen up my flip flop spots), then I bought two prs of merrells that I think are very cute-one pr is black (that's my fashion theme:black w/ pink or green) and like a very sleek tenny, one pair of bright green slip-ons/mules, plus some great thin nike socks and the aforementioned bandadging supplies. Plus isn't wine prescribed for all sorts of foot pain?

Bob the Navigator - I am so looking forward to hearing about your trip to Sicily! We are going in September and I have been listening to your sage advice as we plan our trip. Have a wonderful time and I can't wait to read the trip report!

kermashalf,
not that i don't think this is the best travel website (cause i do), but for great tips on packing light, check out ricksteves.com. Looks like we'll be leaving around the same time yet...if you want I'll post what I pack, but really, it's just a question (to me) of deciding that i'm going to SEE Europe, not &quot;to be seen&quot; so if I wear the same outfit over and over again, who's gonna know (or care?).

Oh, and shoes...well, that's probably about attitude as well...I've decided that I need shoes TO WALK in...bottom line!