The suitcases are closed, the reservations confirmed, and the diaper bag is packed. That’s right, a diaper bag. I learned through a trusty tip that a diaper bag with all of its pockets and water proof interior makes a great carry on, so mine first accompanied me a couple of years ago on our trip through Europe. What I hadn’t realized until this trip was that the compartment for wipes (which I never used) makes an incredible candy dispenser! Passports and Snickers. How can we go wrong? Let the fun begin.
My friend, Kathy, and I thought it was a simple task– find a condo in some nice warm state for the month of March. Arizona, Florida, Gulf Shores. A little further north – Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach. Nothing. Lesson learned – ante up for three months or knock on someone else’s door. No one answered. Damn those northern retirees who have nailed this warm weather rental cycle long before us.
And so instead, with our best efforts to escape some of our bleak, Midwest winter by enjoying one of our warm southern states, we ended up making plans to leave the country again and see a part of the world that not only neither of us have never seen, but an area that was at least partially, never really on any travel list of mine. The one concession – the trip we wanted to take made us wait until the grass began to green, buds began to bloom and birds returned to their summer homes. Oh well – small penalty, really.
Florence is our first stop and I can’t wait to indulge in wine, pasta and oh yes, the art that Florence is famous for. One of our first stops will be to see David, and of course, Michelangelo’s other great works. And yes, we already have our tickets, so no line for us – hopefully.
We are calling this our Two Hat Trip and so you’ll see our hats along the way – one fedora, one cloche. What would a trip to Italy be if a couple of middle aged, non-fashion forward women didn’t follow one of today’s hottest fashion trends? We’re hoping the hats will distract from our tennis shoes. A friend of ours told us to try and “fit in”. Oh, I’m sure no one will ever guess we are American tourists! I look forward to updating you as we go, and I sure hope you’ll join us on this journey. And if you have any suggestions, tips or just want to comment, we’d love to hear from you.
To leave a comment:
1. Locate the Comment section at the bottom of the post. It may say No Comments if you are the first.
2. Hover your cursor over the word Comments and click to open the box that says Enter your Comment.
3. After writing your comment, go to the box that says Comment As and choose Anonymous from the pull down menu.
5. Click on Publish.
We are looking forward to following along with your adventure. I went to Florence many years ago and enjoyed it tremendously.
Hoping your adventure is a fantastic one! Look forward to reading all about it. Crystal
OMG I am so jealous!!! I will go to Italy before I die!!! I can't wait for updates! Have fun!
Of all the places in Italy when with USAGSO-NA I liked Florence third best after San Giminano and Sienna. Had the best polenta with marinara a a small cafe in Florence. FIRENZE if you're looking for it on a map.there. Carol R.
Have fun and enjoy. As others have said, we look forward to reading about your travel adventures. Judy