Time to move on

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No sooner do I finish documenting our Christmas vacation then it's time to get ready for the next trip. In less than a month we'll be doing one of Gail's student trips. This time we will be visiting Italy and Greece. In the past I would have started reading about our destinations months ahead of time. But I have become a bit jaded after taking ten previous EF tours.

EF does such a complete job of organizing things and the tour directors keep us so busy that it is hardly necessary for me to familiarize myself with where we'll be going. I'm not saying that every second is regimented or that we get no free time, but you just never know when and where you'll be at any given time. We could spend an entire day in Rome under the care of a local tour guide or we could just get a short familiarization tour and then get set free to explore on our own. You never know where you might be when they let you loose.

The only thing we do know for sure is what city/town we will be in on a given day. We just recently received our flight information and hotels. Unfortunately we have to fly out of JFK instead of the much more convenient Newark International. Our group of 50 plus people, mostly high schoolers, will fly non-stop on Delta into Milan.

Day One - We'll transfer by bus from Milan to Lido de Jesolo outside of Venice. We've been there three times before, each time at a different hotel. I think the EF school groups wear out their welcome every summer so nobody will put up with these groups of American students every summer. Lido de Jesolo is an entertaining little seaside town. It's full of German and British tourists. At night the street that parallels the Adriatic Sea beaches is closed off and it becomes a pedestrian promenade. Lots of confused tourists wandering about in their cut-off jeans or capri pants , t-shirts, and smoking their cigarettes. I look forward to the inexpensive gelato stands and grocery stores where we can pick up bargain-priced olive oil and wine to bring home. It's also a good place to get some cheese, prosciutto and bread for the long bus trips.

Day Two - We will hop on a ferry that will take us for a day in Venice. I don't mean to sound snotty, but having been to Venice three times before, I'm a little bored with the place. It's romantic, scenic and full of hidden away passageways, but it's also expensive, dirty, hot and touristy. I consider myself a history buff but I have a hard time working up a passion for this part of Europe. Maybe it's because I have no Italian blood in me or because I just can't keep the similar sounding names straight. I'm not compalining though. We'll find something to keep us busy. But doing that without spending a lot of money might be tough. In the heat and humidity of Venice even walking around could cost you a fortune in soft drinks to cool down. When we leave Venice we will return to Lido for another night at the Hotel Colonna .

Day Three - Since we will be spending the night in the Hotel Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, it looks like a long bus trip across the breadth of Italy. We've been to Florence a couple times previously too, but we really haven't had a chance to explore. We will try to tour the inside of the Duomo (cathedral) and see Michaelangelo's David. There are some great deals on leather products here.

Day Four - We will spend two nights in Florence. I think on this day we will take a side trip to Pisa and maybe see some of the countryside. Perhaps when we return we'll get a tour of Florence.

Day Five - We travel to Rome via Assisi. We visited there about 5 years ago and I look forward to seeing it again. In Rome we will stay at the Atahotel Domina for two nights.

Day Six - We'll visit the Vatican in the morning. One of the great things about these organized tours is that we usually get to the front of the line quickly. We will buzz through the museum. I don't mind but I'm sure some will complain about not having time to peruse the huge collections of art. Being a Phillistine myself, I'd just as soon proceed to the Sistine Chapel as quickly as possible. We will then get some time to explore St. Peter's Cathedral followed by free time at the Vatican's big bookstore. Last year Gail and I found an expensive little sandwich shop just down the street where they served great Panini (sandwiches).

If things proceed like previous visits, we will then take a walking tour of the Colisseum and Forum during the absolute hottest time of the day. This time I will try to be prepared and have something cool to drink when we hike through. After that I assume we might have free time but where I can't guess. If possible I would like to try to visit Hadrian's Tomb. Last summer we had two fantastic dinners in Rome. These EF tours not only provide you with airfare, hotels, transfers and tours but breakfasts and dinners. Lunch is on your own. The kids always bitch and moan about the food, but I am pretty satisfied with the dinners (I'm not a fan of continental breakfasts). You don't always get as much to eat as I would like, but I can usually find a gelato or candy bar somewhere after dinner. With Jurgen as our tour guide again this year, I'm hoping he'll take us to the same restaurants we visited last summer.

Day Seven - We transfer to Sorrento. It looks like only one night at Panorama Palace Hotel. Maybe we will take a boat ride over to Capri or just tour around the coastline near Naples.

Day Eight - In the morning we will visit Pompeii. What I remember most about my previous visit was how stinkin' hot it was. I do find this era of Italian (Roman) history very interesting and I am anticipating this as one of the highlights of the trip. I just hope I don't suffer heatstroke. I am not a fan of hot weather. Deciding to visit Italy and Greece in June/July will not be one of the brightest moves I've ever made.
After Pompeii we will travel to Brindisi for our ferry over to Greece. It looks like a 4 hour bus ride so we probably won't have too much time in Pompeii. I only hope the bus a/c works.

Day Nine - We spend the night on the ferry. Hope I get some sleep, meaning I hope we get some privacy. We will arrive in the port of Igoumenitsa, Greece. Then we go on to the Meteora Region. Having never been to Greece I have no idea what to expect so this should be fun. We'll stay at the Hotel Famissa in Kalambaka. Since they don't have a website and I couldn't find any reviews on Tripadvisor.com, I'm not sure what to expect.

Day Ten - We will tour the Meteora region with a local guide. Supposedly we'll see interesting architecture and art. That night we will stay in Delphi at Hotel ParnossosHotel Esperia in Tolo. This is somewhere along the coast.

Day Twelve - Another bus ride this time to Athens. We will visit the amphitheater in Epidaurus and the Corinth Canal along the way. We will spend two nights in Athens at the Oscar Hotel.

Day Thirteen - We'll spend the day in Athens taking a bus tour and a walking tour. No doubt a museum or two. I'll be looking forward to the food - I love Souvlaki and Gyros.

Day Fourteen - We will leave Athens for a three day cruise to Mykonos, Rhodes and Kusadasi in Turkey. It looks like the cruise line, Louis Cruises lines, runs some pretty modern, big ships. I've never been on a cruise before nor have I ever had any desire to do so so this should be interesting. There's only so much I can eat and drink. I am not one to lie around getting a suntan on deck. The "entertainment" on board doesn't sound entertaining in my book. I picture myself being very, very bored. The shore excursions sound wonderful but there's a lot of time spent at sea. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Day Seventeen - We will fly back from Athens to JFK on Delta once again.

Be ready for another looooooooong trip report.

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Comments

[Sheila]

Romantische Strasse
What a great tour journal! I grew up in Germany, attended highschool in Wurzburg, and took my daughter to most of these places a few years ago...we could have used your expertise for places to stay, eat, etc. We travel by the seat of our pants, so to speak...making no prior arrangements...I like it that way, but a little pre-knowledge could really smooth out the edges...good job!