I am a retired fire chief and my wife and I travel
extensively all over the world. We have been to
Europe several times, including a month in Italy in 2006; fantastic, I'd love to go back. We spent a month in Australia and New Zealand this last June. We always travel independently and as frugally as possible. We have started house sitting for some people needing their house or pet looked after during their trips. We are going to China next spring. I enjoy reading the posts, and am always planning another trip.

Hello vrh and welcome to Slow Travel. I spent five weeks in Italy in 2006, I wonder if we saw some of the same places?

Where did you go in Australia and what did you do?

Hi Leslie, we may have done some of the same things in Italy. We started in southern Italy and worked our way north. 4 days based in Sorrento (Pompei, Capri, Amalfi Coast, etc.). Then a train north to Rome (stayed in an apartment for a week in Trastevere; I loved Roma). We spent 4 days in the Siena area; stayed at a 17th C. farmhouse a few kilometers outside of Siena; it was the best part of the trip. A few days in Florence, then another train and a few days in Venice completed the Italian trip. I have been studying the language, but to say that I was pathetic with my Italian is an understatement. Australia: spent several days with friends in the Gold Coast; then a rental car for a drive down to Sydney (Byron Bay, Coffs Harbor, Hunter Valley, Blue Mountains). 5 days in Sydney, then a flight to Melbourne for several days. We got caught in the biggest floods in 50 years on the drive down to Sydney. I loved the country and the people.

My goodness, we have been to a lot of the same places.

And you sure picked some great locations in Australia. Shame about getting caught up in floods though - yikes!

China sounds interesting. The Slow Travel book club did a book on China this year. It will be a very different trip for you. I bet you'll both have a great time.

Hello and welcome!

Hello Norman OK. I spent 2 weeks at the USPS training center there 18 months ago. I actually did a trip report. Check out An Accidental Tourist in Oklahoma under the trip reports.

Rome Addict, actually I live about 4 miles east
of the Postal Training Center that you went to.
Did you like your stay in Norman? You get a real flavor of a quintessential college town at an OU
football game.

FriendofFiesole, thanks for the reply. I enjoyed looking at your website from Maine. We had a chance to house-sit for a couple in Maine but the dates didn't work out.