Absolutely Ruth!! I think we're just in the "oh my gosh wouldn't it be fun if a bunch of us met in Venice" (or wherever but it seems like Venice is a good possibility).

LOTS of 50th's to celebrate in the fall of 2010

Start saving your €uro's!

Mindy

quote:

Start saving your €uro's!

By then the pendulum will have swung the other way....right? (Well, if George and Johnny are coming, why can't that happen too?)

I just had a vision of a garden party at the Residenzia Il Carmine, but would be more than happy in Venice, too.

Quick search turned up Villa Gabrielle on the Lido--it has 5 apartments, each sleeping btwn 2 and 6; Giudecca Mare a "luxury waterfront" complex looking over the lagoon (nice terraces!). Or out further afield in the Veneto?

Trish i couldn't get the Villa Gabrielle link to work.

It all sounds wonderful!!! I simply CANNOT wait

Hmmm, I can't either, Kendall. Nor can I find that page at all any more. Here's a Venere page for it. The place I found it first didn't mention it was a B&B.

If there are enough of us, perhaps we can take over Venice's Palazzetto da Schio....the individaul apartments have all received great reviews on Slow Travel over the years. I've always been very intrigued by the place, and like the Dorsoduro very much.

http://www.palazzettodaschio.it/rentsuk.html

On the other hand, my friend Jim (correction: my extremely good friend Jim) bought an apartment in Florence last year near San Lorenzo and has kindly offered it to me whenever I'm in Florence (except, of course, during my visit there this fall because he's having the kitchen redone at the same time I'll be there. Just my luck!)

So, if we have our GTG in Florence, I (and perhaps a lucky friend or two) would have a cozy place to crash!

It is fun to think about this GTG!

Sandra

quote:

On the other hand, my friend Jim (correction: my extremely good friend Jim)

Hubba hubba A man with an apt. in Florence? Keep him!!

the Venice Palazzo looks fabulous. I'm book marking it!

It is fun to think about!

Mindy

quote:

If there are enough of us, perhaps we can take over Venice's Palazzetto da Schio....the individaul apartments have all received great reviews on Slow Travel over the years. I've always been very intrigued by the place, and like the Dorsoduro very much.

Perfetto! So let's do a week at the Carmine (plus Sandra at her exceptionally good friend's place) in Florence AND a week at the Palazzetto da Schio in Venice.

That would erase any shred of dread over the looming five-o.
I'll start buying Lottery tickets this week.

And speaking of aging, a day or 2 after Gary turned 60 we were in the local grocery on a Wednesday and I noticed a discrete sign next to the register saying that seniors 60 or over were entitled to a 5% discount on Wednesdays. I poked Gary and told him to go for it. He fussed a bit but money is money so he dutifully mumbled his request for the discount to the cashier, who was probably about 19 years old. She replied, "Oh, I already gave you that discount, sir." The look on his face--completely crestfallen.

Trish, I like the sound of that plan!!

But poor Gary -- having someone simply assume he was eligible for the discount would be very disconcerting!

Mindy, Jim is real gem (and single again, if you don't count the cats!!) -- if we hadn't been friends and colleagues for so long, I'd have been all over him.

Maybe I should invite him to the GTG, we're the same age so he might be in the need of a celebration, too.......

Ciao,
Sandra

quote:

But poor Gary -- having someone simply assume he was eligible for the discount would be very disconcerting!

It bloody well is. I remember last summer when I was offered the senior's discout when I got my hair cut. I am 44!!!!!!

quote:

I remember last summer when I was offered the senior's discout when I got my hair cut. I am 44!!!!!!

Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, just TAKE the money! Just think at 44 you are going to get years of discounts before you actually should!

What IS this thing with the discount for seniors, anyway? I owned a hair salon for years, and thought I was doing a very good thing by offering a 10% discount for seniors on services and products. I had more flak from clients over that than I did when I made my salon a non-smoking environment!
I love my senior's discount at the drugstore in town, and anywhere else I can get it. Eurostar, for example, starts the discount at 60, and I enjoyed a reduced ticket price this summer because of it. I love it totally! Is it the thought that people think you look older than you really are, or that we actually look our age if we are over 60? I'm confused!

Boy, we digress on this topic, don't we?

Back to Venice accommodations...I would kill to stay in Ruth's apartment, with the gorgeous window overlooking the canal.

“Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.” ~ Truman Capote
Brenda

I hope they gave you the discount even when corrected, Jerry. In Gary's case I had to kid him a little, but he felt better when I pointed out that she was probably just reacting to how distinguished he was looking that day.

I think it's the word "senior" that stings, next to "discount" which casts a little linguistic shadow next to that sting as well. Nevertheless I'm with Brenda--take it!--which is why now we make groceries on Wednesdays. Perhaps it could be renamed Maturity Concession.

Maybe we could get Maturity Concessions in Venice?
(I'm trying to get back on topic, really).

How about the San Lorenzo Apartmentsin Florence? They have a good review on Slow Trav. They are also an agency favorite.

Just a thought

Leslie

Hi

I have not posted for a while but Venice is my favourite place in the world, and both I and David are 50 in 2010,so can we come too?

Hi poet! It would be great if you and your husband joined us -- and if, indeed, we can really pull this off!!

Doesn't the idea of a multi-party-birthday-bash in such (a) beautiful spot(s) make the thought of turning 50 so much more palatable?

Cheers,
Sandra

http://www.ourflatsinvenice.co.uk/ these look nice too. Has any particular date been suggested?

Hey! Thanks to SandraC for giving me a head's up about this!

I turn 50 in December 2009 (only a year and a half away...yikes) so perhaps I should spend all of 2010 celebrating. Love the idea of a GTG in Italy! I'll keep an eye on this thread.

I went to Venice in October 2003 and it was a wonderful time to go. The weather was perfect...not cold at all but not hot either. It only rained one night, and while there were plenty of other tourists there, it wasn't mobbed. It was a great trip.

quote:

Doesn't the idea of a multi-party-birthday-bash in such (a) beautiful spot(s) make the thought of turning 50 so much more palatable?

Is that what it takes to turn 50?
Great!
That means that I get to turn back my birthday clock about 11 years!
50 again?
I LOOOOOVVVVEEEEE you!
Thanks so much for telling me this!

...and y'all know how much I h-a-t-e that damned dancing chicken, so it'll tell ya how much I love the idea of being 50 all over again.

"When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not." ~ Mark Twain
Brenda

Wow....amazing how excited I can get about a trip 2 years away!! I am IN!!

Just have to have real dates by Nov 2009 so I can snag those FF tickets as soon as they open up the flights!!

I was just complaining the other day that I haven't been to Venice in 2 years....then I realized I really shouldn't be complaining about that Not sure if I can hold out for two more years though...might have to swing a trip in before then!

I'll be solo too, so am up for sharing.

I won't be 50, but I'll pretend if that's a requirement I'll even cook....put the lessons I learned at cooking school this year in Florence to work!!

Anne

Awsome Anne! I had thought you dropped off the face of the earth. I will so be looking forward to seeing you again, but I hope I don't have to wait for the Italy trip to do so.

I'm actively pursuing per diem work once or twice a month so I can start saving for this fabulous trip! Every extra $$$ goes directly into my Italy 2010 fund!

Whoo hoo, it's going to be such fun. Anne, I'm sure that by Nov. 2009 we'll have come up with dates so you can purchase your FF miles! Excellent!

Mindy