Now that I'm back from Italy, I am looking forward to my next trip! I'm looking at Venice, Oct.9-16th 2010.
then, perhaps Florence.... I hope I can take 3 weeks next Fall (fingers crossed).

Pokey

Ciao tutti,

I just went through the 4 pages for this thread and on page 2 were dates. I am wondering, are they still the dates planned - with the cities and what is the latest head count?

Just wondering? I am still thinking we will plan to be in Venice, though the third city has not been posted - as far as I could make out.

Ah, bella Italia

So Pokey are you thinking Venice first Oct. 9th-16th with Florence the following week of 2010?

"yes, my deerah" (think Marcello) Florence after Venice

Grazie mille

Can't wait!! Came to this thread to get the dates, so that as soon as "this trip" is finished, I can start planning the "next trip". Can't believe I leave for Italy in less than two weeks!! First a week at the villa that Mary & Tom won in Savannah, then 10 days in Rome.

Then....mark the calendar to get the FF tickets for Oct 2010!!

Just excited, don't want to work, so taking an ST break at lunch!!

Anne

Anne,

I know, it's exciting to think about another vacation!!

funny too, I just posted on the Italy forum, asking RomeAddict if the place in Rome she supposedly is having issues with the landlord, if that was her Savannah prize. I see now that she gave it to you. Lucky!! You'll have to post photos.

Enjoy the countdown until you leave for Italy.

Mindy

Just bumping this closer to the top

Getting really excited, reviewed this day tour again, looks fantastic!

http://www.tours-italy.com/ven..._towns_of_veneto.htm

I'm glad your priorities are in the right order Jen. My doctor told me to drink a lot of fluids. Well, not really, but thats my story anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by Pokey:
Anne,

I know, it's exciting to think about another vacation!!

funny too, I just posted on the Italy forum, asking RomeAddict if the place in Rome she supposedly is having issues with the landlord, if that was her Savannah prize. I see now that she gave it to you. Lucky!! You'll have to post photos.

Enjoy the countdown until you leave for Italy.

Mindy

Mindy, no, the apt wasn't the prize. Mary and Tom invited me to join them in the villa in Agropoli...it was WONDERFUL! Just got back yesterday, so no pics yet. Then we took the same apt they had for 10 days in Rome, and other friends of mine are leaving for Rome Sunday, staying in the same apt. Kind of fun...we used things Mary & Tom left for us, and we left stuff for our friends. Much better than tossing them out since there was NO room in the suitcases!

Ready for Venice 2010! Can't believe it will be 4 1/2 years between trips to Venice...didn't think I could stay away that long!

Anne

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MoJen:
Getting really excited, reviewed this day tour again, looks fantastic!

I agree this tour is a must do Jen. After reading this post from Sandra's blog from her recent trip to Italy, I am now thinking that a day trip to Padova from Venice to see these Giotto frescoes is also going to be high on my list.

So basically I fell off the face of the earth for a few months and haven't been visiting ST at all. I had this moment of panic today in thinking "oh my gosh - what have I been missing in the planning of the big GTG?!?"

Silly me, I am so out of it I thought it was happening THIS October. Whew!

Hello Stranger (Krix), where have you been? I hope all is well and everything else is behind you.

Are you aware of the March '10 "big" GTG in San Diego?

I hope you can make it, it would be nice to see you again. W.

Hi Wendy - I'm catching up on all the GTG threads. I just found out about the upcoming Bay Area picnic in a couple of weeks, yay!

I'm checking the calendar for March in San Diego. Don't know yet but it'd be a great excuse to get out of town and would be great to see you again and meet others. Will let you know!

Krix, are you going to come to the picnic? Cool. See you then.

Hi, everyone!

With all of the talk about upcoming GTG's...St. Louis and San Diego, it is really, REALLY getting me gunned up about Italy 2010. Looking forward to a memorable vacation

Ciao-

Jen

Is it time to start planning?

Never too early, I say.

quote:

Originally posted by kendall:
Is it time to start planning?

Yep!!!!!! Have my calendar marked to get my FF tickets!!

Never too early to start planning! Although my vacation time hasn't yet been approved, I'm already looking at possible apartments in Venice, most likely arriving either Sat. Oct. 9th or Sunday the 10th....staying until Sat. Oct. 16th when I would most likely then head down to Florence. My yearly review is coming up at work so I plan to ask then for 3 weeks off....guess it depends on how "stellar" my review is

Mindy

I may be lucky to get a tad more than one week off...2 weeks would be phenomenal but not expected...so I may have to choose one city over another! How to do THAT?? Or, maybe I could come late to one/leave early from another, or some such.

Vicky-

We will be spending 2 weeks, with fingers crossed for a few additional days! This will certainly be a trip to remember!

Jen

Just to be sure before I get too emotionally invested here: would I still be welcome if I can't do the whole 2 weeks?

Vicky, of course!!!!!!! I imagine people will be arriving and departing at all different times, some staying 1 week in Venice, some 2 or 3 days. Same with Florence, so absolutely Heck, I don't even have the time off approved from work It's just so much fun to think about

Mindy

Since my husband is joining me now on this trip, we are planning 6 nights in Venice, 6 nights in Florence and 3 nights in Rome. I also have my calendar marked for FF miles!

I think it is time for those of us going on this trip to start getting amped up about it.

quote:

start getting amped up about it.

Consider me amped.

Mindy

Mindy, where are you in your planning stage? What special things have you planned other than the prosecco tour?

Having fun looking at possible apartments to rent in Venice. Other than prosecco tour, no plans...just getting lost in Venice!

Mindy

Getting lost in Venice details is a good thing Mindy! Enjoy

Sorry I won't be joining all of you. Timing just did not work out. However, I am taking advantage of opportunity to travel to Italia in May/June 2010 with my family and am so looking forward to that.

All the best,

Leslie

I'm sorry you won't be joining us. You will be sorely missed!

Let's get this party started! Leslie, I will really miss having you there!

Well, since Leslie will not be going I am going to need a roomie. Anybody crazy, strange, weird enough?


PS Just kidding!
(maybe)

quote:

Originally posted by kendall:
Well, since Leslie will not be going I am going to need a roomie. Anybody crazy, strange, weird enough? PS Just kidding!(maybe)

Hmmm, not sure how I should take this Kendall However, I don't think I am the only crazy one in the bunch and I am sure you can find another adventurer in the ST community.

Take good care all.

Have a great weekend!!

Leslie

You know I love you Leslie! I am talking about myself! You know I'm not right in the head!

Hello all of my travel friends, checking the Venice and Florence weather today...a very pleasant 66 and 72 degrees, should make for a lovely October visit!!! Turning 50 never sounded so exciting!

Kendall, I may have met your roomate criteria but my husband has decided to come with me on this trip. I'm sure there will be others looking for roomies though. Pretty soon it will only be a year away!!

quote:

Originally posted by kendall:
You know I love you Leslie! I am talking about myself! You know I'm not right in the head!

Ofcourse, I do Kendall I was just giving you a hard time

Seriously, you will fall in love with Italia and I am so happy you will be able to go and be with such great company.

Leslie

quote:

Originally posted by kendall:
Well, since Leslie will not be going I am going to need a roomie. Anybody crazy, strange, weird enough?
PS Just kidding!
(maybe)

Hi Kendall-

I've been thinking about this GTG in Venice/Florence for awhile and since the time is getting nearer (oh yeah, one year away is "near" ), even though I would be a newbie to the group, I'd like to join you all to celebrate Jen's special birthday next year. Jen was so nice in her comments when I posted on the Great ST March 2010 San Diego thread (can't wait to meet so many of you there) and looking at everyone's post here, the thought of an informal GTG in Italy is too hard to resist, especially since I was planning on visiting Italy some time next year any way. No one on my end is available for this particular trip, so I would definitely be open to roommate options, and if you're interested, please feel free to PM me and we can see if our levels of "craziness" are simpatico .

Michele

Pssst. Hey. Buddy, wanna know a secret?

I'm going to Italy!
I'm up on Venice and Florence. When I get there I'm going to drink some and make a of myself, and in the meantime I'll try and learn some Italian!

yeah....it's finally October, so now, our trip is only a year away!! I have my "Italy" day at a time calendar...today's pic is of Rome, but yesterday's was the Rialto bridge!

I'm up for roomies...not sure if any of my usual travel friends can go this trip, so Kendall, I'll be looking to share (esp now that you've joined the non-smoking ranks!).

I might have a free week that can be used for housing in one of those locations...I'm working on that (supposed to have a free week based on a stupid timeshare presentation I sat through...let's see if they come through!)

Ok...now back to work to earn the $$ to go!

Anne

quote:

Originally posted by Anneo123:
I'm up for roomies...not sure if any of my usual travel friends can go this trip, so Kendall, I'll be looking to share (esp now that you've joined the non-smoking ranks!).

Ciao Anne -
Kendall and I have been PM'ing re possibly sharing a room, with three, maybe we could get a villa Anyway, nothing is definite yet and as time goes on others might have suggestions or you and Kendall might be more compatible but if you want to send me a PM, maybe the three of us can start talking. Glad you mentioned being a non-smoker, Kendall, I forgot to mention a non-smoker is probably one of the few definite must be's for me.

Michele

Well, it's a good thing I quit then! Rooming with you and Anne works for me. She and I met at the big GTG in Savannah.

quote:

Originally posted by kendall:
Well, it's a good thing I quit then! Rooming with you and Anne works for me. She and I met at the big GTG in Savannah.

Sounds good to me (and if Anne can get a timeshare for one of the weeks, even better ); one of my friends I like to travel with has been to Italy many times but has never been able to exchange her timeshare for anything there, we've done New Orleans, Flagstaff and she is doing Spain right now, but Italy apparently is so popular nothing is ever available

Now that it’s October and this GTG is really only a year away, I thought I would try to get my fellow STers “amped” as Kendall asked by showing you the apartment I have reserved for the Venice portion of the trip and listing a couple of other sites/apartments that were contenders. I don’t need luxury in my rentals but I did want AC in case mosquitoes were rampant in October. I would have liked a washing machine but the charm, price and good ST reviews were too good to pass up on the Tiepolo apartment. The Valier apartment next door that is a little bigger is also available for the same price (I think) of 110E per night plus a 30 E cleaning fee. http://www.cortetiepolo.com/eng/appart.php

Daniela of truly-venice was very attentive to my emails and has some beautiful (though more expensive) apartments for rent. I also liked the viewssonvenice site for their selections. Happy hunting!

Here was my second choice
This one is fab!

Also a contender

I guess we need to break this down in order to organize, right?

First off, accommodations. Colleen, it appears you've already made yours. And Kendall, Michele and Annie have expressed an interest in roomie-matching.

So I'm thinking...those STers who have experience in organizing these big GTGs might chime in: how best to start this effort? A list of people who need roommates (add me to the list), with price ranges? Should we create a deadline? Then, when the accommodations/sharing situation is set, we can move on to other diversions of this trip.

Or am I off-base here? I've never been involved with a large traveling group before, at least in the planning stages. I'd be happy to help organize whatever I can, since that makes me more committed

Vicky

I'll be willing to take the lead on accomodations (info sharing; roomie matching, etc .). I have a pretty good list of Venice apts from other research. Obviously, booking is up to the individuals.

Sounds like some others have great ideas for activities, so they could take the lead on those.

Anne

Anne, that would be fabulous if you would share your apartment list!