Viva Italia - May 1st - May 10th (Adults Only)

[Diskidatheart]

Well I was finally able to finish posting my trip report on a website as well as loading all of my pictures on the website as well (I still have some labeling to do for the pictures). I hope you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed preparing it.

Please note that I didn't hide anything, so there may be some mentioning of Disney surprises in the newsletter (aka trip report). I don't think it is anything earth shattering, but if you really don't want to know a couple of the special Disney things that they do, you may not want to read it.

Here is the link:

http://web.me.com/sedlacko/Public_posting_of_Italy/Welcome.html

 

[helenk]

I just read your report and looked at your pictures!!! It all looks and sounds so wonderful, I am beside myself.
I was glad to see that your group made the trip to Pisa, I would love to be able to do that. Last night while I was reading my guide book I made a note to try and see about getting there.
If you don't mind my asking, what was the cost?

 

[Diskidatheart]

I just read your report and looked at your pictures!!! It all looks and sounds so wonderful, I am beside myself.
I was glad to see that your group made the trip to Pisa, I would love to be able to do that. Last night while I was reading my guide book I made a note to try and see about getting there.
If you don't mind my asking, what was the cost?

I'm glad you enjoyed the report and pictures.

There were 21 of us that went on the trip to Pisa. The hotel found a bus company that would take us and it cost around 25 Euros per person. There's not much to see there except the Leaning Tower, The Duomo, and the Batista, but it was so much fun taking the goofy pictures and the other options for the day were to go to a winery or sit around the resort. We came to far from home to sit around and I've seen a winery before. The options may be a little different for a non-adults only trip though.

 

[Tabetha]

Wonderful photos and newsletter! You made me 'homesick' for Italy (spent the summer working on a cruise ship last year, and hitting most of the places you went on a weekly basis).

If you're ever back in Pisa, there's a great bakery called Il Forno Vecchio. They do wonderful baked goods using medieval recipes - outstanding!!

 

[glassslipper2004]

Thanks for posting the pics - brings back lots of wonderful memories.

You have me wondering, though, if your Marco is the same person as the Marco that was on our trip - he looks different. Our two guides were Marco and Heidi, so I assumed the same ones were together again! I will try to post a pic of our Marco, but I haven't done that before so I'm not quite sure how.

 

[LTFrench]

Hey, J!
My email is not letting me send, but receives just fine... Not sure what my issue is, but wanted to say how awesome your newsletter scrapbook turned out! I rushed home to see if we had that program on another computer, saw it, got excited, clicked on it, and read that they wanted me to actually *buy* it, LOL! Which I will be doing. Soon.
Great documenting with photos you have done! Love it all! Now, I can get back to labeling my pics, now that I have a *cheat sheet*!!! Thanks!

 

[Diskidatheart]

Hey, J!
My email is not letting me send, but receives just fine... Not sure what my issue is, but wanted to say how awesome your newsletter scrapbook turned out! I rushed home to see if we had that program on another computer, saw it, got excited, clicked on it, and read that they wanted me to actually *buy* it, LOL! Which I will be doing. Soon.
Great documenting with photos you have done! Love it all! Now, I can get back to labeling my pics, now that I have a *cheat sheet*!!! Thanks!

You are too funny...if you look at some of the descriptions, you may find they look oddly familiar . I hope you don't mind, but I took some of your comments and used them because I had no idea what they were. We also have a book on Rome, so we may be doing some research to find out what some other items are called, so I will be updating some descriptions as time goes on.

 

[LTFrench]

You are too funny...if you look at some of the descriptions, you may find they look oddly familiar . I hope you don't mind, but I took some of your comments and used them because I had no idea what they were. We also have a book on Rome, so we may be doing some research to find out what some other items are called, so I will be updating some descriptions as time goes on.

Ahh, so now you're saying you are waiting on me to add more photos and descriptions???
Yeah, I have *da book*, too and Google. If I still had my mind, it wouldn't take nearly as long though........

 

[Bronxboy52]

Awesome job!! The only negative thing is that looking at your photos and reading the narrative makes me realize how much i miss being in Italy and how much fun it was. I am still relatively calm and relaxed, even after a full week of work. Usually I lose the post-vacation high in a day. This clearly was the best vacation we ever took (even surpassing Hawaii). BTW, I must have missed your photos of the bidets, since they, obviously made a huge impression on some of our tour members!!

 

[WeLoveABD]

or not? We went in 2007--Marco was tall, thin, young...I don't think this is the same Marco after all! (I did see him in the Northern Italy/Lake Cumo trip photos that were featured in the D23 magazine, though). Definately Heidi though--one of the best guides ever!

We did not go to Pisa--nice addition to the trip. Was there time to go up to the top of the tower?

 

[Diskidatheart]

or not? We went in 2007--Marco was tall, thin, young...I don't think this is the same Marco after all! (I did see him in the Northern Italy/Lake Cumo trip photos that were featured in the D23 magazine, though). Definately Heidi though--one of the best guides ever!

We did not go to Pisa--nice addition to the trip. Was there time to go up to the top of the tower?

I think Marco is a pretty common name in Italy, so it doesn't surprise me that it's not the same one. I'm sure both Marco's were wonderful (I know ours was), and yes, Heidi is the best! We did not have time to go to the top of the tower as it took a little longer to get to Pisa than anticipated. For the 25-30 Euros per person that this trip costs, it was definitely worth it!

 

[hushupu]

Wonderful report. This is the first ABD report I have read and it has peaked my curiosity. This could be a wonderful way to vacation.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Wonderful report. This is the first ABD report I have read and it has peaked my curiosity. This could be a wonderful way to vacation.

Thanks hushupu, I'm glad you enjoyed my trip report. It really was a wonderful vacation. One thing that I realize now after reflecting back on the trip...it was a very relaxing vacation even though you were on the run quite a bit. Kudos to ABD for accomplishing that one.

Anytime I go to WDW, I feel like I need a vacation after returning home because of all the planning, walking, dragging of suitcases, etc., but not on this trip. The guides do everything and you just enjoy everything!

 

[Toby]

I took this exact same trip two years ago - 5/08, and your photos brought it all back for me....makes me want to dig out my photo album and look again...I would go on that trip again in an instant....Thank you for bringing me back to Viva Italia!!

 

[tigger_ttfn]

Great newsletter! Thanks for sharing. We leave in 25 days and this got me sooooo excited

 

[Diskidatheart]

Great newsletter! Thanks for sharing. We leave in 25 days and this got me sooooo excited

Thanks tigger_ttfn, I'm glad you enjoyed the newsletter. It really is a great trip and you're going to love it! If I had a nickel for everyone that I told they should go on this trip, I might be able to go on it again.

I took this exact same trip two years ago - 5/08, and your photos brought it all back for me....makes me want to dig out my photo album and look again...I would go on that trip again in an instant....Thank you for bringing me back to Viva Italia!!

I haven't stopped looking at our pictures since we got back 2 1/2 weeks ago. I'm wondering how long this will last.

 

[chanibustie]

diskid, the link seems to have expired. Got your report saved anywhere else? We are doing VivaItalia on June 30 this year!

Thanks

kim