October 8, 2013

Well this blog looks like it might still be working, several people have asked if we will be posting to the blog so here begins our next European vacation!

We are in Italy until October 29 with Lary and Linda Fisher along with Lary's sister Marla. The trip started at 2 AM Sunday morning from Topeka, KS where we visited with Debbie's family for her mothers birthday.  Original flight was to be from Kansas City at 7AM however flight was changed to 6 AM then upon arrival switched to 6:30 AM.  An auspicious start to the vacation and a harbinger of things to come.  Arrived in Houston in plenty of time to get on our noon flight to Washington, DC...... until it was delayed until 1:30....arrived in DC with about 10 minutes to our next flight leg to Brussels.  They did hold the flight for us and is was a helluva hike from gate 2 where we arrived to gate 39 for our departure.  I was lucky they didn't have to give me oxygen after that hike.

Arrived in Brussels 7 AM local time hung out in the Brussels Airline lounge until our first on time departure of the trip.  ALRIGHT things are looking up right?  Naaaaah ......

After circling the Florence airport for 1/2 hour the pilot announces that the plane is being diverted to Pisa as the weather is forcing the closure of the Florence airport. We land and announced that hey... were not in Florence but we are close averiderci!  

What truly amazed me about the trip was that our bags were actually there when we landed in Pisa.  There was to be a bus arranged for us but when I didn't notice anyone really talking to us in the arrivals area I saw that there was a shuttle to downtown Florence for 6 euros each and that it was leaving immediately.

I purchased the tickets and we within 3/4 of a mile from where the bus dropped us of, grabbed a taxi to the hotel and in the room by 3:30 PM Italian time.  We are at The Hermitage near the Ponte Vecchio, great little hotel.

So thirty hours later we arrived at our hotel... easy peasy right? We are at The Hermitage near the Ponte Vecchio great little hotel. I went (as usual) for a nap while the rest of the troupe took off to a wine bar where Deb had her first glass of prosecco at Le Volpi e L'uva  www.levolpieluva.com Deb stated it was the best Caprese salad she ever tasted and I am sure it won't be her last prosecco either :)

Went to eat last night at a great place Toscanella Osteria fantastic meal and it turns out it was the building where Christoper Columbus received his maps for his first trip the Americas. Check out their website at www.toscanellaosteria.com

This morning we decided not to do the regular tours but for Deb and I just to walk around the city met people from Wyoming, Vancouver and as we got on to the elevator in our hotel from League City, TX.

You know me no one I have never met a stranger.

Well we have until Friday here in Florence. Sue from our Edmonton Alberta office is in Rome with friends of hers and is meeting us here for the day tomorrow should be a great time.

Will update everyone later.

Ciao,
D&D