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My Italian FamilyBy Madelyn Miller, the TravelLadyI am not Italian. None of my relatives have ever lived in Italy. But when I joined a group of travelers for 17 days in Italy, I had an instant Italian family. We bonded over food, wine and funny situations that only make you laugh if you share them.
On average, most of the travelers had done at least one GoAhead trip. I was a GoAhead virgin (is that an oxymoron?) although I had almost done this trip a few months ago http://www.travellady.com/Issues/August04/902TheTrip.htm What I ExpectedBecause of the length of the trip, I thought there would be lots of older, retired people who would need some help getting around. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This was a very active trip, and I have to admit to being one of the stragglers. The average age of our group was less than 50. spanning from 20 to a little past 70. So how did these lucky people get so much vacation time? We had two students who were not even 21 (they loved the drinking age in Europe and met two handsome young Italian men the very first day). A family of three from Ohio all worked in a hospital and had been there long enough to have earned longer vacations. A business owner and his wife from West Virginia found that their company had a record month while they were away—so they are already planning their next GoAhead Vacation. A dentist and his wife had finally gotten their kids out of college and could travel. And we did have a retired couple from Wyoming. Five divorced or widowed women made up the rest of the tour. What I Liked Best
When I missed a wakeup call, everyone shared their snacks
of breakfast bars. Offers of shawls, hats, sun-tan lotion and band aids were
always made when needed. When one man accidentally erased all his photos on a
digital camera, everyone pledged to send him theirs. If we
Sometimes we were so exhausted we could hardly remember which church we had seen the day before, but we never forgot who liked red wine, or white wine, or hated vegetables, or wanted chocolate. We were a family after a few days and watched out for each other’s allergies or weaknesses. We slowed down for the less energetic walkers. We waited patiently for the last minute shoppers. We knew who had to always make bathroom stops. What I Liked Least
I know that I was the only one on the trip that felt this way. Everyone else felt pampered by having everything pre-selected and pre-arranged for us. GoAhead understands their market and caters to it meticulously. No wonder so many people travel with them again and again. What I Would Do Differently
As I mature as a traveler, I am learning that I prefer more time in fewer places. But when I read a brochure, I am so tempted to sign up to see it all. I can’t really make a recommendation here. I loved what I did—but wished I had more time for everything. But that is a reflection on how I live my life.
What I Wish I Had Known BeforeI did a pretty good job of packing light. But when you are only at each hotel for about 36 hours, you must wash things out the minute you arrive or they might not be dry when you get your next 6am wakeup call. I twice found myself packing bundles of wet clothes in my hand luggage, only to have it dry out at the next destination. I travel with synthetics, but nothing seemed to dry quickly in Italy. What I Wish I Had TakenI wish I had brought: My Best Souvenirs
Lemoncello from Sorrento.
My Favorite Places To Shop
I love markets. Here were a few I look forward to going
back to. And Coin Department Store will probably invite me back since I spent so much at so many of their stores. The Best Optional ExcursionsThe Tenors in Rome was a wonderful introduction to the city. Extremely talented singers perform numbers from top operas each night. The food was good, the pace lively, and the tenors were world-class.
In Sorrento, there was an evening in an old ruin with folkloric music and fabulous food. I would go back there just to dine –and that is an unusually high compliment for a dinner theatre. The performance was colorful and charming—but it was a late night after an early morning wakeup—and I almost found myself dozing. Am I becoming one of those old people I worried about traveling with?
How To Save Money On a Goahead VacationBooking ahead yields substantial savings. And signing up for all the optional trips as a package makes them very affordable. If you decide not to take an optional trip, or the excursion is cancelled, you get a credit for your next trip. Go Ahead Vacations offers travelers the opportunity to
experience the life-changing experience of travel. As a member of one the
world's largest tour companies offering over 175 itineraries and with over 100
affiliated offices in 40 countries around the globe, Go Ahead Vacations is the
leader in educationally-focused escorted sightseeing journeys, providing
outstanding service and quality holiday and tour packages to the savvy traveler
eager to experience “learning through discovery.” 1-888-GO-AHEAD (or 1-888-462-4323) Best Way To Get To ItalyUS’s seventh-largest airline, serving 181 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and the US Airways Express partner carriers operate approximately 3,400 flights per day. For more information on US Airways flight schedules and fares, visit US Airways online at WWW.USairways.com or call US Airways Reservations at 1-800-428-4322 Best Way to Get Around in ItalyRailEurope offers a Trenitalia Pass network which covers
16,000 km (10,000 miles) running daily through beautiful landscapes to connect
big cities and small towns, all famous for their art and history. The trains are
comfortable and quick and easy to navigate. I got to Turm directory from Venice
in about three hours, it took just a little longer to get from Turm to Milan. Great GuidebooksGelato more about Gelato from Travellady’s expert http://www.travellady.com/Issues/January05/1178Gelatos.htm GREAT SLEEPS ITALY GREAT EATS ITALY Italy: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE* Fodor’s see it Italy THE COMPLETE IDOIT’S GUIDE to ITALIAN HISTORY AND
CULTURE ITALY FODOR’S 04 ITALY Rick Steves Italy 2005 BERLITZ POCKET GUIDE ITALY Speak Like an ItalianTHE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO LEARNING ITALIAN THE POCKET IDIOT’S GUIDE to Italian Rick Steve’s ITALIAN PHRASEBOOK AND DICTIONARY BERLITZ Surviving in Italian BERLITZ Shopping in Italian Eat Like An ItalianLA DISPENSA DI FIE BERLITZ Eating and Drinking in Italian How to Pronounce French, German and Italian Wine Names LANGENSCHEIDT’S POCKET MENU READER ITALY EUROPE’S TOP RESTAURANTS 2004 Shop Like An ItalianSuzy Gershon’s Born to Shop Italy Cook Like An ItalianOrder your own set of The Best of Ciao Italia..in Umbria and The Best of Cias Italia..in Tuscany. You can enjoy four of Mary Ann’s favorite programs that capture the hearat and soul of Umbria, a delightful, unspoiled and undiscovered region of Italy known for taste-tempting food markets, glorious street festivals, aroma-filled kitchens, fine art, friendships and more. The sets include interactive menus and printable PDF recipes. THE BEST OF GOURMET MANGIAMO Let’s Eat! Taste Italian Food at HomeTry Sacla’s Classic Basil Pesto Sauce on your pasta at home. Robust bail leaves, fresh Grana Padano and Pecorino Romano cheese, ripened pine nuts, biting garlic and pure olive oil. Listen To Italian MusicItalian Café Music Most Socially Correct SouvenirOrphange Africa Love Beads Made in Ghana, all profits from this lovely necklace or
belt (if your waist is small enough) go to an African orphanage. Made from thin,
flexible tubes filled with colorful little beads, each piece of jewelry also has
three bells inside in accordance with some African superstituion. You can buy
this jewelry in any Missoni store or at Madelyn’s favorite Italian winesRosa Regale by Castello Banfi RomeRICK STEVE’S ROME 2004 SHOPPING IN ROME INSIGHT GUIDE INSTANT ROME ACCESS ROME INSIGHT FLEXIMAP ROME Wear your favorite city on a scarf! Tasaram's 100% silk Map
Scarves feature detailed street plans of London, Paris, Rome, New York, San
Francisco and Washington, D.C. with more cities coming soon. BERLITZ City Guidemap WHERE TO EAT L’Olimpo is a rooftop restaurant above Ber…….with a
fabulous view of Rome. Enjoy a wonderful panorama over the town from a very
central location Gui dal Ponte My best Roman buddy, artist and entrepreneur Barbara Reale,
is a frequent diner here and she shared this favorite with me. An award winning
international chef is running the inspired kitchen. Fresh fish that tastes like
it just jumped out of the water and exquisitely presented pastas are followed by
some of the best desserts I have had in Rome. Don’t miss the crispy sugar basket
filled with lemon cream and garnished with raspberries. Antica Trattoria Trilussa BEST MEAL DEAL IN ROME Doppiozeroo http://www.travellady.com/Issues/June05/1534BestMealDeal.htm WHERE TO SHOP MOST RELAXING WAY TO SEE ROME FROM TIBER BEST CHOCOLATE SHOP VALZANI MilanWHERE TO EAT IN MILAN I had dinner at La Verandah the first night I was in town and it certainly set the standard. Zucchini blossoms where in season, so I had the zucchini in blossom stuffed with ricotta cheese and mint. A feast for the eyes and the palate, this delicious dish is the only food dish pictured on the menu. Wise choice. I tasted my companion’s Zibello ham with spring salad and melon pearls and although it was delicious, the zucchini blossoms make my must-order-this-whenever-I-am-in-Milan list. Our next course was a whole-wheat “cannelloni” pasta with burrata fresh cheese and mozzarella, dried and fresh cherry tomatoes and arugola. I barely had room for the typical Veal cutlet, Milanese style. When I told the maitre d that my favorite Italian wine was Rosa Reglia from BAnfi Costello, he suggested a local wine from the “Po” River (70 miles from Milan) Cabanon Rose was a wonderful choice. L’OPERA in the Hotel de Ville is the place for a power
lunch when you are in the downtown financial district. The elegantly traditional
room serves classical Italian cuisine and I had my best risotto Milanese here.
Another standout dish is the smoked tuna with yogurt sauce and melon pearls, a
daily special on the afternoon I dined there. BEST ICE CREAM DESIGNING PALATES Just Cavalli Bozart Café MOST EROTIC RESTAURANT NAME BEST CHOCOLATE DESSERT BEST COFFEE SERVICE MOST EROTIC ROOM AMMENITY BEST CEMETERY MILAN VeniceWHERE TO EAT IN VENICE Osteria da Bacco. When in Italy, eat where the Italians
eat. I followed this maxim, (actually, I followed three handsome gondoliers) to
Osteria da Bacco. A friendly bar with wonderful sandwiches at bargain prices, it
was a great stop. They sell half sandwiches, so you can try more. I enjoyed a
fresh mushroom sandwich, a poscuitto and cheese sandwich and a grilled eggplant
and cheese with tomato on a rosemary foccacio. Including a bottle of water my
tab was less than 9 Euro, or about ten dollars. RICK STEVES’ VENICE 2005 BERLITZ Venice City GuideMap VENICE IN CONTEXT INSIGHT POCKET GUIDE VENICE INSIGHT GUIDE INSTANT VENICE FlorenceBERLITZ Florence City GuideMap MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES OF FLORENCE Rick Steve’s Florence and Tuscany 1004 INSIGHT FLEXIMAP FLORENCE INSIGHT MUSEUM MAP FLORENCE Tuscany and UmbriaWalking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria ITALIAN LAKES Knopf Mapguides Italian Literature To Get You In The MoodVENETIAN STORIES The thoroughly engaging characters who are the focus of these stories are from different backgrounds and various Venetian neighborhoods, but their lives—and the stories—overlap and intersect in surprising and playful ways. CASA ROSA A mesmerizing story of three generations of a twentieth-century Italian family who lived in a farmous in Puglia. JOHN PAUL II BEHIND LOCKED DOORS DANCES WITH LUIGI UNDER THE SOUTHERN SUN VENICE AGAINST THE SEA |
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People had chosen GoAhead Vacations “MAGIC OF ITALY” trip
to Venice, Milan, Rome, Assisi and Sorrento for various reasons. Most wanted a
vacation where everything was chosen for them and they could just relax and not
worry about a thing. Several of the group had traveled with GoAhead before.
Karen, who works with a travel agency, had done ten other trips with GoAhead and
actually had done this very same trip six years before. Talk about customer
loyalty.
I loved our group of travelers. Maybe it was the guide who
kept our spirits up through early wake-up calls, long bus rides, and accidents
on the road and etc. Since I am a very independent, happily divorced individual,
I wondered if I would really enjoy being with the same people for almost 50
meals. And since I travel about 200 nights a year, would I be in synch with
people on their special-but-only two week vacation? Would I be sympatico being
with people seeing Europe for the first time when I had been in Italy only six
months before? 
I wish I could find a dating service that matched up
members as well as this group jelled. After days of being together, there were
no personality conflicts and an amazing spirit of camaraderie. We were truly a
family.
were a kindergarten
class, we would get top marks for sharing. And we stuck together until we
graduated from the trip, weary but wiser, exhausted but exhilarated from the
experience.
I am paradoxical. I always seem to want something different
from other people. These energetic, high achieving travelers wanted total
relaxation while they absorbed everything. By that I mean they loved the fact
that the guide set every wakeup call, chose every meal, and made lots of
decisions for the group. They wanted to learn a lot, see a lot, but not have to
think about every little thing. That made sense given the hectic, somewhat
overachieving lifestyles of our group. Kim, who works in a hospital emergency
room, makes life and death decisions all day, every day. She really did not care
what she had for dinner, as long as someone else prepared it and presented it to
her on time.
I don’t take so long to get ready in the morning, so each
night I would over-ride the wakeup call for a later time. One of the joys of
eating out for me is choosing from a menu, so I was a tad frustrated eating the
same meal with the same people every night. Just ask my children how I enjoy
tasting everyone else’s meals. Not an option when everyone has the same thing.
The optional excursions and dinners offered by GoAhead in
each city were excellent. I was glad I choose each one. But I did not think it
through well enough. If I only had two days in Florence, did I really want to
spend one of them on an out-of-the-city excursion?
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I also loved the day trip to Perugia. We lucked out by
being there on a market day. There was a great guide to this interesting walled
city and then we had a wine lunch at an Enotech. The pasta dish there is one I
plan to try at home—fava beans, chopped tomatoes, and ricotta and
spinach-stuffed ravioli served cold with an olive oil dressing. Cool, refreshing
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