May 12, 2007
Italy in my dreams
Some friends of mine just got back from Italy and they were raving about their trip. I must confess that I have never really thought about going to Italy, but hearing about their adventures really changed my mind.
They toured vineyards and saw some of the old country. They had suntans and smiles on their faces. Their pictures were out of this world, like something you see in a magazine. I have wanted to go to England, Ireland and Australia, but now I'm adding Italy to my list.
They said it was fairly easy to find a translator to spend a lot of time with them. And many people could speak some English, but I am still going to try to learn some basic Italian. I think that really shows that you made an effort and that you don't just expect everyone to speak English. Americans already have a bad enough reputation as it is...
So now I'm trying to figure out when I can make this trip. I think I'll get some new brochures and check out the charter trips to wine country.
Posted by Idea Man at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)
January 21, 2007
Next Stop, Florida
We will be going to Naples, Florida next month to visit my brother. This will be a nice break from the winter cold. My brother has a great home with a pool on a canal near the ocean. He has been retired for about 20 years now and has lived my dream of travel.
He jumped into the Florida real estate boom about six years ago buying canal lots for about $20K each and has been reselling a few lots each year for $80K+ each. This has provided him more cash then ever to fund his travel.
His life of leisure often makes me envious – here is an email I just got from him:
Back from trip. Came back six days early as we did it all and nothing more to do. Just more of same. Nice hotel, nice beach, expensive food, weather not too good, towns suck, other beaches suck.
No more beach vacations for me as we already have it all here. Only summer tours with OAT, winter tours in warm place, or maybe a cruise once in a while as they are cheap for what you get especially if you live in Florida.
I wish I had it so rough…
Posted by Idea Man at 12:09 PM | Comments (0)