The suitcases are down from the attic, sweet Ward did all the laundry yesterday, and the packing piles have been started in the living room.
Ward visited Chase bank this week and changed dollars to euros (great rate of $1.28!).
I'm gearing up to print out all our essential information (tickets, hotel reservations, directions) and link to the rest here.
We're finding chargers, USB cables, adaptors and batteries.
The girls have finally asked to listen to the Italian language lessons.
But most importantly Gillian is REALLY trying Italian flavors. Marinara sauce, ehh. Alfredo sauce, yum. Amazingly, pesto, yum! I really think she's going to do OK.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
So close now...
The girls are done with school next Thursday and we are then one week away from departure!
Latest arrangements included confirming flights, solidifying hotels in Rome and arranging the rental car, which we are fortunate enough to be able to pick up right in our village. All told we are planning to have the car for six days. Excursions will include: Perugia (must tour the Baci factory!); Orvieto (the cathedral there has magnificent glass mosaics on the facade, the glass for which was made in the oven in our very own apartment! Also supposed to have a fabulous underground Etruscan city. And of course, tasting Orvieto Classico!); Deruta (tour majolica factories and hope to find tiles that we will be able to use in the kitchen); Lago Trasimeno; Montepulciano & Montalcino (wines, duh!). Sienna has been strongly recommended, but I'm afraid of the crowds. Likewise why we hope to get into Perugia before the start of Umbria Jazz on July 9th.
Colleen tells us there is a nice water park just near Piegaro. We will barter wine and olive oil tastings with a visit to the water park for the girls!
Ward discovered the Trasimeno Times, an English-language newsletter. While it's a little behind, I learned a lot by looking at last July's edition.
Our main plan is to explore, eat, drink and relax!
Latest arrangements included confirming flights, solidifying hotels in Rome and arranging the rental car, which we are fortunate enough to be able to pick up right in our village. All told we are planning to have the car for six days. Excursions will include: Perugia (must tour the Baci factory!); Orvieto (the cathedral there has magnificent glass mosaics on the facade, the glass for which was made in the oven in our very own apartment! Also supposed to have a fabulous underground Etruscan city. And of course, tasting Orvieto Classico!); Deruta (tour majolica factories and hope to find tiles that we will be able to use in the kitchen); Lago Trasimeno; Montepulciano & Montalcino (wines, duh!). Sienna has been strongly recommended, but I'm afraid of the crowds. Likewise why we hope to get into Perugia before the start of Umbria Jazz on July 9th.
Colleen tells us there is a nice water park just near Piegaro. We will barter wine and olive oil tastings with a visit to the water park for the girls!
Ward discovered the Trasimeno Times, an English-language newsletter. While it's a little behind, I learned a lot by looking at last July's edition.
Our main plan is to explore, eat, drink and relax!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Last weeks!
It's less than a month until we depart and everything is starting to seem real, after many months of dreaming.
Of course, none of us have practiced our Italian nearly as much as we wanted to or should have. I feel like I can recognize many words (mostly for food!) and my pronunciation of the written words isn't bad. I know it's the spoken language that we are going to have the most trouble with.
We've been watching the Euro drop with elation. Every penny difference is mentally allocated to what more we can buy! Today's rate is $1.22 to the Euro. When Ward's parents were there last spring it was $1.52.
The girls' passports arrived a couple of weeks ago. Such a huge difference from their first ones; I guess that's why they only do five years for the kids. As mine never did turn up I had to file lost/stolen and reapply. I am expecting it any day now.
Chores for this week have included calling the airline to request children's meals, checking on parking versus car service to the airport and finally booking our three nights in Rome. Also on the list for Ward: going to AAA to get the IDP and changing some dollars at a bank in the city. I figured it was time to start back in on this blog and get in the habit. I've been adding lots of links so that we have them accessible while we're away.
Of course, none of us have practiced our Italian nearly as much as we wanted to or should have. I feel like I can recognize many words (mostly for food!) and my pronunciation of the written words isn't bad. I know it's the spoken language that we are going to have the most trouble with.
We've been watching the Euro drop with elation. Every penny difference is mentally allocated to what more we can buy! Today's rate is $1.22 to the Euro. When Ward's parents were there last spring it was $1.52.
The girls' passports arrived a couple of weeks ago. Such a huge difference from their first ones; I guess that's why they only do five years for the kids. As mine never did turn up I had to file lost/stolen and reapply. I am expecting it any day now.
Chores for this week have included calling the airline to request children's meals, checking on parking versus car service to the airport and finally booking our three nights in Rome. Also on the list for Ward: going to AAA to get the IDP and changing some dollars at a bank in the city. I figured it was time to start back in on this blog and get in the habit. I've been adding lots of links so that we have them accessible while we're away.
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