Almost time...

These last few days have been filled with planning, packing, jumping up and down with excitement, and even more planning. I've been slacking with the blog because, well....my mind is elsewhere. It's somewhere in Florence skipping down the narrow streets and stuffing my face full of fresh gelati, panini, and of course great vino!

We picked up some great luggage from Marshalls over the weekend and I've since started checking the essentials off my impossibly long "check list." Things I'm trying not to concentrate on our the two flights over there as I just hope there are no delays or roadblocks that I can't control.

Wouldn't it be perfect if we had our own private jet?!?!

I've decided to pack a diary for the trip so I can record all details there without worrying about posting at random internet cafes. Once we get back I'll publish the diary via il blog :-) and will definitely put up all pics on a snapfish or flckr site.

There may be one more post before we head out.....but I can't make any promises!

A Presto!

I'm currently in...

...super organized, trip planning mode. Alex and I have finally booked all of our living accommodations on our three week adventure in the bel paese. See this post to see where we'll be staying in both Naples and Rome. All we have to do now is find a cheap hotel close the Florence airport where we can stay on our last night in Italia before waking up at an unGodly hour to catch our 6:50am flight.

Needless to say, I'm super excited, I think Alec reminded me today that we'll be there in 80 some days! EEEEE! We've known that we were going to do this for over a year now....and I've been so patient, and I continue to be. Knock on wood everything will go according to plan!

So for the past few weeks I've been reading reviews online and in travel books of all sorts of the best places to eat, drink, go, and go and be seen. Florence is pretty much all set. I know what I want to do there....basically things I never got to the first 4 months we were there (several churches, a few restaurants, and exploring new parts of the city). Rome and Naples both have lists of particular sights i want to spend more time at, bars where I'd like to sip "un caffe perfavore," and eateries that I've come across. The Amalfi Coast however needs some work.....It'll for sure be the most expensive part of our trip, for which we have nothing planned yet!

I know I run the risk of over planning. I definitely don't want to have a planned itinerary for every minute of the trip.....maybe a simple to do list will do the trick and we'll pick and choose what we HAVE to do off that list. Besides, part of the fun of trips are the spontaneous excursions that pop up.....those usually prove to be the most authentic and worthwhile!