We begin our next adventure this Friday with another transatlantic crossing by ship followed by six weeks in Italy, two weeks in central France, and ending with two weeks in Switzerland. (See full itinerary here.) We are dividing our time in Italy with two week stays in apartments in Sorrento, Siena, and Vernazza (the Cinque Terre). France is going to be a two week car trip focused on Burgundy, Dordogne, and the Loire Valley. For variety, we signed up for a guided tour in Switzerland with an even split between hiking and sightseeing. Unfortunately, the trip has not met its minimum travelers yet; so it may be cancelled. If that is the case, we, plan to follow a modified version of the tour on our own.

You may recall that last year we did month long stays in the large cities of Paris and Seville. We both really enjoyed the two week stay in the smaller city of San Sebastián last year, so we decided to try that for our time in Italy this year. We also think we can get more exposure to the countryside from the smaller cities.

After living on the edge last year by flying to Florida the day the ship sailed, we are flying down a day early this year.  You may recall last year our plane hit a bird while landing in Myrtle Beach which triggered a mandatory mechanical inspection. It is really difficult catching up to a transatlantic crossing if you miss the ship, so we opted for a little breathing room this year.  We are spending the day prior to the cruise visiting family and friends in the area.

We don’t plan to spend the big bucks for slow internet service on the ship, so we will be out of communication for a while.  We may have limited internet at some of our port stops and we will try to post something if possible. However, don’t expect to hear much from us until we reach Italy.

We send all of you our best wishes for a wonderful spring and summer. Remember, the thing we enjoy most is hearing from you; so please write us once in a while.  

 On Our Deck with Marsh in Background