Hello Everyone,
We just wanted to thank all of the great people that post to the bulliten board each week. We read all of the posts concerning Italy each week and we have learned so much valuable informantion. We are certain it will help us increase our enjoyment of our trip. We have learned that is is very important to be patient trust the TD and trust them to do the best they can to make our trip enjoyable. We are leaving on Aug 31 and very much looking forward to a great trip. We are determined that no matter the weather, small hotel rooms, rude waiters or long lines, we are going to have a great time, this is a trip of a lifetime and you have to live every minute. As they say, It is your attitude, more than anything other thing that will determine your altitude. Thanks again everyone, we are looking forward to posting our tour tales when we return.
Best Regards,
Rick and Gail Meyer

With that attitude you'll have a wonderful time. Enjoy.

Have a wonderful time Rich and Gail.
I look forward to reading your tour tales when you return.

We are going on the same tour but on September 17th ...can't wait.

I agree with Colleen. With that positive attitude you will have fun. Little things will go wrong and it won't all be perfect but what the heck. You are on holiday! Have a ball.

Rich & Gail. We are leaving on the same trip Sept. 26 and would be interested in your oppinions on the optional tours when you return. Have great time. Bob&Johnie

Optional tour comments are interesting on the board, some people write that they loved a particular optional, others write that it was a waste of money. Having read the majority of the writings on the board concerning Italy. We have agreed to do the first night dinner in Rome, generally speaking we try to avoid big dinners, we want to save the calories for gelato. We will do San Giamano, the Almalfi coast drive, and the night tour in Venice.
Possibly one or two others, not the ones that are primarily a dinner. Less than two weeks to go and we cannot wait.

Rick
You have chosen well.

Gelato is awful stuff (you know I am kidding)

Make sure you save some for me

Gen

Hi Rick, try the gelati in San Gimingnano. The shop there advertises that it was the Champion of Italy in 2008/9. (When we were there in April they hadn't judged it yet. Maybe they were hopeful!) Also try the roast pork if it is for sale. I thought the Chinese did pork best until I visited San Gim. Good luck with the optionals. It really is a personal choice. We enjoyed the dinners the most as we had a great group and they were the really fun nights. Most of our group did them. They cost a lot but now I can't remember how much and just remember the great time we had. Our photos from the group dinners are also the funniest of the trip.

Good advise and we should probably give a couple of dinners a try. We are very aware of our weight and tend to eat a low carb/low fat diet. I lost 40 lbs last year and I don't want it back.

11 days to go!

Hi Rick, we did two tours including a five day Greek Island cruise in April. We ate and drank everything but were so active for the five weeks we actually both lost weight. You will be climbing, walking and generally on the go so shouldn't have much chance of putting it back on. We are nearing sixty and came back quite fit (we had a few extra days in Rome where we walked everywhere) If you do the optionals let your tour guide know and other arrangements can be made for you. My doctor actually told me to eat everything as he thought the 'Mediterranean Diet' would be good for me. It was!