On the Road Again…
I never go to Europe without Rick!
OK, I know I wrote back in November that I would continue posting my travels and… well, it just didn't happen. No need to go into the whys and wherefores, I just did not have my head in the blogging game.
Last time you heard from me, I was on my way to Phoenix to attend and be a vendor at the ICHF (Combat Hapkido) 20th Anniversary Training/Banquet. Had a great time, met some fantastic folks and got to see old friends, but there was not a moment to spare. Since then, I spent the weeks before Christmas visiting my friend Uli in Mainz, attended the Action Martial Arts Hall of Fame event in Atlantic City, New Jersey (and received an award for Special Contributions to the Martial Arts!) in January, and went on a western Caribbean cruise with my mom and Morgan in March (NOT on Carnival!!!)
However, the merry month of May is approaching, which means it's time to hit the road for a nice long trip.
In just over two weeks, I'm heading out to Italy, Ireland, England, and Wales. My good buddy Susie will accompany me to Italy, then I meet Morgan and his nephew and niece (both older than him!), Jon and Anna, in Dublin for a jaunt around the British Isles.
Here's the (still evolving) itinerary:
Day 1: Fly to Naples
Day 2-4 Visit Susie's friend (well, my friend, too, now!) Lucy and stay with her in Naples
Day 5-7 Train to Rome and see the sights, including the Sistine Chapel
Day 8-9 Train to Florence and see the sights, including David
Day 10-11 Train to the Cinque Terre
Day 12 – Bergamo visiting Camino friend Amedeo
Day 13-15 Drive through the Dolomiti (Dolomite mountains) and Venice
Day 16 – Back to stay near Milan airport
Day 17-19 – Fly to Dublin, then meet the kids
Day 20 – Galway (with skydiving for Morgan and I, weather permitting!)
Day 21-22 Dingle Peninsula
Day 23-24 Fly to London, see the sights
Day 25-27 See the English countryside from a cottage in Somerset
Day 28-29 Drive to Wales and see the sights
Day 30-31 Two nights in Liverpool (Beatles!) before we fly home.
Phew! I'm really quite excited because this is my first trip to Ireland, Wales, and basically anywhere outside of London. Although I've been to Italy before, it was (yikes!) 30 years ago on a travel agent fam trip, so it's almost like the first time as well.
I'll be looking forward to sharing travel pics, stories of our adventures, and travel tips regarding the trip preparation and execution of this amazing journey.
Please, as always, feel free to comment, add your own stories, or ask any questions. For all of you who followed my blog as I walked the Camino, this, obviously, is not an official pilgrimage. However, if you think about it, every time we travel, I believe we are searching for something, whether it be blessings, peace, novelty, or just a different perspective on life. Seems that I when I return home from just about any travel, I am a little bit different because of what I found there. Heck, sometimes it's even for what I did not find there.
So, welcome back, hop on, and let's go to Europe!
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Practicing Travel 
Julie:
Great to hear from you again. I sent a email a week or so ago and I hope you got it. Since then, Kathryn has booked our trip back to Bali this summer. We’ll be working again with the Bali Children’s Project opening a new school for 60 kindergarteners. Our son the artist will also be there in residency for a month. Celebrating our 30th anniversary too.
No camino for us this year so I’m making do with the blogs of others. One that I think you would enjoy is pgstheway.com which is written by an Australian filmmaker.
Have a blast in Italy and GB. Looking forward to you updates.
Michael
April 26, 2013 at 1:40 pm
Michael – I did get your email, thanks! I only just now sent you a reply… too long for this comment page. Love love love the Australian gentleman’s blog, thanks for that!
April 26, 2013 at 2:17 pm
I lived in Vicenza, near Venice, for almost 2.5 years 2005-7. If time permits recommend visiting Marostica. A walled villiage close to Venice famed for it’s human chess match (scachio) every 2 years. There is a travel company called Nada’s Italy, in North Carolina. She has some wonderful videos on Italian sign language that I used (with permission) for the conversational Italian class that I taught. You can catch them either on youtube or from her website. also how to use public transportation. Buon viaggio! Wish I could tag along, except for the skydiving. Had 12 jumps in the Army. Last one was a tree landing, and felt that I had learned all I had to of that particular activity.
April 26, 2013 at 1:52 pm
Very cool! Thanks for the recommendation of the town and the Italian sign language. I’ve been, actually, doing Rosetta Stone Italian since July of last year… I’m not great, but I think I’ll be able to get around ok. The jump has been on my bucket list for a long, long, time – of course it will be a tandem jump, but I’m imagining the greens of Irish fields, the grays of the villages, and the blues of the Lough Comb and the North Atlantic should be unforgettable. I’ll keep up with your trip while you keep up with mine!
April 26, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Hello Camino friend!! So, looking forward to hearing your adventures, bravo! Kathryn Schlesinger ( in California with Mike)
Sent from my iPhone
April 26, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Hi Kathryn! Nice to hear from you. We need to talk in a couple of months! Happy Spring!
April 26, 2013 at 10:04 pm