Buffalo, NY

Sometimes planning for an extended trip can be an arduous task. For me, it is fun. I like to research all the places we are thinking about and then put all the pieces together like a huge puzzle. And just like a puzzle, it’s always a treat to see the finished picture. In the case of travel, the result is to go and enjoy each step along the way. Though, unlike a puzzle, you can make changes along the way and still have a terrific finished picture.

On this trip we will be meandering our way through Italy. The plan is to spend a little over a month moving from north to south. We’re going to fly into Venice, then take the train to Perugia, pick up a car and drive to the town of Gubbio in Umbria. After a few days, we’ll drive to southern Umbria and stay in the town of Todi. We drop the car off and then take the train to Sorrento. We’ll explore a bit of the Amalfi Coast before heading to Positano. From Positano, we’ll travel to the Isle of Capri before heading to Rome to conclude the trip.

There’s no John Candy and Steve Martin, but we will definitely be using planes, trains, boats, buses and automobiles throughout our stay.

So why are we going to the places I mentioned above?

While we have been to Venice before, we didn’t get to see everything we wanted to see. We only made it a couple day stop because everyone had told us negative things about it. When we got there, we loved it. So we’re starting there so we can see some things we missed the last time.

Umbria is Tuscany’s neighbor to the east. Everyone wants to go to Tuscany, but Umbria is equally beautiful – just not as well known. We have decided to base ourselves near the town of Gubbio – a small town in the northeast quadrant of Umbria. If our timing works out, we will be there for a local festival where the people dress in Medieval garb and compete for community honors in a competition of crossbow archers. It is similar to the Siena Paleo, but no horses.

We’ll travel through the “green heart” of Italy for a few days before heading down to the town of Todi. We selected Todi as our southern Umbrian base town because it will give us easier access to Orvieto and Assisi.

Next will be a train journey to Sorrento. We’ll have to travel through Rome and Naples to get there, Once there, we’ll explore the city a bit, see some small Amalfi Coast towns, venture back to Naples, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii.

After Sorrento, we get a little water time as we travel to Positano and then Capri. Looking forward to the Azure blue seas, boat rides and beach sights.

Afterwards, we’ll head to Rome to explore it’s rich history, arts, food and the Vatican. At that point, we should be full of more culture then we can stand and will be ready to head back home.

There are many items to coordinate and I can’t wait to start coordinating.