Category: Airlines/Airports

FOOTBALL? OH. YOU MEAN SOCCER. I GET IT.

This is a bit dizzying. But there we were, at an awesome San Salvadorean hideaway in Portland, Maine. (Tu Casa is a Wiley Traveler Discovery. Thank you Wiley!) Eating melt-in-your-mouth, IncredoTamales, washing them down with Horchatas and watching Spanish ESPN. Women’s billiards from Albuquerque, NM. You saw that one? At a commercial break, they were showing a promo for the upcoming European Champions League Finals . That would be Soccer. The match between the Arsenal Gunners (UK) and the Barcelona team, in Paris. MAY 17th I believe. I knew it was Arsenal because I recognized the jerseys in the promo. Why? Because I have one! Wiley’s friend gave it to me. As Wiley pointed out in her travelblog, Daniel works for Arsenal He, and everyone that works for Arsenal, will be in Paris all expenses paid. Big times afoot in Pareee.

Which reminds me. This continental stuff must be rubbing off. See that thing about soccer? Yeah. That was me? Talking about Soccer? Still can not bring myself to call IT football. Real football is Boston Patriots and whoever they are playing any given day. Soccer just confuses me. For example: Barcelona got to the finals by, what seems to be, a typical-of-soccer winning score. They played Milano to a barn-burning 0-0 tie. Huh? The part I did understand is that all-expense trip to Paris part.

Daniel gets back from that trip just in time to get on another flight to Switzerland where he and Wiley will be going to her school’s 50th anniversary party. The American School in Switzerland was a big part of making Wiley who she is today. We let the baby Wiley Traveler go off to Lugano when she was 14 and she’s never been the same. In a good way.

By the way, if anyone has ever seen or heard of a more beautiful school or location that this one, please let me know. TASIS (psst: some good photos on the link there) is a hilltop collection of villas overlooking almost tropical Lugano. Its palm-y parks and gardens run the length of the town along sparkling Lake Lugano’s shore. And the background for all of this? Snow covered alps rising straight up out of the other side of the lake. Purple bougainvillea, green grass, blue lake, white snow – all add to the shock value of lovely Lugano’s palette of pure, rich, bright colors. And the best part of this part of Switzerland? This is the Ticino. The Italian speaking province just one town north of the Milan airport. It goes like this: you get your rentacar at Milan’s Malpensa airport, steer it north, through Chiasso, immediately cross the border and you are in Lugano. Absolutely nothing like Milan. Milan inside out is Lugano. BizzaroMilan as Jerry Seinfeld might say. They are close, geographically, but a world apart. If you have to do a high school reunion, this is one great place to hold it! Mine would be in Conrad. Conrad, Iowa. Corn on three sides. Can I come to yours, Wiley?

No? Well, OK, but we will soon . . .

. . . see you in Italy! (12 days and yes, still counting)

Stew

Yes, The Wiley Traveler has Landed

Finally! A Vreeland is in residence there in Italy. In our Home Sweet Home away from Home. The Wiley Travel flew into Rome Thursday after a couple fun filled weeks in London. And drove straight to Panicale. All business now! She found our house “almost” ready for company.

PANICALE, Umbria, Italy— Finally! A Vreeland is in residence there in Italy. In our Home Sweet Home away from Home. Wiley Vreeland aka: The Wiley Travel flew into Rome Thursday after a couple fun filled weeks in London. And drove straight to Panicale. All business now! She found our house “almost” ready for company. Said it went something like this: Buckets, mops, cleaning products everywhere. Beds stripped. Rugs airing over balconies. Oh there you are, Anna. I thought you knew I was coming? Well, I only ask because . . . you know how we said we had company coming? When? RRRRRRRRRing. That would be the doorbell.

So, that worked out.

And a friend from California, who has a place down the block, just got off the train from Venice. She and Wiley have catching up to do immediately. So, The Wiley Traveler will be A Busy Traveler, immediately. She has her car organized, cell phone powered up and working. Now she is scurrying around getting email and computer hooked up, and up and down the streets of Panicale she is reconnecting with all our many Italian friends in town, too.

She has many, many new places to see on her list and is looking forward to all of the adventures that entails. She and Paulette are hoping to see a new property in San Casciano dei Bagni right away. Paulette says the town is totally A List, with her. We just reviewed the book A Thousand Days in Tuscany set in that very town. Feel like I have been there already. More news on that as it becomes available.

STILL COUNTING THE DAYS: 33

Our trip to Italy is shaping up well too. Midge and I would be there now, but we need to wait for our other daughter to get back from the jungles of Costa Rica. When she does get back, sea turtles and rain forest canopy both sufficiently protected, we are off like a shot. We are happy just knowing our friends, our Wiley and our home await us there in Italy.

We will let you know how it goes routing a trip to Italy through Holland. Several people we know have made connections to Italy via KLM lately, but we had not done that yet, so this is all new for us.

Wait a minute! Wiley! How DOES our garden grow?

TRAVEL NOTICE: FLORENCE AIRPORT HAS REOPENED!

Happy news. The Florence Airport has reopened after extensive renovations. A month EARLY! What about the dolce far niente work ethic Italy is so famous for? Obviously a total myth and fabrication.

FLORENCE/FIRENZE, Italy— Happy news. The Florence Airport has reopened after extensive renovations. A month EARLY! What about the dolce far niente work ethic Italy is so famous for? Obviously a total myth and fabrication. This is great travel news. Check out an official-looking press release about the REOPENING of the Florence Airport

Ah, Florence. Our Favorite Airport. Our entry point of choice to all of Italy so we are thrilled to have you back. And to think I didn’t trust that you would make your deadline of May 1. So, I booked all our end of May flights through Rome. Oh Me of Little Faith. Sigh. Next time!

Tunnel! Light at end of!

Airline tickets to Italy. Check. Maps. Check. Camera. Trip diary. Check. Check. Oh, yeah, we’re counting the days now. 56 to be exact. Then blast off. May May 25th come early this year. Please. Isn’t it based on the first full moon after the high tide or something? You know, like Easter?

Airline tickets. Check. Maps. Check. Camera. Trip diary. Check. Check. Oh, yeah, we’re counting the days now. 56 to be exact. Then blast off. May May 25th come early this year. Please. Isn’t it based on the first full moon after the high tide or something? You know, like Easter?

Non vedo l’ora as they say. That DOES actually translate as “Can’t see the hour” But it certainly means to imply “I can’t wait“. And, you know, I HAVE tried clicking my heels together three times. Huh. Funny. Worked in the movie.

Tale of the ’Tankerous Traveler

Flight is quieter back here, the waitress in the sky is settling herself into one of the regular seats. One that I have to walk right by. She’s done handing out the Snack Bars and is having a little breakfast herself. Except LOOK WHAT SHE’S HAVING EVERYBODY! Juice! Scrambled eggs! Fresh fruit!

A C T · O N E

SOMEWHERE OVER BUFFALO, New York—“Hi, I’m in the seat RIGHT BEHIND YOU and I was wondering if you could either not talk to each other ACROSS THE FREAKIN’ AISLE AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS or move into empty seats beside either of you so you could talk at normal volume. What do you think? Oh, one other thing Would you mind terribly if I asked if YOU KNOW HOW LOUD YOU ARE TALKING? Or even how much? Does the altitude affect how often you come up for air, just curious. And I have to tell you: The data handling capacity of those new units you just installed back at the home office are fascinating, no, I really I mean it. I had honestly hoped to get some sleep here on this flight and thanks to your sparkling conversation, I got over that. I even started thinking about trying to maybe watch some movie BUT YOU ARE TALKING SO LOUD I CAN NOT HEAR THE MOVIE. WITH THE HEADSETS ON. AND THE VOLUME ON HIGH. Well, let me say your conversation, every word of it has REALLY MOVED ME. I see there is an empty seat towards the back and hopefully, back there, I might not be able to HEAR EVERY SINGLE SYLLABLE YOU’RE YELLING BACK AND FORTH AT EACH OTHER ACROSS THE AISLE way back there. Ok, have a nice day.”

A C T · T W O

What the heck. I’m up. Now. I’m headed toward the back anyway. I might as well check out the facilities. Did I say it was an early morning flight? Very. I got up at 3 or so this morning. To catch the four thirty AM bus to Boston. Do you know that buses run at that time of day? And this one was full? And then after the groggy dark bus ride to the airport, I caught this flight. The 8 AM Boston to Chicago. Well, at least we had breakfast. And what a breakfast it was. One Quaker Snack Bar. Probably a free sampler promo gimme donated by Mr.Quaker himself. Sort of like the Rice Crispy Marshmallow Treats that everyone in America thought were so ripping good at bridge parties in the late 60s. So, anyway, I’ve made the bathroom sink make that great space age sucking noise, and I’m out past the fold-y door, making my way to my new seat in the way back of the plane. Flight is quieter back here, the waitress in the sky is settling herself into one of the regular seats. One that I have to walk right by. She’s done handing out the Snack Bars and is having a little breakfast herself. Except LOOK WHAT SHE’S HAVING EVERYBODY! Juice! Scrambled eggs! Fresh fruit! How about that? True story. American Airlines flt 1045, 8:33AM, Boston to Chicago/OHare. On a MD-80 jet, Thursday, Jan. 26th, 2006.

And people wonder why I am ‘tankerous early in the morning.