One Small Leap for Man

We jumped the Georgia Strait in our first step towards Italy.  One might think this to be anticlimactic.  
But no!  Not on Easter Sunday.

After putting all in order at home so that burglars won't be scandalized by any mess we leave behind, we went off to a lovely Easter brunch with several dear friends.

 Here, mammals gather at the watering hole.

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Here is our tentative house sitter, not wanting to have her cuteness captured forever more on blog or film.  She appears both fearful and adorable, but she's just camera shy.  Thanks, Twigs.

Love This Photo

Just gotta show it in the best light.

Today at My House

Things are looking a lot like this around here today:

We try to be ready to go before the Triduum starts...

Ready or not...

Three weeks ago today, Sparky and I decided that we would go to Italy.  And so, exactly one week from today, we are going.  I knew from experience that four weeks goes by in approximately 29-42 hours.  And it has.

Weeks that go by slower are when I'm bored.

BWAAAAHAAAHAAAA.  

Anyway.

Over the last couple of days we have been talking about the clothing rules of the Vatican and most churches in Italy, which are not altogether unlike the same dress we would use here at home, no sleeveless, skirts to the knee, no shorts or t shirts at Mass.

This morning as Rosebud was getting ready to go to Mass, she put on one of her lovely sleeveless pink fluffy cotton dresses that she wears all winter (did I mention I love living here?).  She noticed that the dress came above her kneecaps, which is quite cute on a six year old.  Oh, she says.  

I can't wear THIS to the Vatican. 

Ten Days To Go

We have had to strike a happy medium.  I would be content to go off half cocked to Italy without much of a plan in place.  However, traveling with six people, hoping to have somewhere to sleep each night and a desire to make the most of our time while there, all sensible parameters laid out by Sparky, means some give and take.

Some planning.  So we settled on planning where we would sleep and how we would get around, with large chunks of unplanned blocks to satisfy my deep need to be surprised and not know.

We have ten days to go, and we both feel settled on the amount of plan and not plan that is in place, or not in place as the case may be.

I have tried to nail down most of the necessary details in the last couple of weeks, before Holy Week starts.  Partly because Holy Week is busy, but mainly because I want my brain filled with Holy Week, not accommodations and train schedules.

I hope you join us on the journey.  

The Big Pieces

So all the big pieces are in place.  Flights are booked, and apartment in the Cinque Terre and in Rome. The short time we are in the UK are also booked, so that we don't have to waste any precious time there wandering around with our luggage looking for a place to stay.

So our roughed out itinerary looks like this:

April 1st fly from Vancouver to Ottawa
April 2nd fly from Ottawa to London
Three days in London and Bath
April 6th fly from Bournemouth on the southern coast of England to Pisa, Italy

April 7,8 and 9 we will be in the Cinque Terre.

From there we have an unplanned week, potentially meandering our way by rental car through Tuscany and Umbria to Rome, where we'll be from
April 16 to the 20th.

We have a few more days after Rome to putter about, probably south to the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento and the Ruins of Paestum and Pompeii.

We fly back to Ottawa on the 24th, where we spend a few day visiting friends, and attending the graduation ceremonies at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, where Scout and Polly blossom in the liberal arts.

Then home again on the 29th of April.

Why Now?

In the event that you are wondering why we are going to Italy with only a month to spare, it is pretty simple.  We wanted to go to Italy in the next year or two.  Scout graduates from Our Lady Seat of Wisdom this spring, and we also wanted to attend her graduation.

Half of the fare of getting to Europe from the west coast is getting to the eastern side our fair country.  There are six of us travelling.  A few quick calculations, and we realized that it was more financially prudent IF we were to attend Scout's graduation, to go to Italy now.

AND its more fun that way.

That's why you need to study math, children.