Hmmmm. . . .

I received the following link to a story, about drinking in Rome, from both Loralei and Beth. Not really sure what this says about me and how people think of me. Ok, yeah I am! As a side note, the photo was taken in a piazza about a 5 minute walk from my apartment in Trastevere. Boy oh boy, this could be trouble. . .and by trouble I mean fun!!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/world/europe/26rome.html?ex=1183521600&en=95fedfe77c638c69&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Wow, Technical Problem Already

I've gotten quite a few emails telling me that people can't leave comments unless they have a "Blogger" account and they don't want to create an account. Sorry bout that; I forgot to change the setting to allow anyone to comment. It is now done; so all of you can now be as mean (Peter) or as nice as you want.

The Basics

For those who want to know dates and places, here you go.

Friday June 29: It begins!
Depart Dulles Friday at 6:49pm
Arrive Frankfurt Saturday at 9:10am
Depart Frankfurt Saturday at 10:35am
Arrive Rome Saturday at 12:20pm

Catch a train to Montepulciano where Mom, Dad, and I are staying in a great apartment and doing lots of wine tastings through July 08.

July 08: Mom and Dad will take a train to the Cinque Terre and I will head to Rome.

July 11: Mom and Dad arrive in Rome and spend 4 nights with me before returning home.

July 08-Aug. 15: I have rented an apartment in the Trestevare section of Rome. I have no definitive plans except to enjoy Italian life for the time I'm there. I have a rail pass that covers Italy, Croatia, and Greece; I know it will get used, just not sure to which destinations yet. Tentatively, I'm thinking about going all the way to the southern end of the boot to Lecce and Gallipoli, down to the Amalfi Coast, and perhaps up to the Cinque Terre. Actually, it will be interesting to see where I end up once I get there!

August 15: I come home, maybe ;-)
Depart Rome at 11:15am and Arrive Dulles at 3:00pm

***If any of you find yourselves in Italy or develop a sudden urge to get there, let me know; you are welcome to my sleep sofa!

Prologue to an Adventure

I have gotten many requests from people to keep them updated on my trip through emails and sending photos. While I am incredibly appreciative of family and friend's interest in my adventure, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with the many requests I've gotten. So, I decided to start this temporary blog where everyone can check in as often or as infrequently as they like. I hope to update it a couple of times a week with happenings along the way, as well as photos.

For those of you who aren't into the blogging thing, it really is an easy way to stay in touch. You can click on the comments link at the bottom of each post and leave me messages that I can respond back to. Be warned, those comments are public and anyone who comes to this blog can read them. I know most of you would never dream of leaving inappropriate stuff, but let's be honest here, I do have some dodgy friends . . .right Joey? I respond back to your comments in the same place; so check back if you leave any and want a response. Also, if you want to subscribe to a feed, there is a link at the bottom to do that as well. I use Google Reader for the feeds I want to read, that way I don't have to check individual blogs to see if new posts are there; I get notified of new ones through my RSS feed. You can use any of them you choose to.

So, I hope this works and we can all stay in touch over the summer. Obviously, I will still be emailing and answering those that I receive too. I'll miss you guys while I'm gone!