We have had this trip planned since June 2021 as a 50th wedding celebration for Pat and I. It was to have been in May 2022, but was delayed due to lingering Covid issues in Italy. But, we finally made it this year in May 2023! Joining us were Pat’s brother Mike and his wife Lorna who were also celebrating their 50th a year before ours. So, after all the waiting, planning, and trip preparations, we were finally off!
The Trip
The trip we booked was the Best of Italy with Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. It was an 11 day trip and included 2 nights in Venice, 2 nights in Florence, 3 nights in Rome, and 3 nights in Sorrento. Every day was planned from the 7am breakfast, 8am bus boarding, and then usually back to the room by 10pm. There were some long and tiring days, but we were so excited about where we were, that it was manageable. There was limited free time. But by the end of the trip, I was about exhausted.
This trip was quite expensive. The trip itself, plus about half of the the fine meals that we had to pay, plus travel and lodging from home to Newark, NJ. As part of our 50th celebration it was very worth it. Once every 50 years or so. 🙂 Though we probably do not have the resources to do this kind of trip very often. I’d have to go back to work! Ugh…
Tour Company
We selected a tour company called SmarTours after a good recommendation from my brother/sister-in-law Mike and Lorna. They have taken six other tours from this same company in the past 20 years and were very pleased. They felt that SmarTours is one of the better tour companies in that they book better hotels in the city center, they transfer all luggage between locations, and they take care of all city expert guides and about half the meals.
Well things do change. We found out part way through the trip that this tour company had been sold to an investment group and then filed bankruptcy during Covid. Somewhere in this transition they outsourced their tour directors instead having seasoned people on the payroll. Not a good thing for customers.
While Pat and I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, all the cities visited, and all the sites visited, there were some bumps along the way. Mainly the communication from the tour director could have been much better.
Highlights
To begin, a highlight was to share our time with Mike and Lorna. We had a great time with them as we always do. Also, another bonus was the group that we were with. A total of 21 great people. Everyone got along well, were prompt at departing times, and the best was the friendships made in the group.
Since this was our first time to Italy, Pat and I were wide eyed to see all the famous historical places. The canals in Venice, the museums in Florence, the coliseum in Rome, the Vatican, the ruins of Pompeii, and the Amalfi coast. Plus hundreds of other places and tours.
And the food was another highlight. For example, when we are in a strange city in the US, I will usually check for restaurant reviews before selecting a place. In Italy, there were many restaurants, usually not too crowded, and I never had a bad meal. And never checked any reviews. Most were excellent. Incredible really. Yes, I do like my food. It’s a good thing that I walk 3-4 miles a day!
I posted daily synopsizes on Facebook along with many photos during our two weeks over there. In this blog, I will attempt to document more of the trip at a somewhat more detailed level. My thoughts and observations. Plus I will include more photos than was posted on FB. It was be a multi-part post. Perhaps based on locations. A post for each of the four locations. We will see.
Wrap Up
Thanks for following along! In tomorrow’s post, I will cover the trip over and most of Venice. Our first rain soaked location. The one photo in this update was taken by Pat in Venice. Take care and God Bless.
