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Old 06-16-2008, 11:14 AM   #1
sakana
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Smile My first trip overseas! October 2008

Well, I thought I'd be posting my next trip to Disney about now, but my mom threw me a curve ball when she suggested going to Europe this year. And not only did she make the suggestion, she's treating me - a very, very, very nice birthday present! Unbelievably, I haven't seen her since our 2005 Disney trip, and I am super excited!

A few facts about our trip:

* October 4th: Depart Seattle for NY (A few days to visit family I haven't seen in ages! Used the last of my FF miles)
* October 7th: Depart from NY for Venice, Italy (Used my mom's FF miles)
* October 8th: Arrive Vencie, take the train to Verona for a few days' stay
* October 11th: Train back to Venice, board Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas for a 7 day Cruise (my first cruise, too!)
Cruising - 12th: Dubrovnik, Croatia
Cruising - 14th: Ephesus, Turkey
Cruising - 15th: Santorini, Greece (I've rented us scooters for the day on Santorini!)
Cruising - 16th Corfu, Greece
* October 18th: Return to Venice for a few days' stay
* October 21st: Fly back to NY for a few days' stay
* October 25th: Back to my husband, dogs, chickens, and bees in Seattle! I'll be exhausted, I'm sure!

If anyone has any tips or suggestions for me, let me know. If anyone's been to any of my destinations, please share your adventures there!

I'm thinking Disney next year...I actually have almost 200 Disney dollars on my Disney Visa now.
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Old 06-16-2008, 03:09 PM   #2
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Sounds like a great plan Have a great time
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Old 06-16-2008, 03:44 PM   #3
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What an awesome plan. Of the places you've visited, we've been to Venice and it's absolutely beautiful - you're going at a great time of year, as it shouldn't be too hot or too crowded.
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:23 AM   #4
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I'm very envious, I'd love to do all of that someday!
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Old 06-17-2008, 10:26 AM   #5
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Have a wonderful time!!
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Old 06-18-2008, 07:51 AM   #6
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Wow, way cool!

I've been to Venice and Verona. Venice is beautiful but was too crowded when we were there (in the summer). It should be nice and quiet in October, though. Make sure you read about what's offered and where before you get there as I found it a tad hard to navigate around (because there are canals and tiny alleys everywhere). It's pricey, too - just a heads-up. Other than that, the gondolas are pretty, of course!

I personally liked Verona better than Venice (not sure why). We saw the Romeo and Juliet spot which was neat! Definitely check out Lake Garda (Lago di Garda) which is like right by Verona. It was soooo beautiful and quaint!

Have fun planning this amazing trip!
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Old 06-28-2008, 08:51 PM   #7
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Have fun!

We did a Med cruise last summer and it was a blast. The Turkey ports were my favorite - you will LOVE Ephesus. Our Turkish tourguides really made the experience, we used Ekol Travel and they were just amazing.

I've been to Venice twice and it is beautiful - tends to be hard to find your hotel though! Be sure you take a glance at a map and figure out the vaporetto stops before you go. I highly recommend the "Secret Itineraries" tour at the Doge's Palace - lots of stuff about Casanova and the Inquisition, very interesting! Feel free to email me if you'd like more specific info on either Ephesus or Venice.
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