“The name of Italy has magic in its very syllables.”― Mary Shelley
Who are we?
Lori & Lesley, ready to take off
We are Lori and Lesley, from St. Louis, Missouri! We've been together for 16+ years and love to see and do new things, although we're not especially adventurous. A photograph of Florence, similar to the one above, has been hanging in our living room, inspiring travel dreams for several years. When Lori's mother, sister, and 13 year-old niece (multiple-tour alums) decided that they were going to visit Italy on their next Rick Steves trip to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday, who were we to resist an invitation to join them? While we've traveled all over the U.S. and taken a few cruises, we've never traveled to Europe together. And it's been many years since Lori did some touring in the U.K. in high school. Once we decided to make the trip, we began the exciting and somewhat scary process of getting ready to travel the Rick Steves way. Passports were updated, research was done, and the mental work of planning an overseas trip with only carry-on luggage began. We were ready to leave our comfort zone and try new things. No grumps!
Heart of Italy tour!
We let the birthday girl and her core group decide what tour they were interested in. We knew that, as Rick Steves' Europe Through the Back Door tour veterans, they'd know what would work best for everyone. When they selected this Heart of Italy in 9 Days tour, we couldn't complain. It looked wonderful, with a great mix of locations. The tour started in Florence, moved to the beautiful Cinque Terre on the coast, back in to the Tuscany region, and finished up in Rome.
What if we went to Italy
A suitcase of books
And one bag a piece for the summer
I don't speak a word of Italian
Except for Campari and soda for two, how much is a lire
Yes, a villa will do and a breeze, in Tuscany please
- Mary Chapin Carpenter, "What if We Went to Italy"
A suitcase of books
And one bag a piece for the summer
I don't speak a word of Italian
Except for Campari and soda for two, how much is a lire
Yes, a villa will do and a breeze, in Tuscany please
- Mary Chapin Carpenter, "What if We Went to Italy"