Day 1 - Saturday, September 8, 2001 We got up early and as it was snowing in Monument, we went to pick up the Cropseys. We met the whole group at DIA and had a quick light breakfast in the little "French" restaurant at the terminal. We flew Delta to Atlanta where we met the final couple to our group, Teresa and Joe Knight who live outside D.C. The flight from Atlanta to Rome was ...
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Day 2 - Sunday, September 9, 2001 We arrived at Rome’s airport around 8:30 AM and after we got our luggage we met the people from Trafalgar Tours. We were told that we would have to wait for our guide Michael, he would not be back until 12:30 PM for the second group. We waited in the terminal by exploring, exchanging some money, and talking to each other and new people we met. A ...
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Day 3 - Monday, September 10, 2001 It is Monday morning in Rome and the city is alive! We got up very early this morning and at 6:30 had breakfast with 100 other people - it was a mess. We were out of the Holiday Inn by 7 AM as we were going to the Vatican. We got there and we were the fifth group in line. It was a very good tour as we had a good guide and she had a transmitter and we ...
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Day 4 - Tuesday, September 11, 2001 Another early morning, got up at 6AM as our luggage had to be out by 6:45 and we had to be at the bus by 7:45. We had our usual continental breakfast of coffee, rolls, hard boiled eggs, croissants, juice, cheeses, and meats. The seat rotation had begun and as we started on the left side of the bus we would have the opportunity to sit on seats with ...
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Day 5 - Wednesday, September 12, 2001 We got up at 6:15 and had breakfast at 7. Then we were out by 7:45 when we went to Venice. It was COLD. Probably in the high 40's. Surprising. We took a water taxi and got to St. Marks in the downtown area. We went to a glass factory and it was nice but very commercial. Then we looked for an internet kiosk where we communicated with Ted, our son ...
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Day 6 - Thursday, September 13, 2001 We got up at 6:15 and went down for breakfast at 7:00 PM. Same continental breakfast - rolls, coffee, cereal, hard boiled eggs, etc. We left Venice at 8 AM and went down the interior highway until we got to a rest area 2 hours down the road. Like the rest areas in the NY Throughway. We proceeded to Florence and it is a great city. VERY ARTISTIC. ...
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Day 7 - Friday, September 14, 2001 We got out at 8:30 and took the tour bus to downtown Florence. It is a pretty city. We got dropped off to shop so Gennie and I walked the narrow and little passageways and streets and we saw the greatest things. Little coffee shops, ice cream, pizzerias, etc. The coolest was a 50 year old guy pedaling a bicycle with his 10 year old behind standing on ...
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Day 8 - Saturday, September 15, 2001 We got up very early, 6:15, and had breakfast at 7. We know it will be a long day on the bus. We started our southern trek at 7:45 and were on our way, past Rome and to Monte Casino, the location of one of the most famous battles of WWII. The Germans controlled the top, the Monastery, and the Allies could not get by on the valley below. Thousands ...
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Day 9 - Sunday, September 16, 2001 We got up at 6:15 and had breakfast of croissants, hard rolls, coffee, cereal, juice. Typical European continental breakfast. We took small buses to a shop that made inlaid furniture. We were taken to the docks where we got onto a large ferry for the 40 minute trip to Capri. When we got there it looked like everyone else was there also. It ...
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Day 10 - Monday, September 17, 2001 With the usual continental breakfast we started the day out with our luggage by the door at 7:30. We got on the bus this morning at 8:30 and we had another of the extra excursions. We went to see the Amalfi Coast. Some people got bus sick as the road was all hairpins and straight down views of the cliffs and the sea, very much like US 1 on the ...
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Day 11 - Tuesday, September 18, 2001 After crossing the Ionian Sea at night, a very smooth trip, we got up at 8 AM and got ready. Some travelers slept on deck if they could not afford a room. Others slept in a room that had airline like seats about 7 across. There were lots of people on this ship. We had breakfast in the ferry's nice restaurant with cereal, juice, bread, coffee, ...
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Day 12 - Wednesday, September 19, 2001 After another continental breakfast at the hotel In Olympia, we got into the bus for a drive back to Patras and the mainland. The temperature is significantly higher than Italy. The humidity is also high. What is surprising in Greece is the lack of trees - there are olives and grapes that are planted but on the countryside there are only bushes. ...
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Day 13 - Thursday, September 20, 2001 The room at Delphi was very spartan. No real air conditioning alter 11 PM, they expect their guest to open the windows. We got up this morning and had another continental breakfast, they did have some eggs, Vienna sausages but I just had toast, croissant, butter, juice, and coffee. We got in the bus and went to 3000 feet on this winding road and ...
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Day 14 - Friday, September 21, 2001 We got up at 8 AM and went down for breakfast around 8:45. Nice continental breakfast and some fresh fruit. I complained again about the room being hot. We went for a short walk and to check our email. We came back to a dirty room as they worked on the air. Now it is cool but water is leaking from the air conditioning on the bath floor. We went ...
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Day 15 - Saturday, September 22, 2001 It is our last day and we are up at 6:15 and ready to go to the Three Island Trip. We had our traditional continental breakfast, they do have eggs and canned fruit but I just like the rolls and croissant. I really like their strong coffee but many people complain about it. Mom got us a couple of kiwis so we have fresh fruit also. We were taken ...
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Day 16 - Sunday, September 23, 2001 We got up at 6:15 as the bus to the airport would pick us up at 8 AM. We got our luggage out by the door at 7 AM and went down for the continental breakfast even though we were still full from last night. We had some coffee, juice, few rolls. With our group, we boarded the bus at 8 and left the hotel. The ride on Sunday morning was very easy with ...
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