22 days and counting!!

I'm posting today mainly because I'm just now setting up this blob..er, blog.  I want to be able to record the adventures of my trip in a place separate from my real blob. Will make it easier to print out when the trip is over and save as its own book; as well as having a place for the kids and friends to go to and keep up with my whereabouts!!  They just THINK they're getting rid of me for a few months......haha.....nope, I'll still haunt them with my words, albeit the written word!
So............since I'm writing now, I'll tell you what I've got planned out so far.....

Sept 12:  leave home for Atlanta, where I will meet up with my SpokeHo....a best peep!, and from there we will fly overnight into Paris.  There, we will connect with the rest of the women participating in the Italy Retreat for Women to live La Dolce Vita. http://italyretreatforwomen.com/  We will all fly together into Pisa, and then road trip to Cinque Terre.  The picture above on the banner is in fact from Vernazza, one of the five towns that make up Cinque Terre.  My boyfriend and I visited there back in 2005.  The plan is to visit:

1. Monterosso al Mare

2. Vernazza

3. Manarola

4. Corniglia

5. Rio Maggiore

6. Camogli

7. San Frutuosso

8. Portofino

9. Portovenere

10. Chiavari

11. Pisa

12. Lucca

and that's all in 6 days!!  The last 3 days will be spent in Lucca, exploring the walled town. The retreat ends in Lucca. Crazy woman and I will journey to Vicopisano, where we have an apt. rented for the next week.  I have become good pals with the owner of the apt.....Casa Columba http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/italy/it4091.htm  and I am so excited at all the great things we've planned to do with her!  No details yet but included will be a cooking class IN our apt!!!  Franco, their resident chef/driver will take us to the local market to shop for ingredients, come back to our place for a 3 hr class and then we will enjoy the fruits of our labor by sitting down to enjoy the meal!!!  OH MY!! could I be any more excited??!!  Oh well .... maybe,....cuz we're also going to a restaurant outside of town with Franco driving us to experience a "concierge dinner experience".  We get to sit at a table  beside the kitchen and watch the whole meal being prepared while Franco and Marie translate everything for us.  All the while learning about wines with foods!!  I can't even remember how many courses there will be during the night!!

So.........enough for the first entry of this adventure blog.  I will leave you with some more images I captured on my last trip to the land of Italia!!