We're back with tales to tell of Italian adventures

“We Are All On A Mission,” Tim A. Rutherford (C) 2014

  T.J. and I are back from Italy and transitioning into our work lives, a world far removed from the Italian food, culture and pace that we’ve lived for two weeks.

  In the posts that will follow, we will share what we learned about travel in Italy, tell you what worked – and what didn’t – from our well-laid plans and entertain with stories from the road.

  In all, I spent six days in Florence (TJ cut short the second leg) and I spent several hours on the streets. Quaint alleyways, inviting side streets, curious looking doorways beckoned at every turn.

  But above all, at what was the beginning of Florence’s high season, there are people everywhere. Most of those people are tourists clambering for the most memorable photos and prized early admissions to museums and attractions. Shopkeepers and restaurant and café workers began the day hours earlier, when the streets are quiet but for rumbling garbage trucks and buzzing street sweepers. The vast majority of foot traffic is tourists with pockets full of Euros – the economic engine of this bustling Italian destination.

  And, like this photo, “We Are All On A Mission,” everyone is in pursuit of a personal target – from a group of nuns trying to determine their first stop at the Florence Cathedral to the lone guy in the background, walking and shooting a towering architectural feature on his iPhone.

  Thanks for reading – and check back for regular posts as we sift through thousands of photos and journal pages.

Ready or not, here I go!

  I’m barely more than 24 hours away from boarding my Delta flight to JFK – and then on to London.

  I have not posted much this past month, which has flown by much more quickly than I wanted.

  I went into the month with little to distract me form the remaining planning tasks – then the phone started to ring. In the past month, I’ve finished rewrite on a huge website for a client, conducted 5 whiskey or wine tastings for private parties, conducted a charity art auction and written 9 weekly e-mail newsletters for clients to go out while I’m away.

  Oh, we’ve also been dealing with a mysterious invitation of flying ants and last week – the air conditioner failed.

  Despite frayed nerves and “why me?,” life goes on – and so does our inaugural European vacation.

  We begin in London, where I will meet up with fellow Chief Chowzters from around the world for the annual Chowzter Tastiest Fast Feasts on Earth Awards. One of my subjects – red velvet cake from Marandy’s One Bite Delight in Savannah – is among six finalists competing in the bakery category.

  The folks behind the scenes at the Chowzter app and website are awesome hosts and have lined up quite a smorgasbord during my stay. I am really looking forward to the steak symposium being led by author Mark Schatzker, author of “Beef: One Man’s Search for the World’s Tastiest Piece of Beef.” This event will be held at London’s Flat Iron Steak.

  The awards are Sunday night – and Ms. TJ will be at my side during the event--- held at L’Anima Italian restaurant.

  I arrive very early Friday morning, and have decided to have some adventure before I check into my hotel in the afternoon. I'll explore by Tube, and have planned lunch at a Samuel Smith pub,Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Pub, a recommendation from the US importer of Samuel Smith ales -- counted among my favorite beers of all time.

  Monday morning, we load out bright and early to catch a flight from Stansted Airport to Pisa to begin the first leg of our journey into Italy.

  To help your planning, here are some updates to our process. When we return, I’ll be able to fill in the gaps to make your next trip to Italy even easier.

• Transportation in London still eludes me doing much pre-planning. I decided to let this dog sleep until I get there. The plan is to enlist the aid of The Hoxton concierge to help me find a way to get TJ from Heathrow to the hotel late Friday night. I had planned to take the Tube back to get her – but London’s Underground stops running before we would get to the hotel. Also, Stansted Airport is much further from London than Heathrow – and we need to get there on time that early Monday morning. I should have a better feel for solutions when I’m “on the ground.”
• As you can see, I’m packed. I had to do a significant downsizing of my camera bag – the other did not comply with the carry-on guidelines for the two European regional airlines I’m flying – Ryanair and Vueling. I also had to get a slightly smaller suitcase. We’re both packed in our carry-on luggage at 20 lbs. I’m very proud of TJ – she doesn’t pack this light to go to work every day!
• What’s in my bag? Two pair of convertible cargo pants, 7 underwear, 3 Oxford shirts, 5 black t-shirts, lightweight running shoes, 6 pair socks, hooded windbreaker in its own pouch, toiletries (Ziploc bag of toothbrush, toothpaste, and deodorant.) I’ll score a disposable razor there. On day 6, we will have access to laundry facilities.
• And the camera bag? Nikon D500 with 18-200, f/3.5, iPad, Windows tablet (I will post newsletters from there – and the iPad does not like my third party e-mail application), 2 electrical adapters, ear buds, chargers for everything (including a car charger for my phone), a mini-mouse, business cards, journal, pens. This sailcloth from Tamrac Apache bag fits under the airplane seat, has Velcro interior dividers and that handy zipper sleeve to allow carrying over the pull up handle of my spinner luggage.
• I’m wearing the “heavy stuff.” Leather walking shoes, jeans, a tweed wool-blend sports jacket with plenty of interior pockets. I hate getting chilled, so I’m happy to layer another t-shirt or mock turtle and another Oxford-style cotton shirt.
• What’s still undecided? We have not booked our second leg in Florence, but our host the first leg has assured us she will help out – she has been an awesome support “team” in Florence. We remain to secure transport for TJ from Florence lodging to the airport for her return flight. I have reserved my room in London for my flight back – and will have plenty of time to deal with transport between Gatwick Airport and the hotel when I land back in London.
• Finances…nearly a topic of its own. We’ve notified our credit card companies that we will be traveling. Most companies allowed us to do this online without having to navigate a frustrating telephone system. SunTrust Bank also allows this online; Wells Fargo does not. I secured some British Pound Sterling notes for us to carry so we would have currency upon landing in England. Wells Fargo has an international teller in Savannah who did the transaction on the spot. Wells Fargo claims they do not charge a fee – and they don’t. What they do is upcharge the conversion – by about 10 cents on the dollar. It is unclear whether I will have to secure a rental car deposit on a credit card. I have pre-paid the rental and bought the Collision Damage Waiver. I have confirmed with American Express that they will honor a high limit deposit.
• Speaking of credit cards: Be prepared to handle some glitches. Even with travel notifications, each card company explained that they could not guarantee that there would not be refused charges. They offer collect call, 24/7 phone numbers to call to handle these issues. I transferred all of my credit card info, including the phone numbers, to an easy-to-read file that I have put on “the cloud” that I can access from my smartphone.
• Smartphone: Sweet segue, eh? I don’t usually have a screen lock on my phone, but because accessing the phone would also grant access to my cloud storage, I’ve put a PIN code on my screen lock. If my phone is lost or stolen, it will present a real challenge to anyone trying to use it.
• We’ve decided to wing it in Italy, letting the mood and the road take us on unplanned adventures in our rented Smart Car. Other than Florence, we’re very much in a rural area of Tuscany, staying on the Agritourismo of Brancatelli Vineyard just north of the small town of Riotorto.

  Enough already! I have one more contact number to plug into a lengthy spreadsheet we’re leaving for my aunt Phyllis, who is house/dog-sitting for us. I have to finalize a few household tasks – then off to pour wine tonight for a charity tasting at Savannah Wine Cellar. Then, home for sleep that will no doubt be be restless with anticipation. Get planning on your own trip!

  Follow along our journey through #tntitaly, or through any of my social media sites -- my personal Facebook page and the Savannahfoodie.com Facebook page. Ditto for Instagram and Twitter. And if you don’t get my newsletter on food and drink – now is the time to subscribe!

London and Italy and Thee, oh my!

Who knew our first trip to Europe would be such an adventure before the actual adventure! All the planning and dreaming and yes -- even the stressing, is about to culminate into our dream vacation soon.

So, I have been an insomniac for the past few nights, checking and rechecking details. Tim has been amazing as the planner extraordinaire. It is times like this that I realize just how much I appreciate being married to a smart man!

I packed my bag this week as a trial run. So far so good. Just a lightweight carry-on, an under-the-seat satchel and a small cross-body handbag. I am determined to under-pack to ensure a light load wherever we may wander. The important stuff will stay in sight and the carry-on will be filled with clothing only.  I am practicing simplicity and minimalism and I like it!

First stop: London! I look forward to the Chowzter Awards Banquet (https://www.facebook.com/chowzter) where one of Tim's featured desserts from a restaurant in our Southern city is in the running for a prize. I hope to ride on a double-decker bus to see all the high points and then wander around on foot while he does his "foodie things."

It's almost here! Gratitude and joy abounds.

Ciao!
Ms. T. J.

April Fools Day and it's all true!

It's official! We are now into our travel month. Soon we will be on our way to London and then Italy! We sat outside tonight on this balmy evening and talked about some of our last details. Here is our to-do list in order of importance (for the most part):

1. Pay car rental balance for trip from Florence to Riotorto and return
2. Book my black taxi from London Heathrow Airport to hotel
3. Get International travel permits and photos at AAA (our neighbor works there!)
4. Call our banks to compare exchange rates for pounds and euros, and also find out what the fees are if we use our debit cards in Europe
5. Get pounds and euros
6. Purchase Uffizi Museum tickets

I also want to shop for a better suitcase and carry-on. I recently traveled to Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin, and was not satisfied with my luggage. My goal is to carry two items: a suitcase that I can carry on and a large bag to stow under the seat. I am committed to this. I also want to pack very lightly so I can buy a few items.

So, there it is in black and white! We are on track, and know that we will have a few things to do when we arrive, like book a room for two nights in Florence and one in London for Tim's extended stay. Our host in  Florence has promised to point us in the direction of some places. We trust this will all work out.

Ciao!
Ms. T. J.

"TAXI!"

During dinner, Tim and I were browsing through our travel books and we began a conversation about transportation from Heathrow Airport to the hotel in London. Tim will already be in central London "taking care of business" (also known as dining with his fellow Foodies, which is his job, after all), when I arrive. We know that Heathrow is not close to London proper, so we investigated our choices.   Although there are several modes of transport, I will be arriving late (9:55 p.m.) and I am unfamiliar with the underground train system which would require two transfers in the wee hours (1 a.m.). While it's not the most economical choice, we've decided that my best (easiest, less stressful, safer) bet will be reserving a black taxi prior to our trip. That way I, and my luggage, can relax after a very long day of in-flight travel and head straight to the hotel to meet up with Tim.

Everything is falling into place. Again, I feel really blessed to have such a great (smart, thoughtful, technologically savvy) travel mate!

Ciao!
Ms. T. J.

Planes, buses and cars - getting there and getting around

Less than 60 days away from travel and we’ve made great progress at finalizing some elements of the trip. So far:

London to Italy: Both our flights have been locked down. We will travel from London to Pisa together on Ryanair. This small, regional carrier pops up consistently with best fares and an easy to navigate online site and good communications. Know that this is a very ala carte airline – even down to sending you text message updates. These boarding passes can be printed much further in advance than US airline policies. I will check us in ASAP when the dates open and these documents will go with our other travel documents.

Pisa to Florence: We will have some time to poke around Pisa, then will take about an hour-long motor coach ride to City Center in Florence. I was given the option to book this as I exited the Ryanair ticket purchase. It’s definitely a bargain at about $13 US for both of us. Buses leave Pisa airport every few minutes. A ticket is delivered via e-mail – so it will be printed and go along with airline boarding passes.

Florence to Savannah: TJ will be leaving Florence VERY early in the morning, a few days in advance of my departure. Her flight is confirmed. I will depart Florence a few days later on a Vueling flight to London-Gatwick – to catch my flight home the next day. Ryanair flights – except one very late at night – were booked up – I’m glad I didn’t wait any longer to secure this flight. I still need to book a hotel night in London --- probably something close to my departure airport of Heathrow.

Florence lodging: Our first three nights in Florence have been secured – as you can read below. I still need to secure lodging for the three nights on the tail end of the trip. Our host at the VRBO below has offered to help me find a hotel while we’re there – but based on how things appear to be filling up – I don’t know if I should wait.

Riotorto: Our seven nights at Brancatelli Agritourismo are confirmed – a pleasant efficiency apartment on the working vineyard of Giuseppe and Catherine Brancatelli. I met Giuseppe when he and his daughter visited the US last year to help market their wines. 650 Euro is doable – especially for a property that features an on-site restaurant and easy day trips to surrounding sites in Tuscany. My bank arranged, at the request of the agritourismo, an international transfer to pay the 30 percent deposit. I wouldn’t want to do many of these – the bank charged $45 for the “experience.”

Rental car: Every guide book suggests securing the rental before leaving the US. I did, through the edreams.com website. We aren’t going to be spending lengthy periods in a car – just hops from one place

to another – so I rented a Smart Car. With the additional Claims Damage Waiver refund (to protect against a hefty deductible) and adding TJ as an additional driver, the car is about $65 a day with unlimited mileage. That seems steep compared to renting a car in the US – but the additional coverage and extra driver added about $20 a day. My US auto insurance carrier (GEICO) offers no coverage of a rental in Italy. I shopped several sites – including using my “member” code on the sites for Avis, Hertz and Thrifty – and found the best pricing on edreams.com.

We just have a few gaps left to fill in – then we need to get hopping on specific tasks: downloading maps for the GPS, printing, when available, travel documents like boarding passes and tickets and considering the critical decisions we will need to make for packing light.

Kismet, or having friends in "perfect" places

So, after I posted a link to this blog on my Facebook page, a friend let us know that her sister had a flat in Florence. Several emails, a few Facebook messages and "boom," we have three of our nights in Florence arranged! Here is a photo of the place -- which looks absolutely smashing! This apartment is a part of the vrbo.com network which has vacation rentals-by-owner available all over the world.

Then, as we were lounging in our easy chairs watching re-runs of CBS Sunday Morning (yep, we are geeks), another dear friend called to offer guide books, maps and all manner of travel insights and goodies. We spent the better part of the afternoon talking with her and of course it has ramped up our excitement. It is starting to feel more and more "real" for me. I am emerging from the fantasy cocoon and ready to do this!

We are excited and feel blessed by the kindness of our friends.

Ciao!
Ms. T. J.

Post[card] from the edge [by the other T in TNT]

How lucky I am to be married to a man who is a fastidious planner. Me? I am the one with her head in the clouds, fantasizing about the Italian countryside...

All that said however, I am particular about spaces, places and a certain level of comfort. As we watched another Rick Steves' travel show this afternoon, I wondered if I could stay in a one star hotel and knew I could not stay in a hostel. Perhaps if I was in my twenties it would sound comfortable enough, but today I need more privacy. The more modern hotels that resemble American lodging are not for us. We yearn to be close to the European culture with locals as well as experience the inherent beauty of older buildings with their creaky charm and one-of-a-kind feel.

When I daydream about London and Italy, I imagine being both in- and out-of-doors. I love the excitement of learning and experiencing new things, and I also require down-time to rejuvenate and create the energy to venture back out. I see myself wandering down narrow streets, popping into bakeries and coffee shops, and holding my husband's hand as we feast our eyes upon the breathtaking views. I see us touring historic places, discovering secret spaces, and enjoying delicious foods and drinks. I also picture myself curled up in a comfy chair in a lovely setting, perhaps on an outdoor porch reading or recording the moments we are having during this dream-come-true trip we are on!

I am both a planner and a thinker, but I will always give credit where it is due, and I must express my gratitude to Tim, my favorite and most exacting planning partner without whom I may be a whirling dervish!

Ciao!
Ms. T. J.

Driving, communicating -- and keeping all of those devices charged up and ready to use

I took some time to ponder a typical day on our journey and began to wonder about all of the things that we take for granted – and how the same issues would be addressed in Italy.

What things? Driving, communicating with cell phones, accessing data, charging electronic devices and carrying camera equipment.

Before we get too close to departure, I want these issues resolved. Here’s what I learned – and how I addressed the issues.

Driving
Whew, Italians drive on the right side of the road. It looks like there are plenty of bilingual signs.

We are getting International Driving Permits as recommended. These permits are carried in addition to your regular driver’s license. The app is online here – and the process was handled quickly and efficiently by my local AAA office. The IPD fee is $15 per permit – and you will need two passport style photos as part of the application. We let AAA handle those when we went in with our applications.

As for directions, I ordered two lightweight, laminated maps: Streetwise Tuscany and Streetwise Florence. Both maps fold down into easy to manage panels and include a cross-referenced index.

I have not settled on a car rental agency yet, but I do know I’m not going to pay nearly $20 a day to rent a GPS. I am downloading the Europe maps for my own TomTom. Mine has a walking mode, so it will come in handy in both London and Italy on foot as well as by car. I’m relieved that I’ll be using a device with which I’m familiar – and not a new device that I have to learn on the fly.

Cellphones
We are T-Mobile customers. Our Simple Choice Plan includes international service with no roaming charges. We can use our current devices abroad with free text and data – and pay 20-cents a minute for calls.

Charging our devices
I joke that as we travel anymore, we almost need a single bag devoted to device chargers. And we do.

The various charging cords are kept in a single zip closure plastic bag and is carried in the upper pouch of my LowePro 250 backpack bag.

We will have two phone chargers, an iPad charger, a Kindle charger, a GPS charger and car adapter, two camera battery chargers and a card reader that attaches to the iPad.

It looks like my devices are dual voltage. I just need to get adapters that allow our US plugs to fit into European outlets.

I’m looking at the Lenmar TraveLite Compact All-in-One Foreign Travel Adapter. It’s $14.99, has five different connectors built in and allows two devices to be connected at once. Two of these will allow overnight charging of both cellphones and two other devices.

But I have not seen one on person. I may still change my mind.

Camera gear and electronics
I’m trying to pack as light and as versatile as possible. I’ll tote a Nikon D5000 DSLR with a Sigma f/3.5, 18-200 mm lens. The glass is a little heavy – but will be the only lens I carry. I will also carry a pocket-sized Panasonic Lumix, and we will have the on-board cameras with our smartphones – an HTC One and a Samsung Galaxy.

I’ll likely carry a Kodak pocket sized HD video camera and accessory mic. I plan to have one back-up rechargeable battery and plenty of SD cards.

We will have an iPad and a Kindle – both with apps for mapping, attractions and translation.

All of this fits comfortably in the LowePro – and I’ll have a collapsible day pack for walking about.

I get mixed messages on whether to register equipment before going overseas – but I plan to. It’s a precaution in the event of theft or loss and better safe than sorry at Customs.

You can register any goods with serial numbers at your local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) port of entry, or the port from which you will be departing.

You must physically take the equipment to the office and a CBP Officer will record the description of the item and its serial number on a CBP Form 4457 Certificate of Registration for Personal Effects Taken Abroad.

The CBP Officer will then stamp and sign the form and give it to you to present upon your return. A registration can be used for more than one trip as long as it is for the same equipment.

It’s very convenient for me – Savannah is a port of entry and the Customs House on Bay Street is where I can go to register.

Time to get cracking to find serial numbers and such!

Take A Break: Trip Videos Are Helpful And Keep Boredom At Bay During Trip Planning

Let’s face it.

Fantasizing is what got us in this enviable pickle to begin with.

Reading and dreaming about the warm Tuscan sun on our backs set us to scheming. The idea of treading historic footpaths dating back to the days of Roman emperors whetted our curiosity. Idyllic images of plump hams hanging and waiting to become a thin slice of prosciutto turned us into Pavlovian puppets.

So now we set about making the fantasy a reality. Still, all work and no play makes an enthusiastic trip planned a dull statistician. That’s where travel videos are a welcome diversion.

I’ve scoured the web to come up with a few websites that offer several free travel videos that encompass areas we will see in England and Italy. Take time out from planning to learn something from a visual resource. Sit back and fantasize, your trip is just around the corner!

TourVideos.com: This large collection of travel videos takes you along on actual bus, train and walking tours of the world’s greatest travel destinations. It gives an insightful look into group travel – and a broad stroke view of the environments.

View the England videos here; Italian tour videos are here.

RickSteves.com: The undisputed doge of European travel – with a penchant for Italy, is TV and radio host, author and tour operator Rick Steves. His website includes several of his full length television shows — plus links to other travel advice, guides and maps. His dry, tongue-in-cheek sense of humor keeps everything – and everyone – grounded. Check out his video clips from Great Britain and Italy here.

A Simple List Helps Begin Planning

After going back and forth with our calendars – and factoring my London trip into the equation – we came up with an initial strategy.

TJ will fly out the day after me to help save her vacation time, since I will be busy in London anyway. She will arrive Saturday and have time to decompress and poke around – then we will have Sunday together. Monday, we will fly to Italy.

The big variable was determining how much time she will spend in Italy. She decided that, even though my return ticket to Savannah is from London on a Monday, that she wanted to return to Savannah the previous Friday.

That gives her two full weeks in Italy – and leaves me with three nights on the tail end of the trip. Currently, I have not decided if I will return to London when she leaves, stay in Florence (her departure city) or wander around Tuscany some more. Regardless, I must be back to London on Sunday night in order to catch my LHR to SAV flight on Monday morning.

Welcome To Our Italian Vacation Planner

Welcome to #tntitaly!

The "tnt" is for “Tim and TJ,” we’re planning a trip to Italy this spring and are sharing the process with you. This is our first trip to Italy – and abroad for that matter. I am a food and drinks journalist. TJ is a former journalist who has become a social worker and psychotherapist -- and we’re both n’ere-be-wrong Scorpios.

In beginning planning for our trip, I quickly became frustrated by the information that is available. There’s plenty of it – scattered like tissues in the wind all over the Internet. There are guide books, videos and blogs. There are as many “discount” sites for flights, lodging and car rental as there are days in the year.

Through this blog, we hope to give you a framework for planning your own trip. There will be ideas to take away for wherever you’re planning to travel – and other resources that are specific to Italy.

We planned to go last year, but didn’t. This spring, I got the offer of a working trip from one of my clients and it left me-- after three days-- in London. That company was gracious enough to give me a two-week return date – and suddenly, we’re just one-round-trip ticket away from two beautiful weeks in Italy. Stay tuned as I report on advice from seasoned Italian travelers, begin to lay out our itinerary and give you tips for planning, shopping for tickets, finding lodging and more.

Oh, the name #tntitaly – what’s that about? For once, I had some forethought – as we build this blog and then embark on our Italian adventure, we will post via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #tntitaly.

Enjoy…and until next post…ciao!