Ballooning in Tuscany!

i want whatever job it is you have Beth. You take way too many vactions, and have way too much fun.
good for you :)
 
Ballooning is so much fun. I have been a chase crew member for over 10 years now. Hope you have lots of fun.

And I second what Michael says.

Brook
 
thanks! Vacation is my middle name.

I'm really psyched about this trip. I'm heading to Venice, Florence and Rome too, but this will be the only "ballooning".

Brook, what does a chase crew member do?
 
woodstock said:
whee! I just got my plane tickets confirmed, heading to Italy in May.

and I am going to go ballooning in Tuscany!

check out the various photos and info. This will be really splendid.

http://www.ballooningintuscany.com/
Click to expand...

Oh, what a fabulous trip. I love Tuscany. Here's the place I stayed last time I was there:

http://www.amorosa.it/

If you can possibly arrange a meal at Poggio Antico, it is well worth it. I think the meal I had there was one of the finest I've ever had, anywhere.
http://www.poggioantico.com/english/ristorante_e.htm
 
wsuffa said:
Oh, what a fabulous trip. I love Tuscany. Here's the place I stayed last time I was there:

http://www.amorosa.it/

If you can possibly arrange a meal at Poggio Antico, it is well worth it. I think the meal I had there was one of the finest I've ever had, anywhere.
http://www.poggioantico.com/english/ristorante_e.htm
Click to expand...


thanks Bill! I was actually going to ask if anyone could reco a splashout place to stay. currently I am trying to get into www.letraverse.it

I've heard about Poggio Antico, it's on the list now for sure.
 
woodstock said:
thanks Bill! I was actually going to ask if anyone could reco a splashout place to stay. currently I am trying to get into www.letraverse.it

I've heard about Poggio Antico, it's on the list now for sure.
Click to expand...

That hotel looks nice from the website. There are a number of others in Montelcino and Montepulciano.

Have you looked at the Karen Brown guide http://www.karenbrown.com/search.asp or the Michelin guide http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/hme/MaHomePage.htm ?
 
Have a marvelous time! It sounds heavenly. Ever since I read Francis Mays books I wanted to go there.

terry
 
thanks Bill - Le Traverse is actually on her site. cool! I hope I get a room. The views from the terrace and pool are something else.

Terry, I'll take plenty of pictures!
 
woodstock said:
thanks! Vacation is my middle name.

I'm really psyched about this trip. I'm heading to Venice, Florence and Rome too, but this will be the only "ballooning".

Brook, what does a chase crew member do?
Click to expand...
So, when you gonna' add Pvt Pilot to your name? If the pic in your current avitar looks anything like you I could hook you up to meet your spittin' image in Phoenix, my sis.
 
Richard said:
So, when you gonna' add Pvt Pilot to your name? If the pic in your current avitar looks anything like you I could hook you up to meet your spittin' image in Phoenix, my sis.
Click to expand...


well, the photo was taken a few weeks ago so I'd say I look the same. funny, I hear a LOT of people say I look just like people they know...

PPSEL? I hope this summer! I'm away practically every other weekend for a while so it's going to be tough...
 
woodstock said:
thanks! Vacation is my middle name.

I'm really psyched about this trip. I'm heading to Venice, Florence and Rome too, but this will be the only "ballooning".

Brook, what does a chase crew member do?
Click to expand...

A chase crew member helps assemble the balloon, cold inflate it, and hot inflate it (ya put weight on so it doesnt float away). Then you pack up the supplies....the fan, the cover to the envelope, and other odds and ends. You have a radio (handheld) to keep in touch with the pilot from the chase vehicle. You see which way the balloon goes and you follow it. When they land, you dismantle the balloon and pack it up, put it in the trailer or on the truck and you have a PARTY!!!!!

All in all great fun....a lot of work....but great fun. Its also very peaceful.

Have fun.

obtw i thought you were already ppsel.
 
We've been to Venice and Rome. You'll have a blast. My wife likes Venice better than Rome. While checking on places to see and stay, get Rick Steve's books. We've used his books several times when traveling in Europe and he has yet to stear us wrong. If anything he has been a bit cautious in his recommendations.

Our hotel was just a block off St. Mark's Square in Venice. And in Rome we were a block from the entrance to the Vatican museum. Plan on a day at the Vatican. It's worth every minute (and I'm not Catholic).
 
Brook - I'm on the long term student plan! my sched has been:

fly fly fly, eye surgery

fly fly fly, weather weather weather

fly fly fly, vacation vacation vacation

fly fly fly, new CFI new CFI new CFI.

I've actually had the same one for a while and have made a lot of progress - we did a lot of night flying and had started XCs. December I was literally away every single wkd, and January Independence went bust and we had to cancel all my lessons b/c he was job seeking. Feb was more wkds away and now he's in the Caymans. March I will be in Florida... on it goes. I think April we will be able to start flying mid week again so I expect to move things along again.

Ghery, Rick Steves is great. I have a number of his books. His "Europe through the back door" took me on my first solo backpacking trip around Europe many many years ago.

Bill - I found a place! here it is:

www.relaisilchiostrodipienza.com
 
Last edited:
woodstock said:
The Wildner. Right next door to the Danieli, on the Riva degli Schiavoni. (say that 4 times fast).
Click to expand...

Nice area. Don't know the hotel.
 
wsuffa said:
Nice area. Don't know the hotel.
Click to expand...

all I know is I get a marvelous view of St. Mark's Basin and the Salute from my window. which is exactly what I was looking for. Around the corner are the grand old coffee houses and I have the whole Piazza as my morning stroll.
 
woodstock said:
all I know is I get a marvelous view of St. Mark's Basin and the Salute from my window. which is exactly what I was looking for. Around the corner are the grand old coffee houses and I have the whole Piazza as my morning stroll.
Click to expand...

Sounds absolutely marvelous. I'm ready to go back.
 
I'm an American, but my ancestry is Italian. I've been to the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Belgium, Holland, but never Italy! Damn I want to go there! Oh wait, I think one of my ski's tips went over the Italian border when I was in Davos. :(

Hope you're having a great time Elizabeth!
 
Anthony said:
I'm an American, but my ancestry is Italian. I've been to the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Belgium, Holland, but never Italy! Damn I want to go there! Oh wait, I think one of my ski's tips went over the Italian border when I was in Davos. :(

Hope you're having a great time Elizabeth!
Click to expand...

not there yet! this is in May - late May. I just secured the tickets. got the hotels lined up, and a few fun things. there will be a lot of wine consumed and bought I can tell you this - Brunello di Montalcino, Rossi di Montalcino... etc etc.

Ghery, ya gotta go back!
 
woodstock said:
not there yet! this is in May - late May. I just secured the tickets. got the hotels lined up, and a few fun things. there will be a lot of wine consumed and bought I can tell you this - Brunello di Montalcino, Rossi di Montalcino... etc etc.

Ghery, ya gotta go back!
Click to expand...
I for one am already looking forward to the nicely composed pictures you take.

You planning on making a flight while there? You know, get one of those fiery romantic daredevil pilot types to take you on a sightseeing aerial picnic over the Alps in May.
 
woodstock said:
Ghery, ya gotta go back!
Click to expand...

I know. However, there are too many other places I have to go on business. I'm in Penang. Going to Bangkok tomorrow. Have meetings in Germany and Israel in May. More meetings in Sweden in September. Vacations in Mexico and Hawaii. Meetings in Portland, Oregon in August. And the list goes on.

I do know this, when my wife and I retire we will spend our children's inheritance on more travel.
 
OK Ghery, now I want YOUR job. you and Scott win for traveling I think.

Richard, why thank you. I'll surely post some here.
 
ps. have you filled a passport yet? my last one I came darn close. this one I will for sure.
 
woodstock said:
ps. have you filled a passport yet? my last one I came darn close. this one I will for sure.
Click to expand...

My passport is 3 years old and I've already had to have pages added. With luck I won't have to do that again as they added a significant number of pages.
 
Ghery said:
My passport is 3 years old and I've already had to have pages added. With luck I won't have to do that again as they added a significant number of pages.
Click to expand...

I really hope you save them! this will be nice to show your grandkids one day.

I just bought the 1000 places to see before you die. When it comes in (Amazon) I'm going to have fun checking out my travels versus her opinion on must-sees.
 
Ghery said:
My passport is 3 years old and I've already had to have pages added. With luck I won't have to do that again as they added a significant number of pages.
Click to expand...
My latest just turned 2 years old. I got the extra page version from the git go, 48 pages instead of 24, and I only have three pages left. Then I'll hav eto send it in for more pages.

The last one had pages put in twice and the one before that had pages inserted once.
 
woodstock said:
I really hope you save them! this will be nice to show your grandkids one day.

I just bought the 1000 places to see before you die. When it comes in (Amazon) I'm going to have fun checking out my travels versus her opinion on must-sees.
Click to expand...

The thing that pi**ed me off the most when my passport was stolen was not so much the hassle of getting a new one, it was that the pages were 3/4 filled with stamps, including some countries that I might not visit again anytime soon (or maybe ever if the middle east stays the way it is).

I bought that book a couple of years ago, and immediately started marking off the places I've been.
 
wsuffa said:
The thing that pi**ed me off the most when my passport was stolen was not so much the hassle of getting a new one, it was that the pages were 3/4 filled with stamps, including some countries that I might not visit again anytime soon (or maybe ever if the middle east stays the way it is).

I bought that book a couple of years ago, and immediately started marking off the places I've been.
Click to expand...

I understand that concern. I have a passport from my younger days (like, 35 years ago) with stamps you can't replace today for any price. DDR.

I got that book for Christmas. My wife and I sat down and started going through it noting the places that were listed that we've already been to. :D Still have a LOT to go.
 
Ghery said:
I understand that concern. I have a passport from my younger days (like, 35 years ago) with stamps you can't replace today for any price. DDR.

I got that book for Christmas. My wife and I sat down and started going through it noting the places that were listed that we've already been to. :D Still have a LOT to go.
Click to expand...


I have a Checkpoint Charlie stamp BUT got it in 1993. Some guy had set up shop there and you could take photos of the site (at the time, it was still kinda beat up looking) and get your passport stamped. I must have heard about it ahead of time as I'm not one to carry my passport around but I can't remember where I was clued in. Maybe it was Rick Steves. (this was pre-internet!) The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie close by was really moving.

in 1987 I was in Germany visiting friends (Army) and found out a day too late that their outfit had gone on a wkd day trip to Berlin! I still kick myself for missing it, whoda thunk it that two years later the Wall would come down.
 
Ghery said:
I understand that concern. I have a passport from my younger days (like, 35 years ago) with stamps you can't replace today for any price. DDR.

I got that book for Christmas. My wife and I sat down and started going through it noting the places that were listed that we've already been to. :D Still have a LOT to go.
Click to expand...


I have a Checkpoint Charlie stamp BUT got it in 1993. Some guy had set up shop there and you could take photos of the site (at the time, it was still kinda beat up looking) and get your passport stamped. I must have heard about it ahead of time as I'm not one to carry my passport around but I can't remember where I was clued in. Maybe it was Rick Steves. (this was pre-internet!) The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie close by was really moving.

in 1987 I was in Germany visiting friends (Army) and found out a day too late that their outfit had gone on a wkd day trip to Berlin! I still kick myself for missing it, whoda thunk it that two years later the Wall would come down.
 
smigaldi said:
My latest just turned 2 years old. I got the extra page version from the git go, 48 pages instead of 24, and I only have three pages left. Then I'll hav eto send it in for more pages.

The last one had pages put in twice and the one before that had pages inserted once.
Click to expand...

I have to ask... how do you (when you add pages or get a new passport) transfer visas? I have a 10 year indian visa and a 5 year chinese one that will have to follow me if I fill this badboy up (not sure I will, but you never know). I just wondered how you transfer from one to the other...

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
astanley said:
I have to ask... how do you (when you add pages or get a new passport) transfer visas? I have a 10 year indian visa and a 5 year chinese one that will have to follow me if I fill this badboy up (not sure I will, but you never know). I just wondered how you transfer from one to the other...

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...

good question. I have a Brazilian one as well.
 
astanley said:
I have to ask... how do you (when you add pages or get a new passport) transfer visas? I have a 10 year indian visa and a 5 year chinese one that will have to follow me if I fill this badboy up (not sure I will, but you never know). I just wondered how you transfer from one to the other...

Cheers,

-Andrew
Click to expand...

New passport, I think you're out of luck. Adding pages is done by taping an insert with more pages (24) into the center of the passport. Anything already there is not affected in any way. I've got multi-entry visas for Brazil and Korea that were not impacted by adding pages.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top