Just for your entertainment...

Want to have some fun?

Here is the link to our hotel in Assisi -- and the website is full of photos!

(It tends to cycle through them too quickly for my taste, but you'll get the idea!)

Benvenuto (Welcome)!

At the Hermitage, above Assisi

A warm welcome to Gina and Joyce from St. Mary's parish in Goldsboro, who have joined our motley crew preparing for the pilgrimage!!

Learning about the country

Wikitravel has a lot of good information about many aspects of Italy-- history, food, shopping, city overviews.
If you've got some time, I encourage you to check out this link.

PLEASE NOTE: We have had a few last-minute cancellations that opened up spots for new pilgrims to register! You/they have until August 31 to decide to join this great adventure! Please see the "Itinerary" link to the left.

Luggage (Bagagli)

One of you asked for some clarification on the carry-on size listed in the "Travel Reminders" mailing you were sent by Catholic Travel.

Here are the actual luggage size/weight restrictions for US Airlines:

• Your first (and hopefully only!) checked bag is free, and may weigh up to 50 pounds.
• You may also take one carry-on plus one personal item (e.g., purse or laptop case). 
• The dimensions of the carry-on (height plus width plus depth) can add up to 45 inches (e.g., 14"x9"x22") and weigh a maximum of 20 pounds.

Please do not pack more than one checked bag- all of our luggage will have to be loaded onto one bus, and the hotel bellhops are only expected to transport one bag per traveler.

Speaking of luggage...
if you haven't flown much in the past ten years, it's an understatement to say that things have changed! So while airport security now wants to be able to open your checked bags, we all still want to be able to LOCK it! (And we want to be able to lock our luggage while it's in our hotel rooms, too.)

Here's how to have it both ways: be sure that your little luggage lock has a symbol on it like this:
It doesn't matter what brand you buy (and you can get the locks at Target, AAA Travel, etc), but look for that little red diamond TSA-approved symbol. (They are made so that security can open your lock if needed, without destroying your lock.)

And if you have any old 'unapproved' locks, you could throw one or two inside your luggage (and their keys!) for the hotel. Now, we will be staying in nice hotels. And- it's just best to reduce temptation when you can, right?

Italy, here we come!!!

Our final total of pilgrims is 29, plus Fr. David and me, representing at least a half dozen parishes! Let me try to list them, and if I left yours out, please send me a comment:

• St. Andrew the Apostle, Apex
• St. Michael the Archangel, Cary
• Our Lady of Lourdes, Raleigh
• Blessed Sacrament, Burlington
• Our Lady of the Rosary, Louisburg
• St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Raeford
• St. Therese,Wrightsville Beach

 Getting excited?!?

I'm hungry now (Ho fame ora)

 I just ran across a link to this page that talks about authentic Italian food and makes some restaurant recommendations. Of course, I don't know one way or the other if the places are actually fantastico, but I enjoyed reading the descriptions!

Most of our dinners will be provided, but lunches and a night or two will provide a chance for you to explore!

Thinking ahead: packing

Many hotels in Europe do not provide washcloths.

So, add THAT to your packing list!

But here's an idea... if you have an old washcloth or two that are wearing out, you could bring it along and throw it away at the end of the trip (or, one for Assisi, one for Rome!) That way, there is just *that* much more space in your luggage for souvenirs on the way home.

This also works for old underwear... although I'd suggest not wearing those on the day we fly... just in case you get that *extra* special patdown!

You know what else works great for traveling/packing? Those mesh sponge pouffy things:

You can squish them down to almost nothing. Just bring a small plastic bag in case it hasn't dried fully when we have to move from one hotel to the next. (And again, keep it or toss it at the end of the trip)