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Plan a 36 days trip to Italy If you are Chinese FriendFinder paid members, you can read my profile and know I will be on a 36 days trip to Italy from Oct 15 to Nov 19 this year. I love to travel, to see the world. I am retired pharmacist and took care of my mom for near 5 years, she passed away in Sept 2013. So, I am free to travel the world. My next "bucket list" destination is Italy Choose a travel agency for safety and convenience I have joined "24 hr Fitness" after my mom passed. There is a 73+ old Caucasian woman in my "Aqua Aerobics" class who enjoys travel so much that she traveled 70 - 80+ countries. She is divorced, widowed, no , retired, she spent all her savings on traveling. She introduced me to "Overseas Adventurous Travel" that I can get $100 USD discount and she too. I told her my last big trip was to Australia and New Zealand with "Women Traveling Together" for 16 days to save the hotel "double occupancy". She told me O.A.T. has "single room" for singles without paying "double occupancy". When I was in marriage, my family went to Hawaii, many U.S. National Parks, Europe, Canada West Coast (Louise Lake), and U.S. East Coast (New York, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, ...) all used Chinese travel agencies. I found out Chinese agencies took us to eat Chinese food. Only one lunch to eat Escargot in Paris, France. Chinese agencies don't take us to eat local exotic food. That's why ever since 2004 separation, I joined American travel agencies except the China trip in 2008 with Chinese agency that took us to eat Beijing duck, ... authentic Chinese food. I enjoyed "lamb cutter", "seafood platter" in New Zealand and "kangaroo steak and crocodile meat" and "Barramundi fish in Australia in 2015. I also enjoyed Hawaiian local foods "parka", "chicken and pork Lau Laus", (please refer to my other blog in 2016) I choose travel agency for safety concern. Of course, I traveled alone without agency when I went beck to Taiwan in 2011 and to Hawaii in 2016. Travel agency can provide air tickets (group rate discount), hotel reservation (group rate), bus transpiration, ticket for the show or museum. I heard that "Sistine Chapel in Vatican" needs to wait for long line for a day to get next day ticket. Agency can provide itinerary and local tour guides to explain the local history or scenery. I gained much knowledge from traveling and enjoyed their culture. Travel agency can arrange those things for me. I do homework before departure. I know Italy has "cobblestone streets" 鵝卵石路, so don't wear high heels or stiletto 細高跟女鞋, and bag-snatchers, Pickpockets, street urchins (often Albanians or Gypsies not Italians), so I will wear waist money belt, Italian outlet power adapters that are different from USA. I have been to Australia and NZ, so I know different countries using different outlet power adapters to charge your smartphone phone and laptop computer. I will post more blogs about the Italy trip upon my return in Nov 2018.    Honesty is the best policy. |
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Hi Kayra, Thanks for your blessing for a happy trip to Italy. I don't expect to have a romance on my trip. You know me, I am an atheist, most of Italians are Catholic. It is too much difference. I don't trust a man who lives far away (more than 50 miles from me). I have failed a marriage, I have clam-up. "Once bitten, twice shy". It is a "tall order" for me to find another lover who I can trust as much as my banker friend. Honesty is the best policy.
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Well, I'm still missing my banker friend but just not agree with him about Trump reduce income tax for top 1% rich people. I am selling one of my properties and make great profile. But I am NOT doing well on my stock trading. It frustrated. So, I am going on travel to forget about those frustration. I can't travel alone, so I join a travel group. They keep me company and someone I can talk to. I don't speak Italian. They are Americans. Probably I am the only Asian. My trip is from center of Italy Florence to South - Rome. Then 2nd trip to even further South - Sicily. I won't go to Milan or Venice in the North part of Italy. It will be long trip for 36 days. Honesty is the best policy.
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Ever since I was 5 years old in Taiwan, my mom took me to see many movies that filmed in Europe. The most impressed movie is Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck movie "Roman Holiday". I always wanted to go to Italy. I have booked Italy trip since June this year and paid in full. This Italy trip combines two in one. The first trip includes Tuscany, Umbria and Rome (Vatican includes) . The group will go back home (USA), but I will have 4 days/ 4 nights on my own. I decided to stay in Rome for 2 nights and then fly to Sicily and stay for 2 more nights before the 2nd trip starts. The 2nd trip is Sicily. From Oct 15 to Nov 19 for 36 days. I am waiting for the detail itinerary to come. I haven't been to Germany yet. Honesty is the best policy.
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I don't use Chinese travel agencies because I saw many times that they told us to go on the bus and wait for him. Actually he was collecting "kick back commission 付回扣" or under the table 私下地, 祕密地 counting how much total of the group paid for the merchandises we purchased. All the Chinese agents do this kick-back money with the merchants. Also the Chinese travel agents took us to certain Chinese restaurants to eat for the food that he already ordered. When I joined with American travel agencies, they let us to order the food we like "individually". I ordered the local exotic food I like in Australia and NZ trip. I ate the food I want on an Alaska cruise and a Mexico cruise. I had freedom to order my food from the menu. I don't like the Chinese agent pre-ordered for a group before we arrived to the restaurant. They make extra money from store owners and restaurant owners. I can't choose my favorite local food. Ridiculous!! Although my English is not 100% understand, but I choose American travel agencies over Chinese. Just because I don't want to see the kick-back, under the table money they were making and no freedom to choose local authentic restaurant and my favorite food. It is against my wish and principle. Honesty is the best policy.
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I'd like to ask many Aussies who read my profile, "have you ever eaten Kangaroo steak, crocodile meat or Barramundi fish in your country?? There are some NZ read my profile on Chinese FriendFinder "have you eaten lamb cutter in your country??" French "have you eaten escargot in your country??" Those foods are "out of the world". Yummy!!!   Honesty is the best policy.
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Things you need to know before you travel to Italy. Photo 1. Italy is an ancient country that built streets for horses called cobblestone streets 鵝卵石路. We need to protect our feet by wearing thick soft shoes. Don't wear high heels or stilettos 細高跟女鞋. Traveling needs lots of walking. Photo 2. It is not safe to carry your handbag on the streets in Rome. I heard there are many Albanians or Gypsies in Italy who are poor and snatch the tourist's bags or pickpockets. The best way to protect yourself is hiding your credit card and cash money inside your socks in your tennis shoes. (I would put credit card and cash in a small plastic bag before hide in my socks.) Wear a waist money belt is an alternative. Don't carry handbags, purse or even over shoulder purse because those Gypsy will rob or pickpocket or cut your bags anyway. Don't sympathize the beggars on the streets because when you took money out, they know where your money is. Photo 3. Italy has 3 holes socket that is different from USA, Taiwan or China or Japan 2 hole socket. You need to buy the socket adapters to charge your smartphone, laptop computer at hotel room in Italy. 4. Italy using "EURO" currency. Please prepare lots of small bills such as 1 EURO because you need to tip the hotel room cleaning ladies every day. I heard Italian restaurant or shopping store, you need to pay $1 EURO to use toilet. There are people standing there to collect your $1 EURO to let you in. The water in restaurant is not free, you need to buy water bottle even you eat there. No free water or juice or Coke or wine. Prepare lots of $1 EURO. 5. Do not wear low-cut sexy dress in Sistine Chapel in Vatican. Respect the Catholic religion, have courtesy. I heard if females visit Muslim mosque, you need to cover-up from head to toe. I have never been to any Muslim predominant country in Mid-East or Indonesia or Malaysia. Honesty is the best policy.
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