Buon Viaggio 2009 - The Official "Ciao/Good Riddance, Keystone Phil!" thread.

[Keystone Phil]

I'm really bored. Watching "To Catch A Predator: The Unseen Tapes" re-runs gets old pretty fast. I figured I could attention whore it up a bit.

One week from today, I'm leaving for Italy. I decided to make a thread for forum members to share how jealous they are that I'm going to such an amazing place while they're stuck with their sad, meaningless lives in - as opebo calls it - the "Bad Place." This is also where certain members can post fake stories about me being killed in taxi accidents and stuff like that.

I'll leave you with a few images of where I'll be in just a week...

[Keystone Phil]

I love To Catch a Predator! I watch it all the time!

Yeah, it's great but when you see the same re-runs over and over and over...

Luckily, they don't need this program in Italy. They don't have sexual predators there.

[Keystone Phil]

I love To Catch a Predator! I watch it all the time!

Yeah, it's great but when you see the same re-runs over and over and over...

Luckily, they don't need this program in Italy. They don't have sexual predators there.

Nah, they call them "il presidente."

Nice one. 

[Keystone Phil]

I know how Italian men are the least likely to be hot blooded and pushy! They aren't known to be great lovers either.

[Keystone Phil]

Do you just go to Europe whenever you feel like it?

Nope - 2000 and 2008 were planned family trips, paid for by my family. 2006 was a trip I paid for out of my personal savings. Same with this trip. I wasn't supposed to go this year but I am really bored so I decided to take some of my savings for this. I do hope to take a trip there once a year when I'm out of school with a real job. Some people spend tons of money on other interests throughout the year. Mine just happens to be traveling to a certain place in southern Europe so it's not that odd.

 

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Yeah, I'm not sharing that.    I'm not rich or anything. I'll say that much.

How good is your Italian, Phil?

Terrible but I'm from America! The greatest country in the world! I have every intention of going over there and saying, "This is Italy! Speak English!"



Seriously, though, my Italian is terrible but I can get by with my English. I'm going to brush up on some basic Italian though. When I go for a month next year, I think I may need a little more Italian (even though I'll still be in an area where English is known) so I'll get Rosetta Stone.

Phil,

Spain is better then italy.

Wrong

Do you just go to Europe whenever you feel like it? How much money do you have?

Pfft, that's nothing. I'm in Europe almost every day. Actually there haven't been a day in my life yet that I haven't been to Europe. That's how rich I am baby.

Have fun in Italia Phil, we'll miss you when you get abduted by the Mafia.

[Keystone Phil]

I'm not getting enough attention so this needs to be bumped.

[Keystone Phil]

Enjoy yourself.

Grazie

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Peroni is disgusting. That was my first beer. I had to force myself to finish it. Wait...did I even finish it? It was very bitter.

I have a feeling that I won't like any beer.

[Keystone Phil]

Phil, how much on average does it cost to go on a trip like that? Say a week abroad with hotel, car, etc. If you don't feel comfortable answering here you can do in PM. I'm interested in taking a vacation with my family and have thought about Europe. Do you think I could take my family abroad for under 15k?

Well, first of all, do not rent a car in Italy. Just don't. They're animals over there when it comes to driving.    

This trip was originally supposed to be just for me. I was going to stay in Naples and visit spots around the city. Then my Dad found out and wanted to go. He has never been to the Motherland before so now we're taking day trips to Rome. I wasn't originally planning on doing this but I'm glad he mentioned it because even if he ended up deciding against the trip, I realized how day trips to Rome were such a great idea (even if I've been there plenty of times before   ).

If you plan to travel the Boot or anywhere in Europe, do day trips by train. It's fast and cheap. Round trip from Naples to Rome is just about two hours for only about 20 Euro (about $30). You can't beat that. It's definitely better than driving.

Can you do a trip with a family of four for under $15,000 (car not included)? Yes but just barely. It's hard to pin down exactly how much is a good amount for food and entertainment money but I can say that my hotel - one of the nicest in Naples in the very nice area of town - is only $1,777 for eleven days/ten nights. I got it through Travelocity. That's an amazing deal. I would recommend using Travelocity to almost anyone but I'm assuming this is your first trip to Europe and it's with your family so you may want to pay a bit extra and good through a travel agent. If you're confident that you can do it on your own, go for it. You get great deals.

I can't decide whether or not he's serious.

Everytime he pulls out this Texaslefty nonsense, I can't decide whether I'm tired of it or whether I want to fall over in laughter.

Phil, how much on average does it cost to go on a trip like that? Say a week abroad with hotel, car, etc. If you don't feel comfortable answering here you can do in PM. I'm interested in taking a vacation with my family and have thought about Europe. Do you think I could take my family abroad for under 15k?

You didn't ask me, but I've got a big mouth: 15k should be way more than enough if you're as miserly as I am . You can get some really good deals online, and you really, really don't need a car in Europe. If I remember correctly, you've got small kids though. I'd either leave them at home with a sitter or wait until they're older.

Good point about leaving the kids. I didn't go until I was 12 (my Sister was 10) because my family didn't think I would truly appreciate it until I was older. We had to wait until my younger cousins turned 11 and 13, respectively, until we went again for the same reason.

[Keystone Phil]

Do the bellas know you're on your way?   

Oh, I'm not commenting on this one... 

[Keystone Phil]

Swedish embassy told her that it was to be expected, since it is Italy.

Joke Country

[Keystone Phil]

Yep, it is official.

I landed in Milan just before sunrise. We arrived in Naples around 9 AM. I only had about a dozen brushes with death on the five minute drive from the airport to my hotel. Got to love this driving. I slept from 10 until now. Time to explore.

[Keystone Phil]

How long will you be there?

I return to The Ugly Place on July 31st.
 

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Oh, I know. Good thing I don't really like beer anyway.

[Keystone Phil]

Have you found your bride yet?

I am not commenting on this. 

[Keystone Phil]

How long will you be there?

I return to The Ugly Place on July 31st.

Hi, opebo!

Haha, I know, right?

Have you found your bride yet?

I am not commenting on this. 

Are you going to take the 5th?

Sì, sto prendendo il quinto.

[Keystone Phil]

I just found out one of my roommates for next year is from a town in Italy called Avellino.

I wanted to post that somewhere but didn't really want to start a new thread, so yeah.

Isn't that where the Sopranos are from in the old country?

That's where Tony's family is from. Paulie's family is from Ariano Irpino. The rest are Sicilians (if what Paulie said in that one episode was accurate). Speaking of which, I was walking around the other day and came across the tunnel that was in a scene in that episode. I took a picture, of course. I think I also passed by the hotel where they stayed.

Anyway, my Dad's side is from a town about a half hour outside of Avellino (about an hour from Naples).