Planning and Departing

 As with previous trips Katherine and I have taken, we keep a small running list of the Gate1 tours that are of interest to us.  A tour to Italy might seem a bit "pedestrian" compared to some of our other destinations -- especially as both of us have at least seen parts of Italy in the past -- but what has always intrigued us both was the opportunity to visit the famed Amalfi Coast.  With that in mind, we identified a trip offered by Gate1 which had the itinerary we wanted.  Namely, we saw no reason to revisit some of the better-known locations in Italy, so we honed in on the 13-day tour called "Northern Italy, with Tuscany and Amalfi."  With that in mind, we waited until this tour was offered on sale, and we booked in September 2023 for a departure one-year later.  Italy is known for being a magnet for tourists over the summer, and we figured going in September would offer both cooler temperatures and fewer people.  

Going later in the year, though meant that it seemed a like very long slog until we finally got to take a trip in 2024.  Summer dragged on and, as fate would have it, I got word of my new job only a few days before we were to leave.  That made the timing difficult, but also rather perfect, as this would offer a well-desired break before starting in the new position.

Itinerary of Our Trip

We left home on Friday, 30 August.  We have a new dog watcher, who we "test drove" during our visit to my brother's earlier in the summer, to celebrate my dad's 90th birthday.  She and Chip got along great, so we felt okay leaving him in her care.  We booked a late-night flight, allowing us both to work a full day and not have to compete with all the other international flights departing around dinner time.  We were booked on Lufthansa, and flew to Milan over Munich.  I was excited as, after we booked, Lufthansa changed the plane for our Dulles to Munich leg to the massive Airbus A380; a plane on which I had yet to fly.  It also meant more seats, allowing me to upgrade us to business class for both our outbound and return trips, which always makes traveling easier.

We flew upstairs on the plane, the entire length of which comprises First and Business Class. We had a short delay on departure, but had sufficient padding for our connection in Munich that we had no concerns. I have to rate this first flight as the smoothest long-haul leg I have ever flown.  We felt zero motion the entire trip, which allowed us both to get in some good sleep.

Lufthansa Airbus A380

Pre-Departure Drink!