Please sign in to post.

International Travel Group Meeting is Sunday, March 2 at 9:30a.m. Pacific Time

The March International Travel Group meeting is almost here. Please join us. Each meeting we have two topics, a country, region or city in Europe and a more general topic. I’m always interested to hear any topics you would like to talk about. You can mention them on this post, during the meeting or send me a PM.

Topics for this month:

  • Sicily
  • What guidebooks do you like besides Rick’s? In case this topic looks familiar, we ran out of time last month and didn’t get to it.

You must respond each month to let me know you would like to attend. If you have attended before I already have your email address. If not, you need to send it to me in a PM. I will not have time to ask you for it if you neglect to do this. The emails with the zoom link will be emailed 1 - 2 hours before the meeting begins. I will post here when I’ve sent them. If you didn’t get it check your junk/spam folder and if it’s not there contact me ASAP. Once the meeting begins I will be unable to do anything.

In the last 6 months or more I have gotten meeting requests every month from people with 1 post (the one requesting to join) or PM’s from people with 0 posts. We welcome everyone, but without a posting history I am asking you to private message me and tell me a little about yourself and provide your real name. I have been asking people to do that and 50% of the time they don’t respond. I wonder why.

Future meetings:

*No meeting in April since I will be traveling
*Sunday, May 4
*Sunday, June 1

Posted by
3717 posts

I would like to attend please, Andrea.
I’ll send you my address again, just in case!
I was in Sicily in April 2023 and loved it though it was a short visit.
Thanks.

Posted by
8163 posts

Hi Andrea, I will be coming back from Spain soon so probably staying home on Sunday. I would like to join this one. Thanks! I really enjoyed my five nights in Palermo last year & interested in others’ input on the rest of the island, i.e. tour recommended for this one?

Posted by
2 posts

My wife and I would like to attend this meeting. We will be heading to Sicily in May (with a Rick Steves tour). We have been on a handful of his tours already. Thank you

Posted by
8814 posts

Oh, I would like to. Can I leave it as a maybe, Andrea? My daughter and her family are all moving out of the house on Saturday, then the photographer is coming on Monday to take photos for the listing, so I have a feeling it will be pretty crazy. I should get a feel for whether I can attend by Thursday or Friday next week, so will confirm (if there's room). Thanks!

Posted by
558 posts

Ah, I'll miss this one as I'll be in Seattle--meeting my daughter's MIL to be and dress shopping with the bride.

Posted by
336 posts

I visited Sicily 12 years ago on an RS tour and loved it. Would like to hear about people’s more recent trips to Sicily. Thanks, Andrea.

Posted by
160 posts

I’d like to attend. I’ve missed the last couple of months, but am finally able to attend again. :-)

Posted by
2935 posts

Include me please, thank you.

I'm curious about hearing comparisons between one base with day trips vs. changing hotels while in Sicily.

Posted by
8814 posts

Andrea, I’m thinking it’s going to be way too hectic here for me to be able to attend. So I will miss it this month. Have a good meeting!

Posted by
10823 posts

Hi everyone, I just got back from a 5 day trip to LA and am catching up with this. To those of you who have been to Sicily, I hope you’re willingly to share your knowledge. I’ve never been there, though it is on my my mental list of places I would like to go.

@ Mardee, best of luck with your move.

@ Diane, I hope you have a great time in Mexico.

@ CanAmCherie, I hope you have a wonderful time in Seattle wedding dress shopping. I went with my daughter to find her dress in Seattle. She found her perfect dress at I do Bridal at 424 N 85th St. if you’re still looking for places. It was a really good experience.

Posted by
2102 posts

Andrea, I'd like to attend and I took the Rick tour of Sicily back in 2011 (I think.) I'll get my journal and photo book out and refresh myself on my trip. I do remember though our guide was Alfio and he is still my #1 favorite guide.

Posted by
5685 posts

I love the eastern side of Sicily and wish I could join to get more insights on the western side. But I am going to lunch and the ballet in the city on Sunday!

Posted by
15806 posts

It was a while ago, but I spent 2 wonderful weeks in Sicily with a car - no accidents - but I did get lost once. Please include me.

Posted by
4432 posts

So bummed out I can’t attend. I have a fundraiser for a local group. My friend is on the committee so I agreed to go, otherwise I would have just written a check.

Posted by
1457 posts

Please add me Andrea - but if my daughter goes into labor, I’ll have to bow out.

Posted by
10823 posts

So many people are traveling. That’s a good thing. I’m looking forward to seeing all who can make it.

Posted by
10823 posts

Here’s one last reminder about our meeting tomorrow morning. There is still time to respond, but please do so before 7:30 a.m. PT. I will need an email address for anyone who has not previously attended by that time as well. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

Posted by
1328 posts

Yes please!
Looking forward to both getting to Sicily someday and this zoom meeting!

Posted by
10823 posts

The zoom link has been emailed to you. Please let me know asap and no later than 9:00 PT if you did not receive it. Fingers crossed you all got it.

Posted by
3717 posts

Thanks Andrea and Jim.
The guidebooks with excellent 1 to 2 hour walking routes are the Dorling-Kindersley DKEyewitness Guides.
Really useful.
They also contain many photos.

May I respectfully ask that participants practice Zoom on their computers before the next meeting .
(Don’t hate me.)

Thanks again……I hope everyone has the opportunity to visit Sicily at least once!

Posted by
2102 posts

Andrea and Jim, great meeting as always. I loved Sicily and now I know to return in early spring to see flowers & have cooler weather.

Posted by
2935 posts

Wow! I loved hearing from travelers with plenty of experience with Sicily!

thanks for getting us together A&J :-)

What Nigel and I were adding about the area during WWII should be amended to say that the Axis airfields were actually more important elements than their naval bases.

General article here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_invasion_of_Sicily

Here's an interesting item about mountaineering during the war:

https://tahoequarterly.com/ski-ride-2015/the-10th-mountain-division-wwiis-high-altitude-heroes

Posted by
2102 posts

Avi, I've been to Pointe du Hoc in Normandy and what our Rangers did there scaling that cliff is utterly amazing.

Posted by
5332 posts

Andrea & Jim,

Thanks for hosting this meeting!
It’s always nice to see everyone and share about our travels.

Thanks Avi for your technical support!

Enjoy your upcoming trip, Andrea!

Posted by
10823 posts

Thanks to all who participated. Since I’ve never been to Sicily I appreciate others for sharing their knowledge. Once again we ran out of time and didn’t get to our 2nd topic which was a holdover from February when we didn’t get to it then either,

Just a reminder that there won’t be a meeting in April because I’ll be in Australia. I’ve never done a trip report before, but I’m considering doing a live report as I go.

Posted by
336 posts

Have a great trip, Andrea! I hope that you do decide to do a live trip report.

By the way, I would highly recommend visiting Sicily. It was wonderful!!

Posted by
2102 posts

Andrea, I hope SO much you will do a trip report. I SO want to see Australia and New Zealand, but I will probably never go because I can't figure out how I can be put to sleep for the hours of flight it would take. If only I could be transported like they did on the old Star Trek tv show.

Posted by
10823 posts

Laurie Beth, maybe you could just twitch your nose like Samantha on Bewitched. ;-)

Posted by
145 posts

OMG! Can't believe I missed the meeting! I know it was great....Just got back from Phoenix Spring Training and forgot to check my calendar!! My trip to Brisbane is next week. (Seems like we booked this cruise eons ago....) So, my best to everyone and happy travels! See you in May!!

Posted by
2102 posts

Andrea, I've twitched & twitched, but it hasn't gotten me there. Maybe my magic is all used up.

Posted by
10823 posts

jody, I hope you have a fabulous time in Brisbane and on your cruise. Are you arriving early to spend time there? I’ll be in Brisbane for a few days early next month before starting on a 10 day tour.