Rome-Sorrento-Paris Sept 2012, Final !

Hi Linda - I'm glad you included a Things I Did Wrong / Things I Did Right section at the end of your reports. How terrible that your camera was stolen! As someone who took a 2-week trip to Europe during which time my luggage was lost for the whole trip, I can say that having my camera is much more important to me than clothing! Did you buy another one on your trip?

Sarah, you know, this trip I really didn't feel much like taking photos. Before the camera was stolen, I had left it in my dorm room two times and really didn't miss it much. On my first trip to Italy in 2010, I took almost 600 images. This time, I wanted to experience more and not miss out by taking photos. At Pompei I purchased a tourist/throw away camera (15E), and again in Sorrento before I went to Ischia. I just felt so stupid that it happened in the first place, as I am so very careful. Traveled solo for about 10-15 years now and this was the first incident. Count my blessings really. Linda

Linda, Thanks for taking the time to write a trip report... I really enjoyed it!

Linda, it is so great to have so much detail and information. I especially liked your analysis of what went well and what needed improving. Sorry about the camera. I've been lucky so far but I do make a habit of uploading all my photos every day to my netbook and keeping the memory cards in my secure places when I'm not using the camera. Thanks so much for your reports.

I enjoyed writing the report and felt it is important to give back in some way to all the wonderful contributors to this Helpline. I hope some of my tips will help others. There were several suggestions for me to post all of my words in a single report (as responses) but I think it is too late now because there are replies and it will probably get mucked up. Anyway, I will heed the advice the next time around. Hopefully, that won't be too far down the road. Nigel: I brought all the connections to do the upload to my IPad but wasn't really focussed on photographs this time around. I had a marvelous trip to Italy and a tiny taste of Paris. Can't wait to start planning another adventure. Linda

The rough spots (mistakes) on most trips often make the best travel stories later. Traveling is going off into unknown territory, so all the advance planning in the world won't save a traveler from those "oops!" moments. Just think of the worst thing that could happen, then be glad you just got stuck waiting for a bus. Accidents, volcanoes, failure of travel accommodations, labor strikes, illness, bad weather, unpleasant travel companions, cranky or disappearing waiters, lousy food, unresponsive hotel personnel, broken elevators, dog poop, moldy bathrooms, missed connections, sunburn, lost clocks, saggy beds, noisy rooms, very late arrival at airport, and on and on. All these and more have been my travel experiences. I once had to sleep on a beach because there was no boat (rough seas) and no hotel or food (Crete). My best travel story. Your trip report was most enjoyable, Linda. "Keep on traveling," (as Rick would say).

Swan is so right about the stories from things that go wrong! Last year I was in two earthquakes and had to get a ride from Monopoli to Matera with a friend of the barista at the train station (my first of five connections was 10 minutes late and that threw everything off), a late bus got me a friendly ride to my hotel with a slightly tipsy bar patron in Siracusa, and there was the funeral I (unintentionally) crashed in Milano...

Zoe, getting into a car with a drunk - that's brave. I think brave is the word...