When Michael put in his request for three weeks of vacation and his boss actually signed off on it we were thrilled as we decided that since we were coming so far we would try to visit both our families. That would involve a very aggressive itinerary with three states in three weeks, - Hawaii, Minnesota and Washington. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see all our good friends but we were able to squeeze in a lot of quality time with the family and enjoy some of our favorite local cuisine.
We frequently get asked by both Italians and Americans how long it takes to get all the way from Vicenza, Italy to Hawaii. They still can’t get over the fact that we left “Paradise” for life in Italy. We always tell them we find Italy to be our European “Paradise.”
For those of you planning to visit us, and we hope you do, the following is an idea of what it could entail. The Hawaiians will have the biggest challenge since it’s a rather arduous trip. This is the break down of our flight to make it in time to the graduation ceremony in Hawaii. Yeah we decided to gut it out and fly straight through to Honolulu - mama mia!
We left our house at 4 am and drove the 40 minute drive from our home in Vicenza to the nearest major airport, the Marco Polo Airport in Venice to catch our 6:30 AM flight to Amsterdam.
1.5 hrs - Venice to Amsterdam
3.0 hrs - Layover in Amsterdam
10 hrs - Amsterdam to Seattle
5.0 hrs - Layover in Seattle
5.5 hrs - Seattle to Honolulu
25 Hours Total!
We departed Venice, Italy at 6:30 AM on Friday, September 15th and arrived at our final destination in Honolulu at 8 PM Friday night, September 15th. Now Hawaii is 12 hours behind Italy so the grand total came to around 25 ½ hours to get there that included a total of 8 hours in layovers.
We broke up the flight on our return trip with a layover in Seattle. Our “side trip” to Minnesota was a separate fare purchased with frequent flier miles.
Our air fare from Venice to Honolulu with Northwest Airlines (soon to be Delta) cost around $1500 that included our layover in Seattle. On Orbitz.com as of August 1st the fights for the fall, September and October still came to approximately those amounts for about 10 days. NWA has terrific air fares for both Minneapolis to Venice or Seattle to Venice for only $600 - $635 (includes tax & fees) - that is a steal for a ten day visit in mid October. New York to Venice was around $620. I am sure there are even better deals out there if you are flexible and can tolerate a lengthy layover here or there.
Our first guests will be arriving September 18th, Cyn’s sister Rebecca and her husband Todd. We are really looking forward to their stay and know they will be good sports about being our first guests in Italy and will “go with the flow.”
Their visit will be followed by Mike’s mother, Nancy as she will be joining us mid October for a month of adventures that will include exploring some of the nearby countries. Nancy will bring her aloha spirit and as ususal, everyone will love her – just as we do.
We hope this information will help you with planning your Italian vacation. The best time to visit Europe is in the fall or spring. The air fares for the summer are more costly and all of Europe is crammed with lots of tourists and it’s very hot. There are also some good cruises and tours out there if you prefer.
Of course, once you get here the Sachs-Ornellas villa will be available to you and it comes with Italian speaking hosts that love to travel, eat pasta and drink lots of good Italian wine. Yep – it’s all good. La dolce vita.
We enjoyed seeing every one during our whirlwind trip in May but it was a special treat to spend time with our little nephews, niece and grand nieces.
Hawaii: our niece Emma, 5 ½, daughter of Mike’s sister Monica and her husband Mikey (who will be returning from Iraq in August). Emma is pure sunshine and joy. She is a natural dancer, very smart and would slide little notes under our door when we were staying in Hawaii.
Minnesota: Nephews Cooper 8 ½, and Miles 3 ½, sons of Cyn’s brother Nathan and wife Daralyn. Cooper’s interests include airplanes and architecture as he can build very complex and detailed models of various buildings. Miles is a spirited and adorable little boy with a great imagination.
Minneosta: Great niece Anna Rae – 19 mo., daughter of our niece Sarah,(yeah we’re getting old) who is the daughter of Cyn’s sister Rebecca and her husband Todd. Anna is the happiest baby and loves to dance and play with her mommy.
Washington. Our two grand nieces Catherine, ~2 ½ and Joanna 4 mo, daughters of niece Claire and her husband Tom. Claire is the daughter of Cyn’s sister Susan and her husband Scott. Catherine, who looks just like mommy, captures your heart with her golden curls and sweet smile. When she isn’t doting on her baby sister, Joanna (Mike calls her mini-Tom as she resembles daddy), she likes to swim in her kiddie pool.
Our newest nephew – Grover, around 3 month’s old, new puppy for Cooper and Miles. We haven’t met him yet but we sure are looking forward to meeting our canine relative. I am told he has lots of energy and likes to chew on things – particularly Miles. He must be adorable because he even survived after pooping on Grandma Elvera’s white carpet. Mama mia!Ciao for Now!
-Cyn
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