Above: Gondolas tucked in for the night with view across St. Mark's Basin to San Giorgio, photo taken our first night in Venice.
"And we're off! The great Trainer Family Sabbatical has begun. Two months to focus on Formation, Fermentation and Family in Italy, Switzerland, France, England and Iceland. We have so much to look forward to, it's hard to fully appreciate and anticipate. And we've spent so many months planning and preparing, it's hard to believe the day of our departure is finally here. But here we are. And here we go!" 
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Opening lines of the Trainer Travel Journal penned by Neil while waiting to depart SeaTac International Airport.
Day 0 | Today we Fly!
  • Wing our way across the world first to Frankfurt, where we take advantage of the layover to pull Euros from the ATM. Then it's on to Marco Polo International Airport.
  • Ogle as we approach Venice on the Alilaguna Tronchetto.
  • Wind our way through the streets to Hotel La Fenice et des Artistes
  • Work hard to stay awake and get on local time by exploring our immediate vicinity and enjoying an al fresco dinner in the warm Venetian evening.
  • So very glad to be here! Crash hard, with a beautiful silvery moon shining in our windows. Feeling excited and a little nervous about meeting our tour group tomorrow afternoon! 
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Being dropped at SeaTac International Airport. We've planned, prepared, and anticipated this moment for such a long time, it feels surreal to actually be here. Ready or not, here we come!

Be Italian!  Pro-Tips from Rainer

  • "Grazie" doesn't rhyme with "Yahtzee", rather it's 3 syllables are pronouced "Graht-see-ay". 
  • Say Bruschetta: "Broo-SKEYT-tuh" (NOT "broo-shet-tuh")
  • Good travelers aim for at least one gelato a day. You get bonus points for two! Also, we learned there is an art to combining flavors - get a due (two flavors) and have fun!
  • Never cut your pasta with a knife. Be Italian and roll it expertly around your fork!
  • ​Don't touch the fruit! In general touching produce is frowned upon, so when shopping at a market, only fondle the produce if you're invited. Point, and let them bag it for you!
  • We all got a kick out of Rainer's firm admonition that in Italy we were to always be: "POLITELY AGGRESSIVE!"​
  • Italians are always aware of maintaining a "bella figura". We were coached to be subtle about such things as reaching into our money belts (which when you think about it could look quite odd!) in order to preserve a culturally pleasing "beautiful figure" at all times.
  • Crossing the street in Rome is fun! A few pointers from guide Lisa Friend who taught the Rome Travel Class: The first important step is to make meaningful eye contact with drivers (basically a contract communicating I am walking, and you will not hit me!). Next, confidently step out, keeping a purposeful pace. For added security, she suggests staying close to nuns and mothers with strollers.
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Almost like a local! Micah peers happily out of our Venice Hotel 3rd (2nd in European reckoning) floor window.
Tour Day 1 | Welcome to Venice
  • Using Rick Steves Venice Guide, we take our own walking tour across the Rialto Bridge, through the markets and make our first purchases in Italy: gorgeous "ciliegie" (cherries) and Gelato for lunch.
  • Visit Frari Church where we view art "in situ" by masters such as Titian, Donatello & others.
  • Are grateful for the many fountains, and GROM gelato which keep us cool in the heat.
  • It's finally here! We meet Rainer Metzger and our Tour Group in the hotel breakfast room.
  • Take a late-afternoon neighborhood stroll & enjoy getting to know our travel companions over a traditional Venetian dinner at Vino Vino Restaurant & Wine Bar overlooking the square in front of La Fenice Opera House. Meg & Micah are thrilled to have other teenagers in the tour. The "kids" quickly co-opt their own table, sit together and chatter all evening!
  • End the day with an iconic serenaded Gondola Ride on the Grand Canal​.
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Meg and Micah take a load off during a late afternoon Siesta at the Hotel Lancelot in Rome.
TRAINER TRAVEL TIPS | pacing
Although its tempting to muscle through and keep going, it didn't take us long to discover that a late afternoon siesta was just the thing. A little sleep, a little snack, a little time-out from the crowds and the heat replenished our energy for evening activities . . . like eating dinner!

​Are you in "THE ZONE"? No matter how exhilarating traveling can be, we all have our "moments" when navigating the unfamiliar pushes us to the end of our limits. One way our family talked about how we were faring was to use a simple "Green, Yellow, Red Zone". "Green Zone"? I'm good and can go for hours. Entering "Yellow" means I'm hanging in there but will need a break soon. "Orange": Watch out! Danger! I'm about ready to lose it! I need to stop. "Red-Lining" is what we all want to avoid, because it almost always leads to regret and embarrassment!
Tour Day 2 | Historic Venice
  • Walking Tour with Elisabetta (whose family has lived in Venice since, oh, at least 1667!) culminating at St. Mark's Basilica where we were graced with a choir singing during mass - chill producing!
  • Lagoon cruise to the quaint Island of Burano, where we enjoy lunch, lace-making and the colorful community.
  • Afternoon on our own and Micah votes to climb the St. Mark's Square Campanile for the bells and the breathtaking views.
  • Dinner is a treat with some delicious Venetian specialties like Risotto with Monkfish Ink - it looks a little scary, but tastes delish!
Tour Day 3 | The Art of Wandering in Venice
  • No moss under us! Our group takes an early morning stroll across the Academia Bridge for a first-in-line to tour of the Academia with local guide, Hillarie.
  • Free time for the rest of the day, and the Trainers let the Tintoretto extravaganza continue at Scuola Grande di San Rocco.
  • Enjoy a picnic lunch: thick slices of pizza in the obliging shade of church steps.
  • Duck behind St. Mark's Square, where Rainer hooks us up with a Venetian glass blowing demonstration and tour at Galleria San Marco.
  • Trot on over to the Doge's Palace where Micah and Neil marvel at weaponry, and we collectively Sigh as we cross the bridge to the prison.​
  • Eat one of the best meals of our entire summer at Terazza del Casin dei Nobili, chock full of fresh produce and seafood. We make it last; savoring conversation, a bottle of wine, watching the cruise ships depart and the sun sink low over the water. Venice has charmed us all over again!

Mille Grazie! Ricardo Steves | Or, What we love best about Rick Steves Tours!

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Small groups, smart entrance times, superb local guides . . . what more could you ask for? Here Tonia, our local guide in Florence enlightens us about pre and Rennaisance Florence at Palazzo Davanzati.
  • Being in Small Group makes the whole operation more maneuverable, and allows you to better blend in to the local scene.
  • Treated like adults. Hallelujah! We didn't have to wear name tags, and (thank goodness) not once did Rainer lead our group with a goofy fluffy flower on a stick!
  • Superb Local Guides. Without exception, each guide we had the pleasure of learning from was local, very knowledgeable (most had Doctoral level education on their subjects), and were extremely proud to show us "their" city. It brought a richness to our experience. (And, quite honestly, during the rest of summer sabbatical trip, we sorely missed having such personal and high-quality guides along.)
  • TRAINER TRAVEL TIP | snap a photo of the posted daily itinerary with your smart phone to keep the info at your fingertips throughout the day.
  • Bus Travel Time was actually pretty fun! In addition to having downtime to nap or look out the window, bus time was put to good use by thoroughly preparing us for the next stop. Rainer was excellent! Giving us language, history, culture, and geology, he laid a perfect foundation upon which to build our understanding of each city.
  • No hanging out in long, long lines. This is worth the price of admission all by itself. Oh the joy of sailing past loooonnnggg lines of tourists waiting to enter the Vatican, the Accademia, the Ufizzi, the Colosseum (you get the idea). It's just like driving in the carpool lane when traffic is at a standstill. You feel smart. You feel victorious! And you save your time and energy to actually BE with the art, rather than waiting to see it.
" Sadly, tonight is our last night in Venice. But we ended with . . . not a bang, but one of those really nice fizzel-y fireworks. Dad found this wonderful restaurant that had seating over the water and we got to watch the sun go down over the Canal and all of the cruise ships pull out while eating dinner. I got ravioli stuffed with smoked ricotta and sage in browned butter with parmesan. And I just . . . Oh! it was so freaking good!!! For sure it was one of the best things I have ever eaten."
​~ Trainer Travel Journal, Meg​
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ROSE: At the end of 8 weeks on the road, the meal eaten on our last night in Venice remained one of our favorites for flavor and the view!