Another Voice Heard from Castelluccio

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Hello, this is Doug and I'm writing in the hope that Betsy will "publish" this as a guest entry to her blog. If you've been reading the blog you will know that Shawn and I have been traveling with Betsy and Jim on this amazing trip for the past 5 weeks. Today is our last day together, and I want to tell everyone how great it's been to be here.


Tomorrow, Shawn and I part ways with our dear companions to ride to Spoleto where we will catch a train to Rome. There, we reverse the process from the start … go to Jim and Betsy's rented storage bin (EasyBox) disassemble and pack the bikes, get a ride to the airport … then fly home. What could possibly go wrong?


One thing that stands out about this month-long trip is how little has gone wrong! Yes we've been VERY fortunate with the weather (although today's hailstorm was not ideal), but besides that the smooth flow of things has been because of our tour guides. The routes that Jim has been planning (literally for years!) have been so great. Off the beaten path; I'll say. Hilly; sheesh! Stunning; the photos don't come close to showing how much. Eating and lodgings have, a few times, caused some stress but not much. Betsy's knowledge of the country, it's culture, history, and language is 10 times better than our own and we're so so glad she's with us, especially in the more rural locations, which is most of them. We are fortunate indeed to have been able to join them on this once-in-a-life adventure. Now, if we can just find that EasyBox storage unit in Rome!


Finally, we are SO grateful that Betsy has written this blog. Without it, I would never recall half the towns we've been in … nor those we've slept in. The names of those we've met would all be gone forever. You should know that she's been doing this all on her phone which is no small feat, especially when including photos. Early in the trip, she had to endure lots of pain and heartache as her work was mysteriously deleted and/or distorted in some way … sometimes more than once. If you've ever sent a text with a mistake (due to auto-correct or otherwise), you can imagine how difficult it is to construct long passages. The blog will be treasured, by us and by others, for a long time. For all of this, Shawn and I give our deepest thanks to Betsy and Jim! Until we meet again, arrivederci. We look forward to getting together with you back home for some scopa, Peroni, liqirizia, and maybe even some pick-me-up.

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