Final Preparations

The final plans for the trip with my mother are almost completed. We will be landing in Milan and heading to Merano for a few days of walking, a cable car ride, mountain gazing, and a spa bath. Then, it is on to Innsbruck, Austria for more walking, another cable car ride, more mountain gazing, and old city wandering. We end with a weekend in Milan. Suggestions of things to see or do, as well as information on hotels in Milan are welcome.

I am a bit worried about traveling with my Mom. We have divided the languages - she is suppose to have some basic Italian phrases down and I am to handle German. When I spoke with her today, her Italian vocabulary consisted of three words and not one of them was how to find a restroom (my obsession - you need to be able to ask to find a restroom in a foreign language as all other things can wait on a phrase book if needed). I can't criticize her however, as my basic German phrases are from four years ago when I went to Austria and all I seem to remember are phrases related to the weather. Es ist kalt. Es ist warm. Es ist windig. Es ist sunnig. Es regnet. Unless a weather forecast is needed, my German skills are pretty limited. I fear that at some point on this trip, we will become hopelessly lost on some mountainous road, need a restroom, and all I can do is tell someone that it is windy!

Other than the language skills and the whole getting lost, I am looking forward to this trip. Having become a mother makes me especially appreciate of my relationship with my mother. No parent is perfect, but I certainly recognize how much my parents did for me and my siblings. Sure, we all drive each other insane at times, but how often as an adult do you get to spend an entire week with anyone from your immediate family, without husbands, fathers, children, siblings, etc. Part of the reason for selecting the Alps is that my mother at age sixty is realizing that there may be a limit to the number of years that she is healthy and able to hike. There are no guarantees for a healthy, long retirement. Although we are different in many ways, we both love to travel and see new places. So, it just seems fitting that we have the opportunity to take a trip together. I can only hope that when I'm sixty, my daughter and son will have the time and desire to do this with me.

So for now, Addio! I need to go figure out how to find the potty in Italy!