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The Final Countdown!

2010-06-17T03:32:38Z

Only 11 days until we start our journey to the med and European Vacation III culminating in Andrea Bocelli's final concert at Teatro del Silenzio in Lajatico, Italy. Our group is very excited and we look forward to a wonderful trip.

Guest Performer Rumors

2010-06-14T04:46:57Z

Saw a rumor online saying that Zucchero, the Italian rock singer, and Jose Carreras, one of the Three Tenors, were possible guest performers for the 2010 Teatro Del Silenzio concert. I haven't been able to confirm but it would seem to make sense. Anyone heard anything as far as guest performers?

We are but 24 days now before flying out of LAX to Barcelona, Spain. So much to do before then but so very excited just the same. I'm behind on my "Instant Immersion" Italian language CD's so will have to step that up to be a little more prepared. Even at my best I know just enough Italian to get myself thoroughly in trouble. At least I'm entertaining to those around me when I try to make myself understood.

I plan on renewing my International Driving permit this week so I can be totally "legal" in Italia. Also plan on downloading the Europe map to my Garmin GPS since I'll be responsible for one of the vans we'll be taking from Venice to Tuscany. Other than that, preparations seem to be going according to plan. Sue and I are trying to get ahead at work so we can relax and not worry too much about the businesses. We've got quite a bit going on but I have great agents and I'm sure they'll take good care of things in our absence.

Ciao for now!

It's All About the Journey

2010-06-11T04:06:00Z

We are close enough now to our departure date that the final preparations have begun. I ordered my Italian SIM card this morning for my Blackberry from CellularAbroad. I did a considerable amount of research and found that this company seemed the most organized and had the best overall rates. While onboard the ship we plan on using the ship's internet service to stay in touch via Skype and email. When in Italy we'll use the Blackberry. Last year we used the TIM network and it turned out to be a disaster. We were told we would have data services with the Blackberry and once in Italy that turned out not to be the case. Hopefully the communications will be much better this trip.

Anyways, enough of the boring technical stuff. I guess a real estate broker gets paranoid when he starts thinking his cell phone and computer may not work for more than a day or two. Now that that is out of the way we can concentrate on the itinerary. As of today, we have 27 days left before flying out of LAX bound for Barcelona, Spain. Spent a little time last night looking over things to do and see in Palma de Mallorca where we will make our first port of call after departing Barcelona.

I hope to be making regular entries from now though the end of the trip.

Ciao for now!

May Update

2010-05-25T23:51:00Z

I know I've not been very diligent about keeping the blog updated. Sorry about that but we are working hard at the business so we can enjoy the cruise and concert in July. Here is the latest...

We received the cruise package today and after a brief review we are more enthusiastic than ever about the trip. The ship, the destinations and our cruise companions all contribute to the excitement that is less than six weeks away. We have for the most part confirmed our travel arrangements and are ready to go.

The itinerary has not changed much from the original with the exception of the anticipated rail arrangements to Tuscany as we had originally planned. We have instead chartered private vans for the journey from Venice to Tuscany. This way we will have transportation while in Tuscany to see the sights and also have transportation for the group to the Andrea Bocelli concert in Lajtico.

We did have a couple of cancellations leaving us with four excellent tickets for the concert should anyone have an interest. Remember, it's not too late to come on board.

Ciao for now!

Available Concert Tickets

2010-05-24T17:57:00Z

European Vacation III is rapidly approaching with less than six weeks to go before we set sail in the Mediteranian from enchanting Barcelona, Spain. Andrea Bocelli's Teatro Del Silenzio concert scheduled for July 25 is completely sold out however we have just had a couple of cancellations. We currently have two tickets available in Poltronissima section B10 seat 51 & 52 at $633 and two tickets next section back, section C6 seat 55 & 56 at $355. For more information please contact us via email at Chris@ChrisElder.com.

Only Eight Months to Go!

2009-11-23T00:34:00Z

Today I took down the Bocelli YouTube Video from the website and started phasing out the concert availablity for the trip. Although there are tickets still available, they are few and the event is approaching "sold out" status. If you are still interested in the concert you can probably find tickets at third party websites but will most likely be facing higher prices. We will now be concentrating our efforts on the cruise, airline fares and transfers.

If you have never cruised before, I can assure you this voyage will probably spoil you for any future trips. The itinerary is fabulous, the cruise line itself with it's five star service will be awesome and the company simply can't be beat. If you are a seasoned cruiser, I'm sure you'll recognize the impecable attention to detail and the less intrusive "footprint" this vessal leaves on the ports we'll be visiting.

For additional information about the crusie, the Nautica or the adventure, please visit www.ChrisElder.com for all the details.

Ciao for now!

Transfers from Venice to Tuscany

2009-11-11T21:10:00Z

We have been negotiating our transfer and group accommodations for the journey from Venice to Tuscany and transportation to and from the Bocelli concert. Initially we had planned on travel by rail however it is looking like the best situation would be for us to charter a private coach. Rates from Venice to our accommodations in Tuscany will most likely be around 50 Euros per person and would prevent us from having to get additional transfers from the train station to our hotel. It would also give us a great opportunity to see the Tuscan countryside from the comfort and convenience of a motor coach. Round trip transportation to and from the concert in Lajatico will probably be around 30 Euros per person and will also be very convenient for the group. So far we are leaning towards a hotel with a pool in San Gimingano where everything is within walking distance.

Bocelli's Teatro Del Silenzio Tickets

2009-10-30T02:22:00Z

There are still good seats available in the Poltrona sections but very little available between the Poltrona and stage. If you need help navigating the www.fourone.it site please give me a call. With about nine months left to pack we've already got close to twenty in our band of Mediterranean Bocelli enthusiasts. Remember, if you are even remotely interested in joining us for the concert it is important to order your tickets directly from www.fourone.it as soon as possible.

EUROPEAN VACATION III - July 10 - July 28, 2010

2009-10-27T22:54:00Z

Hello and thanks for visiting the first entry of my blog. As of this week I've published www.ChrisElder.com for your convenience in getting most of the information about our July 2010 European Vacation. While the site displays information about the cruise, destinations and rates, we are still working on transfers for those who will be heading on to Tuscany with us for the Bocelli concert as well as enjoying this beautiful Italian region. I wanted to share a bit more information about Teatro Del Silenzio and the logistics involved in attending this wonderful musical opportunity.

I first became interested in this concert, and for that matter, Andrea Bocelli when I watched the DVD of the 2007 concert. An absolute must for your Bocelli collection, this DVD (Live in Tuscany) is an excellent depiction of what this concert is all about as well as a delicious musical experience for your eyes, ears and soul. Teatro Del Silenzio is an open air venue just outside of the village of Lajatico where Andrea Bocelli grew up. Andrea contracted for five performances here with 2010 being the last and final according to promoters.

In November of last year, on a cold, windy evening in Big Bear, I went on line looking for a Bocelli concert that was in a warm place like Las Vegas. What I found was that tickets had just gone on sale for the 2009 Teatro Del Silenzio concert and after only one glass of wine, decided to push the button and hope that everything else would come together. It did and and that button led to a fabulous Italian vacation for Sue and me and our dear friends Sal and Marilyn Curci.

Sue and I flew in two days prior to the concert and met Sal and Marilyn at a small, convenient hotel in the heart of Florence. They had just finished a cruise of the Med and had already been in Europe for almost two weeks. The four of us spent the next day enjoying the local sights, museums and food and generally preparing for our "tailgate party" planned for the concert the next day. The morning of the concert we rented what I fondly refer to as the "Ferocious Fiat", stuffed it full of luggage, hors d' oeuvres, wine and us and headed for our hotel just outside of San Gimingano, putting us about an hour's drive from Lajatico and the concert.

After settling in at the hotel, having a wonderful lunch, a bottle of local wine and taking a nap, we were ready to hit the road to Teatro Del Silenzio and the focus of our Tuscan travel adventure. We arrived early and left the Fiat in the field designated as the parking area and headed over to pick up our tickets at will call. It was a very simple process, well organized and we were soon back at the Fiat enjoying our apparently very curious American style tailgate party complete with a variety of excellent cheeses, prosciutto ham and of course cheap local wines. Soon our little field became a sea of cars and the buses which would transport us closer to the venue started to arrive.

I should explain that the parking area is actually several kilometers from the concert venue where instead of having vehicles ruin the beauty of the surrounding countryside, guests are bused to a comfortable walking distance. It is necessary to walk the last quarter mile or so and after cresting the hill the view of the venue below is absolutely awe inspiring. We easily found our seats and as dusk settled on the valley, the concert began... but, more of that for my next entry.

What I'm really trying to get at here is the fact that once we disembark the ship in Venice, we will most likely travel via high speed rail to Bologna or Florence and then depending on our numbers, charter a van or bus to our accommodations in Tuscany. Again, numbers dependent we'll van or bus to the concert and back to our accommodations.

Welcome

2009-09-10T02:46:40Z

Welcome to my blog. Please check back soon for new entries.