Around 2-3 weeks ago, my husband had to go out of town for work. Rather than stay alone, I thought one of my daughters could spend the week with me. Nope. That didn’t work out. When I mentioned this to my sister, Cathy, she told me she would fly up from Florida and spend the week with me. I was thrilled. Then a few days before she was scheduled to arrive, she called me, crying over the phone, that her best friend of 52 years, who worked as a stewardess for an airline, called and offered her a free week in Italy at her family’s beach hide-away on the Mediterranean Sea, complete with a free, stand-by airline ticket. My sister was drawn to stay with me but was riddled with guilt over wanting to join her friends in Italy more. Of course, you should go! I screamed. It’s a chance in a lifetime! One week free on the Italian Riviera at a local, non-tourist resort, with all your long-time Italian friends could not be passed up!
So, off my sister went. And I was miserable every single second she was there. Thankfully, Cathy texted me most days. She landed in Rome first, spent a few days there sightseeing and bought me an 18K Italian gold necklace to make me feel better. But it didn’t work. I was super jealous and cried a lot over it. Not that either I or my sister had never been to Italy before. I’ve been going to Italy since I was 16 years old to spend time with my Italian cousins. My father was born in a small fishing village just south of Venice. Truthfully, my dad’s area is the real Italian Riviera. But, I digress. The last time I was in Italy was 2007 and I hadn’t realized, until my sister went back to Italy, how much I had missed my father’s homeland and all my relatives and cousins.
Cathy texted me when she arrived at the appointed beach resort. It was at a locale that was halfway between Rome and Naples. It was a little unknown, non-tourist town called Sperlonga. They arrived by train. Sperlonga is a coastal town in the province of Latina, Italy, about halfway between Rome and Naples. It is best known for the ancient Roman sea grotto discovered in the grounds of the Villa of Tiberius containing the important and spectacular Sperlonga sculptures, which are displayed in a museum on the site. Click here for more info.

Truthfully, everything with me was sort of fine….till Cathy sent me this video:
I immediately texted my sister and told her to go to the front desk and book two weeks in August for next year. That’s it! I screamed (while pea green with massive jealousy) we’re going back to Italy!! The resort that my sister was staying at, with her friends, was something out of a fairytale fantasy land. This is the kind of vacation most mortals only dream of. Cathy texted me back that the cost for two weeks at this resort was $6,000. WTF? It was $3,000 a week! But it includes breakfast and dinner, my sister retorted. That would help keep the costs down. A quick check on round trip airfare from NY to Rome would be an additional $1800 to $2,000 dollars. WTF, was right!
Undaunted, I said to my sister, why don’t we go to Pesaro next summer, just as we have often talked about all the time? Pesaro is the homeland of our father and all our cousins, aunts and uncles would be there! Cathy thought that was a most perfect idea and within one hour, I had my 4 cousins on Instant Messenger through my Facebook account, told them Cathy and I were coming next August and they found us a motel room or a smallish cottage to rent, one block from the beach within minutes.
So, that’s it folks. My sister Cathy and I, and now our two husbands will be coming along also. We will be spending two weeks next summer on the real Italian Riviera, in Pesaro, along the Adriatic Sea. (I used to go during the summer months and stay with my Aunt Elsa). Click here for more info. Pesaro is a town on Italy’s Adriatic coast. Near the grand Piazza del Popolo, Casa Rossini is the birthplace of the 19th-century opera composer Gioachino Rossini, and features prints, sheet music and multimedia displays. The Civic Museums within Mosca Palace house Renaissance paintings and a large collection of ceramics. Northwest, Mount San Bartolo Natural Park has trails and sweeping vistas of the Adriatic Sea.

Pesaro is another non-tourist town, known for its beaches but NOT as expensive as its southern neighbors. Plus, we have family ties there and it will be great to re-connect with all our cousins once again. My father and his sister shared ownership of a small beach house in Pesaro that they inherited from their parents. Once my father and Zia Elsa died, my cousins sold the home and travel to different locations each August since then. They assured me they will be waiting for us in Pesaro come next August and we are all looking forward to re-connecting with each other once again.
Side Note: I have one year to save up money and book our airfare when prices are more reasonable or drop in price.
Double Side Note: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. When it came time for my sister and her friend to return back to America, they couldn’t get on any stand-by flights. That meant my sister had to buy a one way ticket back home at a cost of $900. (her friend ALWAYS flies free) Plus they had to wait a few days till there were seats available, which meant they had to rent a week at the resort. Since there were three of them, they split the cost at $1,000 each! Thank goodness my sister had the money. She didn’t mind the cost because it was a fabulous, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she wouldn’t have missed it for anything.
Ciao, amore. Needless to say, I’ll be brushing up on my Italian. Arrivederci Roma!!
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There truly is so much to see in Italy! We will only be touching the surface when we go in September, but I have a feeling we will be back. We are especially excited to be doing a food tour in Rome — lol. And, yes, airline tickets are RIDICULOUS, so I could not pass up the $701 roundtrip tickets Celebrity Cruiseline offered for their 9-night Italian Riviera cruise. We are beyond excited, and I’m excited for YOU to go back and see your relatives!
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Sharon, that is a fabulous price for an airline ticket. Did you watch my sister’s video? Was that place just amazing? OMFG!!! No matter where you go in Italy, the food is simply divine. I was thinking of your trip too, to Italy. I just made up my mind that at 72 (later on this year) it’s time for me to get a bit more travel in before it’s too late. Thanks for your comment.
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Google bing tracks air fare for you. I use that and Hopper. I wish I could be in your pocket for the ride!
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Janette. Thanks for the tip. I’ll check into it.
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Hi Cindi, Wow! Between your last post of No Worries and this one for expensive future travel As oppose to recently canceling a shared Outer Bank vacation with only a $600 housing cost being too expensive and worrying about saving for property tax and your Florida snow-birding vacation What has created the 180 degree changes? Has Nick’s job gotten more secure? Are you getting more paid writing jobs? Like You I am planning to travel next year to my ancestral homelands since my kids no longer need my babysitting, but they still want dog sitting ( just ended two weeks of watching grand dog while DD family was in Greece)
I am going to do a lot of travel hacking and set aside rewards to heavily discount the trips. The planning so far has been fun! And very rewarding! You should read the blogs Go Curry Crackers orCan I Retire Yet to get some ideas or other FIRE community or ask your sister on getting free airline tickets. Hotel points can be transferred to airline points. Cutting costs on needs and essentials have added to my savings. Increasing passive income with higher interest rates and dividends, too. Bargain hunting only for replacement purchases also helps me, too. Sincerely, Lara
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It’s called turning 72 this winter. I realized this will be my last decade to travel and that’s what I’m doing.
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Lara, I really couldn’t answer you fully from my iPhone, so I am at my computer now. I cancelled the OBX trip #1 because I got covid I no longer want to be in big crowds. I found out in addition to our beach house rental, their friends also rented the house behind us and that meant ‘big party times’ To me, that was too many people I’d be in contact with. It was no longer the 3 sisters and my sister and their respective husbands, whom I all knew for over 50 years. It was now their friends and buddies. Big parties also meant big chip-ins for food and booze. #2 they like to go out to restaurants for lunch AND dinner which Nick and I do not. Plus we had to chip in for weekly food for at least a total of 10 people. So, a simple $600 week turned into an additional $100 for our dog plus the higher gas costs to get there and back plus cruise the mainland plus the going out for at least a few dinners. I calculated the week was now going to cost me $1400 which I thought was outrageous. I cancelled going (they instantly got a replacement) and instead of 1 week vacay, I was able to book 2 weeks vacay. One week in the Berkshires (RVing) and 1 week in Newport RI. (RVing) With gas and all, each week cost us less than $500 (travel, booking, food).
The other thing that affected me and changed my mind was seeing that video my sister sent me. I hadn’t realized how much I missed Italy. Once I realized that I was turning 72 this winter, my travel time for the rest of my life, was diminishing. We won’t be spending like my rich friends did ($3000 a week!)….see what I mean?….these are the same friends from the OBX rental. They like to spend money and I don’t. They’re heavily in debt at 68 yrs old and I’m not. But like you, I’ll be cost cutting, saving and using coupons and rewards to travel. I figure I have 8 more years to complete my Bucket List. 3 months wintering in Florida. I still haven’t been to the Grand Canyon. I want to go back to see my Italian family before I or they die. You get the picture. That’s why the complete turnaround. I got my finances in order under this brave new world we are forced to live in. I most certainly do NOT want to leave a dime to any of my kids (who BTW still aren’t talking to me BUT this time I don’t give a rat’s ass. They’re both lost causes to me.)
Oh and I might just squeeze in that Greek Island cruise hubby and I sometimes talk about.
Stick a fork in me. I’m done!!!
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Lara, I checked out those two other sights. Go Curry Crackers is a family with kids who lives on $75K a year and drive an EV (of which they paid thousands and thousands of dollars for). I don’t have any kids, nor will I be buying an EV anytime soon nor do I live on $75K. We live on $40K so his site is immaterial to e. The other one ‘Can I retire Yet?” I’m already retired for 21 years. Again, his advice and recommendations are immaterial to my lifestyle. I’m getting a much higher rate on my Money Market, so I’ve been socking our savings into that. We’ve been cutting costs like crazy. I’ve returned a lot of stuff back to Amazon, like that $52 corelle set I bought a few weeks ago. I can’t justify the prices anymore. Besides, the small plate was way too small. Couldn’t even place a slice of pie on it without the pie hanging off the sides. Wasn’t worth it. I’ve been thinking about rewards etc. I don’t want another charge card BUT one I already have gives back 2% for travel and lodging. Even for RVing, so that’s been a big help.
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This is exactly why you are frugal so you can do things like this. I would rather go to Bali than anywhere else.
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Exactly. But some people don’t understand. You have to prioritize how you are going to spend your money and enjoy YOUR own life.
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Exactly
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Cindi, Go Curry Cracker just did a story on Hawaii spending nothing and getting upgrades on their hotels- they also did Europe a few years ago. Can I Retire Yet has a link with current listing of all the travel and rewards deals. I know there is great opportunities for free travel. My daughter’s family (4) flew to Greece for free with trading Marriott points and American airlines combination and they could change their itinerary once and each had one checked baggage free and a carryon, and airport lounge privileges and fees reimbursement. They also had some free nights stay in Santorini. I have gotten in the last month -14 days of free hotels ( dogs allowed) and will be getting 7 more in October. I may exchange some of these bonus points to get my flights free or discounted. Hilton just offered me three nights/ 4 days at Hilton club resorts for $149. Yes, the best offer bonuses are with their credit cards but there are also other rewards you could do for new bank accounts and brokerage accounts. I would never ever – over extend myself that I don’t pay my credit card balances in full each month.
I have a BIG bucket list and it’s a new Dawn with no longer being tied down by family commitments or their need for an inheritance. I plan on checking off a lot of my list. Years ago, you promoted the book-I think it was called- Die Broke- and said you weren’t planning on leaving an inheritance. So now it’s time to carry through and enjoy your present Life. I know I am prioritizing my time. Sincerely, Lara
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OK. I’ll go back on and take a second look. Thx.
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Hubby and I were just laughing the other day about inheritances. If we take out a reverse mortgage they’d NEVER get this house. They’d have to pay back the debt and those two cheapskates would never do it! LOL. It was just a passing thought. That was all.
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I hear you on the ebb and flow of money. June my husband hit 72. For some reason that was more of a hit on the head then 70. Maybe because his father passed at 82? No more years just watching the grass grow!
I’m starting my SS in January. That will give us a bit more regular breathing room to the budget. My husband has a good pension and we have made it through the “scary” parts. It is time to spend down a bit of savings. I think the only people traveling soon will be the SS crowd and the rich. Let the frugal, relaxing, slow travel fun begin!
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I hear you. You’re playing my song. Time to spend down. 👍
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