To all my friends on Piano World....

I am excited to tell you all that I will be married this Saturday, April 29, to my old high school sweetheart, Elaine (class of 1961)! We were apart for about 40 years before finding each other on "classmates.com" back in 2001!

Following the small gathering with family and friends, we will depart for Italy, where we will spend 9 days touring Rome, Tuscany and Venice (sorry, no time for Fazioli !

So, my 10-day absence from Piano World is justified! I'll check back in on May 9th.

Paul

Congratulations, Paul! I like wedding pictures almost as much as piano pictures, so if you can, post a couple for us.

p.s. And what's this about a justified 10 day absence from PW? Haven't you heard of laptops and wireless internet connections?

p.p.s. If you get a chance to in Rome, don't miss the Villa Borghese. It's a little off the beaten track and isn't in the top 5 tourist attractions, but it is spectacular and has a wonderful collection of sculptures.

I hear there are some neat pines at the Villa Borghese, or so Respighi seemed to have implied.


Congrats Paul. All the best.

Congratulations!

Thanks guys....

Yes, I will post a photo or two of me and the "blushing" bride! I will also take notes of suggested places to visit (Elaine wants to see the statue of David???)! What's up with that?

My photography hobby for 40 years will finally come to fruition! I can't wait to see Rome!

Paul

A statue of ...... ME! Without my PERMISSION! I'm gonna call Berlusconi and protest. Oh, wait, it's Prodi now, isn't it.

Hi Paul,

Congratulaitions!

Have you been to Italy before? If not, don't miss:

Besides all of the common sights(Rome, Venice, Florence, etc.):

The restored Sistine chapel(I had no idea the colors would be so vivid!)
Catacombs(St. Sefano, preferabley)
Pisa
La Cinque Terra
Lucca

The only other thing to seek, immediately upon landing(if not sooner ), is GELATO. Nobody does it like the Italians.

Oh yeah, when drinking wine(and I recommend you drink a lot of it), always ask for the "locale". Always the best, always the cheapest.

My wife and I got to know each other on a trip that included Venice - one of the most romantic experiences of my life.

While looking at the David, I noticed most of the women tended to linger around the back of the statue......

Thank you for the suggestions! No, I have never been to Italy or to Europe for that matter! I've been to Japan 10 or 12 times, but never across the pond!

Yes, we plan to drink (wine) our way through Italy! My bride is actually italian and looks forward to discovering her heritage! She likes white wine, while I enjoy the reds!

Anyhow, I appreciate the suggestions and will let you know how the trip was!

Thanks again!

Paul

warmest congratulations.

Thank you apple! I appreciate the wishes!

Paul

He's Baaaaack........

Hi all. I have returned! We had a wonderful time seeing the sights of Italy and tasting the "locale" wine along the way!

Rome, Florence and Venice were beyond expectations! I absorbed so much history, so much culture and information, that it is tough to comprehend such an experience without one's mind going into overload! However, I have 15 rolls of 35mm film which will help me to relive the trip!

Amongst the most memorable were Pisa (except for the incredible amount of vendors and gypsies pushing the local junk), The Vatican and Sistene Chapel, standing in the ruins of the Coliseum in Rome, the statue of David (Elaine's favorite) and the trip to Venice (Elaine enjoyed the gondola ride complete with an Italian singer!).

The other side trip to the small island of Burano, just a 45 minute boat ride from the canals, was also memorable! This little fishing village is known for it's quaint homes, canals and especially the pastel-painted homes all over the island!

During the trip, I couldn't help but think of all the vacations I "wasted" sitting on beaches throughout the Bahamas! I'm so thrilled to have experienced a cultural trip to Italy. Just being in the presence of structures which have stood for 10, 15 or 20 centuries or to visit a church erected in the 4th century taking an incredible 100 years to build is an absolute mind-blowing experience!

Musically, I did get within an hours drive of Fazioli! But being on the tour prevented me from any long side trips ......

So, thanks to all for your well-wishes before we left! I do hope you all have an opportunity to visit Italy one of these days! It is an experience you will never forget!

Paul

Just found this thread. Congratulations Paul and Elaine. May you both enjoy many happy years together. Now that you're back, pics of bride and groom are in order and anxiously awaited.

Many, many happy returns of the day.

- Nelson and Heather