Made it to the hotel in Italy ... finally.
Collecting all of our guests at the Milan airport was challenging, but nothing Scott and I couldnt handle. We are all wearing nametags on lariats, so whenever we see a new face, we introduce ourselves. Not only were guests flying in from Atlanta we had others from Chicago, New York, Orlando, Tampa, and probably sure other places.
A shuttle scooped us up and took the group to the Lido Palace Hotel on Lake Maggiore ... the hotel is exquisite and the views spectacular ... albeit a bit misty because it is drizzling outside. The Borromean Islands, which we will be visiting in the next couple days, look close enough to hit with a 5-wood. The town square if half a mile away, so if we want to look around, we will have to be serious about it.
Did I mention the shuttle? I hear it was nice. I wasnt on it. I took a cab from airport to the hotel. And, you know, I think I got the better deal. Fascinating conversation with the cab driver ... we talked all about Italy (which, according to the cabbie, who spoke excellent if halting English, is in the midst of an economic downturn we Americans can only wonder about), America (he knows more about the upcoming election than most Americans), family, the Mafia, his pregnant wife, and his desire to visit the U.S. (and see "Mark Twain Country"). And only about three times did I think I was going to die on the road. It WAS a cab ride after all.
One of the great benefits of hosting travel program trip is that some programming involves meeting local residents for discussions about local issues. I already feel ahead of the game).
Our opening dinner is in about half an hour. If I am still awake, I will be back after it.
About Me
- Eric Rangus, Emory Alumni Association
- I'm an amateur when it comes to European travel. In North America, though, I'm pretty good. I've visited 44 states--missing ME, NJ, MT, UT, AK, and HI--and five Canadian provinces (BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec). One thing I've always found fun is to incorporate a visit to a baseball park in my travels. I think a lot of people do that. This year I've added two stadiums to my list: Safeco Field in Seattle and Fluor Field in Greenville, SC (home of Boston's A-ball team). The Italian Job marks a huge jump in my travel experience. I'd like to think I'm gonna know what I'm doing, but I don't speak Italian, and I actually didn't know until a few months ago about Milan's place as a fashion capital. For readers who know me, this probably doesn't come as a surprise. While I work for the EAA, I'm not an Emory alumnus. I was born in Chicago and I grew up in Florida; I graduated from Florida State University and the University of Georgia. However, I've spent more than eight years on the Emory staff (the last 2 1/2 with the EAA). Before that, I worked in University Communications. I like telling Emory stories, and I really like working with Emory alumni.