Mittens 2010 Italy -- Sat 31st July - Sat 7th Aug. Last few spots remaining!

[bicilotti]

Milan is waaay cheaper than Pisa, and it's only about four hours away from the house.

I'm riding (by train) from Milan to Villa Grifone. If any mittener lands there we could travel together.

[m0ds]

Bam

Hooray for Streetview!

Yes! But um, there should be a clearly visible pool! And regarding full address I was just given that website and told to follow the directions on there, but I'll probably email them again soon if we're still confused.

As for the bus Berian, go for it - but there may be 11 of us travelling from the UK (if you include Nacho and Grundy). I'm inclined to hire a seperate car. See how it goes.

[Matt Frith]

Doesn't the website mention that the place has just been renovated.  In which case, the satellite picture could be out of date.  Still a bit worrying though.

Regarding transport, I think Disco and I might be flying out a few days before and then get a train to the nearest station( Lucignano‎ or Foiano della Chiana I believe).

[Darth Mandarb]

I might be comin' from the UK too ... Nacho and I are discussing the pre-Mittens arrangements.  I flew into London before Mittens '08 but, due to my connecting flight mishaps in New York I was 12 hours late, hadn't slept in two days, and was only there for about 6 hours (which I used to sleep).  So I'd like to get that time back if possible to explore the city.

Tarah (my special lady-friend) will be with me.  If there isn't that available spot [for the girlfriends] she will go visit her sister (who lives in Italy) but she expressed interest in hanging out with a bunch of computer geeks for a week in the Italian country-side.  She loves geeks (obviously or I'd have never attracted her).

[m0ds]

Doesn't the website mention that the place has just been renovated.  In which case, the satellite picture could be out of date.  Still a bit worrying though.

Regarding transport, I think Disco and I might be flying out a few days before and then get a train to the nearest station( Lucignano‎ or Foiano della Chiana I believe).

Yes, true. And checking again that place does look like the buildings TBH Better photos on the alternate website. Edit: Oh, and the bloody sign .^^

Keep us posted Darth. Still looks like there is a gf spot for you, so no worries.

PS: Restaraunts, bars & supermarket locations: http://italia.indettaglio.it/ita/toscana/foianodellachiana.html

[Chrille]

I looked at ryanair's flights some weeks ago and managed to miss both Milano and Pisa (geography lessons anyone?). At first I was going to fly directly to Florence for about 260â,¬ but going to Milano would save me about 200â,¬ in flight costs!

I might arrive a day or so earlier to to spend some time in Milano, but either way I'd be interested in traveling together from Milano.

[Grundislav]

As would I.  I'm just trying to coordinate flights right now, since there's a huge gap between morning/afternoon flights and I don't know what time everyone wants to arrive at the Villa on Saturday.

[m0ds]

Cool! Villa check in time is between 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm

Edit: Repeat If anyone is considering flying in on FRIDAY rather than SATURDAY (it's cheaper) do let me know Seems Milan is the best place to fly into.

[Grundislav]

Mark, I'm considering flying in to Milan a day early, which is to say Friday, so as not to be cutting it close with the trains and the travel time and whatnot.  PM me or something so we can discuss this further.

[Quintaros]

I also think I'll be arriving Friday but quite late around 11PM.

[m0ds]

Milan is waaay cheaper than Pisa, and it's only about four hours away from the house.

I'm riding (by train) from Milan to Villa Grifone. If any mittener lands there we could travel together.

How much might that cost sir?

Grundislav & Quintaros: Awesome. I'll check some flights and get in touch with you chaps soon

[Snarky]

Anyone thinking of flying into Rome (FCO)? I'll be coming from Cyprus, and am looking at similar prices for flights into Rome (Saturday at 11:30) and Milan (at 13:45). And Rome is only half as far away. Of course, if there's a bunch of people meeting up in Milan and traveling together from there, that would probably be more convenient regardless.

[m0ds]

So um, anyone want to go by ferry and road?  :

Over the past 1,100 years, Eyjafjallajökull has erupted four times: in 920, in 1612, between 1821 and 1823, and in 2010. Each of the first three of these incidents preceded an eruption in the nearby subglacial volcano, Katla.

The eruption of this nearby long-dormant volcano in March and April 2010 prompted fears among some geophysicists that it might trigger an eruption at the larger and more dangerous Katla.[9][10][11] In the past, all three known eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull triggered subsequent Katla eruptions.

Silent beast...and no doubt the PTB are expecting it. Katla would bring global flight to a standstill. Could be an interesting summer, getting stranded or not even getting to Italy Then living under a dark ash cloud. 

[Quintaros]

Where is Katla?

My girlfriend is currently stranded in Iran due to the eruption... wasting her remaining vacation time so that she may not be able to meet me in Italy after Mittens.

Now you're telling me that this volcano has a Round 2...

[m0ds]

Katla is about 50 miles or so away from Ejakpleurghnburgh (the currently erupting one).

I hope your girlfriend gets some leniancy over the delays dude! If insurance companies are going to class it as an act of God & leave many people skint then it's pretty cheeky for businesses to dock people's vacation allowance too.

Oh well next thing you know global recession, global meltdown and everything starts again and there's no such thing as work or money. Or Iceland. 

[Creed Malay]

okay, I am about to pay, just need to let them let me have a paypal account!

[Chrille]

I just booked my flights to Milan, I'll arrive on thursday 29th to see the city before going down to Florence. Havn't looked at places to stay in Milan nor at ways to get to Florence though.

[cat]

I bought my train ticket to Firenze and will arrive there at Saturday morning. Are you planning to go to Firenze during the week for some sightseeing? If not, I'd spend the Saturday there and come to the villa in the evening. How will you guys arriving at Milano come to the villa? What's the next trainstation?

[Pumaman]

Are you planning to go to Firenze during the week for some sightseeing?

I'm sure there will be at least some people interested in doing a day trip to Florence; we don't tend to make firm plans in advance but I'm sure there will be people who want to do that one day.

How will you guys arriving at Milano come to the villa? What's the next trainstation?

Some of us are planning to rent a car and drive down, I'm not sure what the nearest train station is but we can probably find that on the internet.

[bicilotti]

I will prolly come by train (or someone elses car ).

We can throw a party the night before the trip \o/.