Here's the plan for our visit to Italy and England in September 2024.  

On September 4, we will fly from Vancouver to Toronto, then overnight to London Gatwick to connect to a flight to Bari, Italy, in the heel of the Italian boot It will be a long day of travel and we'll spend the night in Bari.

The next morning we'll stroll through Bari for a few hours then pick up a rental car to drive to Matera.  We visited Matera in 2022 and wanted to return for a longer visit.

We'll stop at the Canadian War Cemetery outside Bari, as well as Altamura, before checking into the Caveoso Hotel in Matera, the same  hotel with that amazing view that we stayed in last time.

On September 8 we'll drive to our rented home in Corsano, way down in the heel of the Italian boot...

We'll spend a few days there, exploring the beaches and small towns and the city of Otranto.

On September 13, it's back to Bari, to board an overnight train to Milan...

We will enjoy a few hours in Milan, visiting the Milan Cathedral and maybe La Scala, and other sights of the city.  

That afternoon, September 14, it's back to the magnificent Milano Centrale train station to board a train to Verona, and transfering to an Austrian Railways train to Kitzbuehl.

In Kitzbuehl, it will be a gondola ride to the top of the world's most famous race course - the Hahnenkamm.

The start hut for the race is in the bottom left of this photo....

And what it will look like in September...

On September 16, back through the Austrian and Italian Alps to Verona, to connect to a Trenitalia train to Venice.

It will be our second visit to glorious Venice, but Cory's first.  

3 days later, on September 19, we'll fly from Venice to Paris, only for an overnight stay, but hopefully we'll see a few of the Parisian landmarks...perhaps ride on one of the bateaux-mouches...

September 20 will bring another train ride, on the Eurostar from Paris to London...

Then board a National Express bus to Chippenham, to meet and stay with family in bucolic Old Sodbury, in Gloucestershire...

Back on the bus to London on Monday, September 23, to enjoy London for a couple of days...

And then fly home on September 25.

Best laid plans, at any rate....