Report from Italy: Days Four & Five

Further updates from Terri Jo as she travels from Italy to France!

December 5th 2011

The last 2 days in Italy have been busy!

I awoke Sunday morning to church bells ringing and left the city by 10AM to head to an Olive Farm.  It was rainy and cool this morning so the visit was not quite as pleasant as it could be. Despite this we had a terrific tasting of new olive oil with fresh bread, cheese and assorted nuts.

We then visited 2 Tuscan Villas that are true gems and definitely worth adding to our list of options. I look forward to sharing them with all of you! I also had a wonderful late lunch with a local red wine, veal, pasta and another great dessert!  We also had a great local guitar player / singer that seranaded us throughout lunch and then we all joined in singing the Italian songs we knew.

Late afternoon we headed for the coast of Tuscany. It was cold, rainy and very windy!  It would have been very lovely on a warm sunny day and we sure had to use our imaginations. we followed that with a late dinner at a Michelin Star restaurant and then it was early to bed as we needed to be on the bus by 8AM for our transfer to Cannes.

On December 5th after a very pleasant ride from the coast of Tuscany to Cannes we arrived by 2PM and immediately registered for the ILTM and checked into hotel.

I am staying at the Majestic Hotel - across from the Palais where the Cannes Film Festival is held.  Everywhere is glamour, wealth and movie star wonder!

During opening session last evening I met up with the other Ensemble members and we had a crazy evening of four cocktail parties - a whirlwind of meet and greets, each assortment of appetizers and drinks out doing the other.  There were people from every country and every imaginable type of agency, hotel, tour company, etc.  I am going to run out of business cards I am sure!

Tomorrow morning we start our series of appointments and connections and then the grand opening party at 8PM! I am like a kid in a candy store trying to take it all in and absorb it all.

My balcony overlooks the sea and the streets are still packed with guests heading to the casinos and nightclubs. Oh, to be 20 years younger - or at least to have more energy - 6AM comes much to early for me!

- Terri Jo