Europe, here we come, part 2

On the web we found what looks like a wonderful studio apartment in Paris. $150 a night is more than we want to pay, but it's probably close to what we will be paying in most places. And this apartment really does sound perfect. I spoke to the owner last night ("Claude." He pronounced it "Clode" when he answered the phone so of course I immediately said "Hello, Clawed, I'm calling about . . .") Anyway, it turns out that $150 a night is the price in the low season. Of course early April -- typically cold and rainy -- is the start of the high season in Paris (and Italy). Prices double. Double! "Nice talking with you, Clawed."

We did make reservations at a hotel in Venice and a bed and breakfast in Fiesole (which I'm sure you know is the place to stay when visiting Florence). The hotel is here and here; the B&B is here and here.

Fiesole? Florence? Didn't I say sometime ago that we probably wouldn't be spending any time in Florence? Allora, cambiamento di cose. We've scratched Naples and Amalfi from our itinerary. We've decided Amalfi is probably a wonderful place to spend a few hours or even a day, but that's about all. Naples is a place Mary Ellen never was very keen on visiting; I was, but a few days is what I was thinking, not a week and a half. So we decided to replace Amalfi and Naples with Umbria, which is halfway between Florence and Rome, and to spend an extra day or two in both Tuscany and Rome. So the plan right now (check back often) is:

• 4 nights in Paris,
• 3 nights in Venice,
• 6 nights in Fiesole (visiting Florence for 3 days and taking day trips to other towns in upper Tuscany for 3 days),
• 7 nights in Umbria (using either Perugia or Orvieto as a base and visiting a different town each day), and
• 7 nights in Rome.

Confused? Bene.