A Lowdown on Cell Phones

Author: Richard Smurthwaite

A woman buys an iPhone, goes to Europe, and unknowingly amasses a $500 bill after four days overseas. By the time she reaches AT&T, the total is around $5,000.

And yes, as she wrote in the Chicago Tribune, not a single phone call contributed to the hefty bill. Turns out that if you don't watch what you're doing, you can and will be charged an arm and a leg for sending photos, watching YouTube footage, surfing the Web, and checking e-mail.

After contacting AT&T and switching to a new global data plan retroactively, the writer was able to negate some of the charges. She also learned that when heading overseas, it's essential to turn the data-roaming feature off, and to use Wi-Fi instead of the 3G network for e-mail. (From the Budget Travel Blog, http://current.newsweek.com/budgettravel/2009/09/how_to_get_hit_with_a_5000_iph.html)

For the informed traveler, having a cell phone in Europe can be a huge benefit, but there are some hurdles to clear to make this possible.

First, a short primer on cell phone technology. GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a type of cell phone and network used in Europe and most countries in the world. Some US cell phone companies use GSM (T-Mobile, AT&T), but many do not. You need a GSM phone in Europe.

Verizon has seven models that use the GSM technology that works in Europe, such as the BlackBerry Tour and HTC Touch Pro2, but otherwise most Verizon phones are not GSM-compatible. However, Verizon offers a service whereby you can rent a phone from them for about $10 (they will even ship it to you), that will work in Europe. Sprint has five models that are compatible with Europe's wireless technology. It also offers a rental program for travelers to Europe.

However, just because you have a GSM phone does not mean you can use your phone in Europe. GSM cell phones and networks work on GSM bands (frequencies). It is very important that you know which bands the GSM cell phone works on. This will determine where you can use it.

• Cell phones in the US work at GSM 1900 or 850
• Cell phones in Europe work on GSM 900 or 1800

In other words, if your GSM phone only has the U.S. bands, you will probably not connect to a service in Europe. If you want to use your GSM cell phone in both the US and Europe, get a quad-band phone (four bands). Most T-Mobile and AT&T phones sold in the past several years are quad-band.

In addition, T-Mobile has worldwide roaming turned off by default on all new accounts. If you want to use your phone in Europe, call Customer Care and ask for this to be turned on. There is no cost until you use the phone. Rates are about $1/min for calls and $0.20 for outbound text, $0.30 for inbound. The killer cost, however, is data---$15/Mb. If you have a phone that is linked to email, you have a couple of options: (1) you may avoid the data cost by switching to Wi-Fi connectivity for data, or (2) you can avoid it entirely by turning off all data connections, or (3) T-Mobile has a service for $19.99 per month that allows unlimited emails. Even better, you pay only for the number of days you have that activated.

Bottom line: cell phones are not only handy at home (that’s a pun, of sorts, because at least in the German countries the generic name for a cell phone is a Handy), but can be very useful while traveling. If you are thinking of bringing your phone, talk to your carrier’s customer service.

The Final Stretch

Buon giorno fellow travelers,

We're less than a month away from our Italian adventure. Dad and I are polishing up the extended itinerary this week, so expect that in the next week.

In addition, here is a spattering of reading/viewing suggestions if you'd like more Tuscan-themed brain appetizers 1) prior to take-off or 2) to enjoy while there.

The Agony and the Ecstasy,
Irving Stone
If I had to choose a novel that inspired my love of Florence and all things Michelangelo, it would be The Agony and the Ecstasy. This biographical novel (i.e. some stuff is true, other stuff not so much) really captures the essence of Florence and Rome in the magical cinquecento period. It's definitely worth a read if you'd like to know more about Florence, Rome, Michelangelo, the David, the Sistine Chapel, and his other major projects in the format of a novel. 

The Lives of the Artists,
Giorgio Vasari
If you're looking for a more authentic biography of the great cinquecento artists then The Lives of the Artists, written by Giogio Vasari (apprenticed to Michelangelo at an early age), might be for you. Vasari was the originator of the artistic biography genre. In this work, he examines thirty-six of the most important Italian artists of that time with an amusing bias towards all things Florentine. I have not read this yet, but it has been recommended on a number of sites that I have reviewed. I would anticipate it being a more academic read.

Under the Tuscan Sun,
Frances Mayes
I'm not going to pretend I've read this, but it did come recommended by Marisa. Here's the description from Amazon: "In this memoir of her buying, renovating, and living in an abandoned villa in Tuscany, Frances Mayes reveals the sensual pleasure she found living in rural Italy, and the generous spirit she brought with her. She revels in the sunlight and the color, the long view of her valley, the warm homey architecture, the languor of the slow paced days, the vigor of working her garden, and the intimacy of her dealings with the locals." NOTE: You can also watch this film (on DVD) for some great Tuscan footage.

A Thousand Days in Tuscany,
Marlena de Blasi
"From its opening scene of an impromptu alfresco village feast of fried zucchini blossoms, fennel-roasted pork, and pudding made from the cream of a local blue-eyed cow, this memoir of the seasons in a small Tuscan village is rich with food, weather, romance and, above all, life. De Blasi continues the adventures begun in her A Thousand Days in Venice, as she and her husband, Fernando, leave Venice for Tuscany in search of a place that still remembers real life... sweet and salty... each side of life dignifying the other."

Eat, Pray, Love,
Now Playing in Theaters
If you're looking to see Italy on the big screen before going, then you'll probably enjoy the "Eat" portion of Eat, Pray, Love. This film is based on the creative nonfiction adventures of Elizabeth Gilbert, who begins her life-altering journey learning to love the art of eating in Rome. The other two-thirds of the film take place in India and Bali, but it makes a good date night movie nonetheless.

Letters to Juliet, Playing in Theaters - Limited
Marisa went and saw this movie and gave it a thumb up for story and two two thumbs up for scenery. It would be most likely categorized as a chick flick, but another great date night movie if you'd like to see Italy on the big screen. It's currently at the dollar theaters and comes out on DVD the day we leave.

Gladiator,
On DVD
Okay, okay, so maybe this won't give you the idyllic sense of Italian bliss you're hoping for, but I had to include this one for the rough and tumble types. Those who have seen the movie will be interested to know that the scene where Maximus rides back home from the war too late to save his family is shot in the Sienise countryside. Also, Maximus' dreams of paradise are in the Val d'Orcia - confirming that paradise can indeed be found both in Tuscany and by watching manly dramas.

Well, I hope that list helps inspire one or two of you. Feel free to chime in with other books or movies.

Cena (Dinner)

Buon giorno everyone!

You're formally invited to our trip kickoff dinner a week from next Saturday, the 26th of June:
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Place: Rich and Pam's (click here for a map)

In anticipation of our grand adventure, we would like to have a typical Italian multi-course meal.  Please choose a course from the list below that you would be interested in bringing along. Marisa has included recipes and/or store locations for the examples provided, but you're welcome to bring anything that you think fits into the category you choose.

Menu:
Hors d'œuvres (before everything finger foods): e.g. Focaccia, European olives, crusty bread
Locations where you might find these items: Wholefoods, Liberty Heights, Granato's

Antipasto (starter-salad, soup, appetizer, etc): e.g. Caprese Salad
Click here for recipe

Primo (first dish-usually a pasta dish or risotto): Pesto Lasagna - DAVE & MARISA

Secondo (second dish-usually a meat dish): Milanese Cutlet - RICH & PAM

Contorno (vegetable side eaten with secondo):  any cooked vegetable side will do

Frutti & Formaggi (after the main part of the meal fresh fruits and cheeses are served): choose one of the options

• Frutti: any fresh fruit
• Formaggi: pick a couple of yummy looking italian cheeses from a specialty cheese section. Locations where you might find these items: Smith's, Wholefoods, Costco

Dolce (dessert):  e.g. Tiramisu
Click here for recipe (this recipe is pretty close to what Marisa makes, you can use imitation rum and coffee substitute, like Pero.

Email me with your selection or any questions.

A presto! (See you soon)

10 Days in a Carry-On

This article appeared in the New York Times Business Section last week:

10 Days in a Carry-On
"Heather Poole, a flight attendant from Los Angeles, demonstrated how to pack enough for a 10-day trip into a single standard carry-on..."

This is a great idea for anyone interested in simplifying their travel experience while simultaneously saving a few more dollars (that you can then spend on gelato, naturally). NOTE: If you do start to strongly consider a carry-on only option after seeing this, then I'd advise you do a "practice pack" sooner than later to see if your belongings fit as well as Heather's.

For those of you flying Delta...

Here's a uncommon piece of good news from the airline industry:

"Starting June 1st, Cardmembers with a Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express—and up to eight travel companions within their reservation—will automatically receive a first checked bag fee waiver upon check-in for all Delta and Delta Connection® flights."

For more information, click here.

Itinerary Update

I've received word back from a few of the couples in the group now regarding the purchase of airfare tickets. Two couples snatched up the Delta fare I mentioned in the Airfare Update post, while another has purchased on American Airlines. Seeing as we expect most if not all of the group to arrive by mid-morning, we're currently trying to work the Vatican into our time in Rome (most likely that first afternoon).

Hopefully that news will not come as a disappointment to anyone.

Here's a virtual tour of one of the sites we hope to fold into our time at the Vatican.

When in Rome...

So we've showed you where we'll be staying in Tuscany for the week, but you've yet to see where you'll be sleeping in the Rome area. Here are a few photos of our place, along with a brief description of the location:

"Roman Villa Silj stands on the ancient border between the Etruscan world and the city of Rome, near the river Tiber. Here the Etruscans, a mysterious and magical race, created a powerful empire and an important civilization in central Italy, which also resulted in the foundation of Rome, in the first millennium before Christ...

"It's a beautiful country house with two additional cottages in secluded gardens, in the country. There is a swimming pool with view of the mountains.

"Villa Silj is located 7 km. (20 mins.) from historic centre of Rome. Excellent public transport from outside garden gate to the historic centre of Rome."

Airfare Update

Airline price searches this morning have proved somewhat fruitful. Prices have dropped significantly in the past few days ($100 - $150). Here are a couple sample airfare itineraries, the first is one stop, the second is two stops.

So now you're probably wondering whether to buy or not. If you'd like to just get a ticket at a reasonable price, then you're more then welcome to jump on these. $920.00 for one-stop isn't horrible, but personally I'm still hoping for something in the mid $800's. Will that happen? I honestly can't say.

So, if you'd prefer to buy now, here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

• Layovers: You might find a great fare on a fight, but you also might have a 50-minute layover in Paris (impossible to make your connecting flight unless you're a demigod) or an 11-hour layover in Paris, which means either sleeping on the floor or an airport hotel. (One will wipe out your back. The other will wipe out any savings you made on the fare.)
• Arrival Times: Typically you'll be arriving into Rome in the morning. If not, look deeper into the itinerary to find out where the hold up might be. 
• Miles: You might think money makes the world go round. Not true - it's mileage points. If you have a mileage account with a specific carrier, then it makes sense to book with them so you accrue miles (assuming fare price is the same or within a couple bucks, of course). If the best airfare is with a carrier with which you don't have a mileage account, consider signing up for one so you get paid in miles while crossing the Atlantic. NOTE: You need to have your account "active" prior to flying. Carriers won't add miles to an account after a flight has taken place. I speak from unfortunate experience.
• Carriers: Not all airlines are created equal. If you've found a great fare on an airline you're unfamiliar with, a little research goes a long way. Google the airline company and "Transatlantic flights" just to try and get a feel for any traveler reviews.

If you have other questions about purchasing airline tickets, feel free to email myself or Richard. If you'd like to search fares and buy, I'd recommend www.Fly.com or www.kayak.com to get started.

Piacere: Getting to Know Pat and Bruce

Name: Patricia (Pat) Christensen

Age: 65

Profession: Retired School Secretary

Pat Likes: Travel, good food, being with family, exercise with friends, just about everything

Pat Dislikes: Liver, aggressive dogs, cleaning up after husband

Name: Bruce Christensen

Age: 66

Profession: Retired Insurance Broker, Former School Teacher

Bruce Likes: Golf, being with friends, reading philosophy, self-help, biographies, good films, being with family and friends

Bruce Dislikes: Liver, congressmen who can't compromise to advance needed political changes, religious or political fanatics

Casa Dolce Casa

In case you were wondering if we actually had a place for everyone to sleep in Tuscany, here are a few photos of our villa (we'll be staying here for one week):

Here's a flowery description from the owner: "Superbly situated on a tranquil and panoramic hill in the heart of Tuscany (at equal distance to Florence, Arezzo and Siena), this beautifully impressive villa sits within an extensive landed estate and offers enchanting views. The villa is within walking distance to a typical Chianti village and a very well manicured garden offers ample space to enjoy the outside areas shaded by lush trees. The villa has recently been completely restored and refurbished to a very high level and transformed into a charming country villa steeped in atmosphere and history. Each room has its own individual style and feel with great attention given to the interior design and finishing."

Needless to say, we're very excited about this "superbly situated" and "beautifully impressive" base camp and hope you will be too.

Piacere: Getting to Know Rich and Pam

Name: Richard Smurthwaite

Age: 55

Profession: Full-time estate planning attorney, part-time world traveler

Rich Likes: Anything Austrian, Max "The Truth Hurts" Hall, Computer Games, Dogs, Math, History, Ireland, and Firenze (Florence)

Rich Dislikes: Peas, University of Utah (even though his eldest son and daughter-in-law graduated from there), Spending the night in JFK

Name: Pam Smurthwaite

Age: Much younger than Rich

Profession: Cosmetologist/Nail-tech

Pam Likes: Being much younger than Rich, her kids, her dogs, her grandkids, her church calling (nursery), Vienna

Pam Dislikes: Carbonated drinks, jet lag, and driving in the snow

Ticket to Fly

FYI - I've put a fare alert on flights leaving the 14th of September, returning on the 26th. Currently the price on the flight is barely worth mentioning ($1165.00). However, I will keep everyone posted on what will hopefully be an improvement in price over the coming weeks/months.

If you would like to search on your own or already have been, here are a couple portal sites that we use on a regular basis:

http://www.kayak.com
http://www.fly.com

Stay tuned or let everyone know if you find a great fare on your own. Historically, I would hope for a ticket somewhere in the range of $800 - $900 for that time of year.

An additional note on plug adapters

I just received an important follow-up note from Dave Ward in our group:

"There are two adapters that look like your picture. The one for Italy has thinner pins closer together. The other one (used in Great Britain according to my data card) has fatter pins a little further apart. They are not interchangeable unless the receptacle is old and worn."

This is entirely correct. If you are shopping for an adapter, make sure that it is for Continental Europe and not Great Britain. Here's an image to help you see the difference:

Also, make sure that whatever adapter you purchase is accepting of a grounding pin. On the Continental adapter pictured above, for example, a plug with a grounding pin still works, as the pin simply slides below the adapter. There are still other adapters that provide a ground hole. Bottom line, make sure whatever plugs you bring have a friendly European counterpart.

Plug it in! Plug it in!

Just a quick note on plug adapters for those of you already packing for the trip. (If there is anyone actually packing, can you come over and pack for us when you're done?)

When the God of Israel scattered the Ten Tribes, he also managed to scatter the plug makers. Hence, depending on where you go in this world, you'll need to adapt in order to plug in your plethora of personal electronic devises. For most of Europe, and all of Italy, here's what you'll be looking for:

Marisa and I have about five of these scattered around the house in various places. Luckily, we always manage to find one before we leave town. The adapter pictured here is from Amazon and costs around $5.00 (Plan on $3.00 - $5.00 for one of these). 

Just a couple of things to remember when taking your electronics abroad: 1) Many electronics, such as computers, iPods, cameras, video game devices come with a voltage range of 100 - 240, which means you can plug them in with just an adapter. 2) Other electronic devices, such as hair dryers, electric razors, electronic typewriters, blenders, etc. will not work in Europe without a dual wattage converter. Actually, let me rephrase that. Your appliances will work without the wattage converter, if you consider sparking, melting, or catching on fire still some form of work, albeit not a very useful and potentially hazardous form.

For wattage converters, go to your local electronics or travel store, or search "travel voltage converter" online. Here's a converter that I found quickly on the Brookstone site. If you like bargain-hunting, however, I'm sure you can find something similar for less. Just remember, you're looking for something that allows you to use U.S. 110/120-volt appliances in 220/240-volt outlets.