Dust off your passports dear Bloggy Friends! Lavinia Ladyslipper of The Birdbath Chronicles and I have arranged for the Grape Escape to Italy on November 17! All are Welcome!.
As you all know, Lavinia has a simply delicious apartment in Rome. It sleeps 30 or more if you count the hammocks in the Solarium and the Murphy Bed bookshelves in the library.
Her staff awaits your favorite Italian recipes for sumptuous meals.
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The day will be filled with sight seeing adventures led by none other than Mr. Peck. His familiarity with Rome is well known. He has spent many holiday's there and is ready and awaiting our arrival. (Tips are recommended at the end of each tour, as Mr. Peck is no longer gainfully employed as a park ranger.) You may remember Mr. Peck from our Indian Summer Picnic - some of you may remember him a little better than others (wink wink). He, of course, lost his job after that unfortunate incident in the hay wagon, but he has retained his sense of humor and his willingness to have another adventure with us!
The Avidly Errant Mr. Peck
In addition to our time in the city we will spend some time at my land holdings on the outskirts of Rome, the Muserino Vineyard. It is just bursting with ripening grapes. Unfortunately, my not so trusty workers have all gone off for some crazy holiday in Salerno, and have left me in the lurch!
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This adventure will include an overnight stay at Lavinia's with all meals and amenities included. We will have sight seeing adventures, enjoy delicious food, and spend a day at the Muserino Vineyard where you will see, firsthand, the entire wine making process from start to finish. You'll be trucked out to the vineyards before dawn to pick grapes, then it's back to the Muserino Cellars a quick lunch and a frolicking afternoon of grape stomping and cask filling! And of course there will be WINE TASTING! Click to see Lavinia and I at an actual wine tasting!!!
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Everyone is invited to come to Italy for The Grape Escape! I have included a map of Italy for the geographically challenged. Rome is pretty close to Vatican City from what I understand, so we should probably keep the volume down just a tad.
To make this a wonderful experience for all, you are invited to participate in this adventure by doing any of the following:
- provide recipes or menu ideas to the kitchen staff so they may prepare your favorite Italian foods.
- assist Mr. Peck with planning tours of your favorite sights,
- you may share historical information,
- escort us through art galleries,
- discuss artists, music
- any thing else you might like to do!
As always you may do anything you like on the day of The Grape Escape! It's your Roman holiday.
The only thing NOT to do is put the following item in your suitcase as a "pretty please with sugar on it" favor to Lavinia.
The Iron Crown of Charlemagne
If you would like to join us in the Grape Escape, just copy the invitation to your blog and leave a comment on this post! Ciao!
We thank the following sponsors:
Security provided by Stevie the Wren
Vespa Rentals by Karla and Sparky
Mousing Around Tours by Blicky Kitty
Postage and Handling by Marie
Come As You Are Photography by Bibi
Mind Your Manors by Willow
Tiara Rentals by Queenie
Large Fern provided by Betsy
Music and Arts provided by Trish and Avery
Keep 'em In Line Drawings by Soulbrush
More sponsors to be announced after Stevie the Wren has a "word" with them.
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Please stop by The Birdbath Chronicles for additional information and updates about The Grape Escape!
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34 comments:
Remember, if you chose to travel with the Grape Escape tour group you must complete the official Roman Holiday security questionnaire. Please submit requests for security clearance to Madame Ladyslipper in time for the vetting process to be completed.
Be aware, my security personnel will be checking carefully for any chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear abnormalities. Please be ready to give a full account for any of the above activities.
Travel visas will be issued upon my approval.
Stevie the Wren
If you hear my valise ticking, it's just my alarm clock. Honest. But I wouldn't open it if I were you. So just take my word for it.
Saluti! Sarei felice di assistere Steviewren con la sicurezza per i Gioielli della Corona di Cha di Cha.
Janeen, Grazie. Avremo bisogno del vostro aiuto perché Lavinia ha barrette chiare!
Ahem, speaking about Security in a foreign language is not allowed until my translator, Mr. Peck is available.
Stevie the Wren
Well - okay - Janeen says she will assist you with the security of the Crown of the Cha Cha and I told her thanks,you'll need help because Lavinia is a bit light fingered.
I'm not going to sulk about this, and of course the tiaras will still be provided. But Dr Gorgeous has said no flying for at least nine months, so make sure its still available next year. Just had a thought if I start in my rowing boat now, I should get there just as you return home (sob)!!!!!!!
Whew! Thank goodness you didn't put me in charge of grape stomping or translating (something I really suck at). Now the winetasting ... ALLRIGHT!! Step back and let the master show you how it's done ladies. :o)
Vespas? How about something with a little more horsepower ... or do I need to give a riding skills class first? Remember: Always wear your leathers and Momentum is your friend. tee hee
Thanks for the invite! I'll be there or be square.[] ♥ ∞
I love the imagination involved in this!
yup i'll be there with my soul brush, you can count on it...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.....
and
you have been tagged!!
Queenie - I'm quite sure your Dr. said nothing about hot air balloons! We'll have Bibi swing by and pick you up.
Sparkie - I think the Vespa is about all most of us can handle other than that non-motorized scooter I had as a kid. Glad to have you!
Soul! 5-6-7-8 you we do appreciate! see you there!
I'm packing right now! I just rewatched "Where Angels Fear to Tread" and was in an Italia frame of mind as a result. Sincronizzazione perfetta! I'm dusting off my Italian-language cds and doing some laundering (Oh! what the heck, I'll buy some new clothes!)
Kissing the Kev and the kats, for I'm going by sea! (I've not been on a large boat since that horrific trip in the 70s from Bar Harbor to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (I spent the duration lying on the upper deck benches, trying not to heave). I am hopeful that my hereditary sea-legs have kicked in. Wish me luck!
I'll provide a recipe and perhaps dig up some links to my favourite Italian-inspired poetry and films.
See you there, miei amici!
Katalina
Kat! I'm so glad you are coming! And by boat - I hear the seas will be very calm on the 17th so you'll be fine. Bon Serra, miei amico!
ooh All this is making me want a holiday...Thankyou for my lovely award
Hugs Lynn xx
When I saw your Grape Escape Invitation on Poetikat's, there was no way I could turn it down. I love everything Italian! I'll have to ask Katalina if there's room on her boat,
and to help provide the entertainment of Italian film (my specialty). Grazie! Petra
I've taken your invitation and done a little feature on your adventure. I'm sure there will be swarms of people wanting to be part of this avventura!
Kat
Museswings, you know the kind of lives we lead, there is no time for our various and sundry passports to collect any dust. This is a great idea of yours, and we'll all be living la vida loca--oops, sorry, wrong language....I meant la dolce vita, on the 17th. I look forward to helping out of the Trevi Fountain (again!) if you so choose to kick up your heels a la "Ekberg".
I have proudly presented my award, it fits in so well with my new decor....
Thank-you
Queenie and Sea Angels You are very welcome for your awards! Come with us to Italy!
Petra Michelle - Wonderful! That's just the thing for a perfect Roman Holiday! I'm so glad you stopped by and are joining in the fun. I am sure there are just tons of extra staterooms on Kat's boat. She knows how to travel in great style.
Kat - thank you for the feature! This is how we find wonderful "new" bloggers to join in the fun. Your plans for the Roman Holiday are great!
Lavinia! I looked back on my blogs and you ARE the very first person I "found" or was "found" by back in late June. It's been a fun time, and here we go again! Looking SO forward to Trevi Fountain! Yes - need help there, alright!
As long as the police in Ibiza don't get wind of our travels and try to take our passports away AGAIN, we're good to go. So no phone calls to Sir Mottley Pohdunk, dahlink - he is not discrete enough to be trusted. But if you do call him - try to get that roll of film back.
Oh, this sounds so much fun! My sister lives in Rome - can we visit her also?
Of course we can, Mim! Better let her know we'll have about 50 bloggers coming by for dinner!
Ecccccomiiii ragazzziii arrrivo. Here I am guys! I'm coming too. You'll need some translation. I've been busy arranging for our copious wine needs over at Blicky Kitty. So fun!
I can already smell the garlic sautéing! mmmmnnn!
Bibi supports the Great Escape and wishes she could pop over! She will devour something Italian on that day, washed down with some fine Italian red wine. Bibi has just returned from a wine-tasting tour of Temisoara and Arad in Romania....hic.
Blicky, Bibi and Marie! You'll all be there- I'm so glad! It wouldn't be any fun stomping grapes without you!
Bibi - The Mister's maternal side of the family is from Temisoara. You must tell us all about your wine tasting tour!
This does sound like such fun! I'm Italian.
No worries, Muse, the police in Ibiza have been heaavily bribed with Italian donuts, even if they *do* get wind of our travels, they wouldn't dream of taking our passports away again. As for Sir Mottley Pohdunk, dahlink - you're right, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw his monocle. (which by the way is nothing more than pretentious affectation--his vision is perfect!) I tried every which way to get that roll of film back, without success. However, I have it on good authority that he hid it somewhere in his wine cave disguised as an old cork. But since his cava master is an old, shall we say, 'chum' of mine, rest assured that it is only a matter of time until that 'cork' is uncorked!
I just read your comment over at Blicky's. What's this about chianti....fava beans...and followed by evil laughter? Come clean, muse! You aiding and abetting Hannibal or what?!?
Muse, by the by, is this an all day affair or is there a certain time on November 17th everyone gets together? Petra
Hello Mary Lou - that song is stuck in my head now, by the way - It will be fun and your attendance will make it even better!
Lavinia - I'm pleased there is still hope for the return of the film, which Sir M. pronounces "filim" in each of his blackmail letters, by the way. It would be such an embarrasment to all concerned.... I told Hannibal to stay in Florence and leave us to our own "devices" on the 17th.
Petra Michelle! The Grape Escape is an all day affair due to the many time zones of our guests. Each participant posts whatever they would like to show or tell for the Grape Escape on that day. Anything goes. I'll list the participants on my post and we all "visit" each other to see what each of us each chosen to show and tell for the event. We've had similar events, including a tea, a cruise and an Indian Summer Picnic. Willow, of Willow's Manor had an elegant ball, Soulbrush recently hosted a wedding and there was a wonderful event to celebrate Marie Antoinette's birthday. It's a wonderful way to become aquainted with other bloggers, and there is often a story line running in the comments as the day progresses.
Avery and I are getting our passports ready and we have made quite a few contacts with our fellow artists and musicians from around the world. We are very anxious to come to this gala. Avery is quite excited about stomping the grapes. I always loved Lucy's adventures in the big vat. What an exciting time you have planned. We wouldn't miss it for anything!
I am so glad you will be there, Trish - and tell Avery she won't need to wear socks for about a month after stomping grapes. She'll look like she's wearing purple knee socks. Thanks for taking on the musical sponsorship! I just knew you had world wide contacts! Sky's the limit with you in charge.
I'd love to be a part of the Roman holiday! I have a recipe for an Italian specialty dish that I made recently that I was going to post next week, so I'll post it on Monday. I've enjoyed all the other events you and Lavinia have sponsered, so it's a thrill to be a part of one!
Avery and I will be arriving in Rome in a few hours and we are so excited. Please feel free to list me tomorrow for the special holiday. We have been nearly giddy waiting for this fabulous trip. I have lost many many pounds for the trip. I must be able to stomp the grapes. I just can't wait. Until we meet in Rome!!!!!!!!!!!
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