Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Happy Thursday!! I met Mrs. Molly Lou some months back and fell in love with her shop! I've ordered a few different sets of stationary from her (and LOVE them!!) and am planning to order some special notecards from her for Christmas for my niece. If you haven't been over to see her, you should go. But read this first!!

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Hello there! I'm Mrs. Molly Lou from Molly Lou Gifts and I am super excited to be over here today. I heart Mrs. Potts and have so enjoyed getting to know her and am so thankful to call her my friend.

If you haven't stopped by my blog, I invite you to pop over and see what's going on over there. It's filled with tales and tidbits from my life with two minis and you will also find some fabulous and unique items: stationery, invitations/announcements, tableware, clothing, and more! We also have a great collection of holiday cards-perfect for your festive holiday correspondence. (Shameless plug, I know. Thanks for indulging me.) (Mrs. Potts again - Yes! You should go!!)

Let's take a moment to stop and wish Mr. and Mrs. Potts well on their anniversary cruise. Right now, they are relaxing and cruising around the Caribbean. I hope they are eating, drinking, sunning, sightseeing, swimming, and are enjoying being together celebrating their first year of marriage.

Now, let's take a trip down memory lane to my honeymoon about 5.5 years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Molly Lou got married in July of 2004 in a lovely and oh so fun ceremony and reception. We then jet-setted off to Italy for almost two weeks of fun in Rome and Venice.

Mr. Molly Lou planned our trip. We picked the destination together and then he took off. He found a castle about 60 miles outside of Rome in a small village that would be perfect for our first night there.

This is a story of planes, trains, and automobiles. We arrived in Rome in the morning and needed to get to this castle in the Italian countryside. We didn't rent a car and Mr. Molly Lou just said we could get a train from the airport to the village and then a taxi to our destination.

WRONG. WRONG. WRONG...this is where I should have smacked myself for allowing my husband to do all of the planning.

We go over to the train station and my husband tries to "discuss" with the ticket attendant on what our route will be. Mr. Molly Lou shows the paper work with the name and address.

Ticket Attendant: "No."
Mr. Molly Lou: "No. What do you mean no? I am trying to get to (as he is pointing to picture, address, confirmation number). Can you tell me what train to take?"
Ticket Attendant: "No." And he shrugs.

We try another person...nothing.

We go to a bank nearby and someone helps us. He doesn't know exactly where it is, but general vicinity. We are to take a train and then get on a bus to the village.

We purchase our tickets and haul our luggage to the train. After a lovely, short ride, we get off train and are looking for the bus needed. As we are walking through this train terminal towards the exit, there are two homeless men that are fighting with beer bottles.

(Cue:Oh lovely. This is perfect. Am I worried? Yes, but I am oh so in love and can't wait for this adventure with my new husband.)

The smell of beer and urine is just what I envisioned for the beginning of my honeymoon. We purchase our tickets and have about an hour before we depart. We purchase some pizza from a stand and then proceed to sit on the curb with our luggage enjoying the "sights" all around us.

Time to leave...yes! We are almost there. There are about 50 buses lined up at the bus depot and we have NO idea where to go. Those Italian lessons sure would have been helpful now as this small blue book isn't doing much in this small town.

I am in tears and finally by the Grace of GOD, an American man comes over...he has lived there for over 10 years and noticed that we were having some complications. He shows us which bus to get on. We get on and have one suitcase nicely perched on our laps. The bus ride is long, loud, and bumpy, but the sights are gorgeous. Finally, we can see the castle WAY UP HIGH on the small mountain come in to sight.


We wind a little up this narrow street and the excitement is on. The bus stops and the driver looks at us and tells us to get off. My husband says, "No. We are going up to the castle" and the driver says "You get off here and walk."

We get off, two suitcases and start to walk UP THE MOUNTAIN. (By this time, we have been up for over 24 hours, taken 2 planes, a train, a bus, and now we have to walk.) We walk up and around the windy DIRT streets of this small village that is empty. Turn a corner and CHICKENS are on the road and then proceed to follow us.

We finally make it and it really was gorgeous with breath taking views. We had a lovely time walking the grounds, exploring the castle, swimming, ate the best meal, and had virtually an entire castle to ourselves as there were only 6 other people staying that night. Two other couples we talked to rented cars to get there and were staying for days. (DUH!)

The next morning as it was time to leave and head to Rome, we are attempting to joke with the desk receptionist on all that it took to get there. We told our journey, laughing at the ridiculousness of planes, trains, buses, and walking with chickens to arrive and asked how to get back. She shared with us that without a car, you get back the same way we came.

WHAT?!?!?!?! She tells us to buy the bus tickets from the bar at the bottom on the hill and the bus will take us to the train. After walking our way down to the village, the bar no longer sells the tickets.

This is where I start hyperventilating and freaking out. Enter Fabio (yes, Fabio, but imagine LARGE Italian man with necklaces and spiky hair) who says he will drive us to the train station. Quick glance between Mr. Molly Lou and I and then we hop in Fabio's station wagon.

Mr. Molly Lou must have asked/confirmed at least 10 times that Fabio was indeed driving us to the train station and not taking us to a field to do away with the American tourists. He was a true lifesaver and delivered us safely to the train station.

We had an amazing trip and definitely have many stories to share with our children.

Have a great day!