In the Beginning

Post One

We are eight days out from the next exploration by Aimless Tours. This tour is “Destination Florence.” This has been an adventure in the making for almost a decade. Here’s a little background.

Almost ten years ago, my wife Rosey, her sister Kathy and her husband Joe, and I embarked on a remarkable tour of Rome and Venice. It was a magical week of sightseeing, experiencing great food and wine, and building memories for a lifetime.

After a few days in Rome which included all of the major sights and an unexpected Pope citing, we headed to Venice. Of course, it rained for the first few days. Not casual mists, but the early heavy autumn rains that blow down from the Swiss Alps and mix with the warm humidity of the Venetian Islands. These rains had several effects. First, it caused us to walk fast. No lingering between churches and cafes. Second, it caused us to get lost – a lot, especially after sunset. It was, after all, Venice.

One rainy evening trying to get back to the hotel after dinner, we became hopelessly lost. We were on narrow dark streets with no familiar sights around us. We had two choices: either panic, or embrace the fact that we were in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was at that point that “Aimless Tours” was born. We figured there was no better way to explore a city than get lost and find your way home. Wet and tired, yet happy and excited, we started to find our way back. Laughing as we wiped rain from our faces, our slogan was attached to the name of our new “tour company”, Aimless Tours: Come Get Lost With Us.

Up next – Finding a flat and a driver.