Our final pre-trip meeting will be held at Burlington County College, Saturday, March 20 at 10:30 a.m. We will meet in the Integrated Learning Resource Center (Library), in the Teleconference Center, just inside the rotunda on the left. This is the same location as the last meeting. If you need directions to BCC, check the last mailing or call me.

At this meeting I will provide some last minute information about the trip, hopefully answer any questions you might have and, most importantly, distribute the Airline tickets. I have them in my possession right now and have checked them for accuracy.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, you have two choices regarding the tickets. One is to wait until Monday, March 22 and get them from me when you arrive for the bus trip to JFK or if you aren't on the bus, get them at JFK airport from me. The other choice is to work something out with me (call me!) for an evening drop off, if it can be arranged, for instance, at Barnes and Noble in Moorestown.

Initially we were advised that we would be staying in Assisi at the Hotel Cenacolo Francescano. However, I have been advised that that has been changed. We are now staying at the Hotel Porziuncola. I have changed this information on the enclosed blue tri-fold, and added the hotel in Sorrento. You will each be given a complete EF itinerary with your airline ticket which includes specific flight and hotel information.

Enclosed you will find an updated the currency exchange chart which I prepared using the exchange rate which was posted on March 10. Even though the guide I originally distributed with the rate from Feb. 18 is now inaccurate, with the fluctuation of the Lira, it may be accurate on March 22 -- so don't throw it away. The differences aren't that great, and either one can serve as a guide for you while we are in Italy.

I have been informed that our tour director in Italy will be Misia Massa. Is "Misia" a man or a woman? I don't know for certain - but I'm betting it is a woman's name. Anybody know anything about Italian first names?

48 of us will be taking the bus from Vincentown to JFK. The bus will leave from the parking lot of the Vincentown Fire Company on Race St. at 1:30 sharp. That means that you should plan to arrive no later than 1:15 p.m. in order to unload your luggage and park your car. Parking will be at 9 Smith Court, my home, a block away from the Fire House. While I have adequate space to park your cars, I recommend that, wherever possible, you arrange to be dropped off or to car-pool to Vincentown.

Don't forget to put aside two envelopes with the "suggested" tips for your Italian bus driver and for our EF tour director. EF suggests $20 for the tour director and $10 for the bus driver. That is, of course, if you are pleased with their service.

I cannot emphasize enough the need to limit yourself to ONE MEDIUM SIZED suitcase and one carry on bag. Be creative in planning your CASUAL wardrobe for this trip. It is a 100% casual trip, so the less you have with you, the better. I will bring a five-day weather forecast for Italy to the meeting on Saturday to give you an idea of the weather there.

"Attitude" is an important ingredient when involved in group travel. There will be 54 of us, with our many idiosyncrasies, habits and preferences packed together on a plane, a bus and in small hotels for 10 days for a common purpose: a Grand Tour of Italy! If we become a "family" and overlook the many potential delays and inconveniences we'll encounter and laugh at the crazy things that are bound to happen, we'll have a wonderful trip. Bon voyage!