I've started a travel club as a way to combine my love of travel with the fun of meeting new people. It's technically geared towards nannies but is open to anyone and I'd prefer to keep it open. I'd rather focus on the fun of visiting new towns and cities rather than the daily gripes of work (and there can be a bunch of those when you work with private families) especially as none of us are solely defined by our jobs, we are all multifacited. The details and link are provided below.

Cheers,
Bonnie


Nanny Association of Northern Italy (aka NANI)
Many of us are not planning on being here forever so lets use our time in Italy wisely. Hopefully this meetup will be as much about traveling with friends as it will be about bonding and supporting each other. There are so many fabulous towns and cities in Italy, Northern Italy especially so at least once a month there will be day trips so we can visit and experience them. Every once in a while we'll plan longer excursions such as weekend trips to the towns and cities that can't be fully appreciated in only one day. My hope is that we'll all come away with new friends and have a richer experience during our time here. I've called it the Nanny Association of Northern Italy but it's not necessary to be a Nanny in order to come to the meetups. If you want to bring along friends, the more the merrier. Also, even though the location is listed as Parma, thats just because that's where I'm based. The meetups will be held in whichever town or city we visit so it's not necessary for you to be based in Parma. However if your from one of the towns or cities thats visited and you want to play tour guide for a day, that would be helpful and appreciated.

Cremona
Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 12:00PM

Our first meetup, yeah! An exerpt from Let's GO regarding Cremona; "Viewed from the top of the Torazzo, the tallest bell tower in Italy, Cremona is a sea of terra-cotta rooftops and warm red brickwork. Above all, Cremona is awash in music, proud to be the home of violin genius Antonio Stradivari and the birthplace of the father of modern opera, Claudio Monteverdi. The city thus draws tourists looking to admire its violin-makers, who often welcome those wishing to watch them in their craft. This city of music is home to the University of Music Palaeography and Philology and the International School of Violin, Making. Whether you're looking for scenery or serenading, Cremona is worth at least a day of your travels."

It's also the home of torrone which is one of my favorites. The plan is to meet-up for lunch and then split up into groups depending on what everyone wants to do. There's the tower to climb or museums to visit, or shopping for those who have money burning a hole in their pockets.

I have a few places that my book recommends but if anyone knows of a good place the venue can be changed. Hope you can make it!

Cheers,
Bonnie

See the full event details, including location, at http://nanny.meetup.com/253/calendar/8018389/.