Destination: Castello Banfi by Jim Langford

Our trip to Italy and a two-week stay in a remodeled 13th century farmhouse, originally began as a party for 16 people. By the time we arrived, our party numbered nine.

Our party featured the head of the family, Sal, his wife, and their youngest son, from Florida. His daughter, Marisa, and son-in-law, Matt, were there from South Carolina. Sal’s son, Andy, and wife, Merry, represented the fine city of Milwaukee. The two adopted members of the tribe, myself and my wife, Gale, are from Florida. The seven who didn’t make the trip missed something truly special. The DVDs and e-mails have been flying back and forth since we returned. The ambience, the company, the conversation, and the sense of family all made for a memorable experience.

I would remind you that when you book your clients on trips overseas, jet lag is a fact of life and can only be cured with sleep. My wife, who can sleep on planes, and I landed in Rome late Saturday morning and had booked a tour of the Borghese Gallery that afternoon at 3 p.m. It was magnificent. Every art form was present. The only problem was I couldn’t keep my eyes open to enjoy everything

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