Accommodation for the trip

Most of our accommodation for the trip is either apartments or B & Bs. We are staying in a hotel in Rome and may end up in one in Scotland, but that is likely to be it.  In Dublin we are staying in the Mercy International Centre and will most likely be in B&Bs throughout the north and south of Ireland. I thought it might be interesting to provide links so you can check out our booked accommodation.
Rome - Hotel Columbia
When Kirby, the boys and I travelled in 2008, we stayed in this hotel because it came highly recommended on TripAdvisor.  We stayed in the suite which had steps leading from the main area to a mezzanine floor with two single beds, ideal for the boys.  It is very close to Termini, the main railway station for Rome, so it was easy for us to catch trains and buses.  Maree and I are staying in a twin superior room so here's hoping that this will be as good as the last time.  The reviews for the hotel are still very good 7 years later.
http://www.hotelcolumbia.com
Florence - B&B Emozioni Fiorentine
Again this was selected because of excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. It is a short walk from the train station and is centrally located to the most historic sights of Florence. The B&B only has 6 rooms so I'm hoping that we get one that has a good view of the square and isn't too noisy.
http://www.emozionifiorentine.it/en/index.php
Venice - B&B  il Giardino di Giulia
Can't remember where I found this B&B in Venice but I liked it because again, it is a short walk from the train station, so it makes it easier to wheel our luggage to it. All emails to Marco, the host were answered promptly which I think is a good sign and all of the reviews say that he is an excellent host. The B&B has 3 rooms and we are staying in the Marcello room which faces an old church.
http://www.ilgiardinodigiulia.com/venice.html

Work has finished!

Well finished work now have ten weeks off  :-)  -  I am so excited about the trip.  So glad Cathie encouraged me to be a risk taker and say yes.   I too am so grateful to Cath for all the wonderful planning and organisation.  I have told Cath to be prepared for me taking photos of everything.  Suitcase not packed yet but have written notes.  Not long to a great adventure. Maree

Only 12 days to go!!!

The bags aren't packed as yet (well mine aren't but Maree's might be) but I am organising myself a bit more.  Trying to get the house and garden sorted before I leave is my main priority but I am printing out important pieces of paper that we need to take.  The suitcase is a Samonsite medium hard shell and I think that it will be big enough for me to take what I need.  It did the job on the last trip in 2008.  Maree is also taking a Samonsite and hers is about the same size but is a soft cover.  I think that hers will be better because it has more flexibility if you are trying to cram stuff in - those hard shells don't give one little bit!

I'm still debating on the backpack - do I need one and if so, should it be a lockable one rather than the el cheapo that I am considering at the moment? We both bought great handbags from Stand Bags.  They are cross body ones and can easily fit my iPad in as well as other important bits and pieces.  Has lots of nooks and crannies to put passports, other docs etc.

Next thing to dig out is the little clothes line and the plastic bags that we used on the last trip in 2008.  The bags are great as they are ziplock and once the air is out they flatten down wonderfully and keep ironed clothes that way without crushing.

I've found all of the electrical adaptors and have all of my bits and pieces for the iPad - HDMI connector for TVs, SD card reader, Seagate wireless drive to store our photos as well as a subscription to DropBox for backups of stuff.  All important documents have been scanned and are now on the iPad and they will also be put on the latest addition to the family - the iPhone 6.