May 23, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, II, III & IV • Page 17 In 2011, the Panicucci Family Adventure Vacation took Ron and Joanne, and daughters Jessica, Michele, and Melissa to Italy for 10 days. While there, Ron had his eyes open for Chevys for a BTB article. Panicucci family searched Italy for Chevrolets Highlights besides the food, gelato, wine, and espresso included the ancient history, cathedrals, art, and of course, conversations with fellow travelers. Above. The Panicucci family in Tuscany. Right: Ron tries to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Note: Ron Panicucci is editor of the Bowtie Bulletin, the monthly newsletter published by the Jersey Lakeland Region Vintage Chevrolet Club of America.) The family spent three days in Rome, three days in Florence, two days in Venice, and two days in Milan. They were not on a “tour” as the Panicuccis are independent travelers and not the “tour” type. Ron planned the entire trip as usual, having a tour company arrange the airfare, hotels, and trains between cities. Ron then filled in the activities for each day preparing his usual itinerary. Activities included many pre-arranged, guided tours of the major attractions which allowed the family to skip the entry lines. (There was a three-hour wait at the Vatican.) Side trips were made to Naples, Pompeii, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa, Murano, Burano, Torcello, and Bellagio. Ron only spotted two Chevys during the entire trip, both Matiz models. No classics were anywhere in sight. Ron noted that it’s not practical to drive anything other than a motor scooter or car less than eight feet long in the cities. The family’s hotels were basically center city at each destination, so they survived on foot, walking about 12 to 15 hours each day. The walks also allowed the Panicuccis to get the feel of each city as they visited many different neighborhoods, piazzas, campos, etc. The family appreciated the running fountains in each city that permitted them to continuously fill their water bottles.