A newly empty nest | travel to sporting events | WTN - Castiglion del Bosco | Highlight - POCO

WHERE TO NEXT?

Dear Traveler,

It’s mid-August, which means back to school time. From elementary school to graduate programs – no matter the age of your kids, it is a time of transition.

We have clients heading off to Florence this week to bring their son to his university study abroad program. Florence is a very popular place for US students to study and he’s going to have an incredible experience meeting people from all over, enjoying Italian food and wine and exploring Florence and many European cities on weekend trips. And his parents will enjoy a mini vacation too.

For Jason and I it is a first – all of our kids are in college this year including our youngest. Our drop off experience is a bit different than a flight to Florence. Yesterday Jessie and I road-tripped 14 hours in her full car with all of the college essentials plus golf clubs, pickleball and tennis racquets and her and Trevor’s road bikes (they are both on their sorority and fraternity’s racing teams). Today we pick up Jason and Trevor from the airport for the final drive to campus.

Our house will be quieter now and it will be a transition for sure. I’m grateful that they’ll be at school together and also happen to be living next door to each other. It makes me feel better that although they are far from home, they are so close.

The Wall Street Journal published a recent article ‘Empty Nest’: What’s Left When Kids Fly Out on Their Own, mentioning the term free bird as a more positive interpretation instead of empty nest.

I like that.

They had another article earlier this year, When Junior Heads to College, Helicopter Parents Turn to Empty-Nest Coaches “Empty-nesters get plenty of unsolicited advice from friends and family: Get a job. Get a hobby. Get a life.”

Oh that sounds a bit harsh.

I have a job, hobbies and a fulfilling life. But I’m still going to miss them a lot.

I did a little research and summarized the top pieces of advice for empty nesters:

Embrace the change by rediscovering your passions and interests, including travel and new adventures.
Strengthen your relationships by investing time in deepening connections with your partner, friends and family.
Plan for the future by setting goals that align with your desires for this new chapter in life

As I look ahead to the next year (and life) without kids in the house full time, even with a full life, it seems like a good time to reflect and intentionally design what that looks like. I’m excited by the possibilities and will focus on the above advice.

Of course for me that will include travel. I have many destinations and experiences on my list. First up will be visiting our daughter in Colorado with a stop en route to Telluride.

Telluride is one of the most picturesque mountain towns and I’m excited to share the adventures I have planned and restaurants I’ll be enjoying with you.

What else is on my list?

Traveling with friends to concerts and sporting events.

Many of you are serious sports fans. When you aren’t out being active yourself you often want to be watching sporting events – from your kids’ little league teams in your home town to professional games around the world.

Our clients who went to Paris for the Olympics were so happy to have made the effort to see the games in such an iconic destination. Now it’s time to look ahead – to the winter 2026 games and more.

For my own inspiration I came up with a solid list of upcoming sporting events and I’ll share it with you below. If you have others I should add, please let me know.

I love planning trips around sporting events, concerts or other momentous occasions. Having an anchor experience to plan your trip around is so fun!

Not only can I get you the VIP seats and exclusive access to these events, but also we can plan you an epic trip before and after the big game.

If you’re going all that way, you may as well take advantage of being there and experience other aspects of the culture, local culinary scene and active adventures.

Check out the list below for inspiration.

SOCCER
May 2025 – UEFA Champion’s League Final in Germany
June/July 2026 – FIFA Men’s World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico
June/July 2027 – FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil

AMERICAN FOOTBALL

September 2024
The Packers will play the Eagles on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 in the city of São Paulo at the home arena of Brazilian soccer team SC Corinthians and will be each team’s first game of the 2024 regular season.

October 2024
Five NFL teams – the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots & Minnesota Vikings will play in London in what is now an annual event.

2025
The Miami Dolphins or Chicago Bears will play in Madrid. (I’m personally routing for the Bears). Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will host the NFL regular league game. This is on the heels of 2024 NFL games in London, Mexico City, Munich, Frankfurt and Sao Paolo.

This will be the first time that an official NFL regular season game will be played in Spain. I want to be there for it!

ICE HOCKEY

This October and November there will be four games in Finland and the Czech Republic. See the schedule below.

credit: records.nhl.com

GOLF

September 2024 – Ryder Cup in NY
April 2025 – The Masters in Georgia
(and so many more!)

FORMULA 1

September 2024 – Italian Grand Prix and Singapore Grand Prix
November 2024 – the season finale in Abu Dhabi
2024 schedule
2025 schedule – on five of the seven continents
2026 – begins in Madrid (I can’t wait!)

TENNIS

January 2025 – Australian Open
June 2025 – Roland Garros in France
June/July 2025 – Wimbledon in England
August/September 2025 – US Open in NY

CYCLING

July 2025 – Tour de France

HORSES

January 2025 – Snow Polo in St. Moritz, Switzerland
May 2025 – Kentucky Derby
July/August 2025 Palio di Siena, Italy

OLYMPICS

February 2026 – Winter Olympics in Italy

Which of the above are on your list?

My recommendation…

Plan ahead.
Get VIP seats.
Add on a few days before and/or after to explore your destination or another stop en route.

Email me when you are ready to plan.

The September/October issue of Virtuoso Magazine is out. Access the digital version by clicking on the cover below.

Last week’s most popular article was How tight is too tight for a layover? A guide to connecting flights.

This week’s inspirational articles include 20-ish things you still want to do this summer, the wildebeests’ dangerous journey from Tanzania into Kenya across Mara River, the trillion dollar wellness industry, inside the family feud that changed Mexican travel forever, a snob’s guide to medical and fitness spas, the world’s top 15 bucket list trips – ranked and under-the-radar family destinations you should know about.

Also articles on Chile, Bolivia, Bhutan, Uruguay and London.

The informational articles include info on surge pricing in the travel industry and how to sleep better on a red eye.

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Below:

This week’s highlight – POCO
Where to Next? Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco
Articles to Inspire+Inform

POCO

Poco is a gem!

No reservations are taken. They have indoor and outdoor seating and a small bar with a skilled bartender. They focus on shared small plates and inventive cocktails.

Jessie and I ate here a few weeks ago and shared three vegetarian dishes:

mushroom orecchiette with grilled corn, cream, herbs and tocarashi
halloumi with curry, onion jam and pomegranate
blistered shishitos with corn cotijo spread, tocarashi and sesame seeds

They are all delicious!

If we weren’t full we would have ordered more. We opted out of desert so we could go to the local ice cream place that had a long line of people out front (always a good sign) waiting to order at the window (Burlington Bay Market & Cafe). I had the creamy salted caramel – which I will definitely order again if I return.

Below are a few more of POCO’s recent dishes and cocktails:

Purple Rain cocktail made of Rye whiskey, fresh cantaloupe, sage syrup, sage blossom garnish and lemon
Fried Raviolo – lemon ricotta, herbs, roasted mushrooms
Pork belly, cilantro cream, pear kimchi
Fresh oysters
A delicious spicy fried chicken sandwich

📷 POCO

When going somewhere new, many travelers focus on the main areas of a city. That is easy to do in Burlington too. The pedestrian Church Street (well worth a visit) is filled with local boutiques, big brands (Lulu Lemon, Fjallraven, Helly Hansen) and restaurants.

But if you don’t get off the beaten path you miss some of the gems.

Including POCO.

Add it to your list!

🌟 This week we are heading back to Italy! Our clients, a multigenerational family with a young toddler spent time in Tuscany at the beautiful Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco.

Why is Castiglion del Bosco so special?

The property is sprawled on a 5,000 acre estate with over 900 years of history and includes ancient castle ruins, a medieval church and the borgo that forms the heart of the resort.
There are elegant suites and private villas. All private villas have heated pools and some include wood-burning pizza ovens, home theaters and tennis courts.
The two restaurants on property are Osteria La Canonica, offering traditional Tuscan fare in a shaded open veranda and the Michelin starred Campo del Drago. The resort maintains a large kitchen garden that provides all the vegetables to Campo del Drago.

Do as much or as little as you like:

Explore the property with tours of the vineyards and olive groves, horseback riding, hiking or biking.
Enjoy private wine tastings, cooking classes, truffle hunting and the spa. Relax under the Tuscan sun at the heated pool overlooking the hilltop town of Montalcino.
Tee off at The Club at Castiglion del Bosco, Italy’s only private golf club, exclusively for members and guests of the resort.

‼️ Don’t miss…. the Brunello in flight experience. Fly by helicopter for a bird’s-eye view of the villages of Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano, enjoy a private visit to two Brunello wineries and a gourmet lunch at the Michelin-starred Il Silene on Mount Amiata.