Dreams can come true

[ActionBob]

I'll be sticking to Europe for next year, both for simplicity and convenience. I'm also taking my road bike. There's so many gorgeous locations to ride, I'm that much more excited

I've got a KTM 950 Adventure, it'd be a blast on those mountain roads

 

[mdwest]

I know hunting is a priority for you.. but.. dont miss out on "everything else" this tour has to offer...

You'll be a 1 hour train ride from Florence.. Florence is truly one of the most incredible cities I've ever visited... Whether you are a lover of history, great food, cool architecture, art, fun people, etc.. doesnt matter.. Florence has all of it.. I've lived, worked, or vacationed in 90+ countries at this point.. Florence and the surrounding Tuscan countryside are a top 5 location for me.. simply a wonderful part of our planet..

You'll be a 30 minute train ride from Venice... another pretty cool place to check out if you have never been there..

Less than 2 hours by train and you'll be in Innsbruck, one of the most beautiful places in the Austrian Alps you can imagine..

Rome is an easy weekend trip by train... So is Monaco.. So is the Amalfi Coast..

Get yourself to a couple of different central European countries and take in a couple of cool hunts that you could never have done otherwise... (I'd personally like to hunt Croatia and Romania.. both are on my bucket list...)

But dont miss out on all the rest.. you're in for a pretty awesome year if you play your cards right and take full advantage of the opportunity you've been afforded..

 

[mark-hunter]

Speaking of Venice, Hemingway was hunting waterfowl in venice lagoon...

Then, Brescia: beretta museum
And also EXA gun show in Brescia...

A lot of thing to do and to see...

 

[mdwest]

youre also going to be a 30 minute train ride from Val Trompia... the home of the Beretta HQ and factory..

I'd be scheduling a tour!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Can one get a commuter pass for Vicenza to Venice? It's about ten to fifteen euro one way, from what I saw. That gets pricey quick, if I do it daily. No idea if I'm given a car. Info TBA

Hunting is a big goal, but sailing is way high up as well. One dream, now shaky due to 45 miles distance, is to buy a sailboat while there. Loads of practice, then sail myself home at the end of my tour! Fingers tightly crossed!!

My bike is a Colnago M10, electronic shifters, full carbon. That baby only weighs 17.6 pounds. Former pro team bike, according to the seller

 

[mark-hunter]

In Italy you can get very good 2nd hand sailing boat, on good price (much cheaper then in Croatia)
Renting of boat is also possible.

In Croatian part of Adriatic you can cruise with boat, among 1000 islands, and only maybe 10% of them are inhabitted. This is true mediteranean wilderness.
In mediteranean only Greek coast is more diverse with number of islands double then that.

If renting the boat, during summer (june till august) rental fee is high, but from septemebr onwards renting fee drops quite a lot, utill june.

Biking is popular, especialy in Istria (west part of Croatia close to Italy) where bikers go from one guest house to another, where all places are bikers friendly, and countryside is great! Local scenery roads, away from higheways, wineyards, valleys, villages, etc

Hunting is good. Croatia has one of the denseist population of brown bears in this part of EU.
Boar numbers are growing, etc..

All you need is enough spare time, and some money to spend! For hunting, and trophy system - drop me a pm, because prices depend on trophy size. You may need an advise on that.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I certainly do have a bare (pronounced bear) spot on my wall! Shouldn't be too much trouble to have the trophy parts sent to my taxidermist @gizmo to receive when I get home.

I'll drop you a line later. Thanks, Mark

 

[mark-hunter]

You are welcome, ArmyGrunt!

 

[thi9elsp]

Congratulations. Immerse yourself totally in all that the area has. I second what @mdwest said. I don't know about hunting but my Mozambique PH who's from Portugal hunts France and Romania for driven boar hunts when he's back in Europe.

You might look into Eurrail passes. I've not used them but my brother did years ago to travel around Europe. https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes. Maybe someone else on this site has used them more recently and has insights.

 

[gizmo]

I certainly do have a bare (pronounced bear) spot on my wall! Shouldn't be too much trouble to have the trophy parts sent to my taxidermist @gizmo to receive when I get home.

I'll drop you a line later. Thanks, Mark

You bettcha!

 

[Nyati]

Congrats @ArmyGrunt , you are going to be close to a lot of good hunting destination, to those already mentioned, I would add Hungary and Serbia, even southern Poland.

 

[AbleCook704]

Very helpful visualization. I think about what I want and dreams come true) But your story really very cool! Good luck

 

[kevin masters]

Venice is one of the coolest places I have ever been!!!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I'm on my third day since the big news, and I'm still buzzing around, happy as a pig in mud!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Congratulations. Immerse yourself totally in all that the area has. I second what @mdwest said. I don't know about hunting but my Mozambique PH who's from Portugal hunts France and Romania for driven boar hunts when he's back in Europe.

You might look into Eurrail passes. I've not used them but my brother did years ago to travel around Europe. https://www.eurail.com/en/eurail-passes. Maybe someone else on this site has used them more recently and has insights.

I just got the chance to look at the eurorail page. Fantastic sounding deal. Plus, proof of residence in Europe and one can use Interrail: free reservations and kids travel free.
This will be most useful when school is out and I get them an escort for a visit! Mom said she'd love to do it. Worst case, I help the ex wife get plane tickets...she can do her own thing when I'm off work

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Looks like I should be cautious with my choice of women!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Holy shit! After waiting two months for the right person to get the word I needed to input background info into a website for secret clearance, I typed it in myself. A few weeks later, I got approved at the top to go on this mission.
Five hours later, the QA guy kicked it back because I didn't have the current schooling for my rank. I've been on a wait list (for too many applying, too few seats) not less than five times, which includes May 2020. I had to get a memo from the first General in my chain of command. That's 3 tiers above me for something that's literally impossible to get into. I waited a month in total for that, halfway thru getting word our memo we sent up needed changed. Two weeks after I'm told the General had it in his inbox all I can get for update is "I'll message this guy."
Hail Mary pass on my part, I emailed legal at that level with background story and explanation of my situation, and asked for any advice. Legal said he couldn't tell me, for good reason, but pointed me where to look. At the same time, he sent my email to the guy I'm complaining about. I'm fairly certain there's ethical issues with that.....
IF the memo hadn't coincidentally been signed the same day, and before they got my email, they would have killed the whole thing because I pulled that dick move.

HOWEVER! I'm told orders are generated, and sitting with top HQ for final approval. Looks like I'll be going on this work-cation after all!

 

[ArmyGrunt]

I got my ass chewed on the phone by Sgt Maj. Then I got told by the LTC it almost got killed. Then I got a sit down with Sgt Maj and First Sgt. Then one on one with 1SG.
How many times does a guy need a talking to about the same situation? How long should I wait with no info before taking my own career and family situation into my own hands?

Gotta love the military's bureaucracy...

 

[gizmo]

Ug. Still got my fingers crossed for you buddy.

 

[Eric Anderson]

I got my ass chewed on the phone by Sgt Maj. Then I got told by the LTC it almost got killed. Then I got a sit down with Sgt Maj and First Sgt. Then one on one with 1SG.
How many times does a guy need a talking to about the same situation? How long should I wait with no info before taking my own career and family situation into my own hands?

Gotta love the military's bureaucracy...

It is awefull, doesn’t matter what service.