i really liked this article about group traveling in the post this weekend. the author, robin wright (i think she's normally foreign affairs for the post) and all of her friends on her street do a big group travel thing once every year or so. they recently rented a house in tuscany and had a grand old time.

i can't decide if this applied to my own life would be the best thing ever or a huge disaster. but she's got some good ideas:

But neighborhood travel has also proven to be a more affordable way to see the world. On arrival, we all put about $60 per person in a kitty for breakfast foods, basic necessities, evening hors d'oeuvres and wine. We buy staples -- such as cereal, fruit, coffee and milk -- to keep in the house. The morning walkers among us wander into town to buy fresh croissants and the papers. Anyone who buys something later takes funds from the kitty, leaving a receipt behind.

To our amazement, the funds generally last the week. In the process, we get to taste life in the local community and aren't isolated in a hotel filled largely with other foreigners.

and

In 2001, the cost was about $300 per bedroom for a full week. By this summer, when we visited again, it had gone up to $445 per bedroom -- still not bad given the soaring value of the euro against the dollar.

We have it down to a routine by now. The first day, we all drive to San Gimignano, the medieval city of more than 70 towers, many built by competing families to signal their greater wealth and power. Whatever our interests, we're all attracted to the old narrow streets with crafts and wine bars and art galleries. We save Florence to do together later in the week. And then we wander in separate smaller groups -- a mix-and-match on different days, depending on the destinations -- to the fine Etruscan museum and field of Roman ruins in Volterra or the friendly square full of flowers in Greve, the chief town of the Chianti Classico wine area, or Lucca, surrounded by walls that date back to the Roman era.

Each trip, we've learned new tricks to facilitate our travels.

For Tuscany, Alan bought walkie-talkies to communicate when we were separated in villages or on the way home so the end car wouldn't get lost. Maryellen laid out an array of maps and tour books for people to figure out the options as well as information on local buses so we wouldn't have to drive. They also worked out group rates for made-to-order tours -- through local vineyards and villas with the author of "Too Much Tuscan Sun," about $120 per person including transportation and a meal, or with our own guide through Florence's Uffizi Gallery for about $42 per person, including ticket. Six of us took a special cooking class in Florence. Jerry still talks about the tiramisu, almond torte and cheesecake that the class specializing in desserts next door offered our group when it was finished.

In a big cost-saver, Maryellen found local chefs to come in at night and cook, which allowed us to sample good wines without having to worry about driving afterward. In Tuscany, we could eat a sinful five-course meal -- an antipasto selection, prosciutto and melon, lamb cutlets, assorted vegetables, salad, a pastry and fruit or cheese -- for about $24 per person.

i've already decided that i want to get a real career already so i can retire from it and become an italian vacation planner. anyway, i think we should have a big old orgiastic (maybe not) trip to tuscany next year. millions of people. anyone in? i've already got a place in mind (as long as i feel comfortable blatantly stealing from the grays' fantastic vacation location, which i do).