Through the magic of presetting my blog posts, I bet you never even missed me! Truth be told, I’ve just returned from a 15-day tour through ITALY and AUSTRIA! That’s right, I’ve taken my first European Vacation!
Beginning in Rome, my guided tour then went south to Pompeii, Sorrento, the island of Capri, along the Amalfi Coast, and then north to Florence, Pisa, Verona, Venice, Salzburg, Mondsee, Melk and Vienna! I got to visit, albeit rather quickly, many of the “must see” spots I’ve had on my bucket list for well over a decade.
“Why Italy?” asked my mother when I told her of the impending trip. “What makes you want to go there?”
Why, indeed? It would make for a very, very long dissertation to explain it all. Let’s just say that ever since I taught my 7th graders about the “birthplace of Western Civilization,” the Crusades, Knights and Castles, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and had them act out portions of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” and “Romeo and Juliet,” visiting Italy has been pretty darn high on my list.
The art and architecture, the language and landscapes, the cathedrals and culture—and let’s not forget the food! I wanted to experience it all firsthand. Happily, it was everything I had hoped for and then some. And yes, I threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, making a wish to someday return. Until I do, I’m glad I took plenty, and I mean plenty, of pictures!
Follow along the next two weeks as I share some of the amazing highlights of my trip! Watch for them to post at 5 p.m. each day!