Ready? Set? GO!

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

          ~Saint Augustine

                   

Lanny and I are in the final stages of packing and preparing for a long-anticipated trip to Italy. I have dreamed of traveling there since I was in college and audited an art history class. I learned about Greek and Roman art, and especially about the artists of the Renaissance. I want to see the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican before I die! Lanny traveled to Venice while in the Navy, and has shared his recollections of that city with me so that I want to go there too. Both places were put on my "bucket list."

We found a tour that combines all of those interests along with a liberal share of just seeing what there is to see in Italy. We will get a good taste of the food too.  Lanny has been looking up the best gelato places in each of the cities we will visit! I envision some wonderful shopping adventures too-- I have even looked up yarn shops in Rome and Venice. And there are so many items to consider bringing back-- leather from Rome, gold jewelry bought on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, art glass and lace in Venice... and who knows what else we'll find. I am certain we'll find way more than we can afford or carry!

We must endure the rigors of a long overnight trans-Atlantic flight to get there and that has me a little skittish. I am a white knuckled flier, and simply hate this part of travel. Nine and a half hours in the plane going over just sounds tortuous to me. But it gets us there. And I really want to go... so we will go armed with inflatable neck pillows and sleeping pills and some portable snacks if we get hungry. And I will be hoping the plane isn't full so we can stretch out a bit. I will also be hoping there are few small children or sneezing, coughing adults on the plane.

I will try to bring back some decent pictures and report on our adventures. It really is a dream for us to be going, and I anticipate lots of great stories. 

Airplane travel is nature's way of making you look like your passport photo.

          ~Al Gore