What a Wonderful World

We have just spent a marvelous eighteen days touring Rome, Florence, Tuscany and the Alps of Switzerland. These are some of the things I loved:

Stopping in at a little shop to buy fresh bread and cheese for lunch.

Wandering down the narrow side streets of Rome and coming upon a plaza filled with flowers, sketching artists and PASTA!

Meeting fellow travelers, laughing over our novice attempts at the Italian language.

Hiking through brilliant green meadows with our eyes on the startling white peaks beyond the Lauterbrunnen valley in Switzerland.

Chocolate...chocolate...chocolate!

Exploring medieval hill cities in Tuscany.

Watching the sun set over the sloping vineyards in Castellina in Chianti.

Riding a gondola to the top of the Schilthorn...a mountain over 10,000 ft to look down on the little alpine towns below.

Hiking through the Roman Forum knowing that hundreds of years earlier citizens walked those same roads.

Marveling at the intricacies of ancient tilework, weaving shades of red, green and cream marble into spectacular pieces of art.

Michaelangelo's "David". Enough said.

Eating dinner late at night in a sidewalk cafe in Rome, watching couples go by on scooters or strolling arms wrapped around each other along the narrow streets. Ah. Amore!

Sharing these experiences with good friends and their little 3 1/2 year old daughter whose favorite thing was to chase the pigeons in the plazas of Rome.

Waking up to the bells ringing at St. Peter's Square.

Feeling history, not just imagining it.