Ten Days in Italy

Italy. White table clothes covered by plates and glasses of red wines and sauces, pesto, and cheeses. Spotless windows filled with designer clothes that stun with their strong colors, creative lines, and heavy price tags. The bitter taste of foaming cappuccino muted by the sweetness of fruit, chocolate, and cream pastries. Chilly breezes smelling of spring growth.  Mounds of glistening gelato traveling from glass freezers to tiny triangular thrones.  Rome. The architectural remnants of an ancient culture of gladiators, temples, and emperors.  Man’s brilliant interpretations of God that dance and spin with color across canvas and walls. Florence. A 32k bike ride in the Tuscan Valley that depletes the body with steep hills but awakens the senses with beautiful views.  Romantic buildings that compliment the evening sunlight with infinite shades of orange and yellow.The train lulling passengers into sleep with fields of olives and grapes.  Lucca and Pisa. Stalwart walls of red brick surrounding a peaceful town.  Hiking among distant snow-capped mountains that set off blue skies and green pastures.  Smiles and laughter as hands are held to the sky in the foreground of a leaning tower.  The Journey Home.  Tears of senseless self-pity tempered by the recent memories of adventures, food and jokes shared with a loved one.