able to easily identify them.

Here are a few of the specialty items I purchased for the trip: compression socks for the airline trip, adapters for Italy,and \240a dual voltage curling iron.

In this space saver bag are two swimming suits, a cover up, two beach towel, and a bag for wet suits!

Rough!

and a tired husband!

We were saddened to think of all the slaves, Jews, and Christians who lost their lives in blood-thirsty games or in building these colossal structures.

2. You know how most hotel televisions in America have several Spanish-speaking stations? I assumed there might be a few English-speaking stations on our computer monitor-sized television. (Rather American arrogant of me!!) Nope! Out of the 800 (no kidding!) stations, I could find zero English-speaking stations. But I did get to see part of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Yes, Matthew Mc looks just as hot speaking Italian! That was for you, Carrie Lee!

Vatican gardens

Artemis—one of my favorites!

So many maps! I know I have aspiring cartographer friends. These maps were—well, bigger than the old pull-down classroom maps.

Exiting the museum—

La Osteria Q-something?

Prosecco and Siscilian soda

The soda—it will suffice until he gets back to the states.

My carbonara with real Italian prociatta—yummy!

Bean salad—pickled onions and celery with beans—cooked Al dente, at least compared to how I cook my mushy beans.

Matt’s portobello mushrooms and fettuccine

It is now inhabited by feral cats…and it smells like it!

They are well-cared for by a local organization. The signs ask that people not feed them!

Matt got roast beef and spinach. He liked it!

I got fragiole (what I recognized from the pasta fragiole soup I get at Olive Garden) and this what I got. Beans are of a cool temperature and are a perfect pairing with the braised roast which has lots of peppercorns. Delicious!

I must add that because we did not even see or understand this sign, we truly almost had a major accident…and we did get yelled at!

This is the view from the restaurant. Our room is two floors up and has a balcony Thank you All Saints because we seldom splurge for a room with a balcony when we are paying!

Pork Filet served on mashed potatoes

Deli meats and spelt salad

What looks like cheese in the middle s actually fat. I was grossed out until I tasted it. It was quite good —smoked something.

Here is a picture of the wall.

Had to the expected photo!

There are Oleander bushes and trees blooming everywhere!

Cathedral in Pisa

Carved by Giovanni Pisano—the top carvings represent Jesus’s life, the lions represent Christ stoping in horses representing Satan.

For my bath and physics friends: evidently Galileo sat in this very church looking at this lamp to figure out some things about pendelums.

There are stairs up to a platform for delivering the homily—at least 50 feet up. Hey Todd, do you want us to build you a platform? You could throw things at people who are sleeping!

Bronze doors. Really, the doors at every church we have seen are amazing!

I was resting and looking up at baptistry.

Fries? They were actually made of potatoes and didn’t taste too bad.

There are several different brands and everyone I’ve tried has been good. Matt REALLY misses iced tea. They have canned lemon and peach tea but that’s it. I told him I would brew him some in the hotel room with the tea bags I brought.

An olive press. New info for me—extra virgin olive oil is from the first press of the olives.

Christiana—a worker at the vineyard

Wine vats

Wine barrels

Thick walls from the 1600’s that keep all equipment cool

A little dust on the bottles—aging wine

Chestnut beams from 1600’s

Apertivo—chicken pate, Bruscetta, red pepper concoction

Ready to make pasta—special flours, egg, olive oil

Kneading the dough

The chef said “perfecto” at my dough!

Rolled out with wooden rolling pin

Wrapped around rolling pin and then laid out

Cut

Tossed and ready for boiling

We sampled three different wines—a white and two reds so if you see some typos, it’s not just because of my poor spelling or typing skills! 🤫

After we were served our own pasta with an olive oil and herb sauce and a delicious red sauce, we were served chicken cattatore and potatoes with rosemary. Fabulous!

The olive oil from this region has a spice to it. When we tasted it, the spice was not felt until the back of our throats when we swallowed.

A hike to a nearby village—

Something like Indian pipe at home, so says my botany-loving husband

A pizzaria at the foot of the hill

The tomato sauce and mozzarella are amazing!

Lovely sunset!

Narrow roads—what would be a single lane road in America is in Italy usually a 2-lane road with no stripes to determine sides.

Italian Rockies

Many tunnels with no lighting and very low lights on vehicles—

These hairpin turns were actually a pretty easy part of the 90 minute, 30 mile trip. Perhaps some of you recall that I said Matt and I would be able to ride our bicycles to the beach. Ha! There were plenty of serious bicyclists on the mountain roads but there is no way we could have bicycled it! I did get quite a workout for my glutes, however, on the ride because my butt was clenched most of the time. My right hand should also be in shape because I was gripping the door handle so tightly!

The trek to the beach was up and down and down and up—TOUGH!! Oh that Rick Steves and his recommendations!

Isn’t this wallpaper gorgeous? Oh and the bathroom is next door—shared with the room next door.

After our journey here—taking the rental car back, after looping the airport because we missed the turn-off and four hours of train rides, I crashed this afternoon while Matt went exploring. We’re now grabbing some pizza at a lakeside restaurant. It’s lovely except for the cigarette smoke. Many Italians smoke!

Matt ordered a ginger ale. He was surprised that it came out in this tiny little bottle—maybe 6 ounces. I put the glass beside it so you could see the scale.

Wild Tiger lily

Wild dianthus

The free water stops along the way had cold water with gas (sparkling), cold water with no gas (or flat), and tepid water! Can you imagine! Sparkling water for FREE!

Eating at a stop in Pagini—

Because we did not understand the waiter, we over-ordered. We got pasta for our first course (ziti with vegetables and spaghetti with ham). Then to our stuffed stomachs dismay, we got a pork filet, green beans, and fries. The fries went uneaten but we did the best we could on the pork.

Lovely interior and garden at the restaurant—

Very light pasta with vegetables and olive oil

Spaghetti with ham

Four different kinds of bread AND a bread stick! I tried at least one bite of each.

Then I had an espresso to be like a true Italian and to keep me awake after eating the pasta!

Fueled by pasta, espresso, and the battery on my e-bike, we whizzed back to Colico.

I’m now taking a break in the shade to read while Matt seeks out cherry and lemon sodas. My view—

Outdoor Thai Restaurant

The Thai restaurant is right next to a cable park. I don’t know if you can see the young man being dragged by the cable (like he’s water skiing) and going up over the ramp. Quite entertaining!

Oh how I have missed fried food! The chicken wings were divine!

Fried Rice—

Outside of Duomo Cathedral or St. Mary of the Flowers

A Sephora in Florence!

High fashion in Florence

Front of the Medici home—back has their gardens

We survived bicycling (electric) to a panoramic view

Many people come here to watch the sunset.

Matt is so happy on a bicycle!

Matt’s steak and salad at supper. Our waiter must have been related to Curly from City Slickers! He scared me! Evidently one eats spaghetti with tomato sauce OR meat but not meat sauce.

Our view from the Duomo’s Bell Tower—463 steps up AND down. We were in the tower when the noon bells chimed. Pretty cool!

Clock in cathedral

Front of cathedral

Top of done with judgment scene

St. Matthew—the name of my sweet church

Medieval Rosary

After we left the archeological site under the Duomo, I realized I had lost my ticket. I’m sure it came out while I was getting things in and out of my purse. Anyway, I sat at a little cafe and sent Matt on. He came back, having found a ticket someone else had lost. I’m sorry for that person, but I’m so glad I got to go to the Duomo museum and see Michaelangelo’s Pieta and many other sculptures. God supplied a way, even after my oh-so-human-loser-self lost my ticket!!

Called Grammar

Rhetoric

Logic

Math—for my mathy friends

Another one titled “Grammar”—Important information!

Grilled veal with fried egg

(I had already broken the egg and had a few bites before I took the pic)

Panettone all’s boscaioia (mest ssuce and pasta)

Spinach and garlic in olive oil

And we had a glass of the casa vino. Yummy!

Matt is standing in a garden in front of their Lemon Housr. There are lemon trees in pots in many places. We’re thinking they might take all those pots in during cold months.

The Spirit of Abundance

We have seen an abundance of art, eaten and abundance of food, and walked an abundance of steps!!

The amphitheater from above with the house—

The amphitheater from ground level—the house is behind me, the photographer.

Orange trees along a wall which I think must protect them from the cold coming in from the north.

Did your grandmothers fix you milk with coffee? Mine did! This brought back those sweet memories. It was tasty!

We must compliment United on the flight, the attendants, the food, the service. Even though it was a long day, they made it as painless as possible. We cannot say the same thing about Lufthansa. We were miserable on their flights.