In 2007, a group of us gals decided to book the trip of a lifetime and go to Italy...Tuscany to be exact. It was a milestone birthday year for myself and Laura. We planned various times, some for three weeks, some for two (me) and some for just one. All in all, there were eleven of us booked for the trip. We were "allowed" to bring partners if we chose; Laura, myself and Claudia did. Everyone else flew solo. I can say looking back it was a magical trip; we didn't hang out 24-7 with the group-in fact, we toddled off on our own quite frequently, seeing the group occassionally. The best time I had was getting lost in Italy.
I had intended to visit Lucca on a particularly drizzly and dreary day. We had purchased colourful rainbow umbrellas in Pisa the day before and it was necessary to use them. We drove to Lucca and for some reason (to this day) I can't figure out, we ended up on the wrong side of the walls and came into the "town" of Lucca from the back end. Lucca is surrounded by thick walls which I can surmise were errected to protect the town. Italy is full of walls; this particular one is so thick you can ride a bike on it. Bicycle rentals is one of the tourist attractions for these villages.
Anyway, we discovered a tiny place to purchase an expresso. Both of us had to use the facilities and we found the weirdest thing; a stand up toilet. Apparently these are very common in Asia, however it is something I have never seen before. You stand on these treads and squat. It was an adventure, I have to say. We toddled down the cobblestone road from there and I noticed a man in an ancient shop working on his art. There were mosaics and clay...beautiful work really. Whenever I want to fantasize about another life, I go to that shop in my minds' eye. Together, this old fellow and I are working together, doing mosaics.
On another day, we were on our way to San Giamano (sp). We vered off the beaten track and ended up at a deserted castle. The view was breathtaking, overlooking cyprus trees, olive groves and vineyards. Everything you see in pictures about Tuscany, we could see from this castle. We took pictures of the castle and the broken down windows and shutters. I have them framed in my living room.
This year, I am booking another trip of a lifetime. We are flying to Barcelona, Spain and then cruising to Monaco, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Messina, 3 Greek Islands I cannot pronounce, Dubrovnik, Croatia and then finally landing in Venice. I am going with my mom and her girfriend. My mom has never been to Europe and I cannot wait for her to see what I love about those countries. She is already buying clothes and we're not scheduled there until August! Obviously, she can't wait either!
Cheryl Bower
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