Road Trip Travel Enters the Space Age, part 2

October 3, 2008 ·  

Should I be excited that I’m living the freedom of navigating by car through the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, or frightened by this summer’s astronomical gas prices and what it can do to my pocketbook?

Months ago, much like a progeny of Zeus, I mused about this upcoming road trip and the relevancy of this type of travel. I asked, “Will gas prices continue to skyrocket as they have this summer?” However, instead of spiking even higher, I now see them dropping.

Today I’m... [Read more]

The Wow of Lucca

September 25, 2008 ·  

I know better, I really do! Although I’ve never quite understood the European practice of validating tickets immediately after purchase, I am aware of the requirement. This time however, I was feeling complacent because, in my last six train rides in Italy, no one had asked for my ticket, validated or not. A glance at my watch that told me my train from Pisa to Lucca was leaving in less than five minutes.

As a result, I neglected to validate my ticket at one of the yellow machines that are strategically placed... [Read more]

Lemons and More, the Amalfi Coast

September 10, 2008 ·  

Everything in the Amalfi Coast is lemony. The perfumes, ceramic tiles, cups and saucers, main courses, desserts, refreshing drinks and, of course, the prize winner, Limoncello are just lemony.
Up until now, I am oblivious to the amount of alcohol this pleasantly sweet digestive liquor, made from lemon rind, water and sugar, actually contains. But as I sit in a pretty restaurant over-looking Sorrento’s main piazza, downing my sixth chilled-ceramic-cup full, a throbbing headache and jelly legs give me the answer... [Read more]