Lots of Fun, Blisters and Blunders... Overall A Great Trip!

I  am back from our trip to Italy! 

Did surprisingly well with all the travel
and FOOD. I am learning to live with the lap band and make better choices. I  learn fast if I have chosen incorrectly and try not to do it again. Am having  problems with some breads and sometimes chicken. But enjoying how things are progressing. I am getting closer to Onederland, at least by my scale. LOL! I  find the clinic's scale a little more harsh. 

Not surprisingly I ate l like a PIG! The food was so good and that is an understatement! 
We had fresh lemons and oranges and other fruits right from my Aunt's garden. 
 
Yes, this was my first visit and we loved it so much. We would love to go again. 

We were mainly in Naples with little trips out to surrounding areas like the Amalfi Coast, Caserta, Positano, Sorrento, Pompeii... We stayed 2 nights in Rome & 1 night in Florence. We did a LOT! I have to go through my photos to organize and write what we did. I will add a few, but I took over 4000 pictures. May need to blog again about this just to add the tip of the iceberg to all we did. 

We stayed at My Zia's home It is the original homestead of my Great Grandparents from the farm they once had. My Dad  was born here. 

We did our washing in this 40+ year old washing machine and hung to dry in the sun. We had great weather with an average of 25*C, rain the first day only. 

The streets are narrow, virtually one way and you travel them on foot or in car at your own risk. The drivers do as they please! No stopping at stop signs, and rarely at traffic lights; only the ones willing to take risks get anywhere. Parking is where you feel like it. On
Sidewalks, double or triple parked. We have it good here at home! 

Everyone had a dog, more for guarding thehome inside iron gates. But there were a lot of homeless dogs that broke our hearts. Running the streets looking for food or affection, some were aggressive, others not.

We walked virtually everywhere. And not my usual walk! Oh No! My Dad was on a mission to show us as much as possible in the short time we had. My sister has long legs as does my son. Not me. I am the short one. My husband kindly walked my pace, although sometimes I was waiting for him with hisbum knee. I am not kidding when I say I think I jogged Italy. I am enjoying looking at the sites from the pictures I took, as all the time I had was to snap and run to catch up. We will go back one day and take it all in more leisurely, but I am so glad I was able to see this through my father's eyes. It has been a
dream of his and mine, actually all of ours to one day go see where he lived and grew up. I am thankful for that opportunity.

Well, a result of all this walking was blisters. I mean blisters on blisters. I had brought my good shoes with my orthopaedic inserts, so should have had no problem. BUT...it was hot so my shoe liner slipped and folded; refusing to stay in place. The result = Blisters. Ouch. But I was a trooper and carried on at the same frantic pace. 
 
Walked to the top of the mountain at Caserta, the King's Palace...and back again. 

I ate like crazy and walked even more. Was going to track all my food, but we were
all disappointed to find that WI-FI is virtually unaccessable. I think my Husband and Dad took it hard. By the end of the trip the rest of us were getting tired of them whining and trying to find the WI-FI. Good news though! Came home and had lost a couple pounds which certainly made my day. 

Because we were meeting so many people, there were bound to be blunders. What with me not speaking Italian and being so tired from all the walking, etc, I did a doosy! 

I kissed the waitress.... Oopps! 

I mean it was an honest mistake! First of all you greet everyone by the double cheek kiss; second of all we were entering a restaurant to meet family, some I had met, some I hadn't. Then I was ahead of my Dad whose lead I usually follow, but behind a cousin. So out of the corner of my eye, I see the cousin saying good evening and greeting the waitress (whom I didn't know was the waitress).
  So I come up and do the usual Italian greeting when my Dad pipes up behind me  "What are you doing??" Oh my did I feel like 2 inches tall when I realized my error. But we were able to laugh it off, after he told her we were from out of the country and just so very friendly where we came from. I think he may have  told her I was 'touched in the head' for all I know! 

I am sure I made more bloopers, but that  was the biggest one and one my son won't let me forget! 

The Vatican was amazing!! 
As was...


Florence 


Yes, I saw all 3 David's. Awesome!

I  still have to upload some more photos. So will post again later.

Met a lot of family, most for the first time. It was wonderful. My Dad and Sister
joined the 3 of us and we were able to see where My Dad grew up; went to school;
ran each year for the Madonna D'Larco; went to the cemetery for my Uncle, Nonna,
& Nonno, as well as other relatives... A lot done.
A truly terrific trip!

Hugs,
Angela