Hits and Misses and afterthoughts

Now that the jet lag is abating, I'm missing some things Italian terribly, and yet, I'm happy to be on US soil for a myriad of other reasons.

Things I'm missing:

*strolling around and exploring all day every day, and walking to cafes for lunch and dinner
*FOOD - not sure we had a bad meal in 2 weeks?
*beautiful scenery and surroundings
*WINE - wonderful! Again, not sure we had a bad glass/bottle the entire trip?
*Ambiance and the attitude of the Italians and the pace of life there
*My immediate family all being together
*The weather - warm, breezy and NO HUMIDITY!!!!!!!

Things I missed while away:

*My dogs
*My family and friends
*All things bathroom related: kleenex, t.p., commodes, showers, big fat American bars of soap!, towels - you name it! And I won't even go into a description of a particular bathroom in a train station in Vernazza - gross!
*My bed
*Jogging
*Breakfast (not Italy's strong suit) - unless runny eggs and very fatty bacon are your thing!
*My cell phone : (
*An American mug of good coffee

Things I would do differently:

Tricky. It was a blissful 13 day getaway for sure with my family of 4.

 The goal was to see as much of Italy as we could realistically do in that period of time without taxing the familial relationship with our adult "kids." I've called our experience "Italy 101." That means that this trip was our first foray into all things Italia. Would I do things differently on a subsequent trip? Absolutely. Loved Rome. Loved the food in Rome and Florence. Hated the crowds/tour groups in Florence and Venice. Yearned for open space at times. Cinque Terre = fabulous. Tuscany = fabulous. So, next trip - - - a villa in Tuscany followed by an excursion to southern Italy (Naples, Sardinia, Sicily, Isle of Capri), and possibly 3 nights (instead of 2) in Cinque Terre. And as interesting as Venice was - I've checked it off my list. But - - - for a first trip, it was fabulous, fun and delectable. And, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. And all four of us returned at a Level 1. Not a bad vacation to say to least...

Oh, and I'd scale down my suitcase even more. Changing trains was let's say, challenging. My bag was too heavy for me to hoist it up over my head into an overhead compartment. Not good on a crowded train. Live and learn...

Now on to the next trip planning...Hmmmmm I'm thinking U.S...West of our home...Where will we end up and when is the question....

Maybe here??

Or here??

Or maybe even here???