To My Husband from Italy with Love

Unfortunately, the field of medicine doesn't leave my husband a lot of time for vacation. So, in an effort to share my upcoming travels with my beloved Dr. Science, I'll be blogging from Italy.

I really invited myself along on this trip, though I claim I am coming to my best friend's rescue. The plan was to save her from her boredom while her husband works in Europe. Almost as soon as the word "Italy" came out of her mouth, I began to dream of the quaint towns, the ancient ruins and the Renaissance art. With the husbands hard at work--one in the U.S. and one in Europe--I'll be spending eight days living "la dolce vita" in Italy.

To my husband:
Don't worry, I won't be going anywhere alone or talking to strange Italian men. I fully intend to make friends with nuns, learn Italian and improve my knowledge of European history so I can beat you in Trivial Pursuit. Yes, I will probably be getting my fill of Italian pasta, wine and gelato. But I will bring you back a taste, too. To sweeten the deal, I'll describe my adventures here.

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Discovering the Real Italy

April and Stephanie hit the streets of Sacile with me for the colorful bounty of market day in the city center. This is the Italy I had been waiting for. We discovered a casual version of Italy where everyday life looks beautiful--full of color, sweet smells and personality. Market Day It was market day in Sacile and the town's streets and squares were full of fresh produce, specialty foods and an amazing selection of discount shoes, clothes, purses and home goods. To the locals, it's just the day of the week for the shopping done all on foot in the center of town. But for three American girls, it was an adventure for the senses with a discovery around every corner. The sweet smell of cheeses filled the air near one stall while the fresh smell of flowers filled the air near another. Hearty salami hung casually on display next to a colorful array of fresh fruits and vegetables. Senior-aged men grouped together in small huddles in the center of the cobblestone streets

Mummies, the Chunnel and the Hungry Man

The British Museum lobby. It was our last day in London and we spent half the day in the British Museum. Surrounded by relics and other items the British literally swiped from other countries, the museum chronicles all of civilization -- from ancient to modern. The Rosetta stone is even housed here. The best part is the impressive collection of Egyptian mummies. One of the mummies even has red hair still on his head (creepy, yet interesting). Archeologists nicknamed him "Ginger." I'd love to see what this redheaded Egyptian looked like alive. Swiped from the Parthenon. There are also tons of reliefs and statues from the Parthenon in Greece. There are so many in the museum, you have to wonder if there are any ornaments left on the actual building. British officials literally sawed the statues off the Parthenon claiming they were helping to preserve them, because the Greeks weren't. The Chunnel Later that evening, we took a two-hour train ride to

Those Gargoyles are Creepy

"This church is just creepy." That's what Kirk said as we walked up to Notre Dame in Paris. Its imposing stone structure is decorated with scary gargoyles staring down at you from every possible angle. Some are evil-looking dogs and birds. There's even a gragoyle eating what appears to be a lamb. Freaky. I can't imagine how creepy this church would be at night. You can get a great view of the most photographed gargoyle in Paris if you climb Notre Dame's tower. This gargoyle has his head in his hands as if he's bored from scaring away evil spirits for hundreds of years. The view from the Notre Dame tower is not as expansive as the view from the Eiffel Tower, but I think it's much more beautiful. Inside the church, it's gothic beautiful. Stained glass and high arches make it huge and impressive. It better be impressive, though. It took two centuries to build. Just down the street on the island in the middle of the Seine River known as

The Travelin' Redhead

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