I took the transport from our hotel to the Florence airport with my daughter and her husband at 4:30 a.m. this morning. While their flight to Rome and then Detroit left at 6:30 a.m., my flight to London was scheduled for 11:55 a.m. It just didn’t feel right to say goodbye to them at the hotel and travel later to the airport, so after our goodbyes before they went through security I am now sitting in a cafe eating breakfast and people watching – always a fun thing to do. Breakfast is a mortadella sandwich and an americana coffee with cream – two of my favorites.

Thinking back on the favorite parts of this trip, here are the highlights:
*the Pantheon in the square outside our hotel in Rome – this Pagan Church (now a Catholic Church) sits at the end of the square. It is immense and everytime I looked at it it felt like looking at the alien spaceship in Independence Day. It was that much of a presence.
*our tours of Vatican City and the Collesium/Roman Forum – the guide from our travel agency was just a delight and so knowledgeable. She brought both areas to life with her stories and recreated photos of just what these structures looked like during and after the Roman Empire. And the stories about the political power of the pope prior to his transfer to just a religious leader were very interesting and entertaining.
*the pasta in Rome – vibrant flavors and al dente in texture, just yummy.
*our driver for the Amalfi Coast tour, Josephee. He provided many entertaining and fun facts about the area. And his driving skills through the single lane winding roads were amazing. We spend the longest time that day in Positano, a beautiful seaside community, having lunch in a hotel courtyard that was filled with flowers and a respite from the tourist crowds. I kept looking for Marcello.
*the walking tour through the city of Florence. Our guide Leonardo was again well-versed in the history of the city and very engaging, and he introduced us to “the David”.
*and finally the drive through Tuscany. We spent the day visiting small communities located in the hills of the area, with the highlight being a wine- tasting and lunch at a local winery.

What would I visit again? Florence and the Tuscany countyside in late spring to see the vibrant colors exploding across the landscape.

And thank you first to my daughter Jennifer and her husband Milan for accompanying me on this trip. And to all my daughters for funding the majority of this trip for my 70th birthday. It will be one of the highlights of my life.