My European Adventure

If you were looking forward to a tour of Rome and its popular sites, stop reading. I was in Rome to visit friends who have become my Italian family. Yes, this is another unexpected life event that blossomed into a wonderful friendship. Strangely enough, it began around 5 AM at a Starbucks.   Long story short, Nicola wanted to improve his English skills so we agreed to meet in the morning before we went to work. During this time, he would ask about our language and culture. Good old conversation led to getting to know one another and our friendship blossomed. I learned about his family and he learned about mine. Next thing you know, he was sitting at our table for Thanksgiving.  Then his girlfriend, Manuela, came for a visit. Of course, she was adorable and I immediately liked her. When they got engaged, I was so happy for them. I felt very special to have been invited to their wedding; it was so beautiful day. So, going to Rome was about seeing them and meeting their two sweet...

Peccioli is a place of artistic expression. Throughout the village, you can view different types of art. An organization called MACCA was created for contemporary art to blend in with historic Peccioli. Peccioli is an open art museum. You can walk throughout the village at any time of day and see beautiful pieces of art for free.  Painting of Peccioli. Our apartment is in the bottom right panel across from the church.  This alley had different colorful pieces that were lit up at night. Murals can be found throughout the village. Depending on where you stood, you could see different reflections of the town's square What do you think? 

After traveling for almost three months, I discovered that I am a small town girl after all. I needed a break from the hustle and bustle of traveling from city to city so I decided I wanted to go off the beaten path away from a city. For once, I am happy that something that I wasn’t searching for popped up on my phone. When I asked Italians in Genova about this place nobody knew where it was. I knew this was going to be my Bandon! Peccioli here I come!  Just like Bandon, getting to Peccioli is challenging yet worth the effort. From Genova, I took a train to Pontederra and then had to catch a bus (according to the internet) to this small village. Well, the internet info was wrong! Luckily, there was a taxi nearby.  As we drove further and further away from Pontedera and into the Tuscan hills, I knew I was going "home". My new home was spacious and located at the top of Peccioli. This meant it is six floors up from the main town. Yes, there is an elevator to reach the neighborh...

Our first Italian city to visit was Genova (Genoa). Once again, we stayed in the city center so we could walk everywhere. The city reminded me of San Francisco, but cleaner and older. The buildings are right next to each other and you have hilly streets. The brightly colored buildings add beauty to this old city. The architecture on the buildings is beautiful and reflects the city’s history. Of course, there are streets that are narrow and are only for pedestrians. Fortunately, the city has done a wonderful job of placing maps throughout the city for tourists.  These three bell towers would ring at the same time. The clanging was astounding.  Yes, Christmas decor was still up in January! This was just one of many motorcycle parking lots throughout Genova. Fresh pasta, gnocchi, and pesto.  This is a traditional Genova dish. It tasted like meatloaf.