Italy Beckons...

Alumni, teachers, family and friends started their 10 day journey in Rome with a charming, Italian tour manager named Nicola, who looked somewhat like George Clooney. Needless to say, this was an added treat and a great help to me. Day 1 was our travel day, but on Days 2 and 3, we had an amazing, personal tour of the Forum, the Colosseum, The Vatican and Saint Peter’s Basilica. I hasten to add that I was separated from the herd in the Vatican Museum…what can I say, I’m a height challenged gawker! In the evening we strolled to the Spanish Steps, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain where I managed to throw my good luck coin into someone’s head. We relaxed with music and gelato in the Piazza Navona. Lucky for us, we had free time on Day 4 for people to pursue their own interests. Travelers experienced a wide variety of activities ranging from the Catacombs, Trastevere, and the Jewish Ghetto to a day trip to Capri and a food tour! During our first 3 days in Rome, the travelers rapidly realized that pasta at dinner is not necessarily the main dish, but rather a precursor to something even more decadent. This did not preclude us from eating our delicious desserts and then stopping for gelato as we returned to the hotel to share stories and drink Limoncello, Peroni, Prosecco and Belinnis on the rooftop terrace. You have to love camaraderie!

On Day 5, we said Arrivaderci to Rome and headed to Assisi for Sunday Mass. This was particularly meaningful because Assisi is the birth place of the patron saint of Saint Francis High School, in Wheaton where I spent 35 years of my teaching career. It was so exciting to attend Mass in the Basilica and then have a private tour of the town. This was the first time I had ever spent the night in Assisi, a walled village built upon a hill. It is such a charming town with lovely boutiques, Roman ruins, churches and restaurants. Our hotel was located on the hill and overlooked the countryside and we loved it! The cherry on the happiness cake was that our tour company had arranged for a special celebratory dinner, wine and an unforgettable view!

On Day 6 we headed to Florence, in beautiful Tuscany. In preparation, many members of the group enjoyed “Medici, Masters of Florence” a relatively new, fairly accurate Netflix series. I love historical fiction and this series was a perfect intro for our visit.

While there, we viewed Michelangelo’s awe-inspiring “David”, The magnificent Duomo with it’s stunning bell tower, bapistry and Cahedral. From the exterior, these three almost take your breath away! It was in Florence that I discovered a new point of interest beyond historical and artistic….shopping! All I can say is leather, leather, leather. There were many purchases of purses, gloves, wallets and belts. Hats off to my next door Lakeland neighbors, Bob and Andria, who did their fair share of supporting the Italian economy. We culminated this visit with a terrific Tuscan cooking class: bruschetta, pasta, sauce, chicken and taramasu and then ate our creations in a nearby cave. This was another magical night!

Oh my, only two days left, so we bid “ciao” to Florence and “buongiorno” to the town of Padua, the home of Saint Anthony, and finally, the magical city of Venice. While there, our Chicago tourists stayed on the Lido Island. We all agreed that we would have liked to spend more time on the Lido to just relax on the beach and stroll the island. We had Vaporetto passes from our island to the island of Venice where we spent our days listening to orchestras play in San Marco’s square, visiting the Doge’s palace, seeing how Murano glassware is blown, visiting the Cathedral of San Marco and strolling around the island. Needless to say, my travelers continued to shop, eat pizza for lunch and take a break with gelato. We brought our memorable journey to a conclusion with a gondola ride through the canals of Venice.

It was so refreshing for me to see such a wide array of ages and relationships on this trip. We had many couples, 2 mothers with their daughters, 1 group with a grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter, 5 teachers and a few people traveling on their own! One interesting tidbit, is that in 1983 Scot and Giovanna Farmer, Plainfield residents, actually met in my French class at Saint Francis. Back then, we called her Joann. Scot told me he had a crush on Joann and that he really wanted to sit closer to her. Uncharacteristic of a teacher, I actually capitulated and moved his desk. Years later, I attended their wedding and taught French to both of their kids who actually traveled to France with me, but mom and dad never did. When the Italy opportunity arose, they decided it would be a perfect way to celebrate their 30th anniversary, by starting in Paris and then continuing on to Italy where they joined our group. What an honor it was, as a teacher, to witness the birth of their relationship, the birth of their children and the celebration of their marriage.

Although the sojourn to Italy is but a memory, the group refuses to let go. One of the travelers is hosting a party to share pictures, talk about adventures and reminisce about daily pizza, Peroni, Prosecco, pasta and Gelato. I will look forward to seeing my new found friends and to discussing the possibity of a new trip that some travelers seem to be interested in: France! Needless to say I’m thrilled and anxious to share a country I love so much. If you are interested in a future trip, just contact me at Sueharsa@icloud.com.

We’ll see what the future holds, but until then, Au Revoir…as the Frenchies say!