We are back from a LOVELY TRIP to ITALY and then on we went to SICILY and Budapest.
For the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I got to ride BUSINESS CLASS/FIRST CLASS and I HATED IT!
More on that in another POST!
I KNOW I KNOW………… hard to comprehend!
I saw FAMILY, but NO FRIENDS.
Devastating, I know but I was just not up to the journey into FLORENCE and all the WALKING.
I would have LOVED TO VISIT WITH MY OLD BUDDIES and reminisce,but my BODY told me NO CAN DO!
THAT IS A HARD REALITY TO ACCEPT.
I lived outside FLORENCE from 1991 to 1994 and DIDNOT WANT TO MOVE BACK TO AMERICA!
Let’s just say I HAD VISION WAY BACK THEN!
AMERICA, was not checking ALL MY BOXES like EUROPE DID AND DOES.
There is so much to share and tell I guess the best way is to start from the beginning.
Which means there will be MORE than One BLOG POST on THE TRIP!
IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU ALL?
We spent four WONDERFUL DAYS with my SISTER-IN-LAW and her family in the hills of PRATO.
Which is on the OUTSKIRTS of FLORENCE.
MY SISTER – IN -LAW can COOK!
And for me there was GLUTEN FREE PASTA!
ZIA GABRIELLA’s garden was a BEAUTIFUL SIGHT for MY TIRED eyes!
YOUR CONTESSA with ZIA’s DOG MAVERICK!
An ALASKAN MALAMUTE.
What a LOVING DOG!
We were on our way to dinner at MY NEPHEWS RESTAURANT where he is the ASSISTANT CHEF!
THIS AUNT (ME) WAS VERY IMPRESSED!
This is PODERE PETRAIA in PRATO.It sits on the outskirts of PRATO close to SCANDICCI; I THINK!Someone will CORRECT me in the comment section if I am wrong I hope!
They are on Instagram and make all their own food!
They raise the cows, chickens, vegetables and fruit!
IT IS AN OLD CASA COLONICA which was MY DREAM HOME ONCE UPON A TIME when I had VISION and TONS OF ENERGY!Well, let’s be HONEST here………I NEVER had TONS OF ENERGY but MORE than I do NOW.AND there sits an ORCHIO my FAVORITE kind of TERRA-COTTA POT……………!
How I ADORED THE OLD ANTIQUE ONES AND WOULD SCOUR THE TUSCAN HILLSIDES FOR THEM AT A DECENT PRICE!I ended up with a small one which actually came from my friends VILLA once upon a time.Another AMERICAN WOMAN living in TUSCANY married to a REAL ITALIAN!Just LIKE ME!That came home with me and now houses all the CECIL BEATON BOOKS I COULD FIND!
In one BIG STACK on top of it!
This is SIMONE. My nephew the assistant chef at PODERE PETRAIA.He is my number one (FIRST) NEPHEW and did AN AMAZING JOB the night we ate there!Below, here is my Second NEPHEW who works with the Red Cross and is BUSY STUDYING!
He gets to ride in the ambulance with the 911 calls.
A good experience for a young man who is way a head of his years!
THE TWO AUNTS!
SHE IS AN AUNT TO MY SONS and I am an AUNT TO HER SONS!
In ITALIAN that word is ZIA!!!!!!!!!
Pronounced like this ZZZZEEEaaa in my language!
BROTHER AND SISTER………….my Italian and his sister.
After four days of relaxing and catching up and fixings things My ITALIAN does not SIT he has to move!BUT WE CAUGHT HIM TAKING A LITTLE NAP HERE! We headed off for TAORMINA in SICILY!TWO WEEKS in SICILY as it was the ONLY thing on my BUCKET LIST and so the ITALIAN worked on it since JANUARY and MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME!I have to be honest here; all the way up till JUNE I did not think I would be able to make the trip as I was not doing too well.WE BOUGHT CANCELLATION INSURANCE just in case which cost a small fortune!I did NOT find much to purchase so maybe we can call it EVEN!
I have NEVER been on a trip where I did not plan,organzie or make the reservations so it was a very ODD FEELING for me to just ride along and listen and watch!He even carried my passport!
I ENJOYED EVERY MOMENT and I HAVE TO APPAULD HIM HE DID A WONDERFUL JOB!
He TOOK WONDERFUL CARE OF ME THE ENTIRE TRIP.
NO LINES AT AIRPORTS.
First time in Business Class which was really First Class on this airlines!
BEAUTIFUL HOTELS. Only one he did not like so we changed!!
FOOD was THE BEST and so inexpensive compared to here.
NON-ALCOHOLIC Beverages BEYOND DELICIOUS!
AND GLUTEN FREE BREAD AND PASTA EVERYWHERE IN EUROPE!
A WIN WIN FOR ME AND WE HAD A MARVELOUS TIME to BOOT!
THEN I SLIPPED and hurt my back…………..more on that another time.
A YACHT and that SAILBOAT in the distance.
That sailboat costs a small FORTUNE to be a passenger. It sails around THE WORLD for the most part.
I can’t think of its name.I get the brochures from time to time!NOT INTERESTED but they still come!
This was our VIEW in the first hotel in TAORMINA.The road below was how we accessed the town and beach which was delightful.
Mount Etna was still smoking when we were there.This was our street view from the hotel.
As you can see we were pretty close to it.
We found out the people there like it when SHE ERUPTS as if she is QUIET for too long that can be FATAL.
NO ONE WAS HURT in this last ERUPTION.
Our first hotel room in TAORMINA had our own balcony with chaise and two chairs and a table and a VIEW THAT WAS NON-STOP!Out that door behind me down a few steps and we were in the lobby/dinning area of the hotel!Guess who went and brought me coffee each morning so I did not have to change to GO DOWN?We enjoyed our coffee on our balcony each morning.I have to say it was a GREAT WAY TO START OUR DAY!
YEP!
I HEARD YOU GASP……………………………..I do it too!
EVERY TIME I LOOK AT THIS PHOTO!
THAT WAS THE VIEW AT NIGHT!
IF YOU GUESSED THE ITALIAN YOU WERE RIGHT!
ARE YOU GASPNG AGAIN?!!
MY COFFEE BOY!
A side note here we were very disappointed in the coffee in ITALY.They NO LONGER use fresh milk.It’s against THE LAW!They use sterilized milk that does not have to be refrigerated.In Southern Italy it gets too hot and can go bad so it has been outlawed.All the hotels we stayed at use those POD COFFEE MAKERS NOW!Yes, we are coffee SNOBS as we have the BEST OF THE BEST in our HOME as far as a machine goes.NO “DIRTY WATER HERE” as the ITALIAN use to say referring to AMERICAN COFFEE.
THAT WAS DISAPPOINTING. Especially for me who needs milk in HER CAFE!
ITALY HAD THE BEST FRESH MILK I HAD EVER TASTED BACK IN THE 1990’s!
There you can see the smoke coming out of HER!
There are many holes in ETNA not just ONE where SHE OZES STEAM.
See the CROSS to the LEFT?I walked there from our hotel.I had a REAL AHA( WHAT IS GOING ON!) MOMENT when I had to STOP and catch my breath on a slight incline going up hill.The ITALIAN had all the patience in the world.I was very IMPATIENT with MYSELF.JUST MAD this is happening to me.
The church is carved into a rock!It is said, that a Shepard saw the MADONNA in that church.
These SICILIAN HEAD VASES are ALL OVER as statuary.
I ADORE THEM but own TWO from my AUNT’s HOME so no place to put another pair.
That SAVED THE ITALIAN a bit of TIME, SHIPPING and MONEY!!
See I did my PART TOO for THE TRIP!
I have MORE to share of OUR TRIP but the computer is giving me FITS AND SEIZURES about sizing and uploading the photos.If anyone has a GOOD COMPUTER BLOG PERSON PLEASE LET ME KNOW AS I COULD USE ONE.
BE WELL.
HAVE A WONDERFUL JULY MY FAVORITE MONTH AS ITS MY BIRTHDAY!
65 here I come!
I have signed up for MEDICARE!!
I WONDER WHAT JOB I’ll be given now from THAT HOUSE THAT IS PAINTED WHITE in DC?
I did read how the MEDICAID people will be working the agriculture fields since all the migrant workers have been CAPTURED or FLED!
Don’t BELIEVE ME?
Google AGRICULTURE CHIEF PUSHES OUTRAGEOUS PLAN FOR MEDICAID RECIPIENTS.
I’m trying not to look at the NEWS as it gets worse each day.I HATE that MAN and what he is doing to our country and the world around us.He doesn’t give a RATS ASS about anyone nor the JOB! HE IS POSTING ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA AT 1AM and 3AM don’t think he ever SLEEPS! TO BUSY STALKING THOSE WHO ARE DISLOYAL and hitting the GOLF COURSE.He just likes being TOP GUN.He has ruined so many peoples lives and families!FOR NO GOOD REASON.SO, MANY LIES!WE all know he was on that EPSTEIN LIST thats why it DISAPPEARED NOW!He has already been caught groping and bragging about PUSSY!If you want to hear more GOOD FACTS read E.JEAN CARROLL book out now called
NOT MY TYPE.
AN EXCELLENT READ BY A WOMAN WHO HAS COMMAND OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE!
I read it in TWO DAYS.
TO CHECK IT OUT TAP LINK BELOW.
I DO BELIEVE ITS A NUMBER ONE BEST SELLER!!
SIGNING OFF NOW FOR REAL.
OPPS!!!
ONE MORE THING!WE didNOT CLOTHES SHOP FOR THE ITALIAN.I DID GET HIM TO TRY ON SOME LINEN PANTS IN ROME!I HAD HIS FRIEND WITH US WHO HELPED WITH THE SITUATION!THE STYLE NOW IS A VERY NARROW LINE TO THE ANKLE WHICH DOES NOT SUIT HIM and I AGREE!
I DID COME BACK REFRESHED WITH A PAINFUL BACK, BUT RENEWED SOUL……. NEVER LESS.
IT IS GOOD TO GET OUT OF DODGE ONCE IN AWHILE and SEE THE WORLD IN ACTION!
BIG HUGS TO YOU AND THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE OVER ON INSTAGRAM.
I POSTED OUR TRIP DAILY THERE WITH A POST AND OR REEL AND A STORY AND I HAVE HAD OVER ONE HUNDRED TWENTY ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE VIEWING IN THE LAST 30 DAYS!!!
121,000.000
HARD TO BELIEVE! THATS RIGHT WHEN YOU BARELY GET 200 LIKES PER PHOTO IF LUCKY!
THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD AND I’m NOT SURE THATS A GOOD THING.
XXX
YOUR CONTESSA
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