AN AMERICAN GIRL IN ITALY

Monday, February 16, 2009

My friend Elizabeth has been asking me to do a post on a trip I took last year to Italy. So here goes.

I went to Europe for the first time last year on a business trip. That meant an all expenses paid trip to Italy. I fully realize that never happens to people (well...not most people), so I enjoyed every single moment of it. I worked my tail off and was so exhausted I was falling asleep in random places, like on benches at St. Peters Basillica, but it was absolutely worth it. We were in Milan for a week and then drove down to Rome for a few days.

We were incredibly groggy after arriving in Milan, but we still wanted to get out a see a few things before meetings started the next day. So we had our car (yes, we had a driver...are you hating me yet?) take us to the Duomo.

This is the Duomo. Un.be.lievable!

And here's what I saw when I turned to my right.



Yep, that's Andrea Bocelli doing a soundcheck for a performance he was giving the next night. Like seriously!

Milan's amazing if you like to shop at fancy schmancy clothing stores. Personally, I can't bear the thought of parting with $500 of my hard earned money for a piece of clothing so I mostly window shopped. Look at how fancy this McDonald's is though. Am I the only person that's fascinated by things like this?

We also went to the opera at La Scala one night and saw Tosca (hating me yet?). I found these photos on Google, because I wasn't about to stuff a camera into my clutch. It was bad enough that I had my Blackberry with me. And I totally wish I'd taken a photo of myself all dolled up because I looked smokin'...and I never say that.


Here's a quick view of Florence. We stopped there for lunch on our way to Rome, but were literally only there for about an hour. It's mind blowingly beautiful.



And then Rome. I LOVED Rome. I'm fascinated by history anyway, but it blows your mind to be in a place that you've read about, seen movies about, and has a rich history going back thousands of years. Some people might think the Roman Forum is boring because it's basically a bunch of stone ruins. I was enthralled with the realization that Julius Caesar had walked in the exact spot I was walking. I saw Augustus Ceasar's house! And look at the frescos below. Amazing (I know I'm saying that a lot, but can you blame me?).








And the food! I didn't have a bad meal there. Even at the gas station. I was also surprised that the portions were relatively small compared with Italian food in America. You may have several courses in Italy, but they're all small and just the right amount. Here are some random photos of food, cafes, and me eating...and then more of me eating :).









And then I returned to real life. Oklahoma's kind of like Italy....not! Ciao!

14 Suburbanites Said:

Xazmin said...

Wow...what an incredible opportunity! It sounds so amazing...thanks for sharing!

Thrifty Decor Chick said...

Wow wow wow!!! This is the ONE place I want to go that I haven't! Amazing is right! Hey, my hubby just got back from Oklahoma!

Unknown said...

Looks like you had a fabulous time, and it's great that you actually got to do some looking around and enjoying the places, as that doesn't always happen on business trips. The furtherest away I've ever been on a business trip is Sydney, but I did get to eat at a beautiful restaurant right on the harbour, with Sydney Opera House on right and the Sydney Harbour Bridge on my right.
Now I'm dying to know what you do for a job!

Unknown said...

....I meant bridge on my left!

ps I've tagged you to post about where you blog. Hope that's ok with you.

Anonymous said...

Have the time of your life!!!

Beki - TheRustedChain said...

My goodness, how beautiful!!

Anonymous said...

Lucky you! I'm glad you had such a memorable trip. I hope to go someday.

Unknown said...

I love all of the food/eating pictures!

Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...

Sounds like a dream come true.

Gena said...

What an incredible adventure! My oldest daughter went to Italy two summers ago and absolutely loved it. She toured Europe, but that was her favorite. I am a little jealous, since I've never been. That is one of my goals - to see Italy and the Greek Isles. It looks like you had a marvelous time.

P.S. Thanks for answering my question - I'm going to give it a try and I'll let you know what happens.

Kristina said...

The pictures are amazing!

Martha said...

reading and looking at pictures in this post brought memories of my trip to Europe.. I loved it! Andrea Bocelli!!?? wow.. he has the most amazing voice.. your pictures are great! I will need to post pictures of my trip! :)
Martha

Anonymous said...

Haha, yes, Italy is SO like Oklahoma! ;) How marvelous that you got to go. I love Italy; it's totally bewitching!

Shining Windows said...

loved your story!