Italy! A land of ancient urban sprawl, colorful villages, quilted rolling hills, well-weathered charm, pristine alpine lakes, and the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, where vibrant dwellings cling to the cliffs above the shore.Italy is home to vineyards, olive trees and lemon groves and cypress trees so tall they seem to hang from the heavens on invisible string.In Italy, the indulgence of good food and wine, priceless masterpieces,magnificent displays of architecture,and postcard-perfect scenery is an everyday occurrence.No wonder Giuseppe Verdi is quoted as saying “You may have the universe if I may have Italy”.

We had the pleasure of visiting Italy in September on the Globus “Italian Mosaic” tour. We have only good things to say about the 13-day experience. Our tour director Anna, and bus driver Giorgio, were both excellent at what they do; and the local tour guides at each stop were knowledgeable, easy to understand and very pleasant. Our 42 traveling companions were awesome too!

While Globus did not disappoint us, Air Canada certainly did! They are no longer on our list of acceptable air lines. The delay of our departing flight caused us to miss our connection to Rome and eventually cost us over seven hours of sightseeing time and two nights without our luggage. But let’s not dwell on the negative!

Written details and photos of our Italian travels will be presented in 6 parts over the next several months:

Part One – Rome and Pisa

Part Two – Florence, San Gimignano and the Tuscany Region

Part Three – Cinque Terre, Lake Maggiore, and Lugano, Switzerland

Part Four – Venice and Burano Island

Part Five – Assisi, Positano and the Amalfi Coast

Part Six – Sorrento, Isle of Capri, Pompeii and conclusion

Arrivederci for now!