We’re back and here are my thoughts…
Dana’s Reflections:
All I can say is I want to go back to Italy soon. Notice how I titled this page “Italy Trip#1”. When I left for the trip in June, I was prepared to miss trains, get pick-pocketed, stay in uncomfortable rooms, and wait hours in lines to see the sights. None of that happened. James planned a perfect month-long trip to Italy without any mistakes. I know it’s hard to believe, but other than walking a few streets in the wrong direction a time or two, there were no goof-ups. Without a travel agent, this really took hard work on his part. For the past year, he researched and read almost every night until wee hours of the morning. I slept. Seriously, I didn’t do anything but pack and tell him where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. I know I sound a little spoiled, but I’m not. I cook every night and do all the laundry. (After a month in Italy, the laundry thing may change, but that’s another story I’ll share later…hehe).
Our accommodations were perfect. They were unique with tons of Italian character and all of them were extremely comfortable with all the perks I could want. Great balconies, rooftop restaurants, and terraces over-looking vineyards and the sea. The views were spectacular, even breathtaking at times. That’s saying a lot when you book eight hotel rooms in a foreign country that you’ve never visited.
An example of the view from our room in Cefalu: 
We traveled by train to each city. We never missed a train or had a problem with the trains stations. I definitely recommend using the rails in Italy. He knew the best way to get around in each city: vaporetta in Venice, the metro in Rome, the ferry in Cinque Terre, walking in Florence, the cab in Sienna, a car in the hills of Tuscany, the bus in Sorrento, the hydrofoils in Amalfi, and the vesper in Capri and Sicily. Of course, we did get lost a few times, but that was always the fun part, and we learned and discovered so much more when we wandered in the wrong direction.
An example of a delicious restaurant and the owner, Mimo and his father: 
As for the sights, the tours, and the FOOD. We waited in no lines. He knew all the tricks to skip those. We ate like locals and saved a ton of money by skipping the expensive touristy food. We had the best time of our life, and I’ve fallen deeply in love with Italy… And deeper in love my man, too. After 25 years he never stops amazing me.
