I’m happy to report that I have just crossed another big item off my bucket list. I recently returned from a trip of a lifetime to Italy. The food, the wine, the history, and the landscapes were awesome, amazing, and breathtaking. Travel in general is a big deal on my bucket list, and Italy was at the top. We spent time in Venice, Florence and the Tuscan countryside, Rome, and the Amalfi coast. All so different and unique! I picked up on a few Italian details: Italians like their pasta molto al dente, and don’t use a lot of sauce. The pasta is tossed in the sauce, and whatever clings to the pasta is the sauce you get. There were pizzarias everywhere, but sauce isn’t used on pizza, just cheese and just a few ingredients. But you can really taste the true flavor of that thin crust wood-fired pizza and those judiciously chosen ingredients. And, the rest areas along the highway are called autogrills, and are a true destination stop. The autogrills serve seriously good food, all prepared on site. You could choose from pastas, pizzas, and panini, with sodas, beer, or wine with places to dine alfresco. There was also a large selection of snacks and gift items. (Puts our idea of rest stops with toilets and if you’re lucky a vending machine to shame).
Before this trip, I hadn’t traveled in a while, so this got me to add several destinations to my bucket list. Where to next? Spain, the Camino de Santiago, Egypt and a cruise down the Nile, the Scottish Highlands, even the Grand Canyon and travel by train. I added nine more places to the list. And a puppy. I love my bucket list! Next episode I’ll reveal what big project I’ve been working on. Hint: it has to do with Episodes 4 and 5 of the Green Light Journeys blog.