Well...I'm sure you're all anxious to hear the report about the trip...And since I've been up because apparently I'm adjusting to the time difference and I may just be excited about being back and getting all caught up on everything that I need to do (my the list grows long when one is away doesn't it?) I figured I may as well get started... When we got to LAX on April 8th...We were informed that our plane had been delayed a few hours...And they were nice and gave us meal vouchers and reassured us that they would be paying for a hotel when we got to Zurich Switzerland, and that we would be put on the first flight out the next morning to Italy. We tried to call my dad, but had no luck from the operator...I was amazed that I slept quite a bit on the flight over, since it's about 12 hours, I was happy that I did, I kept putting on the same movie over and over and slept through it about 4 times. My sister, however, did not sleep at all, and was saying "I will NEVER do this again!" I remember thinking that same thing the first time I flew overseas...Luckily, once you get to your destination and get a bit of sleep, and then venture out...That changes! When we arrived in Switzerland, it was without our luggage because the person in LA talked us in to checking it all the way through, but the good news was that they could get us on the last flight out that night to Italy. The person there reassured us that they had contacted the luggage handlers and would be putting it on the flight that night! AND, they called the villa to pass on the message for us so that everyone would know the plan. We decided not to stay overnight in Switzerland because it was raining like crazy and we had no luggage!
When we arrived in Italy and rushed down to get the luggage...We still had no luggage...The airline had lost it...Or more importantly had not contacted the handlers, and it was being sent on the wrong plane...Since this also had happened to about 8 other people, we tried not to panic too much! We finally received our luggage 3 days later...Yah, clean clothes! And the trip that was pretty fun up until that point, got even more fun after that! We arrived at the villa that night at about midnight...After missing the last train out of Rome and having to catch a really expensive taxi to the car. And then we drove onto Selci, the medieval village we were staying in for the leg of the Italy trip. I was so out of it and overstimulated by the luggage loss and all the traveling, it was hard to notice my surroundings...I heard the birds singing even at night...And fell into bed exhausted. The next morning when I woke up...This was the view from our balcony...We were staying in a 2 room villa with my dad and stepmother with a kitchen/living room combo and a bathroom with maybe the largest bathtub ever (yah! Even more yay when I could change into clean clothes after a bath!)
There is a view of about 2 other medieval villages from this beautiful lush and green place...This is the first time I stayed in or really was able to explore the countryside of Italy, and I was surprised and fascinated by the fact that everyone has their laundry hanging out to dry...which made me think (because I had to handwash some things) why don't I do this at home? Also, there are olive trees and grapes on so much of the available land...right on these inclines on the hills and everything...along with each person's livestock...so many of the villas are 200 years old and people are living in only half of them. Also, the craftsmen there know how to gut a place and redo everything...for a lot less $$ than they do here. I know this because my dad and Patti are looking into buying something in this area... I was a little nauseous and tired the first day, so after breakfast and a quick walk around the village of Selci...I went home and took a nap while everyone else went out and explored a nearby village! I woke up in time for dinner, thank goodness, as we went out to a local restaurant and had amazing food! We ate primarily vegetarian on our trip, and it was a treat! That first night, I had some Tartufa...Or truffles on pasta...which made me an instant truffle convert! OH MAN, are these things good...I actually brought back some tartufa spread and truffles for my mother and I! We also had gellato that was served in the fruit skins it was made from...Hazelnut, walnut, persimmon, kiwi, lime, blood orange...And something else I can't quite remember at the moment! Amazing! After all the gellato I got to sample it's really hard to know which is my favorite flavor...Coconut, pistachio, chocolate, coffee, banana....Etc...
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