Wow, going to Italy was another dream come true. Having been there several years ago, I was expecting the ‘same ole, same ole;’ beautiful skies, gorgeous blue waters of the Mediterranean, and hillsides full of grapevines. I was not disappointed. It was all still there. What I was not expecting was the number of people who were doing the same thing that I was doing. If you happen to think that folks are not traveling as much as they used to, think again. I believe that every person on the planet watches Rick Steve’s Travel Logs on TV and hears him say, “Keep on Traveling,” and so they do!
The trip over was uneventful, thank goodness. Airlines were on time and going through customs was a breeze. More and more people speak English over there, so that was not a problem. The problem started after we had checked into our lovely first class hotel and turned on the not so hot water jet in the shower. A quick call to the front desk and we heard that there was a little problem throughout the hotel, but it would be fixed post haste. Great! Hearing this same answer every time we called for the next three days, did not make for happy thoughts.
Needless to say, the topic of conversation at breakfast every morning was the same, except that tempers were flaring more and more every day. Everyone was trapped into this same situation due to the fact that it was “Fashion Week” in Milan, and no other hotel had any empty rooms. It got to be almost funny how the ‘cold shower’ seemed to get a little warmer as the days went by. I had just never had a really cold shower; invigorating at least!
Arriving home this week, I found a note in my mail that the unmentioned hotel is refunding all of our money for those three cold shower nights; but the jokes, etc. that went on about the problem will be with me always, so “Keep on Traveling!” That was the first of our adventures on this trip.
I travel with a group called “Traveling Together.” The tours are for quilters and some knitters. We visit museums, factories, quilt shops, see demonstrations of techniques, etc. that are of great interest. There were 40 of us from the U.S. and parts of Canada. Many of them have been on trips that I have taken in the past, so it was great fun being with them again.
While in Milan, the fashion conscious models were on the streets everywhere we looked. We all laughed that we really looked pretty ‘hokey’ up beside them. The tattoos were the most outlandish that I have seen. What a ridiculous looking group all of them will be when they are in their 80’s. I would venture to say that they will be ‘side show’ material. I shall encourage my grandchildren to go into the ‘tattoo removal business’ as it will be a thriving way to make a living in a few years.
I always get so much inspiration for quilting on these trips. I can’t wait to start my new wall hanging that will entail the sights and sounds in Milan. The Galleria there is one of the most beautiful shopping malls I have ever seen. The frescos above the crowd look as though Michelangelo had been there. I’ll be sharing some of the sights that we saw while over there. I might even temp you to “Keep on Traveling!”
