Read, Eat, Dream For Tom and Cynthia. "Methinks I will not die quite happy without having seen something of that Rome of which I have read so much." - Sir Walter Scott I'm getting really sick of having my mind blown. It seems all one has to do to see something unimaginably beautiful in Rome is take a stroll around the block. There is a right way and a wrong way to introduce yourself to a city. The number one rule is go slow. Take your time. Open yourself to a...

"Don't...how you say in Canada...'freak out'." "The forecast kept saying it was going to rain. It never did." - Me I e-mailed my next host back to let him know I'd received a response from aribnb.com advising me not to give cash, as this was not the way their site worked and any transactions outside of it were not secure. I said that my credit card had already been charged, that I could show him the receipt, and that any further payment disputes would have to b...

Something Rich and Strange "Much I have travelled in the realms of gold." -John Keats Mondays in Italy are the best thing ever. "Un altro bella giornata," I remarked to Filomenia when I entered the kitchen for breakfast. The forecast kept saying it was going to rain. It never did. Everyday the sun rose faster and brighter and warmer than the day before, the sky bluer than anything has a right to be. It was a beautiful day for a pilgrimage, which was precisely w...

Pizza Margherita and Philosophy *Author's Note: I just want to thank everyone for the wonderful comments you are posting. Although the blog site doesn't have an option for me to reply, I want you all to know how much I appreciate the feedback and encouragement. Knowing people are reading this really makes a difference. P.S. Shannon, yours are especially awesome and I miss you :) "You have to learn to select your thoughts the same way you select your clothes ev...

Epic Fail "The next best thing to trying and winning is trying and failing." - L.M. Montgomery I tried to pick up an eighteen-year-old today. Let me start from the beginning. Rising bright and early at six-thirty, I had a sudden attack of spontaneity and decided today might be a good day to go to Naples. It was a major highlight on my list of experiences to have in Italy. My hometown of Windsor, Ontario proclaiming to have the best pizza in the world, I consi...