Two weeks ago today I was literally flipping into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sorrento in Italy. Today I will be going to Little League baseball practice on a field that smells of pre-teen angst and cow manure. *sigh* At least I had the experience for two glorious weeks and today I will reflect on some of the things I will always remember about my days in Italy…

Of course I’m super happy to be back with Angela of Happy Fit Mama for this link-up!

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Beer and Pizza

If there is a better combo than beer and pizza, I do not want to know about it. I had heard things like “the pizza in Italy is very different so, just be prepared.” If by “very different” people meant “light years better than American pizza” than YES, you are all correct.

The best pie we had the pleasure of chowing down on was from Franco’s in Sorrento. It was served on sheet pans and we ate it all. With a 40 oz of Peroni, of course.

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I can chug my age in beer. #winning

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No One Wants Your Kids or Your Bikes

We got into a great discussion with a local couple about the horrible case of Madeleine Mcann who was abducted from her hotel room in Portugal while she slept. The parents were vilified (at least in the US) because they were having dinner, at a distance from the hotel room where their kids were sleeping, but had reportedly been making routine checks on the room. The couple we were taking with in Italy saw zero issue with that. In fact, when we mentioned our kids they assumed they were in our room sleeping while we were at the bar! Exploring these kinds of cultural differences is one of the many things I love about travel. It builds tolerance.

Oh and no one feels the need to lock up their bikes either…at least not in Barga, a small town in the Tuscany region. I adore this, for obvious reasons.

No bike lock needed.

No bike lock needed.

All the Gelato

A gaulent was thrown prior to leaving for Italy. My good friend Dana from Kiss My List dared me to beat her record of 18 gelato eatings while in Italy. Well, my son Vaughn tried valiantly to beat the record but alas, came up short with only 15. Obviously we need to train harder, go back and try again!

This is only a few of the pictures I have of a boy and his gelato. Chocolate every time…

*Miles only eats vanilla and hated the gelato. It’s unexplainable.

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VITA is Everywhere

Talk about making a girl feel right at home! VITA means “life” which is why I so named this blog (and my fitness studio before it) because training for life is what I am all about. I was so happy to see my name (yes, it is) adorned on signs, streets and even iPhone case covers, which I of course had to buy.

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My new phone case. It’s no owl but we’re getting closer.

It’s a sweet life indeed and, a man who came out of the building where the below sign was posted, offered the boys some lemon candy. Who does that? It was definitely sweet and, after smiling and thanking him, I swiped it out of their little paws because in Italy or no, I just can’t let them eat candy from a stranger. Baby steps.

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On the island of Capri off the coast of Sorrento.

The Insanity on the Roads

I have never in my life experienced drivers like the ones in Italy. The cars are small, there are no stoplights and, as my husband put it, the lines on the roads are merely a suggestion.

The worst of it was on the island of Capri when we were riding a tour bus up and down a very tiny, very steep and extremely winding mountain road.

This shot is from the bus going down the mountain so we are on the opposite side of the road yet, I only see a speck of the guardrail!

At least my last view was a gorgeous one...

At least my last view was a gorgeous one…

And this would be the shot I took out of my window, of one of the many buses COMING AT US and, narrowly missing us as we sped up the mountain. I was seriously holding onto my husband for dear life and closing my eyes…

AHHHHHHHHH!

AHHHHHHHHH!

[Tweet “5 unforgettable things about #Italy #HighFiveFriday @happyfitmama”]

Here’s to a happy and high-five kind of Friday to you! I’ll be back on Monday when The Rundown says ciao to Roma and bonjourno to Tuscana!

 

What is on your high five list this Friday?

How much gelato do you think your could eat in two weeks?

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