When you go..........................

I immediately fell in love with this ancient country. It was so different from any place I'd been before. Mountains that marched directly down to the sea, stone houses and castles hanging precariously to the edges of cliffs. Food that was as comforting as a mothers embrace. I was smitten.
I'd often dreamed of living in a land of castles, and there I was. My tip to anyone traveling to Italy, open your eyes! I know that seems too easy, but one can get lost behind the camera or stuck worrying over the itinerary. Relax, breathe deep, don't think about time constraints, if you do, you will never experience the sites, smells and sounds of a truly magnificent land. Something else to keep in mind, your volume! Try to keep your level down so as to hear the music and cadence of the place. Traveling in Italy is a wonderous experience and if you open yourself up and truly immerse yourself, you will enjoy it that much more.
From the Etruscans to the Romans to the descendants of serfs as well as the purveyors of the renaissance, Italy has a history and a beauty that runs deeper than the Arno. They are a people well versed in the art of love as well as the love of art, the love of life and all that it brings. To be able to slow down and see things through their eyes is truly a learning experience. One should enter in to their world not step all over it.
My first few months were an interesting experience. I didn't understand why the banks closed for a couple hours in the middle of the day, right when I needed money! I didn't get that approach to life, a set pace and a continuous pace, worked better for the stress and anxiety levels that are present in our American daily lives and pretty much non existent in Italy. Of course one can argue both sides of the issue (don't let people catch you doing that though, they'll think you're crazy!) there are benefits to working a strait eight and going home, but it doesn't end there. Italians seem able to separate life and work and they work to live not the other way around which seems very American; living to work.
When you go, for I strongly recommend that everyone visit Italia, just keep in mind that you are a visitor. That you are visiting someones home and treat it the way you would want your home treated, with care and respect. If you do that and keep your ears and eyes open, you will truly have a wonderful experience and make many new friends for life!