is it spring yet?

I don't know about you, but I could use a vacation. This is my least favorite time of the year.  Winter seems like it will never end, no fun holidays, no exciting sporting events.  Everyday is the same.  What we need now is a good, old-fashioned adventure.  There's no better cure for the mid-winter blues than a romp around Italy.  

We could go to Milan, where they let you climb on the exterior of the cathedral (You may have noticed that I took a lot of pictures of churches.  This one is among my favorites.  How often do you get to play around on the roof of a gothic cathedral?  It was so much fun.)

Milan Cathedral

 We could get lost in the wandering streets of medieval town of Urbino:

Urbino, Italy

Take in the view of the Adriatic Sea:

The Adriatic Sea

The Adriatic Sea near Pesaro

Shop and stroll and sip espresso in Bologna:

Bologna

Or be completely overwhelmed by Naples (the layout of this town makes Venice look sane):

Naples, with Mt. Vesuvius in the background

Maybe we can go back because I really want to go to Pompeii.

fish out of water

In early February, I somehow found myself on top of a mountain in France.  Which is interesting, considering that I can't really ski, don't have any particular interest in skiing, and in fact find skiing kind of terrifying.  And yet there I was.  A member of my cohort, an avid skier, had organized a week-long trip to Avoriaz, a resort high in the French Alps.  I signed up, thinking, sure, why not?  Who turns down an opportunity in the Alps? I learned two important facts from this trip.  One: The Alps are stunning.  Everyone needs to see them at least once in their life.  Two:  I still don't like skiing.

I would love to go back, just maybe during the summer.