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06/20/2005: "Finally, a little something from Italy..."

Back by popular demand, or maybe guilt, an update to my website. I know I never posted the pictures from our trip to Italy and France. You can find the majority of them on Quinn's website at http://www.seebq.com/gallery/italy . Our trip was great, unbelievable, etc. Sorry it has taken so long for me to write about it. I guess I am just now catching back up to the rest of my life (who am I kidding, I haven't caught up). This picture of Quinn (with this scenery, anybody can look good....just kidding) was taken in the gardens of Villa d'Este in Lake Como. What a beautiful place! I have never seen anything like it. And I am not the only one to think that. George Clooney bought a house here after filming Ocean's Twelve, as did Georgio Armani (we saw him on the street in Milan by the way), Napolean, and several other rich and famous (but only George was in Ocean's Twelve...sorry to mislead you). Quinn and I were getting ready to have the best dinner we've ever had when this picture was taken. Can you believe he makes me take these pictures of him posing like a statue at Villa d'Este, of all places?

The entire trip was just as glamorous, well maybe not, but close. Being smoozed by hot Italian men, going to the best parties and best locations, and being paid for it. What a business trip?! Ofcourse, even when we weren't being smoozed, Roy and Doug are fun to hang out with, and they know their way around Milan. Don't forget food either. With Roy's over-indulgent appetite, we had the best Italian food one could imagine, about four to five times per day.


This image was taken at the...oh wait, you guessed it. Quinn and I had a somewhat hard time getting out of Rome, and therefore, we didn't have too long to enjoy it, because of all the planning required to get out of it. Italy's Railway decided to go on strike the day we wanted to leave, so we had to rent a car and drive from Rome back to Milan, sacrificing 1.5 days in Rome, but it was worth it. We saw the mandatories on a first trip to Rome (including the announcement of the new Pope Benedict) and then hauled it out of there. We drove up the coast most of the way back to Milan, what amazing scenery. Picture mountains on your right and ocean on your left, while you are winding around little roads and through tunnels. We also saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa for about 20 minutes, all the time needed in a town completely supported by tourism. It reminded me of Panama City Beach with a tower instead of a beach. Glad to check that off my list of things to see so I don't have to make a special trip later in life.

Once we finally made it to Paris, it was paradise again. Quinn's out-of-town job finally paid off by getting us a free room at the Marriott on Champs d'Elysses. It was fabulous! I could have stayed in the hotel the entire time if I weren't back home, err....I mean in Paris. We did nothing touristy in Paris. We attended a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu and fantasy-shopped for an apartment. A couple of crepe nutellas later, it was time to fly back home. If only we could have agreed on a neighborhood for that apartment....