The Bowles Women Invade Italia

Hi all!
During the third week of May, Mom, my Aunt Pam and my Cousin Stephanie made a visit to Old York... and then we went gallavanting off to Italy. But not before I turned in the introduction and first chapter of my dissertation to my supervisor!!! We flew into Rome, took the train up to Florence, then another train to Venice, and flew back to England from there. Of course, we took 'Easyjet,' so the journey there was not exactly an easy one, but we finally made it. Saw the sights, ate the gelato, feasted on pasta, drank amazing coffee, enjoyed the sun (a real novelty for me these days).

Here is a play by play of some of our "Favorites" in Italy... I've added a few more pictures as well. Thanks for checking in!

1. Best thing that we did/saw in Rome?
Mom says it was getting our portraits done in Piazza Navona, Pami loved going to the Vatican, Stephanie recommends the Roman Forum... for me, it's the Colosseum every time. Such a magnificent place. Not that USC's isn't great too, but this one has it beat I think.

2. The funniest thing that happened/that we saw in Rome?
Mom enjoyed seeing a group of nuns at the Colosseum, one of whom was wearing a white baseball cap instead of the traditional nun headwear. Pami enjoyed when I forced everyone to run away from the poser Trojans in front of the Colosseum after they blatantly tried to rip us off for a picture. We actually had to go the entire way back around again to get back to the entrance, so we've now seen the outside in its entirety. My personal favorite moment was watching Mom and Pam get the giggles, hardcore giggles, on the bed in our hotel in Rome... during which Mom actually almost fell off the bed. Travel does make one giddy. Steph enjoyed our first interaction with a flirty Italian waiter in Piazza Navona. Jimmy the Waiter greeted us with an endearing 'Hi Girls. What is up?' before attempting to get me to come and meet him after he got off work at 1 am. Sorry Jimmy, I was really tired.

3. Funniest thing that happened in Florence?
Mom, Pam, and Steph all agree it was watching Mom battle with a ginormous (technical term) 7 Euro gelato cone as it melted all over her, the street, the statue we sat on...everything. I personally enjoyed a little old lady (at least in her late 70's...at least) in a mid-driff top and tight leopard pants. Unfortunately, I have no photographic proof of this. Sad.

4. Where did we find the friendlest people?
Mom and Steph want to mention the lovely couple and their son who run B & B Smart by the train station in Rome. They were too sweet to us, a great find... I personally was a fan of all of the people who helped Pami with her bag in the metro and getting onto trains etc (she has a bad knee), and Pam agrees. Who says chivalry is dead?

5. Most peaceful thing we did/saw?
We all agree, watching the sunset and having dinner at Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence was the peaceful highlight. From this spot, you can see the whole skyline of Florence, including the Duomo. It is amazing to be above it all, and after dinner, to walk back down the hill into the city.

6. Scariest experience?
Our 'EasyJet' flight being re-routed twice and thus being quite late arriving into Rome was a bit much for Mom...especially since it started the trip. For Stephanie, it was when her ankles swelled up to cankle-size proportions after all the walking, and her leg started feeling tingly. I also got freaked out a bit when, after some heavy lifting of all the suitcases over the canals in Venice and up the stairs to our flat, managed to lose all feeling in my left arm for hours. It came back though, so no worries. For Pami, it was seeing a girl get mugged (or at least it was an attempted-mugging) in the metro by a little boy. She said it really shook her up and made her be on guard.

7. Favorite purchase?
Mom says the portrait she had done of me (awww), I really loved a poster I bought in Rome that Damaris already had and I always loved, Steph bought a beautiful painting for her and Alonzo's new house in Piazza Navona, and Pami loves her Murano glass pen set from Venice.

8. Favorite food or drink (besides gelato, of course)?
I loooove me some caffe lattes. Mmm, best coffee ever in Italy. Mom seconds that notion, which Pam and Steph prefer the pasta (Bow-tie pesto and Ravioli Bolognese respectively).

9. Favorite GELATO... a difficult call for everyone I think.
Stephanie liked chocolate and crema, Pam's favorite was crema and raspberry, Mom loved the raspberry as well, and my personal favorite this time around was one scoop banana and one scoop peanut butter. Heavenly. If you haven't had gelato (in Italy), you must! Trust me, it's not just ice cream. Mmm.

10. Favorite Site?
Steph and I both loved Piazzale Michelangelo, for Mom it was the Duomo (glad we climbed all those steps...about 500, well worth it for the view), and Pami is sticking with the Vatican.

11. Favorite thing we did?
Mom enjoyed shopping in Florence (who wouldn't?), Steph liked getting our portraits done in Piazza Navona, Pami loved the gondola ride, and my favorite thing was looking at our portraits later that night, inspecting each other's faces...so cool.

12. Biggest annoyance?
Mom: The constant need to have you buy-- rather, the merchants' 'business approach' :). Pam, Steph and I all agree, it's the constant fear of being ripped off. Word to the wise, if you think a price is too high, and you're in a touristy area, it probably is. Alas :)

13. Time you laughed the hardest?
I thought I was going to die when the pigeon wouldn't get off of my head in St. Mark's square. Steph and Pam both enjoyed Mom's ongoing joke of taking extreme close-ups of herself in front of every monument--kind of the opposite of Where's Waldo... ironic 'Where's Jennifer?' Mom had a good time making our 'EasyJet' rhyming list. A sampling: 'Kneesy Jet'--When the person behind you keeps kneeing your seat. 'Queasy Jet'--a bumpy ride. The list went on forever. Seriously.

Dinner our first night in Venice inspired some good laughs...or maybe it was the vino? In any case, for my ladies, so we remember...
-'Here you go J-Lo'--Alecs/Alex, to Pam
'My eyes?... They are Murano glass.'--Alex
'To the window...to the wall.'--Mom and Pam

The trip to Italy was wonderful. It is still one of my favorite places on the planet, though there is still so much to see.

I miss everyone back home, but am aiming to be back in California at the start of September, so make sure you have some room in your calendars, because we have a lot of catching up to do!

Ciao,
Ryan

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