This was my second trip to Europe, Lana's first. I remember when I returned from the first trip, I was itching to go back. It took 9 years.
Some things had changed. 9 years ago, everybody chain-smoked, everywhere. Smoke-free areas were few and far between. Today, everybody still smokes, but all the restaurants are non-smoking, as well as public transportation. As much as the Italians smoke, I was surprised to see so many "No Smoking" signs.
More people spoke English than I remembered. On my first trip, we visited quite a few places where no one spoke English. Today, all you have to do is find someone under 40. They all take English in grammar school, and most folks have a pretty good grasp of our language. This may not be the case out in the hinterlands, but this trip was mainly spent in the touristy areas, so language was never a real problem.
Some things haven't changed. The Italians are still a warm, energetic, fun loving people. On my trip 9 years ago, I spent a week in Paris before coming to Italy, and the difference in the people was striking. The Parisians were cool, sophisticated, fashionable, and a touch aloof. By contrast, the Italians were loud, boisterous, casual, and outgoing. Kind of like going from the urban North to the rural South in the States.
We liked Rome more that we thought we would. I could easily spend another week there. I LOVED Venice. Lana was not as taken with the city, but that may have been because she was cold there...she just can't enjoy herself when she is shivering. We both enjoyed the beauty and small-town feel of Siena. Florence was our least favorite city of the four. Florence is a great city for an art buff, but we, being members of the uncultured, Cheez-It consuming American public, are not good at grasping Renaissance art. We blame public education.
Our lack of plans turned out to be a blessing. We were able to extend our stay in Rome without messing up other pre-made plans, and had the flexibility to make on-the-fly decisions about where to go and what to do. A group tour with a preset itinerary would have yielded a very different, and I think vastly inferior, experience.
The same goes for traveling light. Moving around was a breeze, and we were even able to take all of our luggage along as we walked through the market in Florence on the way to the train station. We only had to wash clothes once, and never found ourselves wishing for something we had not packed...except for Lana needing a better thermal base layer to protect against the cold. Next time, a set of silk or synthetic thermal underwear will come along.
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it!