On the Road to Rome (Saturday, October 15, 2011)
Last night and this morning, the girls have been on a mission to finish the bulk of their schoolwork. And they’ve done it. There is great rejoicing in the land. Poor Andrew. We said goodbye to Isabela, who so warmly wished to make everything perfect for us. We also said goodbye to the wonderful “apartment” we had in her old farmhouse, which is so equipped with everything you might ever need that it is hard to find a place to put your own stuff. Our biggest concern was that we would not be able to tell if we left anything there! And then, saddest of all for at least 2 of us, was saying goodbye to the crazy galoot of a dog, Tata. Lots of hugs for her before we departed. Today I turned 43 years old. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than the itinerary for the day: Drive through Tuscany , stop off at a chocolate festival in Perugia , and end the day with our arrival at the rooms we are renting near Rome . There was one minor flaw in the plan—the drive through Tuscany . It’s brea...