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The Travel Test: Your First Vacation
Traveling to Italy tests the tenacity of the author's relationship.
by Kendall Morgan
By the time we got home from dinner, our bags had arrived, just in time for the drive to Florence. I was never so happy to see an inanimate object in my life.
I showered the suitcase—and the boyfriend—with kisses.
Friday: Finding Firenze
I’d pictured a scenic jaunt through the Italian countryside, with stops to tour lush vineyards and chat with ruddy-cheeked locals. I had forgotten to take into account the male need for speed. The boyfriend drove our tiny rental car in excess of 130 kilometers an hour on the windy Autostrassa while I, the girl with no sense of direction whatsoever, attempted to figure out if that town we just passed was anywhere on the map I was reading. In Italian.
Missing the exit into Florence—and dealing with the boyfriend’s reproach—blew the last wisps of my romantic Venetian cloud away. And once we entered the city, the next hurdle was where to stay, since we hadn’t made hotel reservations. Miraculously, one of the places I’d found on the Internet was actually close to a street I’d been able to find on the map. “Let’s just go here,” I said, jabbing it with my finger.
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1 Carlos // Jun 25, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Have anyone on this blog been to the Caribbean on an escorts resort in the DR? Or erotic vacations.
2 Little Italy // Feb 12, 2008 at 11:55 am
Love this. As a fellow writer who happens to be spending a year in Italy, I can vouch for the dear author’s authentic Italian experience. Brava. Now please send some of those love vibes back over the ocean, please…
3 Paris, City Of Fisticuffs? // Feb 12, 2008 at 9:58 am
[…] Isn’t arguing, debate anyways, in the French character? Like if you’re trying to invade Iraq aren’t they the first to say “au contraire, mon frer”? Sure, having a knock down, drag out at the Eiffel Tower is bad form, but would the French really be put off? “Ah, look at the Americans, with their Super Bowl and Dane Cook, how you say, adorable.” Well maybe they should rethink making things tough on us after bailing them out of WW2. Anyone? Dad? It’s weird, this is the first time that we’ve ever thought of National Lampoons: European Vacation and Ethan Hawke’s novella, The Hottest State, at the same time. There are parallels. This reminds us of one of our all-time favorite Tango articles about a little Euro vacation that goes in the wrong direction but ends up just right. […]
4 lola // Dec 1, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Great story! Felt like I was there with the writer and her “boyfriend.” I related to much of what happened as my “boyfriend” also took me to Rome last Feb. and it was without a doubt one of the best trips ever. It wasn’t the vacation…it was the experience of being with a wonderful person and learning more about him. I”m the artist and he is the doctor. What a combination! I”ll let you know when the wedding occurs —