I was SO blessed to be able to travel this summer with my grandma and mom to Italy, Paris and Ireland for a grand total of 14 days. It's no secret that this trip was a gift from my Great Grandpa, who passed away a couple of years ago and only got to travel the world during times of war. We took this trip with him in mind, thinking of him in each new city, on every adventure, around each corner in every square. As we got to know more about our travel companions and feel more at home around them, we began to see more of him in them. I'll tell you about a few couples that we were fortunate enough to meet!

1. There was this one couple from India who lived in Philadelphia. They were so funny! Every time we stopped for a picture opportunity, the man, whose name was Pili, would stop and ask me if I would take a picture of the two of them. I remember thinking, while snapping a shot of them at the leaning tower of Pisa, that they just looked so content together without even smiling. Eventually they called me their paparazzi and thanked me profusely at the end of our time together.

2. The only people that were from somewhere other than the USA were from Australia! It was really cool to be able to meet them and learn about their country and lifestyle. Pam and Colin were super nice folks and they always had a story to tell. They were very observant and always willing to lend a hand. They made their way around the entire tour group and knew a little something about each and every one of the whole lot of us! [My side note observation of the Australians is that they ate their food at an unnervingly fast pace, every single time. Anybody else notice that?] They reminded us to keep eating the gelato, which is an absolute must in Italy!

3. My very favorite couple of the entire group reminded me so much of my great grandparents. They were from Brooklyn, New York and were both on their second marriages. The man had a goose egg on the top of his egg that everybody was too hesitant to ask about and the woman was just as talkative as a little bumble bee. They both carried around walkers that folded down into chairs and parked their happy little tushies wherever they pleased, much like the Florentine doggie pictured below. The woman was only interested in one thing... the SHOPPING! And her man supported her. All we ever heard was "when are we gonna shop already?!" But they were sweet as pie.

4. My favorite people on the tour were a couple of southern baptists from West Virginia. They were so flamboyant, vivacious, and passionate about life. They were so fun to be around! These were the people that everybody fought to get a seat next to at dinner or on the bus. They kept conversation going, and they always had something funny to add to keep things light. We had the most beautiful experience with this couple and their daughter on the gondola in Venice. Every second of our ride was absolutely breathtaking — something you'd see on a movie. It felt like it wasn't real life. Leslie, the wife, looked over to me and said, "Now this is a blessing, to be able to do this right now," and right she was!

5. On our second to last night in Italy, we were in Florence, Tuscany! Our tour guide took us to this beautiful view overlooking the whole city for a picture opportunity (she enticed us by saying, "Ladies, here's your eye candy" because there was ANOTHER naked statue!) and then took us to a fabulous dinner. Our meal that night started with a lovely champagne, and then their house white wine with the antipasti (appetizer), the main course of a T-bone steak that was the size of my head with red wine, and a lovely dessert with a rose wine. Let me just say, we had a lot of wine. The couple that we sat next to that evening were so sweet; the woman was a flight attendant and the man had retired from a job as a miner. We had a lovely night! I'm pretty sure, though, that the man filled my wine glass every time I turned the other direction.

We traveled with a total of 37 other people and learned something new from each and every one of them. From what a second love looks like at an older age to what passion and vigor for life really looks life, we saw it all! I highly recommend touring with a tour group in a foreign country, especially a romantic one like Italy. Pay special attention to the couples and you'll learn lots. Caio for now!