Italy and Ireland
Our 2003 trip to Italy was marked by one of the worst heat waves in Europe in recent years. We wilted during the day and emerged during the cooler temperatures in the evening. From a villa in the Tuscan countryside, we explored nearby towns before going to Rome. In spite of the heat, the food, the sights, and the experiences were worth it. Our bike trip in 2018 from Parma to Verona was a great delight, making pasta, sipping wine, and eating 5 year old Parmesan cheese.
We visited Ireland in 2000 and 2015, spending time in Dublin and then traveling the countryside, seeing castles, the Dingle, and wonderful little towns along the way, full of great people, food, music, and Guinness. I went back again for a week in February 2019. It was cold but I saw the Irish surfing on the coast near Portrush and experienced snow on the beach. And Ireland was the first trip I made abroad after COVID in August 2021. It was wonderful to travel again and Ireland was at its best, sunny and mild. In 2023, we went back again, visiting Kinsale and Dublin.
