Discovering Italy
In June of 1999, I was invited to review a Bed and Breakfast at Villa San Pietro in Montichiari, Italy, in the Lombardy Region of Northern Italy. Fueled by memories of exotic family travels I was anxious to create the same kind of romantic memories with my husband, Ron. We marveled at our good fortune and eagerly agreed. From Frankfurt, Germany we made our way south towards Switzerland. With a heightened sense of excitement, we were eager for adventure. We giggled every time we saw another sign pointing the way to Italy. One sign, in particular, stood out! Gotthard Pass With my rusty German, I offered my interpretation to Ron. “I think if we turn here-we will totally pass around the Swiss Alps!" And so began our slow, arduous climb over the Swiss Alps. The narrow pass was jammed with holiday travelers and tour buses. Traffic slowed to a crawl, dangling us over ravines covered in snow. Climbing over 6900 feet at a snail’s pace I witnessed every glorious waterfall and chiseled snow...