[Previous entry: "Countdown to Adventure!"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Italy Trip 2004 (Update #2)"]

01/20/2004: "Italy Trip Update..."

It’s almost 5pm here (8am Pacific / 11am Eastern). I'm here in Orvieto, a small town between Rome and Florence. Just an observation -- damn, Italy's expensive. One scoop of gelato (ice cream) is 4 euros, which is something like 6 U.S. dollars. And the symbol for the euro -- € -- is sort of nifty, I think. Despite my financial leanings toward cheap-ness, I'm having a good time. I have a geriatric roommate named Lydia, 76, from Mexico City and grumpy most of the time. (I wonder if she has siblings who are sleepy, dopey, and bashful). I just politely nod, mumble to her in made-up Latin words, and try to ignore her. Our tour director, Debra, is just a peach, and the bus driver is cute (and that's always nice). Later this evening, I’m heading out with others from the travel party to have this huge Tuscan dinner thing -- for 54 euros. They better feed me well. There's no Pepsi in this country -- just Coke and Coke light. That makes me sad, but it’s a small price to pay for globetrotting, I suppose.