I remember packing those bags last year. Toothpaste-check. Swimsuit-check. Cute and comfy shoes-check and check. I was so paranoid about leaving anything behind (and I did. $20 watch bought in the Detroit airport since our cell phones would no longer provide the hour of the day). My dreams of REAL pasta, REAL olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and perhaps a tempting sip of REAL wine were about to come to fruition. This time last year I was packing my bags for my Italian honeymoon. Here is my postcard of memories.

Venice: In Venice you walk everywhere and never actually get anywhere. My favorite memory of Venice?Finding myself lost with My Love. We wandered the narrow streets amongst the canals, searching for that steeple we could see above the rooftops, that smell of fresh bread, that sound of laughter. We would twist, turn right and left, change our minds and direction, and be stopped in our tracks at a dead end (unless we wanted to swim the dank canal) only to double back and start losing ourselves again.

     We also visited Venice beach. Yes. I did it. I went topless in the ocean. Standing there with my alabaster skin glistening in the sunlight, we watched the tanned and anything but toned Italians sauntering with nearly nothing on. The little boys ran and chased the waves completely bare bottomed. The old Italian women, stark naked, were hardly ashamed of the toles of time upon their bodies. They were as carefree as the young women, and I couldn't help but wish that when I am old, grey, and withered, that I can stand with my head high and love myself as I do today.

     We also had our first taste of GELATO. This is the Italian version of ice cream. I'm sorry, but America has got ice cream all wrong. Gelato is the most decadent, creamy, delicious substance known to my mouth. And the best part about it...gelato stands are like Starbucks in the U.S., there is one on every corner of the block (and two on each side). Every flavor imaginable was available...and I mean EVERY flavor. Rum, wine, and whiskey, coconut, pistachio, peach, tiramisu, lemon and so many more. We ate gelato once an hour the ENTIRE trip. Fabulous.

    When imagining Venice, the first thing to come to anyones mind is...the canals of course! Imagining the canals leads one to think of gondolas. The highly overpriced tourist trap. We were suckered into a ride. But it turned out to be a wonderful laugh for the two of us. The gondolier was a jerk, directing all of his questions and comments to my husband since I the woman could not possibly be smart enough to answer. He was kind enough to direct us to a lovely restaurant after the ride. The walls of the buildings lining the canals were moldy, smelly, bug and pest infested. If you squinted, it was oddly beautiful. A glass of wine also helped.

    Venice is the one city mio marito (my husband) and I agreed that we would like to visit again. Ah, someday! We sadly waved goodbye to the canals, the piazza de San Marko, the masquerade costumes, and the ferry rides after two nights. Next, off to Florence!