“Italy, and the spring, and first love all together should suffice to make the gloomiest person happy.” (-Bertrand Russell)

Of all the places I’ve ever visited, Italy by far affected me the most viscerally. I traveled fairly extensively all over the country and loved every inch of it. It quickly became evident to me why this country has produced so many artists.

Even in the heart of modern day cosmopolitan Rome, there is such prodigiously rich history evident everywhere you turn, with dramatic ruins like the ancient Colosseum and the magnificence of the Vatican to explore.

As a young girl, I wanted to be an archeologist after I read about the lost city of Pompeii. When I had the opportunity to travel there, walking the same stone roads that were covered with ash and rubble so many years ago, I was transported, thinking about the lives that were lived and lost there. The roads are paved with small shards of stone that glisten at night, and in ancient Pompeii, they helped to guide the way well before the future advent of street lights. One can still see incredible frescoes and get a feel for what life must have been like for those ancient Romans. Nearby, the stunningly beautiful Capri and Amalfi coast overlooking pristine blue waters are gems in the Italian landscape. Sorrento and Anacapri, with its hairpin turns up the mountainside, offer views that will remain forever in my mind.

Firenze, (or Florence) is a cultural mecca: the birthplace of so many artists, scientists, philosophers, it was the seat of the Renaissance. The Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, the Uffizi galleries,amazing piazzas… and some of the best gelato I ever tasted, came from Florence.

And the Tuscany hillsides and Umbria are bewitching and lovely, dotted with poplar and olive trees, miles and miles of sunflower fields, and the Chianti grapes that make the region special. I visited the Castello Vicchiomaggio, in the Greve valley, which figured in the movie Much Ado About Nothing, and enjoyed dinner and a wine-tasting at that glorious vineyard.

When I arrived in Venezia, I stayed on the beautiful island of Lido, (home of the famous film festival) and explored that area, then took a vaporetto across the lagoon to the main island, as well as the charming islands of Burano and Murano. The meandering canals are a maze, and one can easily get lost, but at every turn, there are wonderful surprises with gondolas, quaint outdoor cafes, open shutters on windows, flowers spilling forth and walking bridges. At night, the Piazza San Marco is alive with music and a sensual dolce vite like nowhere else.

I confess I did ride in a gondola, and I’m so glad I did. I don’t care if it’s touristy; it’s an experience I’ll savour forever. Nearby, close to Lake Garda, is Verona, the home of “Romeo and Juliet,” a lovely town where you can shop for fruits and vegetables in amazing market places amidst glorious frescoes and statues/fountains.

When I planned my trip to Italy, I thought that I’d see the country and discover that one place I wanted to return to, but I wound up falling in love with all of Italy. The northern lake region is positively stunning. I visited Lago Maggiore, and from there, took a boat ride to one of the Borromean islands, aptly named Isola Bella, with its Italianate gardens and vistas of the spectacular Swiss mountains in the distance. I’ll never forget Lago Maggiore, with the hydrangeas bursting over the roads, lush and glorious, and its views of villas on the lake and the distant mountains of Switzerland. Milan, a fascinating city in the northern Lombardi region, once had as many canals as Venice, I learned, until Mussolini had them paved over.

One day, I hope to have the chance to return to Italy, but until then, I'll cherish the memories of that astonishingly beautiful country and carry them in my heart.

“The Creator made Italy from designs by Michelangelo.” (-Mark Twain)