HOME....finally!

So I'm the worst blogger ever!  Ah, my poor neglected blog is always pushed aside when other tasks come up suddenly.  For example, MIZZ magazine in the UK wants to do a big promotion for TOUCH OF POWER's release.  Great news!  However, they wanted a 3 minute video of me for their new MIZZ TV website and they wanted it before I left for Italy.  A seemingly simple task - talking about my book for 3 mins turned into an all day affair, including how to send a 270 MB file via the Internet.  My poor producer/daughter had to hear the same thing over multiple takes.

Yes, I was in Italy, but before I talk about my trip, I wanted to announce the winner of the TOUCH OF POWER ARC!  I received 17 entries and random.org picked entry #9, which is Jessica W. from Texas!!  Congrats to Jessica!!  I might be slow to blog, but Jessica's been, I hope, enjoying her prize for the last couple weeks - I mailed it out before my trip.

So what this about Italy?  It wasn't on my appearance schedule :)  I surprised my parents last June with two tickets to Italy for their 50th wedding anniversary.  Anyone who makes it to 50 years deserves a special trip.  My sister and I tagged along, leaving husbands and kids home.  My mom always wanted to go, but kept talking herself out of the trip because she was too nervous to fly.  So we kidnapped her (or rather guilted her into going - after all the ticket was paid for!).  It was a grand time – we spent time in Florence, Siena, the Tuscan countryside, and Rome.  I loved Tuscany the best – gorgeous and the wine was divine!  It was also the most photogenic place and I could have wander around for hours with my camera.

I'd tell you more about the trip, but as a family we agreed what happened in Italy stays in Italy! ;>

Here are some pictures:

Florence - the Arno River as seen from our hotel window.  At the top of the rise seen in the picture is called Michelangelo's Plaza and from there you can see the whole city of Florence.

Florence - the Ponte Vecchio Bridge.  No traffic is allowed on this bridge - just shoppers who are looking to score some beautiful jewelry made with Italian gold.  As you can see, the stores hang out over the water, supported by thick wooden beams.

The town of Chianti - the heart of the Chianti Classico wine region.  We learned to make sure a black roster is on the neck of the bottle for an authentic wine.

A Tuscan vineyard - since it was November, the sangiovese grape vines were turning yellow.  The red leaves are another type of grape.  Sangiovese is the major grape used in Chianti Classico - it has to make up at least 70% of the wine to be officially called a Chianti Classico.

Wine tasting room at the Tenuta Torciano winery in San Gimignano (another great town in Tuscany).

Rome - The Colosseum at sunset.  We spent 3 days in Rome, but needed another 4 at least.  There is so much to see, it's impossible to take it all in.

Rome - The Arch of Constantine - another amazing piece of ancient history!