Oh, Florence!!!

My church choir is planning a trip to Italy for late April / early May 2013.  

1. I am delighted at the prospect of returning to Europe.
2. I’ve not been to Italy yet and am eager to see it.
3. OK, quite honestly, the travel committee had me at the mention of Florence.

I became transfixed on the idea of Florence after reading E.M.Forster’s novel, A Room with a View, and seeing the exquisite 1985 film with Helena Bonham-Carter and Maggie Smith. Pure magic! I’ve been longing to visit Florence ever since. Perhaps like Lucy Honeychurch and her cousin Charlotte Bartlett, I am seeking an adventure, but I’m afraid I don’t travel smartly without my Baedeker.

Of course, there are other exotic places on the tentative itinerary that draw me in as well. Dreamy locales such as Venice, Milan, Cortona (Tuscany) and Rome – these certainly add to my momentous excitement. Truly, I think I could be ready to leave tomorrow if necessary.