Hometime

(scribbles found inside the Duomo in Florence...yes, the Brunelleschi one)

Highlights and lowlights of Italy:

- gelato every day (or twice or three times even)
- McDonald's x 3 = Venice, Florence, Milan...more than I've had in the past year
- my luggage breaking
- making Caprese salads in the hotel room
- MTV ITALIA!!!
- zucchini flowers in abundance, deep-fried, on pizza...

Venice
- Palazzo Grassi
- seafood risotto at Madonna (thanks Ann Webb)
- seeing Palazzo Corner della Ca Grande
- awesome Lucio Fontana copper works at the Guggenheim
- deep-fried meatball sandwiches

Florence
- trying on a 990 euro bag at Miu Miu and then being offered a less expensive one by the salesguy...at 690 euro
- getting lost on the way to the Prada outlet in Montevarchi- then finding out there's a one in New York state
- deadly ravioli in truffle cream at Za Za
- feeling faint in the Palazzo Pitti, Uffizi

Rome
- Italy's World Cup win over the Ukraine, the riots that ensued
- espresso at Sant Eustacchio
- the Pantheon
- Capucin crypts (thanks Reesa!)
- herded like a moo cow through the Vatican museum
- taking the bumpiest mini bus ever back to downtown from Trastevere

Milan
- having an argument with the train ticket lady
- Duomo façade covered in scaffolding!
- Italy's win over Deutschland
- La Scala
- four cheese maccheroni at Ilia (thanks to Sonia at Flash Art for recommending)