After leaving home in California in May 2018 to live in Italy a year or two, we safely returned to the US three weeks ago. While 2020 travel plans didn’t pan out as we expected, we were still able to get some great trips in between June and October. Post lockdown, we visited Turin, Alba, Cinque Terre, Chiavari, and Modena. Then several weeks later we travelled to Venice, Perugia, Montepulciano and Ravenna. In September we visited the Dolomites for the third time. Then weeks before returning home we attended the Truffle festival in Alba. Was very special to visit these places with so few tourists, but sad to see so many business struggling without tourists.
With all cruises cancelled, the only way to get Barley (our 90 pound Labrador) back to the US was as air cargo. We used a pet relocation company to arrange and manage the logistics. With so few international flights and a live animal embargo for flights out of Italy, it was an emotional rollercoaster up to the day Barley’s flight departed. After a canceled flight out of Milan, we ended up having him transported in a van to Zurich, where he was boarded on a direct flight to SFO the next day. With all the crazy possible Covid related hiccups, Tom and I flew two days later, after we knew Barley had safely arrived in the US.
Over the 28 months living in Italy, we traveled on average 1 week a month. And saw more of Europe and Italy than we could have imagined. 100s of train and bus rides, gondolas, ferries, a few car rentals, and funiculars. Miles and miles of walking on cobblestones. I just replaced my fifth pair of Keen hiking shoes today. Many hotel, apartment and B&B stays, and even 8 nights in an Italian hospital after an emergency appendectomy in early March. Not to mention living through the 2020 Pandemic in Italy. We had so many great adventures, had lots of people visit us or crossed paths with, met other Americans living in Italy, and made new friends through Barley’s blog and Facebook group.
It’s good to be back home and are taking Barley to the beach almost daily.
Stay safe, and have a happy holiday!