Recently my family and I took a trip to Italy, spending six days in Rome and Venice. All my life I had wanted to go to Rome. I was starting to get worried that it would never be. So this year I decided that, somehow, I had to make it happen. Living on the Pacific coast of America makes it a little harder than when I lived in London, but I’d been teaching my son about the Romans and Italian football and watching the Rick Steves travel shows on YouTube (as well as old episodes of Gazzetta Football Italia). We had to go to Italy. I wanted to go everywhere – I’d love to see the South, and Sicily, but also Florence and Tuscany, and the Ligurian coast, and the Lake Country (so I could see where Attack of the Clones was filmed), and Milan to see the Cathedral and the San Siro, and Bologna and the smaller cities of the Po Valley, and of course Venice, one of my favourite places, which I had been to three times before, the last time being when my wife and I got engaged, fourteen years ago. Unfortunately I didn’t have a month and a half to fit all of this in, so we settled for three nights in Rome, and two in Venice, sandwiched into a trip back home to the family in London. I did a lot of sketching, and will post those here with a bit of travel story mixed in. I started a new sketchbook to take to Italy, a Stillman & Birn ‘Alpha’ book, and the first page of that is above – I drew the map of where we were going, and along the way I drew some of the things I drank or ate. I also collected many of the receipts and restaurant cards and what not along the way with the intention of sticking them into my sketchbook, but that always gives the books a couple of overly heavy pages, so I went the more fun route and drew them on the page instead. Haven’t done that in ages, it feels good.
So do join me in the upcoming posts for a gelato or ten, and let’s wander through Roman piazzas and Venetian canals. Andiamo!
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petescully 
I look forward to these Italian posts. I love Rome – and Italy generally but especially Rome – and often describe myself as “Romesick” as I yearn to return. I look forward to reading about your experiences and seeing your artwork.
Romesick is a good phrase! I could spend a month there. And another month just travelling around Italy. Not enough vacation time in the US…
I am Italian, and in my opinion Florence is absolutely gorgeous. Your next trip in Italy should be there!
Yeah, I really want to go to Florence, but we didn’t have time to add it in, just passed through on the train. Another trip, I want to do Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa. And the Cinque Terre. Everywhere in fact…
Yes I agree with I Dolci di Silvia. I love florence the best. Bast in ten weeks I will be going back to Italy for the first time in 29 years with my husband ans two adult daughters. We are going to spend two weeks in Sicily and go through Rome. I never bonded well with Rome. i will try harder this time… i love your drawing of the tickets/ biglietti.
I always wanted to go, but Rome was even better than I expected. Our apartment was well located though and had an amazing view.
Fabulous drawings as always. Please find time to check out Florence, it’s magical
Love the idea of drawing the tickets, says she with the bulging sketchbooks! 😁