A Random Trip to Italy... with a few visitors

For months Ian has been hoping to be sent to Europe for a work trip and on Sept 28 that hope became a reality.  He came running into our bedroom like a child on Christmas morning yelling "Guess what, guess what, guess what!!"  Being that it was before I normally got up I was groggy at best.  I opened one eye and said, "Your going to Europe aren't you..."  He replied by saying that he was not only going to Berlin but that he was leaving the next day.  Oh boy. 

The following week for me was a bit brutal with my husband being on the other side of the world but I kept myself busy and the day before he was due to come home I got another early morning surprise.  Ian called to tell me that he was being asked to stay an extra week, and did I want to meet him there to spend the weekend in Europe.  My first reaction was of course that I wanted to, who wouldn't?  But I quickly mentioned that it was beyond our budget at the moment, so thanks, but no.  Ian, always the salesman, countered with: what if I could go on a free flight, free hotel and all I need to pay was food and any fun purchases.  How could I say no to that?  SO within 48 hours I was on a plane to Italy. 

I flew from Vancouver to San Francisco to Frankfurt to Rome, it was a long haul but totally worth it.  I arrived in Rome on Thursday evening tired, hungry and tired some more.  I was also not sure what I was going to be able to eat there as it is the land of bread, pasta and pizza and probably not wheat free versions.  I was pleasantly surprised to find out that in Italy all citizens are tested for Celiac Disease in kindergarten so not only do they know what it is, they know how to deal with it.  After a delicious meal of pasta and bread I passed out for the night.

We woke up the next day ready to rock.  We road tripped through the countryside from Rome to Rimini, with the help of my new best friend TomTom.  We stopped many times for snacks and to snap photos of the country side.  I did not know what to expect from Rimini and was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful coastal town full of life.  We spent the night in a hotel right on the beach and had a fabulous dinner that literally towered over Ian (see picture below).  

The beauty that is the Italian countryside

Ian behind the wheel of our little wee car

View from our room in Rimini

Dinner in Rimini

The next morning we road tripped down to Florence, or Firenze as the Italians call it.  This was a much shorter drive so I was able to go into town before it was dark and wonder the wonderful streets.  Ian and I were in Florence about 5 years ago when we back-packed around Europe.  At the time I fell in love with Florence and being there again was like magic.  Ian met me downtown for a stupidly romantic dinner followed by an even more romantic walk.  It's hard not to fall in love with Florence. 

Florence streets

Band playing in the square in Florence (Firenze)

Gluten Free Pizza in Florence

 The next day we got back in our little car and went to explore Siena and San Gimignano.  Both are amazing little cities with incredibly rich histories that are seemingly untouched by time.  We had lunch in the square in Siena and took in the views around San Gimignano.  We then stumbled onto a food fair in Certaldo where we had another ridiculously romantic dinner, which just so happened to be our Thanksgiving dinner.  I had a lot to be thankful for that night.  

Square in Siena

View from San Gimignano

Sunday morning we got back into the car (yet again) and headed to Milan which was our final destination.  Being a big fan of fashion I did my research the night before and knew exactly where I wanted to go and what stores I wanted to visit.  Our first night there we had a wonderful dinner in town followed by some seriously good Gelato.  The next day I got up bright and early to explore the square the housed the city's spectacular Duomo and the "mall" which was basically an architectural masterpiece.  After drooling at designer goods, Ian and I headed to his meeting (which was really the whole reason for him being there) in Lugano Switzerland.  Lugano is about an hour from Milan.  We found the spot where he meeting was going to be and then he dropped me off at the Foxtown outlets to give my shopping muscles a good workout.  After a couple hours of fruitless shopping I headed back to Lugano which in retrospect was where I should have spent my time.  Lugano is amazing!  After a few pics were taken we headed back to Milan where we had some dinner then.... all hell broke loose.  

Mall in Milan - yes I swear it's a mall

Duomo in Milan

Lugano - Beautiful, right?

Lugano

Ian and I had discovered a few bites while on route.  Ian's being much itchier than mine he noticed them right away.  Right after we stayed in Rome.  A bit of googling later we realized they could potentially be bed bugs.  If you ever get a chance to google bed bugs, don't.  It will make you feel itchy instantly and somewhat paranoid.  We started the search and didn't find a single bug (first good sign) we also decided that we didn't have any fresh bites (second good sign) but we weren't about to relax.  Not just yet.  Ian told me to go buy big garbage bags as well as a new outfit from head to toe so that I could come into the house and keep the bugs or eggs within the plastic. 

Anyway, there is a long story here about me shopping while trying to keep the clothing separate (challenging to say the least) but basically we down-graded our concern from frantic to cautious when the Rome hotel admitted to having problems with mosquitoes.  We are still going through the motions of washing our clothing in very hot water or drying cleaning the items that can't be put through that.  However we are not going to throw everything away as we still haven't encountered another bug.  We are going to be much more cautious when traveling from now on. 

I would encourage all readers to educate themselves on bedbugs as they are making a come-back because we no longer use DDT chemicals in cleaners.  This is an incredibly toxic chemical that is massively harmful to humans, however it is the only thing that kills these little darlings.  Here are a few tips that I have picked up:

1. NEVER unpack your suitcase in your bedroom, especially on your bed.  The best place to unpack is the bathtub because you can see little black bugs easier on the white porcelain. 

2. NEVER put your bag or clothing on the bed at a hotel, bugs love to crawl into the little cracks and seams to hitch a ride home with you. 

3. ALWAYS bring a flashlight to check the mattress seams (and other furniture) for signs of bugs.  Make sure to turn the lights out, the little darlings hate light so they won't come out if the lights are on. 

4. ALWAYS keep your bag on a luggage rack or hard surface and don't unpack into drawers or leave it open for long periods of time. 

5. ALWAYS wash every item you bring with you whether you wore it or not. 

I've learned that bed bugs are out there, even in the most expensive and high class hotels.  If you see any signs insist on a room in a different part of the hotel or simply a different hotel.  You can also look up your hotel before you leave on the national bed bugs registry (click here to check your next hotel).  It is active in North American and the UK, so if you are traveling beyond that just be aware!