Italy will never be the same…

…after the Adkins visit!!!  They left this morning… but not before they left their mark.

Highlight 1

The four “adults” went to a “traditional” Italian dinner one night.  Traditional means a) no menus b) no prices.  They bring you what they want, and you pay what they tell you.  Fair enough.  The deliciousness of the food was only surpassed by its quantity. Holy cannolis, they never stopped.  Once we unbuttoned our second pants button, it was time for the check. Some dude that looks like a cross between Tony Soprano and Tony Soprano strolls over (this is the first time you’ve seen him all night).  He surveys the table.  He surveys the inhabitants.  He strokes his chin.  Then writes down a number on a receipt and says, “You pay”.  180 euros.  Ouch!

Well my sister never met a negotiation she didn’t think she could win, so she said “Let me handle this.”  She started sweet talking him… first time in Italy… staying in a youth hostel… need an operation when we get back home… etc.  He wasn’t having any of it. Finally, she said, how about a picture?  He perked up!

He said, “OK, for you, new bill.”  10 minutes later he comes back with this gift:

Yep, he bumped it up to 190 euros.  Apparently it’s 10 euros for a picture with the Don.  We paid it and got the heck out of there before he changed his mind again.  Lisa is now 976 – 1 in lifetime negotiations.

Highlight 2

We all took a train to the beautiful beaches of Cinque Terre.  If you aren’t jealous of me already, google “Cinque Terre”, then prepare to really hate me.    Everyone but me rented standup paddleboards and cruised around the bay, while I sat there under an umbrella and drank vodka and red bulls (they were about the same price as the ones in Monaco).  Oh yeah… I have a long history of shooting my sister the moon in inappropriate places.  Maybe you can see where this is going?  She paddled over a couple hundred feet to me and said, “Hey lardo – get off your tush and take my picture!!!”  So I did, but right before I did, I shot her the aforementioned moon, just so I could get the right reaction on film.  Not to be outdone, she tried to do the same thing.  Luckily for all of us, she forgot she was on a standup paddleboard.  I’ve never seen such a small person create such a loud splash. The ripples made it all the way to the 5th town (the cinque of the terres), along with her paddleboard.  Nor have I ever heard my daughter laugh as loud as she did.  Classic.

Sorry, no photos.

Highlights 3-100

We’ve been away from home for two months now, and seeing our family here in Italy has been the best part of our trip by far.  From riding gondolas in Venice, to touring the Coliseum and Vatican in Rome, to making pizza and gelato in Florence, we had a blast.   But the best times were simply sharing great meals and conversations with my awesome sister, wonderful bro-in-law, and incredible niece.  We can’t wait to see all of them again when we get home, and recount all the wonderful adventures we shared.  Love you all!