It’s been a year and a half since our last trip to Italy, and my heart has been aching for it every moment since our return. Since before we left, even, if that’s possible. A tearful goodbye had me planning and imagining our next encounter as we boarded that plane out of Pisa.

What a sad, sad love affair, this long-distance relationship. Bella Toscana. How I miss spring-time gentle breezes through my hair and cool sun on my face. To embrace the rolling hills, to taste fine wines on my lips – divine! Strolling through ancient streets until my feet cannot carry me further, discovering masterpieces of art and architecture at every turn.

I had intended to wait another 2 years to return. I was going to spend a month – one and a half weeks in Tuscany, another week to drive down the Amalfi coast and finish with a week and a half in Sicily.

I’m afraid I cannot wait that long. I must visit Tuscany again, next spring. I am in misery. I'm concocting all sorts of excuses to bring me back - a victory tour for a soon-to-be divorced friend, a girlfriend reunion with my oldest and dearest friends, a break from the everyday for my husband and me - anything! It’s just not practical. I have responsibilities – children, work, a home, my education.

I’ve begun dreaming up new careers that will bring me to Italy frequently. I can’t live without her. Sigh. I will just have to sit back and enjoy my screen-saver slideshow of our last trip.

I know I share company with many on this board on this topic, here's to hoping you all are having a better time with your long-distance love affair than I am.

Salute!

It's wonderful to have a dream and to live to achieve it. Enjoy!

That was beautiful Mamma_Love..I just came back over 2 weeks ago and Already feel Homesick..
Salute to you Also , in the meantime have a good glass of Campari and Soda..
Cin Cin..

Mamma Love,

Truly loved your post.

Italy will be there to greet you when you are able, yet again.

It has been five years, alas five long years since my last visit, and I, like you, have been in awe ever since.

In six months I have the honor of introducing her to my husband, what joy!

Trip reports and will ease your ache, hee.

Looking forward to when YOU get to go on your next Italian journey!

Tiff

Mamma Love, what is it about Italy? I feel the same. I spent 23 nights there and returned two weeks ago. Even though we go to Spain every year even my husband has admitted that Italy is special.

One week was spent in a wonderful villa with girlfriends in the adorable town of Castelmuzio, south of Pienza. If you would like to live vicariously through this trip you can email me and I will send you our mac site. My address is pj2592 at mac dot com. It was a fabulous trip!

I hope that you will be able to return to Bella Toscano soon. Find a way!!!

Mamma Love, I couldn't agree with you more. Italy is very special. I fell in love with Rome even though I tried not to. The fountains, the piazza's, the people. I found it very hard to leave and still dream about the food. I came back and bought Italian cookbooks, drank Limoncello, and found numerous pictures on the internet to go with my own but it is still not good enough. I think some of it has to do with the Italian way of not being in a hurry and enjoying each day one at a time. I am going back next year and I can't wait. Europe was great but Italy was entrancing!

Ciao, John

Oh, Mamma, I can so relate. We had a wonderful trip to Florence and Venice in the summer of 2003 (even renewed our vows on a gondola in Venice) and finally have our tickets bought and apartment booked to return to Venice for a week this October. Sigh....anxiously awaiting our departure.

Yes, as much as I'm in love with my DH, my long distance love affair with Italy continues, as well.

How true it is Mamma... There are so many places in the world I want to see - however, I'm spending my time and money returing to Italy again in October - not the same itinerary as last time, but will still include Venice, Florence and one of the lakes (last time Garda).

Perhaps all the European boards have people with similar feelings? I'm on the US and Canadian boards enough to know the feelings there aren't as strong.

Please share these career aspirations - we all have the same crazy notions! (I'm a unversity administrator, so SOMEDAY I'll oversee a study abroad in Italy that needs constant attention

That last line was supposed to be a smiley then parentheses... I guess I've learned a new code - doh!

Yeah! I feel the same way, can never seem to shake Italy from my heart and mind. We are returning in mid Sept for about the 10th time. Always in my mind's eye I see the rolling hills of Tuscany, the lively streets of Firenze, the beautiful Rennaisance (sp?) art around every turn, the crazy A1 and the wonderful AutoGrills. The lovely canals of Venezia, the graceful bridges, the glorious cichetti and wine at 11 AM, getting lost in Dorsoduro, 7AM in San Marco with the hauntingly beautiful and empty square. Listening to Vivaldi in an ancient church.......Ah Italia! I guess we've been bitten by it, and there's no antidote!!

If I think about Italy for very long, my heart swells up until I start to cry. I've learned to shake it off, but it wasn't easy.

MammaLove,, thanks for sharing this with us. I feel so relieved now - thought I am totally stupid to wake up some mornings with an aching heart. Usually it is Rome I am longing for - the madness and noise of Rome - the art and architecture, the thousands of years of history in the streets, still so visible and being kept alive by the Italians.

And the beautiful people - I stare shamelesly at them - and they are everywhere - on the streets, in the Metro, on the Piazza, at the small Trattoria. They look so happy - talk and laugh and enjoying life.

And then the food...and wine... and shops!

But then all of a sudden I will be in Assisi early on a Sunday morning - waking up with the wonderful sound of all the church bells in your ears, echoeing against the stone walls and cobbled streets. Sitting on a balcony with a glass of wine at sunset and marvel at the sky turning pink.

I also have a lot of responsibilities, so going there when I feel like it, is not possible. I am also thinking of ways and means to earn more money because for those who know, you are driven by something to return.

Mamma, we just returned one week ago from our 5th trip to Bella Italia. Like you, I was trying to figure out how soon we could get back as we waited for our flight out of Rome. I slowly savor each bit of food that we brought home, with each morsel reminding me of that wonderful country. Until our next trip, I will just have to 'sogno dolce far niente' ....dream of the sweetness of doing nothing while I remember the winding streets of Florence, the gentle breezes in the Cilento, the steep hills of Spello and the lively avenues of Naples.

Until the, I agree with kismet---cin cin!

I am jumping in on the bandwagon with this one!
It's been two years ago, and i still think about it daily. I will be going next year,but this time around for a cruise. I will do a pre-cruise in Rome for three days as i to ache for the noise and madness of Roma as someone said in an earlier post.
I was just having a conversation with a person i know who spent 3 weeks there last year. It was his second time. We love to talk about Italy.He says it feels so empty knowing he has no trip planned to go. He says "i want to go so bad, but there are other places we must see".Almost like a guilty feeling. I said to him- if i had my way, i would go every year for a month!!! Almost like going "home" to visit family. (Actually, i do have family there that i have become fond of!)
It a never ending love affair for some, thats for sure!!It's intoxicating and it sucks you in like a bad drug!!!

I can't explain my same feelings for Italy. My family and friends simply don't understand my obsession with this wonderful country. I have only been one time - last summer. But we are planning to return this September. I like many of you, wish it could be more often. And there is so many places I would love to go also but I need to go back to Italy. Need is the important word here. The way I have dealt with the longing is to read every book I can find on Italy or novels that take place in Italy. There is a book call Italy Fever by Darlene Marwitz that is great. The subtitle is 14 Wasys to Satisly your Love Affair with Italy. She has great suggestions for reading, movies, food etc that can make these long months inbetween trips bearable.