We are Bonnie and Mitch Halfpenny.  We are retired and live in Portland, Oregon.

Not only did I enjoy my first-ever trip to Italy, but I am still processing the lovely memories of the people and their justifiable pride in their heritage.  By moving to Oregon when we retired, Mitch and I opened ourselves up to a world of every-day new experiences.  By going to Italy, we found ourselves literally in a new world, full of out-of-the-ordinary experiences.   Appreciating the best of both of these adventures gives us a richer retirement then we could ever have imagined.  So, to everyone we have met:
Arrivederci! 
Bonnie

A long time ago I took some art history classes in college and the profs who taught them left a very strong impression on me.  Now that I am retired I have the time and resources to see many of the paintings, sculptures and buildings that I saw only in books.  Seeing the actual building or painting has deepened my long held impressions.  I also know there is a lot more to see and my perspective has become much wider and deeper.
The only thing wrong with this trip is that we did not take it 30 years earlier.
Grazie to all we met.
Mitch