Not long before we left Florida for Italy I was eating something, and bit down onto a hard peppercorn. Letting out a yelp, it felt like a hot poker in a lower molar. ...

Primavera, or springtime, is without question, the best time to visit just about any place, and Italy is certainly no exception. And while most people only think of Verona as it relates to Romeo and Juliette, it is, oh so much more.

Mantua is known to the locals as La Bella Addormentata – the Sleeping Beauty. While this ancient city is often overlooked by those scurrying between the more popular destinations, it is the lack of crowds that makes leisurely exploration of this old medieval city such an adventure.

We are in our third week in Verona and were in need of another trip, “So, let’s go to Vicenza this Saturday,” Jeannie says. Without looking up, I reply “OK.” Then it dawns on me how that sounds.

Interesting things happen most often when you least expect them.

For us, there are many advantages to being in one place for a while. We re-learn them every time we travel and stay in a new place. We realize it is something important, but it always becomes more evident after about two weeks.

Spoiler Alert: "Romeo and Juliet" is fiction; Love is real; and the two are not mutually exclusive or equivalent. Oh, and Shakespeare was a genius.

As we first walked into the apartment building that we would call home for the next two months, I looked down at the polished limestone and marble floor and in one of the tiles was a spiral-shaped artifact. It was clearly a fossil.

During World War II, Verona, because of its strategic importance, was a target for heavy Allied bombing. The city suffered considerable damage, and to add insult to injury, the retreating German troops destroyed all the bridges.

The last time we were in Venice, it was our first time to Venice, it was winter, and it was cold. This time it wasn't cold, and it was more crowded, but Venice was every bit as magical.

Best known as a manufacturing center, Brescia is much more than an industrial town. Its significant history, art, and architecture made for a full day's visit, leaving much still to see.

There was a different feel to this city in the once-Austrian, and now-Italian region of South Tirol. When I tried speaking my rudimentary Italian, I had the feeling that someone in lederhosen might be scrutinizing me suspiciously.

Our first trip to Sirmione (Seer-me-OH-nay) on Lake Garda didn’t turn out as we had planned. It didn’t turn out bad at all, just different than planned.

Our brief day-trip to Peschiera made us want to return to Lake Garda and the mountains soon. The weather looked good to spend two nights in the small lake-side town of Malcesine. It was a good move.

The plan was to go up to Monte Baldo, but the day had other plans. The morning was cold, windy, and overcast, so we just wandered. Malcesine is as charming in the early morning as it is in the late evening, even when overcast ... but that would change.

Well, even though he stopped being “little” many years ago, he is still my “little brother.” In any case, we were excited that Mike and his lovely wife Kathy, were coming to visit us again, this time in Verona.

Of bicycling’s three Grand Tours, the Giro d’Italia is the first of the season. Of all the things that my brother Mike was excited about seeing during this visit, being able to see a stage of the Giro d’Italia was at the very top of his list.

My brother and his wife were eager to go on with us someplace that we hadn’t yet visited. As we scrutinized a map, it seemed that there was one very obvious place that we hadn’t gotten to - Padua (It. Padova).

They say that accidents most often happen within 40 km (25 mi) of home. Not always, and that can add a whole different dimension. This post was penned by my brother Michael.

We had planned a visit to Bergamo (pronounced BARE-gah-mo), and we knew that it would require an overnight stay, and for good reason, the city was truly a medieval gem.

Italian automotive aesthetic mastery has been exemplified by sleek elegance, understated, clean beauty and an innovative style. It has admirably carried on the tradition and elegance of classic Italian art.

After our delightful trip to Bergamo, it was time to get serious about packing and getting ready to depart Verona, a place that for two months has become familiar and comfortable, and that we have been calling home.

It was finally time to leave Verona. After double-checking the time and platform, we boarded our train right on time and settled in for Trieste, Italy. A new set of adventures lie ahead, and our excitement is growing.