The Bear Bitch’s Project

My friend Lizzie just arrived from her trip to

London

,

Paris

& various places in

Italy

. I’m SO jealous. Of the 23 countries I’ve been to,

Italy

is my absolute favorite. Even though we spent over 2 weeks in

Italy

both times that we went there, there’s still so much to see. I expect that even if I spent a month in every city I’d still find it bitin. It’s amazing how you can find breathtaking works of art in the most unexpected places. There are fountains and sculptures and mosaics around every corner: even in dark, tiny alleyways. When asked which Italian city is my favorite, I couldn’t answer. Each place that I visited I loved for different reasons. I love the fountains of

Rome

, and the fact that its home to the

Vatican

and my favorite pizza place (on Via Cavour). I love the art and architecture of Florence (it’s where the famous David of Michelangelo is), the mysterious & romantic feel of Venice (the masquerade masks remind me of Labyrinth and the Phantom of the Opera), the rural beauty of Assisi (and the final resting place of St. Francis), the famous Pisa with its leaning tower, Padua with my beloved Anthony . . . I could go on and on.

Being a DeCastro, I can’t help but enjoy traveling (but don’t get me started on the torture also known as flying) and sincerely relish every foreign place I go to but few countries have captured my heart like

Italy

has.

Sweden

will always be special to me (because of Goose Village, of course) and so will

Vietnam

, but

Italy

still stands as my current favorite.

I’m also really envious that she got to see

London

.

Great Britain

is a country I’ve always wanted to visit ever since I was little. When I was younger, the 6 countries I wanted to visit – other than the ones I’d already been to, of course - were Great Britain (because of the castles, Stonehenge, Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and, more recently, Harry Potter), Ireland (more castles, faeries, leprechauns, the Blarney Stone, and . . . Artemis Fowl), Sweden (for the trolls, Vikings, and the food: pickled raw herring (sill) and Swedish caviar. Yum-yum!),

Iceland

(I had a strange fascination with the National Geographic Jokulsa River Challenge when I was a kid. Goodness knows why)

Egypt

(for the pyramids, mummies, and pharaohs), and

Greece

(because of my love of Greek mythology). I’ve already been blessed enough to visit Greece and Sweden so I only have Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, and Egypt left on my list of countries I HAVE to go to before I die. Plus I’d also love to go back to

Denmark

(and see Titania’s Palace again) and

Japan

(since I barely remember it).

Among all my siblings, I’m the one with the least restless feet for traveling. My siblings, most especially my sisters would go nuts if they didn’t leave the country at least once a year and would resort to scrimping like scrooges just to afford to travel. I have always had terrible motion sickness and flying is always torture, so I was never as desperate to travel as they are. But now that my friends are off to places I’ve always dreamt of going to, it seems that my hereditary fondness for traveling is beginning to emerge. <sigh> With all those countries left on my wish list, I better start saving up like a mad woman.