Brenda Styles:  

Ciao Everyone! For the last five years my husband & I have lived in Naples, Italy. Perry works for the US Gov't. & this was a chance we couldn't pass up, so in March 2005 we arrived in Naples. We live up on the side of an extinct valcano over looking the mediterranean. So we sit on our veranda, which overlooks a rose garden & vineyard, sipping vino and watching beautiful sunsets over the Med. The life here is different, slower than in the states, with the exception of when they get into their cars. We have traveled to Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, France, Spain, Malta, Ireland, Greece, Belgium, Tunis, Holland & Portugal. We where at the opening day of Oktoberfest 2005 in Munich, what a party they put on! In Italy we have been to Rome, the Vatican museum, St Peter's sq., the Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum,etc. Venice had to ride in an gondola on the Canal Grande, had lunch in Piazza San Marco near St Mark's church. Went to the Island of Murano known for glass blowing, can say I came home with some murano glass, poor Perry had to carry it. While up in Venice, we went to Nove, which is one of the ceramic capitals of Italy, again poor Perry. Tuscany, is so beautiful, one of the area's we are going back to when my sister comes over. Locally we have visited Pompeii, Herculaneum & Mt. Vesuvius. Driven the Amalfi coast, had lunch in Sorrento, that is where they make inlay wood & can't forget Limoncello liqueur. The whole area has panoramic views, clear blue water, is a great place to visit & we are only about an hour away. Went out to the Island of Capri with friends, it's an picturesque place to visit, went into the Blue Grotto by very small boats, another place we will be going back to. We are blessed to have this opportunity, as you can tell we are taking full advantage of being over here. I have also been taking Italian classes, language & cooking, so you can tell I'm not working. I took an early retirement from the school system I worked for in Virginia. Coming over here was a hard decision for we lefted behind Perry's dad, our sisters, our girls & grandkids, plus our friends. We had lived in the same house for 24 years, our girls had grown up there. Not being military, we had to learn the jargon, get ID cards, plus making an military PCS move. The paper work, deciding what was going & what was staying. Getting our pups(Toby & Willie) ready to come, more paper work! We lived out of suitcases & hotels for almost 3 months, before we moved into our house, which means we ate out for most of that time. The food is great, both of us have gained weight, which we are now trying to lose. We have made new friends, learned & seen new things, laughed a lot, cried a little. But the adventure has began, where it takes us, is up to only Perry & myself, so live life to the fullest!!! See the World!! 2008/2009 Just an update, we are still in Italy, we have been traveling in country mostly revisiting the likes of Florence, Venice, Pisa, Rome when friends & family come to visit. We helped make wine again last year from picking the grapes to pressing them, for helping Enzo makes sure we have all the vino we can handle. We where in Dublin, Ireland, for St. Patrick's Day in 2007, another country off my to go to list. I've made good friends & we travel thru out Italy shopping(the ladies & Thomas our GPS) we do have fun on these outings. We also eat out with other couples on Friday's, just can't get enough of fresh Italian cooking, which means we are still trying to lose weight! Perry & I are getting ready to fly to Amsterdam for a week in April 2009 with friends. Hoping to take a day trip to Belgium while we are there to check out lace & rugs. The same friends we went to Sicily with in July & also to the Christmas Markets in France & Germany over Thanksgiving 2008. We still haven't made it to London yet, but England is on my must see list. We've been here for over four years now, our last year count down has already started. Still so much to see & do, before we come home. So again, live life to the fullest, it helps to keep us young. June 2010 We moved back to the states in March, what an adjustment..been trying to get our house back in order. Looks like we are rebuilding it from the inside out, but it's coming along slowly. We really miss the slower life style, real Italian food & of course all our friends. We are now looking at retirement, do we stay in Virginia or move some place else......at this point who knows..??? Have about two years to make up o...Expand for more