Impressions, re-impressions from travel

After a week and a half in Europe, here's the top line.

1. We love being here, watching and talking with all sorts of people, relaxing over long meals with a lot of inexpensive wine in out-of-the-way sidewalk restaurants. We sat down next to a young couple from Scotland at lunch the other day and ended up spending two and a half hours talking, getting a look at each others' worlds, promising to stay in touch. You can't beat that.

2. Don't try to find a hotel in Rome after dark ... especially driving. Two times, once in Rome, the other in Florence, we were pretty sure we'd never get there. We were totally lost. On the other hand, if you're willing to ask -- and believe me, I do desperate American very well -- everyone seems willing to help, even when you have no language in common except the language of humanity. And you have an adventure to store away.

In some ways, the sites give you good reason spend a week in Malta and a week in Florence, but all the experiences along the way are the reason you go.

More soon.