11 Feb 2007, Posted by Lance in General, No Comments.

That’s Amore’

The Situation: Saturday morning a friend of my wife’s calls, she has been trying to get
her kids and our kids together for weeks but activities have always
postponed. She asks to take the kids for
the day and a sleepover.

The Mission should I choose to accept it: 5 Days
from Valentines Day and with no prior planning pull off a wonderful, romantic
date for my wife.

Normally being totally romantic and spontaneous is not easy
for us guys as it is just not in our genes, however, living in Italy aids me
quest and makes it much easier for even the most Neanderthal of men.

First I took my wife to Verona,
a short trip form our house, for the Verona in Love
festival. This is an annual festival
that highlights the fictional Shakespeare love story of Romeo and Juliet. Although the lovers never actually existed,
there is a famed balcony and Juliet statue that tourists and Italians frequent
for the sole purpose of touching the Juliet Statues breast for good luck and a
healthy love life. We also walked on the
fictional balcony where Juliet stood while Romeo professed his love to
her. I know guys, it’s a little corny,
but humor me here.

The next stop was a little Cafe on a side street in Verona, caffè doppio for
me and
cappuccino for the misses. Something
about an outdoor Italian café has a romanticism of its own. The cobblestone streets, the small intimate
tables with umbrellas and the smells and charm of Italy all around you.

Last stop was a resturante we’ve been trying to get into for
months, Aeolia. This is a favorite in our area
of Italy and the tradition and history dates back centuries. Galileo and architect Andrea Palladio both
wrote of its charm and early “air conditioning.”

The staff was friendly and helpful and the meal was top
notch. We both had three courses and
shared an excellent Merlot from the Colli Berici area.We finished it off with a chocolate desert
and coffee. The owner than took us on a
tour of the wine cellar and showed us his famed Frescos done sometime during
the Renaissance. An absolute wonderful
experience.

Altogether the evening was a huge success and the Legacy Dad
gave his beauty a
night to truly remember and memories that will last
forever. After being married for almost
10 years now and with our hurried lives, we sometimes forget to take time for
one another to strengthen our marriage and truly show our spouses we still
care. It doesn’t take being in Italy to create
one of these moments, just a little amore’ and creativity.