“Italy is a dream that keeps returning for the rest of your life.” — Anna Akhmatova
My 60th birthday was celebrated in Paris, but the party began in Italy. Though now it may seem as if a dream, I have plenty of handstand photos to prove that it did indeed happen, and I’ll treasure the memories of that trip for the rest of my life. Even though it was blazing hot (over 100 degrees most days), we experienced beautiful sunny skies and friendly Italians during our entire trip.
One of my favorite places for handstanding in Rome was the Colosseum. This ancient structure is truly remarkable to see in person and I’m so happy I kicked up into a few handstands both inside and out. Tip: If you’re touring the Colosseum in August, take at least one bottle of water. Other than people selling frozen waters outside, there are no opportunities for buying water in the Colosseum or in the Ruins next door. Let’s just say we were quite parched and kicking ourselves for not buying water from one of the street vendors.
Honorable mentions in Rome go to Trevi Fountain (which is jam-packed with tourists taking photos and selfies), the Spanish Steps (135 of them in case you need to mentally prepare yourself), and of course the Vatican and Sistine Chapel (be aware that to tour the chapel, you are required to have shoulders covered).
And here’s a tip for summer handstands in Italy: Take something to put under your hands. The pavement was so hot at some locations, I burned the tips of my fingers — even with my gloves! My remedy was to use my husband’s bucket hat and a couple of face masks under my hands to protect me from the heat.
Truly an esperienza meravigliosa! (Wonderful experience!)
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