Senigallia, Italy. I awoke on Saturday morning to nothing short of the most beautiful day of this leg yet. The sky was dotted with cotton ball clouds and the sun was giving us the warmest welcome. Our hotel was RIGHT ON THE ADRIATIC SEA and my room had a view of it. I nearly collapsed when I walked into my room. I flung the balcony (yes balcony) doors open, quickly changed into a summer frock, and made sure my bike was off the trailer and ready to go. After a brief breakfast with the band on the ROOF TERRACE, Jenni Steven and I hopped on bikes and went exploring. Gorgeous small old Italian town. When everything began to close down for lunch (so civilized, those Italians), so did we, parking ourselves at an outdoor cafe and ordering glass after glass of Prosecco.



Melissa arrived later that afternoon and it was a joyous reunion to say the least. We walked and walked and talked and talked and finally settled down at a restaurant on the water. All I can say is.... fresh pasta with fresh seafood. I am simultaneously crying and salivating at the thought of it. And yes, gelato after. One scoop of Strattiatella and one of well... cold brownie batter. I can't talk about this anymore. Lastly, we met up with Jenni Steven and Graham for a nightcap on Steven's balcony.





Next day Mel and I went for a cold and rainy bike ride along the water. At the pivot point of our journey we sat on picnic benches, stared at the Adriatic, and caught up. Eventually we made our way to the venue. She came with us on the bus to Verona only to take a 6am train back to Rome. I am a lucky lucky girl for I will see that beautiful lady again in July. With that in mind, our parting could be less dramatic than usual. :)

I am determined to spend my few days in Italy sightseeing til my legs cannot bare to walk another step. So I woke up mad early in Verona and hit the streets. I walked for four hours with only a fifteen minute break to scarf down an entire spinach and mozzarella thin crust pizza. I saw the Arena, "Juliet's balcony," and beautiful piazza after beautiful piazza.



The venue was STUNNING. One of the most ornate we've ever played. I had a small but mighty breakthrough during the show. We dance in The Great Curve as part of the first encore and it is always at that particular point in the show that I really have to muster up energy because not only have we been dancing for over an hour but it is a particularly lively number. But for some unknown reason, I busted through that barrier last night and had a BLAST performing it with a newfound source of energy at the ready. Perhaps it was because the audience was partying like crazy. That sparked a whole series of new discoveries for the last few numbers. When I came on to sing Everything That Happens, I was able to actually take in where I was. Standing on that raked stage in front of five goldleaf painted balconies packed with people on their feet in Verona, Italy. I teared up. Prosecco and bruschetta followed. The majority of us, including Cindy and David, found one of the few cafes still open and made it happen. A delight.