Europe: One Day at a Time--to Italy

June 23, 2010

Today started as, I guess, people should expect, who attempt to rent a car in Europe and take a multi-generational vacation throughout Italy. We did several of these over the years when our kids were small, from Yellowstone with my parents to spring breaks exploring around little known parts of New Mexico. I think it’s probably more fun to be in Jay and my generation and the most fun to be in Breck and Helen’s. Poor Joel and Kim; they will get to enjoy their vacations better in 20 years—

When Joel arrived with the rental, it just made me laugh. (I think I laugh more than I used to.) Kim was not laughing. The rental was a very large, white, school bus looking van, complete with a high carriage and extended top. If you’ve seen the movie RV, it was only lacking the advertising on the side to be a decent comparison.

Kim refused to let us take a picture of it, and we all had to vow not to ever post it on facebook. I think if we’d actually taken it, we’d have christened it “the big white turd” (in keeping with the RV theme) before the trip had been over. Indeed, packed and all, including the kids, the four of us stood staring at it with much the same expression as Robin Williams’ family when he pulled up to the curb in the rented RV. Joel, picturing the narrow streets of Italy, looked the sickest of all.

By the time we’d driven around to take care of a few errands, it was apparent there was more wrong with “the turd” than aesthetics. The A/C didn’t work, and Italy is hot in late June. The rental agent, returning our call in the comfort of her office, assured us that the A/C most certainly did work, to which Kim flatly informed her we were on our way back to get a different vehicle.

Because the A/C didn’t work (and because there is a God in Heaven Who won’t test us beyond what we can endure), we were given a smaller, shorter van. And it was red. Can you ever go wrong with red? After transferring our luggage and lots and lots of stuff, we were off—two hours later. So, with Jay riding shotgun in charge of the GPS, Joel behind the wheel, and the children asleep, all is well. 

Sometimes, life demands sacrifices we’d rather not make. Today it will be time and watching the US win their World Cup game. Joel felt bad about the rental, but sometimes it’s better to start over when the opportunity presents itself—

**And if I had a picture of “the big white turd,” I’d post it right here—because time has a way of coloring everything (and even though the pond isn’t separating me from Kim at this moment, three large states are). Just imagine this red van older, longer, higher, and with an extended top—maneuvering the tiny streets of Italy. Need I say more?