The pleasant power of downtime

     I know that many people try to fit as much into a trip as they can. We often do that so we can check off another site or country or tourist experience. We also try to fit in as much downtime as possible. While people were waiting in line and filing through the Vatican Museums, we sat on some steps in St. Peter's square and watched people from all over the world marvel at where they were. They quickly moved on, but we stayed.
     We take picnics. It is fun to try all of the new foods of a region and we enjoy that, however it is also fun to sit in the back of a rented Mercedes at a pull-out in the Alps and listen to the birds and watch the small animals scampering around. The bag of food - including Diet Coke - purchased at a very interesting grocery in Cortina, Italy provides some familiar and unfamiliar food for lunch.
      The stop lasted - I am not sure how long - but it gave us a chance to savor the fact that we were in the Dolomites - in Italy - miles from our home - and feeling very much at home where we were.