Having visited Italy numerous times before, in 2020 Phil Piccigallo, his wife, and their wire-haired fox terrier, Dante, embark on a Dream Trip to spend four months in their beloved adopted city of Florence. Ten days after their arrival, Italy locks down due to the Covid-19 pandemic-the first time in modern history an entire nation is shuttered-and their extended trip morphs into nearly ten months and two lockdowns. Still, there couldn't be a better place for a couple of art, history, and food lovers to be quarantined than the birthplace of the Renaissance and the home to amazing cuisine and wine. Undaunted, they adventurously set out to maximize their experience, even while desperately seeking to stay safe and healthy, proving that even in retirement, those who insist on living life to its fullest can do so if they are smart, resolute, resilient, and courageous.

Travelers and lovers of Italy and all things Italian, are sure to enjoy this excellent travel adventure, as will readers looking for a fact-based explanation of the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy and Europe, as compared to the US.