Alexandria Revisited and learning Italian

I haven't been in this city for years, since I dated an amazing and quite accomplished woman named Angela. Its charm rivals that of Charlottesville, and its coffee shops are almost as inviting. Christmas for me is a time for road trips, and I know that the year I no longer travel will be the year that I'm officially old. So bring on the gas prices and espresso. Today I am continuing my quest to learn how to speak Italian so that, as a nurse anesthetist, I will be able to say "Ha! I told you he would live" in an operating room. Italy may or may not be in the future, but being able to walk into a cafe and ask for a proper glass of orange juice in Italian is a straight shot to the confidence maker. For anyone interested in being versed in the tongue of Leonardo - check out the BBC at . And if you are getting a copy of the Rosetta Stone for Christmas which you don't plan on using, trade it with me for a kilo of loose leaf tea. I hope you like rooibos.