No High Heels Required: 7 Ideas for Spontaneous Fun

Spin the globe and pick a spot at random, then Google Earth it and take a virtual vacation. Did you land in virtual Italy? An Italian afternoon it is. Sip Bellinis (peach juice and sparkling wine) and make an Italian spread of antipasti and pizza. I love Mario Batali's recipes and am digging the pizza stones for the grill (perfect for those who aren't happy cooking unless the coals are glowing under a grill). Go out for a walk in search of a scoop of gelato and an espresso in the early evening, then screen famous Italian or Italy-centric movies. If Fellini's not your fancy, then how about classics like Roman Holiday or Cinema Paradiso, the Sophia Loren DVD collection or the six-hour, six-hankie Italian television extravaganza Best of Youth? Oh, sigh. And don't forget to say ciao and prego a lot!