After a decade-long hiatus, I am back to international travel. My first sojourn was to Tuscany, Umbria, and Rome, Italy. I traveled with a small group on an Overseas Adventure Travel excursion. Our activities included visits to the Carrara marble quarries, an olive farm for an olive tasting, and an organic farm to make goat cheese. We participated in a pasta cooking class, Perugia chocolate making, and truffle hunting. We visited several World Heritage sites, enjoyed meals in the homes of local families, and explored numerous cathedrals and museums. The trip concluded with four days to explore Rome.
By far, the most memorable activity lasted less than an hour and was an add-on by our trip leader, Ben. The Florence American Cemetery and Memorial site was liberated by the 6th South African Armored Division of the U.S. Fifth Army, on August 3, 1944. The government of Italy granted its free use as a permanent burial ground in perpetuity. Soldiers’ families had the choice of returning the remains to the United States or leaving them in Italy. Many chose to leave the remains on the battlefield with their comrades. The monument pays homage to the men and women serving in the Allied campaign to liberate Italy with 4,398 gravestones and 1,409 names of the missing in action.
We arrived late in the day. The temporary curator, a young Italian woman, gave us the history of the memorial. Most impressive – her sincere gratitude and appreciation for the sacrifices made seventy years ago by the American soldiers buried in the cemetery and the missing in action memorialized on the tablets at the top of the hill.
After Taps and the daily lowering of the American flag, our group had the privilege of folding the flag before it was taken inside for the night. This I will remember long after other memories fade.
For more information about the Memorial, the link below will connect you to a website and a two-minute video.
Travels with Mary Sue 
So excited you are back at it. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!