Travels with Mimi and Children's Voices

By Paul E. Pepe

Our personal journey began fifty years ago when we went to Europe for our honeymoon.

It was a wonderful uplifting experience, and now, fifty years later, having visited more than fifty countries and more tan two hundred and twenty foreign cities, we are still anxious to see more.

We have been to some countries more than once including France, Russia, Spain, Finland, Canada, Poland, Germany and others, but most especially Italy where we have visited more than ten times.

We have seen major wonders of this world, from the Great Wall of China to the Pyramids of Egypt, from Macchu Picchu in Peru to Mt. Fuji in Japan and from the Roman Forum to the Kremlin. We have followed the trail of the Roman Empire from Morocco to Poland to Great Britain and beyond.

Our journey has been long and not without its pitfalls, but it has been a supremely happy one.

And nowwe go on, and hope for another fifty years.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 17, 2008
• ISBN: 9781462831999

Paul E. Pepe

Paul e. Pepe is retired after a long career in marketing. He has been a newspaper publisher and editor and college professor. He lives in laurel hollow, New York and Sarasota, Florida with his wife, Miriam. He is currently working on a new novel. His previous published works include: Strangers By Day, The Sleeping Giant,The Old Man, Footsteps and Travels with Mimi and children’s voices, Marie Elena and Five Women I Love. Cover illustration by Eva and Carina Lewandowski

Book preview

Travels with Mimi and

Children’s Voices

Paul E. Pepe

Copyright © 2009 by Paul E. Pepe.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Xlibris Corporation

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

THE PLACES WE HAVE GONE AND THE THINGS WE HAVE SEEN

INTRODUCTION

COWBOYS DON’T WEAR GLASSES

THE WIT AND WISDOM OF EVA CATHERINE LEWANDOWSKI AND CARINA GRACE LEWANDOWSKI

FOR MIRIAM

ON OUR FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY

because of you

*     *     *

and also for…

CHRISTINE

roses and lollipops

CLAUDIA

my golden girl on a carousel

EVA

hope for the future

CARINA

she makes me smile with my heart

AND ALWAYS… FOR PAULIE

he lives in my heart

*     *     *

SHE MADE ME SMILE

THERE WAS A GIRL

WHO STOLE MY HEART

THE MOMENT I

FIRST LOOKED AT HER

THERE WAS A GIRL

WHO MADE ME SMILE

AND ALL THE WHILE

I LOOKED AT HER

THERE WAS A FACE

I CAN’T FORGET

IN ALL THE YEARS

SINCE WE FIRST MET

THERE WAS A LOVE

THAT STARTED SLOW

AND EVERY YEAR

DID GROW AND GROW

THERE WAS THAT GIRL

WHO FILLED MY LIFE

AND WITH HER LOVE

BECAME MY WIFE

THERE WAS A TIME

LIFE FELT LIKE RAIN

AND SHE WAS THERE

TO EASE THE PAIN

IN ALL THE YEARS

THAT HAVE GONE BY

I NEVER ONCE

ASKED MYSELF WHY

IT’S JUST BECAUSE

I ALWAYS KNEW

IN ALL THIS WORLD

THERE’S ONLY YOU

YOU ARE THAT GIRL

WHO’S JUST MY STYLE

YOU GAVE ME LOVE

AND MADE ME SMILE

*     *     *

INTRODUCTION

*     *     *

OUR PERSONAL JOURNEY BEGAN FIFTY YEARS AGO WHEN WE WENT TO EUROPE ON OUR HONEYMOON.

IT WAS A WONDERFUL AND UPLIFTING EXPERIENCE, AND NOW, FIFTY YEARS LATER, HAVING VISITED MORE THAN FIFTY COUNTRIES AND MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FOREIGN CITIES, WE ARE STILL ANXIOUS TO SEE MORE.

WE HAVE BEEN TO SOME COUNTRIES MORE THAN ONCE, INCLUDING FRANCE, RUSSIA, SPAIN, FINLAND, CANADA, POLAND GERMANY AND OTHERS, BUT MOST ESPECIALLY ITALY WHERE WE HAVE VISITED TEN TIMES.

WE HAVE SEEN MAJOR WONDERS OF THIS WORLD, FROM THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA TO THE PYRAMIDS OF EGYPT, FROM MACCHU PICCHU IN PERU TO MT. FUJI IN JAPAN, AND FROM THE ROMAN FORUM TO THE KREMLIN. WE HAVE FOLLOWED THE TRAIL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE FROM MOROCCO TO POLAND TO GREAT BRITAIN, AND BEYOND.

OUR JOURNEY HAS BEEN LONG AND NOT WITHOUT ITS PITFALLS, BUT IT HAS BEEN A SUPREMELY HAPPY ONE.

AND NOW… WE GO ON, AND HOPE FOR ANOTHER FIFTY YEARS.

*     *     *

missing image file

THE PLACES WE HAVE GONE AND THE THINGS WE HAVE SEEN

*     *     *

WE CLIMBED MT. VESUVIUS ON A CLOUDY, DARK DAY, AND LIT A CIGARETTE ON THE STILL SMOLDERING EMBERS OF THE VOLCANO.

*     *     *

WE HAVE WALKED ALONG THE CHAMPS ELYSEE ON A SUNNY PARIS MORNING.

*     *     *

WE HAVE STROLLED THROUGH THE ROMAN FORUM AND GAZED AT THE WONDERS OF ANCIENT ROME.

*     *     *

WE HAVE CLIMBED DOWN INTO THE CATACOMBS OFF THE OLD APPIAN WAY.

*     *     *

WE HAVE WALKED THE STREETS OF ANCIENT OSTIA