I am not a health nut. I don’t like exercise and I don’t usually do it. I’ve been heavier than the average person all my life but I have never felt compromised by my weight…until my first trip to Europe. The first time I went to Italy, my friend JoAnn and I got off the train and as we made our way into the Termini Station, we found the escalator was broken. Our first initiation into Italian culture was about to begin…and it involved climbing stairs.

If you’ve never been to Europe, you may be in for a big surprise. You will be walking…alot. Not only will you be walking, you’ll be climbing stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. And if you believe that staying in a 4-star, Americanized hotel, will save you from climbing stairs, you should think again. You may not have to lug your luggage up several flights of stairs but you’ll still be climbing stairs and walking up hills (and besides, why would you want to stay in an Americanized hotel anyway?). Not only that, there are places that you will want to visit that are situated on tops of hills, churches, towers, etc.

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