I'm baaackkk

I've been back home for nearly two weeks now and it's safe to say I'm over my jetlag, almost recovered from the cold which stirred up my asthma, and not quite so traumatised by the memories of the seemingly never- ending flight from Abu Dhabi.

I've decided I need to focus on the good things about my trip because they really did outweigh everything else. I had a fantastic time. Everything went to plan: the weather was good, all of my bookings were honoured, planes and trains left on time and the hotels I arranged myself were all very comfortable.

Knowing that a blow-by-blow run down on three weeks in Italy would be as boring as batshit, I will give you instead:

Three moments that took my breath away.

1 My cooking class in Tuscany

There was a very special moment that afternoon. Our class was being conducted in the kitchen of a very old house in the village of S. Donato in Collina, which is half way between Florence and Siena. We were learning to make ravioli and our instructor was preparing the filling of spinach, ricotta and parmesan. We were drinking chianti while we worked and I could feel the sun at my back. It really was a glorious day.

There was a gentle breeze coming in through the window, and every time I turned around this is the view that faced me. I recall thinking that things couldn't get much better.

Then Alex (our instructor) started to grate some fresh nutmeg... and somehow they were. Bliss.

The ravioli were delicious by the way.

2 The Pisa Baptistry echo.

The Pisa Baptistry is a large domed building that stands near the Leaning Tower and the Cathedral (which is a bit wonky too - but you have to look hard to spot it.)

The Baptistry has the most superb acoustics thanks to its perfectly domed roof. Every half hour the guard comes out to the exact centre of the structure, calls for silence and waits until you can hear a pin drop.

Then he sings a single note and it echos around the dome for about ten seconds. Before that first note has a chance to fade away completely, he sings a different note ... and then another. Before we knew it, the most exquisite harmonies were being built and I was standing there with shivers running up and down my spine. It was absolutely spellbinding.

3 The chairlift ride from Anacapri.

This chairlift takes passengers on a six minute ride to the very top of the Isle of Capri and gives the most amazing views over the whole island, the town of Anacapri and the Bay of Naples.

The ride starts like any other chairlift amid lots of bouncing and grinding of cogs, but they are left behind within a minute. The rest of the journey is spent in near silence. No-one speaks. Even the people on the return trip don't say a word as you pass them by.

We started by passing low over the back yards of a few houses, but then we angled upwards. Soon my feet were skimming the tops of oak trees and there were wonderful scents of flowering trees wafting upwards as we passed by. I have no idea what they were, but they smelled lush and green. The higher we rose, the sparser the greenery became, but that was compensated for by the breathtaking views over the Bay.

When I reached the top I caught the eye of my companions, who had been seated just behind me. We agreed that it had been one of the most peaceful six minutes of our lives.

The return trip was lovely too, but there was something extra special about that ride up the mountain.

Honourable mention 1. Florence.

I knew that Il Duomo is the dominant feature of this city. It towers above everything else and can even be seen from the highway that bypasses the city.

But even knowing that, I was surprised to turn the corner of a narrow city street and to boom, find it literally standing right in front of me. It brought me up short.

Honourable mention 2. Rome

Our hotel was only a stone's throw from St Peter's and we had arranged to attend an early service there before the crowds were unmanageable. As our group walked towards the Basilica, the pink of the dawn light was still glowing on the dome. It was breathtaking.

The service was conducted in Pope JP2's Polish chapel- one of many chapels downstairs - and while sitting quietly at the back, I could hear chanting from another chapel to our right and a hymn being sung in German from a chapel to our left. It was an odd combination of sounds but it was actually very moving.

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Next time: The best (and worst) food.