Christine London's A Leap of Faith

I know, just by looking at you that you all think I am crazy, and you're probably right. I mean here I am in Italy, on an all expense paid holiday...and I'm sure it won't matter to any of you WHY my Uncle paid for this trip...he thought I should hook up with an Italian husband and was willing to shell out mucho lira to convince me to do that. Okay, on the surface I am in History's Heaven. Just look at the sights...



The Leaning Tower of Pisa...Technically an engineering disaster, but the Italians figured out how to turn this monumental BooBoo into something everyone all around the world is eager to see...except me. Stop rolling your eyes. I've already admitted I'm probably insane...still...

The Vatican City and even the Pope's Throne Room are impressive. Where else can you see a Sea of Men wearing red beanies and not looking the least bit embarrassed to do so before a man wearing the infamous Ring of Saint Peter?

But I'll be honest, the place I found most entertaining I wasn't even supposed to see...since I'm a girl.

Behold the Vatican Wee-Room. I heard that snort, and you're right. That probably was a bit irreverent, but hey, look at these things? Can you hold a straight face and imagine the creme of the Vatican not cracking up facing these urinals? I can't help wondering who the designer of these works of art was.

I'm sorry, I still burst out every time I see these porcelain functionals.


Castles, Italy has lots and lots of castles. I was sorta hoping to run into a ghost or two while visiting them to stir things up...

I think I saw one here, but I'd just had a bottle of vintage vino with my pizza at lunch...so I may be wrong.

Still it is pretty amazing that these castles are still standing and overpowering the landscape that surrounds them.

I decided to check out Venice and it truly is a spectacular city. I was going to ride in one of their gondolas, but the gondola captain being Italian, was giving me that eye and I immediately remembered why my uncle sent me here so gave him what I hope was a jaunty wave, and scurried on by.

The Italians do like to sit and bask in the awe-inspiring scenic backgrounds that you can find on just about every inch of all that comprises Italy. And yes, they do have hunky guys...if only my uncle hadn't been so darned insistent about why he sent me here I might have dabbled a bit more in their many amorous fountains.

Like this guy resting here. I know you can't tell from this picture, but...


...he's got the sexiest eyes I have seen since I left the States. What a shame I had to keep my distance.

Italy has a whole lot of really death defying art on their ceilings.
I have a really healthy respect for high places. When I think about the "when" of these paintings, and what had to have been used to anchor those artists all the way up there...the word "vertigo" starts spinning around inside my head...and yeah, my body too.

On a purely personal note, I HAD to see Pompeii for myself. I had to look upon the city that had been that rich but still couldn't convince the gods not to squish them beneath tons and tons, and tons of ash and stone.

Many modern Italians still live this close to the instrument of all that destruction, but they look upon Vesuvius as a benevolent garden of rich farming soil. They are either very brave, or very foolhardy. I'm not sure which...but you can be pretty sure I was not looking for a, rich, or poor for that matter, Italian husband near the Pompeii ruins.

They say the real stars of ancient Rome were those that competed here, in the Colosseum. Being a film student, I have seen some of the Hollywood hunks...okay Gerard Butler and Russel Crowe are not TECHNICALLY from Hollywood, still they played hunky gladiator types in some of Hollywood's classic films...

...classic films, classic sights. Classic films. Lordy but I miss my first love. Yep, despite being here in this ancient majesty, I'd rather be back in my classes because I am Faith Holmes, film student, not Faith Holmes Italian husband scavenger.

"Oh My Goodness...I just heard about the Forio's exclusive International Film Festival out there on that island. And Alex Winslow, that English Film Sensation is going to be there. How hard can it be for an ingenious American girl like myself to crash the party?"


Join Christine London as she weaves the rest of Faith Holmes' Italian story.

Leap of Faith, by Christine London, cover art by Alex Kent, and released by AweStruck Publishing. Click Here to follow Christine to her personal website and learn more about her, Faith and Faith's International Film Festival adventure.