Iron-Man Marathon

I told the travel agent
We weren’t interested
In a guided whistle-stop tour,
That we wanted
The chance to explore
The European countryside
At a somewhat leisurely pace.
It became apparent
Almost immediately
That we had
Radically different definitions
Of the word leisurely.
What we ended up with
Felt more like
An iron-man marathon
Than the relaxing excursion
I had in mind.
The places we visited
Were breathtakingly beautiful,
But what I found
Even more breathtaking
Was the rapidity
With which we jumped
From one idyllic spot
To the other.
I think we crammed
A three-month tour
Into a three-week time slot.
Fortunately we scheduled
A few days
With some relatives
In the Naples area
Where we got to
Catch our breath.
There is so much
To see and do
Over there.
The continent is
An exciting place to be,
And it deserves
To be more than just
A blur in our minds.