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As funny as Lucy (Lucille Ball), Ricky (Desi Arnaz), Ethel (Vivian Vance), and Fred (William Frawley) were during their lengthy stay in Hollywood, their "Adventures in Europe" are equally hilarious and memorable. The episodes begin with Lucy and Ethel scamming their way into a trip taken because Ricky's band will perform abroad (Fred serves as the tour manager). Nothing comes easy for the Ricardos and Mertzes, and both Lucy and Fred find themselves in a bind when their birth certificates can't be found. The planned excursion is also intimidating to Fred, who is prone to seasickness. Lucy provides a cure, and then
she gets sick--but only after missing the ship.
Once in London, Lucy plots a scheme to meet the queen. Lucy then inadvertently gets the gang invited to the country home of an aristocrat whose daughter, Lucy fears, covets Ricky. Later, Lucy seeks her roots and dreams of Ricky as a Scottish ancestor. In Paris, Lucy may be conned, but she's simply divine battling her first escargot. She also meets French idol Charles Boyer (who plays himself) and dons what she thinks is a Parisian designer gown. And can the Mertzes and Ricardos be in the Swiss Alps without an avalanche? Don't bet on it. At a seedy joint in Florence, Lucy finds a creative way to celebrate son Little Ricky's birthday and also gets offered a movie role and stomps grapes. Somehow, the gang finds time to bicycle from Italy to the French Riviera, where Lucy accidentally wins a bunch of money. Eventually they return home, in a brilliant episode in which Lucy disguises a 30-pound hunk of cheese as a baby. --N.F. Mendoza
