Best Western Biasutti Malcesine

... Stairs lid to the second floor. This is called a "Golden Staircase" as they told us. It is gold-filled and really gorgeous. I've taken some photos with my iPhone, but yet the pictures can't show the full reality)))<br>So the inside of this palace was filled with wonderful paintings, old-fashioned rooms, reception rooms and there was even a room with maps of different centuries and eras.<br>After walking through the floors we went ...

We are traveling today to Siena and won't be able to communicate for awhile so wanted to give a big shout out to our friend John Ruppe. Have a good one bro, we love you!! We also wanted to tell the Heavens above to give Mick's Grandpa Ted a kiss and hug and ask to ...

Wed vap to Lido, walked down Viale St. Maria Elizabetta, had coffee, kids dressed as<br>San Martino (Nov 11), spoke with gardener about lavander, walked to Hotel Des<br>Bains and beach (capanas). Walked back down viale, vap past St. Mark's Sq. to<br>Accademia Bridge in Canal Grande. Walked to Ristorante da Raffaele GREAT.<br>Minestrone, risotto di radicchio rosso &amp; shrimps, roast ...

... and ankles messed up. We then got on the Vaparretti to go back to Lido and our driver was we guess a new guy, because he missed every stop and had to back up. The gate guy was yelling at him and he was only doing like 1 mile an hour, then I thought well we will probably drown or something and then was crying again wanting to come home. I know it sounds like I am a cry baby, but I am and feel so far from home. Will ...

We made our first trip to Venice today after a failed attempt of getting on the wrong train and going all the way to Slovenia! We were happy that we got it right this time! And since it is January, it was a bit on the cold side. But we had fun exploring and getting lost. I had no idea Venice was so big. We must have ...

... 29th wedding anniversary on the Sunday so this was their present from Pete. We were all on a high it had been a great experience. Jill had made a picnic. We hadn't back to the old town to eat before heading south. We spent the rest of the week exploring the south of the lake. One day we walked to Sirimone for the icecream but walked around the outside of the peninsula, which I'd not done before. The lake's water level is low so normally you can't do this but ...

... were on the traghetto back to the train station at 10:45. Ooops!! Guess ANEKleaves at noon, Minoan leaves at 2. This causes normally calm and patient Sara to bust a vein in her forehead and Chad almost goes overboard. Chad almost goes over voluntarily. But we made it. We (Sara) courageously cut in front of about 70 people to claim our bags (granted, all Asian tourists who really had no idea what was going on), then we ran with our donkey packs ...

... was to dip a finger (clean) into a parent's wine glass and suck on the finger. Both days consisted of lots of swimming in the pool before driving out, so the kids had their fun, and we had ours. Yummy BBQ at the house both nights, followed by the limoncello Rick and I had brought up from the Amalfi. When our week in Tuscany was over, Ben, Kelli and the boys headed out to Rome and the Amalfi, and we headed up to Venice. Met a nice South ...

... lost, even though the tiny streets and countless little bridges look alike. It is an utterly fascinating and magical place, vibrant with all sorts of tourists, vendors, shops and no motor vehicles of any sort. Everyone walks or takes the boat. We marvel at the beauty as well as the decay of this ancient place. The weather is perfect for the 20 min walk to San Marco. We stumble upon the square, and it is ...