Hotel Monte Del Re Bologna

Our original plan was to take a train back to Milan and fly to Munich; then we found out we could fly out of Bologna which is much closer to Modena.
Knowing we had to leave for the train station at 7:15 this morning I set the alarm clock on the nightstand for 6:00. I wasn't very comfortable that I set it properly so I also set the alarm clock on my global cell phone for 6:00.

I slept like a log last night and awoke refreshed this morning… ...

... an hour. No one follows these limits. I know because Mandi and I found ourselves on such a road, on singlespeed step through bikes, getting passed by Porsches, Minis, and giant semi trucks headed north at 100 km an hour. At first we thought it would get better. Then we resigned ourselves to our fate. We were going to do this, no matter how crazy it was. And that's how we ended up biking nearly ...

... never tried it..) and a jaccuzi tub in the bathroom AND there were two sinks - one was really low to the ground so we didnt use it :). We put our stuff away and went down to the desk to find out where was good to eat. I sheepishly asked what the deal was with our room and the lady just smiled and said there is no suppliment, they were overbooked. This place was probably 200 Euro a night and we were paying less than 40 ...

... are packed with tourists... We visited funny art exhibitions that where part of the biennale and had lots of fun trying to understand it. In the evening we joined Nico and Cristina for a yoga class! What a day!

The next day we left Venice direction Padua. We decided to cycle more south, direction Livorno or Rome (where we can take a ferry to Barcelona). On the way we will visit our friend Andrea, that we met in the ...

... find it. We had been told to get the number 20 bus, and double checked with the driver before getting on – he didn't know but said he would ask.. after driving around for a while he yelled out through the crowded bus that this was us, but we were still in the city centre and couldn’t see a hotel anywhere. Standing in the middle of Bologna, very tired and not in the mood for getting lost, we wandered around and found the main tourist office. Turned out we ...

... also thankful for the fact that we did not!! We easily walked down alley ways, wondered where one was not too, and quite frankly that is what our trip was all about. We are travelers with lose agendas and like to peer around the corners, not just the glossy fronts...and, we ate things that were greater than adventurous (ie thinking of the Cannes fish eyes)

I hope to have enriched your lives with some of our stories, and look forward ...

... but everything is too expensive. Luca told me what I had figured out, you really need to pack your own food and drink for after the game, because at rest stops, it's 4 euros for rinky dinky sandwiches and 3 for a beer. Coach Tisma called my old coach at Chapman Mike Wood who had once coached in Bolzano. We talked to him for a minute. The four-hour bus ride was very uncomfortable, and finally we got back a little before 5 am. I am very tired, and sore, but very happy.

... patients. The nurses were at first a little cool and reserved, but once they realized that I was one of them, we became fast friends! I find it amazing that no matter where in the world I am, good nurses seem to have the same characteristics and are easily drawn to each other. These men and women were a great bunch- competent, knowledgeable and with a great sense of humor! They were a little upset when they realized that nurses in New Jersey make double their salary- and I now ...

Well our free evening in Parma was lovely. Parma has a very nice feel to it. After a little rest Mum and I walked into the town and visited the San Giovanni di Evangelista church quickly. Actually evening vespers were on but we could see the Coreggio ceiling. Then we walked around the streets and across the dried up river (Torrente Parma) into the gardens. We stayed just a little while before walking along via Farini. We ...

... shouldn't have. I started feeling slightly ill, and Anne wasn't feeling well either. The second course was roasted potatoes and slices of pork. I was very full and don't really like pork, so I only had a tiny bit of it. The guys in our group ate the rest of our food. Then, desert. I don't know what it was called, but it was full of almonds and seemed like vanilla ice cream cake with some chocolate as well. I ate it all. That night, Anne I ...