Alpe di Suisi

We are high in the Italian Alps. Took a cable car to the largest meadow in Europe and the views were awesome! We are in the town of Castelrotto, German speaking, including all the schools. This part of Italy used to be Austria.

Also saw the Ice Man uncovered in 1991 . . . now a mummy in a museum.

Will post more later.

Aviano in Northern Italy

Mountain View Lodge at Aviano Air Force Base


Kayaker on Long Lake in the Dolomite foothills.


Confirmation Day at Madonna del Monte church



These past few days have been very relaxing. After arriving by train from Venice (and finding NO TAXI available) we found a "Rent-a-Wreck" to use for a few days until our Europcar was ready. The lodge sits below the magestic Dolomites. Much like Phoenix, the thunderheads build up in the afternoon, and we were blessed with cool showers on two days so far. It is hot here!

Drove one afternoon to an aqua colored lake fed by a glacial stream the same color. As we ate lunch, a kayaker rowed by. The next day we visited a church perched high on a hill overlooking Aviano . . . and discovered, by chance, that it was Confirmation Day. The excited children were led into church by the pastor.

A Few More Venice Photos

Saint Mark's Square with the tide coming in!


A gypsy girl dancing on the street next to the canal.


Gypsy musician (father of the girl?)


A grandfather teaching his grandson how to row standing up.


The top photo is Saint Mark's Square, where we sat listening to orchestra music, eating ice cream sundaes and watching as water started seeping in from the flood control grates. Soon there were large puddles and the opportunity to take a photo with the reflection of the cathedral in the water.

Venice and St. Mark's Square

We loved Venice! With a 24-hour vaporetti ticket (bus on the water) you can travel everywhere. The food was fabulous, the people watching interesting and the sights outstanding. St. Mark's cathedral is a treasure of Catholic artwork, including mosaic ceilings, bronze bigger-than-life horses atop the entry (the real ones are in the treasury), ancient carved glass challices and even the arm bone of St. George. Many of these relics have were taken from Constantinopel (sp), then Rome, then Paris, and back to Venice. It's amazing that they have survived these travel intact.

Our final night was spent listening to music in St. Mark's Square. Three orchestras compete with each other. We had ice cream sundaes and danced under the stars as the square filled up with water! It was high tide, and the water began entering the square from the flood control grates. By the time we left at 10:30 we had to wind our way via high and dry spots across the piazza to the water taxi.

Mljet National Park, Croatia

Most of Mljet Island is a national park. We anchored in a small bay, took the dinghy ashore, then went by shuttle to a small landing. From there it was a short boat ride to an island in a lake, the main landmarks being an abandoned Benedictine monastery, church and small chapel atop a hill. The chapel had a window ledge filled with small photos, bracelets and trinkets left as prayer petitions, much as you see in Mexico. The photo of Carol and Phil is at a cemetery on the hillside overlooking the small lake.

A Few Photos from our Trip

Relaxing on the trampoline while underway on calm seas.







Unique cooking method! One of our favorite meals at one of the small moorings was lamb and vegetables cooked in an iron pan under a dome surrounded by coals. We watched as the cook built the fire on a concrete rooftop, then scraped aside the coals and added an iron skillet. The resulting dish was scrumptuous.


Pastries for breakfast! The Dafoes were up early and hit the bakery to claim the best fresh croissants and struddel. Don Romeli did the same the next day.


One way to tour the Croatian islands is by bike. Tour boats with sleeping quarters travel from island to island with bikers aboard. Bet they sleep well! The islands are very hilly.


Korcula, one of the islands we stopped at in Croatia, is a very interesting, walled, mediviel city. We climed up a wooden ladder, through a hole in the ceiling,into the top of a turret where we had drinks and a great view of the surrounding islands.


Proof Carol can't cook. She made some great potatoes for breakfast, then set the plastic bowl took close to the hot stove. Ooops!

Sailing the Adriatic

We got lucky. After rain in Italy and cool weather in Dubrovnik, it calmed down. Smooth waters greeted us the first day out. By the third day we had some wind, plus dolphin at the bow. On our way south back to Dubrovnik, we encountered 20-25 knot winds and got pounded on all day. The final day was calmer and a good day for a few hours of sailing. The cat was easy to handle . . . we want to do this again!

I tried to coax Phil into swimming in the Adriatic with me, and when we reached our last day we finally found a quiet cove to anchor. When he wouldn't join me, I went below, put on my suit and headed topside. With a shout of "Geronimo!" I jumped off Jeronimo and hit the chilly water. Jim Dafoe couldn't stand it and jumped in too. Now I can say I swam in the Adriatic!