The oven is fixed. Just in time for Thanksgiving, though I don't think Jeff even has the day off, much less me planning a big meal. I've been doing my research this week on Venice and Rome. My sisters are coming on 11/2 and Venice will be our 1st visit. I've read that Venice in prone to flooding during high tides in the fall. The tide timetable tells me that on 11/4 it is at 7:56 AM and gets later there after. I figure the sooner the better for our visit. Walking will be enough of a challenge for me without having to wade through water!!!

Finely got around to posting all the pictures from Tricia and Steven's visit. It was a good day for internet use, which for us is not always the case. As Iive progressed from keeping my foot up, as in elevated with me lying down to reduce swelling, to just staying off it, it's catch up time. Enjoy!!

Guess what? It has now been confirmed that our oven doesn't work. We were told by the landlord that it was user error, that Italian ovens are different then American. Ha!! I also found out where the heat comes from. It runs through the ceilings. So I guess the heat is on, as we've been quite comfortable with the temperatures in the 50's. Still haven't tried to use the foot. We're going with the theory of the longer I can stay off it the faster it will heal.

So what I came up with was using some Starwood points and getting 2 rooms in Florence for Saturday night. Tricia and Steven explored while Jeff and I sat. If we'd known befor Friday night at 9:30 PMthat that was the plan we might have looked at the "ticket" thing. But as it was they saw the leaning tower of Pisa, but no tickets available, and they saw the outside of things in Florence but no tickets to get in most. So for future guests, be advised, as much as we might want to play it by ear, if you really want to see the most popular sights, prebooking that visit is advised.

We interrupt this visit for Janet to recuperate from a minuscule fracture of the left ankle. How you may ask? by stepping wrong an her way to dinner along a blacktopped footpath. Thank goodness we were only a few blocks from home, and our new office chair, with wheels, got a unique work out. Tricia and Steven are off to Cinque Terra tonight for 2 nights, and we'll pick them up on Saturday. Don't know what sort of sightseeing we'll accomplish after that...

Tour of Italy, continued. We went to Bolzano on Saturday morning. It was dreary outside, drizzling and chilly. All we did was stop at a castle that has housed a WW I museum since the 20's and a nice armory collection. That stop was for Steven and Jeff, but was well done and enjoyed by all. Next stop was to find our hotel, which proved to be an "interesting" drive. We rely heavily on our TOM TOM GPS system to help us find our way, and it decided that on our drive up the mountain to Soprabolzano we should take a short cut. Not something that should be recommended to a first time visitor to this mountain. Our attitude once we reached our destination was we weren't going back down, but were told of a much nicer way, and that GPS tends to send people that way. Day 2 we had a leisurely start to fine weather. Our Main destination for this day was an archaeological museum that houses the 5000 year old man who was discovered in the alps in 1991. Fascinating!! We got the audio guides and could have spent twice as much time as we did. We decided to drive to the Spa town of Mereno for more sights and back to the Hotel Fink. Day 3 was Trento (the location for the council of Trent held in the 1550's) and Verona, home of a intact Roman amphitheater, and the fictitious home of Romeo and Juliet.

I've been without internet since Sunday so sorry for the delay on a new posting. Through work Jeff and others needed to gather several parties from 'afar'.... soon, and found that there was no room at the inn, at least no inn in Milan. It was fashion week and the town was booked. So quickly accommodations were arranged at the Regina Palace in Stresa, on Lago Magorrie, the first place Jeff and I had taken a day trip to. Jeff was going to be gone until Friday, so I decided to join him. Just What I need you're saying, another vacation!. Tricia and Steven arrived this morning and we took them back to Stresa for the day, of shopping, roaming, and trying to stay awake. we're back in Milan now and they're both tucked in bed. tomorrow is laundry, and on Saturday it's off to Bolzano and the Dolomites.