Liz and Danny arrived Friday. Danny took a short nap while Liz and I visited. It was a rainy cold day, but that did not stop us from hopping on the Metro and going to visit Jeff at his office. he took us to lunch and then I came home while they went to check out the Castle. Liz had to see the ostrich baby food and we needed a few groceries, so they stopped on the way home. Saturday we drove to Cremona, to find the Stradivarius museum. Again we had a rainy drive, and cool temps while we wandered to find lunch, then to find the museum. there is a tall tower next to the church on the main square which Danny wanted climb to the top of, and Liz was requested to join. As anyone who has been here has heard, Ralph Nader has not been here, and Liz found parts of the stair case to be a bit unnerving with there low rails and openness. By the time we were ready to leave Cremona the Christmas trees lining the square hat been lit and a band was playing ragtime jazz. Sunday was off to Rome for L and D and a dinner date for J and J. The Americans in Milan was hosting it's annual Thanksgiving feast at the Westin. On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day for all of you, I was feeling a bit empty, missing this uniquely American holiday, and made the call to the lady organizing the event to find out if we could still come. We had a wonderful time! We went not knowing a sole who would be there, were seated at the President's table, and escaped the world of Adriatic LNG for a time. We even got our dressing and pumpkin 'fix'. L and D will be back late Tuesday and then we have a date with the Last Supper on Wednesday. Had to book a tour of Milan to do it, and will also see the Duomo and La Scala with the tour. And for T and S and C and B that explains why I didn't first thing take them to the Duomo!

Spain is lovely! At least the 100 mile stretch of the southern coast that we visited. And it was warm. Milan is quite nippy today, with overcast skies. I had to go out to 'put money' on the phones and wore my Uggs for the first time. The town in Spain we stayed in was Sotogrande. This part of Spain is a haven for golfers, heavily represented by the UK, but lots of Germans, also. The day I was to leave Jeff and I drove inland and saw a landscape full of orange groves and olive trees sandwiched in between rolling hills. Jeff and I debated which area of the US it reminded us most of and came up with New Mexico only with an ocean. I'd already packed and had my camera in my carry on, but left the luggage in our room, so no pictures of this.

Out of time

I have 5 minutes before Jeff says '"let's go" and we're off to the airport for Malaga, Spain. I was uninspired to write these past 2 days, blame it on the cold meds, so out of necessity here goes. Thursday we cleaned house, Friday proved so windy, and there was a transit strike, so stayed home. Saturday we got in the car and off to Ravenna we went. I sneezed a good part of the way. We toured many churches and saw amazing mosaics from the 6th century when this was the capital of the eastern roman empire. I think I have my facts right but don't quote me on that. Sunday I slept in and C and B went to explore another church. Back in the car and my request to see a beach on the adriatic. I set the Tom Tom for the nearest one and once again, remoteness does not deter the Tom Tom from selecting it. Down the unpaved road we went, but once at the destination, it was worth it. The last few pictures are of Cathy being more adventurous than the rest!!

Day 5 found the wandering sisters exploring Milan. We had one goal in mind, the Last Supper, where I though I had booked a ticket on line. Whatever I did it wasn't reserving tickets. We had started out knowing that the odds were 50/50, due to no confirmation email. So, with trusty map in hand, Cathy and Barbara picked the path and off to St Ambrogio's we went. The Basilica was built starting 379, and is named after the patron saint of Milan. It looked rough on the outside but was a gem inside. Day 6 was cleaning day. Day 7 was train trip to Como, with a boat ride to Bellogio. Today there is a transit strike, so no trains except during rush hours. Tomorrow it's back in the car to head to the Adriatic.

Sisters Cathy and Barbara are here. They arrived in the 2nd of November. I guess I was long in between posts thinking how much can one write about resting a broken ankle? On Saturday Jeff drove us to the Italian Riviera. We've gone east to Portofino and Cinque Terra, but this was our first time going west. I picked the small town of Albenga out of a guide book and off we went. It was a good destination for seeing the Mediterranean, and a medievil town. Sunday , C,B and J got on the train to Venice for an overnight there. We toured the Doge's Palace, and St Mark's cathedral,and wandered through narrow 'streets' lined with shops and cafe's. I plugged along, but did slow the progress. There are alot of steps going up and down over the smaller canals, and where going up is OK coming down is a challenge.