Sweet Digs

Here are pictures from the 14th: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=June14&w=25315591%40N08

And the 15th: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=June15&w=25315591%40N08

All at the sweet Villa Flavia. All of these pictures were taken on the Villa grounds. Even this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25315591@N08/2596268212/
and this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25315591@N08/2596273478/ of the church for the town of Barberino Val D'Elsa. Ok, maybe not this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/25315591@N08/2595374925/ but Anna's pointing at the Villa.

So far so good, except for some wicked carsickness from the kids. Colorado and New Mexico have nothing on the twisties they've got in this part of the world.

Ahhh Flavia!

Ferris Bueller: It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

Anyone looking for a Villa in Tuscany? Look no further. Villa Flavia FTW.

Oh, and the Patriarch. All bow before him:

At this rate I'll catch up a couple days after we return home..

Too much go, not enough introspection.

I've kept up with geotagging pictures and making sure they're backed up. It's the cleanup, posting to flickr and blogging that's slowing me down.

These would be pictures from our first full day in Venice.

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=June13&w=25315591%40N08

And mapped.. http://www.flickr.com/photos/25315591@N08/2589818356/map/

We had a marvelous time chasing down the gondolas. One set had it's own accordian and singer.

Our hotel was in more of a residential area of Venice, with quite a few locals about. Many of them hung out at the bar two doors down for the European Cup Football matches. The television was out in the street and the crowd was quite loud throughout the night.

Ahh, Venice! Where the money flows like water...

Mainly the money flows from my wallet into everyone else's hands! Combine a lousy exchange rate with a medieval city having no motorized traffic and you have the home of the $7.50 Budweiser (Why anyone would buy one here is beyond me, but there you go).

Follow the link for pictures that prove we are (well, were) at Venice:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=June12&w=25315591%40N08

Having a great time here!

We Live!

Some 15 hours of travel (and wait) time put us into the Hotel Adua in Venice somewher around 4pm on June 12. Safe and sound.

One note from the plane... Did you know that they edit plane crash scenes out of the in-flight movies?

The cardinal rule for travel... Pack as light as possible. Then, you still have too much crap. Pull out half and go with what's left over.

Our family personally never follows this rule, but I always remember it when we're dragging suitcases on cobblestones, over bridges and up flights of stairs to hotel rooms.

Here's a picture of our pretty room... Oh, I can't find it. Well, just imagine four twin beds crammed in a 10x10 room with a sink.

Later

Countdown! 28hours 6min

Departure tomorrow 2:30pm...