Venice - Treviso - Arina

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We picked up our rental car at the auto park 200 metres from the Hotel Olimpia. The Ibiza was an upgrade from the smaller car I contracted for. The very newest Fiats and Fords all have USB ports so you may record you music to a key and plug it in. I had a key with files for Jackie, Easy Listening, Driving and other for a total of 17 hours. Both my rentals had radio and CD only - sad for me as the only driver. Getting out of Venice is a pinch. The signage is outstanding and heading north toward Treviso was easy as we had a choice of autostrada or minor highway - we chose the minor highway to see more small cities. In Italy we have a diesel car and we found it gets 5 -6 litres per 100 km (over 40 miles per gallon). The diesel also has great torque and when I found myself in 3rd and 1000 RPM it pulled us out no problem.

A brief stop in Treviso revealed a very prosperous commercial area and not so much for tourists. We continued on toward Feltre and Fonsazo, two larger towns on the way to Arina where Jackie's mother was born. This is the Dolomiti region of Italy and it is characterized by steep, wooded mountain terrain. Towns are from a few hundred to a thousand people. The people are proud, hard working and independent. Signs in these mountain areas are very sparse and finding our way was more difficult. A good updated GPS will be of immeasurable importance - get one in the US or Canada before you leave. Make sure it has North America and Europe so you can test it before you leave home.

Another tidbit - get a European SIM and if necessary a new quad GSM phone. My iPhone didn't like the SIM so I picked up a HTC - they work but require a prefix *146* before each call. I can send SMS and phone for 1/3 the price of using a North American carrier with roaming package.

Hungary and Italy have great highways and frequent rest stops with services. In the mountains there are no rest stops and the roads - even ones called national roads - become narrower and narrower. Steep mountain roads will have markers on the curves and sometimes guardrails but it is driver beware - alertness=staying alive. many times we were driving a switchback and had a sheer drop of hundreds of metres.

We called Jackie's cousin and informed them we would arrive in three hours. Our GPS was excellent. In the very steep mountains we lost reception occasionally for a few seconds so, sometimes would pass our turn and the GPS would recalculate and take us through a dirt road in the mountain - this is not advisable and why I said to understand your GPS before leaving home.

As we ascended the mountain to Arina we asked about the family and people said keep going up. One young lady a few turns and 200 metres lower on the mountain said " they are expecting you". Again, as in Romania, not many visitors come this way - these are loggers and farmers - so neighbours tend to know what is going on up or down the mountain. Finally as we got within a couple turns of the top and a 1/2 hour late we saw a car coming down and spotted Artemio - he looks just like his brother Nino from Las vegas - coming down in his car to find us. He lead us the rest of the way and we finally arrived at Gobbi - the area in the town where they live.

These mountainous regions historically have a few different families on or around one mountain peak. Some of the surnames are two different branches of the same family or two very different families with the same last name. We were asking for the Agnolin branch of the Canal family. Everybody on the same mountain knows the difference. Artemio's wife, Mirella, met us as did his brother Ernesto and wife Ginetta. The ice wine was once again a big hit. We were happy to lighten our load and received a bottle of Prosecco as a gift. Luisiana, daughter of Ernesto and Ginetta also dropped in and we all had a drink and looked at photos we brought from Canada. Dinner was arranged for "su au braus" which is on the mountain - a cottage at 1000 metre elevation. The cottage has been in the family for generations and now the 2 brothers share it. Sons and cousins Antonio and Davis joined us as did Ivo, husband of Luisiana and Davis's wife and baby. We had pasta, home made salami, cheese and radicio. Wine and espresso rounded ot the evening. We drove home in the pitch dark 200 metres and about 6 turns down the mountain. A great night.

tomorrow off to Molina, Trento and Modena

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Photos

Arina
Finally we are here!

Cousins
All the cousins when we arrive.

Antonio, Jacjie and Davis
Another day having fun in the mountains.

Morning in Arina
This was our morning view and it was wonderful.

Filipo
Filipo having fun with Jackie and dad Patrick and Nonna