Venice, Italy - 8/21/09 We arrived in Venice at about 2:00pm and found the campground just across the water. It was siesta time and quiet at camp Venizia so we found a shady spot and headed for the bus to Venice. Momma at the reception desk seemed surprised that we would be heading into Venice so early. It was a cool 100 degrees so we were dripping wet by the time we got to the bus stop. The bus was very much like a sauna and what seemed interesting is that the German, English and American tourists seems to be completely disheveled, wet and drained while the Italians seemed perfectly coiffed, hair in place and dressed to the nines. My pale, tender self was like a boiled potato by the time the 5 min. bus ride ... read more

Salzburg and Halstatt - Austria (8/18/09) Whoever said it was cold in Austria has never been there in August. It was hot this morning as Izzy and Andrea fixed us another perfect breakfast of rolls, homemade jams, coffee with foam and oatmeal. Lots of little plates, saucers and little spoons covered the table. I want to get some of these little spoons. We hopped in their BMW wagon, complete with their dog Mia, and headed to Halstatt, a small salt town in the Austrian Alps. The roads were windy so I was feeling a little car sick in the back - the heat and car fumes didn’t help. We finally made it to Halstatt and had to park miles away and take a bus in. The town was cute as a button perched on the side ... read more

Today is "Assumption of the Virgin" day in Europe. Everything is closed and everyone seems to be celebrating the Virgin. We started the day by heading to the Neushwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles in Fussen, Germany. These where just the summer homes for King Ludwig of Bavaria. He built the Neushwanstein while he lived in the smaller castle. It took him 15 years to design and build the castle and it is still only a third of the way finished. The castle is copied from a medieval era and is filled with murals from fantasy stories. A little much for our taste. This is the castle that Walt Disney copied for Cinderella. Ludwig was obsessed with Swans - his favorite bird so swans are everywhere throughout the castle. Swans are also considered royalty so with the name ... read more

HERE WE GO We sold out house, our furniture, Andrew's mistress (our 52" big screen TV) and even the fridge. The last few nights where rough sleeping on the floor but we pretended we where camping. Our fabulous old neighbors, The Gregg's, have adopted our bi-polar cat. He's a lover and a killer. He rules the neighborhood and has officially adopted them. We miss him dearly but feel he is in great hands and happier to stay. We have moved into my friend Nicole's 2 bedroom condo down the street and are experiencing close quarter living. Nicole has moved in with her mother which proves best friend status. God bless her! I guess this is good preparation for when we move into our campervan in Europe for 6 weeks of road living. Rusty, our furry child, ... read more