Colleen's new Phantom of the Opera costumes

Colleen recently finished some new Phantom of the Opera costumes - see more at loettchen.livejournal.com

The Red Death she wore to Convergence, a convention where the focus was on villains.

   

Timeless place

Something about being here just peels away the years. Sitting outside on the lawn I can smell the grass, the sun warming the wood siding, hear the wind in the trees, the quiet lap of the water, the occasional call of loons and I could be 20 years old again waiting until Mom makes dinner or until it's time to go to work at a nearby restaurant. I can even believe that I won't be stiff lying here with my almost 60 yr old body and that when I go to get up it won't be a struggle at all.

Here is the view from where I am, once again young and carefree -

the lake, now summer can arrive

Going up to the lake this weekend. I remember when I was young it was a challenge to get in the water at Memorial Day - because the water was always COLD.... somehow I'm thinking its not so cold this year. But if it is hot, that's ok, its always breezy there and there's always the water and boat rides to cool off, walks in the woods with the dog (who has his flea and tick medication in place!).... and cold is ok too - just good to be there - can't wait, leaving in about an hour or two.

Just for posterity

I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about our Italy blog - but going to add the link to this blog so that I have it.... our trip to italy March-April 2010 at http://italy-21days.blogspot.com

Ok, now that is out of the way.

News?  Well, just getting used to being home, getting used to it being almost summer (there was snow on the ground at the end of March when we left), starting some gardening because I felt so bad losing several trees (to the tree trimmers) and got a new toy - my iPad arrived April 30th. Its going to be a great tool for my business - I can take it to our storage facility and do inventory, check orders to see what items we need for that day's shipping - much less paper being printed and sometimes lost before the site is updated! And its a cool toy, e-reader, newsreader, entertainment, facebook updater, etc.... but of COURSE its mostly for business... :)

Arrivederci Italia

The airline lounge in Rome used by Delta members is really nice - best food selection I've seen in an airline lounge and actually nicest public bathrooms I saw in Italy. Good thing since we spent about 4 hours there. Some payback for all the trips Bill takes...





Just a couple of the lunch items, earlier it was as nice a breakfast as some hotels serve.


Last meal from Italy - just before arrival in New York we got a second meal on the plane - pizza and gelato and actually they weren't too bad!


We had a wonderful trip and saw so much - but not all of Italy.

Short review of our reflections (written as I sit through hopefully the last hour in Rome's airport):

Lake Como - want to return and hope for better weather, take Chef Moreno's cooking class and ride the ferry the whole length of the lake but would avoid busy season when the town is packed-it was very charming having it more to ourselves

Cinque Terre - would like to go back to La Toretta - I seriously offer this as a wonderful destination for a family adult outing! Would do more hiking of the "five lands" and also would enjoy it more just on the edge of low season

Milan - we were only in the airport and train station (which IS awesome) but will probably not spend time in the city, there are so many pretty cathedrals and nothing else calls to me there.

Florence - really loved this city - Bill says he has seen it, no need to go back, I wouldn't mind spending time here again but not the top of my list. However it is a must see and should have 2 days - tops are Duomo, Piazzale Michelangelo, St Reparata (excavated under the Duomo), Uffizi Museum, various other churches, David at the Accademia Gallery, would still like to visit the Medici Palace and older Medici buildings.

Venice - we'd go here again if traveling with others who had not seen it but feel the 3-4 days there that we had was enough. Only wish we'd had time to find the two cat stores that Cristiana told us about (selling cute things for cat lovers, not cats). Our tour guide here was superb and we liked the Doge's Palace tour and the Basilica, loved sitting, eating, listening to orchestras and people watching in St Marks (despite the cost) and the gondola ride was surprisingly nice!

Lucca - it was nice but do not feel a need to return

Pisa - it was pretty but not much there - been there, done that

Rome - we really were fortunate to hit SO many of the great spots if Rome that we probably would not feel the need to return unless for something very special. Thanks Flavio and Laura for the extra "Rome at night" tour! What's worth it there in our opinions - St Peter's, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Forum, Colliseum, Trevi Fountain, view from Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and pretty much everything we saw - spend 3 days there.

Assisi - I would love to go back and spend a few days in the company of two of my favorite saints - Francis and Claire - the town is immaculate and beautifully restored. I'd like to just spend time and get to know it.

Sorrento - we were tired out, Bill had a cold, and our hotel and view were so awesome, we didn't do everything. Would like to go back and see the Ercolano excavation near Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi Coast - plus get to the two restaurants that Giusy recommended! (or just go back to the one she took us to)

Still to see someday - Sicily, maybe Sardinia (based on Flavio's description), Turin and Verona if I were already in the area.
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The great safecracking incident

We were packed and ready to leave for the Sorrento train station - went to open the room safe to get passports, etc (including all my pictures on memory cards!). This hotel had pretty large safes, big enough for a laptop. But it was totally unresponsive although it had worked for 4 days just fine. So the girl at the desk came with a bag of keys but none would open it. The maintenance guy came next but no luck - evidently they could not find the master key but in "5 minutes" a technician would be there with another master key. Five minutes Italian time - 40 min later they said "5 minutes". After waiting about an hour in all, he arrived and after some discussion decided it had to be sawed open and asked if there was anything breakable in it! Then we waited 5 min for the guy who would cut it open.


After about an hour and a half, it was open! Punch line is that these are brand new safes and when they called the company in Milan that sold them, their suggestion was to "just have them take the safe with them" - I can just see that at security and passport control... LOL!!

The hotel was great about it though and removed our one room service charge and reduced the last day by 50 euro.

Started out almost 2 hours later than we meant to but the rest was without problems - 25 min walk to the train station, took the Circumvesuviana train to Naples, Eurostar to Rome, Leonardo Express (10 min walk from the ES train), and then through the airport to the hotel shuttle - I was glad to see the hotel room and put down my backpack. We walked around Ostia which is kind of a Rome suburb, normal downtown, not touristy at all. Found a sandwich and beer and went back to bed. Got up early to take 7AM shuttle to the airport only to find our flight delayed for unexplained reasons for 2.5 hours....hoping we will still make our connection in NY - although the airlines said, no worries, once they know the exact time they will take care of any changes needed.... :)

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The final sunrise at Sorrento

Do the kids kicking a soccer ball on the sand know what a beautiful place this is? Or, like my nephew Michael who no longer is awed each time he walks by the Florence Duomo and sees it as "a place to meet up with friends", do they just see this as home, nothing special?

I guess I have snow, ice, the Winter Carnival, the Mall of America, my wonderful family alrhough some have inexplicably left for warmer climates, ocean beaches and palm trees....you know who you are and we'll be visiting soon!

We leave here today around noon for our 4 train oddessey and maybe a hotel van or taxi and one last night near Fiumicuno airport.

We met people we hope to keep up with by email, from Australia, the US, Italy, England, Switzerland. Spent precious time with wonderful family members. And encountered many characters along the way - some stories will show up later...


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