For our last weekend in Italy, we packed up & headed north for "bella Venezia". It was also motivated by Adam having the "moonlight" half marathon there. Venice was gorgeous & glittering in the sunshine. So peaceful without car traffic...in the spots without the hordes of tourists! The kids loved the canals, gondalas & stripey mooring poles after having read stories about it all (thanks Aunty Rosie!). They were also fascinated by all the colourful glass sculptures & masks & we had to stop every few meters to inspect the latest glass fish or cat. It was amazing to see Piazza San Marco under water after the wet, wet winter & spring. Adam took off his socks & shoes & splashed through just for the novelty...& to avoid the long queue of tourists along the only tiny dry path across it. The sun didn't last though & by the evening, Adam was running through a torrential downpour. He beat his last time though so was drenched & exhausted but happy. He's training for his first full marathon in Tanzania later this year.

On the trip "home" to Cellai we stopped in at beautiful Lake Garda (Largo Garda) & spent the afternoon walking around the edge & visiting the pretty little towns. 3 hours into the drive home & just 15mins from arriving, we smelt a dreadful stench. Thinking it was far stronger than the usual dirty nappy smell, I turned around to discover Zac "painting" his legs & the hire car seat with his nappy contents & looking very proud of himself too!! He had gotten wet splashing about at the lake earlier so was only in a nappy, not pants so I guess access was easy & perhaps he thought it was a good way to make a long drive more interesting! Anyway, gagging from the smell, poor Zoe then threw up 3 times! OMG!!! One child & seat covered in poo & the other in vomit!! What a way to finish the trip! We didn't really know where to start when we arrived home. Our very kind neighbours who had come to welcome us back understandably made a speedy retreat. The rest of the night was spent scrubbing children, the car & carseats. Certainly feel very sorry for the poor souls that are next in line for our rental carseats!