We spent the day by the pool, and the kids put on a play for us that they had been practicing since we arrived at the house. We watched the play in the garden, with the house as a backdrop. The windows and balcony became part of their stage. Their costumes included the masks they bought in Venice. They did a great job, we were entertained. Bravo! Luigi recommended a restaurant called Saraceno located in Conegliano, the city his mom lives in. He described t...

We relaxed in the morning, having coffee and going for a swim. I had some time to blog. Just being in the house was a treat. I loved all the open windows with sheer curtains moving in the breeze and the sound of the birds. I felt completely at home. Deborah offered to stay back with the kids so Tammy, Doug, Tim and I could have a night out. We dressed up and drove to Venice. It was late in the day so we saw Venice in a softer, warmer light. The temperature...

We left early in the morning, but because of traffic it took longer than usual. We didn't want to miss our tour so we took a water taxi straight to St.Marks. Our timing was perfect, the guide walked up within minutes of us arriving. She was very friendly, a nice change from our last guide. Our group was much smaller than our last tour, making it easier to see our guide. We had to buy cover-ups at the door because no bare shoulders or short shorts are allowed...

We slept in late and enjoyed coffee and brunch made by Tim and Doug. We could hear the kids practicing a show that they were preparing to show us. Mid-afternoon we drove an hour away to the town of Roncade, found between Treviso and Venice. We were looking for Castello di Roncade, a working vineyard/country villa/winery, that has been in continual operation for over 500 years. We recognized the winery from pictures we saw; two tall towers, a moat and ...

We left the house early and drove into Venice. The highway across the water ran parallel to a train. The smell of the water was funky and we hoped the canals wouldn't smell as strong. The parking garages were obvious as soon as we crossed the bridge. We parked and started our walk through the streets of Venice looking for St.Mark's square. There were endless bridges, connecting mazes of streets lined with doors and shops. Looking up were windows, many wi...