Monthly Archives: July 2016

Loire Valley Castles, France

Today Boris and I are going to tour two of the loveliest castles in the Loire Valley, near Paris.  We will also have the opportunity for lunch and a wine tasting at one of the smaller chateaus.  We had planned … Continue reading

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Vicenza, Italy

This is our last touring day in Italy.  Tommorrow Boris will head out to look at WWII battle sites and I will take a “staycation”and enjoy our villa for the day (mostly the pool).  We lost a day with the … Continue reading

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Lake Garda, Italy

Today we are going to do something a little different. Rather than a medieval city, we are going to visit Lake Garda, the largest of the Italian lakes and perhaps an hour and a half north of our villa in … Continue reading

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Ferrara, Italy

Today we head southeast to Ferrara, Italy.  I am doing the driving and continue to learn more about Italian roadways.  Boris has discovered SURI on his iPhone and plugged in Ferrara for point to point directions.  It is working well. … Continue reading

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So you want to be an Italian farmer? and how to eat risotto like the Veneti (Venete)

This morning we can’t venture too far from home because Maria Luisa and Guido, our hosts, have invited us to a traditional Italian lunch of risotto and an afternoon visit to the farm.  We have enjoyed some wonderful food and … Continue reading

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Mantua, Italy

About now you are saying, “where have I heard of Mantua?  It sounds familiar.”  In Act III of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is banned from Verona for slaying Tybalt.  He flees to Mantua.  Ah, a city of romance.  Locals … Continue reading

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A Rough Start to Natasha’s Latest Visit to her Favorite Foreign Country-Italy

I was going to start blogging on the day I arrived in my favorite foreign country, Italy, but we had such a rough start I wanted things to settle a little first.  When you have been to 110 foreign countries, … Continue reading

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