Venice

Hi! We're currently at Marco Polo Airport in Venice trying to use up our last few Euros. Unbelievably and sadly, most of the shops here are the likes of Versace and Prada, so our few Euros are rather useless. But not at the internet point!

Venice was a mess. A zoo, even. People everywhere. Every corner, every alley, every square was filled with hundreds of people. So, we did not like it as much as we did last time, but we did meet a very interesting artist who amazed us with his knowledge of the US political scene and implored for an Obama vote. As we have remarked previously, we have been surprised at how knowledgeable the general public is about the US.

On a different note, we got up last night at 3:00 AM local time to watch the Biden-Palin debate. It was great to finally feel connected to American politics, and to prepare ourselves for reentry into the life awaiting us back home.

We did not get a chance to tell you about our Lucca escapades. Our last full day in Lucca we began by renting a tandem bike, or a "bicycle built for two." We rode it around the ramparts, a remarkably large and smooth road built on top of an ancient wall built to keep out the Pisans. We who had not ridden a bicycle in many many years, if ever, were quite sore afterwards. But it was a lovely and romantic experience.

We then spent about three hours speaking with our new friends Vicky and Chris, two ex-Brits who packed up and moved to Lucca five years ago. Their house had tripled in value in the UK, and they both had lost their jobs, so they decided that this was a good time to make a life change. So two insurance industry workers (one with a law degree) are now running a gelateria in Lucca, Italy. Perhaps we ought to take a similar cue, given our own situation!

After our gelato, we returned to the Puccini festival and saw another concert of opera music. Our friend Francesco was there again, and he informed us that this time Mattia, the remarkable 23 year old we saw the day before, was singing this time with his "love," another remarkably talented young singer named (we think) Emily Buscemi. It was unbelievable, again, and we absolutely loved it. I think there will be more opera in our future.

And that brings the Italy portion of our trip to a close. We have had a fantastic time here, and hope to return one day. We are, however, looking forward to many things about returning home--friends and family, of course, and food too!

Ciao!