Jul 01, 2017

Happy Birthday Canada

Our great country is 150 years young today!

After a pancake breakfast, our parks annual Canada Day parade starts at 11:00AM, in about 3 hours.  Because of the water on the streets in the park it has been rerouted and will now pass along our street.  We get to sit outside street side and watch the parade in comfort with a large sun umbrella and comfy chairs. Going to be a perfect day with sun and 32C.

After the parade there is a BBQ at the rec center with entertainment complete with birthday cake.  Quite the celebration for 150 years.

 

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Jun 29, 2017

We started our 3rd full day in the Rialto area of Venice

We took a water taxi over to the Rialto area as we knew that the day would incorporate a lot of walking.  Our stop is less congested complete with kayaker.  Photo by me.

Can you spot the nine gondoliers in this shot?  Talk about congestion not to mention the lack of romance.

I shot this as people swirled around these packages.  The fellows who have to move these carts up and down the stairs in the area were taking a much deserved coffee break.

One of our first stops was to purchase this Murano glass bracelet located next to the Rialto Bridge. I had spotted it the first time we were in the area but the shop was closed.

A snap I took of the Rialto Bridge.

The Rialto area is as popular as the Piazza San Marco.  It was mid morning and already busy with people crossing over to the other side of the Grand Canal.

The obligatory photo mid span of the bridge.  Once you cross over you are now in the San Polo district and that of Santa Croce.

Next stop was the famous Rialto Market. Of interest is that you are not allowed to touch the produce. You point and it is bagged for you, so no squeezing the avocados.  Photo by me.

So much fish to choose from and many I had never seen before. This is where the restaurants come to buy what we will be eating for dinner.  Everything is purchased fresh each day.  Photo by me.

There are a few areas along the Grand Canal where for 2 euros you can hire a gondolier to ferry you across rather than climb the bridge.  It is traditional to stand during the crossing.  The one time we were going to take one of these ( later in the day ),  the fellows were about to take a 10 minute break and we were tired so we took a water bus instead.  Photo by me.

Along here one just wanders through a warren of short and narrow alleys.  Walk a few yards and then another turn, another choice to go left or right.  Many many shops in this area both high end and souvenir as well as shops for the locals such a this candy shop as well as several bakeries and tiny cafes as well as the many gelato shops. Photo by me.

It was along here that I spotted this older local woman unlocking her door, her bag full of her morning purchases.

Our next stop was not planned but I just could not walk away from this lovely soft leather purse.  Later that evening at another shop near Piazza San Marco I bought a very small leather wallet, just enough for a few essential cards and bills and change.  I have only used this bag since I got home.  I love it and the color.

Of course Venice is known for Carnival and there are many shops selling masks. It is a popular souvenir.  These masks caught my attention.  I took so many photos at this shop.  This one and the next two photos are by me.

All the masks in the shop were designed and created by this gentleman.  He kindly gave me permission to take these photos.

So much detail.  I had to pull myself away and move on.

Once again we just went with the flow and somehow we ended up where we were headed.  Well there were a few corrections in direction here and there.  The first museum of the day was to be a short stop but is ended up being rather interesting and we stayed for quite some time.  We were at the 18th century Palazzo Mocenigo, click here for more information, as well there are several other links on the internet.  Frankly there are many many museums to see in Venice and if you don’t see it on your first trip then you can see it on your next, for there will certainly be another visit in your future.

The Mocenigo family were one of Venice’s oldest families and seven of them have been Doges and one of them a Pope. The rooms are set up to show what the house of a Venetian nobleman was like in the 17th and 18th centuries. The palace was fully restored in 2013 so it’s in beautiful condition.  Sadly there were no successors and the final Contessa gifted the family home to the City of Venice to be used as a museum.  This one as others have had, had cards to read about what you were seeing in each room.  So helpful and most engrossing.

Here is the current  Contessa sitting in a drawing room that once belonged to the Mocenigo Contessa.

From here we just kept following the meandering alleys in such a delightful and very different area of Venice.  We want to spend more time here on a future trip as it is laid back with few tourists.   While looking for a place to enjoy lunch we decided to have a gelato first, nothing wrong with having your dessert first 😉   It was a memorable stop as we sat on some steps leading down to a small canal and just enjoyed the ambiance.  We finally stopped for lunch at the perfect location.

This photo was in an earlier quickie post from Venice, but we really enjoyed our hour or so here. Fresh custom made panni and  perfect Spritz.  In fact we each had two.  Sadly as we sat here the weather changed and it began to drizzle.  So neat to watch the locals come in and order an espresso at the stand up bar and then they were off again.  This is a good time to mention that I ate a lot of bread with oil and balsamic vinegar not to mention all the pasta and I never gained weight.  All that walking kept things in balance.

We walked thru a light drizzle to our next museum, the Scuola Grandi di San Rocco.  This was not a part of our museum package and we paid 10 euro each to enter.  We later found out that there was a free concert that evening, a choir and orchestra from the USA.  We could have got in for free but that would not have allowed us to tour the museum.

Not only was it the Scuola Grandi di San Rocco Museum it had quite the grand staircase.  This is the second set of stairs.  Lovely murals along the staircase which we observed and discussed as we left several hours later.

I urge you Google this place.  It is grand beyond grand.  It has a very interesting history which involves a  US connection re funding hence the US concert later in the day. The ceiling features 50 Tintorettos completed between 1575 and 1587.  San Rocco was the patron saint of the plague stricken. The 1575-77 plague claimed the life of one – third of Venice’s population.  Tintoretto painted scenes of looming despair and last minute redemption.  The paintings are very dark but of great detail and depth.  There are mirrors available to use to avoid neck strain from looking up at the ceiling.

Up yet another double set of stairs one is allowed into the recently opened Tesoro ( Treasury ).  So many priceless pieces such as a coral candelabra and some 13th century Iranian lustreware.  This a relic, a piece of the body of some very very important Saint. I took this photo but I neglected to photograph the write up so I have no idea who it is.  I was beyond exhausted by this time.  Sorry Arizona Gal, I took this for you but…….regardless it was very special and held the place of honor among similar relics.

The entire time we were inside it poured rain.  We had neither jackets nor umbrellas although we did have both with us back at the apartment. The rain was a surprise.  Fortunately we only had to wait about ten minutes for the rain to stop and we were able to head back home.  We were both exhausted and Colin had a nap while I did one of my mini posts.  We then changed and headed to the Piazza San Marco and area which we were drawn to almost each evening.

We ended up sitting outside a wine bar/pub where we watched passersby and just relaxed and enjoyed a lovely meal.

Our plan had been to finish the evening enjoying a glass of wine and the music at the Piazza San Marco but with the off and on drizzle it was a dud and no one was playing.  All in all another long and wonderful day in Venice.

Must dash as it is 9:20PM and my dinner is about to come out of the oven.  If there are any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes please take it in stride 😆

 

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Jun 27, 2017

A dramatic day, we came close to losing our RV twice!

Yesterday morning I altered the direction of my walk.  The roads at the far end of the park were too wet due to the rising ground water.  A quick explanation for those not familiar with our water problems.  The lake we live on rose very quickly the beginning of May and then overnight it started to come over our patio and up to the house.  We were evacuated for over two weeks.  The creek that flows into our lake with the spring run off had so much force that it diverted from its normal path and created havoc.  The lake has receded but the creek no longer has a path to follow as its normal channel is full of debris so it is running free.  That has led to an enormous amount of ground water.  The creek is looking for somewhere to flow.  A good deal of it ended up in the storage facility here in the RV Park.  Many  stored RV’s had been evacuated but then it was too late to get any others out.  Ours was one of the few left behind and also one of the heaviest at 30,000 pounds.  It was a few weeks ago when we were told that we could not take it out.  Things have gotten worse.

Had I not deviated from my usual morning routine I would not have walked along the back path and discovered that somehow overnight our RV was now surrounded by water.  In fact we were only two inches away from water seeping into our basement.  I rushed home to tell Colin the news.  We went back in the golf cart so he could see for himself.  We immediately went to the office and asked to see the manager.  We asked him to please put on another pump to save out RV from damage.  He told us that there were no other pumps available in the city.  Not acceptable 👿 There was no way we were just going to sit back and see what might or might not happen.  We left and quickly formulated a plan.  We headed home and Colin called a tow truck.  While I checked about renting our own pumps to get rid of the water ( lots of pumps available for rent by the way…..I did leave a message about that for the manger  ), Colin went back to the RV  with a few neighbors to get their opinion.  The reason for the neighbors was also back up as no one was allowed in the storage lot at this time.

Here is the RV surrounded by ankle deep water.  Being a diesel pusher we sit low very close to the ground when the air bags are emptied and here we were just two inches away from water entering the RV.  I was at home when the phone rang, it was Colin’s cell phone calling me without his knowing.  He must have pushed the call button thru his pants pocket.  I heard him discussing with Barry and Clem that they should just move the RV now!  There was no way to communicate with him so I headed to a vantage point close to the storage lot.  Why didn’t he call to let me know?  Turns out he was just motivated to “move that bus” and didn’t think to call me.

Clem owns a trucking company and knows the ins and outs of these huge beasts.

Bit by bit he directed Colin to back up and turn with as little extra movement of the back tires as possible. This area had been wet for a brief period of time in the last few weeks but still wasn’t saturated as far as we knew but caution was required.

You can see by Clem’s feet how deep the water is.  Colin just kept backing up bit by bit.  Barry was on the other side directing the move.  The fellows had already walked the area and decided that it was safe to move the RV.

We had no idea how long the water was going to be there or if it would get worse so the decision was made to move to a slightly higher area that was not underwater.  I was frustrated to be standing on the back path simply observing the move.

Colin backed up just a bit more to the left of this photo and stopped to assess the next step while I hightailed it in the golf cart to the storage lot.  As you can see there are few RV’s in the lot as most had already left.  Well at least our RV was safe and out of the water.

After a brief meeting and hugs with Colin and letting him know about his phone I went home to get him some water and to pick up Steve.  Here they are looking at the road and discussing whether the RV make it or not, soft spots, etc.

Steve works at building roads and we value his opinion 100%.  Thank goodness he was home.  They are standing in one of the worst areas.  You can see to the right of the screen two cement curbs used to separate parking stalls, above and below the orange thing.  Steve moved them both out of the way and he and Colin determined that that was the path the RV should take for the right wheels.  Sadly Steve had to leave due to previous commitments so he was not there for the grand finale.

Meanwhile Colin had received a call that the tow truck was only 15 minutes away so he called Clem ( in the blue ) to come back and I snagged Robert to be a spotter.  The tow truck driver thought that Colin could manage on his own and WHEN he got stuck he affirmed that he could get him out.  Everyone was on the same page and so Colin proceeded.  At Rosalie’s suggestion ( she had dropped by earlier for a few minutes ) we used a piece of plywood that was nearby to place under the worst spot.  Steve and I agreed that we should have more plywood but the tow truck was there so it was time to hit the gas pedal.  Amazing how we all were going in and out of the area and yet no one was allowed to.

Colin had to go straight back before he could turn and avoid hitting that blue shed.

It was tricky to drive as well as direct, as the road was narrow and went soft…we have no idea where…. not to mention the noise of the diesel engine re communication.  I should explain that until late last week there was no gravel and it was all just a mud pit but 3 – 4 trucks of gravel were brought in but no one knew if it would hold the weight of our RV.  In fact the tractor that spread the gravel sunk in a few places.

…and then it happened.  During the turn the left front tire sank.

Right down to the chassis.  It was time to bring in the 36 foot tow truck waiting in the wings.

He backed in and as we were already backing up we were in a good position.  Quite the brute of a tow truck.

This is the fourth time we have been towed. The first time was by a dump truck in Acapulco ( now that is a good story ) and that tow cracked the back fiberglass cap as he just had a simple rope and didn’t know where to connect.  Walter the tow guy yesterday had a huge thickly cushioned rope and hooked it up to the tow hitch.  He and Clem got signals synced and it was time to winch up our RV.

I was told to move away in case the line broke away from the RV, so my photo angles are limited. Bit by bit, inch by inch, Colin was being pulled out of that sink hole.  His job was to steer as the brake was off and the RV was in neutral.

Poco a poco, terra firma was achieved.   Suddenly I realized that I had tears running down my cheeks.  There was just no that we could lose the RV in addition to the girls.  Saved for the second time in a few hours.

The line to the tow truck was removed and the truck moved up just a short way just in case he was needed again.  Meanwhile it was up to Colin with the continued direction of Clem and Robert to get the RV out of there.  You can see how close to the edge we still were.

Inch by inch, left, right and a bit more here or there, close on one side then the other.  Here we were on firm soil.

Finally out on the street.  Thank you all (  Clem, Barry, Steve, Rosalie and Robert ),  for your advice, expertise, guidance and for being such wonderful neighbors.

From the first call to Mario’s Towing to getting out of the storage lot took about two hours.  It seemed like forever to me.  We then had to pay the driver and find a spot to park the RV.  We could not take it home as the park was in the process of cutting up sections of the main road and re asphalting.  We temporarily parked in the front lot, went home and at 2:15PM ate something for the first time that day.  My steps were already over 10,000.  With clearer heads we decided to take the RV back to Freightliner on the Westside.  On May 8th we had removed it from them before our servicing was complete as we needed a place to stay while evacuated.  That took till about 4:30PM and by then we realized that we were still hungry so we went out for some Japanese salmon teriyaki and veggie tempura and a few glasses of wine.  Finally back home I collapsed into a lump.  It was quite the day but we did save our RV not once, but twice.  At the moment I don’t care what happens to the rest of the storage lot, we have our RV out and that is all that matters.  Now we know that for certain, we will be able to head to Mexico in October.  Seriously there had been some doubt that that might happen based on the water in the storage lot.

Management and staff told us it could not be done and refused to allow us to do it.  However it was time and we did it 😀

We do have Good Sam Roadside Assistance but in all the drama we didn’t think to call until after the tow truck had been called.  Good Sam told me that I could put in a claim after the fact which I did this morning.  Hopefully we will get some of our $300.00 back.  If not, no matter, it was worth every dollar to get our RV back.

I’m beginning to wonder when I will ever get back to my Venice posts.

Was it just a dream?

 

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Jun 25, 2017

Que pasa summer update

We are well over our jet lag and have settled into a nice easy going summer routine of sorts.  Life is different without the girls, we tend to flow through the day with no set times.  We don’t have to walk at a certain time such as before it gets too hot, nor eat at a set time.  They created our routine.  So now if we eat dinner at 7:00 PM or 8:30PM, so be it.  We even had Copper River salmon one more time since we returned from Venice.  It was priced at $49.99//kg rather than $89.99/kg which was $20.00 less for the piece of fish we got, a very good deal for a delicious meal.  Just a few days ago we grilled a fresh  Sockeye salmon fillet.  It was excellent but not in the same league as the Copper River.

Lots of activity on the lake. This must be a late addition.

I have started walking again and rarely get stopped now with someone asking where the girls are.  It doesn’t take much to make me tear up and sometimes it is just a memory of doing a certain walk with the girls.  Depending on jobs Colin sometimes will walk with me.

The Jeep with it’s decorative chrome tow bars.

The RV remains a hostage in the water logged storage lot.  Things have not improved at all and some days are a lot worse than others. Everything still looks like the photos I took in this post.  The other day I had to detour around three blocks as the water running down the streets was too deep.  So many residents are using their own pumps to pump out the water from their yards and from under their homes which adds to the runoff in the street.  We are totally on top of the situation and found out that a new bunch of professionals had just been brought in to discuss the matter.  A new plan has been put into effect although we see nothing new at this point and they have asked us to be patient until the middle of July.  Colin is in contact with the management here every few days.  He asked them to build a road for us to get our RV out and we implied some legal action.  If in Mexico in the middle of nowhere they can build a road out of pipes in a totally washed out section of the road strong enough for buses and RV’s like ours to get through they should be able to do something here.

Those had to be replaced with a proper tow assembly.  We also had to add a brake buddy to the package due to the weight of the Jeep.  However we are happy to have such a sturdy vehicle as a toad.  Now if only we can get both the RV and the Jeep together for the final installation of wiring.

Ferne, one of the RVers at Tres Amigos was in Kelowna this weekend giving a talk at an RV seminar on RVing in Europe.  I wonder how much cheaper that would be?  I guess it depends on your destination.

We recently discovered that the person we had given our bedding plants to when we were evacuated in early May gave them to someone else to care for as he went on vacation. Through miscommunication it turns out that our bedding plants, all $150.00 worth,  had been given away to a number of people.  So we headed to a a nursery yesterday that had an end of season 2 for 1 sale on.  Love their petunia trees.

Our patio was looking sad so we decided to get a few plants to cheer it up. Cheap and cheery. We got plants for all eight pots for $33.50.

After planting them we sat on our front patio with a lovely chilled glass of Pinot Grigio. It was a 33C day and it was lovely to sit and relax.

You can see a few of the pots at the lakeside edge of the patio. Once they start to flower I will show you how they look.

We often would sit out there with the girls.  After chatting for a bit I read and Colin played with his chess game.

An Isla sunset.

I will return to Venice in the next post.

 

 

 

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Jun 23, 2017

Second day in Venice ~ Part 2 which ended in total fulfillment

We had planned to do the traditional 40 minute gondola ride despite the high cost but it just didn’t appeal to either of us.  There was boat after boat after boat and it just seemed so very commercial and certainly not romantic.  Even before we left Canada for Venice, as we watched this webcam,  which is on the same canal as and just before the Bridge of Sighs, we began to wonder if it was the right thing for us.

Gondoliers are easily found in Venice and some areas seem to be overrun with them.

One day as we were searching for the location of the building I will talk about in this post, we saw bumper to bumper gondolas.  Most were mere inches from each other.  In fact we did see two collide on two separate occasions.  We stood in this spot for about 15 minutes and decided that it was not for us.  Seriously, it reminded us of a Disney ride.  Not worth the 80 – 100 euros for 40 minutes.  It wasn’t the cost, we would have willingly paid it, but the portrayed experience was dismal and not what one reads about in all the Venice travel information.

This was taken the day prior and at an earlier time of day, the gondolas were lining up, bumper to bumper.  I do have to say that it was a great location to watch and listen as almost every third boat had an accordion player and a singer.  A great location to just stop and watch the parade and listen to the music.  Good thing we came the day ahead as it was 6 or 7 different bridges with some odd back and forth to find the place….um the palace.

The white building on the left is called the Palazzo ( or Palace ) Barbarigo Minotto and is owned by a Countess or a Contessa, a title of Italian nobility used in Italy.  This particular Contessa lives in another Palazzo in Venice and rents this home out.  Sadly this one is slowly sinking into the Grand Canal.

At the moment the Musica @ Palazzo is occupying this palace…. www.dictionary.com/browse/palazzo1. an impressive public building or private residence; palace. Origin of palazzo. < Italian: literally, palace.  Per Wikipedia……..

…..Musica a Palazzo is a cultural association of classical musicians who, since 2005, have produced opera performances staged in the Palazzo Barbarigo Minotto, a Venetian Gothic palace facing the Grand Canal. The piano nobile of the palace, with its backdrop of frescoes by Tiepolo and sculptures by Carpoforo Tencalla, is its main performing space.[1] The performing style follows the 19th-century Italian practice of “Salotto Musicale” (Musical Salon). The operas are performed without a stage, with the audience becoming part of the scene.[2][3]

The program alternates famous operas, such as Verdi’s La traviata and Rossini’s The Barber of Seville,[4] with Duetti d’amore, a selection of love duets from La bohème, Tosca, Don Giovanni, Rigoletto and other popular operas.

When I had checked the Trip Advisor top ten and the operas came up, it was a given.  We actually booked the opera and the date before we left Kelowna.  The price was of no matter to me as this was a primary and most important thing to do in Venice, at least for me.  I love opera and my Mom had sung with the Edmonton Opera Association and I had attended umpteen performances growing up and long thereafter and still do and had even sung in the children’s chorus in Carmen.  The cost to see this opera in Venice, actually the word is to experience this opera, is 85 euros each.  Well worth every penny.

We ( actually I ) had chosen to see La Traviata.  Sorry but I could not get this to come up in a link.  The above depicts the opera we saw and how it was performed in three different rooms of the Palazzo.  I love how this opera was first performed at the Teatro La Fenice in 1853 which was only two blocks/alleys away from our apartment and we passed it each day.

Ready for our very special evening, dressed in pearls, diamonds and rhinestones.  The Palazzo is just behind us, where the two tiny yellow lights are.

The scene of the first act.  Guests are seated wherever they can find a chair.  If you come early as we did you can actually be a part of the act.  To the extreme right of the photo next to and just above the candelabra ( real candles by the way ) is a mirror in which Violetta looks at herself and sings about how pale she looks.  I was sitting right next to the table that the mirror is positioned above.  Of course we had no idea how close to the action that we would be.  The floor was decidedly slopping to the right of the room and if you look closely you might detect that the ceiling it tilting very much to the right.  The door to the left did not close properly and hung at an angle.  We did feel like we were sloping as we sat in our chairs.  No wonder the  Italian Contessa moved to another home and is renting this one out.

There are no photos allowed during the performance.  This was not a proper full first act but mostly the arias with minimal props.  It was truly lovely having the female lead soprano and the male lead tenor directly in front of you.  You could not help but be caught up in the moment of the music, their voices and the fact that they were just a few feet away from you.  Something you never experience in a real theater.  It was mesmerizing to say the least.  Then Violetta came to the mirror and sang her heart out as she saw her pallor and wondered if she was ill.  Of course I knew the story and somehow I seemed to understand the words as she sang them, mere inches away from me.  If I had moved I would have touched her gown.  Pure enjoyment.  Then Violetta decides to throw her sorrows to the side and the tempo and her voice pick up as she pours champagne into about 6  or 7 glasses.  She then begins to distribute the champagne, all the while singing, to the audience.  She gave me her third glass. I was overwhelmed.  She then held up her glass, looked at me and offered a toast, I toasted her back and so ended the first act. So very very emotional as I knew that she was faking her happiness for the benefit of her guests attending the ball in that first act.  I was speechless and close to tears.

Intermission was in yet another room of the palace but we we too emotional to take photos.  Champagne was being offered to everyone.  I had not one but two more small glasses in addition to my very very special first glass.  I was floating and totally happy with the evening. There was no way it could get better.

The second act was in yet another wonderful room. We were late to to enter and sat in the second row.  This was good as I could better listen to the voices, observe the drama, acting and facial expressions, not to mention the singing and the overall interaction of the singers.  In this act Alfredo’s father, Giorgio, ( baritone ) was added to the scene.  As I had written earlier I have attended many operas and a few La Traviatas.  I have to say that this Violetta was the very best ever.  I was beyond impressed.  This particular scene was so emotional  with tears running down her cheeks.  You could see the raw emotion that she was experiencing as she sung.  And then the savage end to the act  as Alfredo flung his gambling earnings at her feet as he humiliates and denounces her in front of her guests…us in the audience.  I think that anyone who had never attended an opera before could not help but be moved.  Totally heart – stirring.

The third act takes place in Violetta’s bedroom where she dies at the end of the story.  What is amazing is that we are in an actual bedroom in a Palazzo on the Grand Canal.  We were seated in the front row in the two seats just above the word ‘where’ in the first sentence.  It is not easy to see but the walls here did not meet the ceiling.  This Palazzo is sadly doomed unless a great deal of money is infused into the property.

I won’t go into a great deal of detail as to the story line but suffice to day that Violetta is ill and gets in and out of bed and collapses here and there, all  the while singing her heart out.  At one point she gets up from the floor and…from the internet…

Dr. Grenvil tells Annina that Violetta will not live long since her tuberculosis has worsened. Alone in her room, Violetta reads a letter from Alfredo’s father telling her that the Baron was only wounded in his duel with Alfredo; that he has informed Alfredo of the sacrifice she has made for him and his sister; and that he is sending his son to see her as quickly as possible to ask for her forgiveness. But Violetta senses it is too late (Violetta: Addio, del passato bei sogni ridenti – “Farewell, lovely, happy dreams of the past”).

So as she sings this farewell aria, Violetta is acting and moving about…..suddenly she comes and stands before me and grasps my hands from my lap and holds them up between us as she sings, impeaching in my mind for me to understand her loss and how very alone she is.  She sings for a minute or two or three with my hands clasped in hers……as she starts to move away, with her eyes and her hands she implores me to help her.  At that moment there is no one in the room but her and I.  I am stricken that I can’t help her……so very very slowly she slips her hands away from me ( which are held mid air between us ) all the while imploring me to help her.  I keep holding my hands out to her as she backs away…..I am in the moment, a part of the act.

Shortly thereafter the act ends. Tears are streaming down my face.  I have a severe pain in my heart.  My mind flits to my mother and back to the moment.

I am in Venice.  Magic has happened.  I can’t stop crying.  In fact as other audience members come up to say how fortunate I was or to congratulate me all I could do was cry on their shoulder.  It took me a few hours before I settled down.  I told that Colin that I could die happy.  Now that was a magical evening.

This Canadian Contessa was more then impressed to have been a part of this enchanted evening in a Palazzo owned by the Italian Contessa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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