Last day in Venice, Italy

Dany and I enjoyed a lovely meal along a quiet canal.

This is my black spaghetti colored with squid juice. It was good but the taste is similar to regular spaghetti.

On my early morning stroll through the Cannareggio neighborhood it was nice to see the city so quiet.



Lots of people seem to have personal boats.





Those Italian men must be disgusting!

Riva Del Garda, Italy

We arrived in Riva late afternoon by ferry from the far end of Lake Garda. After leaving Vicenza by train, only an hour away, we arrived at Peschiera and found we had four hours before the ferry departed for Riva. We killed time as best we could, strolled through the massive fortress which still has a water-filled moat, rented lounge chairs and an umbrella at the beach and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. 

The next day we hiked up the mountain for three hours, finding fantastic views over Lake Garda, and snacking in the shade.



Dany, my 21 year old granddaughter from Ecuador. She is a great travel companion!



Sailboats on Lake Garda.

The trail was really steep.

We were treated to fireworks 💥 because it was the last night of a festival. 

Big brother terrorizes little sister and brother!

So what is new?

Oh it will be fun! You get on and we will push you! Right off the cliff.

Driving his stick horse with a whip!

Scaring the wits out of the little ones. That is a time-honored tradition.


Tackling the family parrot. He is just fearless!

Dinner in Venice

My granddaughter from Ecuador is traveling with me in Italy for ten days. She is a lovely person.

Italian wine in the store in Venice

It is really, really cheap!

My sketchbook diary, Prague and Salzburg

museum Salzburg Austria

Near the Mirabelle Gardens I wandered into this small, delightful, and free, museum . I loved all the curvy art pieces.











The dwarves are outside the museum, of course.

The Dwarf Garden Salzburg, was created in 1715 by Prince Archbishop Franz Anton Harrach. Many of these dwarf statues were modeled after dwarves who lived in the court and served as entertainers to the archbishop. The rest were inspired by peasants and foreigners, Thank goodness these people are not treated as such today.

Salzburg, Austria, walking the downtown.

The Marble Room, where couples come from all over, mostly Europe and China, to wed.

Marble Statutes in perpetual drama in the marble palace. This is a local marble from the nearby mountains.



The polished little butt, patted by thousands of hands over the centuries.





Marble drama continues in the Mirabelle Gardems,