Thanksgiving 2015

For Thanksgiving we went on a Caribbean cruise.  It didn't seem very much like Thanksgiving but it was nice to get away and K really needed to break.  She did spend a lot of time studying while we were on our trip.  We started in San Juan and stopped in St Barts, St Kitts and Tortola.  We were supposed to stop in Turks and Caicos but it was too rough.  So we ended up with 3 days at sea.  K got in extra study time and I read a lot.  

When we got back we got two more foster kittens.  I think we are starting to loose track of how many kittens we have fostered!

The food on the boat was pretty institutional so K was happy to get some heathy, fresh good food.  Clean plate club!

Homecoming

I was shocked when my non girlie girl decided to go to homecoming!  I saw a dress online and I was even more shocked when she liked the dress.  She did not want anything too short or anything hanging out.  She drew a line in the sand when I offered to buy some high heels.  She wore her Ferragamos (that's my girl!)  Love her sock tan!

Time Flies

We finished off our summer with a trip to visit and cousins and an afternoon at the county fair.  K swears she was almost kidnapped by carnies!  The ride operator did let her ride some awful ride for a really long time.  Yikes!

And them 9th grade started!  K is not a morning person!

We fostered this sweet Boykin, she was a rescue from a puppy mill.  She was very sick and thin when we got her but with a lot of TLC she blossomed into a funny, friendly girl.  If I ever get another dog I think it would be a Boykin.  They are wonderful dogs.  Actually, if I ever mention getting another dog please schedule an intervention.

And In Other News

We fostered another kitten who had a respiratory infection.  Bert was a perfect gentleman and shared his treats but did not want to wrestle.

We went to the beach for the 4th of July.

We have an exchange student from France for a few weeks.  Because everyone needs another teenager who wants to sit around and text and watch tv all day.

And we are fostering this little cutie who got hit by a car.

Zurich

Our final stop was Zurich.  We took the train from Como and spent the night and flew home the next day.  I had planned what I hoped would be a fun activity-Fox Trails.  You follow the trail of a fox from clue to clue.  It might have been doable if we were at all familiar with Zurich.  At one point we had to take a tram-we were not at all familiar with the tram system.  We ended up going to wrong way and wasted a lot of time.  The next few clues were doable but then we had to find a street that we could not find.  The was a tip line we could call and the woman's response was "Everyone knows that street."  Thanks!  Swiss people!  It was getting late so we decided to give up and have dinner.  K had spotted a Wagamama earlier in the day.  On our way back from dinner, K discovered the street we had been looking for!  We completed a few more clues.  One involved finding a bottle of whiskey in the window of a bar.  The next clue was in a courtyard-the maitre d in a restaurant pointed us in the right direction.   He was probably tired of people roaming through the restaurant looking for the clue.  The next clue involved another tram ride and at that point we quit.  It would be fun to do again!  We decided that we would have to start earlier in the day, have a city map with us and a fully charged cell phone.  Poor K was biting her nails at one point and I realized that there is nothing more that I hate than being lost and looking for things.  What was I thinking????

Don't know what this ad was for?  The train ride from Como To Zurich was beautiful-I think K stopped playing Candy Crush and looked out the window once.

K's shirt is of an Andy Warhol painting that she bought at the Guggenheim museum in Venice.

Lake Como

Our days in Lake Como were filled with long, late lunches and shopping.  It poured in the late afternoons so we retreated to our room and read.  We loved the leisurely pace that our life took on.

The day we were left was picture perfect.

Rainy Days

After a wonderful time of lounging around in Lake Garda we headed to Lake Come.  We had the first rainy,  cool weather of the trip.  We (I) decided to take a little drive to Lake Orta.  WE planned to take a boat ride in Stressa but the weather was not co-operating.  We had a lunch reservation at Villa Crespi in Orta San Guilio.  K is such a good sport-she is an adventurous eater and rarely tries anything that she doesn't like.  She doesn't like main courses that are sweet.  I am not crazy about that type of food either.  I say there is always something on every menu that you can eat.  

I wish I could have bought everything in this place.

Love a little purse stool.

Bread choices.  

Cuttlefish appetizer.  Interesting texture.  Don't know that I would order it again.

My main course.  Fish-don't remember what type.

K's "banana split."

My chocolate desert.

Extra deserts.  Wonder if anybody eats these???

More of those cool light balls.

Villa Crespi.

Lake Garda

Our next stop was Lake Garda for some serious relaxing!   We had big sight seeing plans but ended up not leaving our hotel.  The view was fabulous, the pool was perfect for relaxing and escaping the heat and the food was amazing!  Now we need to make some plans to go back and do some sightseeing.

Our lovely hotel

Loved the pool 

I could get used to listening to the church bells 

Venice

Our final stop was Venice.  Always break taking, always amazing!  Highlights of this visit were a trip to the Peggy Guggenheim museum, an evening at Musica Palazzo and lunch at the Cipriani with cousins Heidi and Ted.  We also spent a lot of time at our local pharmacist-blisters, allergies and seemed like we had a different need at least twice a day.  And did I mention the pharmacist was really cute but that had nothing to do with it.

The Musica Palazzo was really enjoyable.  K had never been to an opera and this was a perfect starter opera.  It was held in a beautiful palazzo and each act was in a different room so you changed rooms with each act.  There was an intermission that included champagne and the whole thing only lasted two hours.  We saw Barber of Seville.  The singers were really talented, funny and engaged the audience.   I highly recommend this if you are in Venice.

On our final day Heidi and Ted arrived in Venice and we all had lunch at the Cipriani.  It was so tranquil and beautiful and the food was fabulous.  You know you are in trouble when the bill comes in a gold box!

Lunch at Psis at our hotel

Pigeon whacker device provided by the hotel at breakfast.  They also provided squirt guns-see them in the background.

Guy in the background was getting really carried away with his squirt gun

Rooftop deck at the Bauer Il Palazzo where we stayed.  Most amazing place for breakfast!

Courtyard at the Peggy Guggenheim museum.  It was sooo hot!

On the way to the Cipriani for lunch.

K went vegetarian on this trip.  Vegetable risotto.

I had fish.

Chocolate souffle with pistachio ice cream

Gold box that the check arrived in

Gardens at the Cipriani.  It was so nice to be out of the heat and crowds of Venice.  The number of selfie sticks was astronomical!