Training for a Belt Buckle

Long drive today as we drove up to Venice.  What a terrific city!  We started out with a gondola ride and one of our gondolas had an accordian player and singer on it.  Our local guide then walked us throught the labarynths of streets to St. Mark's Square. It was pretty cold out, so I picked up an Italia sweatshirt that became my companion from then on. We finished up the day with a private boat tour for about 2 miles along the Grand Canal.

I speed walked for a mile this morning in order to say I got some mileage in while in Venice.

Today was a VED (Very Expensive Day). We started off with a water taxi over to Venice then a tour and exhibition of the Murano glass factory.  I then went hog wild with the credit card and bought six beautiful vases and 2 tumblers that will be delivered in a month or two.

We took a side tour over to the island of Burano for lunch.  This island is where I could spend a long time living (although the running might be kind of hard). Each house/building is painted in a different bright color.  We had a fabulous seafood lunch and I fell in love with Risotto with shrimp!  A little more shopping - because Burano is famous for its lace. We even walked the whole length of the island - it takes about 10 minutes.

Back on the bus for a drive to the lake district for the night. I walked about 2 miles during a rest break in the little town of Garda along Lake Garda.

We had 50 minutes after pulling into the hotel in Lake Garda for the night, so I threw on my running gear and took off for a quick 3 mile run.  It felt so good to be running again.  My knees are really suffering (the ITB bands are swollen) from hours of walking on uneven pavement and cobblestones and marble.

Today was another VED because we started out at the Peruzzi leather factory. I bought a purple belt, some driving gloves and a leather purse.  We toured another fantastic church (can't remember the name at the moment) and took a tour through most of old Florence.  

I skipped the extra tour that night and ran 6 miles around the outskirts of Florence and over the Ponte Vecchio. Then I took a bath and walked another mile and a half around our hotel and the River Arno.

Back to Naples today.  My son-in-law joined us in Rome and we picked up his mother and grandmother at the airport.  They were coming in from touring England, the Azores and the Phillipines.  I got to walk a lot around airports and carried two 50 pound suitcases up and down stairs and onto trains.  

My daughter took her in-laws over to the commisary and NEX.  Since the car was full of people, I ran over there and met them and then ran back.  Did the same later in the day when my son-in-law took them over there.

I ran twice around the base this morning - once in both directions.  It rained for several hours last night, so is a lot cooler and the humidity has dropped.  After that, I stopped by for some gatorade, a potty break and went out again.  I was hoping to do 12-15 miles, but ran around the high school track for 4 miles and had to make some emergency potty breaks, so decided to head back to my dauther's house.

We went out this afternoon and bought some chocolates, nutella, and risotto mixes (my new love) and I have packed and weighed my suitcases.  I am taking back a full suitcase and a dufflebag (only came with the suitcase) and we shipped off two boxes full of books, pasta and chocolate yesterday. 

I am filling out postcards today and hope to do another few miles walking around base tonight.

It has been a pleasure to run around Italy - but I am ready to come home and let my knees and ankles quit hurting and get my stomach back to food it is used to. It has loved the new food in one way - but my digestive track has not loved it in others.

Later: Walked 3.5 miles around base to put my postcards in the mail and kill time.