The shot above was taken shortly after takeoff from Frankfurt, Germany.
As we neared Venice, there were many waterways & little in the way of land as you can see in this picture. It almost makes one wonder why they built the city below sea level in the first place!
After about ten hours of combined flights and an hour drive from the Venice Airport, we arrived in San Quirino, a small town near the Aviano Air Force Base where Jedd is stationed. Heidi is pointing it out here on the map of Italy. It took me a little more than a day to catch up on the sleep I missed on the flights, & I finally feel clear-headed again!
Jedd & Heidi live "on the economy" which means they do not live in Air Force base housing. Their four-bedroom apartment is in a gated complex in the town of San Quirino shared by Italians & American service men and women. The village of San Quirino lies on a plain of nearly flat green farmland, about 100 km. northeast of Venice. Not at all flat, and visible on a clear day, some 60 km. to the north, are the slopes and soaring peaks of the beautiful Dolomite Mountains, foothills of the Alps.
My son, Jedd & grandson Colton share some family moments in their home.
Later Sunday evening, the whole family went to dinner at Alpino's in the town of Aviano. The restaurant is also a hotel where Jedd & Heidi stayed for several months when they first came to Italy. The young man on the far left is Matt, Heidi's cousin, who is also in the Air Force in Aviano. To Matt's right is Vince Stone, Heidi's father, with Heidi on his right. Colton (grandson #1) is at the end of the table. Jedd is holding Baby Jack. Trudy Stone, Heidi's mom, is on Jedd's right, & yours truly is at the end of the table.
Italy is, of course, known for it's food, so I thought you might like to hear about some of the things we eat while we are here. The first picture is a dish called Bresaola which is a cured procuito-type meat topped with a salad mixture, olive oil, pepper, and lemon juice. This was one of the main courses preceeded by an assortment of pasta dishes and soups. It is interesting (if not less appetizing) to note that one of the pasta choices was topped with sweet donkey meat! Heidi said it actually quite good!
The pork tenderloin with cheese & artichokes was marvelous!
Italy is, of course, known for it's food, so I thought you might like to hear about some of the things we eat while we are here. The first picture is a dish called Bresaola which is a cured procuito-type meat topped with a salad mixture, olive oil, pepper, and lemon juice. This was one of the main courses preceeded by an assortment of pasta dishes and soups. It is interesting (if not less appetizing) to note that one of the pasta choices was topped with sweet donkey meat! Heidi said it actually quite good!The pork tenderloin with cheese & artichokes was marvelous!
The weather here is in the balmy 50's but still considered winter. I actually saw someone planting a garden on the drive here, and that makes me ready for spring. Lee tells me they are expecting a winter storm tonight with snow & ice in Pennsylvania, so I don't think I'll be starting a garden anytime soon!
Stay tuned for more in a day or two!
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