Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Torino Update

Back at the Internet cafe.

After updating the blog (and trying to convince the security guard at the door that my camera had come in with me and wasn't being lifted from the store) we headed to the Mole Antonelliana - Turin's answer to the CN Tower back home. Originally built as the city's synagogue it now houses the national cinema museum.

Our entrance was free with our Torino card. We decided to take the elevator to the top as the first order of business. The glass box was lifted from above through the cavernous interior up through a hole in the roof. Getting off of the elevator we were treated to a fantastic view of Torino and the alps in the distance.

Back down on the main level of the museum we enjoyed one of the most fascinating series of exhibits I have ever seen. Each genre of movie was there, each with its own theatre which served as a metaphor for the genre (i.e. an old style salon was playing a Western, a huge red velvet bed had a romance movie playing on the wall). In the centre of the main floor rows and rows of red velvet couches, each fitted with an individual speaker - sort of like a reclining drive in. We lay back and watched the movies to the point where we almost fell asleep!

This was a sign that it might be time to head back to the B and B for a nap! When we left the cinema museum there was a bit of irony awaiting us - they were shooting a real movie right on the street. There is no truth to the nasty rumour now circulating Turin that a couple of confused Canadians walked onto a movie set causing the director to shout, no truth at all.

I think that we're finally starting to get our bearings. We wandered back to the B and B (stopping for gelato en route of course!) without an difficulty. We crashed for a few hours and then decided to head out for dinner.

We ended up at a Venetian wine bar. Of course we had left the slowtravel menu translator at the room so we only recognized 1 or 2 things on the menu. We ordered and of course managed to muddle things up - all a part of the adventure. The chicchetti was fabulous - tiny anchovies, whole shrimps, and calamari with a number of other treats. For our mains Paul ordered polenta with some mystery fish on it, I had huge gamberi fritte. It is a bit disconcerting to have them show up on your plate with the eyes staring up at you but we managed to persevere.

We wandered around the Roman quarter a bit before heading back to the room for a well deserved sleep.

I think we were exhausted because we slept in until almost 9! We got reading in a flash because breakfast is only served until 10.

Today threatens to be cloudy so we decided it was another museum day. First though we had to visit the market. The Porta Palazzo market is Europe's largest outdoor market and was a complete feast for the senses.

After the market we popped into the Cathedral of San Lorenzo which was started by Guarini in 1666. The vaulted dome was an incredible feat of architecture at the time and was impressive even today.

Next up was the Palazzo Madama - a mixture of styles and construction that was 'slapped' together over 200 years. Restored and reopened in 2006 it now features the museum of Civic Arts. The exhibits trace decorative arts from the 1500s to the present age. All housed in a beautiful structure that was the former home of the Queen's mother - talk about ornate style her bedroom was as big as our house!

By the time we had had enough of the art we were famished. We managed to find a pizza shop which is supposed to have the best pizza in Turin (according to Eugenia Bell, anyway). It was bloody excellent. No need for a repeat of yesterday's 40 euro lunch - today was a quick slab of pizza and a drink eaten on a rock for 4 euro.

Time to head out before I run out of time and loose everything!

Hello from Torino

Hello from Torino.

I'm trying this again. At the Internet cafe you buy time. In between the European keyboard and my poor typing I ran out of  time and lost my initial post. ARGH

We arrived in Turin at 2 yesterday after uneventful flights. Grabbing a cab we were whisked into the city to our B and B which is located on the Piazza Savoia.

After traveling for hours we were exhausted but it wasn't anything a shower and shave wouldn't cure. Fortified, we went out to explore the city. It was great to pop into churches, view the Roman gates to the old city, and window shop. In the middle of our self-guided tour we reacquainted ourselves with the joys of real gelato! YUM

By 6 we were fading so we popped back to the B and B and napped for a couple of hours before dinner. We didn't do anything fancy for dinner - we wouldn't have appreciated it in our jet lagged state. There was a great pizza restaurant on the square which was full of local folks enjoying a night out. What a treat to sit on the square under the stars, surrounded by lush greenery, and happy Italians all talking (and gesturing) happily.

The pizza was bloody amazing as well! I had a calzone stuffed with fresh ricotta, provolone, and salami.  The other bonus? The house wine, better than any house wine back home, was 6 euro for a litre.

By 10 the jet lag was back and we crashed, sleeping soundly until 7:30.

Today is cloudy so we decided it was 'museum day'. This morning was the incredible Egyptian museum - the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo. At the museum I was happy to see that Italian school groups behave the same as my students used to when I dragged them throughout museums! This afternoon we will visit the famous cinema museum.

We had lunch on the Piazza San Carlo at the Cafe Torino - the famous haunt of Cavour himself. We feasted on pasta, salad, and of course, more wine. I can see why Turin is famous for its food!

One last comment before I sign off (I am getting looks from a bored Paolo) - there has been an ongoing debate on the slowtravel message board about whether or not tourists needed to carry their passports around with them. I can say that I have had to show mine 4 times in the past 24 hours so I guess we can put that discussion to bed. LOL

Italians vs Europeans

By all rights we should be in Torino right now.

Capital of western Alps and Piedmont Region, Torino was founded 2,300 years ago by the Taurini Gauls, a celtic tribe, and was a Roman military camp called “Augusta Taurinorum” in the early Roman period. Taurus is latin for bull, and the bull, still today, is the symbol of the city.

In the Middle Ages the Savoys, Lords from the  French Region of the same name, began to extend their ambitions towards the most important territories in Piedmont. Since the 17th century and up to the mid 20th century, it has been the seat of the Savoy Dynasty. In the 19th century, Torino was the first capital of the Italian Kingdom after the unification.

Nowadays it is a modern industrial and commercial City, the seat of Fiat and many other industries as well as the home of the famous Martini, Cinzano and Carpano Vermouth. Torino also boasts artistic churches, buildings and well-known museums. The most important of these is the Egyptian Museum, the 2nd largest in the world after the one in Cairo. The large harmonious squares, the straight avenues lined with trees, the sober streets with arcades give the City an appereance of noble and charming elegance.

Beside being famous for their wide selection of typical regional food and wines like Barolo, Barbaresco and Dolcetto, Piedmont and Torino are well-known also for their hors-d’oeuvres and “pasticceria” (small pastries, friandises, chocolate). In the historical cafès once (Baratti & Milano, Al Bicerin, Torino, San Carlo, Pepino, Mulassano, Fiorio) visited by aristocracy, artists and poets, one can still enjoy some of the old recipes and live the athmosphere of the past centuries.

The City, which recently hosted the 2006 Olimpic Winter Games, is set to accept new important challenges: in 2008 Torino will be the first World Design Capital turning itself once again into a fundamental international destination.

It will be 2:35 when we arrive in the city. I know my body will be screaming from exhaustion. I am not sure how I will feel about blogging after being on planes through the night. I do hope to blog from the road but today isn't the day!

In preparation for this I decided to feature one of my favourite clips - Italians vs Europeans by the comedian Bruno Bozzetto - you learn a good deal about the Italian psyche by watching this. Yes, there is some exaggeration - but only some!

We're Off!

It is finally here - departure day! I'm not sure what will happen to the counter at the side once we have left but I can deal with that when I run into an internet cafe somewhere.

The airways transit shuttle service picks us up at 4:30. This seems ridiculously early for an 8:30 flight but who am I to quibble. I just want to get to the flipping airport! If we have two hours during which to lounge about the Air Canada lounge at least we will be comfortable!

I booked our flights on Orbitz back in February. The tickets cost about $ 1300 each including all taxes and surcharges at the time. The cost was less than when we flew to Rome last but more than what other flights were going for. However, it was an open jaw ticket with the times we wanted so I went for it. Sometimes you have to pay more to get the convenience that you want.

Arrival in Turin:

Air Canada 890

Depart:	8:25pm evening	Toronto, Canada Toronto Pearson International (YYZ)
Arrive:	11:00am morning	Rome, Italy Rome Intercontinental Airport Leonardo da Vinci (FCO)

Change planes. Time between flights: 2hr 20min

Alitalia 1417

Depart:	1:20pm afternoon	Rome, Italy Rome Intercontinental Airport Leonardo da Vinci (FCO)
Arrive:	2:35pm afternoon	Turin, Italy Turin Citta Di Torino (TRN)

Total duration: 12hr 10min | Total miles: 4743 miles.

We return from Florence on June first routed through Munich.

Incidentally - the same ticket on orbitz right now is now about $ 1900. OUCH

A few days ago I posted about packing lightly (not something I adhere to at all!). I defy anyone to fit all of this into a carry on:

You'll notice Victor sound asleep on a freshly dry cleaned shirt (one he later vomited on, ARGH). Heck - just my shoes alone would fill a carry on (running shoes, sandals, dress shoes, casual walking shoes). Add to that 2 pairs of jeans, cords, casual pants, dress pants, 2 shorts, bathing suits and on and on and you'll get the picture.

Just packing the empty wine carriers (soon to be full of lovely brunellos and barolos) took up half of the space in our luggage.

Everything has wheels so we will be fine. Of course, the only challenge will be fitting it all into the rental car. :-)

I am a bit out of sorts. I have about 9 hours to go and little to occupy my time. I am too organized and requires some sort of major panic attack before it feels like we're going away.

I will be blogging from the road whenever I can find an Internet cafe or if my iTouch can pick up on a wireless signal. I've put together a bunch of 'canned posts' to fill in the spaces when I can't find a connection. I don't have a clue how to manage photos though - i have brought just about every cable I own so hopefully something will work.

See you soon!

Packing

Six days to go. I need to think about packing . . .

Palma has already packed her bags and weighed them to see if they will be accepted on a plane without penalty.

Me? I am making lists . . .

One of the great on going debates  discussion on the slowtravel community message board generally revolves around packing. There are those who swear by their ability to pack enough clothing for an entire three week European adventure in a carry on bag. We are not in that camp. No, not evening close.

I see nothing to be gained by rinsing out my jockey shorts each evening with shampoo and hanging them to dry in the window.

Someone posted this a few weeks back:

We just returned from one week in Paris, and it (a BACKPACK) performed very well. I was able to pack a pair of jeans, a pair of chinos, two polos, two long sleeve button down shirts, one sweater, one pair of shoes, six pairs of socks, six pairs of boxers, one heavy jacket, three under shirts, one long sleeve tee, one short sleeve, tee, a pair of mesh shorts, two books, four magazines, shaving kit, notebook, maps, and other smaller items. It was comfortable to carry through airports, the Paris metro, and while walking down the street. If you regularly can use a 22" roller for one week trips, then you can use this too. It was perfect.

Nothing about this, other than a week in Paris, sounds perfect to me. Hell, I need a backpack just for my camera, iPod, video camera, cell phone, assorted chargers, international plug, etc.

Frankly I do NOT pack lightly at all. Why, you ask?

1. Read the jockeys in the bathroom sink drying in the window for  # 1.
2. I don't care to wear the same outfit five days in a row. I suppose no one would know. The problem is I would and I wouldn't be able to live with ME!
3. Yes, I know that the people I see don't know me and I will likely never run into them again. However, I just do NOT like the thought of wandering about with my clothing looking like Phyllis Diller's ankles because I have rolled it up in a tube to fit it all in a carry-on.
4. I am addicted to guidebooks. Guidebooks take up room in the suitcase. Hell, just printing out hotel reservations, plane reservations, directions to the villa, car rental agreements, etc has filled a file folder.
5. I am not a nudist (and the world gives thanks for that). I like clothing.
6. Apparently I have shoe issues. I bring different pairs with me. I bring walking shoes, sandals, running shoes, dress shoes. Sometimes I bring river shoes or hiking boots. Have you ever tried to put a pair of hiking boots in a backpack?
7. Some folk enjoy wearing nothing but black for weeks on end. I am neither a monk nor a goth. I enjoy some colour in my life. Having a clothing palette involves a variety of colours. This takes luggage room to mix and match appropriately.
8. I like to bring wine home with me. Thanks to those pinheads who tried to down an airliner with the contents of a coke can I can no longer bring my wine home as carry-on. Now I have a wine suitcase, carefully fitted with styrofoam, to safely bring that liquid gold home with me.
9. I have been known to purchase a thing or two. Actually I have been known to purchase so many things that I was forced to mail boxes of dirty clothing home in order to make room for my purchases in my suitcase. I could fill a carry-on in 5 seconds in Florence.

So you see, I just don't get it. To those who like to pack lightly, I say - good for you. I shall have my two bags, changes of clothing, clean jockey shorts, shoes, wine, and purchases.

This You-tube has some helpful advice for those of you who wish to pack lightly. At first I thought it was helpful, having watched it a few times I now think it is mocking light packers. I like it more now. :-)

Torino

The counter to the left indicates that it is three weeks until our trip to Italy. I've had a few folks ask 'why Torino?'

To be honest I don't really know. It started as a stay at the Baur B and B in Acqui Terme about which the most wonderful things are written. Once it was booked I started thinking about a day trip to Torino. The more I read, the more I was concerned that a day trip just wouldn't do it justice.

What to do?

Tack on three extra days at the START of the trip. Granted, a bustling city isn't the greatest spot to decompress after jet lag but we have never really done things by the rule book!

This little promo video put together in time for the 2006 Olympics gives you a taste of the city (do you recognize the Lord of the Rings imagery and music here?)

This one is static but contains some wonderful images. Yes, we want to see it ALL!

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One Month Today

Wow.

How to tell if a blogger is getting excited an upcoming event . . .

they install a counter on their blog counting down to the start of the event (as I type - 28 days and 12 minutes)  . . .

they drop mentions of said event in many posts . . . (I think that I started doing this some time last year)

they start posting about the event a month in advance.

What is this event? Our big vacation this year . . . AKA Italy 2008.

This will be us as we jet towards Italy and adventure, fun, food, and good times.

Now I should back up just a wee bit. I started planning this trip some time in January 2007 when I realized (or was reminded!!!!) that our 10th anniversary was coming up in May 2008. What better spot to celebrate than Italy?

Initially I was going to keep it as a surprise. Paul would know that there was a trip. The limo would pick him up after work and we'd head together to the airport where he would find out the destination.

Marcia suggested that this might not be fair to Paul. I realized that she was right and that my control issues might just be rising to the surface a wee bit as well. I also realized that part of the fun of traveling is being able to plan the trip with one another.

When we were in Savannah a few weeks ago people asked us what our plans were. Funnily enough, we didn't have anything definite. The flights are booked. Our accomodation are booked. I reserved (and paid for) the car. We've arranged for a ballooning trip over the hills of tuscany. Diana, the amazing owner of the B and B in Acqui Terme has reserved our anniversary dinner at a fine restaurant. Other that that - nothing.

Here's what we know at this point:

We will fly into Torino.

Where we will recover from jet lag before heading to Acqui Terme . . .

From here we head to the beautiful walled town to Lucca.

We visited Lucca back in 2006, loved it, and I had to return.

From here we head to Montisi  . . .

. . . which will be our base for exploring southern Tuscany.

Finally we head back to Florence

Before jetting back to Toronto.

Did I tell you that I am excited and can't wait?

My lord, you'll be sick of this all in 28 days!

Savannah - Photo Update

I've managed to sort through pics, cropping, fixing, and trashing those which can not be fixed. Here is a pictorial summary of our trip to sultry Savannah.

We shared an old carriage house with Palma and Brad. It was luxuriously restored and cost about the same as a hotel would have.

The carriage house was on peaceful Washington Square.

 

On Thursday evening the planning committee hosted a wine and cheese reception at their house . . . conveniently located across the courtyard from our carriage house.

Paul and I went out to dinner at the Chart House, located on the river with Sandi, Gail, Bill, John, and Buck.

Dinner was a blast . . and the food was great as well. We were so full that we walked back to the house.

The next morning we visited Forsyth Park

Afterward we enjoyed a lengthy cooking class given by by Chef Darin Sehnert, Culinary Director of the 700 Cooking School located in the Mansion on Forsyth Park. It was by far one of the best classes we have ever taken (only topped by our day with the amazing Diva in Florence)

Paul and I decided to do a walking tour of Savannah after the class.

Savannah is lovely!

We were exhausted by this point so we took a power nap before heading to the Gingerbread House for the evening reception.

Did I mention that it was an open bar? :-) Suffice it to say that a very grand time was had by all!

Once we returned to the house we got waylaid. Shannon, Marcia, Dave, Kim, and Chris were renting a house on Washington Square and for them the evening was still young . . .

 

We made our way back to the carriage house, taking time to partake in the Savannah law which says it is legal to wander about the historical district while drinking an alcoholic beverage - so long as it is in a plastic cup. Finally, a law I can LOVE!

Before hitting the pillow I set the alarm for 6 am . . . I had my heart set on seeing the sun rise over Tybee Island. It was cloudy the next morning at the beach but the clouds broke for a moment and the sun shone down upon us.

We sat on the beach for awhile listening to the waves and the sounds of the seashore slowly waking up.

Back in Savannah we had a bit of a power nap before heading out to do some shopping. Conscious of the fact that we will be in Italy in just over a month, I restrained myself - unusual for me.

We met up with the gang for a great lunch at Paula Deen's famous restaurant - Lady and Sons.

The weather was crap so we went back to the carriage house for more sleep. It was a deep sleep apparently, because we missed the tornado sirens that blared out as funnel clouds were spotted over the city.

No tornado touched down but our evening event was relocated from Old Fort Jackson to the Savannah History Museum for safety reasons.

We had ANOTHER open bar, great food, entertainment, a historical lesson, prizes, and so much laughter that my side hurt.

Leaving the history museum we headed out on a trolley for the Haunted Savannah tour. Paul took pictures of the Pirate House - one of the most haunted in Savannah.

As we walked back to Washington Square we made tapping noises on the windows of the house rented by Shannon and gang. Apparently we scared the crap out of them.

Our punishment?

We were forced to come in and assist them in drinking up the remaining wine. Oh no! We also told ghost stories which did NOT assist Paul in having a good night's sleep.

The next morning we packed up, loaded up the car, and headed back to the river for our last event. We had some time so we walked along the river. It was hot and HUMID!

Brunch was at Vic's On the River. It was followed by a video created by Palma and good byes. We had to leave early to make our flight back home.

We saw this spray painted on the wall of a building . . . clearly left over from a St Patrick's Day celebration.

All I can say is - we did! :-)

Savannah Update # 3 (Sunday - the leave taking)

One of the most challenging parts of any slowtravel GTG is saying goodbye to friends - old and new, and heading back home.

We woke yesterday thoroughly exhausted. There had been far more late nights than I am used to (to say nothing of the effects of last night's ghost trolley tour and then the prosecco fueled ghost story telling with Shannon, Marcia, Dave, Chris, Kim, Paul, Palma, and Brad). Plus a head cold that had been threatening to grab hold, did. ICK

A hot shower forced some of the ICK away but I definitely didn't feel quite 100 %.

We packed and did the 'big search' to make sure that we didn't leave anything behind in the rental. Palma and Brad had to leave early to get to Vics on the River where we were to have our final event of the weekend. Paul and I decided to load up the car and move it close to the restaurant so that we could make the made dash to the airport - our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:50.

Finding a parking spot was far easier than I thought - I have to admit that parking in Savannah has been easy and at $ 8 for a parking pass good for 48 hours a steal! We decided to walk along the riverbank to see if we could find the waving girl statue.

The Waving Girl Statue honors Florence Margaret Martus. Martus was famous in the early 1900s for waving to all shipping traffic sailing into and out of Savannah. Waving for nearly 40 years at passing ships, the legend contends she was trying to locate the love of her life -- who was a sailor.

This is just another example of the quirky things which abound throughout this amazing city. Savannah is a city of characters and takes great pride in honouring their quirky, uniqueness. There is a lesson for the rest of us in that!

It was a hot and sultry morning. As Paul and I walked along the river we both commented on what a difference it was from home where winter refuses to let go as quickly as we would like. It was so hot that we decided to camp out on a park bench under some shade trees where we too could watch the world traipse by.

When we got to Vic's we were shown to an area on the top floor of the restaurant located in a beautifully decorated and renovated old cotton warehouse that overlooks the Savannah River. Now this area could be referred to as a bit of a tourist trap but Vic's offers food above the 'tourist trap norm'.

The planning committee had arranged for a sumptuous buffet of fruit, eggs, apple sausage patties, sourdough french toast, scrambled eggs, and shrimp with tasso ham gravy and grits.

Once everyone had had their fill of great food the planning committee had one last surprise for us. Palma had made a video in honour of the occasion. As always, she had outdone herself. She had managed to find pictures of most of the participants and really captured the essence of the slowtravel community.

Kim had one more contest (because we all love winning things!) - a contest suggested by David - guess how many photos were taken by members of the slowtravel community during the GTG (my guess is 9,350)

Paul and I looked at our watches and realized that we had less than two hours to figure out how to get to the airport, refill the rental car, drop it off, and check in for the flight. ARGH We said our good byes, posed for more photos (hmmm - perhaps I should have raised my guess) and raced off to the airport.

In the end we could have stayed for another hour because our flight to Cleveland was delayed. After a two hour wait in the Cleveland airport we headed to Buffalo where we loaded up the car and headed back across the border to home.

This had been a truly amazing weekend - thank you to the planning committee who donated their many talents and countless hours on our behalf!

Savannah Update # 2 - (Saturday)

Things sort of got away from me with the blogging - there just weren't enough hours in the bloody day for it all! *smile*

Back to Saturday . . .

Today was the day when we thought we might be able to drive to Tybee Island to watch the sun rise over the ocean. David and Marcia looked up on the Internet and discovered that sunrise was to be at 7:07 a.m. This wasn't good - given that by the time we dropped into bed the night before it was close to 1 a.m. OUCH

I woke at 5:30 and looked out the window - I thought I saw a star which meant (in my mind anyway) that the threatened clouds had held off. I woke Paul (he is a trooper), we hopped in the shower and headed off to Tybee.

When we got to Tybee we parked the car and wandered the beach. The forecasters had been correct, clouds had filled the skies. Nonetheless, it was wonderful to wander the beach listening to the birds and the waves. We saw sunrise, watched some early morning fishermen, and were happy to oblige when two young ladies on the dock asked us to take their pics looking out towards the sunrise.

Once we got back to Savannah no one believed that we had been so crazy as to get up at that ungodly hour after a late night of carousing to see a sunrise - which wasn't really much of a sunrise given the weather. Happily we had the pics to prove our story!

The planning committee was in a bit of a frenzy. Saturday night's activities were to be in an outdoor venue and thunderstorms threatened. The facility, concerned about liability, was considering canceling the event and moving our group elsewhere. Given that the evening was planned with as much intricate detail as the plans for Napoleon to invade Russia this was a crisis. Paul and I were wise - we left and went shopping!

In the midst of our shopping the clouds opened up and the rain teemed down. True to form, we had left our umbrellas at home. Popping into a drug store we bought 2 more umbrellas for a ridiculous price. Of course, you know what happened, as soon as we left the store the rain had stopped! ARGH

We walked to one of the peaceful squares and sat contemplating life for awhile. I can see why the residents of Savannah adore their city so much.

At 12:30 we were to meet a group of 32 for lunch at Paula Deen's restaurant - Lady and Sons. I had seen a few of Paula's food network shows and knew that she had a deft hand with home cooked southern food - this is a lady who will fry anything and for whom butter is an essential food! Our restaurant visit didn't disappoint - this wasn't high gourmet fair, but it was bloody good home cooking. I opted for the buffet and really enjoyed the fried chicken, collard greens and hoe cakes (no, I am not being rude!)

Gail ordered a salad. Big mistake! We discovered that if it ain't fried it ain't good at the Lady and Sons!

I was exhausted by this point so Paul and I snuck back to the house and crashed for a few hours. When we awoke Palma filled us in on a few updates - the evening's festivities had been re-booked at the Savannah History museum. There had been tornado sightings and the tornado warning sirens had blared throughout the city. We had heard nothing!

Imagine sleeping through a tornado warning!

Showered, dressed, and well-greased from the quadruple martini's I had mixed for Paul, Palma, Brad, Terry, and I, we hopped on the trolley and headed around the city picking the rest of the group up. When we arrived at the museum we got to tour the exhibits and partake of the open bar (guess which one most of the guests selected?). We enjoyed some entertainment and a wonderful dinner featuring a low country boil.

After dinner the door prizes where drawn. We really wanted one of the grand prizes but lady luck was NOT on our side this evening. However, we did win an evening and a vacation rental north of Rome so we will likely need to plan a return to Italy in 2009. How sad!

Later we hopped back on the trolley for a ghost tour of Savannah. It was quite an experience winding through the narrow, darkened streets of old Savannah listening to tales of mayhem, woe, and sadness, while sipping homemade lemoncello supplied by Mac (a slowtraveller from Texas).

It was close to midnight when we got back to Washington Square. Kim, Chris, Shannon, Marcia, and Dave were also renting a house on the square. As we walked past their house we noticed that there lights were on - they had returned form the ghost tour before us. Brad and I scratched at their windows, which apparently scared the hell out of Shannon.  Because we felt guilty we felt compelled to go inside and enjoy their company and their wine!

What would open expect a group to do after a full evening of ghosts and woe capped off by wine? Yes, we told our own ghost stories. It was just like summer camp as a child!

Paul and I left shortly after midnight and made our way back to our house. It had been a full and busy day - tomorrow was travel day and I needed some sleep. Unfortunately, Paul was so creeped out by the tales of ghosts that he had a fitful sleep, at best. Every time he flailed about I was woken up. ARGH

Sunday would be a LONG day!