September 19th onto Fossa Mala with a stop at Villa Manin

 We are off to our last night at Fossa Mala which is Ellie’s back yard.  Our cocktails started with meeting the wine master. He explained that they are working on a sparkling wine which is taking the market place of proseco . After that we had a wonderful dinner and sat with the owner.  She said her grandfather was in Poland as a child and had started an ice cream business. His mom had to come sign the papers so he could start the business.  This business grew and soon he had many shops which developed into frozen foods. He sold the ice cream business and came to Itlay.  The family bought this winery and the family is also into pizzas and frozen foods.  They are here in America at Whole Foods.  (Meduno and Roncadin pizza brands) Her husband is making Beckel knives which is a well known brand that is sold in top stores here.

. This Passariano villa was once the luxurious residence o the Manin family built between the 17th century and the 18th century. The building was completed 1682.

The uninterrupted succession of internal rooms from one end of the building to the other. I wasn’t allowed to start at the beginning of the hall ways.

This is the entrance where there will be concerts over the next several days.  We were serenaded during our lunch and it was loud!

                                       A fun lunch with the true Italian food and preseco.

                                    And Roberto helps us celebrate!

                                                                Such a small confessional 

                                                                            Cheryl and me

Ellen, Jodi and me

Me,Lillian,Mimi, Jay, Ken, Linda,Jodi, Lois, Bill (guest) Sadie,

Marti,Stephane, Ellen, Kathy,Ruthie, Mary, Jeannie,Evelyn ,Toby 

Owner, Ellie, wine master, Cheryl,Pat

                                                            Grapes picked and ready for wine

Explaining the sparkling wine is the top of the product.

Ellie, Lillian,Esperia,Jeanne and Ruthie

Ellie working her magic on the doing the napkin into a bra trick!

Toby, Jay, Lois,Pat,Bill,Marti,and Jodi

Ruthie, Jeanne, Ellie, Mary, and Evelyn

Ellen trying her luck at the trick

Grapes in the orchard being picked.  This is at our last night which is at Fossa Mala.

We say good bye to the group tomorrow as Ellen and I head to Venice for two days.  The rest of the group will go home. 

September 18th- monday - Island of Grado

 Today the weather is not so nice. Cloudy with a chance of thunder storms  We are off to taking a boat ride to the Island of Barbara which is an ancient monastery. But first Ellie does a side trip to Aquileia which is the ruins that are being extricate.”This is the RomanEmpire city and later the main center for the dissemination of Christianity in Central Eastern Europe. “  This is a UMESCO site since 1998 and we have even here before. I can see a change since last year. 

                                                    One of the biggest cypress trees and oldest.

  We are off to taking a boat ride to the Island of Barbara which is an ancient monastery and having Lunch there.

On the walls of the church are these pictures and when you look close they all tell the story of how the people died.  Hit by the bus-died in bed with the relatives-killed in the war etc.

                                                                        Olive trees

                                                                The inside was beautiful

                                                        This is the wall on the other side

Lunch at Grado and a private boat ride through the Grado Lguana. 

                                                            The blessing of the harbour

                                                                    Leaving the harbour

Our captain blows his horn and talks on the radio to this island where his friends live all year round.  They fish in the summer and hunt the birds in the winter.

We are off to dinner.. just keep feeding us!

September 20th Airport for the gang and Venice for Us

 Ticket for water transportation    Walk around square  down allies   Over Realto bridge - gondola ride- pub for dinner

September 17th - moving back to Italy-Grdisca d’Isonzo

 Bus ride to Italy.  We leave the beautiful country of Slovenia and Katia.  She was a wonderful guide, funny, knowlegdeable, and gracious. Our drive isn’t long.  We arrive in Trieste and find the biggest flea market in hte world.  It goes on for blocks, inside outside and all around. Lot of antiques.  Then onto a pizza lunch. All kinds of pizzas and a lot!

                                                        Wearing my new mountain rescue shirt

We decide the wine couldn’t go to waste so we would bring it back with us!!  It proved a good decision one night when our table didn’t get any wine but Ellie was charged for it.  Those nursing shills come in handy!!