Italia

Italy plans continue, and I have to admit I'm w-a-y excited.  What I'm working on now, is the time we are there after the wedding, and where we want to use as our main beachhead.  Andrea's mother and daddy are going to stay after, too, and while we first thought maybe Naples, we are now thinking Sorrento.  Positano would be great, too, but it's an easy boat hop and lots of climbing.  I'm thinking both families are going to be a bit wiped out after all is said and done, so just give me a beautiful oasis somewhere, and let me veg for a little while.  Fred, on the other hand, is Mr. Activity, and will need things "to do".  Sorrento should keep him busy for a little while.  Marianne and Francisco, Andrea's mom and dad, will play with us some, and I'm sure need to rest, too.  This should be a hoot!

One of the places we are currently waiting to hear from has guess what?  Cooking classes!  You get to choose from 3 set menu's to cook, and from what I've read on Tripadvisor, they are a total blast.  One of them is brick oven pizza and I think a dessert, so count me in.  Another is gnocchi, and what I think is a dessert.  The lady that teaches it all is the owner, and according to Tripadvisor comments, her food is fabulous.  It showed pictures of people in their aprons laughing and smiling, with her brick oven in the background....where do I sign up?  She has an interpreter come so you can ask questions, even though her English is good.  Good thing because I'm not sure some of the stuff I say is translatable, or even should be, for that matter. 

If this place is full, we are looking at another one also.  And if I don't get to take the cooking classes, OK.  Since Andrea's mom is Italian, Andrea already knows how to make gnocchi, from scratch, so I can always sign up for cooking classes a la Andrea!  She's a baker like nothing you've ever seen before (chocolate crinkle cookies-OMG!) and used to keep Benji in fresh cookies all the time.  Now, with all of Scarletta's promo stuff and the wedding in the offing, I'm betting the cookies may be on "hold".  She also makes pizzelle's (I may have spelled this wrong) every Christmas, (chocolate and vanilla) and they are a crunchy waffle cookie, paper thin, with powdered sugar, that are just deeeelish.  And those are just a few of the reasons I love her!!!  And did I mention she is tee tiny?  Clearly she doesn't eat her own cookies. 

That's it from this end.  When I know more, I'll share.  The good news is, Fred's new suit is almost ready at the tailor, Benji's new tux and tux shirt has been shipped to him and should be there by now, for him to go fit.  We are still poking Brian to go get his passport dropped off to get it renewed--some people just do not get in a hurry--and get his suit tailored.  His suit was purchased in his pre- Crashman days, and he was quite a bit larger, so I'm sure it's a big old sag bag on him now.  You know how guys are, though.....why do it now, when I can give myself ( and you) a heart attack later, trying to rush around.  Some things never change!  :)