Think of all the joy you’ll find …….. Update - January 06

[Benchley]

I'm finally here and caught up. Can't wait!

 

[JKSWonder]

I am all subscribed. This should be a good one. I really, really hope you are not about to encounter a serious delay with your flight!

 

[englishrose47]

Subbing will go back to read !! My Laptop has been giving me problems and I have not been able to get on the Dis at home in 2 weeks

 

[DnA2010]

Yay! Your reports are one if the reasons we are sailing Disney very soon!

 

[dizneeat]

Remember me?????
I am very sorry I have not been on the DIS for a while, but somehow there was never enough time for an update.
So before I go back to replies, let me just fill you in on what happened in the meantime ............

I last updated here on April 24, which is while I was still at home recovering from acute bronchitis, which I had come down with 3 days after returning from our trip to the US. It got really bad and I had to go to the doctors and ended up with a week's sickleave. Unfortunately by the end of that week it had only gotten worse and my voice had completely gone down the drain. So by Friday of that week I returned to the doctor and was told I needed another 10 days recovery. I was then on antibiotics and they wiped me out completely. All I did was sleep and sleep and sleep.
Finally on April 27 I went back to work and it was so hard. I was still not fully healthy again and having to teach took all my energy. But there was something on the horizon that we both were so looking forward to ........

On May 1st we headed to Italy for a short 4 day weekend break!!!!
So, without further ado here is a recap of that short vacation in pictures (with just a little text in between)

As you can see, we left pretty early in the morning (shortly before 5am) and the weather did not cooperate. Even the weather forecast had been promising rain and colder temperatures.

The rain finally became a little lighter, but there were all those low lying clowds.

We got our hopes up a bit that the weather might change when we got to Hohenwerfen, a castle along the way, that is one of the places, that ABD will visit in 2016!

And soon enough it was time to pick up our telepass, a little device that lets you avoid the toll booths and go through the fast lane.

And after about 3 and a half hours we had reached Italy!

We had made a few stops (bio breaks, stretching our legs and picking up the telepass) and so we arrived at our destination at around 11am. We didn't drive right to our hotel, but stopped at two shops to stock up on drinks, snacks and staples as we did not want to drive around too much once we had reached our aparthotel. We arrived there at around 12.30, checked in and after parking the car, which is a pain, as the garage is real tiny with lots of pillars, we started hauling all our stuff up to our little flat.
And once that was done we headed out in search of a late lunch. Most of the restaurants along the main street were packed and since it started to rain again we headed down a small side street to try a pizza place there.

We were greeted right away with this pre-dinner drink

I had ordered a Diet Coke and was served a Coke Zero - no free refills either

Tom ordered a beer and funnily enough was served some Austrian brand beer.

We both ordered pizza and were surprised that the Mozzarella and tomatoes on top were not cooked. It was a completely new taste, but since it was rather chilly in the restaurant and the pizzas topped with cold ingredients they got cold soon, which took away from the enjoyment. They would have been awesome on a hot day.

When we returned to our villa it had started to rain more heavily and we unpacked and chilled for a while.

Around 6pm we went to do some more grocery shopping before having a picknick dinner at our villa and since it was still raining, we went to bed super early.

The next morning started early. I went and picked up some Italian rolls

while Tom made some coffee and tea

To be continued .........


​

 

[ShellB8585]

Karin, I am so sorry the illness knocked you for such a long time! I hope you are feeling better now?

Seeing your Italian adventure is making me want to back!

 

[dizneeat]

Italy Part 2
(grab a snack - lots of food to come!!)

We started out the day with a HUGE breakfast feast

Since it was at least dry that day we went for a walk along the beach

and discovered the "doggy beach"

and soon it was time for lunch

yes, MORE pizza, this time everything was cooked and they were both SO delicious.

After lunch we returned to our villa/flat for a little rest as it was siesta time and all the shops were closed.

To be continued ......

​

 

[KatMark]

Karin, I am sorry to hear you were so sick after coming home and that it took so much out of you. Loving the Italy updates thus far.

 

[jedijill]

I"m sorry you were so sick! Glad you are back to posting. Those pizzas look delicious!

Jill in CO

 

[dizneeat]

Italy Part 3

We stayed in for a while and enjoyed a beverage or two

before heading out again. Now, that little town we always travel to is a tourist town and there is one long pedestrian area with lots of shops but on our way in the day before we had noticed a seafood store, which we wanted to find again. So in the later afternoon we headed out to find it.

needless to say I needed to sample the Tiramisu ice-cream

and we did find the seafood shop!! And did some shopping there.

Had to try the Amarena ice-cream on the way back.

We had to hurry the last bit of the way as it was starting to rain again and we had to do a little more grocery shopping for dinner.

And since the weather wasn't nice we decided to stay in and have a home-cooked dinner.

It was delicious! Nothing like really fresh mussels and a nice beverage ....

And after such a nice dinner we put our feet up, watched a little TV and had an earlier bed time.

Day 3

Well, it started with a breakfast similar to the one we had had the day before, but we tried some Italian croissants,

which had kind of a sugary crust and a vanilla pudding filled doughnut

and Tom tried some new jam

Today was Sunday and the opening of the Terrazza Mare, restaurants and shops being built on a pier at the beach.

And since the weather looked like it was holding out we decided to walk there and watch the ceremony.

and found one bunch of flowers that didn't quite fit in while waiting for the ceremony to start.

To be continued .....
​

 

[MEK]

So sorry to hear you got so sick with bronchitis. That can really knock your socks off. I am so glad you were recovered enough to take your trip to Italy. I always enjoy seeing pictures from your drive.

Your flat is adorable and certainly stocked up with some yummy provisions. Yum!

I think the second pizzas look far more appetizing than the first. Did someone forget to turn on the oven???? WTH????

Love those beach pictures with the umbrellas.

 

[KatMark]

Gelato for me please. And what pretty flowers.

 

[jenseib]

That sounds like you really were taken down for a bit...Glad you are on the road to recovery!

What a nice weekend trip. I enjoyed the pictures!

 

[Leshaface]

I last updated here on April 24, which is while I was still at home recovering from acute bronchitis, which I had come down with 3 days after returning from our trip to the US. It got really bad and I had to go to the doctors and ended up with a week's sickleave. Unfortunately by the end of that week it had only gotten worse and my voice had completely gone down the drain. So by Friday of that week I returned to the doctor and was told I needed another 10 days recovery. I was then on antibiotics and they wiped me out completely. All I did was sleep and sleep and sleep.
Finally on April 27 I went back to work and it was so hard. I was still not fully healthy again and having to teach took all my energy. But there was something on the horizon that we both were so looking forward to ........

Ugh, that just sounds awful i'm so sorry. DH has gotten brochitits 3 times in the last 10 months, one time as bad as yours, so I totally know what you went through. Hope you made a full recovery by now

Gorgeous.

And after about 3 and a half hours we had reached Italy!

That's it?! Only 3 1/2 hours. That's soooo nice!

We both ordered pizza and were surprised that the Mozzarella and tomatoes on top were not cooked. It was a completely new taste, but since it was rather chilly in the restaurant and the pizzas topped with cold ingredients they got cold soon, which took away from the enjoyment. They would have been awesome on a hot day.

Very interesting. Yeah, I like piping hot pizza. As good as this looks, i'm not sure i'd be a fan.

You guys make the best spreads ever!

Now these are my kinds of pizza!

After lunch we returned to our villa/flat for a little rest as it was siesta time and all the shops were closed.

So do people really nap during this time or is this just the time to get things done at home

Such a cool flat/apartment! Is this way usually cheaper than a hotel? It looks really spacious but curious to see the difference in price between such a big apartment and a 350 square foot hotel room.

needless to say I needed to sample the Tiramisu ice-cream

Oh that just sounds yummy!

If we ever visit, can you please make us some of this?! And your marvelous snack spread would be great too

I wish I knew Italian ..or really anything other than English

 

[englishrose47]

All caught up. Sorry you have been sick !!! Italy looedk fascinating !! All those Pizzas Yummy !!

 

[Benchley]

All caught up. Sorry to hear you've been poorly. I was off work for 6 months with bronchitis, so understand how debilitating it can be

 

[dizneeat]

Italy Part 4

When I last left you we were just waiting for the opening ceremony of the Terrazza Mare to start. We did not have to wait for much longer

the band was soon starting to play

there were speaches and raised flags before the Italian flag was raised to the Italian anthem

After the opening the Terrazza was just open to invited guests so we went for a walk and came across an awesome Romero Britto bag (pink with his famous kitty on it) and we had to buy it.
We even found a gondola pendant for my Pandora bracelet and picked that up together with a few other small bits and pieces. On the way back to our "home" for the weekend we made a little bit of a d-tour and went back to the beach and now part of the Terrazza was open for the public, so we got a few more pics.

Just love how all the umbrellas are put up so neatly.

We then walked back to our flat for a little snack

Small bottle - Tom sure needed another one and guess what we had found right here in Italy!!

Kona beer, one of Tom's favourites

And conveniently named Castaway (just missing the Cay )

my snack was a bit more substantial and WAY more sweet. We spent about an hour at our place before we decided to head out for a late lunch at our favourite restaurant

We just loved the table decorations

so simple, yet so awesome. They had different ones on all the tables, some filled with pasta (no water) or lemons.

We got this awesome amuse gueule, which was spinach leaves topped with salted cod mixed with small dice of apples and potatoes and topped with a bread chip - so yummy.

We shared our starter - some more mussels (have to admit, that I liked Tom's better, his broth tasted a little lighter)

To be continued



​

 

[MEK]

How nice that you caught the opening ceremony!

And those umbrellas are just so cool. I can't imagine that beach full of people when all those umbrellas up.

Castaway beer. Love it!

Your lunch looked lovely!

 

[linetbo]

So happy that you are better, Cant wait for the report!!!

 

[KatMark]

I'm glad you caught the ceremony, and the food, as always, looks good. I think I'd like that amuse gueule, but I'll skip the mussels.