So this should be our last post before you will all be able to see us again in person and not just read of our wonderful adventures from my unbelievable writing style. Before I go on i would just like to say a special thanks to sue, without her help really none of this would have been possible. While i am saying thanks, i would also like to thank everyone who gave me money for graduation, just know that your money has been well spent and mostly on great food.

 Now for the post: So we will be leaving tomorrow, we have to get up around seven, and for a while we had no idea how we were going to be getting to the airport. For a while we thought that we would have to take a train then two water boats. I don’t even think it would have been possible because of when the waterboats start to run. Since we don’t panic, we just asked the guy at the hotel if it was possible to take a cab. This is a guy from the hotel who we also gave an english book to, and who knew that it would pay off. Instead of taking a cab or doing other crazy things at seven in the morning, he offered to drive us the twenty mins to the airport once he got off his shift at eight. A book for a ride is a good deal in my book. Well, that’s that part.

Well, this is definitely not the nicest of our hotel rooms. It isn’t that bad except for the fact that it never seems to get below 100° F, even at three in the morning. I am able to handle it pretty well although every third word out of debbie’s mouth is something like “Am I dead yet?”. She’s taken to sleeping with a cold towel over her head, which she makes me re-cool every ten mins or something like that.

The night we arrived we went out for a nice dinner and then went back into the other part of venice where our hotel is, you have to take a train to get there. We asked the guy at the hotel where we could go and watch the Football game. He gave us the name of a nice little place and stamped it, telling us that they would give us a good price if we gave them the card. When we got there we were seated next to a nice australian, with whom we had long conversations about many things. Mainly how he is a lawyer, how people in sports get too much money and especially how little everyone else thinks of america and how we must be ashamed to admit that it is where we are from. He was very friendly and we gave him some good advice on how to travel around venice. He was also traveling by himself on a round the world ticket, something that i may have to try at some point in my life.

Yesterday we took a very nice little day trip to the island of Lido, a very nice and very, very upscale little place. We should have done more research into it before coming to italy because it had some very nice beaches that i’m sure we could have spent a lot of time enjoying.

Tonight we are going out to a mildly expensive dinner, and then to a wildly expensive gondola ride which debbie says is something we must do before we leave. I do agree with her on one hand, but the price is so exorbitant( or is it exuberant) that i don’t even dare to mention it on the internet. It is something that we have to do though, so even the cheap one of us has agreed to take part in this forty five min boat ride tour. We are going to try to do it at night, so it will be cooler and debbie won’t have to get cancer again.

Oh by the way, it could not be any hotter here. I don’t know what the weather is like back in Acton, but if i had to guess i would say that in the day and in the sun it is about 90 at times. It is really hot and we are doing all we can to stay out of the sun and keep the sunscreen on thick… at least on debs.

The time has gone by so fast, and we are getting a little depressed about leaving. but on the other hand it feels like we have not been in Acton for a few years and we are both looking forward to seeing everyone, all our friends, and being able to sleep in our own beds with some good old A.C.

Again, thanks to everyone who made this trip possible and all the people who kept us informed through the blog comments. It has been really great and i think we may have gone crazy without all you. oh, and father, you will be glad to know that between me and deb we have over 400 photos that you will be able to go through and edit to your heart’s content. Oh, and pops, when are you coming back from indiana? Come home soon cause i miss you and want to see you before you leave for the vineyard.

Love always

Matt and Deb,

Thanks

We took the overnight train again, although this ride was much more comfortable considering that we only had to fit three people into the really small compartment, at least for most of the ride. This train left at eight and we enjoyed it much more because the ten hours seemed to go by much faster. So we are now back in venice, although not in the same area. We are actually in the part where there are streets which is okay by us because you just take a five min bus ride to the other part. We could prolly walk but at the moment we have no idea what direction that would be. We arrived at our hotel at about 5:45, and it was locked. Although someone heard us and came to the door. He said that he would take our bags but we would not be able to check in for another three hours. Not great news but we are handling it in stride… debbie is doing well and i am very proud of her. After the news about the three hours we went back to the train station and read for a while, then walked around aimlessly for about a half hour and then found this internet point. So we plan on spending a little more time here before heading back to our hotel and sleeping for about seven hours if i get my way.

I don’t know if it was in an email or a post on the blog but one of my parents asked me how i was doing on my books. Deciding how many to bring was a tough decision, for two weeks and a couple days i had no idea how many i would read. For a while i was considering bringing two to four, then i up’ed it to six. Well I finished those two days ago and had to buy more. Oh and i read the one debbie brought. Which now brings my total to nine books read. I have one more that i can read, bridget jones diary… something debbie bought the other day. I can’t say that i am looking all that forward to it, but anything will help.

Debbie says hi but she doesn’t think that she is capable of writing at the moment. While I seem to be able to I’m sure there are many mistakes that me and debbie are not catching as i write. And believe me, we are finding many. Seeing as both of us are at that point right near incoherent.

Debbie says i’m rambling now and i would have to agree, but we kinda need something to do for the next fifty mins… oh well maybe check up on cnn.

Much love from both of us and we will write again tomorrow when we have had a good night’s sleep or two.

So, during our first dinner here we were seated next an english couple, who looked a bit overdressed in their silk clothing. The next night at dinner we were seated next to them again at a different restaurant. What a coincidence, so imagine our surprise when last night they showed up once again. It was a little too much for me to handle so i had to contemplate killing them for a while. It wasn’t just that it was the third night in a row, no that would have been enough, but it was a completely different kind of restaurant. Different food, much different price and somewhere far, far away. If they show up again tonight i have resolved that i will have to end it the only way a man can, by jumping into the ocean and drowning myself.

We are now off to the emerald grotto or something like that.

We shall speak again soon

Love matt and deb.

We arrived in Amalfi yesterday after a long bus and train ride – although nothing compared to the one from Venice – to find a very small and very touristy little city. It does have a lot of charm so I guess i will be able to forgive it. Our new hotel is very nice indeed, and we are on the fourth floor with a view of the garden and the mountians behind the city. I think that we are finally going to get the rest that I have been looking for since our room seems to be far away from everyone elses. Last night we went out to dinne, and for the first time since entering Italy, I was asked how I liked my meat. While this is only a little thing, I was glad not to have to watch the blood pour out of my steak as I ate it. That and it was absolutely delicious. Debbie again had some form of pasta and I am begining to see this as a re-occuring theme.(Although as I write this now she makes the good point that she has also had pizza a few times.)

After a very good meal and some very good sleep, minus a few bad dreams (speaking of which how are the Sullo’s dogs doing?), we woke up at about one and started our day. So far all we have done is eat, and read about how much everyone hates my grammar. Yes, i am aware that i don’t know how to spell or write very well, and I would just like to thank everyone for pointing it out on the internet. lol, I’m kidding, but seriously is this something you were all unaware of? I think not.

We are about to go to the beach, which should be very nice, and up to this point we have only seen the water. I must say though I’m looking forward to it as the water looks crystal clear and a nice shade of blue.

Being here is just once again another example of stepping out of real life and into a pop-up book. I mean how often can you sip coffee and see things that you thought were only available in your imagination.

Anyway, i think debbie wants to do some writing so i will sign off for now.

Love always

me

And it did end in a tie, if you don’t know what im talking about you are clearly not a soccer fan. However, you may not be, but everyone here is. Last night was the America-Italy game, and we became a bit nervous as the Americans spent most of the time beating up on the italians. It wasn’t as if they were playing better soccer, they were just playing a bit rougher. Vincent didn’t want to make us uncomfortable but it was clear that he did not even think America should be playing. We went back to the hotel a bit early for the fear that we might not make it home if the US were to win. Lol, it was supposed to be a gift that the Italians were going to get to play America, and as it turned out it was a bittersweet gift. At least it was a tie is all i know.

On to other things,

Today is our last in Naples, and we are not to sad about that. It is not what we would call the most beautiful city in the world, but it does have its charm and some very very good food. Not only that but it is nice not having to spend a fortune to go out and eat. It is literally about half the price of Venice, for everything. Which is kind of amazing. A meal that is ten euro here, would easily be twenty or more in Venice. I’m no longer having to look for an ATM every five mins and i bet my parents are resting a bit easier now knowing this.

Today we are going to get some food, then book our ticket back to Venice so that we will be sure to have a seat after Amalfi. Then we will look into the train for tomorrow which should only be an hour ride. Then what is said to be a beautiful bus ride along the coast until we make it to Amalfi.

All in all the trip is going very well so far, and yes mom, we are not fighting as you suggested. Lol, although when it is only the two of us who really speak all that much English fighting would mean very little English and I don’t think that is something either of us would handle all that well.

Anyway, i bet you guys are getting a little sick of all our posting, but it is one of the more enjoyable things to do here in Naples, aside from looking at all the cool stuff people are trying to sell on the street… cool and what i would suspect as stolen.

Oh, and debbie is feeling a little unloved, considering how much she has been hearing from her parents. Of course they are in Asheville with no internet connection, but she thought they should be home by now. If anyone has anything relevant to say on the subject I’m sure she would appreciate it.

Love always

matt