Italy, The Race and Up North

Wow, I can't believe it has been almost a month since my last posting and SO much has happened since then.  We had a very nice weekend with Mom Hilldore and Uncle Ray and Aunt Shirley.  Relaxing but fun.  It was good to see Mom in good spirits and she even walked quite a bit with us.  I think we tired her out because she slept really well!!

We spent the 4th of July Holiday in Italy!!  A good customer of ours got married in the little town of Silvi on the east coast of Italy, about a 2 1/2 hr drive, almost straight east of Rome.  We flew into Rome, arriving on the 4th and had a "taxi" ride (really a van) over to Silvi Marina, right on the Adriatic Sea where we stayed.  The wedding was on Sat., the 5th up the "hill" in the town of Silvi.  About the most picturesque place you can imagine.  They got married outside in front of a fountain. (See above)  It was just beautiful and I think half of the town was there just to watch.  We spent an extra day there relaxing and had pizza back "up" at the town Sunday night while an orchestra played just around the corner with singers singing O Sole Mio.  How much more "italian" can it get??

We then took the "cab" (van) ride back to Rome and spent a few days there.  Two days of touring really with a driver recommended by the wedding couple.  It was about 90 degrees F. there so it was nice to be able to ride around and see the sights in air conditioned comfort.  He also told us what we were looking at and gave us some information about things.  The first day we did have a tour through the Vatican which was pretty neat.  The second day Salvedore (our driver) took us up out of the city to a really pretty spot for lunch that was a little cooler.

So we saw lots of cool things and had LOTS of great food,  too much to list here.

We returned home on Thurs. night and then on Sat. took our grandson Jacob and his mom - Jamie to the NASCAR race near Chicago.

Jacob is a huge NASCAR fan and his favorite is Kyle Bush.  We had bid on a "package" at the Hospice dinner and won this trip for 4.  We had a private plane ride from Holland to near the race track, a car to use to go to the track, passes to the pits and garages, two rooms at a hotel for the night, breakfast in the morning, then the flight back to Holland.  It was all pretty cool and was a surprise for Jacob.  It was really fun to do that with them and I think Jamie was just as or more excited about it as Jacob was.  

That was Sat. and Sun. then on Monday Larry and I brought the boat up to Charlevoix and met some friends of ours - Mark and Shelley Hawks and Ruth Dailey from Holland here.  We got to keep the boat right at the marina next to them and spent some of the nights sleeping on the boat too so it really seems like "vacation" and the boat trips we have done with them in the past.  It was nice to spend time with them again too.

Well, if I knew better how to post the pictures between paragraphs I would add more but can't seem to get the hang of it.  I will have to get some instruction and then try again.

OK, so the pictures are kinda backwards at the top of the page but at least you can see them.  Jamie and Jacob in Kyle Bush's garage, Larry and I in Rome and the fountain where the wedding was.  Maybe I will get better at it at another time.  :-p  But you get the "picture."