Sorry for being late - Part 2 Rewind

Hi bloggies and blogettes!

I can't believe it's October, sorry for the delay, life has been a bit mad!

Where was I, oh yes we'd just crossed the Italian border. The first part of the journey was a bit strange and we went through loads of little tunnels through bits of mountains, but for quite a while we went along the Italian Riviera, again like the french one, it consisted of very pretty little harbours and towns with a turquoise sea.

We then started to head inland and up through Italy, for the first time in Italy we saw flat land that was not framed with mountains - usually when we drive across the top of Italy always in the background is the blueish hue of the Dolomites or Alps, so it was it a bit weird not to have them in the background, although that changed when we hit Brescia (pronounced Bresha) this is a town roughly between Milan and Venice and it was where we joined the A4 motorway along the top of Italy.

At last I knew we were on the last bit, the road also passes where FG lives, so I always give a wave at her turn off (daft I know, but thats me!), we drove on past Venice and Marco Polo airport and then round the lagoon, where we stay is on a peninsula (as the end of it is Punta Sabbione, which some of you will know from FG). It takes about an hour just to drive around the lagoon, with long stretches of water on one side and fields with abandoned buildings on the other - we always wonder what they were used for, they have writing on the sides of them and look like giant houses they sit alongside the road on the edges of fields and are about a few hundred yards apart.

Then onward, we drive through several small towns to arrive at the place we stay which is Union Lido at Cavallino. It is quite a huge complex consisting of a hotel, appartments, mobile homes, caravans, tents etc. Although it is quite spread out, and the pitches are small, there is so much to do and lots of space to go and do things so you don't feel hemmed in, and best of all it has a private beach well over a kilometre long, it is well patrolled by life guards and is clean with soft yellow sand and the lovely warm Adriatic Sea (those of you who have been on any Atlantic Coastline with it's icy water will know the blessings of warm sea!), a bonus is no animals allowed either(sorry animal lovers but it has been a bug-beare of mine having kids grow up and not be allowed to play freely on sand due to the dog mess left everywhere, I have seen from the kids rugby posters what damage can be done by the worms left behind where dog's mess, where kids have been blinded, I know it's not the animals fault but there are many selfish owners who don't bother).

The place we stay also has two large pool complexes, (although I tend to avoid them, often crowded, too many skinnies in bikini's and you have to wear a swimming hat!), it also has a huge bouncy castle area, roller/skateboard rink/Ampitheatre/wellness spa centre (with some great heated seaweed and salt baths)/gym/ tennis/football/archery/horseriding/ art centre etc. etc. it is clever the way they set everything out it is all amongst trees and landscaped so you don't actually realise how big it is or what's there, in fact I've still not seen it all and I have been about 5 times, but for kids it is ideal with lots to do as it covers all age ranges.

I must admit my favourite is chilling on the beach looking at the lovely warm blue Adriatic sea, sitting under my umbrella (I burn really easily I do two shades red and white!) reading or doing crosswords, just watching the cruise ships come out of Venice and seeing the world go by - boring to some but the way my life usually goes 90 to the dozen a couple of simple days chilling is heaven to me.

Afer we booked in at the main reception and went off to find our courier, for the first time we stayed with a dutch company and we were faced with a message board in Germany! Being English, second languages are not our strong point - we have the annoying habit of speaking slightly louder and more slowly in the hope someone understands us - so this being the case I asked a nice dutch lady to translate - the dutch speak English fluently and put us to shame and it is usually with an american accent as most of their TV is american series. The courier apparently had gone for a break and it said could I ring a mobile number - so I did as requested to have a voice say "Oh you are English" "er yes" I replied, "oh I am so sorry its your name,you are not German or Dutch" "No, and I can't speak either, but yes over a hundred years ago my family originated from Germany" with that sorted Wim (pronounced Vim) our courier apologised again and arrived and set off to take us to our accommodation, unlike English companies they only provide a hob to cook on, so a great excuse to eat out in one of the 7 restaurants on site!).

We unpacked and I rang FG to let her know we had arrived safely and made arrangements to meet up the next night which was hubby's birthday.

The next day was a bit overcast so we just poodled around and stocked up on a few supplies, then in the evening FG and her hubby came over it was wonderful to see them, and whatever we do we always enjoy their company, we all went for a meal in a local restaurant,(on reflection, we thought after that we could have gone to the one in Punta Sabbioni that FG wrote about, but we will leave that for next time we go over).

The meal was OK but not up to previous standards, although poor FG spent the night being dive bombed by mossies - it's all her sweet blood, I usually suffer to, but I was covered head to foot in anti mossie spray, the mossie were out in force and my hubby even took one off of my son's face -the mossies there are huge, I luckily escaped all holiday with only 2 or 3 bites, but they come up about 3 or 4 inches across as I have a bad reaction to them, hence the mossie spray - I learnt the first year I went when my son and I got bitten to death - they don't touch my hubby or youngest, in hubby's case I think the hairy legs put them off!!

It was great to see FG and I gave her a big hug from you all, we finished the meal and went back onto our site where hubbies demolished a few beers and FG and I headed for one of the 3 or 4 ice cream shops - they are huge so many flavours you can't count - where we indulged with a lovely big ice-cream, rounding off a lovely evening with wonderful friends and great company - and I will leave it there till the next Rewind Instalment - The Piave & Venezia!

Ciao Bloggies and Blogettes, hope you are well and peaceful wherever you are