Europe Vacation Update

Something new about our trip this past April and May to France and Italy. Most of you know (see BLOG info to the right) that our Amer. Airlines flight lost an underbelly panel on takeoff. Also, the week before we were to return, a storm blew down one of our BIG trees onto the neighbors house, but no one was hurt. Just a couple of months ago, Sue and Clay received notice that they had to move back to the USA a couple of years earlier than they were supposed to, because of the economy. Sheila and I are sooooo lucky. We thought we were lucky because we took our trip this year instead of next (they wouldn't be there), we survived the air plane problem (we arrived in one piece), and no one was hurt (we weren't sued) in the tree mishap.

I learned today that we have another lucky item to be thankful for. We spent a week in Italy, visiting various places, including Venice. Today, the news had the following report on Venice.

Tourists carry their luggage through flood waters in Venice December 1, 2008. Large parts of Venice were flooded on Monday as heavy rains and strong winds lashed the lagoon city, with sea levels at their highest level in 22 years. Ferry and water taxi services in the city were suspended and Venice's mayor urged people to stay indoors. Tourists and residents struggled to get across the city over raised walkways. The Centro Maree, which forecasts water levels, said sea levels in the Adriatic rose 1.56 metres (5.1 ft) -- a level not seen since 1986.

REUTERS/Manuel Silvestri (ITALY)

Here is the pix that accompanied the news item.... note the PANADA hotel in the background.... that's where we stayed. For more info...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081201/ap_on_re_eu/eu_italy_venice_high_water_5