hi this is linette. italy is beautiful. we are now in varenna on a lake, a tiny town of just 800 people. it is right on the edge of the water, the dolemites and switzerland are just beyond… it is cool, almost cold beautiful and crisp fall weather and we are writing from a tiny hotel, really someone,s house and getting ready to take a ferry to belaggio, a fancier town across the lake. our italian is still bad, and we do a lot of mumbling and pointing, but somehow, we are managing to get to where we want to go. here, i,ll pass the keyboard to mark now… we are having fun and all is well except for mark,s back which is causing him to grimace a lot…

hi, this is mark. my back is killing me. i threw is out in milan. i wrenched it good. it is killing me… i dont think that i will make it. woe is me!!! do you all feel sorry for me, here in an italian paradise? as bad as it is to have a back ache like this, i would rather have this than be at work, or, for that matter, anywere in michigan. it is quite lovely here and the people all have nice butts.

it,s linette again. before you start feeling bad for mark and his back injury, you should know that he is carrying things like one pound of sunflower seeds from michigan, a full gallon (in two bottles) of non carbonated water because it makes him cry to drink water “with gas” or “frizzomo”, about a pound of unread FOR THE BOTH OF US!!!