Benvenutti a Italia!

We got to Aviano on a cold and stormy day, so we really couldn't see any of the surroundings.  You can imagine how psyched I was too see this out my window when I woke up the first morning. 

This is the hotel on base.  The house we found is even closer to the mountians!  See the next posts for more photos of where you'll be visiting.

Quaint Towns in Northern Italy

Here are some photos from the few small towns we have visited so far.

La Piazza Principale, Sacile

Don't wait in line; just push your way up to the counter and order something delicious.

Now we're in Italy!

Our New House and the Giant Back Yard

After looking at a bunch of houses, we got lucky to find this one in Maniago.  I've posted some photos of the house and of the surrounding area.

Out of the 7 houses we looked at, not a single one had a stitch of carpet.

Here's the view from the kitchen window.  The photos below show what's up in those mountains.

This area is about 10 minutes from our front door.  When I stumbled on these pools, I couldn't believe how close they were to the road.

This pool is amazing.  It's surrounded by steep limestone cliffs and it will make a great swimming hole in the summer.

Cassy and I took these photos while hiking a super steep trail above a little town called Dardago that is about 10 minutes from the base.  The trail climbs out of the valley quickly and offers some sweet views.

The town of Aviano and the Air Force base are in the valley behind us.

She wouldn't chase the stick through the pipe, but we're working on it.

Daytrip to Venice

We took our first daytrip to Venice last weekend.  A 1-hour train ride dropped us off right at the Grand Canal.  It was quite an experience for both of us, since neither of us had been to Venice and we really didn't know much about the city.  There are absolutely no cars in the city.  The only way to get around is by boat or by getting lost on foot in the narrow streets.  This trip was the first of many and we are psyched to explore the hidden gems of Venice over the next few years.

The Vaporetto (water bus)

Piazza San Marco was a bit crowded, we thought.  This was a cold, hazy day in the off season.  I can't imagine what it must be like in the high season.

Gelato