ALISON AND BRUCE

My college friends Alison and Bruce came to visit us! They're our first Prin guests we've had since joining the military almost 4 years ago! That's crazy to think! They had just spent two weeks in Paris, so they were ready to relax in Italy for 3 days.

This was one of their first sights of Sacile, and one of my favorite views!

It has been raining non-stop this year, so on our one day of sunshine we headed down to Venice.

I heard a noise above me, and I looked up to see a puff of white hair peeking from around some shutters. This cute little old lady was peering from her window. I'm not sure what she was looking for, but I had to get a picture!

 I think I know what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be a photographer that takes photos of Venice on a daily basis. I can't get tired of this sleepy island.

We had some amazing gelato in Venice! It's some of the best I've had since living in Italy!

I had to take a picture of this woman's shirt. It's an orange shirt with a cat on it! Pick her up and put her in Wal Mart and she would fit right in. (It's mean... I know...but you have to admit you kind of agree with me. :)

The canals were crowded for a Thursday!

We had to stop for some treats in at a cafe in Venice!

San Marco's square was surprisingly empty!

We had just missed a demonstration in from of United Colors of Benetton. They sure left a mess!

I don't think I should tell you what was smeared inside the store, but I'll let you guess.

We quickly moved on to the Rialto Bridge...

It's sometimes easy to think of Venice as a big tourist island. This hanging laundry is a nice reminder that there are locals here that live here year round. It makes it feel a little more like home.

I think they were as tired of the rain as we were!

Bruce and Alison got to see the full spectrum. We had a big storm come through the weekend they were here. It left a foot of snow on the mountains.

After 3 short days, we had to say goodbye. I love this picture of them in front of a garage with graffiti that reads, "Ciao!" Until next time, friends!