CORTONA AND WE ARE MAKING OUR WAY HOME...WE HOPE!

Several years ago Frances Mayes wrote a book called "Under the Tuscan Sun" that was made in to a movie with Diane Lane that turned out to be a huge hit and made the whole world want to come to Tuscany. Well, that is what got me interested as well as lots and lots of other people. The book was based in Cortona, so that was one of the place I wanted to see. And it was worth it. It is on an extremely high hill and has one level street, the rest are at least built at 45 degree angles...there is a lot of huffing and puffing getting up and down thoses streets, but they are gorgous...the Italians have to be in really good shape to navigate these hilltowns.......I am attaching some pictures taken in Cortona and the inside shots of the coffee and the fireplace are taken here at the timshare. It has been a nice stay in spite of the rooster crowing in the am....but we are going to beat him tomorrow as we will be leaving here around 4:30 am to head for the train station.
The plan is to take a train from here to Pisa leaving at 6:30. Then we catch a plane from Pisa to Frankfurt Germany that will get us there at 2:30. From there we go to Ramstein Air Force Base...I am not sure how yet.......but we will get there. We have a room booked on the base for two nights. There should be a number of flights over the next few days taking us to the East Coast and hopefully Charleston. We hope to be home no later than Wednesday....but you are at the mercy of the planes when you travel Space A. It will be a cargo plane, so we will be sitting along the sides of the plane, but who cares...it is free....they say its pretty cold so I need to find a "Snugge"....(probably never find one here!)......we expect the trip back to be easier than the onet getting here unless it dumps us off in the middle of Alaska somewhere. We will get back to you once we are in Germany....I guess that the 10 or so words I learned here in Italy won't help me there!!! The locals here are really friendly and helpful, even if they speak little English. They are so pleasant.....
Caio for now....
Tom and Jackie