Greetings all - Here is a brief travelogue from Joeba in Europe. I have found a fast Internet cafe in Nice, FR with 2 weeks of travel to share with you all. Found out the ticket only good for 1 month so I'll be back soon... Sigh Joe Barello

THE TRIP SO FAR(or how far can you go?) Flew to Nice July 11th with Satomi, picked up the 2 week rental car and drove immediately up the coast to the Italian Riviera and took first night in SanRemo. Figured out the Autostrada and cruised up to Turin to visit the Italian side of the family. Chiara, Marco, Franco and Laura took us to a fine Italian lunch north of Turin at the summer house and we visited the home of my great grand parents (tiny house and barn for the 7 kids - one of which was my grand father on my Dad's side!

Traveled up to Lake Maggiore where Satomi and I spent 3 wonderful days lounging in the town of Stressa - the weather was crap but the location was fab... Did the municipal ferry to Isola Bella one day, drove up in the hills another, did the whole day ferrying around on the Italian side of the lake. Didn't get up into Switzerland on this trip....

Road trip down to Cotignac (in Provence FR) for Tim and Adrienne's wedding. Took another night in SanRemo at the Mirrimare Hotel (****). Drove the Autostrada and local roads into Cotignac - saw Boris, Max and Andrea driving out of town on some day adventure (I wonder what?)

Did 3 days in Cotignac (South France) around dinners, trips to mini-canyons and dipping in rivers while lounging at the VILLA that the bride and groom spent the wedding night... The wedding afternoon in town, the evening dinner... Au Provence at the chateue.. The local Cotignac friends of Tim! I'm going back!

Drove down to the coast (Eyeres) near Toulon and chartered a 40ft Benetaue out at the Isle du Eyeres (something like that!) for one giant glorious sailing day! Boris and Max wanted to check out the Babes in San Tropez that evening so Sato and I drove to Eyeres - found the boat and did some grocery shopping for the boat day. We all spent the night on the boat (boris/max/ashley arriving around 3AM) - ROCKEN sailing - as good if not better than BVI!!!!

Did an overnight at NICE and got Sato on the plane back to US. Found out my ticket only valid for 1 month so can only extend from org return of Aug 7 to Aug 10 if I really must! SIGH

Starting my 2 weeks by myself... hung out at the train station for the morning with all the other train traveling foreigners. Got the 8:45pm overnight to Paris with sleeping couche with TVG from Paris to Amsterdam 9:45am to 2pm...

Got the day to hang in Nice - luggage and bag in locker at train station. wandering toward old town and the beach for the day... paper pack book in my pocket

Amsterdam here I go...

Then a visit to Dan in London; another train ride back to Italy to visit Neil in Bologna and then... hopefully a train ride back to Nice and an 8 hour direct to JFK...

See you all soon Joe Barello