Drove through the Brener Pass and arrived at the Italian Dolomites. Again fabulous scenery. At 12:30 p.m. we were in Bolzano around 1:00 p.m. Trento. Toll 14,000 Lira, $12 CAN. Turned off highway in Trento and headed for Padova.

At 2:20 p.m. we stopped at a nice little ristorante near Tezze; had salad and pasta (loved the vinegar and oil for the salad). Cost 48,300 lira (about $45 CAD).

Asked for directions from the owner of the restaurant, he gave us a free map and posed for a picture with Rita and Rachel.

Birds were singing, it was the first day that we’ve had really warm sunny weather. After driving through Feltre, we drove along the Piave river and stopped for gas near Pederobba. A lady filled the car up and I asked her for directions to Caerano. From there it was easy to find.

Arrived in Caerano Di San Marco around 4:00 p.m. and as we drove into town noticed The Bordin body shop which is owned by an acquaintance of mine. We had no reservations but had no trouble checking into Hotel Europa (no restaurant). There were only two hotels in town. Bought wine in a supermarket across the street from the hotel, found a bank and withdrew some Italian currency, bought flowers for Fernanda’s mother and went to visit the Bordin family at 5:00 p.m.

A 92 year old grandmother (Fernanda’s mother), three brothers and their wives and four children. Renato and Mauro were at the body shop which adjoined Renato’s house. After greetings we went across the road to Mauro’s house to visit Fernanda’s mother. I was there in 1974. What a difference. At that time there was an old farmhouse with a large barn in the back. Now there was a beautiful duplex which Mauro’s family shared with Galliano (who I've never met before) and his wife. As you can see in the picture even the carport has an Italian tile floor. We had a few glasses of wine and we invited the whole family to join us for dinner at a restaurant. They told us that in Caerano there are no restaurants open on Monday, because they’re open on the weekends, and besides Grandma was too old to go to a restaurant. So they invited us for dinner.

We asked them not to go to any great trouble preparing food, since we wanted to take them out for dinner, and didn’t want them to work and agreed that we would only have spaghetti. We wanted to visit Reno’s sister Marianella and her husband Florido before dinner. Galliano said that he would guide us to her house. I said there was no need, since I lived there for a week in 1974, and I could find it. Galliano insisted on guiding us and we were glad since there have been so many changes in the town that we would never have found their house. Mariannela and Florido were on holidays and we were unable to meet them. We agreed that we would freshen up at the hotel and then go back to Mauros house.

We were back at Mauro’s after about an hour at 8:45 p.m.. We were told by Mauro’s son (who had to stay home to study for exams) that the family was waiting for us at Renato’s house. So we walked across the road. The temperature in Caerano was around 35 C and they were barbecuing inside a woodburning fireplace in the kitchen. It must have been around 40 C with the barbecue and the stove going.

There was a large table set up in the kitchen, which seated twelve of us comfortably, and we were in for a feast.

There was spaghetti all right (with oil, garlic and herbs) but then came barbecued sausage, barbecued pork, barbecued beef, salad with wedges of ripe tomatoes and cucumber from the garden, and finely shredded cabbage. Dessert was ice cream cake, vodka in lemon ice cream; bread, cheeses and fruit to finish the meal and of course wine, from grapes grown behind the house and made by Galliano, throughout the meal.

Wonderful dinner with wonderful people. Renato made a telephone call to Fernanda during the meal, and we talked at length about the wonderful time we were having.

Fernanda’s mother had a few drinks of the lemon ice cream and vodka and was quite jolly. We said our goodbyes after midnight. Fernandas mother kept hugging and hugging us and it was sad since we will probably not see her again. But you never know, she is still in good health. Shouldn’t have driven, but we made it back to the hotel which was about three blocks away.