Visitors

Pat and Leanne arrived on Friday June 30 for a four day visit.  It was good to have them stop by for a few days before they headed for France for a four week excursion of some beautiful and scenic wine country.  After a day of rest and some very good food we checked out a few close by towns and then decided to spend a few dollars and have lunch at the prestigious Villa d' Este hotel. This hotel is certainly in the top five properties in the entire country of Italy, with its impeccable gardens, historic buildings, wonderful food, and most gracious service.  After a delicious lunch, a fight over whose paying (Pat won which means he paid), a stroll through the gardens, a short but informative conversation with a helpful employee we headed back to the house for a well deserved rest.  By the way we found out that a tree on the property of the Villa d'Este is over 600 years old and is dying.  It would be a real shame to see it disappear so all of you out there get off your butt, buy a ticket and get over here before it disappears.  Of course you can stay with us as long as you take us to dinner!  We stopped at the Bennet to show Pat and Leanne the real Italy and do some shopping before heading home.

Pat and I headed off to play golf Monday morning at the Menaggio-Cadenabbia Golf Course.  After renting clubs, paying our green fees and hitting a few balls at the range we were standing at the first tee. This golf course is the tightest (meaning narrow) we have ever been on.  Each hole either slants to the left or right depending which direction the hole runs, is uphill or downhill and looks like a bowling alley from each tee.  I brought a supply of balls from Phoenix so we were in good shape.  A summary of the round:  Pat played well for a course he had never seen before finishing in the low eighties. He thought if we played again he could shave off an easy five strokes just knowing the course.  Lots of blind shots. Let's just say I finished.  Some good shots and some bad shots.  Pat felt that I have improved quite a bit since the last time we played together, a testament to the rounds I have been playing in Arizona with my good friends Martin, Kris and Harry.  I will take Pat at his word on this. The rental clubs left a lot to be desired, I was pretty disappointed with them.  The one other time I played here the clubs were very good.  Everything can't be perfect!  Anyway we had a very good time and I look forward to playing again with Pat when we meet up in September at his club in Pebble Beach.  At least I will have my own clubs then.  Thanks, Pat, for your tips!!

Pat and Leanne left Tuesday afternoon but not before we walked to Lenno for the weekly market and took a quick five minute boat ride to the beautiful Villa del Balbianello.  You can go back in this blog and find our description of this extraordinary Villa.  If anything it has only gotten more lush and exquisite.  Strolling the grounds never gets old!  From there we walked backed to the car, around two miles, and headed to the house for yet another meal.  Pat and Leanne hit the road around two and I headed for another afternoon nap. Ah, the good life!

Gene