Buongiorno, I have neglected the blog for too long. It has been a hectic month, seems like one catastrophe after another. But now, on the morrow a small vacation will begin as we cross over into Austria to our go-to town of Mauthen. The cat will be cat sit by Orietta's mother while we will cool off in that small non tourist village. Mauthen is just across the border and the drive over the pass is very scenic and curvy. This border was a battle line during WWI. Austria-Hungarian troops fought against Italians assisted with a battalion of British artillery soldiers. They endured the harsh winters while bombarded, spied upon and shot by snipers. Millions died on the war front. On the north side (Austrian) as you descend into the valley below you pass a small cemetery which serves to remind one of those who gave their lives. I must admit that my high school history teacher neglected to mention this war front and i...