Time without Internet

We finally got connected to the internet.....via tv and keyboard!
I do believe we left you hanging at the Leaning Tower of Pisa.....we've definitely have traveled a bit from there.
We continued our travel to San Marino, the oldest republic of the world. It was truely a spectacular view from the top of the mountain. The hike to get there was the most fun.
San Marino took our breath away....we stayed in the Grand Hotel with a view of the valley below....unless you had an inside room and all you could see was the brick wall to the road! The shopping was fun....tons of shops on slanted streets that lead to the three towers. The fortress towers had absolutely beautiful advantage views and museums . It was fairytale material for sure! Betsy Mehrman kept saying she was cinderella !
After a day of exploring the area, training and eating a great dinner.....we all were pretty pooped!
The highlight the next day was making our own pizzas! After eating delightful pizza and fresh salad we were handed official diplomas of pizza making! Should count for applications for sure!
Then onto the beach! Beautiful!!!!! We were able to dip our feet into the Adriatic sea...and hang out in the sun before heading to another training session, back to the hotel and more exploring and shopping!
Saturday was a great tour of the hillside of San Marino with a tour guide....lunch on our own....a bit of rest and then a pregame dinner at the Fantini Club. Wonderful entertainment was provided.....beach soccer volleyball....gives a new view to"chesters". We were all impressed with the skill of the game....pics and video to follow soon. Then you'll see what we're talking about.
Sunday brought us to Venice.....aaaww Venice....a quick boat ride through the grand canal, a guided walk on the outskirts of the busy plazas and back on our way! Lots of info in a short time....but well worth the visit.
Another highlight of the week......the professional match! We were all excited to wear our A.C. milan gear!1 lookin super flashy in red and black... except for one loney soldier LAUREN G supportin juventus. Unfortunately she was the winner in penalty shots!
what a way to end the match. After the game we were on our way to the hotel to lake como to finally rest. The Hotel leornardo da vinciis where we are staying for the rest of our italian vacation.
The next morning we woke up, had some food and got to tour the beautiful como city. We not only walked around to shop we also got to go on the lake for a boat tour. The lake is home to the famous actor, George Clooney. After pictures and shopping we headed to our second match.... where we had to follow two boys on mopeds... our first time getting lost! Showing up twenty minutes before our match was apparently a great thing because we triumphed the italian team! You may think it was a busy day, but after dinner we had one last adventure for the night. Pino, our bus driver, took us dancing at a local disco bar! Some opted to stay back and play cards.
The last morning to explore we headed to Lugano, Switzerland! The city on beatiful Lugano Lake is near the italian border and Lake Como. Although the morning started out foggy, the weather cleared up and we were able to view all of the villas along the moutainside. It was beautiful! As the swiss are known for their chocolate, all of us picked out a variety of sweets to bring home and share. Now it is rest time before our final match of the trip. Wish us good luck!

Molly, Ashley, Becky