Lili-dui, normally, upon hearing that two sisters will be arriving at a Meet anxious to be given special treatment, I would be thrilled.

Unfortunately, you scheduled your arrival in Venice on the same day as my UIG (Used Italian Girlfriend) which will put a very definite cramp in my style.

(Or, if I don't let it cramp my style, my UIG will put a very definite cramp in my head, most likely using an oar from the closest gondola.)

Common courtesy would impel me to give you the names of some of the men at the Meet who could make you as happy I would have, had not the UIG been an impairment.

I am stopped from doing so, unfortunately, by two factors:

1. I have no common courtesy.

2. There are no men coming who could possibly make you as happy as I would have.

Lili-dui and others, if you think that Dovster might be otherwise engaged, you can count on me to give you a big hug and a warm greeting to my home away from home. I know that you will fall in love with my VCE. BTW, what is up with Dovster talking about "maps?" Maps are basically useless; the beauty of Venice is getting lost and finding your way. Venice is a voyage of discovery. Toss the maps and allow yourselves to get lost. It is much more fun.

O2K, you know that maps will not keep someone from getting lost in Venice -- they merely give them a decent chance at finding their way back. Nobody should leave the hotel without a map; there is almost no chance that we will ever see them again.

Cholula, please ignore the above paragraph.

I'll take romance & ditch the map, IMHO, maps are useless. All directions in VCE seem to have this little dialogue: "How do I get to (e.g.) Al Covo?" The usual answer is "exit the hotel, cross over two bridges, continue to second canal, walk the Strada Nove, follow signs to San Marco, then follow sign to Canal Grande, continue on until you cross three more bridges, go 2 bridges past the Danielli and turn left. :) "The only guide I will carry is the Vaporetto #1 schedule.

Ignore what?? :confused:

Exactly!

Surely, do not ignore my brilliant post :)

Wait just a minute here!!
Dovster has already offered to buy the first six Grappas upon my Friday arrival. And to point me in the general direction of the Al Mori. I don't speak Italian and I can't read a map in the dark.
I'm ALREADY confused and I'm no further than my Southern CA office as I post this.
What are the odds that I'll find my way to the Trattoria on Saturday night in order to pick up the dinner and bar tab for the whole group??

Not to worry about the Trattoria. Marco and I have pretty much narrowed it down to 2 trattorias--one is practically next door to the hotel, the other is about a 10 minute walk. Just hang on to the O2K's and you will be just fine. Wait a minute: Did you just say that Dovster has offered to buy six grappas? Me-thinks he must have imbibed a bit too much Carmel wine when he made that statement :rolleyes:

If you're planning to pick up the check for everyone, we will make SURE you find your way to the trattoria on Saturday night! :D

kathywdr Just hang on to my purple cape. I'll get your there.

I better go to bed. I am still making typos. Kathy, are you on our "definite" list?

Just to clarify matters:

1. I promised to buy the six grappas for Cholula upon his arrival on Friday. This has no connection to our going to the trattoria on Saturday. I figure that by the time of the Big Dinner, mapless Cholula will still be searching for the Ai Mori -- as he wanders the streets of Trieste.

2. Cholula is not needed to pay for the dinner. Only his Amex is. This, of course, will be firmly in the hands of Mrs. C. Assuming that she has not yet maxed it out at the various expensive shops I intend to point out to her, I foresee no problems in asking her to sign the credit card slip. (I understand that she does not speak Italian, so I will merely explain to her that it is a "Thank you" card to the restaurant.)

3. Kathy is not yet on the "Definite" list. I think she is waiting for 100% confirmation of the fact that my UIG will be in Venice before committing herself.

4. Platbrownguy has been suspiciously quiet the past few days. Is it possible that Platbrowngal A found out about B, C, D, and E and he has gone into hiding?

This has been a concern of mine as well! platbrowndude even managed to post from Madagascar on a regular basis. Not an easy task!
Makes me wonder what's up! I'm concerned about his safety but, if the truth be known, I'm equally concerned for a selfish reason.
We were to share a water taxi from the VCE airport to the Al Mori. Dovster has me quaking in my boots as to the cost of a water taxi. I was counting on platbrownguy to slip me a few Euros to cover the cost. Until he posts yet again I will continue to worry for his safety.

Explanation to new readers: Cholula went into a panic when he learned that Venice water taxis do not give SkyMiles award tickets.