We were all excited about getting to our villa near Venice and meeting up with Tammy, Doug, Deborah, Mila and Makenna, who just flew in from Paris.

We arrived in Codogne, a village in the province of Treviso, 50 km out of Venice. I was somewhat nervous about the condition of our villa, because if it ended up being a lemon other families would be effected, and I felt responsible. We were an hour ahead of Tammy and Doug, so I knew if it was really bad we could call and tell them to find a hotel! Lol.

We pulled up to a large green iron gate which was open. We saw a small front yard with a massive magnolia tree, and to our right a pale yellow, tall and wide concrete, boxy house. Windows with green shutters dotted the side of the house. Next to the front door sat a terra cotta pot with a blooming hibiscus plant. The door was open and we called inside to see if the lady renting to us, Patricia, was there. We didn't get a response but peeked in to see if we recognized anything from the pictures - we did. Seconds later Patricia arrived.

Patricia showed us around explaining the recycling program, the compost, and other household things we needed to know. She was soft spoken and friendly. We asked about the history of the house, and she told us that it is 300 years old. She lived there as a child, and now lives next door in what use to be the hired help's quarters. The house we stayed in belonged to her family for many generations, and is where landowners lived, they hired people to farm the land. More recently the land has been subdivided and sold for housing, so it no longer looks out onto acres of farmland, but instead country homes.

I fell in love with the house instantly. It was rustic and homey, with a lot of space. The house was full of character; antique furniture, eclectic art, stone and white washed brick walls. A large kitchen fire place, copper pots hanging from the kitchen ceiling, and a large archway. Wood beam ceilings and Venetian stone floors, and in some places wood plank flooring. A large wooden staircase to the upper floor. Both levels have a walk through living room the entire width of the house, with views into the garden. The backyard garden is gorgeous. It stretches out a long way. When you walk out of the house there is a rectangular table to the left, under the shade of a tree. A tall palm tree stands close by. To the right is a barbecue area, with a table shaded by a garden trellis, and more trees. Hydrangeas bushes, hibiscus plants and roses were in bloom, as well as baskets of impatience plants. Walking further was a small fountain, and a lawn bordered with trees and rhododendron bushes. Hidden by lush greenery in the back quarter of the garden is an open space, with a pool and lounging chairs. The sides of the pool are built up with rock and plants, and behind the pool bamboo and other trees create a natural backdrop. The back of the house, (garden side) has a different look than the front, same shape as the front, but vines grow along it.

Tammy and Doug texted that they were close by, and we ran out to the road to greet them. We were all doing the happy dance when they arrived. Deborah and Tammy looked a little overwhelmed by the different environment, they were not sure what to think when they saw the boxy building, but judging from our excitement they assumed the inside must be ok.

We walked through together and chose our rooms. The kids were instantly drawn to the pool, and played there for a long time. They loved the garden and pool, but Mariah and Mila were not so sure about the big old house. Deborah, and Tammy thought it was beautiful but were feeling out of their element, it was far from familiar, and very different from Paris.

Deborah, Tim and Doug went into town to buy groceries and pick up pizza for supper. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out and celebrating the start of our vacation together.