On the way out Corso Venezia, we decide to get lost a bit. There's a dormant volcano between Verona and Piazzola sul Brenta with a bunch of secluded farming towns clinging to the slopes. We enter a national park with high winding roads. Views would have been stunning but for the sea of thick fog obscuring all the valleys.

We drive by a big old "haunted" chiesa, from when I can't tell, now totally stripped and in ruin, attended only by the pigeons. I climb the fence and take pictures in the vast, abandoned space with the digital camera. We end up winding through the mountains almost two hours. On a high spur of rock, what's left of a castle looms over a cluster of stone farmhouses. The clouds add a moody flavor to the scenery.

The flea market is cool, 800 stalls in the "front yard" of an 18th century villa. We buy an old hanging rack, a cool yellow lamp and a metal ruler for Mr. Spera, eat delicious salsicce sandwiches with vino caldo. Afterwards, we hit the Padova IKEA for more curtains, an office chair for L., pillows and bedsheets. On the list of my top five favorite comfort foods, IKEA meatballs with lingonberry jelly ranks third.