Grado, running aground, Ikea and back to Monfalcone!

Hi everyone..... Got back on line eventually! Having withdrawal symptoms, so had to return to the Bangladeshi internet room in Monfalcone. We have parked our hire car in a multipiano up town to come and blog to you (the things we do!!!).
Stayed in Grado for 4 nights. Beautiful part of the world. Grado itself is a seaside resort, however at this time of the year the sand was piled up on the beach (supposed to be the best beach in Italy) and 90% of the hotels were closed until about April. We tied up to the town quay for 2 nights which was right in the middle of town (not sure if I mentioned that we weren't charged as it is winter!) and walking distance to everything we required. On the third day we decided to explore the lagoons which stretch from Grado in the East to Lignano in the West. To cut a long story short, we were following the marked channel and decided to head to Aquileia where we had been informed on good authority (our pilot guide) that there was a marina. From this, we deduced that a boat our size could get up there. We ran aground not far up the channel! Our first grounding in Shirley. At least we know the keel is fairly well attached (we were on soft mud thank goodness). On our way back we ran aground again, even more successfully! I was just starting to work how many days we could survive for as we hadn't seen a boat for hours when Craig got us off (what a hero!! Hang on, he's the one who ran us aground in the first place!) .
We went back to a marina in Grado that evening and the next day caught a bus to Aquileia where we saw some amazing Roman ruins and more beautiful churches. Lots of photos to come when we can (believe me, this is frustrating me even more than you!).
We had also been given an address of a chandlers to visit to purchase a part to fix the toilet on the boat (which Craig had dropped into the holding tank!! Of course he denies this....) which just happened to be in Aquileia. When we found the chandlers, we asked how they get the large boats up the channel and we were told that they go up on floating pontoons! He gave us a strange look when we said we had been told that we could get our boat up the river. So much for pilot guides!
Motored back to Monfalcone on Thursday morning as we were getting the water maker fitted there. There was dead calm conditions (OK Steve, no sailing, but you tell me how to sail in minus 4 knots of apparent wind!!!) and thick, thick fog like I haven't seen for years. Thank goodness for radar, AIS and Raymarine E80 GPS and chart plotters, which we are still admittedly trying to work out all the features of!
We have been back in Marina Hannibal for 2 nights now. Watermaker has been fitted, but not tested yet. TV \ DVD has been exchanged as it wasn't working (just need correct batteries for remote control so we can test - told you nothing happens quickly). Now have to hang around till Monday as our VHF radio has been recalled due to problems with MMSI numbers. We have therefore hired a car and are taking off touring for a few days.
FOUND IKEA YESTERDAY! Isn't it strange that you feel at home in a Swedish homeware shop in Italy as the lay out and goods are exactly like Australia! Craig even had meatballs for lunch! It was amazing. Some other funny language things have been that the guys who put in the water maker were Italian and Slovenian. They were putting in a German water maker with English instructions for an Australia boat in Italy! Are you confused yet?
Every turn here is a photo opportunity. Even a wrong turn leads you to beautiful places. We arrived, by mistake in a beautiful little fortified town called Palmanova and spent a while walking around looking at the old fortified entrance gates (which still have the fittings for a draw bridge) and town square (which is actually 9 sided!) which had statues dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries at the height of Venetian rule.
Coming back, we braved the autostrada! We are not sure of the legal maximum speed limit, however we were told (we are getting really good at Italian!) that we should only be doing a MAXIMUM of 110kms\hr due to roadworks. The tollgates were interesting. Craig pulled up at the tollgates and handed me the money (think about what side of the road we are driving on here|). Surprised at there being no-one there we eventually found a machine on his side of the lane. Turns out (thanks to a helpful, but slightly irate German \ Italian \ thankfully English speaking gentleman, we worked out that you don't pay here but merely take a ticket and pay when you leave the autostrada. Felt quite proud of ourselves when we finally executed this!
Learning to live on the boat is fun. Have I said before that I am REALLY glad we have a heater! For those of you who don't spend a lot of time on boats, everything has to have it's place and be tucked snuggly away when you are moving. This means that to get to most things, something has to be moved (often quite a few things!). Purchases have to be made for a reason and everything has to have a purpose. Every noise alerts you, especially when you are in a strange anchorage or mooring and there is a wind blowing. Every use of utilities means that they have to topped up at a later stage (living in a drought has been good practice for this!).
Despite all of this, I am growing very fond of Shirley Valentine and it is really nice to come home to our snug little home, especially when it is cold and raining.
Hopefully, we will get some sailing done soon. Need to go now if we are going to get any sightseeing done today. Miss you all and lots of love to everyone.

Regards
Craig and Lesley