On a windy, raining night, Bob and Suzan put on a wonderful dinner at his shop, as a way for the 30 participants of the tour to meet and get to know one another before the trip. It was a splendid time; Bob had set up tables in his showroom amongst the bikes for the catered Italian meal, with a fine selection of Italian beers and wines. After dinner, he helped people with last minute purchases of gear and apparel, as the rest of us renewed and developed new friendships. It wasn�t till today that I thought it ironic that the Pope John Paul II had passed away yesterday. It�s going to be an exciting time to be in Italy.