He it was who doled out tips to the Italian guides for the group. Unfortunately, early on, he was a victim of pickpockets. Fortunately, it was coins stolen from a back pocket--not the stash around his waist--that was lost.

Diane Stoiber, not one to miss anything, paged through Rick Steves' book on Italy, Mona Winked, as she examined the artifacts in the Doges Palace in Venice. "Where's Tintoretta's Paradise?" she asked the guide, who had somehow overlooked that "monsterpiece," as Steves calls it.

The mammoth painting has Jesus and Mary at the top, with 500 saints--count 'em--massed beneath. As the artist finished up the painting he added saint No. 501--his daughter, who died the day the painting was completed.

In Taormina Yvonne Lampshire bought a ring that sparkled with would-be diamonds, which, on close inspection, turned out to be a frog. Accomplished shopper Pauline Cummings bought rings for every finger. And Dorothy Matthews, who designs jewelry, carefully selected new materials.

A few luxury spenders, most of whom had served as models, bought leather jackets in Florence. How on earth did the sales force realize these were the very tourists most likely to splurge?

Though there's nothing amiss with Marilyn White's walk, husband Charlie pressed a cane in her hand as she left home. Said cane supplied welcome relief to Allan Breed, who turned a tendon early on in the tour. He was grateful for Charlie's perspicuity.

The engineers in the group engaged in gauging the heights of the mountains on view from metric measurements given--Etna's, for example. The speediest calculation came from the back of the bus from a retired IBMer who did the math in his head. Only drawback was, he delivered the statistics in inches. It was several days before he lived that one down.

IMAGINE EDEN: If you can imagine Eden, it could well look like Grandview Ranch in Saratoga, which is totally unlike any ranch you've ever seen or hope to see. Calling Grandview a ranch is like calling the Taj Mahal a summer home or the Louvre a depository.

So when photographer Lyle Gomes assembled his collection of 60 photographs titled Imagining Eden: Connecting Landscapes, he included two shots of Grandview as part of the package. Gomes is professor of photography at College of San Mateo.

Grandview Ranch is Donald Head's estate in the Saratoga hills. The Grandview photos are both shot from above: one is Pool House, a shot of the poolhouse roof with treetops nearly engulfing it. The other, titled Michael, is a statue of the archangel Michael with treetops in the background and palm tree fronds in the foreground.

The photos in Imagining Eden are misty gray or black and white; they generally look like early morning shots--all deliberately without people. The photographer wanted "something silvery with a sense of discovery pervading his work," he says in the afterward.

Gomes spent 15 years photographing gardens, parks and golf courses throughout the U.S. and Europe for the book, which The University of Virginia Press has just published, due out this week. Other chosen sites are in Bellagio, Italy; Central Park; Monticello; and the Presidio.

FOOTHILL CLUB OFFICERS: Officers of the Foothill Club for the coming club year are Marilyn White, president; Cindy Ruby, 1st vp; Marykay Breitenbach, 2nd vp; Judy Johnstone, treasurer; Donna Muzzy, membership; Barbara Voester, corresponding secretary; and Dianne Priest, recording secretary.

Wil Morrison is member at large; Gladys Armstrong, parliamentarian; Ann Peterson, past president; and Mary Ellen Comport, foundation president, ex officio.

ART WALL: Applications for the Saratoga library art wall will be accepted until Jan. 4. The library art committee will do the choosing and work selected will cover two years of two-month displays, starting in March. Artists need to be 18 or older and work should be two-dimensional.

Photography, calligraphy and fiber arts are all included. Artists need to submit five samples of work on a 5x7 photograph, slide or Polaroid with each entry labeled with name, phone, title, medium and framed dimensions. Applications are available at the library. Contact is Betsy White at 408.867. 6126, ext. 3817.

CD FOR KATRINA: Saratogan Frank Patten invites Dixieland lovers to purchase a recording of New Orleans style Dixieland by The Second Line Band for $20, with all proceeds benefiting victims of Hurricane Katrina. Contact Patten at 408.996.1100 or frank@frankpatten.com to donate and receive the CD.

The CDs were an outgrowth of the benefit wake with Dixieland music held at Saratoga Federated Church recently.

Got a tip for Saratoga Sampler? Send email to maryanncook@earthlink.net.