A new travel adventure! Celebrating 50 years and family!!!

We are in the midst of packing for a week on a 84' houseboat in Lake Cumberland, Ky.  There will be 12 of us and boy is that a lot of STUFF.  My list is long but we have divided it up for everyone to help.  Three wave runners and two kayaks will tag along as well as a bunch of games.  Weather will be in the 80's and always a chance of rain but we really hope for none (sorry farmers)

We will have everyone on board except Thomas, Paige's husband, and he will be missed.  Dogs are allowed but everyone opted out of that one due to logistics and a break.  Considering that would be 5 if they all came, I think that was a good decision.

So off I go to Walmart to find 1ply toilet paper and a few other odd things.

Probably no Wi-Fi out on the lake so I'll post some photos on FB when we get back.  After that I hope to get busy with some art...I've really slacked off but want to use the Gelli plate and new paper. 

 We have another trip planned for late September, a transatlantic that includes Bruges, Le Havre (for the WWII beaches), Lisbon and Bermuda. Princess made an offer we couldn't pass up.  Really....$199.ea plus port taxes for inside stateroom for 15 days.  Spots went fast so we didn't get a balcony at an up charge...$398. It feels vey indulgent to take this trip but then I hear of another peer passing away or getting very ill and I think, who knows when it will be our turn.  We are very fortunate.

We plan on watching the stars and sunrise...should be beautiful

Georgia

Paige and pups! On our way back to Michigan we stopped to visit Paige.

Thomas just left on deployment for the first time, pray for his safety and speedy return from such a crazy part of the world. While he is gone her pups Beau and Odin keep Paige company.

George went on to the lake the next morning and is busy cutting grass I expect. Paige and I in the meantime have chatted nonstop, fixed her sewing machine, shopped for bargains and attended a meeting about a project to help the homeless in Macon she is working on next week. Not sure what we'll tackle today.

They have made a nice home here on base and have sweet new friends. I'm so glad there is such a good support system for them.

I should be at the lake Wednesday as I'm breaking up the drive with a stop near Louisville. It will be nice to get there after being gone so long. Other than the houseboat trip my plan is just to enjoy family and friends this summer. Maybe paint a little as I can.

Arividerchi Roma

We have spent the day riding the HoHo bus and traipsing through the city. My feet are incredibly sore!!
Line was too long for St. Peter's so we just walked around it and had a drink to cool off in Vatican City. The crowds were huge today everywhere.
Packing up now and enjoying the Chianti Bruno picked for us.
It will be nice to be home...coffee in my pjs, my own pillow, family and friends around.
More photos soon.

Last day..

Slowly we are moving toward breakfast. Last evening was so nice having dinner with Kathy and Bruno in a suburban ristorante. Delicious too!

We had spritzers, an orangish drink made with prosecco and they brought little tapas in the trendy, young bar we visited. Since there was time before our reservation at 7:30 we looked for fungi bouillon and a bottle of wine for tonight. Success!

Ill post photos later of our days in Rome. Off to eat and more sightseeing.

I enjoyed your comments Joanne and Kris!

Touring Rome on foot

We are just back from a day of touring the Forum and Colosseum after walking to the Pantheon. Started at 9 am and now it’s 3:30.  It rained so we now have a new umbrella and two plastic ponchos which were very well used.  The sun came out and went away several times, ending in sun at the end.  Our guide was very good  and full of knowledge about the area and talked and talked.  All was very interesting but our feet are hurting and a little nap is in order before Kathy picks us up for dinner.

 

Photos later.  zzzzzzzz

Sperlonga to Rome

GRRR..I just lost the first copy of this!!!

 

We traveled by train from Sperlonga to Rome today without much problem thankfully.  I had repacked the suitcases to get them as slim as possible which was good as they just fit in the overhead racks on the train.  Good thing George could lift them as I was just able to get the small ones on and off the trains.  No pickpockets or gypsies bothered us.  Just lots of travelers and tourists everywhere made the walking a rush.

 

So nice for us, Kathy and Bruno met us at the hotel and showed us around the area.  We stopped for some lunch first then found our meeting place for the tour tomorrow and walked around Trastevere enjoying gelatos. It’s wonderful having real Romans showing us around!!  Thanks so much you two!!

 

Tomorrow we’ll tour the Forum area and Colosseum top to bottom, then Bruno and Kathy will meet us again and take us to dinner near their home.  If time, we’ll see their place as well.

 

It’s very busy here with many people and vehicles.  So very different from quiet Sperlonga!!        

  Lobby of Hotel Amyclae

 

 

Ciao Roma...

A few photos of our first day in Rome.

   At our hotel Pace Helvezia     Learning from Bruno      Some of the Forum artifacts

 

 

    Trastevere street cafe

  On our rooftop with St. Peters in the background