A week cruising on the 'Costa Mediterranea'.
We visited:
Bari, Italy for shopping.
Katakolon, Greece to visit Olympia where the Olympic games began.
Izmir, Turkey to visit Ephesus (my favorite). Ephesus was at one time the second largest city in the Roman Empire. We also visited the House of Virgin Mary, where Mary spent the last years of her life.
Istanbul, Turkey to visit teh blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and shop in the Bazaar.
Dubrovnik, Croatia to visit the old city.
Torino, Italy - Winter Olympics
We saw the US Men's Hokey team lose to Slovakia and the next night the Ice Dancing, Original Dance. We will remember the good food, in the crowd for the NBC Today Show, the nice cab drivers, walking around Torino taking in the sights.
Garmish, Germany - Ski Week
We returned to The Edelweiss Lodge and Resort for a little bit the the USA and a few days of skiing at 2962 meters on the glacer, Zugspitze.
Two weeks in Spain!
Marbella - A week on the beach at the Marriott Marbella. We also visited: Gibraltar, for fish & chips and to see the monkeys and Jerez, for the "Fundacion Real Escuela Anduluza Del Arte Ecuestre."
Madrid - Three nights in the center of the city at the Westin Palace. Easter Mass in an old church, in Spanish. We visited Palacio Real de Madrid, to learn about the royal family, the Prado Museum and a bus tour.
Castellvi de la Marca- Guests of the Escabos at their country house outside of Barcelona. We visited the beach, Sara and Christina played with the horses and we ate pealla.
We finished the year with:
Strausbourg, France - A long weekend trip with our visitors, Alex and Leland.
World Cup Football matches - I with a group of Dad's saw US vs. Czech Republic and Jacob and I with another family saw the US vs. Ghana.
Our Italian Villa - Villa della Lance out side of Rome. The highlights of the week: Our traveling companions-the Williams's, Leo (our driver), the Coloseum, the Vatican, the Trevi Fountain and our day in Umbria. Also the Gnocci at the La Magnolia in Castle Gandolfo is the best in the word.
USA - highlights - Wicked is the best musical we have seen. The meatball sandwiches at the Italian Festival are the best. Fenway is a much better facility than Yankee Stadium.