Assisi, Italy!

St. Francis Basilica... yes that is a rainbow!!!!

St. Francis Basilica, Assisi, Italy
We have been blessed by the Pope and have now been dubbed the "blessed bus" by our tour director. When the forecast says rain we just know the sun will shine and it has! Blessed after all!
A great deal has happened in the last few days. My birthday was spent in Venice and we on a gondola, the experience of a lifetime. Church bells began to ring during our magical escapade and I, beside myself with joy! The music, gondoliers snipping at each other, laughter of my new family of friends, filled the air. Moments in time I will cherish forever! I asked hubby how he was going to top the next birthday??? I believe I heard a grunt!
Tonight we are in Assisi, Italy, here we are visiting the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. High a top a mountain and the views are incredible. A local guide narrated the history of St. Francis. Walking into the Basilica, melodious chants rang throughout the church. It was a special moment and my senses drank it all in! He was an incredible human being and we are so glad to know more about his legacy. St. Francis, is entombed in the Basilica.
Staying here in the medieval village tonight, we are sleeping in a monastery! A castle like structure, the interior in nun like decor. Not very fancy as you can only imagine. However, this place evokes a special feeling of peace and tranquility. Earlier in the day we had visited the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. Walking by a Friar, we were also blessed, among others!
Any more blessings and I might just be walking on water! Waiting for the stigmata to appear any time soon!
We have met the nicest people from all walks of life. Together we are experiencing small miracles all along the way, coupled with the genius of man! 

Goodbye Fort Lauderdale!

Goodbye Fort Lauderdale! 

We set sail at 4:00PM, 4/30/2013, leaving our country, family, friends and most importantly my comfort zone. I couldn’t help thinking of my grandparents who crossed the Atlantic in 1920, to start a new life in this country. Certainly not in the lap of luxury or for recreational purposes and grand-mother was pregnant.

As we entered the cruise terminal, I welled up and needed a moment to compose myself. A nice woman on staff, asked what was the matter? “I just can’t believe I am here”, I sobbed! She gave me a great big hug and welcomed us aboard. 

“The herded cattle process” as some call it, went extremely well. Very little waiting, except for the photo line which we were allowed to decline. The staff, extremely polite, punctual and informative. My wish is their command. A little scary!!! I could get really use to this.

Our cabin is spacious with a king size bed, small couch, desk and a large window that lets the light flood in! Not a bad way to spend the next twenty-seven days! We settled in quite nicely, enjoyed a tour of the ship, a delicious dinner and a great show latter in the evening, followed by a sing along at the piano bar. My micro managing, along with the help of a great travel agent, has now finally paid off. Holland America, has just got it all right, folks. 

My only problem is navigating my whereabouts. I have still to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Hubby, hysterical that I get it right about 20% of the time! Hopefully my numbers will improve shortly! Forward, aft, starboard and port, way to much information to comprehend on our first day! My sense of direction has now vanished! The benefit to all of this, walking off those extra calories!

Dreaming of unknown adventures yet to come, I fell into a deep sleep! Humming engines and calm waters were the perfect combination to help this process along.

Many activities are planned for us in the next six days at sea and I am excited to try new things. 

Our first port of call, Horta, Azores. The second port of call, in the nine island Azorean chain, Ponta Delgada. I suspect my camera will get a real workout when the time arrives. So exciting and so decadent! Hey somebody has to do it!

Our Journey!

Our Trip
We embark upon our journey and trip of lifetime in just a few days. Celebrating a landmark anniversary and a milestone birthday for me. Our trip has been in the planning stages for some time now and we are looking forward to the excursion! It is too early to say that I am excited, as I am still caught up in the details. Fears vanishing, I am sure, as soon as I place one foot aboard ship. We will be visiting, Portugal, Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece and Croatia by cruise ship. Followed by a two-week land tour of Italy! Six weeks total, visiting places I have romanticized about for many years. Who would have thunk it??? Little old me and the hubster, embracing the great masters and all the genius that Europe has to offer. Our home in Florida, lived in for the summer by some friends. Once our journey is complete, we will fly back to Boston and spend the summer in Massachusetts, visiting with our children. Many of our friends have asked to see our pictures upon our return to Florida, in September! 
Be careful what you wish for PEOPLE! 
It will be interesting to see how many thousands of photos, I will capture. I will try to blog and post when I can. I hear that the internet service is slow aboard ship and patience is definitely not one of my virtues. Then relying on hotel and café wi-fi in the last leg of our trip. Above is a photo of the husband, opening a birthday/anniversary card from our friends Larry and Linda. When opened it plays the chicken dance. Hysterical because hubby is "The King of the Chicken Dance". 
If you follow my blog you know that, the man, can adapt this phenomena to any song. 
Hmmmm, I wonder if he can customize it to the Flamenco. 
Now try to get that image out of your head! Que pase un buen día! (Have a nice day!) 
Now. how you say...where is the bathroom???