You step off the plane, down the steps and onto the tarmac and experience the sweet sensation of mega-humidity. You’re still technically in the States, but any resemblance to the mainland ends the minute you find yourself in a van where the taxi driver rides along with his companion and co-pilot which just happens to be a talking parrot named Mango. Welcome to the Conch Republic, the end of the road, the southernmost point of the continental United States and home to a bunch of folk who were smart enough to realize that what goes on in the rest of the [View Full Entry]

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……and chocolate….and mussels? Of course you did and we are happy to report that they are each quite kind to the palate. Our travels in Belgium took us to Brugge, Gent and Brussels; we had hoped to see Antwerp but that will be saved for a future trip as we ran out of time. What we learned while in Belgium is that they have focused their talents and have become world class producers of beer and fine chocolates. They are the BEST!!!! Seriously, there can be no debate here. The beers and chocolates that we tas [View Full Entry]

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Leaving Paris was not easy, but nonetheless part of the plan. We had entered this marvelous city under the cover of clouds and rain and would leave it the same way. Fortunately for us all the days in between were warm and sunny. Our last hotel was directly across from the train station that would deliver us to our next destination. We boarded the nearly empty train which left promptly on time and deposited us in Evereux only one hour later. From there we rented a car and began the next chapter of our journey….to Giverny; for the home and gardens [View Full Entry]

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It is dusk, we are in Paris, the city of lights, love, romance and fashion…we find ourselves sitting in a French café watching the world walk by. Traveling rejuvenates our soul so we had to come. Life is not about the number of years that you live but the amount of life you experience in those years. We have come to live, share and experience the beauty that Paris has to offer. You have to love a country that produces 7 to 8 million bottles of wine each year. You also must love a country that makes as many cheeses as [View Full Entry]

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The fact of the matter is that you can just sit there for hours just staring at them; first the American Falls with the good sized boulders constantly bombarded with the cold water of the Niagara River, then just to the right, the Canadian Falls or “Horseshoe Falls” as they are known, which majestically tumble into the same river with the constant company of the Maid of the Mist tourist boats. Sure, this is a well crafted tourist destination, with all the major hotel chains, the Hard Rock Café, Planet Hollywood, multiple casinos and even an indoor water park which we’re [View Full Entry]

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Hello again dear friends, We are writing to you from the warm and sunny beaches of Florida, Sanibel Island more specifically. This missive will start you off with a short history lesson. Dave and I met in September of 1992 and began dating in December- by March of 1993 things were serious and we decided to take our first vacation together. Later I learned that Dave was a bit worried because he had spent most of his time with me at work and wasn’t sure I knew how to relax. In Sanibel he saw the real me and was pleased. As [View Full Entry]

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We landed on the tarmac at SeaTac airport and it was over. Just like that. We found it hard to believe that it could have gone by that quickly. It seemed like Sandy and Jerry had just dropped us off at the airport for an 18 hour voyage to Singapore that would be the start of our grand adventure. The trip was awesome in so many ways it’s hard to know where to begin. To try and describe all that we have seen, learned and experienced would require several weeks and we still couldn’t hope to really scratch the surface of [View Full Entry]

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Packed like sardines in a large tin can, the airport shuttle carried us to the Amsterdam airport, where we attempted to check in at the airline kiosk. To our surprise, we were not assigned seats next to one another. The prospect of sitting apart for over 8 hours was not very appealing, so we made inquiries at the luggage drop. We explained that we had around the world tickets on a single reservation number and couldn’t understand why did not have seats next to one another. The lady was quite friendly and said she would note this on the computer and [View Full Entry]

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It was a dark and stormy night…….no wait a minute, it’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Sure is dark and rainy though. Welcome to Amsterdam in March, where the wind howls off of the North Sea and the conditions can change from sunny and breezy to windy and sleeting in a matter of moments. It’s not quite officially spring as we write this, but we are sure hoping to escape some of these cold sea breezes. We are wearing four layers of clothing and it still feels like the wind goes right through you. This is what we get for coming [View Full Entry]

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Ah, London in winter……the skies are consistently gray and a threat of rain is constantly in the air. But yet this city is quite alive despite this onslaught of sub-optimal weather. We couldn’t wait to land in this great city and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of one of the truly magnificent cities in the world. As our plane was on approach into Heathrow some 27 year old gentleman from Sri Lanka was jumping the security fence at the airport and running onto a runway near an airplane. The authorities quickly caught him and began their questioning. Security is [View Full Entry]

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