From fair Verona, Shakespeare was inspired by the epic feuds between powerful families. He wrote of the Capulettes and the Montegues and the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. With this romance in mind, we traveled to Verona to see what had really inspired the bard. Before we continue, here’s Romeo & Juliet the short short short version. Romeo of the Montagues and Juliet of the Capuletes fall wildly in love but their families are bitter enemies. Being young and in love, they could care less about the feud. In the span of five days, they declare their love, kiss on the balcony, marry in secret, Romeo gets banished, Juliet concocts a wild plan to escape the city and her pushy parents by pretending to die. Romeo misses out on hearing the pretend part. He goes to ... read more

Wealth, power, respect all in the grasp of the Medici family and preserved forever in gold leaf ceilings, detailed frescos and monumental buildings were our objective of the day. Mom and I strolled through the Medici chapel and plazzio absorbing the Medici family history that has endured for six centuries. They were generous patrons of the arts. Among the beneficiaries of their support were Leonardo DaVinci and Michelangelo. Our next stop on the journey took us to the gallery on Via Cavour that painstakingly recreated wooden replicas of more than 50 of DaVinci’s inventions. From the first design for a tank to huge wings designed for self-propelled flight, DaVinci’s genius is unmistakable. The best of this gallery was that the inventions were interactive so I got a chance to test DaVinci’s ideas and marvel at the ... read more

"Welcome back Ms. Harrington," said the immigration officer when I arrived at his window this morning at 8am. "Oh no, you see this is my first time in Ireland," I replied. "No lass, your people are from Ireland, I'm sure of it. I can see it," he answered. "My father's family is from Ireland," I confirmed for him. "So you see then, welcome home," he said with a smile and stamped my passport. Despite the -2 C weather, my heart was warmed by Ireland and I began to fall in love. The people are remarkably kind. They are proud of their country and are pleased to have visitors. Everyone smiles and there is laughter in the air. On Diane's first double decker bus ride, we met a little girl and her mother. The little girl with ... read more

We arrived into London this morning around 9am (4am for our families back home) and although we slept very little on the plane, we were ready to get settled into London life. Our hotel is located across the road from Hyde Park and the gardens there are lovely even in the winter. We had hoped to get some rest but our room was not ready so we headed out to the British Museum to while away the hours. The British Museum was incredible. Smile at the guards who wave you in with free admission. Check your coats in the cloak room and arm yourself with a camera. The British Museum is one of the few museums that allows photography in all of its galleries. Our first stop was the Rosetta Stone. This intricately carved stone unlocked ... read more

Summer is almost over but before I let my suitcases rest, I headed off to meet my sister, Rachelle, in Nassau. Since this is her first time appearing in my travel blog, I put the pressure on and asked her write today's blog. Without futher ado, here's her update on today's adventure... Traveling back to the lost continent was an experience in food, water, and fun! Arriving late last night, we went exploring around Zeus and Hera's tank in The Dig. Zeus and Hera are manta rays with at least a 20 foot wingspan. Their welcome to the island was spectacular and set the tone for today's adventure. After a much needed sleeping in, aquariaums and the lazy river awaited us. All the natural habitats so careful laid between paths and walkways create this spectacular vista. ... read more