We landed in Miami yesterday and found the Albion Hotel in South Beach. This hotel is smack in the middle of the art deco section of Miami Beach. We took a tour that drove us through the various districts of Miami with our guide Fabio. While the city is not all that old it has developed into very distinct areas that are quite visible as you drive around. The most prominent area is the Art Deco area that is now like New Orleans and other older cities that have a society that protects the buildings. While the interior of the buildings can be renovated the facades can't be touched. We also found the other districts fascinating, Little Havana, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Little Haiti, the Jungle Island, Coconut Grove and Brickell. After the bus tour we ... read more

Today is the 2nd trip to Universal Studios where we are headed to the Islands of Adventure. This is Elijah's big day! He is going to meet SPIDERMAN!!! We were not disappointed. his enthusiasm is very infectious. Spiderman took the time to talk with him and autograph Elijah's book and T shirt. We visited EVERY gift shop and attempted to get Elijah on every ride. Yes it is still screaming hot & humid. I have learned that when we show up at the park I have to get the cameras into the heat as quick as possible to get rid of condensation on the lenses.We attempted to go on the newest ride Skull Island but it was shut down after 55 minutes in line....nice...... read more

We flew out late yesterday after being delayed for 45 minutes sitting at the gate. A nice flight except for an under the weather Elijah. A little pale and an upset stomach. The Customs agent was slightly concerned and sent him and Elke to the secondary inspection room. We all had visions of being turned around and sent home. Turns out, the agent didn't want him to pass out and create a lot of paperwork (my words not his). A few warnings of turbulence and into the humidity we go! Collected the rental car and crashed at 2:30 in the morning. Sleep in day! Sort of ... free breakfast ended at 9:00 so we had to get up at 5 to 9:00 to make it. OK so where are we?? Drove around to figure out where ... read more

I am going to include the 2 days in Rome in this 1 blog with the final day in the Vatican. Today is another transfer day. A late start since we had to wait for our turn to leave the ship. Had to wait for our transfer shuttle from Civitavecchia to Rome. Last off the shuttle so we got a good tour with a drive around the city. Another observation… crossing the street is taking your life into your own hands. Everyone is texting & driving – including the scooter drivers! In the morning we got on the Hop on Hop off bus which takes us to all the highlights of Rome. The first stop is the Forum, the Palantine hills and then the Colosseum. It’s still hotter than you can believe with extreme humidity so ... read more

Looks like another excursion in the heat. We docked in Catania and our excursion today is to Taormina on the northeastern coast which is another walled city, this one being started before the Greeks conquered this land. Quaint little alleys and streets with shops, restaurants and apartments jammed into every possible corner. Our guide gave us the overview not only of the city but of the island as well and it’s many different rulers. Sicily was always considered as a province onto itself ruled by the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Angevins (?), Spanish and Italians. During these different governments they all came to Sicily for their holidays adding all of their art and influences. Also due to all these rulers Sicily has a distinct language very different from Italian - according to our guide it is ... read more