DAY 12, Tuesday, June 29 Rome - Florence

Finally, a hotel (Alondra) with free Internet so that I can catch up with the posts! We drove north into the Chianti Hills and the Renaissance city of Florence. We went sightseeing with a local guide to see the original statue of "David" in the Academy Gallery. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures so I took a picture of a copy in the square. We strolled on to the Duomo to see Giotto's belltower and Gates of Paradise on the Baptistery. We continued to Signoria Square, a virtual open air gallery, lined with fountains and statues. In the area around the Santa Croce Basilica, we saw a demonstration of traditional leatherwork. In the evening we went to a local restaurant with our group to enjoy the local cuisine.

DAY 11, Monday, June 28 Rome

We joined a local guide, Marta, (exceptional!) for a trip to the Catecombs. I don't recommend it if you are claustrophobic. We continued our tour with a drive across the Tiber River and a walk around the Colosseum. We next went to the Vatican Museum where we saw people lined up for blocks, waiting to get in. Lucky for us that our guide had prebooked us and we went right in. We were given 15 minutes to gaze and marvel at the beautiful frescoes of Michelangelo. Unfortunately, it was difficult to enjoy with the mass crowds. We finished our walk with a tour of St Peter's Basilica. In the evening we decided that we would dine on our own back in the town center. We were daring enough to take a taxi. Getting there was easy. Coming back to the hotel was a lot harder. We walked several streets until we were directed to a taxi stand. The driver told us (we think) that it would cost 30 euros because it was evening and rates changed and our hotel was out of the way. What could we do? If you have been on Disney's "Mr Toad's Wild Ride," you can guess our experience (cupeech?). He was good enough to point out landmarks along the way. I told him in my Spanish that we had seen that stuff in the day time. All we could do was laugh when we got in.

DAY 10, Sunday, June 27 Venice - Rome

We drove over the Apennine Mountains and followed the "Highway of the Sun" to Rome. The driver took us around the city to get a preview of what was to come. In the evening, we met a local guide and took a walking tour to the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Novana with its pavement cafes, 17th Century fountains and architecture and the Pantheon.

DAY 9, Saturday, June 26 Venice

Today, we traveled to the island of Barona where we saw a demonstration of Venetian glass-blowing. Of course I had to make a small purchase (really small). We just couldn't afford the $4,000 chandelier. Did I mention that the weather has changed dramatically from the mountainous Innsbruck? Try 80 plus degrees with 90% humidity. Of course, I was daring enough to go on an excursion to find "Hidden Venice." It was advertised as a guided walk through some of the lesser known quarters of Venice. The only problem was some tourist found the hidden parts and it was packed with people. And yes, when in Venice one has to take a Gondola ride. It's a little scary with the swells, especially when the driver tells you not to lean to the sides (not like Vegas where it's calm). We finished the excursion with a trip to the island of Burona for lunch and a visit to a famous lace shop. Must be famous cuz I saw Elton John's picture on the wall with the owner. Yes, the church tower is leaning.

Day 8, Friday, June 25 Innsbruck - Venice

Buon giormo...! After a morning drive through the mountains, we arrived in the city of Venice. A fact we were not aware of is that it is made up of a main land with several small islands. The only way to get around between islands is by water Taxi. This evening, Vinse and I decided to go on an excursion. We boarded a private boat for a cruise down the famous "Grand Canal," past illuminated palazzi to romantic St Mark's Square. We had reservations in a famous cafe where we sat under the stars and listened to two orchestras play.

DAY 7, Thursday, June 24 Innsbruck - Salzburg

Today we left Innsbruck for the day and took a drive deep into the National Park past farmhouses and picturesque villages to the ruins of Obersalzburg. This is an area that housed Hitler's troops and was destroyed at the end of WWII. From there we transferred to special motorcoaches adapted to the scenic mountain climb to Hitler's notorious "Eagles Nest." The lodge was a gift from the Nazi party to Hitler on his 50th birthday. It is an engineering feat. The Eagles Nest sits on a mountain top at 6,017 ft. After the bus ride, you ride an elevator 400 ft to reach the top. The views are spectacular when it is clear. We had some haze but the weather was good. On the way back, we stopped in Salzburg, Austria for lunch and a visit to Mozart's birth place and took a stroll through the gardens of the Mirabell Palace, a site used for scenes from the Sound Of Music. I can hear them now...Do...Re...Me...Fa. So sad we have to leave tomorrow because the views here are incredible. Our room has great views of the mountains and a ski jump from the Olympics. At a comfort stop, Vinse really wanted a beer and I said "Okay...just one." Check out the size of that puppy!

DAY 6, Wednesday, June 23 Innsbruck, Austria

Today was a long day because we drove from Karlsruhe, Germany (where we had spent the night) headed in a southeasterly direction to Munchen (AKA) Munich. We saw much of the Bavarian country side with its beautiful villages. In Munich, we saw the Olympic Stadium and went on a walking tour past Hofbrauhaus. Our guide told us that this was the pub where Hitler's views had took shape. We continued our walking tour to see Marienplatz or plaza with its Glockenspiel (looked like a large clock tower with figures that spin on the hour, only they didn't spin while we were there). After a break, we boarded the bus and headed into the Alps and over the Austrian border to reach the Tyrolean capital of Innsbruck. Before heading to our hotel, our guide took us into the center of town to see the Imperial Palace and the Golden Roof in Old town. The buildings in this section are beautifully decorated with gold leaf and colorful paintings of people. Of course the tour for today wouldn't be complete without 60 minutes of shopping. Ever hear of "Swarovski?" Ve...ry Pricey! Hilton Innsbruck.

DAY 5, Tuesday, June 22 Karlsruhe, Germany

We traveled into Germany to see Cologne. We saw an ancient Cathedral in the town square and Roman Ruins. We continued along the Rhine, via Bonn where we boarded a highlight cruise at Boppard. The cruise lasted 90 minutes and took us past medieval castles and steep vineyards to the village of St. Goar, near the legendary Loreley Rock. We continued by bus to Heidelberg, town of the "Student Prince" to see the clifftop castle before arriving at our Rhineland hotel, Karlsruhe, Germany.

DAY 4, June 21 Brussels, Belgium

After a warm welcome from our Tour Director, we transferred to Dover and bid farewell to the white cliffs and crossed the channel to France by Ferry. After a 90 min. ride, we disembarked in Calais, France. Lucky me...I was selected for a random search by the French Customs officials. I passed but believe my suit case was the first they spotted when they opened the cargo door (the price you pay for traveling light). Vinse was also lucky because he soon joined me at the metal detector. We next continued along the coast into Belgium and stopped in Brugges, one of Europe's best preserved medieval towns. We took a stroll along peaceful canals and through cobbled streets to the Main Square dominated by the octagonal belfry at the Market Hall. We continued to the capital of Brussels, where we visited the Grand Place and saw the cheeky Mannekin Pis (see picture, cuz you might have one of these in your garden). We had an opportunity to taste the Belgium bear (at least I did) at the hotel bar with our tour group before we wondered off on our own.

DAY 3, Sunday, June 20 London

After a great breakfast we began our half day tour of London. We were taken to all the tourist sites including the changing of the guard at Buckinham Palace. We did go for a long walk and finally found "Curry's" and they did have the voltage converter. When we got back Vinse noticed that there is a special plug in the bathroom for US plugs and a converter. Did I mentioned we walked and walked for blocks to find the store. Had a great meal at an English Pub, Marley Mow, and watched the world cup with the locals. Dan, we thought of you. "Best meals are in the Pubs."

DAY 2, Saturday, June 19 LONDON

Did I mention that when we landed it was Saturday morning. When I said sweet dreams, we were going to bed which was 3 p.m. We tried to sleep but couldn't. We decided to set out to find an electronics store cuz we brought a plug adapter not a converter which are two different things (can't fry my note book). Didn't have any luck but we did find "Little Arabia". What an experience! What's with the water smoking pipes on every corner? We quickly turned around and after much walking found a restaurant. We had a traditional British Classic. You'll never guess...alright, it was Fish and Chips. The waitress was very helpful, took our picture and told us about "Curry's Digital", very big electronics store. Unfortunately it was several blocks away and not open at that hour.

DAY 1 Friday, June 18

We had seats 43A and 43C, which left an empty seat between us (we were hoping to have some extra room). Unfortunately, we were told that the flight was overbooked. The ticket agent began callng people to the podium and wouldn't you guess, she called our names. Thought we were bumped for sure. Not to worry, she only wanted to change our seats so we could sit together. Beyond that, the flight was uneventful. After a long ride to the hotel, we arrived exhausted! Sweat dreams!

On our way...

Our vacation is finally here! The bags are packed, vacation instructions have been written, and we are waiting for our ride to the airport and the trip of a life time. Now...as long as the volcano stays quiet and the airline strike doesn't continue, we should have smooth sailing. First stop ...London.