Oh, the Places We've Been
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
– St. Augustine
Spain & Morocco 2009We discovered Madrid, capital city of Spain and home to its monarchs. And, Andalusia, known for its Moorish influenced architecture, notable example is the Alhambra--a palace and fortress complex of the Moorish rulers of Granada. We visited the Alcazar in Seville—alcazar means castle. Our evenings were filled with the sultry sounds of Flamenco. We experience Morocco’s diverse landscape—from the vast Sahara desert to the snow-capped Atlas Mountains to the verdant Mediterranean coast—and equally diverse culture. The country still has strong cultural ties with Spain, we explored the port town of Ceuta, still Spanish territory, and Tetouan, part of the Spanish protectorate through the first half of the 1900s. Slide show
Italy & Greece 2008
Europe’s oldest civilizations warmly welcomed us. We glided through Venice and worked out way south to Rome, via Verona, Assisi and Florence, where the legacy of the Medicis preserved amazing villas and outstanding art. We stood inside the Colosseum and marveled at its almost 2,000 years of history. We explored Greece, the birthplace of democracy and the Olympic games. We ate lots of pasta during those 14 days, but we really enjoyed the “real” Greek salads and gyros. Slide show
Italy, France, Spain 2006
Our journey began in Rome, the eternal city. We explored ancient ruins and stood in awe as we admired the frescos of the Sistine Chapel. We made our wishes at the Trevi Fountain and rubbed a saint's foot for luck in St. Peter's Basilica. We dipped our toes in the Mediterranean Sea off the shores of Nice and watched the changing of the guards at the Prince's Palace in Monaco. We cheered Italy to World Cup victory and were amazed by the beautiful but still unfinished church of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Slide show
France, Switzerland, Austria & Germany 2004We saw gorgeous scenery, outlandish palaces and ate out of this world chocolate. We visited Versailles and the Cinderella castle of Neuschwanstein. We rode a funicular to the top of Mt. Pilatus, which is famous for its dragon lore. We strolled through the luxury specialty shops of the Champs Elysées and somberly walked through the first Nazi concentration camp, Dachau. Slide show
