ROME WASN'T BUILT IN A DAY

  And it can't be fully visited in a day either!  We learned this on our trip.  Our 1st stop was to the magnificent Colosseum.  I was surprised at how much of this historic structure is still preserved.  One can easily imagine the gladiators battling in here.

Our next stop was the spectacular Trevi Fountain. It seems much more like a work of art than just a fountain.  The trick is to find the perfect time to visit -- when it's not too crowded so that you can appreciate the beauty.

Located close to the Trevi Fountain (south and west) is the Pantheon, a former Roman temple that is now a church.   After leaving the Pantheon and getting some gelato, we headed west to the Piazza Navone.  In the north end of Piazza, you can see the Fountain of Neptune.  The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (4 major rivers of 4 major continents) is located in the center of the Piazza. 

We were on a tour so while we did get some free time, we still didn't have enough time to see the Spanish Steps and Circus Maximus.  We did visit the Vatican but that will be a separate post.  My biggest regret is that the tour provided a lunch so we didn't get to choose our own restaurant for lunch which I think would have given us a better sample of authentic Italian food.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa and Those Other Beautiful Buildings

Every time I had ever seen a photo of the Leaning Tower of Pisa it seemed like it was all by itself.  I was imagining a Leaning Tower in a green meadow with nothing nearby -- well, okay, maybe a parking lot. So, imagine my surprise when we enter the walled Piazza dei Miracoli and I see three large buildings and the Leaning Tower is actually the smallest.  The first one you see as you enter the Piazza is the Battistero (Baptistery of St. John) with its dome.  This is where people were baptized before they could attend the full Mass in the cathedral.

The building in the middle is the Pisa Cathedral (or Catterdrale Metropolitan Primaziale di Santa Maria Assunta) dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Mother.

The final building is the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is actually a free standing bell tower for the cathedral.  It is also the youngest of the three buildings.  

We didn't go in the Leaning Tower of Pisa but we did tour the other two buildings. The Piazza dei Miracoli (formerly known as Piazza del Duomo) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

ATLANTIS RESORT IN THE BAHAMAS -- A GREAT FAMILY TRIP

Trying to find some place different, we decided to try the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas for our family trip in 2008 to celebrate one of the kids' graduation.  We had gone to Hawaii a few times before and still wanted a tropical paradise but a different one!  We found a time share with 2 rooms at the Harborside Resort available on the internet.  Of course, it meant we had to also get passports but that is part of the fun -- our first trip outside the country!

Well, it was a rather magical trip.  I know some ocean cruises stop there for the day but it is not quite the same unless you are staying on the property.  There are so many pools to choose from -- you can try a different one each day.  Of course, there is also the actual ocean.  There are tons of activities you can do -- snorkeling, sunbathing, water slides, paddle boating -- the list goes on.

Aquaventure is an inner tube ride that is a combination of a lazy river, rapids and waves.  The view from the top of the ride is spectacular.  You can see most of the resort, the ocean, the hotels, just about everything.  Of course, this was my favorite ride and we rode it many times.  My husband who had gone on it before most of us, tried to give us some sage advice about "holding on with two hands" as we approached the wave portion but was too busy taking photos to heed his own advice.  Next thing we knew, he was underwater, and his camera and inner tube were floating away.  It did provide a lot of laughs from the kids!

It was a great place to visit with the kids -- we all went paddle boating one day, another day we visited the Predator Lagoon with sharks and barracudas (no we didn't swim with them) and on another day, the kids and my husband went snorkeling. My boys loved the water slides. We never ran out of things to do.  On one of the last days there, we realized we hadn't even visited the beach yet so we spent a day on the beach with its beautiful almost fluorescent sea foam green water.

Our only complaint the week we were there was the service at the restaurants.  It was very slow.  However, my husband and I did celebrate our anniversary while we were there at Nobu (one of my favorite restaurants).  This was my first time eating at Nobu and it didn't disappoint -- the service and the food was great!

Nine years later my kids still talk about the Atlantis trip with much fondness.  They would like to go back some day.  I tell them that one day they can take their kids and share that experience with them.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN ...

The first time I flew on an airplane I was in my early 20's ... the first time I visited Europe I was in my mid- 50's ... however in the past 8 years, I have visited Europe 5 times, visiting some places for the 1st time and other places visiting for a second time.  I love photography, scrapbooking and visiting Europe as well as places closer to home, so why not share my photos and my experiences ... Why not!

My daughter decided for her high school graduation in 2011 we should take a Mediterranean Cruise.  This surprised me just a bit since her older brothers really didn't care much where we visited for their high school graduation trips.  Okay, we went to Maui and the Bahamas! 

I was very intrigued by a visit to Europe since this would be my first trip there.  How exactly do we plan it, what do we do, and can we do this ourselves?  I finally decided that just going with a Mediterranean Cruise would be the easiest and safest plan, at least for our 1st time.

I remember walking down a street, after getting off the bus in Pisa and realizing ... Wow, we are actually in another continent ... we are in Italy ... this is rather awesome!