Map of almost every country we have visited so far!
Dispatches from all the places (almost) that we have visited.
- Tulips & Windmills
Tulips & Windmills River Cruise, River Queen – Uniworld River Cruises. 9 – 18 April 2018. From the canals of Amsterdam to the belfry of Bruges, you’ll discover the best of the Netherlands and Belgium. Stroll through colorful acres of tulips at Keukenhof Gardens to get a sense of the Netherlands’ extraordinary connection to these blooms. Then… - Travels around Puglia
Puglia Italy. 16 – 19 Feb 2018. Traveled to Puglia with some friends and saw some amazing sites and ate good food. What else is there to do! Martina FrancaArrive at Bari airport then drove to Martina Franca to check into hotel. Visited some hangouts when our friends lived here. Torre CanneStrolled the beach area… - Bordeaux River Cruise
Bordeaux, Vineyards & Chateau River Cruise, River Royale – Uniworld River Cruises. 5 – 12 November 2017. We sailed one of the world’s most acclaimed wine regions on three stunning rivers, the Garonne, the Dordogne and the Gironde.Starting in Bordeaux, the “Pearl of the Aquitaine,” as the region is also known, in southwest France, to… - Adriatic Cruise
Adriatic Cruise – Rome to Venice Italy, Holland America Line – Westerdam. June 28 – July 10 2017. Day 0: June 28 – Civitavecchia, Italy Set sail for Messina Italy. (Sea miles 0 nautical miles, Total 0 nautical miles) Day 1: June 29 – Messina, Italy Cruising Strait of Messina (Sea miles 296 nautical miles,… - Trans-Atlantic Cruise, Florida to Rome
Trans-Atlantic Cruise – Florida USA to Rome Italy, Holland America Line – Westerdam 30 March – 13 April 2017 15 days from Ft. Lauderdale Florida USA to Civitavecchia Italy aboard the Holland America Line Westerdam. She was going into dry dock at the end of this cruise for upgrades. We will be on her again in a… - Rhine Discovery & Prague River CruiseRhine Discovery & Prague River Cruise, River Ambassador – Uniworld River Cruises 3 – 13 November 2016 2 days in Prague, then cruise from Nuremberg Germany to Breisach Switzerland to along the Main and Upper Rhine River aboard the River Ambassador. 3 – 5 Nov – Prague, Czech Republic After 3 days of tours in…
- Iberian Peninsula Cruise
Iberian Peninsula Cruise, Holland America Line – Koningsdam. 18 – 30 September 2016. 13 days from Amsterdam The Netherlands to Rome Italy around the Iberian Peninsula aboard the Koningsdam.Including a pre-cruise stop in Munich Germany. 16 Sept – Munich, Germany Day 0: 18 Sept – Amsterdam, The Netherlands Day 1: 19 Sept – At Sea Day… - Copenhagen Denmark
Copenhagen, Denmark 16 – 24 May, 2016 We visited Copenhagen for the first time and were amazed at the beauty and brightness of the city. It is a very bike and people friendly place. Lots more coming soon. - Another Day at the Giro d’Italia – 2016
Arezzo, Italy May 13 & 14, 2016 So the Giro d’Italia went through Tuscany again this year. After some searching we determined the easiest place to see a stage was in Arezzo. About 30 minutes north by train. So we bought our train tickets, about 12 euro round trip for 2, and headed out. This… - Castles along the Rhine River Cruise
Castles along the Rhine, River Empress – Uniworld River Cruises 30 March – 6 April 2016 (Photos coming soon) 8 days from Basel Switzerland to Amsterdam The Netherlands along the Rhine River aboard the River Empress Florence Italy Our trip began in Florence. We took the train from Lucca to Florence on Monday 28 March…. - A Walk on the Walls of Lucca
In early March this year I finally decided to take photos of a walk on the walls. So for all our friends who wonder what we mean when we say, “going for a walk on the walls,” here is a 5 minute video of what you see as you walk the entire wall, about 4… - Paris River Cruise
Paris River Cruise, River Baroness – Uniworld River CruisesDecember 26 2015 through January 3 2016 A quick note on how the river cruise operated. It is much different than an ocean cruise. A typical day is you have breakfast on board, head out on a tour with a local guide, return for lunch, and head… - Christmas in Lausanne Switzerland
Christmas in Lausanne, Switzerland December 23 – 25, 2015 On our way to Paris for our cruise we stopped in Lausanne Switzerland for 3 days. We took the train from Lucca to Florence, spent the night and walked around. The next morning took the train to Milan then on to Lausanne Switzerland. Lausanne is a… - Trans-Atlantic Cruise, Rome to Florida
Trans-Atlantic Cruise – Civitavecchia Italy to Ft. Lauderdale Florida USA, Holland America Line – Reindam. Oct 22 – Nov 9 2015. Day 1 Oct 22 – Left Lucca by train to Pisa then to Livorno, about 45 minute ride, and then taxi to port. This was the 2nd stop of cruise but we opted to… - Sailing off Sardinia, Italy
Sardinia, Italy 21 – 28 August 2015 We started with an evening in Rome as we took the train down from Lucca. Stayed at a very elegant hotel for free with my points. I think Donna is spoiled and we will never stay at a normal hotel again. Walked from the Spanish Steps (where our… - Norway and it’s Fjords
Land of the Midnight Sun Cruise Fjords of Norway, Holland America Line – m/s Ryndam. July 4 – 18 2015 Day 0 July 3 – Stansted, England. Left from Lucca and flew to Stansted Airport. We stayed the night at a Holiday Inn and then the next day took 3 trains to Harwich to board… - Dublin Ireland
Dublin, IrelandMay 20 – 26 2015 Visited Dublin and surrounding areas while going to the ELF (European Locksmith Federation) convention in Malahide in North Dublin. So a quick highlight of the trip. Arrived and met up with friends from Orlando and England. Did a Dublin sightseeing bus tour. Easy way to see the city and… - The Mille Miglia in Lucca
On May 16, the Mille Miglia (1000 miles) came thru Lucca. It is a re-enactment of the original races from the 20’s to the 50’s. Any car that raced in the original races are eligible to participate in these re-enactments. This year there was 435 cars traveling 1000 miles in 4 days. They also had… - A Day at the Giro d’Italia
Giro d’ItaliaBagni di LuccaMay 13, 2015 So the Giro d’Italia this year went through Tuscany. After some searching we determined the easiest place to see a stage was in Bagni di Lucca. About 30 minutes north by train. So we bought our train tickets, about 12 euro round trip for 2, and headed out. Now… - Med Cruise March 2015
Mediterranean Cruise7 – 18 March 2015Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) – Jade Our first cruise in Europe was on the Norwegian Jade for an 11 day voyage in the Mediterranean Sea. We left from Civitavecchia (Rome) and stopped at Livorno, Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Toulon, France; Barcelona, Spain; Valencia, Spain; Cagliari, Sardinia; Palermo, Italy; Naples, Italy;… - Seville Spain
Seville, Spain 25 Feb – 1 Mar 2015 We went on a short trip to Seville to visit some friends we made in Lucca. They had gone back to the US for a few months and now were in Seville for 3 months. We went with another friend from Lucca and had a great time…. - Sicily Tour
Best of SicilyFeb 7 – 20 2015 Well we have done our very first organized tour. It was a Rick Steves “Best of Sicily”. Not knowing what to expect, our expectations went from “it’s Rick Steves so it will be good” all the way to “oh boy, if it’s Tuesday it must be Belgium”. (That’s… - Santas on Bicycles
December 21st., somewhere in Lucca, Italy. Walking through Lucca and what did we see? But a group of Santas riding through the streets and up onto the wall. Oh what a sight to behold on a chilly day. See for yourself and turn your sound on. - Christmas Markets in Northern Italy
Christmas MarketsDecember 9 – 13 2014 We went to the Christmas Markets in Northern Italy last week. The mountains are called the Alps in Austria and the Dolomites in Italy. The region was once Austrian, but became part of Italy after WW II. We took the train from Lucca to Bolzano. Actually 2 regional (slow)… - Day Trips to Pistoia and Barga
Pistoia and BargaDec 2014 We took two day trips from Lucca recently. We take a bus to the train station, about 15 minutes. The trains to most of the surrounding small towns run at least once every hour, sometimes more. Usually, we’re in a new place within 1-2 hours total. We went to the small… - Lucca and Its Wall
We have finally put up some pictures of Lucca. It is a beautiful small city. The city center or ‘centro’ is surrounded by a medieval wall about 4 km long. The wall has been built up over the years to where now it is wide enough for a one lane road. However, only people and… - Venice
Venice ItalyOctober 12 – 14 2014 We went to Venice on October 12 – 14 to visit friends celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They were on a cruise around the Mediterranean for a week then went to Venice. We had a great time, got lost in the narrow streets, got soaked having dinner one night, watched… - Our apartment in San Marco
We found a nice apartment just outside the walls of Lucca. It is about a 10 minute walk to the wall and the same to a street with shops, restaurants, and cafes. It’s on 1st floor, which is 2nd floor in the US, their 1st floor is called ground floor. We have met a number… - Amsterdam and Beyond
Amsterdam, The NeatherlandsSept 6 – 8 2014 So we went to Amsterdam to meet some friends from Orlando. So easy, took a train from Lucca to Pisa, bus from train station to Airport, flew into Amsterdam, train to our Hotel. The only stress was usual airport stuff and that was minor compared to travel by… - Lucca Vacation Rental
Lucca, Italy18 August 2014 We have arrived in Lucca and set up home in our vacation rental. A very nice apartment on the 4th floor of a very old building (with crazy, steep, winding stairs), overlooking the old Roman amphitheater. We have views from our windows in three directions. We’re finding our way around a… - Ciao
We have arrived in Lucca, Italy!! 19 August 2014…… Said our goodbyes to London and the SF convention. Quick re-cap: Aberdeen, Scotland; Salisbury and Bath, England; Cardiff, Wales; Chipping Campden and London, England. So have a look and let us know what you think. Michael & Donna - London, England
London, England11 – 17 August 2014 In London now. Two days walking about. Saw London Bridge, the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament and Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben), Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Donna spent hours at the National Gallery. Also, went to the 72nd World Science Fiction Convention. Photo Gallery - Chipping Campdon & Oxford, England
Chipping Campdon & Oxford, England 7 – 10 August 2014 In the Cotswolds now, the quaint part of central England. Cottages with thatched roofs and hillside pastures with sheep grazing. Our room in the B&B is an apartment over the garage — it’s like we have our own place! Took a day trip to Oxford…. - Chepstow & Tintern, Wales
Chepstow & Tintern, Wales6 August 2014 Visited the ruins of Chepstow Castle and Tintern Abbey, just east of Cardiff in Wales. The abbey ruins were the most spectacular we have seen! Sat at a picnic table outside having our tea, scones, jam and clotted cream before exploring inside. Photo Gallery - Cardiff, Wales
Cardiff, Wales4 – 6 August 2014 Toured Cardiff Castle, ruins right in the middle of a modern city. Highlight of Cardiff (especially for Michael): The Doctor Who Experience. The street signs directing you to it have an icon of a Dalek! Photo Gallery - Bath, England
Bath, England1 – 3 August 2014 Tour bus ride around Bath to see the major sites and get our bearings. Had some of the best Italian food for lunch one day. Toured the Roman Baths in the evening. Took a boat cruise up the river with a salty skipper. Went to Evensong at the Abbey…. - Salisbury, England
Salisbury, England28 – 31 July 2014 Flew into Heathrow from Aberdeen, rented a car and drove to Salisbury. Since our flight was delayed, got into traffic right at rush hour, so very late getting to our B&B. First English dinner at Cloisters Pub, more than 500 years old. Went to the street market next morning… - Scotland and Friends
Aberdeen and Portsoy, Scotland24 – 27 July 2014 Our first stop was in Aberdeen and Portsoy, Scotland (24 – 27 July) and a visit with friends. They started out as family of a friend of ours back in Florida, but they ended up as good friends. We stayed a few days with them in Portsoy,… - Scotland, England, Wales
Well, we made it to the UK. Great flight on British Airways. Landed in Heathrow 3 hours late, then a mad dash from one terminal to another for flight to Aberdeen, with the help of a BA rep. WOW! A short itinerary of what we have done so far and where we are going. Aberdeen,… - Great Britain
Very excited as our first stop will be Great Britain. We end in London at the World Science Fiction convention. - Lucca, Italy
Our home base will be in Lucca, Italy. Here is a YouTube video that we found about Lucca. Very entertaining, they have made a number of these about other cities in Europe.