18 – On the High Seas – at least the Mediterranean

Before I get into today, a word about the storm of a couple of days ago. Sharon and I treated it like it was a normal storm. Sharon especially is used to wind storms up where she lives. But apparently this storm was anything but normal. I guess the consulate didn’t overreact with their warning. … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 7 (I think) 10/31/18 – On the High Seas – at least the Mediterranean →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Miscellaneous Thoughts on Rome

So Rome is interesting. A mix of ancient and new. Everywhere you turn, there are bits and pieces of ancient days. A bit of a wall here, an excavation there. And the pieces are all mixed up. As Sharon mentioned, Romans were the ultimate recyclers. A building was built, then hundreds of years later, taken … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Miscellaneous Thoughts on Rome →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Things We Have Learned in Rome

As always, I am listing things we have learned in Rome. Here we go. 1. Often there are security systems on the doors like our hotel. Many of these buildings used to be villas, and now are multi use buildings, so it's a button and camera system. On these, it's best to push the button, … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Things We Have Learned in Rome →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 6, 10/30/18 – Getting Washed Away in Ancient Rome

We were woken up at 2am by a massive thunder storm moving in. It crashed right overhead for quite awhile, then moved on, leaving a drenching, heavy rain. The nice thing was that it cleared away the muggy heat that had been our companion for the last several days. I was glad, as today was … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 6, 10/30/18 – Getting Washed Away in Ancient Rome →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 5, 10-29-18 – Getting Blown Away in Rome

Today we were, quite literally, blown away. It's 4:30, and we just got back to the hotel to see an alert from the Rome Consulate. They have sent everybody home because of a high wind warning, and cautioned to look out for falling objects. Coming from western Washington, we just thought it was … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 5, 10-29-18 – Getting Blown Away in Rome →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 1918 – Day 4, 10/28/18 – Not Getting Lost on a Walking Tour of Rome

So today we gained an hour when the clocks changed back. Woo hoo! We needed it. We also got to eat breakfast in the hotel for a change. The concierge looked surprised when we asked where the breakfast room was. But after two morning with either very early or very late starts, it was just … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 1918 – Day 4, 10/28/18 – Not Getting Lost on a Walking Tour of Rome →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 3(?) 10/27/2018 – Getting lost in the Vatican

So today was a marathon. We had an all day tour of the Vatican. This included the Vatican Museum, Garden tour, train ride to Castel Gandolfo (Pope’s summer palace), tour of the gardens in Gandolfo, lunch at the gardens, tour of the castle, and train ride back to Rome. Okay, it was a lot. So … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – Day 3(?) 10/27/2018 – Getting lost in the Vatican →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – 10/25/2018, Day 2 – Getting Lost in Rome for the First Time

So we didn't get up until 10 this morning, missing our hotel breakfast completely. That was fine. Today was a 'get acquainted with your new city' type of day. And, as always, I took us in the completely wrong direction. Our hotel, the Hotel Aberdeen, is located on Via Firenze, directly behind the Republica. The … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018 – 10/25/2018, Day 2 – Getting Lost in Rome for the First Time →

Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018-Day 1, 10/24-25/2018 – A Tale of Many Airports

When you purchase a smoking deal on airfare, there are consequences. A year and a half ago, we decided to go on a short cruise of the Mediterranean - from Rome, up around southern France, and down to Barcelona. Cruise dates set, and a $500 RT fare to Frankfurt, and we were good to go. … Continue reading Rome/Barcelona Oct/Nov 2018-Day 1, 10/24-25/2018 – A Tale of Many Airports →