home again, home again

K: Well, we made it back. The kids picked us up in Denver Monday night. We are pretty worn out and still haven't adjusted to the time change. Had a fantastic trip. Sorry I didn't do more of the blogging but we were usually paying by the minute and Den is a lot faster at posting pictures than I am. Plus, a lot of times I was taking advantage of time to take a shower. Most mornings we were up at 6:00 and had to have our luggage outside the door by 6:45.

Drew and Rebecca did a great job of taking care of the house and yard and themselves. Rebecca even had to take care of Drew during a bout of swine flu. (confirmed by Dr.) Still can't believe we really saw some of the things we did - Sistine Chapel, Catacombs, Rosslyn Chapel, Galway Bay, just too much to mention. I'll bore you all to tears with it a little bit at a time.

For those of you who saw "My Life in Ruins" - Canadians are nice, Aussies do drink a lot, Americans can be loud, there is a "funny" guy (who thinks he is anyway), and bus drivers do not really look like Poopy unfortunately. (Altho our Italian bus driver, Daniel, looked a little like Poopy before the makeover)

Glad to be back. Talk to you all soon.

Athens

DJ-9-26-09

We are in Athens, this is our last night here. We fly to London tomorrow and then to Denver on Monday. It has been a great trip, lots of fun. I will be good though to be home. We are both fine. We had lunch today with Jerry and Ann from Raleigh NC. Ann is a part time Methodist minister. We have met some great people and had fun with them.

This morning we went to Agora where the old Roman market was below the Acropolis. We went to at new Agora where there was the usual tourist shops, stores and a meat and fish market where they were hollering out what they had. We are chillin this afternoon and repacking, we have our fairwell dinner tonight.

I have put up a number of pictures this time because I have an hour for $3 Euros about $5 dollars and it is a good room off from the lobby and they have a USB port.

It's always a guess as to they order that these will end up, but maybe you can put a picture with the description, so here goes.

The old Roman Agora (market) below the Acropolis with wind tower, an ancient clock, in back . The new fish and meat markets, I know my shoes will smell like fish for a while. The temple of the Greek god Posedion near Sounuon. We went there yesterday afternoon. Yesterday morning we went to the Archelogical Museum and it was really wonderful. They had stuff from the Minoan civilizations (jewelery, household items, statues, etc) through to the Romans and the best Egyption collection we had ever seen. So from 2600 BC though 100 BC. We now what to take a long cruise though the Greek Islands.

Next are Greek dancers from a group dinner; fun with lots of audience participation.

Next three are of the Acropolis and the Partheon, hard to believe we were actually there.

Next is Delphi and then a picture of most of our group where we had lunch by the sea.

Our dinner tonight will be just 10 and the Tour Director. The other 15 are on either 3 or 7 day cruises. We had all Americans and Canadians close to half and half on this tour and one couple from South Africa. Our director was German, but was raised in Canada and now lives in Tuscany.

Pompei and Olympia

DJ 9-22-09
We are in Olympia at the end of an perfect day. The weather is just perfect. We had a small cabin on the overnight ferry from Italy. I have pictures from Pompei and Greece. The top is from Pompei looking to the mountains. Theatre from Pompei, then from Olympia a fountain in the background and in the foreground the spot where the light the Olympic flame, then the cast of person from Pompei, the THE Olympic stadium and Kay at the marble starting line.

Tomorrow we are off the consult with the Oracle at Delphi! Not sure what to ask!

Sorrento and Capri

DJ - 9-21-09 We spent the night in Sorrento and yesterday in Capri

Really pretty place.

Mt. Vesuvus

Beach at Positano

Capri.

Last night we had a be our guest dinner on a lemon farm. The family prepared the dinner. This lady could cook and sing! We are off to see Pompei today and then across to the top of the boot and an overnight cruise to Athens. We get there at about noon tomorrow night in Delphi, night in Olympia and then 3 nights in Athens.

All is well

Coventry to Assisi

DJ 9-18-09 We are in Assisi tonight and except for the Kay's cold, we are fine. She got some medicine today from the farmacia. I am going to try to upload some pictures. This blog is going to need a lot of work when we get home. We have hundreds more pictures. We saw the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi today and drove through Tuscany. It is really pretty. We saw Rome by day and night and visited the both St. Paul's and St. Peter's. St. Paul's was my favorite, we were both very moved. Venice was nice, but it rained most of the day and the water was close to covering the walkways when we left and we were soaked, We saw the tomb of St Mark. We were in Florence last night and saw the church where Galielo, Michalengo and Dante' are buried.

They put so much money in these cathedrals - they are starting to all run together!

throwing coins into Trevi fountain

gondola ride in Venace

in Tuscany

the Coloseum

in Coventry and Lady G and peeping Tom!

Ciao from Italy

DJ-9/15/09 We are in Venice tonight and tomorrow night. I will try to post some pictures, but not sure I can on this Apple. We are fine except Kay has a cold and I am just getting over one. I took Kay my desert just now she did not feel like coming down to eat and it is so late. We did not sit down to eat until 8:00. We have seen sooo much since we left England.

Nottingham and Strafford

DJ - 9/9/09

The picture on the top right was looking back to Scotland when we left the other day, on the border between England and Scotland.

Today we were in Nottingham at Sherwood Forest. Legend says the oak tree below is where Robin Hood would meet his men. The Nottinghamshire-Riff (Sheriff) never caught him. I am sure Shane the deputy Unitashire-riff would have!

Statue is of Robin and Little John.

The last is of the birth place of Sheakspere with Kay standing in front.

We skipped the optional castle (ABC or Another Bloody Castle) today and got to our room about 3:30 pm.

Our farewell dinner is at our hotel (the Hilton in Warwick) tonight at 7:00 pm. It is hard to eat so late. Tomorrow we go to Oxford area and then on to London for our final night. We leave for Rome on Friday, our shuttle leaves the hotel at 3:05 am!

We are looking forward to Italy and Greece. We may not post again until we get there. Cheers!

Happy Birthday to Me

DJ - 9/08/09 Happy Birthday to Kay! We are back in England in York.

K: Started my bday in Scotland and ended up in England. Had some haggis last night at a Scottish dinner. Didn't like it. ha. Rosslyn Chapel was beautiful.


This computer won't let us turn the pics so guess you'll have to lie
down to view some of them :)

Top: the ceremony of the haggis. ick

Middle: Rosslyn Chapel, bagpiper, Hadrian's wall

Long Hall, cannon and front at Edinburgh Castle

DJ - 9/7/09 - Kay is sleeping and I am going to post some pitures. We are in Scotland. Crossed the Irish sea, not as rough this time and spent night before last is Liverpool. We are in Edinburgh today and tonight. We go see the city today and have a dinner tonight. Tomorrow we head to York for the night. We fly to Rome on Thursday.

Pictures below;

Dinner stop last night at the Firth of Forth.

Molly Malone

Kay on our Beatles tour

Lake Windameyer in the lake district yesterday and a swan standing in cue for chips.

Last one is in Gretna Green Scotland where young couple from England went to get married when they were 16 and me with my pork pie in me family colors.

In Dublin

DJ - 9-7-09 Added some pictures, these are of a castle and cultural center. The only wildlife I have seen so far! There are sheep everywhere. The little hut is thatch drying.

DJ - 9/4/09 We are in Dublin, but leaving for Liverpool tomorrow. Wake-up call at 5:30 am! I have struggled for several minutes here trying to get this computer to load pictures with no luck. Will try at the next one. I took a picture of Sweet Molly Malone of cockels and mussels alive, alive O fame. I did not know that she was selling more than fish!

K: Spent the whole day in Dublin. I was so excited to be here. (Didn't run into Maeve Binchy though) Did a bus tour of the city then a tour of Jameson Whiskey Distillery. Everybody got a drink at the end, of course. Then went to Trinity College and saw the Book of Kells. Shopping after that and some lunch at Davey Byrnes' Pub. Den had his Guiness. If you drink it anywhere but Ireland, it's poison. ha. Tonight we're going to dinner and cabaret with comedy, music and dancing.

DJ - 9/3/09 We are in Limerick, it is early here about 6:30 am so that I could get a computer. Went to an Irish Pub last night - listened to Irish music played by the pub owner and his 4 boys. Danced a bit and sampled a bit of the spirits. Did the Ring of Kerry yesterday but it rained the whole way, a "soft mornin". We go to Bunratty Castle and folk art today then drive though Galway and have lunch there on our way to Dublin for 2 nights.

First picture earlier on tour and is of Bob the spoon maker, he makes love spoons, next is of Blarney Castle, next two are Kay kissing the stone, then Irish country side, the the Atlantic and the mountains by the sea. The ring of Kerry is a drive through the mountains and along the coast of western Ireland. TransAtlantic cable ended here, put in right after our Civil War ended. It is the wettest year on record in Ireland so it really is the Emeral Isle!