We began our journey in Venice...a city sinking slowly into the sea.  So if not
by boat then you often walk on raised boardwalks so you are not walking in
water.  We found wonderful churches, beautiful Morano glass, and a world trying
to keep their life above water... Not unlike you and I in life!!!  Onward toward
hope... For us all.

Picks up again in Venice Italy

Today, Friday, November 2, 2012, we embark again on an adventure.  We will be gone most of November and hope to keep you all in the loop.  Should you wish to be:)  We are off to Venice to meet our Oceania ship the Riveria.  Join us won't you? Keep us in your prayers as we travel.  Thanks so!!

Tenerife Canary Island

So our last port...sad...

It is a beautiful place to end our ports of call...we walked the promanades... took the trolley way

out of town and stopped at the town of Laguna...a college town. We walked, chatted with a lonely American girl who recognized our accent. Imagine we were the ones with and Accent! Then stopped for caffe, con Leche and a Palma, Jason's favorite...in his honor. It was wondrful. We sat outside and enjoyed the world around us. We walked on and found...imagine... a 1 euro store... them too.

We walked back, found a wonderful cross, to remember this trip, and thought this is it...better make the ship or else.

What a wonderful trip.

we will show you the ship in the upcoming day.

Lanzarote Canary Islands

today we landed in Lanzarote Canary Islands, it is like being on the moon. No vegetation...all homes and buildings are white with blue, brown or green trim. They climb the hills like a greek island and have roofs and

towers like a Morrocan influence. We chose today to make it a beach day. We found solice for 8 euros 4 rows back in a sea of people. It was to Dan's delight a very European crowd. Hmmm...they change right under their umbrella or don't, just undress and sun...hmmm. You can see their suits drying on their umbrellas.

Dan swam, I waded and then he slept...loving the sun and sand. We walked the promenade, as they call it, and had coffee and cake in beach side resturant. We shopped and found treasures and then back to the ship. It was a great day, an odd Island, and a new experience to add to our journey.

Cartegena

By far the cleanest and smallest city yet. A huge contrast to the Cartegena Columbia of our past. We have loved all the Spanish ports.

Here we learned about a defensive light house...where it leads the ships of enemies to the rocks. We also visited a crypt where if you turn in a circle the skeletons on the wall dance like a flip book. They dance over crowns, etc. to represent that death is a great equalizer and inevitabl.

This port is a navel seaport and has many forts to protect. The Port is beautiful and small and a real challenge to put a big ship into.

We are off to our last two Canary ports and then home.... what fun we have has so far.

La Palma, the city of palms, was todays port. We arrive 6 am to bright sunshine and small breezes. This is Sunday so many of the stores are closed. I found it sad that also many of the churches are closes...hmmm. We toured the Belver castle, drove the many seaside beaches that Mallorca is known for.

We entered the Bull ring...no bull, except maybe what you read here on this page:) We toured a Mallorca pearl store and enjoyed a rest stop. The hotels close for the winter...unlike the US who offer deals in the winter. So the beach walks, bars, resturants close also. It is a place people come when its warm. Strange eerie silence. Beautiful day and great memory.

:

Barcelona was as we remembered. It felt like we were home. We found our ideal burial plan and will let the kids know to start on it now....

We found the market and my fig cake of memory. We enjoyed once again the mime life of the Rambla and we tou

ed many cathedrals...enjoyed or at least looked again at Gaudi (sp) and the Church of th Familia is not done yet:) After seeing the sites we relaxed on our deck an caught a glimpse of our next ride...probably connected to the burial sites and after:)