Home!

I'm back, what a wonderful vacation. What a wonderful place, Italy, Greece...we also had stops in Monaco; Nice; France, Kusudasi, Turkey..it was a great trip.

If you get a chance to cruise with Princess, I highly recommend it. Talk about being spoiled 24-7.

So much is going on in my head. I've taken about 680 pictures. I do just love these places. But I am glad to be home, and still believe America is the greatest country on earth...and I am lucky to be an American. Yeah, I see the news and see that we have problems, (and so do they, watch BBC), but America...is still the best.

Favorite Places... Rome, Venice, Florence, love the Greek Islands, was surprised by Kusudasi.

Least Favorite, though the French Riviera is a beautiful setting...Nice, France and Monaco/Monte Carlo. The M's are way too status driven for my taste, the guide mentioned that the 'workers' are bussed in...cuz it is too costly to live there. Nice, France...too socialist..the government is too intrusive for my taste...guide pointed out 3 multimillion dollar homes that were seized by the govt...(but its okay, they were owned by Russians and Arabs)..anyways...I was least impressed by those places. THOUGH the scenery was a 'little bit of heaven on earth'.

Also, less than impressive was the general treatment of the Gypsies. I'd sure like to do a study on the history of these people and why they are so looked down upon as a race.

I like Italian food much more than Greek food. LOVE the history, architecture, SHOPPING!! Though I could not find Pepsi..only 2 places, a cart near the Colossium in Rome and a cart near the Rialto Bridge in Venice.

We took excursions at every port we stopped at. And had great guides, who spoke good English and were very knowledgeable...though it did occur to me, that they could be making stuff up and we'd never know it.

So, Okay, that's a general overview...to help me remember, I think I'll do a blog of each stop during the next week or so... this way, I can share my travel journal with Michele, also.