Pristene Santorini

After a rather harrowing ride to the top of

Santorini Island astride these "cute" donkeys...

We discovered stunning views...

and charming villages filled with

lovely cobalt blue and white architechture and

brilliantly colored blossoms.

It's truly a gem of the Mediterranean.

Mitch took to the 4-wheeler after
wrestling with the donkeys.
We all opted to ride down the hillside on the tram.
One encounter with the donkeys was quite
enough!

Croatia

I know, I know! It's been two months since I promised to post more pictures of some of the places we traveled following our mission. Frankly, I thought no one would notice that I hadn't posted anything, but it's nice to know that someone does look occasionally. Thanks.

These pics were shot in Dubrovnik,Croatia. We visited the old city there and paid our money to climb the steps and walk the ancient city walls. It was at least 105 degrees, but we walked the entire 3 miles and got a birdseye view of this charming city and it's brick red roofs.

Aaaah, Venice!

What can I say???
The pictures say it all.
Venice is charming and there is
no other place like it on earth.
Everyone should visit it at least once,
but I have to admit, I wouldn't want
to live there.
It's an absolute maze of canals and walkways.
The only way
to get around is by BOAT or on FOOT.
Thanks heavens we had
Mitch with us----
He led us around with a map in hand
wherever we went, or we could have been
wandering for hours just looking
for that place that served up GELATO.
MMMMMmmmm!

On the Way Home

When the final goodbyes were said...
with mixed emotions we headed to airport...

and took a plane to the beautiful and charming city of Venice, Italy.




...and after 3 glorious days

we met up with some of our family and boarded
the Splendor of the Seas for a memorable
trip in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
Stay tuned for further fantastic pictures of our journey home!

Where did those 10 lbs come from?

Eating---
such a pleasant way to spend our time.
As we say our last goodbyes in Poland,
everyone wants to get together for a dinner.It's lovely! I haven't had to do much cooking
and we've really enjoyed the time spent
with our friends here.



The scales may be climbing,
but it's worth every pound to spend these
last few precious moments together.
And...
TWO more meals out today.

The Last Days

As we approach our last few days in Poland,
there were some things we knew
that we must see before we left.
These are places that are a sobering reminder
of Poland's past and a profound part
of its present too.
Here stands the aged gate to the
Jewish cemetery.
Tens of thousands of Jews who died in the
ghetto
from disease and starvation
during the war found a resting place here.

The headstones are in disrepair and and the
grounds are overgrown and unkept.
And myriads were simply thrown
into mass, unmarked graves.

We also felt it was important to visit Majdanek
---a prisoner of war and
extermination camp.
In this building thousands and thousands of Poles met their death as they were gased with Zyclon B.

Today a massive mausoleum honors the dead and their remains.

"Here are deposited the ashes of the victims."

It's not easy to see, to comprehend, or to write about,
but it is important to remember.