reply

Hi,

To reply to a few comments and questions..

Sheila, Annie didn´t go to the top cause her feet hurt.

Mark, I was not sick cause I was drunj, stop spreading rumors, it was the greasy food......not good dinner :)

We are waiting for the shuttle to the airport.

Long trip ahead.

See you soon!

Me

Our Last Night of Vacation

Greetings everyone. We had a great day today. An early morning start with a 900 appointment at the Prado Gallery. It was wonderful. Saw some great pieces, by Rembrandt, Diego de Goya, Ruben, and Titiano. Then we walked through the Ritero Park == which seemed to be to be larger than our Golden Gate Park. We also had tapas (for the first time in Spain) at a small tapas bar that is world famous == Rick Steves wrote about it and Maureen and Judy had recommendations to try it. We saw the Palace on the way back to the hotel, and it was lovely.

Were on the way home tomorrow so we decided to eat in tonight (with our bottle of wine of course) and after dinner decided to sit outside the hotel with another bottle of wine to enjoy the music, crowds going by and people watching. Judy got sick after last night´s dinner but she´ll probably never tell you about that. Thankfully, she was fine this a.m.

Now we need to pack and be ready to leave for home at 900 tomorrow. Well be home before some of you read this. Its been a wonderful holiday, the 3 of us spending the time together (and our Scott the first week), but it´s winding to a close and I think we´re all tired now. See you soon.

Annie (and Maureen and Judy)

home tomorrow

Really looking forward to coming home tomorrow.

Up early to see the Prado after waking up Annie and Moe last night.........I had an upset stomach.............dinner didn't sit well with me.

Prado was excellent.

Retiro Gardens next, Mark has the pic with the guy in the boat posted.

We covered lots of places by foot.

Now off to see the Royal Palace.

Take care and will be talking to you soon!

Me

We are in Madrid!

After a funny dinner in Rome ...................Annie is now gawking too much.....the waiter actually asked her if she had a problem while pointing his finger at her.....needless to say plenty of laughter at that dinner.

All day travel today was taxing. Plane late. I think train is the way to go in the future.

But, we were revitalized arriving in Madrid.

What a wonderful, lively area!

Our hotel is great and we so appreciate it after the dungeon.

Such helpful staff and right in the middle of all the action.

Spanish mariachees sp? are playing outside our hotel right now........computer off the lobby.

We are off to explore and have tapas for dinner.

Judy

Madrid

Prado Museum




Alfonso XII's mausoleum, Parque del Buen Retiro










Main Post Office, Plaza Cibeles













Cristoforo Colombo pointing west, Plaza Colon





Palacio Real

Plaza de la Villa

Plaza de la Puerta del Sol

Puerta del Alcala

Real Casa de la Panaderia, Plaza Mayor

Ciao

We have seen everything in those pictures. Thanks Mark.

No rain today.

Moe is probably writing all the same things I am right now.

Daisy, per your comment, at this point I would not do amazing race with myself! Yes, it starts this weekend! I will be able to identify with the train-plane scenes more this time while I watch it.

We have been doing soooo much.

Back on the hop off hop on bus today. Long stop when our driver was pulled over by police.

Today we were more off than on touring many sights listed by foot.

We got in a little gawking today too..... Mark, you would be proud, Annie and Moe are getting more into it.

The place we are staying really is a dungeon.

Off to Madrid in the morning. Our flight is 12 so we wont have to get up at the crack as we have been doing so much.

Rome is really crowded and noisy. More so this time. Interesting contrast to Florence.

Hope everyone is well and looking forward to seeing you. Trip is almost over!

Judy

sept 24

we had our ital breakfast of a roll and cafe this am.hopped on the bus and got as far as the coliseum, where we were stopped for over twenty minutes.we were on top of the double decker bus and i finally went downstairs to ask what the "£$%$$. the police had pulled over our driver and the tour attendant couldn't tell us how much longer we would be. we got off, started walking and when we were half a block away, judy saw that the bus was starting up again,so three folans started weaving and doing our version of running to get on the bus again.....we did go back to that pizza place for lunch again and ordered a glass of wine at a bistro across the way, so nice to sit and watch and gawk and use a free restroom......i now have been spoiled by this excellent pizza. we went to the st. peters basilica and the panthenon, trevi fountain and spanish steps for a last walk about the city.tonight we hope that Rula our landlord made reservations at a restaurant judy and mark went to last year...well it will be back to work and the rest of reality soon. cio, maureen folani.Mark these latest pics are fun to relive, thanks.

Roma.....in pictures

Castel Sant'Angelo

Spanish Steps

Colloseum

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Square from top of Basilica

Trevi Fountain

Piazza Navona

Piazza della Repubblica

Hello from Rome

Hi everyone, we arrived in Rome this afternoon after another early train ride. We still cant get over the nice place we stayed in in Florence. Though it was too early for breakfast, the owner made sure we had freshly made cappucinos before leaving at 730 this a.m. Lovely train ride and now we just got back from seeing the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain, heading back to our apartment. Its roomy for a small 3 bed unit, but its dark without the lights, the windows are barred and open up to an alley we think, though you cant really tell. We call it the dungeon. Were next to the owners bathroom and expect to hear some interesting sounds coming from there. Were having way too many laughing fits.

Judy and Maureen and pretty much behaving themselves, so you dont need to be too concerned about them. Maureen, however, has taken a liken to grappa so were going to make sure she doesnt buy a bottle and start with her late night singing. Judy refuses to try for Amazing Race with us after our 2 weeks stint so far. No sense of direction? Bad feet? Mark, youll have to try out with her.

Hope everyone there is fine, looking forward to seeing you soon. Toodles.

Annie

rome

sergio the owner of our florence b&B set us off with cappuchinos before the kitchen even opened so we would be stoked to walk to the train station to catch the euro star to rome.took the hop on and off bus around rome...great way to get an overview of yhe sites(per mark and judy who did it that way last year)had THE BEST pizza at a small pizzeria that had a constant flow of locals streaming in and out for slices....we ate sitting on the fountain in a piazza.we had dinner in the apt tonight. then saw the trevi fountain...AMAZING.... it is massive! I thought it would be half the size it was...we then walked the spanish steps.......take care everyone...maureen