Eight years old!

Anna was born eight years ago today. The day before, she was just a bump, a nameless somebody that liked to poke me in the ribs after lunch. On August 18th, she became Anna. Just like that, I was her Mum and she was my girl, ever after. Happy Birthday, lovey dove!

String of pearls

One last look: the ship's lights, like a necklace clasped across the sky.

Amalfi e Positano

They saved the best for last: the Amalfi Coast was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. My pictures do not do it justice. We spent more time on the water than on land today. The ship moored off the coast and we took the boat's tenders to Sorrento, where we boarded a hydrofoil to the town of Amalfi. After a brief visit, we caught another ferry to Positano. There, we rented a Zodiac so we could explore the coastline and go for a swim. I could have easily spent my entire summer in this part of Italy. Maybe some day! So that's it for the trip -- thanks for coming along...

Buono appetito

The food on the trip was fantastic. So, although there's one more port to go, I thought I'd take a break for some of the tastes of the Mediterranean: limoni, olive, pomodori, vino, gelato, frutti di mare e, naturalmente, Coke Light.

Sicily

Forgive me residents of Palermo, Sicily. I'm sure there are things to do and see in your fair city. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any of them on a very hot Thursday morning in the middle of August. We walked around and tried to find the street market (which we finally located after being directed to two different super markets). We saw the world's biggest canoli. And we were sized up by toughs zooming by on scooters. But all was not lost -- it turns out the Palermo soccer team wears pink jerseys (which they sell in kiddie sizes) so our girls are now happily sporting their Sicilian souvenirs.

Malta

We were told that sailing into Malta at sunrise was not to be missed, so we ate breakfast on our balcony as the sun came over the harbor. Malta was lovely and seemed to be frozen in an ancient time. We saw fortresses and catacombs, Roman ruins and temples, and perfectly preserved mosaics crafted thousands of years ago. Lunch was in a huge underground hall that was originally a hospital run by the Knights of Malta. It was nice to get out of the heat -- temps were in the 90s and the sun was scorching. We were all dying to take a dip but couldn't find a beach -- water water everywhere and not a drop to swim in!

At sea

No port today, just ocean as far as the eye can see, sea, sea. I slept late, had coffee, read for hours, swam in the saltwater pool, played with my camera, drank cocktails, went to dinner, and went to bed. Sound boring? It was heaven.

Corsica

Here's a tip: If you go to Corsica, don't go to Napoleon's birthplace (even if Napoleon himself greets you when you disembark). Sadly, no one told us this in advance and so we spent a good chunk of the morning wandering through some airless rooms where Mr. Bonaparte may or may not have slept. The afternoon was much better. We ditched the tour and went to the beach. I had never been swimming in the Mediterranean and it was beautiful and blue and bouyant. Plus, I can't remember the last time I went to the beach and didn't have to build a sand castle. Ahhhh...

Florence

We only had a few hours in Florence -- a drive-through of a city that should be savored. We saw the Duomo, said hello to David (or his replica, rather) and his statuesque friends, and walked through the market. I studied art history at college but had only seen these works of art as slides projected in a dark auditorium in Maine. Seeing them up close in the Italian sunlight was surreal. After our brief tour of the city, we headed into the hills to a villa in the Chianti region. There we met our host, Gino with the Vino, who kept the wine flowing through a six-course lunch among the olive trees.

Monte Carlo

We boarded the boat in Monaco. No time to visit Prince Albert at the Palace, but after traveling overnight from Boston to Rome to Nice to Monte Carlo it felt good just to stand on deck and take in the view -- the harbor, the yachts, the sun on the sea.

Set sail

We're back and I have lots to share, but I thought it would be fun to show you the trip as we experienced it, port by port. So first, your ship...

Arrivederci!

We're off to Italy -- will post lots of photos from the trip when we return!

Photo contest

When we were in NH for the 4th, my father-in-law challenged me to a photo contest. The assignment: take your best shot of the antiques store in Center Ossipee. Here are our efforts -- and now it's time to cast your vote. Let me know if you prefer the top photo or the bottom photo. Then I'll publish the results. May the best (wo)man win!