SPQR...ROME

Rome was actually about an hour away from the port where our ship had docked. We had arranged a tour, and Manillo was there to greet us. We embarked on what was to be another life changing experience for me.

In my line of work...or somehow I should translate it to reflect my "past" line of work there was very little from a graphic point of view that I hadn't seen. Nineteen years in criminal work and a couple years beyond that in Atlanta left me feeling as though I was a fairly seasoned court reporter. Don't get me wrong, to this day there are pictures I will never get out of my mind... graphic, mutilated bodies, autopsies of babies...there will always be a few cases that haunt my mind which to this day I still have to push the thoughts out when they still return. Even so, I don't think I have ever been driven to the point of ad nauseum until we arrived at the colosseum.

There is a huge cross that has been placed there now...and the imagery that filters into my mind comes from the book of Revelation, of the martyrs' spilled blood, crying from the ground for God to take vengence...it was just a killing field, which was more than I could stand. I guess I'm just a sensitive soul...John and the kids, you could almost hear them saying "pass the popcorn".

I couldn't look at it from an architectural point of view...truly an amazing wonder when you research the construction, the way it was a lake that was drained, the precise measurements used to keep water from back flowing in, the underground construction put in so that animals could pop up through the floor for drama and surprise everyone...truly a marvel...but all I could keep seeing was blood, crying from the ground.

Rome, the Vatican....it really would be a place we'd like to return to, but with 8 hours in port and traveling time to and from the ship...yes, we need a few days there to truly absorb this amazing place. Like a fog, trying to clear the mist away, four years of Latin in high school began replaying through my mind as I struggled to translate various writings that were everywhere. Ollie was the Latin scholar...(my mentor). Actually all of the girls in the family followed in her footsteps and tried to emulate her.

John says he kept thinking about the movie, GLADIATOR. We saw so many wonderful things, out of the 7 hills, we got to visit only one...temples...Circus Maximus...we went into the catacombs...but you weren't allowed to film down there. Well, there was a "peaceful" protest going on of students, and we were stuck in traffic for an hour. Then as we were racing back to the ship, a rain storm blew in, with hail, mind you. How befitting for an end to the "Eternal City". Yes, I hope we can find our way there again.

A BUM DAY

(These pictures were taken before we went to the OWC ball...this was the dress I bought in 1997 for my parent's 50th anniversary.)

For all of the excitement that has come my way during the last week or so...and there has been a lot Iwanted to share with you guys...John and I won two of the top prizes at the OWC ball, (a beautiful silk duvet and the grand prize...a roundtrip ticket to anywhere in Europe on Lufthansa...I attended the violin concert of Sara Michieletto, who played movements from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons"...my very FAVORITE composer and favorite composition...I think it was Spring and Summer...she played with such passion that I was brought near to tears...), all that said, today was a sad day for me.

Battling cancer, I developed a circle of cyber friends. I got to the point where I had to get away from some of the chatting because things can get depressing. Health begins to fail...desperation setting in...members all trying to help and suggest different things for final stages...not a good place to spend a lot of time, so I just stopped going there to keep my head in a good "mental" zone.

Well, for those of you who really know me from 1999 on, you also know I was a Y-2K freak who became a gun toting, survivalist...preparing for the worst possible outcome, stashing my basement with enough food for a year or so, seeds to sow in case I had to grow my own garden...yeah, I even got a generator...whatever it took to survive independent of the power grid. (I think everyone who knew me thought, if it gets that bad...we'll just crash in on Marsha for supplies). Well, thank God the grid and computer systems didn't crash...but I hung out on a website called Timebomb, which was a "survivalist" type spot...and there I met EXPOSE...alius Deborah.

I hadn't been on this site for months, and just happened to click on it today. Expose died of cancer, and they were posting their farewells and condolences. She had emailed me, trying to help me with helpful advice, sharing whatever she could. It hit hard. I hate cancer. It took my mom away...I know we are not meant to stay on this earth. One day, something will take us all away. Guess I'll go and spend some quality time with my husband and kids and be thankful for right "now", because that's really all we have.

Tomorrow I'll try to tell you all of our journey to Rome...

PERIL IN POMPEII

Pictures of Pompeii, racing through the streets of Naples in a taxi...Briana is responsible for these "back-of-the-head shots".

Peril...peril? What peril you might ask? {The kid in me wants to do a tongue twister thingy with 'The Perils of Penelope Pitstop'...I guess I'll never grow up.} After all, we did manage to avoid being hit by the volcanic ash from 79 AD, so surely any other obscure dangers lurking would be inconsequential to our traipsing through the ruins, right?

No, the dangers I'm talkin' about is grabbing an 11 year old girl named BRIANA, and dragging her away from the market stands (yes with her straining eyes aglow) from the prominently displayed EROTICA (bronzed 12 inch ...hmmm....how shall I say it...male anatomies) that were just everywhere. I had forgotton that Pompeii was also known for its erotica, wall murals of brothels, well...it goes on and on. Just do your own "erotic art in Pompeii" at google...need I say more? So, once again, my sweet, innocent baby has been exposed to more than I anticipated. Great. I really am trying to keep her from growing up too fast, but it just seems the world keeps exposing our kids to so much...and I am sorry...I'm still a prude.

We used the camcorder a lot, and as of yet, I still am unsure about putting video shots up...I'll have to get some of my friends to help me. I'm doing big stuff just loading up a picture.

Well, the girls and I fought our way through the ruins, listened in on other guides giving the particulars...John stayed on board, and through a mishap of our original tour, we didn't do so badly getting around for not having a plan that day. We had a crazy cab driver who was a lot of fun. The Italians we met were fun-loving people who love their homeland.

Maybe one day I'll go back and we can check out the Amalfi Coast.
P.S. Lilly's leg is healing well.

MALTA...MY OH MY

Ladies from North Carolina; entering the catacombs

blown glass shops; historical churches

going into the catacombs; our ship, the NORWEGIAN GEM...

Last night our dog, Lillie, cut her leg so badly...blood everywhere. Obviously a vein damaged and you could just see the bone...to say the least, it's been a harrowing night and morning; but I am thankful to find the vet to help her and she will now be getting shots for 7 more days. She was crying at my bedroom door trying to get in...

Okay...I'll spare you all the details and go on with Malta, but I wanted you to know there has been so much drama going on...I'll just intersperse it between shore excursions.

We were a day at sea before arriving to the island of Malta. I had read cruise ship forums which stated..just do the tour yourself and save $$$ do this, that and the other. I had no idea what Malta held in store for us, nor did I realize just how much this was to become a spiritual journey.

Leaving Barcelona, and seeing the remnants of the Roman Empire was quite memoralized in my mind...buildings where the original walls still stood, just rebuilt upon and used as the foundation of other buildings that were erected over the same spot...anyway, while watching the tv on the ship, they show what all awaits you in Malta. Then, they showed pictures of the cave where Paul was held prisoner after his shipwreck episode. It was here while gathering wood a snake bit Paul and they all waited for him to die, and he didn't...I just about fell out of my bed. I didn't realize I would be coming here...I didn't realize the impact that this struck me with. Well, I couldn't get John and the kids to go with me on this trek, they did their own thing. So, let me tell you about my excursion of Malta.

It kicked off first visiting elaborate churches, with unbelievable domes, gold, detail...On the front of this one church they had all of the apostles that were huge outside. I tried to zero in 0n a picture of St. Thomas since he was killed in Chennai. There were huge portraits of Paul, the snake scene within the church. A bomb during WWII had blew threw the dome, but was repaired...Then we went on to shops where they had the most beautiful glass art. I got a blue swirled lovebird duo. Malta is known for their blown glass. We ultimately ended up heading for the catacombs that were connected to the crypt where Paul had lived during his stay to be transported to Rome. Going into these catacombs really leaves you with a strange feeling...walking through these narrow hilly streets gazing into the windows...people were very friendly. I got the best peanut brittle with tons of different spices in it, so different than what we have back home...

There were so many stories I can't remember them all, stories of the Maltese Cross (8 pointed cross) and the order of St. John...

Anyway we were thoroughly enjoying our cruise. Met some fascinating, fun loving Obama loving ladies who flagged us down...they were all college graduates who reunited every year and took trips together. They were out of North Carolina, and this was so similar to Tyler Perry's movie with Janet Jackson..."Why did I get Married"...if you haven't seen this movie, you have got to. I'll try to put their picture up as well, but we had such camera problems for a couple of days, that we didn't even get Colosseum pictures on our camera...had to use Ashley's.

But I just feel so blessed. Blessed, that God allowed me to physically go and cast my eyes upon these places that seem so much just like a "story" which you've read all your life, heard preachers give sermons about, and looking at the Bible as a living, breathing, book...just waiting to be ultimately fulfilled...you won't believe the physical sickness wave that overwhelms your soul just stepping toward the colusseum...but I'll get to those stories later.

Oh well...the journey continues.

HOW COOL-AAH IS BARCELONA

It's so funny, despite fighting it throughout most of my life, I can now say that, YES...I have become my mother. As a child tagging along with my mom shopping or whatever, one might think my mom knew the entire city of Decatur. She spoke to strangers on the street, in the malls or grocery stores like she had known them all of her life. For being so introverted and shy at times, you'd never know it watching her laugh, crack jokes and chatting with people. So yes, I have developed that knack. It's really kind of fun, and I kicked it off from the guy picking us up at the airport all the way through the end of the trip...John just kinda let go and just enjoyed the ride.

We loved Barcelona. Spain was so cool, and even with my limited, broken Spanish, we did great. Ashley even managed to find a restaurant and order in Spanish off the menu with Bree in tow when John and I took off for the flamenco dancing show. I wished I could be travelling here with my family, especially Ollie. So the best I can do is show you all the pictures and share a few emblazened memories.

Europe doesn't come cheap...you think you can put 4 in a room, like a double in the US...Naaahhh, doesn't work that way here. Three is the max, so we had two rooms for a couple of days at the Market Hotel, a budget hotel which had great reviews in Travel and Leisure magazine with breakfasts (the apple glazed muffins with cream cheese or something sinfully delicious in the center were the bomb, you know we were not dieting, okay.)...included in the deal, free wifi (don't you hate paying an arm and a leg just to use the internet in hotels...) free apples and water to send you off on your daily trek, and it was definitely in the middle of things if you like action...It was a 15 minute walk from the main strip, (Las Ramblas). Oh, if only I had money to truly shop for clothes, because guys, you know the Spanish know how to dress. (Like I could really get one more thing in my overweight suitcase)...and the coolest designs were just dazzling before my eyes. Our first dinner was at a Hard Rock Cafe. It was a bit challenging finding it. It's amazing how words I hadn't used in over 20 years (Spanish 101) filtered back into my mind . Just to show you that it's a small world, we were sitting there, enjoying the ambience of your typical Hard Rock Cafe, chowing down on some barbecue ribs...John was still wearing his CAT cap, and low and behold, at a table across from us was another CAT family out of Peoria on an R&R/vacation also. I forgot where they were stationed. You'd almost think we set this rendezvous up! We had a nice evening.

The next day we took a day tour of Barcelona...to go into these churches and see the beautiful, artistic work was amazing...all through Europe, it was just amazing. Then our tour guide was chatting about Christopher Columbus coming back here for this, that and the other...have you ever been so overwhelmed...sensory overload...that you can only just stand there and your mind/body can only filter in so much? The afternoon was dedicated to Gaudi...a man after my own heart when it comes to design. We ran out of time to go into Picasso's museum, John left my backpack with my cell phone in it on the tour bus...(but it all works out in the very end).

We ended the day by dressing up...John and I headed for the flamenco dancing dinner, (yeah, they bring you a fish with the head still on it and the eyes of it are looking dead at you...) and Bree and Ash hit the streets and found a restaurant close to our hotel. Okay, like maybe 6 people were even in this dive...but boy could this guy sing and dance and the guitar playing made you want to grab a pair of castinets and let go...Oh, I almost forgot to tell you...I got drug up on the stage to dance with this guy. John wouldn't go when they tried to drag him, but he pushed me forward. Thanks, John. We spent the next morning getting to the pier, ready to board the NORWEGIAN GEM...an awsome ship.

We had a minisuite with a balcony...which I wanted to share with the girls, but they had insisted on being on their own...so they were a few floors down from us. I'll tell you more about the embarkment of this journey later...although it's winter supposedly in Chennai (probably 90 degrees outside), monsoon season must still be here because it's raining cats and dogs right now...and this internet is acting funny. Maybe I should shut it down lest another power surge should do me in...if you know what I mean.

I SPOKE TOO LATE...I AM WRITING THIS NOW 24 HOURS LATER...OUR SERVER WAS DOWN UNTIL NOW. Vendan says that our street is very bad for internet, I guess the one in front of us and behind us are just fine...somehow I should have known...Tomorrow I will try to tell you about Malta.

LIFE WITH NO INTERNET...

Life with no internet is the PITS...definitely the pits. Anyway, after taking over three weeks to get things going again, we are back in action as of two days ago. Then suddenly another power surge took out the modem plug despite having a surge protector in place...so another day goes by to get back up and running...I miss being in touch with everyone. So much has happened. Logically I left off with our Mediterranean trip, so I'll pick it up there...