Barcelona Cruise

Vickie taking a break in Venice....Nope not Venice Italy just yet.  We took a day to go to the Sheraton neaor LAX so that we could make it to the airport in time for a flight to Barcelona via Toronto on Air Canada.

Hartness House

Unlike my travel guru Dennis, I'm posting my travel impressions by selecting my favorite photos of places that made the biggest impact on me.  On your left you will see the Hartness House, a spectacular B&B in Maine housing an amateur astronomers group for the annual Stellafane star gazing in honor of Russell W. Porter.  Porter and Hartness founded this location for this kind of gathering.

Egg Cream @ Katz's

Pictured on your right is a glass of the world famous "egg cream"  This treat seems to have become pretty close to extinct.  Katz's deli was the only place that offered it from our experience.  Please BRING IT BACK.  It is one of the things I remember most about New York.  Maybe Starbucks could re-introduce it.  I think it would be a best seller.

Washington Square

Sailing Silvermans

Dennis and New Gal Emma

Pat, Dennis &Deb

Wow, Washington Square.  This was a day that we completely loved.  Perfect weather, ambiance and great surroundings.  Wasn't at all like I remembered way back in the 60's but beautiful all the same.

The remaining photos are of our stay with Dennis' niece Deb and her partner Pat in Maine.  They were such gracious hosts and being part of this family reunion was quite an honor for me.  This visit was one of the high points of my trip.

Got to say Dennis's new gal Emma is a real "DOG".  No offense Emma.  Had a tough time keeping her from doing lap dances every chance she got.  Emma's sooooo very loveable.

The 21st of August was a very special birthday for me as Dennis and I spent it with my very best friends the Morales' (Prahlada, Hari Mohini and their daughter Kunti).  I had tried to arrange to see them but their work schedules were in conflict earlier in the month but as luck would have it they spent the day with us on my birthday.  They were close to me and my husband but time and circumstances as well as distance kept us apart.  I loved our reunion and hope to reconnect on a regular basis.

My trip was initially instigated by my desire to see my mother's cousin Israel and his wife Laura.  Laura as well as my friend above, Hari Mohini are cancer survivors so it was very special to see them looking good and feeling up to our visit.  I know it is impolite to mention a woman's age but Laura is in her late eighties but the three flights of stairs she takes to her apartment keeps her acting like a 50 year old and may very well be one of the reasons she recovered so well.  My sisters hope to visit them in May and if all goes well they can get an oral history of our family as they are the only remaining elders left.