It’s been over a year since I last wrote a post. So many things have changed since that wedding in October 2023.

The week following the wedding I rented a UHaul truck and drove down to New Jersey to load up Autumn and Jim’s belongings to move to Missouri. They bought a wonderful four bedroom house in Lees Summit, Mo close to the family. I’d said for years that I would do that and the day finally arrived. We were all so very happy for them. They took the cats and flew to Kansas City while I prepared to drive three days to Missouri. I had purchased some protein bars, trail mix, and Monster Energy drink for my journey. Little did I know that I’d be so juiced, I made the trip in two days instead of three.

I arrived on Saturday and a crew of family was there to help unload the truck. In the meantime, Dave, Mother and I had agreed it was time for her to move to assisted living so she could be checked on on a regular basis. Dave and I used the now empty truck to move the furniture and possessions she would need in the smaller apartment. She was in a skilled nursing facility for the week, and Autumn and I went and visited her before I flew home.

A funny story happened on the return home. As I was preparing to board my plane, I began searching through my backpack to find my car keys as Janet had left my car in the garage for me to pick up when I returned to Boston. To my horror they were not there. I immediately thought I’d left them in the UHaul truck. However, after further reflection, I remembered tossing them into the IKEA bag I’d used to hide Elizabeth and Amelia’s Christmas presents that I’d transported with me. I had Erik check the bag and sure enough they were there. This presented a problem though as I would not have keys to drive my car home. I decided to have Janet take the bus back to Boston with the spare key and we rented a room at the airport hotel in order to get our cars and go to work the next day. It’s funny how that travel experience helps you think on your feet to do those types of things.

On Thursday, Dave called me at about 6:00 PM and said mom was back in the hospital with two oxygen masks. Her body was simply not retaining the oxygen and we needed to make a decision about removing the oxygen as she had stated she did not want to be intubated. I flew out that night. The first thing she said to me when I got there was “I told you not to come.” I did not say goodbye to her as we hadn’t really talked about what was going to happen. We just allowed the nurse to decrease the oxygen until she fell asleep. Dave and I spent the night with her. I gently sang every hymn I could remember as she lay there sleeping. She passed at 6:00 AM on her 83rd birthday.

Janet flew in on Saturday and mom’s sisters Shirley and Lois arrived on Monday. We had her funeral on Wednesday. It was a simple affair. We sang some of her favorite hymns and Erik and Addie played. Dad’s siblings all came to the funeral and a few of her friends. We took the family, including Lois and Shirley to Olive Garden afterwards.

Before we left, Janet and I shared a day with the kids at Worlds of Fun. Though the week had been one of grief, we know that mom would have wanted us to enjoy being together. She said to me many times that she was so glad that Janet and I were seeing the world while we were young and healthy. Both of my parents instilled in me a love to travel and see everything I can.

We made another trip back on Veterans’ Day weekend to inter her ashes. Dave, Jen, Addie, Janet and I all shared fun memories of mom. It was a short trip that just needed to happen.

It’s been over a year since I wrote about my travels because this event changed so much for me as you’ll see in later posts. I think I’m ready to write again. We’ve been doing a lot of traveling and I’ve got a lot to share. Thank you for continuing to join me on the ride.

One of the benefits of moving to New England ten years ago was being closer to Janet’s brother and parents. That all changed last year when Janet’s brother and her parents moved to Marion, Arkansas, outside Memphis. We did get to see a few of them in the summer when they came to camp, but it’s been over a year with the rest of the family. There are five children in the family, and the oldest three are already married. Our nephew is the fourth child and the only boy. He met the love of his life in college in Ohio and set the date for the first weekend in October. It provided a great reason for all of us to get together once more.

While booking our flights, I found it was much cheaper to fly into Cincinnati than into Dayton. Being only an hour away we figured it was worth a little extra driving time. Just for fun, I rented a Tesla EV. It took a bit of getting used to, but once we got the hang of it, it was pretty cool!

The wedding was a beautiful outdoor event on a local farm. The reception was held in a barn and everyone had a great time. The newlyweds were sweet in their first dance together. Their parents and aunt and uncle took advantage of the opportunity as well.

The next day we enjoyed a family get together at the Olive Garden to celebrate 65 years of marriage for Jim and June. It was great having everyone there. I wish our kids could have been present as well, but life is busy!

One of the highlights of the trip was visiting the National Air Force Museum. Inside were famous presidential airplanes like the first Air Force One and Columbia One, The Mississippi Belle, and other history making aircraft. Like an art museum, after awhile your head gets overwhelmed and we had to leave. We reconvened everyone at the condominium some of the kids were staying at and enjoyed dinner and some celebration cake for one of the other couples whose wedding was private. Having just been to Missouri twice, this month is becoming quite a travel month. I have another trip planned for next week, but that’s another story. Until then, back to New England.

After Tanglewood, Janet and I discussed the possibility of flying to Kansas City over Labor Day but decided against it because school was starting and it seemed expensive. That all changed when my brother called and reported my mother had been admitted to the hospital after a routine appointment to have a melanoma spot removed. Dropping everything we booked a Friday night flight and began our whirlwind of September surprises.

While I went to the hospital, Janet took the opportunity to go apple picking with our beautiful granddaughters. By all accounts, they had a marvelous time filling their baskets and being with their grammy!

Though a lot of our questions have gone unanswered, mother is on the mend after a couple of blood transfusions and a compression band to slow the internal bleeding she was experiencing. She’s been seen for many years for a latent blood cancer that may be the culprit. The hospital hasn’t been able to connect with her oncologist so it’s kind of hard to know what’s happening. Janet and I need to get back to work though and it looks like she’ll be going home soon. Before saying goodbye to the kids, we took them to their favorite restaurant, Culver’s. I was told by our youngest that I was to sit by her. There were no complaints from papa.

Janet and I made one final visit to the hospital before our flight home. We also took the opportunity to have some real Kansas City Barbecue before traveling back to New Hampshire. I wish you could smell and taste this beautiful table of food!!

Back in the summer, I’d planned a mid-September trip to Ft. Lauderdale as a “metreat.” While Janet gets the summer off to herself, I rarely get time for just me as my job is year round. I decided to visit some friends in Ft. Lauderdale and enjoy the sunshine. I don’t do that very often, but once in awhile.

My time there was relaxing and fun. On my last night, my brother once again called and reported my mother was being transported to the emergency room after contracting a urinary tract infection. I changed my homeward flight from Boston and took the detour to Kansas City. By the time I arrived, mother had been checked into the ICU. The nurses like to keep it cold, and mother didn’t mind as she was really hot. I’d come from Florida though and it was freezing, so I bought a Ted Lasso running suit. Questions abounded as we wondered why this second trip so soon after the first. Answers came from a new doctor and his assistant telling us about MDS, a blood cancer that reduces the amount of red blood cells produced in the bone marrow. This resulted in a lower immune system and more vulnerability to infection. Though difficult to hear we finally had some answers. We decided that it would probably be better to move her from independent living to assisted living to receive regular infusions of medication. I stayed with her all day on Sunday and we watched the Apache helicopters prepare for their fly over Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs game.

With a plan in place, I made arrangements to go back home the next day. Before leaving, though I got to see the kids one more time. A blessed silver lining from a tumultuous weekend.

Sometimes it feels like I’m writing this blog about fulfilling all kinds of childhood dreams. And maybe I am. Star Wars came out in the summer of 1977. Those were the days when a movie stayed in the theaters longer that 3 weeks before ending up on a streaming service. Star Wars was so popular that it was September before my family finally decided to see it. Though my brother fell asleep, I’ve always been the sci-fi geek in the family and was totally enthralled. Besides awesome special effects, the film had a musical score that was beyond anything I’d ever heard before. I loved it so much that my parents bought me the 2 disc LP album for a Christmas present. The composer of this brilliant music was none other than John Williams. I became a fan boy that year and found myself wearing out cassette tapes of his greatest hits.

Mark, Maria, Dillard and I are always looking for reasons to get together. If we can add music to the event it’s even better. Earlier in the spring I saw an announcement that John Williams would be conducting the Boston Pops at Tanglewood late in the summer and I knew this would be a perfect event for us. I bought the tickets for us to sit on the lawn and secured our place! Dillard decided it would be cool to rent a VRBO for the group rather than try for hotel rooms. He also thought it would be fun to invite a few other friends from his college days and Mike and Pam. I didn’t realize it was becoming quite the event, but the more the merrier.

The weekend finally arrived and some of us decided to add the Dr. Seuss museum in Springfield, MA to our journey. Janet & I met Pam, Mike, Dillard, and Lori at the Springfield museum complex and enjoyed the whimsical world of Theodore Geisel.

There was more to see so we also took in the city’s classical art museum and the science museum. Art is best enjoyed in small doses so we made our way to the VRBO in a farm community in upstate New York. Mark and Maria joined us later in the evening and we all had a great time getting caught up.

The next morning, Mark informed us there was an Edvard Munch exhibit at the Clark Museum in Williamsburg. Being only 45 minutes away, we thought this to be a great way to spend the morning. He’s a pretty complicated painter, but his works were fascinating to behold.

We took some time to enjoy the permanent collection and the beautiful grounds before heading onward.

The Norman Rockwell museum is only about 15 minutes from Tanglewood, and since many in our group had never been, we stopped there as well. Janet and I had already been there, but we enjoyed the Tony Sarg exhibit of marionettes and Macy’s parade balloons.

Finally the time arrived to attend the concert. We’ve never been to Tanglewood and didn’t know any of the traditions. I was amazed at the people who brought tables and candleabras, wine, cheese, and all sorts of things to make the event special. The shed seats 5,000 and the grounds seat about the same with everyone spaced out. Only John Williams can attract of 10,000 viewers to a symphony concert. And we were not disappointed. They played many of my favorites like Jurassic Park, Superman, Olympic Fanfare, and more. Though Williams himself only conducted the second half, it was worth the wait. At 91, the man is literally a rock star! He shared how some of the music we were listening to was composed just a few short miles from where we sat. Most of us knew he’d conducted this very orchestra throughout the 80s and 90s and served as conductor emeritus. He ended the concert with three encores. The first was a new piece written for the new Indiana Jones movie. Then he turned his head into the microphone and just bellowed ET while launching into the flight theme without losing a beat. Finally the night was about to end when out of the blue came the menacing rhythmic cadence of cellos and basses as they heralded the Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back. My eyes welled up with tears and I began screaming YES, YES, YES, like the fanboy I readily admit to being. They saved this, my absolute favorite piece and iPhone ringtone, for last. My heart was full as I sobbed through the multiple standing ovations.

Many people my age group grew up with musical favorites like Boston, Kansas, Styx, and other bands of the day. They were fortunate to see their bands play in stadium events in their own cities. Being a John Williams fan has required a lot of patience. I’ve diligently waited 45 years for this moment, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Living in New England make attending events like this possible, and I love it!

Our cruise has ended. It’s a sad day as we depart our beloved transport, Enchantment of the Seas. The adventure continues here in Athens. I knew that when we booked this cruise it wouldn’t be enough to get an after cruise excursion before catching our flight back home. Therefore, I booked a hotel in Athens with an Acropolis view and made plans to stay another day.

Athens is the city I’ve wanted to visit since I began my love for Greek mythology at the tender age of 10. The highlight of Athens is of course, the Acropolis on which sits the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Parthenos. Many other structures still stand on the walled mountain, like the small temple to Athena Nike and the Erechtheion. We got our bags checked in to the hotel and headed out for a nice outdoor breakfast. The day was hot, but we were in the shade and it felt good to be outside. I booked a private guide for a three hour tour of the museum and Acropolis. It was a little pricey, but I wanted the first class experience. By the end of the tour, I felt I’d gotten every penny of my money’s worth. We assembled with quite a few other people and I began to question whether the experience was private or with a group. Our guide introduced herself and then went around helping other guides with issues. Finally all the groups were gone and we were indeed left with her, the manager, as our private guide. Originally we headed straight to the Acropolis, but a call from one of the other guides warned of long lines and congestion at the entrance so we quickly changed to see the museum first. Janet had often referred to me that I’m full of useless information. Our guide was my opposite, totally full of valuable information. She poured an entire graduate level course on Greek history into an hour’s visit to that museum. She kept asking if she needed to slow down or eliminate some of her spiel, but we told her to bring it on as we absorbed everything she had to tell us. We spent a good deal of time looking at models of the history of the Acropolis as to set the stage for what was to come. The museum is laid out so that the exhibit is the same size as the Parthenon and various artifacts are on the levels you’d find on the Parthenon. Statues adorning the roof top were on the 3rd floor while artifacts that would have existed on the main floor of the temple were on the floor below. All were placed in positions relative to where they would have existed on the actual temple.

One of the highlights was the four original statues that held up the portico of the Erectheion. Another was a model of the Acropolis done in Legos by university students. Knowing how much my family loves building things with bricks, we couldn’t resist taking a few pictures.

After the museum we journeyed out into the heat. Unfortunately for us, our tour began at 11 AM in July. By the time we headed up the hill it was about 12:45 and getting close to 40 C (100 F). We took it slow and drank water as we learned about the Theatre of Dionysus which is much older than the more famous Odeon of Herodes Atticus up the pathway. The Odeon is still in use and stages many world famous events. We made it to the entry way and rested on the steps below the temple of Nike for a bit to catch our breaths. Our guide continued filling us with all kinds of knowledge. Then came the magical moment when we entered the temple area and beheld the breathtaking view of the Parthenon. Even though it’s only a shell of it’s original structure, it is amazing to behold. Next we journeyed over to the Erechthiem and learned it was the temple to all the gods and probably was used more than the Parthenon. We made our way completely around the site and enjoyed the vast views from the top of the citadel. Our guide took about 50 pictures of us. So many that I had to delete about half as most were duplicates.

Our tour was done and we bid our guide goodbye with a well deserved tip and made our way back to our hotel. The heat was beginning to take a toll on Janet and she needed rest before we could go out for dinner. We wanted to eat in the Plaka district which was about a mile away. So after a brief time we journeyed back out and explored the myriad of shops and eateries in the Plaka. We found one and enjoyed more traditional Greek cuisine. The heat however, had exhausted Janet and she could barely finish her meal. I knew it was time to get her back to the hotel. After getting her into bed and making sure she had plenty of water, I ventured back out to explore and take pictures so we could both share in the memory. I returned to the Plaka to see if there was more. Unfortunately it appeared there were about a dozen different types of shops that kept repeating so I journeyed onward into the Monastiraki neighborhood. This area was a little less corporatized and it appeared more mom and pop establishments. Always, there were awesome places to eat with outdoor seating. By now I was on the opposite side of the Acropolis and came upon Hadrian’s library. We saw a lot of Hadrian’s structures during this trip and it was pretty impressive. On the other side of the street was the rebuilt Agora. It sat in a park that also housed the temple of Hephaestus, one of the best kept temples of the ancient world. It would have cost €35 to go into the park, so I opted to take pictures from afar. Leaving Monastiraki, I passed through the Thissio and Ano Petralona neighborhoods. Restaurant after restaurant lined the pedestrian walkway. People were eating, laughing, and enjoying traditional Greek dancing and singing. It was a very festive Monday evening! Rounding the Acropolis, I made it back to the Koukaki neighborhood where our hotel was. I’d enjoyed my walk, but needed to make sure Janet was OK.

Back in the room, I checked on Janet who was sleeping peacefully. I opened the curtains to our Acropolis view and began taking pictures as the sun set and the lights came on. It was so magical. The next morning we were greeted to the same view from our bed. It never got old.

Our hotel, Niche, sat on ancient ruins. As we boarded the elevator for breakfast, we laughed at the button that would take us to 300 BC. Breakfast was a fantastic buffet of Greek food in a rooftop restaurant with that magnificent view. The servers were so kind, it seemed a real shame that we could only enjoy their hospitality for one day. Our trip was nearly complete. Our ride came to take us to the airport. Our last 25 minutes in Athens was also a sightseeing adventure in itself as we passed the original modern Olympic stadium. He pointed out other interesting sites along the way and told us his entire life story. But he was nice. The heat in the Mediterranean had become somewhat catastrophic and fires began to rage throughout Greece. I was able to photograph them as our plane ascended.

Except for a missed connection in Paris, our trip was a complete success. We count our blessings every day that have the ability to make trips like this and fulfill childhood dreams. It’s time to return to New England, though and see what new adventures lie ahead.

Our last official day of the cruise was in Mykonos. When I planned for this cruise I noticed there weren’t as many excursion options offered by the cruise line as you find in the Caribbean or even Alaska. Given that, I reached outside of the traditional offerings and booked an excursion through Viator that was to include a 5 hour catamaran sailing with wine and lunch around the southern beaches of Mykonos. Unfortunately, I received a text the night before informing us that due to wind, our excursion had been cancelled. This meant that like Santorini, our day in Mykonos was left to our own devices. Unlike the other ships in port, our ship was able to utilize the docking area rather than tinders to the shore. Unfortunately this also meant we had to find transportation from the ship to the town. But Mykonos was ready for us in the form of the water taxi or bus. We were one of the first off the ship as we were trying to find an alternate plan for the day and opted for the first water taxi out of the harbor.

Mykonos on a quiet Sunday morning is almost mystical. It’s labyrinth of streets looks like something from a sci-fi tv show. Little stone stairways led to rooms on the second floor. Roads no wider than the hallways of our apartment traversed this maze of shops, restaurants, churches, hotels and homes. In Santorini, there were tour guide stalls throughout the city. We searched but could not find the same in Mykonos. Like Santorini we thought the an afternoon beach trip at Paradise Beach, the famous party beach would be fun. We headed across the harbor to the bus station, but realized we didn’t have enough cash. On our way to an ATM, we spotted another water taxi station that would take us to Paradise Beach so we purchased tickets for the 11:30 boat instead. Being only 9:30 we wandered back to explore the town and wait for the ferry. As the time drew near, many boats pulled up to the dock to take guests to the small local islands. When I asked about our boat, we were told it was cancelled due to the wind and should not have been sold the tickets. The man graciously escorted us back to the ticket booth and refunded our money in cash. Now we had money for the bus and did not have to pay the ATM fee, lemonade from lemons!!

The bus to Paradise beach revealed the barrenness of the island. One tends to forget that these islands are volcanic in their origins and it’s the beauty of the buildings that make them so attractive. We reached the beach and needed to select a club. We chose the Tropicana as it was right of the parking lot where we we caught the bus. Mykonos is a little more expensive than Santorini and the price for the 2 chairs with umbrella was $75 euros plus $35 euros/ea for food. While it seemed expensive, it was less money than our catamaran adventure so in the end we saved money!

While at the beach we enjoyed a wonderful tray traditional Greek food, way more than we could eat, and our favorite aperol spritz! The water was beautiful and the vibe was exciting. Music played in the background and everyone was having a great time. I could definitely stay here for a few days and really enjoy myself.

As with the other days, the time slips by and the bus has arrived to take us back to town and board the ship. This cruise officially ends tomorrow. I don’t know how anything could top what we’ve seen so far, but Athens is up next!

Today is my 60th birthday. I will step into Asia for the first time in my life. Kusadasi, Turkey will be the farthest east I’ve ever been. I’m pretty excited. We arrived in Kusadasi and were greeted by traditional Turkish dancers on the pier. Our day is an excursion to the ruins at Ephesus and a trip to the house of the Virgin Mary. After lunch we will also visit the Grand Bazaar and get a rug making demonstration.

You know you’re in Turkey because there are Turkish flags and banners with pictures of Atuturk, the first president of modern Turkey, everywhere. Turkey is very modern and the area we were in didn’t appear much different than a coastal city in California. Our bus took us outside the bustling port city of Kasudasi to a much quieter area just north of town. This was where we disembarked to view the ruins of ancient Ephesus. Ephesus was a port city 2000 years ago and was made famous in modern history as the home of the temple of Diana, one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world, and also for being the home of the Ephesians, to whom the apostle Paul wrote his famous letter which appears in the New Testament of the Bible. The excavation only reveals about a third of the city, but what is able to be seen is remarkable. Every free standing structure has been rebuilt by archaeologists as many earthquakes leveled the city over time. The city was abandoned long ago when the port filled with silt making it impossible for ships to reach the city.

Our guide led us down the main street pointing out monuments to emperors and shops and houses. At the turning point of the street is probably the most remarkable structure, the Library of Celsus. This building housed the third largest collection of documents in the ancient world while it existed. I’ve seen pictures of it for years never dreaming that someday I would actually visit. After the library we walked past the courtyard where Paul was arrested for essentially attempting to ruin the business of the shopkeepers who sold trinkets of the goddess Diana. Further still was the great amphitheater with a seating capacity of 25,000. Archaeologists generally multiply the number of that capacity times 10 to arrive at the population of the city.

Before leaving we were treated to a royal visit from Caesar and Cleopatra who were entertained by a couple of gladiators. All very fun!

Our next stop was the house of the Virgin Mary. Legend has it that after the crucifixion, the apostle John brought Mary here to this house outside of Ephesus. We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. I thought it was a Christian tourist trap, however it is very meaningful to many people and has it’s own prayer wall where people leave their requests in the wall on crumpled pieces of paper. Janet was able to add another nativity to her collection as well.

Our lunch was in a resort hotel and was a magnificent Turkish buffet. We had kabobs and moussaka and baclava as well as dates, figs, and other Mediterranean delicacies. It was probably the best meal of the entire cruise!

Back in Kusadusi, we visited a rug making shop where we learned how silk is spun from the cocoon of a silk worm. We were taken to the next room and served local beverages while witnessing the rug demonstration. Then we spent the next 30 minutes trying to exit the room from our personal shopping assistants assigned to us at both the rug room and the jewelry store downstairs. Things didn’t get any better out in the bazaar where we were accosted at every turn from sellers to buy their wares. Though fun, it was also a little scary when they stand right in your face trying to get your attention. We made our way back to the ship through a maze of shops at the port. I’ve never seen so many places where you could spend money!!

It was a great day filled with memories I’ll never forget. As the sunset on this marvelous adventure, I’d say it was probably the most exciting birthday I’ve ever had!

Our day at sea was peaceful. Janet and I spent a lot of time sitting by the pool in the solarium taking in the Mediterranean sun. The sunsets are gorgeous and the sunrises spectacular. I woke up around 4:00 AM to see the moon shining brightly over a clear and starry sky. We were coming into Santorini so I took pictures of it and the sunrise.

As the ship glides into the crater of the extinct volcano, you get the sense that this is a place from another world. The whitewashed houses, churches and stores perched precariously on the top and sides of the rim make you wonder what people were thinking. There was only one other smaller ship in the caldera with us so we knew we’d have the island to ourselves. We opted not to take the donkeys to the top but chose the tram which whisked us up the crags in no time. We ventured out into the cramped streets filled with shoppers sampling the boutique shops. There were two large churches on either side of the town of Fira. The first was Roman Catholic, and the other Eastern Orthodox. Having visited so many throughout the trip, it seemed almost obligatory to see these. I was very impressed with the Orthodox church and the striking differences from what we’d seen in all the Catholic structures.

I’d booked a lunch reservation a few weeks prior to the cruise at one of the restaurants that overlook the caldera. It wasn’t needed, but it did give us some kind of anchor to our morning. We ate traditional greek dishes like Moussaka and Fava bean dip as well as our new favorite drink, aperol spritz! While hot, there was a nice breeze that made eating outdoors very pleasant.

After lunch we headed over to the public bus station. I’d done quite a bit of research on how to get around the island and this was the best way for us to get to Kamari beach on the other side of the island. Kamari is a typical beach town by anyone’s definition. Sometimes when people mention beaches in the Greek Islands they think of party beaches. This one was more a family beach. While populated, it wasn’t overcrowded or rowdy. The lounge chairs come attached to restaurants and are free with the purchase of $35 euros of food or beverage per person. Since we knew our Aperol spritz were on the menu, it wasn’t hard to fork over the money. The beach was rocky so it was a good thing we brought our water shoes with us. The water was refreshing and I could have stayed there all day.

Too soon, it was time to go catch the bus back to Fira. We stopped at one of the local stores and picked up a couple of souvenirs that we thought embodied the beauty of the island. It’s easy to see why this place is so popular.

I could probably come and just spend a few days here enjoying the sun and the beauty! Unfortunately we weren’t able to stay for the sunset, however we did get to witness it from the ship. The day began and ended with the beauty of the sun.

Day 3 of the cruise brought us to the port city of Messina, Sicily. Our docking was delayed by another cruise ship that had parked in our spot. After an hour of puttering around the harbor, we finally were able to disembark. Our excursion today was to the resort village of Taormina. This is a beautiful little town nestled on the steep mountainside above the sea. The second season of White Lotus was filmed there and it certainly lived up to its reputation. Mt. Etna looms in the distance as you look down into crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean!

Like Amalfi, the main street is lined with specialty shops, restaurants, and hotels. It was filled with throngs of tourists but that just made it more exciting. With our guide, we traveled all the way to the botanical garden located on the grounds of a palace for more breath taking views. She was a bubbly and friendly person who directed us to the best place for arancini and Aperol spritz! By mistake, the waiter brought me a Lemoncello spritz. He encouraged me to try it and was delighted that I loved it. Sometimes mistakes are better than what we thought we wanted! Because of the late docking, our excursion was shorter than planned, however we enjoyed every second of the seaside paradise!

Our bus brought us back to Messina with plenty of time to wander. I had read about the cathedral in the middle of the town that boasts an ornate clock tower. At noon, all of the doors and windows of the tower open to reveal mechanical figurines that move as it chimes. We were there at about 3:30 so we didn’t get to see all of the movement. However, every quarter hour, one of the windows or doors open to reveal a little show. The inside of the cathedral was as beautiful as any we’d seen in Rome or Amalfi. This one also had huge nativity display in one of the chapels. I finished the day with a scrumptious cannoli. It was twice as large as the ones you get here in the Boston area, and very tasty!! Tomorrow is a sea day and we say goodbye to Italy, but looking forward to Greece and Turkey!!

Yesterday we took the train from Rome to Civitavecchia to board our ship, Enchantment of the Seas. It’s a small but beautiful ship! We spent some quality sun time in the solarium then proceeded to tour the ship before dinner and a welcome aboard show. Really excited for the our first port of call, Salerno on the Amalfi Coast.

This morning we woke early to go on our excursion into Amalfi. We boarded a boat for a beautiful 45 minute ride up the Amalfi Coast. Amalfi is an awesome little town with a breathtaking church! Totally worth the 65 step climb. The street is lined with shops, restaurants and gelateries. Being famous for lemons, we ended our visit with a delicious lemon sorbet!

Janet is always on the lookout for a new and unique nativity. We found a great little holiday shop off the main square that hosted many creches where she was able to find one that will fit nicely into her collection!

After Amalfi, we took a bus into Pompeii. After kind of a forgettable lunch, our guide led us on a fascinating tour of these ruins. Pompeii was preserved in time by ash from the volcano, Vesuvius. So many buildings and roads exist nearly as they did 2000 years ago. Archaeologists have made plaster casts from ash molds around bodies that look like the bodies were petrified. Beautiful mosaics still adorn the floors of some houses, and even the walls have frescoes depicting life during that time. Some areas have been rebuilt to give tourists a better idea of what it looked like in 100 AD.

The day was filled with fun and adventure. It’s only our first port, but it really feels like we’re on a trip of a lifetime!

I remember being ten and eleven years old and reading every book on Greek mythology that I could find in the library in both the children’s section and the adult section. I was fascinated by the gods and goddesses and the country they called home. I knew then that someday, I would need to visit the birthplace of western civilization. After last year’s trip to Alaska, we knew we wanted to do another summer cruise, and a trip to the eastern Mediterranean, including two Greek islands and Athens looked like the perfect adventure!

Our cruise itinerary included Rome, Salerno-Amalfi Coast, Messina-Sicily, Santorini, Kasudasi-Turkey, Mykonos, and Athens. Being so full of different adventures, I’m splitting up the posts into multiple entries. The cruise port is in a town about an hour from Rome called Civitavecchia. As good cruisers do, we always arrive at least one day early so as to make sure you don’t miss the ship. Because it’s Rome we decided to give ourselves two days.

We arrived in Rome and were met by the hotel owners who got us checked into our room. This room is pretty much a door on the wall that opens to a set of stairs. There is no elevator and we’re on the second floor! It’s a very well furnished room with a double jacuzzi in the bathroom. Our place is about a block away from the major outdoor market, Compo di Fiori. We ventured over there and browsed the stalls of the market, trying to dodge the outgoing vendors trying to sell us their wares. We ate an early dinner of signature pasta dishes at one of the piazza ristorantes. A shot of limoncello finished the meal perfectly! Did I mention that it’s 96 degrees in the late afternoon? The selling point for this ristorante was the misters!!

After dinner we strolled through the Piazza Navona and then down a magnificent street called via dei Coranari which was beautifully lined with niche shops and restaurants. We stopped in a shop that sold venetian carnivale masks. I told him we’d be there for two days, and possibly would come back tomorrow…which we did and ended up buying two masks.

After a short siesta back at the room to get out of the heat, we found some delicious gelato and continued our leisurely walk up the Tiber River to the Castel Sant’Angelo. Janet loved the umbrella pines, and we both marveled at the statuary on the bridges and all the street vendors. We finished our five mile journey down the side streets back to our hotel. We’re tired but exhilarated by the sites and sounds of this fascinating city!

This is our second time to Rome so we’re trying to see things many tourists skip. This includes about five basilicas and churches as well as a baroque mansion/art museum. We were more tired than we anticipated and didn’t wake up till 9:30. When we left the room the temperature was already in the mid 80s. We journeyed over the Tiber River into Trastevere. We tried to eat breakfast but the invisibility cloaks we bought a few years ago really paid off as after 20 minutes no one seemed to notice we were waiting to order. We walked around the beautiful Basilica of Santa Maria then headed back over the river for more sites!

Leaving Trastevere we entered the Jewish Ghetto. It was 11:00 and since we didn’t get breakfast we enjoyed a kosher lunch of ravioli and fried artichoke. Afterwards we made our way through the Jewish Ghetto and passed by the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II and the Colosseum. With the temperature reaching nearly 100, I nearly lost Janet as we made our way to Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore. But lots of water and a dose of gelato revived her and we were able to marvel at the structure.

I can’t tell you what a godsend it is that Rome has drinkable water fountains all throughout the city, many are adorned as works of art. We prodded on through the heat to Trevi fountain. It was not quite as crowded as I expected but still a mad house. We chose not to throw coins in the fountain as we’ve already booked another Mediterranean cruise for next year with a good chance of returning to Rome. We made our way on to Galleria Doria Pamhilj which was housed in a baroque palace. Exquisite works of art in a fairly cool place for the mid afternoon! One of the galleries was a hall of mirrors and reminded us of Versailles. After the gallery, we made our way a few blocks down the street to St. Ignatius of Loyala church which boasts a ceiling that rivals the Sistine chapel. Around the corner was the Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva. It was dark but contained some of the prettiest stained glass windows of the day!

Our final church was Church of St. Louis of the French and it was astounding! One of the chapels is adorned with sculpted draperies. It’s hard to imagine that these are actually stone. Another chapel is known for housing famous works by Caravaggio. Having seen everything on my list, we headed back to the room for a short rest and respite from the heat. Later, we went and bought our masks enjoyed a dinner of Roman pizza and Aperole spritz. Our sightseeing in Rome is done, but what a fantastic experience. Tomorrow we’ll be heading to the cruise ship for more adventures!!

Happy 37th anniversary to us! Celebrating our anniversary has so many options when you live in the Northeast. One year we went whale watching out of Boston. After the pandemic, we were able to go to Maine for the weekend. Another year we drove to Janet’s childhood town in upstate New York. One year we went completely out of the area to Las Vegas. However, our favorite destination has been New York. In 2022 we went there and saw Funny Girl. It wasn’t our favorite, but when it was announced the Leah Michelle would be taking over as Fannie Bryce, we thought it would be fun to see it again with her in the lead role. We went ahead and bought matinee tickets to Funny Girl and then evening tickets to Hadestown.

Here’s my travel tip for driving in the Northeast. Drive as early in the morning as you can drag yourself out of bed. We left around 5 AM and were pleased to encounter very little traffic on our journey. Last year we had binged quite a few episodes of Project Runway so we visited Mood fabric store. This year we finished up all the early seasons we hadn’t seen and I thought it would be neat to eat at the cafe in Bryant Park where the winners display their final collections. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we enjoyed our lunch outside after wandering through the historic halls of the New York Public Library.

Unfortunately, we also found out that Leah Michelle would not be appearing in Funny Girl that day so we had some decisions to make. Do we go ahead and see a show that’s not our favorite, or take a chance on decent prices to another show? With plenty of time, we headed to the TKTS booth in Times Square. I’ve never waited in that line before as I’d always used the booth downtown. Today was no exception. Seeing the length of the line we decided to hit the box office to Moulin Rouge instead. Fortune was on our side and we found some awesome tickets at an awesome price right there at the box office. With still a little time to kill, we wandered up and down 8th avenue that was closed to motor traffic in favor of street vendors for the day.

Moulin Rouge was awesome! We’d seen the movie and was really glad the Broadway show included more recent music. It had the same basic plot but with some minor changes. The actors were fantastic and we really enjoyed the show.

Mama Mia 44 SW is becoming an anniversary tradition. This was our 3rd time there and we were not disappointed. Once again the owner stopped by our table and spoke to us. The service and the food were both excellent, guaranteeing that we’ll be back for another special celebration.

Hadestown was very different from Moulin Rouge but we enjoyed it as well. I never tire of live theater. It is so nice to be so close to these venues.

The thrilling day was done, and we headed back to our hotel to end the adventure. I often see posts on Facebook of friends in other parts of the country traveling to NYC for week long vacations. I’m so glad that we can take a weekend and see and do the things we want and be back in time for work on Monday!

I always like to make the best of a business trip. Whether I’m traveling to Nashville or Austin for a national conference, or just to a new place in New England for a clinic or demonstration, I try to see the sites that make that place unique and special. My district is looking at some new security appliances so I signed up for a demonstration of a product in Freeport, ME. Maine is the vacationland of New England and has beautiful scenery throughout the state. Freeport is known for being the home of L.L. Bean. It has a sprawling complex of venues comprising its flagship store. After the clinic, I took some time to wander through the facility admiring the taxidermy displays and the products. Being from Missouri, it’s hard not to compare the store with some of the Bass Pro Outdoor World mega stores. However, this store does a nice job highlighting a lot of the native wildlife from the area.

Freeport is also home to a few micro breweries. I’m not much of a beer fan, but I think it would be a great place for friends to come and do a tour of the local brews. Across the street from L.L. Bean is a nice outlet mall as well. It’s always good when there’s more than one draw to a town. As I’ve said in the past, not every adventure is amazing. This adventure was nice in that I got to combine my work with my passion of exploring our wonderful New England home.

I’ve written about our trips back to Kansas City many times. We just made a trip to Kansas City to see the kids and I won’t bore my readers with the details of another family get together. Besides seeing our beautiful granddaughters, one of the biggest thrills was to see the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport (KCI).

I remember back to my first flight when I was 9 years old. We flew United Airlines on a Boeing 727 airplane out of the downtown airport in Kansas City. It was a tiny little airport and you had to walk out on the tarmac and up the staircase to get on the plane. Security was so non-existent then as my father actually got on the plane with us to make sure we had seats, then exited the plane as he was not going with us.

Less than a year later, the new KCI was opened to great fanfare. Built in a cloverleaf design with three terminals, it was touted as being passenger friendly in that you could be dropped off at the door and only have to travel about 50 feet to be at the gate. The brown cement exterior wasn’t very pretty, being built in the brutalist phase. But the inside was decent enough. There were restaurants and shops along the horseshoe corridor like any other airport. I flew out of KCI for the first time when I was 17 on a one way trip from KC to St. Louis to meet up with my church youth group on the way to camp. That was the first of literally dozens of arrivals and departures at KCI. When it was built, security wasn’t a big deal. However, after the TSA was invented and security screenings were needed, KCI did an overhaul of the terminals by installing huge walls between the corridor and the gate area with openings for security checkpoints. Each terminal had about 3 or 4 of these gate areas that were behind the walls. At first, there were no restrooms or food facilities behind the walls. Later they installed small restrooms with 2 or 3 stalls, and little food kiosks. I guess the thinking was that you would arrive at the airport and maybe hang out at a restaurant before you went through security and not be there very long. Unfortunately, as we found out on many occasions, if your flight was delayed you might be stuck behind that security wall in a very cramped area with few amenities for many hours. We really grew to hate flying in and out of the facility as did many family members visiting us in KC.

About four years ago, the people of Kansas City voted to remove the old terminals and build a brand new one that would not only provide a more pleasurable experience past the security checkpoints, but also update the baggage handling systems and allow for all types of planes to land there. I, for one, was overjoyed that eventually we would no longer have to endure the ugly cramped gate areas! We’ve been following the progress for the last four years steadily watching the construction and finally awaiting the day we could land there and see it. The place is beautiful. The first difference you notice as you disembark is the space to walk through. No more cramped seating areas behind a big wall. Many gates line both sides of each of the two concourses. In the center are a plethora of restaurants and shops that make you say, “this is a real airport!”

Art has been installed throughout the edifice including hanging saxophones and about a thousand wind spinners. There’s a sensory room for those who need to get away from crowds and noise. There’s even a simulation room for people who’ve never been on a plane to practice what it’s like to board. Light cascades through many floor to ceiling glass walls, and all the jet bridges are made from glass to allow travelers to see outside. We were just amazed at the attention to a quality facility. On our departure we also got to take advantage of the new Delta Sky Club which is one of the most beautiful of the clubs we’ve been to. To say we were pleased with the result would be an understatement.

I can’t finish a post to Kansas City without sharing pictures of the girls. We took some time and went to the zoo, which incidentally gets better every year! The new attraction for us was the Sting Ray City. Can’t wait to go back next year and see the new aquarium to see how it compares to our very own New England facility

For the past two months it has seemed that every two weeks I’m heading down to Boston to board a plane somewhere. In February, we ended the month with our trip to Florida to go on the cruise. Two weeks after returning, I flew to Austin, TX for a national conference of school technology directors. On Easter weekend, Janet and I flew to Denver, CO on a whim to celebrate our friend, Michael’s 70th birthday. And in two weeks, we’ll be flying to Kansas City to visit the kids. That’s a lot of flying for a couple of working empty nesters. Occasionally I include a travel tip in my blog, and this post is dedicated to the tip.

Before I continue with my tip. My trip to Austin was awesome seeing bats fly out from under the bridge and enjoying a little of the city’s nightlife. I tried Texas Bar B Q for the first time and was affirmed that while good, it’s not as good as KC! The conference was fantastic and I got to network with many people all over the country who do what I do.

In 2010, Janet and I booked a trip to London and Paris on a Delta flight out of Kansas City. The first leg was to depart on Friday night to Atlanta, and from there we were to fly to London to arrive on Saturday around noon. Being an international flight, we arrived two to three hours early to make sure everything would go right. When we arrived, we learned that due to heavy thunderstorms in Atlanta, our flight had been delayed. When we finally were able to board a few hours later, we ended up sitting at the gate for over an hour because a light on the plane would not turn off. By the time we got to Atlanta at 1:30 on Saturday morning, our connecting flight to London had already left leaving us to spend the night at the Hartzfeld airport. We’d been issued tickets for another flight that appeared to leave at 11:59 PM that evening. We went online to see if there were other flights that would leave earlier, but didn’t see any. When the ticket counters opened later that morning, we decided to try our luck with an agent. After waiting in line for about a half hour, we were able to speak to a charming lady who informed us that there were no earlier flights to London. She recommended we go back to our hotel for the day, to which we replied we’d slept on the floor here in the airport. I looked at Janet and told her we’d have to go ahead wait until tonight. I was about to turn away when the agent corrected me that our rebooking was Sunday night, not Saturday night. We immediately re engaged with her letting her know in no uncertain terms that this was not acceptable. I asked her if there were flights to other cities like Dublin, Paris, or Berlin that we could get connecting flights to. This redirection turned into good fortune as she was able to get us on a 3:00 flight to Rome, then to Amsterdam, and finally to London only 24 hours after we were originally supposed to land. Throughout the ordeal, I learned a lot about making last minute adjustments on the fly, navigating through foreign airports, and remaining optimistic amid the most frustrating circumstances. The trip was a success and our trip insurance paid for the missing day of hotel fees we’d already paid. We made up for the sightseeing missed and even got to see two West End shows. I shared this tale to say that at the time, we swore off Delta as the airline we never wanted to fly again.

And now another break from my story to share some pictures of our flight to Denver. The mountains were beautiful!! The downtown area is a little more rundown than I’d expected. But, the party was fantastic! Janet and I enjoyed first class seats on both legs of the trip and made our whirlwind trip very bearable!

When I moved to New Hampshire, we decided that we needed to look at a credit card that had rewards points. Knowing that both of us would travel to and from Kansas City frequently, we needed to make every dollar count. I looked at the airlines that serviced Manchester NH and there weren’t very many that flew to Kansas City. In fact, my choices were pretty much Delta and Southwest. As much as I dreaded Delta, Southwest wasn’t on my list of favorites either. I decided to give them another shot and enrolled in the Delta Skymiles through American Express. We began using these cards for almost every purchase in order to build up points and status. From the very beginning I began to see it paying off through miles accumulated. There were some flights that were almost free because of the points I earned. A couple of years later we upgraded to Gold, Platinum, and finally Reserve. With each card came new perks that made flying easier, and many times more affordable. These days we’re automatically upgraded to Comfort+ and often First Class. We also have the use of the Delta SkyMiles club at many airports which saves money on food purchases. Though we switched airports to Boston and have more choices, we’ve remained with Delta for the perks. So here’s my tip. Even if you only travel once or twice a year, get a card with travel rewards. Stay loyal to one airline, cruiseline, car rental, or hotel chain and watch the benefits accumulate. We need to do better with the last two, but the bonuses we’re getting for flights and cruises have certainly made traveling much more enjoyable for these New England tourists.

I’ve been a music geek pretty much all my life. Throughout school, choir and band were my go to subjects. After school I traveled in a music and drama group. In college I majored in music education. My first two post college jobs were music teacher and worship leader. Over the past 50 years, music has been a thread through my life that has influenced most of the relationships I have with family and friends. When I became the technology director in Hampstead, NH, I developed an instant friendship with Dillard, the elementary principal because of our mutual background in teaching music. The same happened next year when Maria became the principal of the middle school as she had also taught music. Those friendships expanded to include our spouses and we continue to try to get together regularly to enjoy each other’s company though none of us work together anymore.

I saw an advertisement for a brass quintet that was playing in Portsmouth, NH and immediately thought this would be a great venue for the six of us to enjoy. Unfortunately Mark and Maria were out of town, but Dillard and Laurie were eager to join us. The event was held at Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues club in Portsmouth. They’ve done a renovation of the old YMCA and created a magnificent destination for dinner, music, and art.

We arrived early on a snowy evening and enjoyed the recycled art installation in the gallery below the auditorium while waiting for the room to open. I love that art can be made from anything. The addition of lighting gave the items of trash and refuse an ethereal look and quite beatiful.

The room was swathed with a deep blue light evoking an night club atmosphere as we enjoyed drinks and dinner before the opening set. Dillard and Laurie are such good company and we had lively conversation. The set opened with music from Bernstein, Sondheim, and other musical greats. Dessert was served during intermission and we prepared for the final set. The majority of second act was comprised of music by Gershwin, specifically Porgy and Bess. All of it was played superbly by these UNH professors and friends. The four of us were thoroughly pleased with the night and promised we need to do this more often. There’s something about music that bonds people. I’m so grateful to have a spouse and friends that love and appreciate music as I do.

Janet and I have been rewatching the Downton Abbey series over the last month. At one point Rosalyn, the sister who lives in London is talking to her niece Edith who has just commented about how exciting it is to live in the city where there are so many museums to visit and theaters to see. Rosalyn acknowledges that this is true, but that she only goes when there’s family or friends in town. Unfortunately, that’s the way it is with most people who live in or near big cities. That’s one of the reasons I started writing this blog and why it’s called, Living Like a Tourist. I don’t want to only visit the attractions when visitors come to town.

My first experience with the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) was back in 2013 shortly after I moved here. It quickly became a favorite destination and I’ve written about it a few times. Because of the pandemic, and other life events, I haven’t been back in quite a few years. Janet wasn’t eager to drive to Boston so I went solo.

With no real purpose, I just began to wander through the museum. Sometimes I felt lost in the myriad of galleries, but that’s so much fun. I tried to see pieces that were new to me, and snapped pictures of things that caught my eye.

One gallery was especially cool because it had a door to close it from the remainder of the museum. Besides the beauty of the stained glass windows and the sculpture, the room had perfect acoustics. I was able to sing a chant song off the voice and marvel at how little effort it takes to produce a beautiful sound in the right venue.

After a couple of hours, one’s senses reach saturation when viewing art. I grabbed my coat and made my way back to the subway and went home, glad that I don’t wait for guests to visit my old favorites.

As we have done so many times over the past 10 years, we flew back to Kansas City on Christmas Day to spend time with the family. Mostly we sit around and play with the girls. On Wednesday, we decided to visit historic Union Station in Kansas City to see their Holiday Reflection exhibit. Like many other train stations throughout the country, Kansas City Union Station had fallen into disrepair in the 70s and 80s, until a bi-state tax initiative restored it. Now it’s a science museum and venue for all kinds of exhibits and shows. The main ticketing area is huge and reminds me of Grand Central in NYC. The holiday exhibit is housed in the old waiting area that traverses the tracks below. There’s still an Amtrak station in use off to the side and passengers embark through stairs (or an elevator) as they would have one hundred years ago.

I’m not one to brag, but our granddaughters are precious. Put them in a winter wonderland dedicated to kids and they light up the room. Every venue becomes a photo op, and we took plenty.

The focus of the entire room is the train ride. Originally housed in one of Kansas City’s local department stores, I rode this train over fifty years ago. Elizabeth barely fit under the measuring rod. Next year she may be too big. I’m glad she’s still little!!

Behind the train ride is a model train display with dozens of tracks and villages. The girls were enthralled as were their parents and grandparents.

Back in the main area we listened to singing reindeer and penguins, posed for our New Year’s kiss under the clock, and took the obligatory grandparent photo.

To finish the day, we walked the covered bridge (The Link) over to Crown Center, home of Hallmark Cards to play under the Mayor’s Christmas Tree at Santa’s Village. The weather was beautiful and kids of all ages were enjoying being outside!

I’m so glad to be teaching my children and grandchildren that adventures don’t need to be long or far away. It’s just the experience and the memories!!

My favorite traveling companion is without a doubt, my wife Janet. Together we’ve visited 42 states, 15 countries, and dozens of cities. Every once in awhile, we like to travel with friends or family on our adventures. For the past five or six years, we’ve joined Mark and Maria for a celebrity theatrical adventure. Beginning in 2017 we’ve seen Bette Midler in Hello Dolly, Renee Fleming in Carousel, Jeff Daniels in To Kill a Mockingbird, and Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker in Plaza Suite. When Hugh Jackman announced he’d be doing The Music Man, it seemed like a no brainer that this would be our next celebrity sighting. Then COVID hit, and the show was delayed. When it reopened, tickets were wickedly expensive. When it announced it would be closing in February, I knew we couldn’t wait any longer. I found some great tickets online in the orchestra section, and we made our plan for Thanksgiving weekend. M & M were thrilled, and I left dinner plans for them.

Each time we visit NYC, I try to see something new or different. My new place this year is The Drama Book Shop. I could spend a lot of money there, but I didn’t. I especially liked the book sculptures that wrapped around the store.

Of course, no trip to NYC during the holidays is complete without our annual trek down 5th Ave to see the department store windows decorations. This year’s winner for us was Bergdorf Goodman.

They were followed closely by Macy’s.

I think Saks 5th Ave and Bloomingdales tied for last, but both were fun to see.

Midway through our walk, we stopped at St. Patrick’s. It’s always nice to get some peace in the middle of all the holiday rush!

After a short break in M & M’s hotel suite to rest our feet, we ventured out again to Estiatorio Milo’s on 55th St. for dinner. Milo’s is a Greek Seafood restaurant that is a local favorite. You start at the fish market to select the types of fish to prepare. Our fishmonger helped us select a mild sea bass, as well as some scallops and prawns. The scallops were served Ceviche style as an appetizer. The prawns were steamed whole with a glass of brandy on the side. The idea was to cut off the tail and eat it like a lobster tail while soaking the remainder in the brandy. Once finished with the tail, then you suck out the brandy doused innards. I’m up to trying anything, but a small slurp was all I could handle. Maria wasn’t too fond of hers either so we let Mark guzzle all three. Janet didn’t even order one. Finally the bass arrived, and it was marvelous!

The food was certainly memorable, however the real story was where we were seated. Mark had made special care to make reservations early and he wanted a table by the window. Unfortunately someone arrived earlier without a reservation and ended up at the table he preferred. We were seated in the middle of the section instead. At one point of the evening, Maria and Janet noticed a very familiar face at the table behind us. Maria asked our server if it was indeed Nichole Kidman, to which the server replied, yes, you’re seated in the VIP section. You have no idea who is seated around you at this very minute. We can only guess that the lady who took Mark’s table outranked us by a few million dollars. We remained on our best behavior and acted as though we were VIPs ourselves, just enjoying a meal at Milo’s!

The show was amazing. Hugh Jackman is extremely talented and fun to watch. Though not as worldly renowned as the Wolverine, Sutton Foster is a very large name on Broadway and she endowed Marian Paroo with much more cynicism and wit than previous interpretations I’d seen. It seems they make a habit of trying to make each other laugh at some point during the show. Both succeeded and the audience loved it. At the end of the performance, Hugh addressed the audience to raise funds for Broadway Cares, and HIV/AIDS charity. He started the bidding for his straw hat, autographed by him and Sutton, for $1000. The bidding quickly made it’s way to $13,000 when the final bid was made at $100,000. There she was, Nicole Kidman taking the winning bid amazing her friend of 30 years. It turned out, that was the largest single donation to Broadway Cares ever.

To say we were star struck for the evening would be an understatement. Even though we’re in NYC often, it’s rare you see a famous person in a restaurant or just walking down the street, or is it? Once, while walking past Rockefeller Center we passed Katie Couric. Who knows how many VIPS we’ve encountered, we just weren’t paying attention. Anonymity in a crowd is one of the things most desirable in a city. Maybe that’s why I like cities so much. Well, there are certainly many opportunities in New England and the Northeast for that to happen!