Come fly~cruise with me...designing a perfect trip!

I love to read. Maybe that is why I love to travel!

Several of my favorite girlfriends and I try to 

plan a major trip every three or four years.

We have just returned from our fourth 

adventure. 2014's journey took us to 

Italy, Croatia, Turkey and Greece. 

After a lot of planning and packing, we made our way to 

the airport and our trip began! This is a shot I took 

as we crossed over the Alps on our way to Venice.

We reached Venice early on Friday morning and 

after getting settled in our hotel, we ventured out 

to do a little shopping. 

Our very first girls trip was to Venice, so sight seeing was not

high up on our list for this trip. Our hotel, Palazzo San Angelo sul 

Canal Grande, see photos and info here

was right on the canal and we enjoyed sitting outside and 

watching all the boats and one very obnoxious seagull!

There were four of us on this trip. (other times we have had six)

This was our sitting area and there were two bedrooms 

with adjoining baths that opened off this room plus a 

balcony area. This was a great boutique hotel and I 

would highly recommend it.

The next morning, bright and early, we headed over to the port to start 

our cruise on the Royal Caribbean's Splendor of the Sea. 

One of my favorite things about a cruise is when we leave or 

enter a port. The views are incredible! We are leaving Venice on our
way to Croatia. 

Most of our traveling was done at night. So when we got 

up on Saturday morning we were starting to see other 

boats as we approached Croatia. 

Our destination was Dubrovnik, the walled city, on the Adriatic Sea coast 
in the Southern part of Croatia. Tourism is the number one 
industry. In the 19th century, celebrities discovered Dubrovnik.
 George Bernard Shaw once said that "those who seek paradise on Earth 
should come to Dubrovnik and find it". To find 
out more about Dubrovnik click here

For those that like to hike and climb or take a cable car ride,
you can go to the top of  Mount Srd. This is looking down
at the walled city. 

There are also areas down near the water for relaxing and dining.

You can also venture away from Old Town and find
beautiful beaches for sunbathing and relaxing by 
the magnificent green and blue water.

We entered the port of Corfu, Greece on Sunday. Corfu is 
known as Greece's emerald island. It is the lushest of the
Ionian group of islands. 

To the east is the mainland of 
Greece and Italy lies only 40 nautical miles to the northeast.
Corfu and the other Ionian Islands were once part of mainland
Greece. Earthquakes caused terrain to sink dramatically, 
resulting in the jagged shores and stunning beaches as well 
as the Mediterranean's deepest waters, at more than 
14,400 feet!

We found a cab and headed up to tour the Achilleion Palace.
This Palace was built in Corfu by the Austrian Princess
Elizabeth of Bavaria. For history and more pictures click here

The extensive grounds at the Palace, with its aromatic gardens and 
classical statues, are the main attractions. 

One of the many beautiful views from the gardens show how
shrubs and trees cover the island. 

After our tour of the Palace we headed back to the town
of Corfu. One of the many local items to shop for in Corfu are 
olives, olive oil, olive wood items, soaps  and kumquats.

After shopping it was time for pizza and a local beer! 

To be continued.....