Our Cruise - Day The End

We all woke up very early to the hustle and bustle of a ship about empty the contents of its guests and prepare for the next ones. We grabbed a quick breakfast and disembarked to our transport buses to Fiumicino Airport in Rome. We were all headed back home except for Sheila, who had a speaking engagement in London at a medical conference.

Lucky Wande had a direct flight back to Washington Dulles Airport, whereas Carol, Julie and Terry were flying to Reagan National Airport via Charlotte, NC. The flight over the Atlantic was easy enough, albeit long, but once in Charlotte things got complicated. The plane that was to take us for the short flight to Washington had not arrived yet because of bad weather. Finally, three hours later than its scheduled arrival, it landed. We got back to Washington at midnight. Such is flying, but nothing could shake us of the good vibes from such a wonderful vacation.

We want to thank all of our friends and readers who followed us through this magical journey and posted and emailed such nice comments. To borrow from the Beatles: "You're such a lovely audience, we'd like to take you home with us, we'd love to take you home."

To wrap up, each of us has a personal statement about the trip.

Sheila

I can't believe the trip is over. I had a wonderful time! Sunbaked, relaxing, educational, awe-inspiring, it was definitely not to be missed! After seeing all of the historical sites, and listening to the Smithsonian lectures on board, I realized that my post cruise trip to London for the International Pediatric Radiology meeting had to include a day at the British Museum, where most of the world's plunder is housed! I saw the friezes from the Parthenon, reconstructed in a huge room just as they hung in Athens, as well as the sculptures from many of the sites throughout the trip. I had a wonderful time with Julie, Terry, Carol and Wande, and will cherish the memories for many years to come. Thank you guys for including me!!

Carol

Thanks to Terry, Julie, Sheila and Wande for a wonderful trip. A special thanks to both Terry and Julie who did so much planning for special land excursions that were so memorable.

Here is what I loved about the trip......
Discovering new places with best friends.
Laughing out loud again and again.
FOOD.
Surprises that leave you speechless.
Admiring Julie for coping so well with the unexpected.
Sheila best roommate ever.
Wande best last minute surprise passenger ever.
Buying a carpet, $3,900.
Spending vacation with best friends – priceless.

Wande

The cruise was much different than I remembered from my last cruise at age 17 (in a very good way). Besides the company, what I will remember most is Greece. Athens reminded me of my hometown, Los Angeles. Santorini and Mykonos are the pictures of Utopia for vacation destinations, and if the Greek economy continues in its present state, I'll be able to return sooner rather than later!

Julie

I always know when I’ve had a great trip when I get home and immediately start thinking of the next. This was one of those trips. I couldn’t have asked for better travel companions, and the ports were full of wonder, awe and a sense of origin. I can’t pinpoint a “best” because all was spectacular. Of course, I thought the arm incident was the only mishap, but then it happened. About a week after getting home, while I was daydreaming at work about the trip I just had, and about future trips, I received The Email. It was from Terry, with only one word in the subject line: "Um..." When I opened the email, it contained a single photo he took that day while unpacking my things. Shoot! I knew I had more than 46¢ left of the hundred-dollar "secret money" I’d squirreled away for the slot machines.

Terry

There are so many memories from the trip, the best being traveling with this fun group of companions! One of the impressions left upon me from the diverse places we visited is the sacred ground. I stood on ground that has inspired and spiritually sustained human beings for centuries. Some of that ground is still in use today, such as the Vatican and the Blue Mosque. Most of the sacred ground, though, saw its adherents dwindle and then disappear centuries ago: The Pantheon and the Parthenon; the temples of Zeus, Apollo and Jupiter. Abandoned, lonely and now in ruins, I still sensed the importance and sacredness of all of these places and felt privileged to be there. This will be a trip that I will relive over and over in my mind until I sail into the proverbial sunset.