Just home from 3 months in Europe/Egypt. My thoughts.....

Hi Guys
You all were so helpful with helping us plan our trip that I want to
let you know how it all went. 3 months in the south of France
(Perigord, Provence, Cote D'Azur) then through Italy (Venice, Tuscany
and all it's towns, Rome, Amalfi Coast) and then Greece (islands of
Paros, Santorini, Mykonos, Delos and Hydra, Athens, Delphi etc), then
back to Rome for a few days and then off to Egypt for 2 weeks and then
back to Rome and then a train to Paris to wind things down. I kept a
journal everyday and today I put together these few lists. Thought some
of you might like to read them. Sorry if they're a tad. a LOT, long but
after 3 mostly glorious months on the road you have a bit to say. By
the way my wife's name is Line (pronounced Lynn). Enjoy.......

Top 10 best momuents;
10. Abu El-Haggag mosque (the one that is built right into Luxor
Temple, Egypt. We had a private tour and felt real priveleged. Everyone
in there gave us huge smiles)
9. Medeival town of Sarlat (in the Perigord region of France. Absol
amazing!)
8. Garnier Opera House (Paris. Total and complete opulence. Someday I
will return and see an opera there. It looks like one of life's 'musts"
And the Chagall ceiling? Stunning!!!))
7. Philae Temple (Luxor, Egypt. This was underwater for 70 years and
was taken apart and completely moved. The temple of Isis. Fantastic)
6. Valley of the Kings / Temple of Hatshepsut (this one's a tie. Both
in Aswan, Egypt. The tombs in the valley of the Kings are still sooooo
alive with color. They will take your breath away. And Hatshepsut for
it's size and long ramps and the incredible stories on the walls.)
5. Karnak temple (Aswan. It just seems to go on and on. The Apostle
Hall with it's columns are one of the grandest things I have ever seen.
You feel so small. The obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut is unforgettable.
This temple takes at least a full day. And yes, Ramses 2 is well
represented! And if you can make a point of seeing the Sound and Light
show. It could have been tacky but it is anything but. It will move you
I promise)
4. Piazza San Marco/Basilica San Marco ( Venice, Italy. The Piazza,
which is knee deep in water early in the morning dries out and becomes
one of this planet's great meeting places. Or places to people watch.
Or places to just hang out. Wonderful!. And on this trip we have seen a
hundred churches and this one is by FAR the best. St Peters in Rome
beats it for size but San Marco has more soul than all the others put
together. And if you go pay to go up to the balcony cause the view of
the Piazza is something you will never forget. And plus you get to see
the original 4 horses in the museum. Those who have been there know
what I mean. Ahhhh Venice!)
3. Michelangelo's DAVID (We waited 2 1/2 hours in the hot Florence sun
to get in and it would be worth twice that. Art fan or not sometime in
your life try and make it to Florence to see him. Now I like the ladies
but I am willing to admit that he is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. The calm and
yet still "on guard" look on his face is perfect. HE is perfect. How
many pieces of art will make people gasp? He does.
2. and 1. Sistine Chapel / Vatican & Abu Simbel (there is no way I
could pick one of these. No words I could write could describe these 2
works of absol genuis. In history there have been geniuses far beyone
anything we can comprehend and it is an honor to be in their presence.
I still get goosebumps when I think of them. I am wondering what else
in life I can see that will match these 2. It'll be
hard.........................

Also special mentions for Delos, the Greek island that is the
"birthplace of Apollo" and it's amazing ruins. The Chateau Puymartin in
France where we had the best guide EVER who loved this castle with all
his heart and it showed. And of course the museums; Chagall and Matisse
in Nice, France; Archeological museum in Athens, The Vatican Museum,
the Cairo museum (which we went BACK to cause we did not get enough of
it the first day), The Louvre, etc etc etc. All of them were
unforgettable. And the King Tut exhibit? HOLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Top 5 places I'd live:
5. Positano (on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Built on a hillside with
amazing views and nice beaches with blue, blue water. And great
cappucinos!)
4. Mykonos/Hydra (2 Greek Islands. Mykonos for it's little streets,
real nice people, and AMAZING beaches. Super Paradise beach is one of
the best I have ever seen. Silky sand and the water is the blue/green
of a beautiful girl's eyes. I am tellin you, it really is Super
Paradise.
And Hydra for the fact that there are no cars allowed. It is calm and
peaceful and plus, I would love to own my own donkey! :-)
3. Avignon ( In Provence, France. It is a medeival, walled city and
oozes hipness, and life, and people who like a good time. I can see
myself sitting in cafes in those tiny streets all day all hopped up on
espressos :-)
2. A Tuscan hillside (Italy. This is the very definition of peace. We
had a B&B for a week on the top of a hill near the beautiful old town
of San Dalmazio. We ate and drank and walked and fell in love with
Tuscany. We woke up every morning to the smell of flowers, fresh air
and rosemary. We'll go back one day for sure.)
1. PARIS!!!!!!! (this one is SO easy. We have seen lots of cities this
trip and none even come close to the magic of Paris. You can walk and
walk and everywhere you go there is something
spectacular. I feel like a part of me has always been a Parisian. I
dream of throwing everything away and getting a loft in Le Marais. Or
Montmarte. If you see one place in your lifetime, please let it be
Paris. And don't let people tell you that the Parisians are pricks. 95%
of everyone we met were wondeful. We were there the last week of
November and even had the luck of a snowy day. Paris in the snow,
perfect. May you all visit the Louvre and then walk out of it's doors
and down through the Jardins de Tuilierie, past Place de la Concorde,
with the obelisk taken from Luxor Temple in Egypt, then up the Champs
Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Is there a better walk on this planet?
If there is I would like to know about it.
Paris is magic!!!!!

The one place I would never EVER live:
CAIRO. Offer me a multi million dollar penthouse there and I would turn
it down without even thinking about it. It is frighteningly poor and
dirty and by that I mean piles of rotting garbage. I don't know what I
was expecting there but it sure as hell was not THAT. It was a big
shock. And the icing on the cake was on the last day I was sitting on
the balcony of our "5 star" hotel that was an absolute dump and a van
stopped on the busy street right in front of me. The driver gets out,
pulls up his jalaba and takes a dump right there on the side of the
road. Picks up some of that rotting garbage and wipes himself and gets
back in the van and drives off. I try and draw the line of not living
in cities where people *** in the streets :-) And the driving? Oh My
God!!!!! There are no rules other than you go wherever you want and you
honk all the way. I thought Rome was crazy but Cairo makes it look like
a Sunday drive through the country. It is incredible that on this same
planet there is the calm of Tuscany and the mayhem and noise and filth
of Cairo. When you travel you see it all. Boy do you see it all :-)

Top 10 best moments;
10. Writing in my journal in the shadow of Abu Simbel (I even rubbed
some of it's dirt into the pages. Pretty cool.............)
9. When we were on the train from Luxor to Cairo, in our sleeping car,
reaching my hand down from the top bunk to hold hands with my wife.
Sounds corny but I was just so happy she was there with me.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww :-)
8. Swimming in the crystal clear water on Mykonos. (Sometimes
backpacking can be exhausting and these days are soooooo good for the
soul. Same goes for Positano)
7. Booting around the Greek Islands on rented scooters and 4-wheelers.
No helmets, the wind in our hair.
Is there a better way to see an island? I don't think so.
6. Snow in Paris. (as if it isn't already beautiful enough.........)
5. Camel rides through the desert of Aswan , up past an abandoned
monastery in the middle of nowhere, to the other ride through the
little villages of Luxor. It was worth it just to see the huge grin on
my wife's face. She was in her glory. I was too. We came home from
Egypt with, no fewer than 10 camel statues. :-)
4. Both my wife and I standing on the balcony of our Cairo hotel the
first morning at 4:45 am listening to the mosque right next door and
it's haunting music calling the people to prayer.
Man you realize you are a long way from home. This kind of stuff never
ever leaves you.
3. Heading towards the Vatican after dark the first night in Rome and
getting lost. Up ahead I see these huge columns and I wonder what they
could be. We walk through them and we are standing smack dab in St
Peter's Square. We both stood there speechless. (this feeling happens
so much when you travel. You come over the hill and there right in
front of you is Abu Simbel. You come through a narrow opening and you
are in the courtyard in Sienna, (Italy. the place where they have that
horse race). You are actually standing at the famous hairpin and in the
tunnel of the Monaco Grand prix. You attend Sunday mass at the Vatican
and the Pope enters the Piazza. I could go on and
on.....................)
2. On the train to Salerno, Italy when my wife and I each took a
headphone and listened to From a Distance, our wedding song. I know, I
know, soppy but such a beautiful moment. Again, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
:-)
1. With my heart pounding as if it would explode, standing in the
Sistine Chapel with the hand of God and Adam right above me. It is the
most beautiful indoor spot in the whole world ( I took a picture of my
feet to remember that I actually stood there and just missed getting
caught by a guard who gave me the evil eye :-)

Some things I learned dring the trip;
I will never be able to go to India
I'm glad Ramses 2 was a megalomaniac
Line has a "thing" about camels :-)
"All Bran" bars work miracles..... :-)
I hated the heights of the Pisa Tower but I loved the hot air balloon
over the Valley of the Kings
Line cries when she talks about the poverty in Egypt
But on the other hand she will even resort to pushing a nun out of the
way to get to the Vatican museum faster ( I was there! :-)
When I snap the F word is my favorite
3 months for me is a bit too long. For my wife it is just a beginning
Line likes taking pictures..............
The new Pope has a nice smile
I can drive a car, a manual car, through Florence
Michelangelo is in a class by himself
When I have to push and shove I can keep up with the best of them (sad
but true)
Line makes other people smile
The bus ride along the Amalfi Coast is one ***-scary ride
We both HATE squid
We both love the sound of the mosques as they call the Muslims to
prayer
Never again to stay at the Siag Pyramids hotel
Every country has amazing beer
In Egypt we are walking dollar signs to them.
I can literally sob when I meet someone extraordinary
Line has a special face that she makes when she writes postcards :-)
The Athens airport has AMAZING food.
The Stazione Termini (in Rome) and surrounding streets is a travellers
paradise.
Holding Line's hand calms me like nothing else
I like sleeping cars on trains
I was born to live in Paris
French computer keyboards do not have the letters in the same place.
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Line loves Chagall
To put up with me Line deserves a medal. Or sainthood :-)
I can go 3 months without tv (who would've thought????) but 3 months
without a guitar was a killer
The Cairo museum needs a coat of pain, new lighting and a good dusting
( it does not do justice to the monuments it contains. They deserve
better)
Gate 5 is in between gates 4 and 6 (inside joke :-)
The scariest place on this earth is the Luxor train station at 5 am.
Line is the best traveller in the whole world
There is no place like home.

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