My sweet brother, Nathan, was in town this weekend for a CSU college visit. He is a senior this year and will be attending CSU next fall. I can barely contain my excitement! We have lived in different cities for almost 10 years now and I am really looking forward to having him close by again. I love him more than words can explain!
While on my trip to the Mediterranean, the ranch received 18 inches of snow with waist-deep drifts. Ryan snapped this photo after a failed attempt to get up our driveway.
Nice and Monaco were beautiful. It was a rather chilly, foggy day. Our taxi driver, Patrick, said that on clear day you can see the snow capped mountains just north of Nice. In Monaco, we visited the palace and the famous Monte Carlo Casino. This was truly the lifestyles of the rich and famous. We saw Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Bentley, and more.
Our taxi was a Mercedes, of course!
We saw the sites of Rome & the Vatican. 
We stopped by the leaning tower of Pisa and enjoyed gelato in Florence. Florence is one of my favorite places in the world. It was fun to take a break from the sites to enjoy the city, the food, and do some Christmas shopping. 
We drove the amazing Amalfi Coast - a dream of mine. It was spectacular! We stopped in Amalfi, Positano, & enjoyed pizza in Sorrento.
Our taxi driver Mario was awesome. He really added to the experience! He stopped at all of the great overlooks, gave us great local & historical info, and would burst into Italian melody at random. He even gave us a couple bottles of his friend's home brewed wine.
My mom's close friend Millie came with us on the trip. I had such a great time getting to know her more.
We were able to visit the excavated ruins of Pompeii, which was preserved in ash after the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. It was quite spectacular to see! It made me realize that (with the exception of technology) nothing much has changed in 2,000 years. They had theaters, running water, beautiful homes. . . and "beware of the dog" signs.
The most sobering part of our visit was the plaster casts of those who were buried in the ash. 
Here is a pic of the main square of Pompeii with Mt. Vesuvius in the backdrop. Vesuvius has erupted many times since 79 AD the latest being in 1944. Today it is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, mainly due to the 3 million people that live in close proximity. Note to self - don't move to Naples!
Our first stop on the cruise was the island nation of Malta. It was beautiful! We visited several churches including the Mosta Dome - the 3rd largest freestanding dome church in the world. My favorite part about Malta was the many colorful, unique doors throughout the island.
The city buses were awesome! Bright & old school.
I just returned from an amazing trip!!! For my birthday, my parents took me on a Mediterranean cruise. It was spectacular! We started off in Barcelona. . . the architecture there is nothing sort of fantastic. We visited the church La Sagrada Familia, the unfinished work of Mondernisme icon Antoni Gaudi. The church was started in 1882 and construction continues to this day. They are hoping to complete the church in 2026, the 100th anniversary of Gaudi's tragic death. He was hit by a trolley.
We also visited another of Gaudi's works - the Casa Batllo - located on the prestigious Passeig de Gracia. The building has been said to symbolize the legend of St. George killing the dragon.
Right next door was another spectacular building the name of which escaped my glance. I couldn't get enough of the whimsical feeling and bright colors of the architecture there.
We also visited Barcelona's famous outdoor market. It was beautiful. Well, I should say the fruit, nuts, & chocolate areas were beautiful. The meat & fish section made my stomach turn - mainly due to the smell & skinless animals with eyes still intact.
