Messina and Mt. Etna

Our first stop on the cruise was Messina, Sicily.


View from the port

From Messina we took an excursion to Mt. Etna. The further we went, the cloudier it became. However, it cleared up again as we got even further up the volcano. Our time there was pretty short, but we did get a chance to see and explore some old vents and lava flows and watch the clouds come up the side of the volcano.






If you look closely, Doc is in the center of the crater!

Rome, Part 1

Doc and I just got back from a week trip to the Mediterranean. We flew to Rome and spent a day site seeing there before boarding a cruise that would take us to Sicily, Athens, Kusadasi (Turkey), Crete, and then back to Rome. We had a great time site seeing, and I thoroughly enjoyed our two days at sea--just relaxing, sunbathing, and reading.

We had a full day of site seeing in Rome before we left for our cruise. Here are some of our favorite photos from the day.


The Colloseum


At the Roman Forum


The Roman Forum


Palatine Hill


The Pantheon


The dome of the Pantheon


Piazza Navona


Trevi Fountain


Spanish Steps


The Colloseum at night


The Colloseum at night

The Rhine in CH

We have had quite a bit of rain on the weekends this summer, but this last weekend was quite warm and sunny. We decided to take a short boat ride on the Rhine in northern Switzerland. We began in the town of Schaffhausen and two hours later ended in a town called Stein am Rhein.


Schaffhausen


On the boat looking back at Schaffhausen


A small bridge we passed under on our journey


The boat continuing to the Bodensee


Stein am Rhein


Taking the plunge from the bridge above into the Rhine!

Alpine Wildflowers

While on our hike last Sunday from Fronalpstock to Klingenstock, we walked by some beautiful wildflowers. Here are some of our favorite photos.

Fronalpstock and Klingenstock

Last Sunday, Doc and I took advantage of one of the Railaway deals for July and went to Stoos in central Switzerland. The nice thing about this Railaway special was that it included a day hiking pass so we were able to use the ski lifts throughout the area. We started out by taking a ski lift from Stoos to the top of the Fronalpstock. This peak overlooks the Vierwaldstättersee (a.k.a. Lake Luzern) and also has a small view of the Zugersee.


View toward the Klingenstock from the ski lift ride up the mountain


View of the Vierwaldstättersee (looking toward Luzern)


View of the Vierwaldstättersee (looking toward the Alps)


Cows and hikers on the Fronalpstock

Doc and I decided to hike along the ridge of the mountains from the Fronalpstock to Klingenstock. The views along the trail were incredible and so were all the wild flowers (which, I'll post in another entry). Unfortunately, I forgot my walking sticks, which made me super slow on the downhill stretches. Lesson learned ... next time I will remember the walking sticks!


Hiking the mountain ridge


Coming onto a field with wild flowers


Looking further along the trail


Looking back toward the Fronalpstock


No way but up


Making my way up the ridge

Fort William and the End of Our Vacation

When we arrived in Fort William, we visited Neptune's Staircase, eight locks connecting Loch Lochy and the Caledonian Canal (which began near Inverness). Walking along the canal, there is a beautiful view of Ben Nevis.


Neptune's Staircase


The other end of the Caledonian Canal


Caledonian Canal and Ben Nevis


Caledonian Canal and Ben Nevis


Highland cattle

From Fort William we returned to Edinburgh for a few days and then came back home. On our last long train ride from Fort William to Edinburgh, the countryside was quite beautiful.

Jacobite Steam Train

From Mallaig we took a steam train to Fort William. The journey on the steam train took about two hours, during which time we enjoyed the views of the countryside.


The Jacobite


On our journey






Glenfinnan Viaduct (featured in the Harry Potter movies)


Approaching Fort William. Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Great Britain, is in the distance.