This past November, the Denver Jordans took a trip across the old pond to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. The trip from Denver took us through Frankfurt, Germany and eventually into Spain where we spent two days in Barcelona before taking a 12 night cruise through the Mediterranean. We learned about the decline of the U.S. dollar first hand when we exchanged them for Euros. We ate French fries (I know, they’re from Belgium), Italian pizza, German Chocolate, and amazing espresso.

The following will give you some brief highlights on each port of call:

Barcelona, Spain

The best Seafood Paella ever! We ate in the city’s Porto Olympico district which is host to the Casino and a large part of the Barcelona night life. Barcelona of course hosted the Olympics in 1992 and has a modern stadium as proof.

The people were extremely nice and we got our first hint of how popular the scooters are in Europe. My Spanish from Puerto Rico came in handy.

Nice/Monaco/Monte Carlo, France

Ah French Onion Soup and French Fries. The port of Ville Franche is in the south of France on the French Riviera. This was my first experience with culture shock in about two years. Tiny cars, a harsh language and a crash course in European public transportation.

We made it to Monaco and Monte Carlo (home of the Grand Casino…think James Bond) where we crashed a local carnival. If you like Churros, you’ll love them with Nutella. The bistros, shops, chocolate and cafes were well worth it!

Livorno/Pisa, Italy

We got to see “The Leaning Tower of Pisa” up close and personal. Amazing to say the least. Livorno is a very trendy Italian city. You’ll catch Dolce & Gabana and of course, Prada, on all of the high school kids. Pisa is very touristy and we met the African pan handlers for the first time. Where do these guys come from and how do they get so many knock offs?

Oh yeah, Peroni is a good Italian beer…and there is no problem drinking it in public.

Naples/Pompeii, Italy

Naples is a rather large city known for its organized crime syndicates (among other things). We skipped spending the entire day here to venture past the Almafi Coast to “The Lost City” of Pompeii. I sipped Limoncello and we walked through the ancient city preserved by the volcanic ashes of Mount Vesuvius.

Best Gelato I have ever tasted!

Venice, Italy

This was our favorite City/port of call. We spent two days in Venice and got lost among the tangled alleys and bridges. By the way, buying a map for this city is pointless.

The highlights were St. Mark’s Basilica, St. Mark’s Square and our Anniversary dinner at Osteria Oliva Nera. The owner’s of Osteria Oliva Nera were very gracious and shared the local Tuscan spirit and cuisine with us (for a price of course). They have actually added our picture to their website.

Hold out all judgment on Pizza until you eat a pie in Venice (or Croatia…but that’s later).
We purchased a nice oil painting from a local artist.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Okay I know I keep talking about food (I’m still working hard to drop the lbs from the trip) but Croatian pizza was as good as Venetian pizza and for a fraction of the cost…gotta love the Kuna.

Now this country was not what either of us expected. This is right up there with some of the most beautiful places I have ever been (#1 being the island of Culebra). There is a wall the guards the city that you can actually walk. The views from the Old Town are magnificent.

Santorini, Greece

Wow! Wow! Wow! No more else to say really. We visited the tiny Village of Oia way on top of a mountain and overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Taxi drivers were crazy and yes, a Greek Salad is still called a Greek Salad in Greece.

When it was all said and done, we knew exactly why there are so many films made here. We bought another oil painting.

Athens, Greece

This was a treat for me. Unfortunately, Felicia wasn’t feeling well but I got to climb up to Acropolis. Acropolis is home to some of the most famous ancient Greek ruins. This is a city with fragile and clearly visible history that clashes with the modern culture.

If you don’t eat meat, you’ll love the variety of “friendly” foods. One of the more densely populated cities I have visited.

Rome, Italy

Unfortunately, we flew out as soon as we got to Civitavecchia Italy. We saw almost nothing of Rome. I think this means we will have to come back for a visit. I won’t bore you with the details of why we didn’t stay, but it turns out (after hearing others’ stories) that it wasn’t such a bad move.

In the end, we had a great time. A cruise vacation seems to be the way to travel when you don’t want to worry about lugging bags and various expenses related to hopping from one country to the next. We would definitely cruise again… The one bad comment we had for Royal Caribbean was that there was no lobster … hey we’re tough critics!

If you would like to take a look at more pictures from our trip, Click Here! to login into our Snapfish album.

It would be fair to say that it is not much of a secret anymore that I enjoy writing. The web is one medium that allows me to practice my skills and share my thoughts on a regular basis. After a ‘close but no cigar’ attempt at securing a local sports writing position (not enough experience I was told), I have become determined to create a trail for myself on the World Wide Web. What I mean by this is that I have begun a quest to get published in any way possible.

Companies have an increased demand for content on their websites for a few reasons. (1) It allows for constant updates with minimal effort on their part. (2) Fresh content increases the probability of more readers/hits to the site which bodes well when negotiating with advertisers. (3) Useful and pertinent information holds site visitors’ attention longer.

Blogging networks have become a unique way for websites to outsource their needs through freelance writers that are willing to take on the task. Recently, I have agreed to the requirements for a blog in the Denver City section of HotelsByCity.com. I will join a community of bloggers with the goal of being the most active and content rich writer. The more I can prove my ability to drive traffic, the more beneficial this arrangement will become. Most importantly, this is an opportunity to gain the experience and credibility I will need going forward if I continue to pursue freelance opportunities.

I hope that you will take the time to read my posts on occasion and spread the word. Your support is appreciated!

FIRST HBC.COM POST:

The Colorado Rockies organization will celebrate its fifteenth birthday next Monday, April 2nd when they play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Opening Day.

The first home game of the season has become a holiday of sorts for hardcore and casual baseball fans alike. The excitement is partially due to the fact that Denver plays hosts to one of the most scenic ballparks in all of major league baseball. With clear views of snow capped mountains through the wide open concourse in left field, Coors Field leaves a lasting impression on its visitors.[Continue...]