Chicken leg skiing

Yesterday I finally got enough razzing to get in the cold lake...65degrees with outside temperature of 63 degrees, to go waterskiing. The lake was like glass, as we were the only boat on it, and Mick had just finished a superb run. I was dreading getting cold and wet, but when I heard a boat start up across the lake, I finally got in. Was it worth it.......you BET!!!!! It was perfect and with the wetsuit it wasn't too cold. Mick gives me a bad time about how I start on one ski, he calls it the chicken leg and he had us all laughing in the boat when he started skiing his last run imitating me.

This ones for you Steve......have a good laugh.

Summer Vacation - Day 9 (Split, Croatia)

Beautiful sunset from the cruise ship. It was the end of a perfect day as we departed Venice on our way down the Dalmatian coast.

Jamie had to pose with this picture of "So you Think You Can Dance" contestants.

As most of you know there are photographers all over the ship taking pictures of you. Graig just couldn't resist this shot at dinner one night. Then the whole table got into it. I don't think the photographers thought it was funny.

We awoke the next morning to find ourselves in Split, Croatia, the picturesque ancient Roman resort of Diocletian. It was a beautiful, clear morning leading to an afternoon with temperatures in the mid-90s. That was great because the girls wanted a summer climate for this vacation.

The following are some sights in Split, Croatia.

The port of Split, Croatia.

In an alley at Diocletian's palace.

The remains of Diocletian's palace.

This is the beach we walked to after walking around the town of Split. It is hard to see, but in the water they had soccer goals set up and several older gentlemen were playing water soccer. It was fun to watch, what at first we thought was a friendly game of water soccer, but when the first team scored their goal, we very quickly realized that they took it very seriously....in their speedos I might add........older men....some really old in stretched out speedos.

The water was very salty and it stung our skin.

Split Croatia where we swam in the Adriatic Sea.

Summer Vacation - Day 7 and 8 (Venice)

Friday we spent the day introducing Graig and Nicole to Venice...and gelato. We fought the crowds at the plaza of San Marcos (it was jammed!) to see the Doge's Palace and the cathedral of St. Mark. It appears they are doing quite a bit of renovations to the cathedral and the plaza because there was a lot of scaffolding which was covered with cosmetic and designer clothing advertisements. Accordingly, the plaza and cathedral were not as picturesque as usual but I am sure the advertising was working for somebody. The local residents must have heard what I was thinking because as I rounded a corner one of their flying ambassadors dropped a messy greeting card on my shoulder. It was a special treat but given the number of pigeons in the city it is probably more of a surprise that it did not happen to me earlier!
We spent the rest of the day wandering the streets but also took a boat to the island of Murano. Murano is known for its glassblowing and there are shops aplenty hawking their art. We watched a glassblowing demonstration and then walked the canal, peeking into the shops, before returning to Venice. It is amazing to me what the Venetian people accomplished in the 15th and 16th centuries. By dominating/controlling trade in southern Europe and the Mediterranean they were able to accumulate extraordinary wealth and build an amazing city with natural defenses. As we continue our cruise we will see their influence and the remains of their conquests.
Yesterday, we visited the Frari church where there are several spectacular works of art by Titian (e.g., The Asunscion). From the outside it is a rather plain looking 15th century chapel, but the inside is a unique treasure. It also contains the only remaining 15th century choir section which is ornately hand carved and a sight to see.
We then boarded the ship (Splendour of the Seas) and some in our group were overjoyed to have American food and drink. I was happy to be able to turn tour director duties over to Joni. She has all of the shipboard events scoped out and we are signed up for all of the games, drawings and contests.