The next five months promise to be an exciting time for my family and me. In exactly nine days, I’m headed to Venice for ten glorious days and meeting up with my blogging pal Anne.
Photo of St. Mark's Square from my October 2006 trip
On October 20 I meet up with my husband in Seville and spend eight days in Andalucía, mainly in Seville and Cadiz. On our last day in Spain, we are taking a ferry from Algeciras to Tangier (yes, Morocco!). We will be spending the next nine days exploring a few cities in this exotic country.
The Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca
Our return flight is to Atlanta where we will join my family in throwing a big birthday celebration to my ever-so-young oldest brother.
Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta
A week after I arrive in Phoenix, I’m taking a road trip to California with my daughter to celebrate her 27th birthday. She wants to go to the wine country and I’m not going to say no to her plan.
Welcome sign in Napa Valley
On December 2nd my husband and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Then come the holidays and a trip to Atlanta on January 4 for my Dad’s annual Memorial Mass. Sicily is our destination at the end of January for a very Sicilian birthday party for one of my cousins.
A panoramic view of Palermo from Monreale
On February 22nd my son, Pablo, is getting married to his darling fiancée, Ann. We’re expecting many out-of-town relatives descending into Phoenix for this joyous occasion and extending their stay to enjoy our wonderful winter weather. We have to plan activities (golf, trips to Tucson, Sonora (Mexico), Sedona etc) for the five days that they are planning on being here. A big birthday party for six family members, including yours truly, whose birthdays fall in February will be held at my house the day after the wedding.
My hometown, Chandler, Arizona
So if you come here and it is so quiet that you see a tumbleweed blowing across the blog, it's because I'm either busy planning a trip, helping with the planning of the wedding or slow traveling.
Next up: details on my trip to Venice.
(all photos, except the first one, came from Wikimedia Commons)
Comments (8)
Wow! It's all exciting but that's a lot of stuff going on in a very short period of time. I think you need to go ahead and schedule a few trips to a Day Spa in between each event!
Posted by Annie | October 1, 2008 1:38 PM
Posted on October 1, 2008 13:38
"a tumbleweed blowing across the blog..."
Love it! That is SO gorgeous!
Posted by Leslie | October 1, 2008 2:31 PM
Posted on October 1, 2008 14:31
Wow -- you have a very exciting time ahead, Maria.
Your immediate travel plans sound fantastic -- Venice, Cadiz, Seville and Morocco in the same trip. So exciting!
Posted by sandrac | October 1, 2008 8:03 PM
Posted on October 1, 2008 20:03
Hi Maria, what an awesome five months you have ahead of yourself. Sounds fabulous! I'm looking forward to hearing all about these wonderful and special moments to come . . .
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | October 1, 2008 8:13 PM
Posted on October 1, 2008 20:13
Wowsers, what a busy time coming up for you! I'm secretly glad to be getting you in the beginning before you are too pooped! (Can't have you falling asleep after one measly glass of prosecco, now can we?!)
Did you see that National Geographic Traveler features Spain and Morocco on the cover this month? I just got my copy in the mail, and my mom can't wait to get it from me (she was in Spain, with a daytrip to Morocco, last spring and loved it.)
Posted by Anne | October 1, 2008 10:36 PM
Posted on October 1, 2008 22:36
I had no idea you were planning to go to Morocco! How exciting! And a second trip to Italy to return to Sicily. How exciting!! Sounds like you are going to be very busy and racking up lots of frequent flier miles in the next few months.
Posted by girasoli | October 5, 2008 3:27 AM
Posted on October 5, 2008 03:27
Congratulations on the future trips and events! How exciting! I have been to Chandler many times, as a dear friend's family moved there. It is not that "tumbleweedy" anymore... :) It is becoming a "big" city...
Posted by Eden | October 5, 2008 3:12 PM
Posted on October 5, 2008 15:12
But wait, you'll be blogging during your travels, no?
Posted by Kim | October 6, 2008 7:29 AM
Posted on October 6, 2008 07:29