Pre-trip We were overwhelmed with excitement when my husband and I were invited to go on this trip. Our first thoughts were about what costumes we would wear and what ball we would attend. After researching the available balls, we selected Ball at the Ridotto Halls, which originally was a part of Dandolo Palazzo and … Continue reading VENICE CARNIVAL AND CORTINA D’AMPEZZO →

A start date for this trip was just two days after beginning of the Passover. We carefully planned to spend a First Seder with the grandkids. Our plan did not work. The whole Philly family got sick with COVID and we couldn’t see them. After spending a Seder with Alex’s brother and a little disappointed … Continue reading Northern Italy →

My exploration of Latin America continues. Mexico City is only three hours flight away from Miami. We took off for an adventure with a great group of friends. Mexico City is both the oldest (founded in 1325) and the highest (7,350 feet) metropolis on the North American continent. With an estimated 22 million inhabitants it's … Continue reading Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende →

Our friend George invited us to join him for a short getaway to Panama. It did not take us a long time to agree. Miami to Panama City flight was only 2.5 hours. After settling in Waldorf Astoria Hotel we met with our friends from Philadelphia, Vika and Yasha, who live in Panama for the … Continue reading Panama weekend getaway →

This trip was supposed to happen a year ago. I planned to go just with my husband. A delay brought to us a wonderful company of friends, Stella and Gregory and Anna and Gregory. After completing a myriad of forms and tests we started a long journey to Catania, Sicily airport. There we rented a … Continue reading Beautiful Islands of Sicily and Malta →

I was both exited and anxious about our long planned trip to Croatia. With a proper paperwork and testing(PCR test) we did not encounter any difficulties or delays getting there. Our trip was planned in 2019 to spend time cruising with our good friends from St. Petersburg. Russia. Our first stop was Cavtat, a small … Continue reading Croatia at the time of Covid →

As soon as my husband heard that our friends are visiting the Hilton Head Island in South Carolina he suggested that we should go to see them. After 7.5 hours we arrived. Although Hilton Head Island is only 12 miles by 5 miles wide, it offers over 300 restaurants, 24 golf courses, more than 200 … Continue reading Short getaway to South →

After a short three weeks stay in Florida and hosting my beautiful granddaughters we hit a road again. A direct Jet Blue flight from Ft. Lauderdale took us to Portland, Oregon. We rented an Avis car and headed to our Portland hotel Kimpton River Palace (2 nights) located on the riverfront. Recently Portland received a … Continue reading Oregon →

This trip was 2 years in the making. We cancelled, rebooked flights and hotels a dozen of times due to Covid and Islands closures. Finally, on May 20 we were ready to fly. The beginning was not a smooth one. Our ride to the airport did not show up but thanks to out wonderful neighbours … Continue reading French Polynesia →

I have heard about the beautiful national parks in the state of Utah since my kids visited them on the Teen Tours a very long time ago. An opportunity to explore the United States presented itself with a foreign travel of the limits and we grabbed it. April and early May are the best time … Continue reading UTAH NATIONAL PARKS →

Aspen is synonymous with great skiing, celebrities, awesome apres ski and the annual Winter X Games. People come to Aspen to ski hard and party hardier. It is indeed one of the most famous ski resorts, for its four ski mountains, its classic Colorado ski town, abundant bars, upscale ski hotels, gorgeous Aspen trees and … Continue reading Skiing in the sun →

Needless to say, we were the only people with skis in the Miami International Airport. We were heading to Eagle, Colorado to ski at Beaver Creek Resort with two of my daughters. Beaver Creek Resort is situated in the town of Avon, Colorado, has a rich history all its own. Until it was acquired as … Continue reading From sand to snow →

We pretty much settled into our Florida routine: walking, swimming, water aerobics, home cooked dinners and getting together with friends outside. But we can not stay in one place for too long. As soon as I found out that the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida will be hosting Van Gogh Alive exhibition I immediately … Continue reading Christmas getaway to Southwest Florida →

After a short stay in Philadelphia we continued our exploration of the USA. This time we flew to Bangor, Maine, rented a car and started moving south. Our first stop was Bar Harbor. It is a lovely city with a beautiful harbor. Our hotel Bar Harbor Inn had gorgeous grounds right at the edge of … Continue reading Maine and Cape Cod →

After five months of staying home and with most of the international destinations out of reach we decided to explore the United States. Our first destination was Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. A flight from Philadelphia to Rapid City with a stopover in Chicago was surprisingly full. Wearing masks and shields … Continue reading America’s West at the time of pandemic →