The First Year

My first year of retirement was quite busy, with many babysitting gigs, travel and, of course, my beloved cruises!  One of the main reasons I retired when I did was to be available to babysit  when the grandkids were sick, so their parents wouldn't have to take any time off from work, and also, if the parents had appointments, I would be able to pitch in and help out in those situations.  Needless to say, my calendar was full!
As luck would have it (no pun intended), in March of 2009, we had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for a few days with some family and friends.  We took in the sights and had a great time!!

After Vegas, it was back home to get ready for the cruise of a lifetime....a 10 day cruise in the Mediterranean to the Greek Islands, preceded by four glorious days in Rome!!  We left for Rome in mid April to meet up with our dear friends from England, Joyce & Tony, for the start our vacation.  We stayed at a lovely hotel, right on the main road, which was convenient for getting into Ancient Rome and all the sightseeing we were about to do!!  We dined at lovely restaurants while in Rome and did all the sightseeing we could cram into four days.  The highlight for me was our visit to the Vatican, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.  
The one island I always wanted to see in Greece was Santorini and it lived up to my expectations...it was absolutely gorgeous!  In addition to Santorini, we went to Athens, Croatia, Turkey and Messina, Sicily. 

Our hotel

Palatine Hill, with Joyce & Tony and Richard & I

On the tender to Santorini

 We got back home at the end of April and began plans for a road trip to visit family in upstate New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. 

Richard, Steve, Heidi, Kyle and me

First stop was Gloversville, NY to visit our oldest son Steve, wife Heidi and grandson Kyle. We decided to bring Kyle with us for the rest of the road trip and then back to Florida for a little vacation.

From Gloversville, the three of us headed to Philadelphia to visit our nephew Andy and his wife Debbie.  We had some wonderful Philly food, including cheese steaks from Gino's.  While in Philly, we drove in to New York city to visit Ground Zero, which was an unforgettable experience.  While in New York, we did a lot of walking and sampling of "street foods" along the way...from Times Square, to Wall Street to Battery Park and a ride of a double-decker sightseeing bus, we had a great time!

Kyle and me @ Battery Park, Statue of Liberty in background

We also spent a few days at the shore in West Wildwood....beach and boardwalk..nothing better!!

After a wonderful visit, we set off on our final leg of our road trip, to Chicago, to visit our son Hal and my brother and his wife.  We actually picked a good time for Chicago, as they were having their annual Taste of Chicago event, which we had never been to.

Hal, me, Kyle and Richard in front of Buckingham Fountain

Chicago is all about the food!  I couldn't get enough of it....pizza, Italian beefs, hot dogs, Swedish Flop, and delicious breakfasts in some wonderful Greek restaurants!!  

Having one of many tastes at the Taste of Chicago

After several fun filled days, it was with a heavy heart that I had to say good-bye to Hal.