The next day we anchored off Cannes, France and were tendered to shore. We drove the coast and saw the venue for the film festival but no celebs walking the streets. We drove along until our driver, for 156.00 parked the bus under the castle at Monaco. We went up the escalators and elevators until we arrived in the country of Monaco. After a tour of the gardens and a beautiful view of the bay we toured the castle and then the church where the remains of Princess Grace and Prince Rainer are buried. We also got to witness the changing of the guards at the palace.

From there we continued along the coast until we came to Monte Carlo. We parked at the base of the hill and then walked part of the gran prix roadway until we came to the casino. Mary Lou could not go in without trying her luck so she invested 10euros in the slot machines. She came out a short time later with 21.5euros, more than doubling her original investment. Outside there were gaudy cars a plenty. A local real estate company rented red Porsche convertibles for anyone who wanted to drive the gran prix track. It was a 6 minute drive and cost 130.00 dollars and you could tell everyone you had done it. Didn't quite seem worth while with the road so crowded 10 or 15 mph was probably the best you could do. It was fun to watch though.

Us

Beth, Shawn,
Katie and Emily
Meghan and Blue

and Harley




Mom and Dad
Meghan and Blue







Becky and Mike
Mandy, Alex and
Jessica

What a great morning. I got up at 5:10 and was ready to challenge the world. I've been working on a new project this week and I believe I finally got it right. I knew there was a reason why mommy kept referring to these things as "ladderback" chairs. Obviously, it's because they were built with climbing in mind. I hope, Harley, George, Daisy and Pickles can come and play because there are lots of these ladders around.

I couldn't resist the picture from the farmhouse in Tuscany. It reminded us of "Under the Tuscan Sun." However, it's memory is dwarfed by the lingering taste of biscotti dipped in grappa!


What note would be complete without a door. Of the many we shot this remains our favorite. On another day it may have been replaced by a "bug on flower" picture that my daughters and I love to pass back and forth. It used to be dad's signature piece. Now it's a family tradition.

To all our dinner friends, here are the table pictures. I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed your company. You helped make a memorable occasion even more enjoyable. We hope you are all well and planning your next adventure.

One of the places we visited in Amsterdam was a Catholic church. I had to get a picture of the mother of the bride and her beautiful hat.

The picture format I am using is at the challenge of our daughters to get in to the 21st century. A click on any picture will enlarge it.

The party raged on well into the night as Uncle Jim was again a super star. However, Sunday's activities took on a crustier tone than Friday's. After a swim and a nice dinner we settled down to some tasteless present opening, some so edgy they even took Jim's breath away. It became a mixture of old and new as the storied, and much travelled, blow-up walker made its way to Jim. New to the scene was an "old fart" remote control car complete with sound effects. It made Ryan jealous because it was not his birthday. The highlight was when Jim opened his new, non-nagging, non-spending blow up wife. She will be a great companion for him when he cruises the beach in the red convertible.

It is really fun to clean the pool with daddy. There are so many exciting things to see and do. This morning I made a new friend . He kept backing up and making funny clicking noises with his silly looking paw. I sure hope he's there when I go back out. He's much more fun than those fronds!

Last night was a very big occasion. Little Jimmy was treated to an outing to a Florida Marlin's game to celebrate his 60th birthday. I wish we could have captured the joy on his face when we all arrived at his workplace unannounced. What a happy guy. And he was sooo cooperative. The evening started with a tailgate party complete with fried chicken and a great Marlins logo birthday cake. The Marlins played poorly but no one even noticed. There was great joy in the stands. Everyone that passed our seats wished Jim a happy birthday. In fact, two Marlin Mermaids stopped by to personally wish Jim a happy birthday and led a short songfest in his honor
The night's highlight came when Jim, Christopher and Ryan went to stretch during the sixth inning. The sight of a vendor made Jim thirsty so he decided he'd get himself and Chris a beer. What happened next is the stuff of dreams and legends. Jim went to the counter with his "I'm Jim, 60" tee shirt on and was carded! Obviously the Marlins are a benevolent employer of the visually impaired. Nonetheless, nothing we could have done, no Mermaid, could have made his day like this poor misguided child in the beer booth. Centuries from now this tale will still be sung.
Everyone had a great time. The party was a great success.