Holiday - 2022

An early departure from Barcelona has us landing in Rome around 9:00. Our driver met us at Terminal 1 and did not want to go to Terminal 3. We were going to swap some kids for Matt and Suz who were patiently waiting. The entire trip from the airport Annie tried to track down the other driver. Each time she dialed it rang OUR drivers phone. Pretty sure he thought we were idiots! 2nd driver located, rest of group patiently waited and then everyone arrived at Air B&B. We are in a lovely neighborhood, 4 minute walk from the Colosseum.  We tried to get into Basilica of San Clemente but it was closed. Instead we visited the Mamartine Prison and Vittorio Emmanuel memorial. Half the group went to the Trevi Fountain and in search of gelato before our Colosseum tour. Snafu with the tour, too annoying to write about! In the end it all worked out and we had an excellent tour. The adults got to see the underground area and a detailed tour. The kids did a self guided tour. Definitely the rig...

Matt and Suz are wrapping up a weekend in the Big Apple. Steve enjoyed a wedding in NY. Patrick is enjoying a day in Dublin. Emma will be coming from Chicago.  We should all converge on Rome within an hour or 2 of each other!

We arrived in Barcelona and picked up our 9 passenger van. Chris is in heaven, it’s a Mercedes Diesel!  Quick trip into old town. Passed a very cool cemetery built into a hill. Of course we were not clear that’s what it was until Peyton exclaimed “Hey, those are body holes!” We saw some similar “body holes” (also known as crypts😂) in Ecuador last year. Checked into our hotel and headed out to the Boqueria Market. It’s a city Food Marketplace that’s been around forever. Our group had ceviche, iberico ham, manchego cheese, olives, passion fruit smoothie, espresso and Grace had a ginormous burrito! We also got Sangria to-go as we headed to La Sagrada Familia. Have to love a country that does wine to-go! Sagrada Familia was as bizarre as advertised. They say Gaudi was a genius. We are more inclined to say he was a nut job! The pictures can’t do it justice, it is super weird and…ugly!  Everyone was running on empty by now so we opted for an early (7:30!) dinner. Found a cute plaza...

Derzak's and Samson's were to meet Neal at the Cracker Barrel in Bel Air to jockey passengers for the trek to Newark. Instead it turned out to be the Shell Station.  Everyone got some snacks.  Tina, Abby, and Peyton transferred from the Derzak Van to the Adkins Van. Derzak's to pickup the Simollardes in Hamilton. Off we go up 95 to Newark Liberty International Airport. But instead of the Simollardes getting a ride with the Derzaks', they got on the train from Hamilton to Newark. Eileen and Simo arrived first and were turned away at security, told that they had to check in at the TAP (TAP Portugal Airlines) counter first.  This was a Covid check.  Hmm. They obliged;  Waited inline at TAP Counter then again in security. Neal and Tina parked in the hourly lot and headed into the airport with the four girls; Grace, Anna, Peyton, and Abby. The girls waited in line at the counter for Covid verification, as the Derzaks parked at long term parking and shuttled to arriva...