[The Travel Slut]

I just returned from 18 days in Europe early this morning which included;
a flight from the USA to Venice, 3 days in Venice at the Rialto Hotel,
12 nights on the one-year-old Emerald Princess cruiseship with ports in:
Dubrovnik, Croatia (been there, done that so I went up the Neretva River Delta inside Bosnia-Herzegovina);
Katakolon (Olympia & timely for the Olympics) Greece;
Corfu (awesome location for beaches);
Rhodes (great old, medieval town);
Piraeus/Athens (so much history & antiquities);
Mykonos, Greece (can you say--"party central" in Greece--wow!)
Santorini, Greece (do the panoramic views or Greek wine get any better?)
Kudadasi & Ephesus, Turkey (the surprise highlight of the trip)
Naples, Italy (Pompeii and Capri--what more needs to be said)
Rome for 3 days with all it has to offer in food, wine, and 2,750 years of history)!
Vatican City (almost should be one of the wonders of the world)

With the pre and post cruise package I arranged (using USD at 2007 prices) my expenditures and exchanges into Euros ($1.55 to 1 USD) were minimal and I saw a great cross-section of southern Europe and the Mediterranean.

I can't think of any better way to see that area of the world for a 1st timer or multi-tripper like myself).

Ann, TS