Can you resemble the retention of your animation at the age of ten? It is the age before our hormonal exercise and consideration of expectations of the elite. At the age of ten, I was frank, companionate, likable and validatory. Now I judge how we transmute into our effective selves when we are early.

Just endure a instant to go backward to your age of ten: What was top in your thoughts and what hobbies did you screw?

I’ll righteous avow you a undersize story of myself when I was ten eld of age. There was a human of mine, let’s say her obloquy is Kit, who was from a home that did not feature the enjoy and warmheartedness for her. She was extant with her stepmother who was a really resplendent friend. Kit’s stepmother and sis always went out in metropolis clothes; but Kit did not change those luxuries. Kit was wearing old, torn, out-of-fashion clothes and old, scraped position to cultivate every day. Her embarrassment showed up in her regular results.

One powdered day I had a great strain: I would make few dresses in a bag every day to education and Kit would locomote clothes before the commence of school and again at the schooltime day’s end before action the bus to convey residence. Kit likeable the thought very such and we continued with it for a respectable instant about a week or two, until we were understood. One day Kit missed the civilise bus as she was dynamic dresses in the lavatory and she had to explain to her stepmother why she missed it. Manifestly, all of us concentrated next salutation in the principal”s office, and were explained that there”s a decree that you cannot exchange or get dresses with different children at civilize. I didn”t eff to grappling any difficulty object the principal”s warning which came with a grin. I came to screw that the earth is not exclusive negro and writer, but also has much leaden too. Now I am alive that I am the said individual who I was at the age of ten: european, informal and adjunct of women who score to act boylike, our thoughts are regulated by the association. The people who hump and care for us commence to recite us what we should or shouldn’t do. We start to explore and discover in the ages 16 to 30, and instruct much near what we are and what are we to metamorphose in the concern. We move on new careers, get joined and beget materialization.

Then sometimes in our dead 30s or proterozoic 40s we get to see that what we change become now is not our apodictic self. There’s something missing – it’s you as the woman of 10 eld of age! It’s the girl who was not forced by the hormonal processing and our society’s restrictions as to what should be or shouldn’t be done by her. I started to her enunciate at the age of 38. By that case I was trying to retrovert to my lawful ego – wienerwurst, comradely and verifying. Today, I am serendipitous to transform with women who similar to influence out the activities fireman to their intuition and to lead a experience in giving with their beliefs.

What most you? What did you plan to be, when you were ten age old? Hold you reached that goal? Are you making progression in a characteristic fashion? I cerebrate this is the prizewinning second to break several thoughts on these aspects suitable now, today beingness July 4th, the Independency Day. We honor and remind this day because ours is a disentangled land and we like the immunity to determine our careers and creations. In various added parts of the experience, women do not relish this freedom. So as we keep our metropolis as a Dry and its fill, purchase any measure to callback the retentiveness of your brio at the age of ten and ask yourself:

Who was I at that age? What were my likings? Am I plant reflecting those aspects now in my spirit?

Nothing is unsufferable; Everything is there for you.

For many years skincare has been the sole preserve of the ladies. After all, men don’t need it, do they?

As I came downstairs to breakfast the other day, my wife stroked my cheek lovingly.

‘Your skin is so soft!’ she said almost wonderingly. ‘I really don’t know how you manage it!’

Now my wife is a dear, dear woman but she thinks that a soft skin is only achievable by using amounts of night cream, day cream, anti-wrinkle cream (not that she has any anyway!), protein cream and just about any other cream that the cosmetic companies can dream up.

She, like many other ladies, is convinced that many men have made a pact with the Prince of Darkness in return for facial skin that is not only soft but free from spots and blemishes. I will probably be marked for use as a bridge support filler or receive a nice pair of concrete overshoes from the League For Excessively Scratchy Chins for revealing the truth but I can contain myself no longer: men really do use skincare products!

There. I’ve said it. What a relief to finally ‘come out’ (about men’s skin, that is). The thing that is different about men’s facial skincare and that used by women is that men don’t pay anywhere near as much for theirs – and that’s because men do something to their faces every day that women never, ever do. They shave.

Now I know women shave their legs and sometimes other unmentionable bits. All we men know that. But they don’t do it every day. So why does that make a difference?

Oh, well, the cat’s out of the bag now so I may as well tell you everything. The act of shaving, when done daily, is an excellent exfoliant. A razor doesn’t only take away the stubble from the chins and cheeks of the average male, it also removes quite a few of the old dermal cells. This tends to leave our homely pans soft and smooth – especially if you use (as an increasing number of today’s guys do) a straight razor.

That’s the reason why – when we’re freshly planed off – the facial skin of your everyday male is as soft as a woman’s that has had enough cream on it to make a raspberry pavlova. The only problem is that it doesn’t last. Hence the tendency in recent years for an increasing number of guys to reach for the bottle.

The skincare-for-men bottle, that is. I’m not convinced that I am the first to have uttered this truth as to the original method of skincare for men – shaving – and doubtless the cosmetic companies’ intelligence task force has been keeping their ear well and truly stuck to the floor over the years. So what do we have now? You got it in one – cream for men.

Oh, they don’t call it ‘cream’. Far too girly. It’s called ‘rejuvenating facial cream’ or something equally crafty – it simply wouldn’t do to call it ‘day cream’ or ‘cool night cream’, would it? It’s done like this. After we men have carefully eradicated all traces of stubble, in proper manly fashion with some horribly sharp steel, we are smiled at from some webpage by an incredible hunk with biceps like footballs and a six-pack made of very large ballbearings who suggests that it would be a good idea to – moisturise our skin!

And do you know what the worst thing about it is? Yep. It works. Guess what I got for Christmas last year? Worse still, guess what I bought recently? Resistance, as has been said, was futile.

The male skincare culture steamroller is gathering momentum. We poor males, hapless victims of our own primitive but effective skincare method, have been sucked into mainstream skincare by forces we can hardly comprehend. What happened to the good old days when the only perfume men wore was good, honest sweat and we all changed our socks once a week even if they were reasonably pong-free? When boxer shorts were things boxers wore and after-shave lotion was considered only fit for wearing on a hot date?

Don’t know about you but I sure thank my lucky stars they’re firmly in the past! Now where’s my anti-aging wrinkle-destroying masculine protein emollient?

Steve Dempster is a recent and happy convert to modern men’s skincare and doesn’t mind anymore who knows it. Learn more here about shaving and skincare products for men.

Is your long distance relationship thriving…or just surviving? Are you madly in love with someone but cannot find a way to live in the same city? How do you support your relationship when you have very real physical distance between you?

I have seen couples fall apart because they could not sustain their relationship due to the distance between them, and I have seen others who find creative, romantic ways to keep the love alive. I know people who had a long distance relationship for years, complained about it, and finally got together in the same city, only to break up months after they lived near each other. Some people have long distance relationships and like it that way. And some couples don’t like the distance at all, but manage to still stay close.

How do they do that? Here are some of the challenges that exist when you have an out-of-town romance, and what you can do about it:

* Commitment

If you have just met, take care to spend enough time to truly know each other before you get in a committed relationship. There is no substitute for face-to-face communication. You need to meet each other’s friends, family, and co-workers. You need to experience good times and stressful ones together. Once you do, decide what your expectations are for your relationship. Be open and honest. How much commitment are you willing to give each other? This clarity is important to minimize misunderstanding.

* Trust

Once you can determine if you are both on the same level of investment in the relationship, trust and honesty become paramount to the success of your future. These elements are at the heart of all lasting unions, but distance challenges the security of your connection.

* Communication

Be dedicated to the way you stay in touch. Phone calls, emails, and chatting on-line are important. Set up a regular time to visit with each other, building a routine. But add some surprises such as, homemade videos, collected poems put in a special book, or self-decorated greeting cards. Stretch your imagination further with a lock of your hair in a unique box; an absorbent piece of cloth with your perfume or after-shave scent; your favorite flower, pressed and framed. If the other person does not call often, make time for you, or send appropriate communications, do not hang on. Let go and get on with your life.

* Plan your reunions.

Decide where to meet, how often, and how you want to spend the time when you see each other. Be very clear about what your expectations are for the time you have together. This is where many relationships break down. His idea of the perfect weekend could be sitting in front of the TV with her at his side, watching football. Hers could be visiting friends, attending a romantic movie, and later sharing secrets of the heart. He may expect her to cook his dinner; she may expect him to take her out. We all have old scripts that play out in new relationships, and unless we communicate what we want from each other, this is a recipe for misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

Finally, decide how long you want to live apart, and set a date for the move. It is true that when one of you moves to the other one’s town, you are taking a risk. However, most people say that even when it doesn’t work out, at least they gave love a chance. They didn’t want to spend their life longing to be somewhere else, continuing–a long distance relationship.

Visit http://www.tonjaweimer.com or http://www.singlesdatingtips.com for more tips, skills, and insight on dating, relationships, singles, and love. Subscribe to our F*ree Savvy Dating Newsletter from master single’s coach, life coach, and syndicated columnist, Tonja Weimer. Copyright 2006, Tonja Weimer. (Please note source if reprinting this article.)

Marriage becomes a fragile bond at times. In this relationship of man and woman, woman is a more sensitive agent. She often faces extremely difficult situations when her husband leaves the house. Men may leave the house for many reasons. Sometimes he gets angry over some issue, sometimes as a consequence of some fight; husband wants to put an end to the marriage. In most occasions, the reason is misunderstanding. In any case, you should try to uphold your relationship and get your husband back.

Mostly, when your husband leaves the house, both the parties are very emotional. For this reason, you may not like to hold your husband back and allow him to leave in anger. You may also worsen the situation by telling him that you are happy without him and things of the sort.

You may not even like to contact your man if he leaves considering it as an ego issue or feel that by doing so, you may be degrading your dignity. However, to save your relationship, if you have to do things like this it is not about ego at this point. This is more about being mature and handling the situation in an intelligent way. Even if the fault is at his end, contacting him or even apologizing monetarily can help him to calm down. Once he is emotionally stable, you can talk and discuss the issue like grown ups.

You should show genuine concern about him. Yet at the same time, you should not act as a weakling. Men regard those women who are strong and confident. You need to remain strong and at he same time, let him know that you care for him as he is your husband. He is your strength and you are his.

Marriage is about mutual love and care. If any of the partners leave the house, the other person should try and make the situation normal. This relationship requires patience as well as understanding.

Most people lose their spouse in emotional fits. Man is more aggressive by nature and can easily lose temper. In this situation, woman should act more calmly and try to get him back. It will not be her defeat but her victory.

Put an End to the Stress and Anxiety of Not Knowing What to Do to Save Your Troubled Marriage! And Discover Proven Methods to Getting Your Marriage Back On Track. Click here for the magic Strategy.

There is a misconception floating around the internet, within the walls of chatty homes, and gliding down the sidewalks alongside the misinformation highway — that misconception? You have to gain weight in order to build muscle.

Many people mistakenly believe that muscle weighs more than fat; this is simply untrue. This fallacy is destroyed by simple logic — ten pounds equals ten pounds, whether it is fat, muscle, gold, or water. To be fair, though — five cubic inches of muscle would weigh more than five cubic inches of fat; however, this does not mean that muscle weighs more than fat.

Some women, and men as well, are afraid of working out and building muscle because they think that they have to gain weight in order to do so. However, such fears are not founded on sound facts. They believe that if they head to the gym, lift weights, or even take part in anything more than a light cardiovascular activity, that they will inevitably increase their weight and “bulk up”.

Muscle building does not have to be all about “bulking up”; it can be all about strengthening your body and redefining the way that you look. Let’s say, for instance, that you are a male, five foot, nine inches tall and weigh one-hundred and seventy-five pounds. You’re happy with your weight, but you’re not happy with the way that your body looks. By focusing on adding definition to your build, rather than adding obscene amounts of muscle, you can maintain your same weight while completely redefining your shape.

The same can be said for women — if you’re five foot, four inches tall and weigh one-hundred and twenty-five pounds, your current weight may be acceptable to you, but you’re afraid to work out because you hear that ‘muscle weighs more than fat’. The same principal applies here — you can maintain your one-hundred and twenty-five pounds, build muscle, lower your body fat percentage, and still maintain your current weight, albeit with definition and strength rather than with the less-than-toned look that you may currently be sporting.

Bottom line — you do not need to worry about gaining weight when you work to burn fat and build muscle. By building muscle, you will be burning fat, as well as adding definition — and by exercising a little bit of control over your workout routine, you can maintain your current weight and proudly show it off on the new and improved you.

Build Muscle Up answers common muscle-building questions and shows individuals how to build muscles quickly. Learn about muscle weight gain and read reviews on the top muscle-building systems on our website.

What should you do if your wife wants out of your marriage? When a woman first seriously considers divorce she doesn’t arrive at this state of desperation by a process of calm deduction. She is simply reacting to the feeling that she “can’t take it anymore.” Sometimes your wife’s decision to leave you may be her way of trying to make you change, but more often it is a desperate effort to survive. She cannot endure anymore heartache, so she has reached out for the separation (or divorce) like a drowning man reaching out for a life jacket. How did this come about? Often it is due to the husband’s negligence in hurting their wives.

How Husbands Injure Their Wives

How may you as a husband inadvertently hurt your wife? Obviously it is when you do not love her as you should. This is shown in the following ways:

1. Not appreciating or acknowledging her.

2. Comparing her with other women

3. Taking her for granted (“Oh, never mind…she will understand” or “…I’m sure she won’t mind”)

4. Having to be right all the time

5. Making her feel vulnerable, alone or isolated, for example by not helping out at home or not standing up for her.

6. Destroying her self-esteem through harsh or rude words and actions that demean her.

7. Not paying enough attention to her, for example by giving more time and focus on someone or something else other than her.

8. Having intimate friendships with a member(s) of the opposite sex (it may or may not involve having an affair).

9. Being too demanding on her, for example by insisting that she be almost totally subservient to your every wish

10. Not taking the trouble to understand her.

Your wife’s main source of security or comfort is you, her husband. When you do any of the above things (or other similar ones), her sense of security and self-worth are severely threatened. The problem is most wives feel that they have communicated their hurt to their husbands but most husbands have not realized it. She felt like she was trying to get you to understand but you thought she was just being emotional or overreacting. My experience is that most women leave their husbands because they expected to feel loved, protected and cherished but their husbands unwittingly have sent the message that they are not. If this happens repeatedly over a long period of time, your wife will very likely walk out on you. In such a situation, how can we bring about reconciliation?

The Path to Reconciliation

Firstly, do not make excuses for your actions or words that have hurt her. It’s pointless to try to make her understand you. Simply acknowledge them and ask for her forgiveness. I know that it takes two to tango, meaning that she also probably contributed in some way to how you acted. But now is not the time to blame her. You have to ignore her faults for now. Be a man and take responsibility for your own mistakes, own up to it and humble yourself by sincerely apologizing. This will go a long way in softening her hardened heart.

Secondly, listen to her without correcting her. She doesn’t have to be proved right or shown to be wrong. Do not try to talk her out of her feelings or belittle her emotions and behavior. This will only make her more hurt and angry.

Thirdly, understand her hurt condition. Do so by empathizing with her. She just wants you to understand her feelings. Relay her feelings back to her. Comfort her and let her know you understand how she feels.

Fourthly, assure her of your commitment to her. Change whatever is wrong with your attitudes, actions or words. As her husband you have the responsibility to restore her sense of self-esteem, security, confidence and trust in you.

Lastly, put into action your commitments to her. What you have said you will do, make sure you actually do it.

Conclusion

I have always maintained that it is the husband who should primarily be responsible for ensuring a successful marriage relationship. Therefore if anything is wrong with your marriage, you as the husband must be pro-active in setting things right. Only by doing so will you be able to save your marriage.

Discover the steps anyone can take to save your marriage in TWO FREE reports, “Practical Tips on Improving Your Marriage” and “Above Life’s Turmoil”. Visit http://www.savemarriagestoday.com These reports contain time-tested and proven ways to enhance your relationship with your partner.

Different women experience menopause in different ways. While there are some experiences that everyone can expect to have, for most, menopause is a lonely journey. With such a wide array of potential symptoms, from depression to weight gain to general feelings of unease, it’s hard to create a single form of medication that’s applicable to every woman.

But there is one solution: Bio-identical hormone replacement therapy. Called BHRT for short, it won’t cure menopause, or even put it off, but it will alleviate those unpleasant symptoms. And though it’s been around for almost two decades, BHRT only recently gained popularity as a reliable and healthy way to combat the natural effects of aging.

Before BHRT prescriptions came along, doctors would prescribe synthetic hormones, which were often designed by pharmaceutical companies. But because these synthetics are foreign to the human body, they carried unwanted side effects with them. What’s more, the synthetics couldn’t be fine-tuned to the body chemistries of individual patients, so there was no guarantee that a given symptom would be addressed.

Unlike synthetic hormones, bio-identical hormones are derived from natural sources, and thus match the formula of those hormones already in your body. BHRT prescriptions are designed to mimic your body chemistry perfectly, which makes the entire menopause experience — from beginning to post-menopause — easier on your body and mind. Since every woman’s body chemistry is different, every BHRT prescription is different. A good compounding pharmacist can work with you and your health care provider to determine the best course of action for you.

So how can you decide whether a bio-identical hormone replacement therapy prescription is for you?

Learn the ropes. All women experience menopause in different ways, but there are some common symptoms that can tip you off that it might be your time. Has it been more than two or three months since your last period? (As a corollary to this question: Are you sure you’re not pregnant?) Do you seem to be gaining weight despite eating right and exercising? Are you having trouble sleeping?

Know your symptoms and medical history. Compile a list of your symptoms to bring to your doctor. Figure out your most pressing concerns, and what kind of changes you’d like to see. Your doctor may ask you why you’re pursuing a BHRT prescription — be prepared to answer her.

Talk to your doctor. If you’re between doctors, this may be the perfect time to find one who’s familiar with BHRT. Since it’s still somewhat new, there may be doctor out there who aren’t well-schooled in it, or who don’t support it.

Learn as much as possible. Read more than just this article. Google is your friend here, and so is your doctor. Before making the final leap, learn everything you can about bio-identical hormone replacement therapy.

D. Michael Kirby is a freelance writer living in California. He writes about health and fitness, home improvement, technology, and a wide array of other topics. One of his clients, Beacon Prescriptions, is Connecticut’s premier compounding pharmacy, with locations around the state.

Visit Beacon Prescriptions here: http://www.beaconcompounding.com

Here are a few weight loss toning exercises for women to help you achieve that hour-glass feminine figure. Summer is arriving, so take these “quick fix” exercises and use them to get toned as fast as possible.

Weight Loss Toning Exercises For Women

1. Walking on an incline

Listen, walking is a boring tip… yes I know that, however walking on an incline is totally different from just your regular walking on a flat surface. Walking on a flat surface is fine for slow, long term weight loss, but if you want some quick weight loss, try walking on a 10-15 degree incline (treadmill or hill) for 15-20 minutes a day.

This creates a big oxygen deficit which forces your body to suck up body fat… while it tones your legs in ways you never imagined.

2. Hindu Squats

Hindu squats also create a big oxygen deficit which causes your body to eat up body fat. But it also tones your legs like crazy. What you do is squat up and down as fast as you can while you touch your finger tips to the ground during each repetition (this is to make sure you’re going down far enough).

You need to do 100 repetitions in less than 5 minutes. Do this as many days each week as you can.

3. Jumping rope

It’s pretty well known that boxers are in incredible shape. It’s no coincidence that they jump a lot of rope. Now, you don’t need to get fancy, just spend 5 minutes a day jumping rope (it doesn’t have to be all 5 minutes at once either).

What I did with these 3 exercises is try to create a simple program that you can do mostly in your home without having to waste time going to the gym everyday. So for women, try these weight loss toning exercises for a few weeks and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how effective they are and how quick the results come.

If you’re sick and tired of getting the same old boring and tired weight loss advice… you know, like “Eat more fruits and vegetables, drink 8 glasses of water, exercise more, and blah blah blah”… then you found the right person. I’ll make weight loss easy and enjoyable for you… AND NOT BORING!

First, click http://www.weightlossguide4women.com to get your free 19-page report “How Spinning Around in a Circle Like a 4-year old Child will Skyrocket your Weight Loss Success”. This will give you a jumpstart on how to lose 10 pounds fast.

Second… after you get the free report, you’ll be sent inside my website for even more unique and little known weight loss tips, tricks, techniques, and tactics. These unconventional tricks are a “shortcut” way on how to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks… no mention of eating carrots or celery. I promise.

Third, with my advice, you won’t starve, have to go to the gym ever, or basically do anything that is a hassle for your busy life. Listen, I understand you want to do some easy weight loss toning exercises geared towards women… without changing much in your diet or exercise plans… I get it. I have this completely covered. I’ve worked with over 3,700 clients. I know a 1 size fits all plan doesn’t work. So I’ve come up with lots of “tricks” to personalize weight loss specifically for you and your lifestyle.

Fourth… there is no fourth. Just enjoy the free report and my website. If you don’t lose 10 pounds with just my free information… I’d be amazingly surprised!

http://www.weightlossguide4women.com

Are you and your spouse worried about what’s happening with your savings, your pension, your children’s college funds, or just staying employed? The Dow Jones is under 10,000 and European banks sound as shaky as the US banks. Do you find yourself fearful of your futures together? Do you find yourselves disagreeing with your partner about how to weather this financial meltdown? Do you find yourselves arguing because one of you makes more money and feels like they have more control over how money is spent? When money gets tight as a result of reduced income or increased mortgage payments and is combined with financial fears of the future, those old money arguments (my money vs. your money) may be causing you problems again. It is time for the two of you to have discussions again about money.

In his book Love & Money, Jeff Opdyke says: “It’s not really about the money. It’s about creating another level of intimacy in your relationship and bestowing trust on each other.” He further recommends joint accounts for couples which explicitly demonstrates the trust you have with your spouse.

When we keep secrets from our spouse about how much we make, how we spend money, or even how much money we have, this indicates a measure of distrust in the other person. When times are tough like now, you need to trust and have faith in your legal and romantic partner. All your money and all your debts are consider joint by the state. If you are not considering them joint, you are losing out. You lose resources that your partner brings to solving financial problems. You lose a feeling of honesty about yourself. And you lose some ability to manage your family finances in the best way possible.

If the two of you are not quite ready to combine your accounts, at least try to agree on and be committed to the following:

1. Agree to live within your means, so that expenses do not exceed your income.

2. Agree to open, honest communication about money.

3. Promise not to blame one another, judge each other, or keep secrets about money.

4. Be prepared to listen to your partner and understand their perspective.

You both need to be fully aware of the family gross and net income, to know where household (and individual) money goes each month and to know how much debt you have and the interest costs you are paying.

If you are unable to have a frank and open discussion about your money with your spouse, you may benefit from seeing a marriage counselor. The National Registry of Marriage Friendly Therapists (www.marriagefriendlytherapist.com) is a good resource for finding a therapist who is invested in helping you save your marriage. If you are unable to curb your spending, you might consider Debtors Anonymous, an organization for people trying to reduce debt and regain solvency. If you need a housing counselor or help with your mortgage, go to the web site of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (www.hud.gov) and click on the Hope for Homeowners link.

It’s important to realize you are not alone. Many couples and families are struggling. Don’t let your marriage be a casualty of the worst financial disaster most of us have ever seen. You and your spouse are in this together. Get the help you need to keep your marriage stable and safe.

If you decide that you might need marriage counseling, check out my website, http://www.PamLipe.com My specialty is marriage and relationship counseling. For 20 years, I have been helping couples find the love and support they want in their marriages. My therapy practice serves the metropolitan area of Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN.

This cruise began Abecita us with a two day stay in Istanbul minus one suitcase that Delta Airlines lost. We had been in Istanbul for a couple lingerie days at the end of our last cruise, and my wife fell in love with it. We spent the time checking out things lingerie didn’t see on the last trip, and shopping for underwear, pantyhose, shoes, and other things Kathy needed after the lost luggage fiasco. There we were, at the Grand Bazaar, Kathy in a pair of my boxer shorts and a T shirt the ship gave her. But we found some great bargains on knock-offs.

The Millennium set sail for Kusadasi (Ephesus) Turkey in the early afternoon. The next day we arrived in Kusadasi, known for its very extensive ruins at Ephesus. These are the most impressive ruins we have ever seen, be sure not to miss them when you are in Kusadasi. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony were tourists at Ephesus!

We toured a rug factory which was actually a rug store. However, they gave a very interesting presentation on how Turkish rugs are woven and how to determine the quality of rugs. We saw a demonstration of a young girl weaving a rug.

While in Kusadasi we spotted an internet cafe sign and so we went on in. They were quite excited that we had come in; they uncovered their single computer, taped some cardboard to the window to reduce the glare on the screen, and brought us some cokes to drink. After we finished surfing the net we asked how much we owed. They said “nothing!” and they wouldn’t let us pay for anything. Odd but interesting and nice.

The next day was a day at sea with no stops at any ports. We consider days at sea as our lazy kick-back and relax part of our cruises. So we “bagged some rays” by the pool and checked out the drink of the day.

The next day we arrived in Limasol, Cyprus. Originally we were supposed to go to Haifa Israel, but due to some Middle East unrest, the destination was changed to Limasol. There was an interesting castle that we toured, and then we went looking for an internet cafe. We found one and did a little updating of our website while we were there. Internet cafe’s can be found in most cities and it is truly amazing to see the differences. There isn’t really much in Limasol.

Our next port of call was Alexandria Egypt. The port was HUGE! There were quite a few sunken ships poking up out of the water as we entered the port…wonder what that was about? Our ship was greeted with a giant red carpet and a large band playing music.

We took the shore excursion to the Pyramids, about a three hour bus trip. The buses traveled in convoys with police escorts. I presume it’s an anti terrorist thing. The Pyramids were awesome! We got to actually climb up on one of the pyramids. There were also cool tombs that we toured, and of course, shopping for jewelry and papyrus art.

Our next port of call was Athens Greece. Since we had been to Athens recently we opted not to take any of the excursions and just went to the Plaka. We found yet another Internet cafe where we could update our web site. Although it was about 3 flights of stairs to get to the cafe, were given the “Computer with a view” .. Just out the window was a spectacular view of the Acropolis. And we found another fabulous open air cafe.

We arrive next at Naples, Italy. The day was kind of a whirl wind of a day as we took a hydrofoil to the island of Capri where we toured the island, an interesting and beautiful island and playground for the rich. Then on to Sorrento where we had lunch and wandered around the scenic town, and finally we toured the amazing ruins at Pompeii. There are enough ruins at Pompeii to spend weeks there and still not see everything. Thousands of years ago and they had plumbing fixtures…running water in their homes, taverns, saunas, and all sorts of surprising things. A very busy day!

Next stop, Rome and the Vatican City including St. Peter’s Basilica, and the Vatican museum. At the Vatican, we visited the Sistine chapel which was mind blowing. Following that we visited the Coliseum. The Coliseum was another amazing place. Kathy was really impressed with the Trevi Fountain in Rome (she threw in the required 3 coins so we could come back to Rome).

Our next port was Nice, France. We visited a famous flower market, had coffee at a little side walk cafe, and we took a shore excursion to Monaco. Monaco isn’t very big! We could stand in one spot and see the whole country. There are lots of shops on the tiny narrow winding streets. We had lunch (at an open air cafe) and Kathy liked the Roquefort cheese so much she asked the waiter where should could get some, and he directed her to a market. We bought some and brought it home with us.

The following morning we disembarked in Barcelona and within hours we were on our way home! Another fantastic cruise ship adventure under our belts!

William Lund is an avid cruiser, and he and his wife Kathy cruise at least once a year. Mr. Lund invites you to visit his cruise reviews website: Cruises R Fun Mr. Lund also has a blog at: Pondering Everything