Another pair of winners to see the Paralympics (see previous post), and they also made the smart choice to use me to plan an extension to their trip! They decided they wanted to see southern Europe more than London & Ireland, though, with Italy & Croatia being their bucket list choices.

After hopping on the hop-on, hop-off bus, and enjoying Champagne at the summit of the Eiffel Tower, they moved on to Florence where they enjoyed a walking tour (the city is one of my favorite’s for walkability). They also took a day trip out to Siena, San Gimignano and Tuscany to enjoy a wine & olive oil tasting.

From Florence, they traveled down to Rome where they celebrated their willow anniversary (9th) with a beautiful dinner at a restaurant on Viminal Hill in Rome (some scholars suggest it was named due to the number of Willow trees on it). They decided to check out the catacombs while there, perhaps a bit macabre but also very unique place to see while in Rome (this coming from someone who enjoys taking tours of cemeteries). Additionally, they saw the major sites - Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Colosseum, and before heading to Croatia, they took a VIP food tour where they got to be driven around Rome in a golf cart!

In Croatia, they wanted a bit more R&R so I had them in a beachside hotel. They did a sailing tour to the Elaphite Islands (on a sailboat that looked like a pirate ship!) but otherwise kept their days open.

Photo credit: Melanie M.