— Medieval Amusement Park: The Carolina Renaissance Festival

My mother is super into these things, maybe this will be on the list some day!

Medieval Amusement Park for Adults and Children:

The Carolina Renaissance Festival

Spot where Caesar was stabbed discovered

How many times have I been to Rome only to discover that I have so much more to see and do?  That’s one reason why I am so charmed by the eternal city, you never really finish visiting here ~ there will always be something new.

Spot where Caesar was stabbed discovered

I am always amazed that the bulk of my passengers run from the plane at FCO to their cruise ships at Civitavecchia Port and miss all the splendor that is Rome itself.

Do yourself a favor, take some time and explore (ON FOOT) some of the more major places in Rome.

Do’s / Don’ts:

• Don’t buy the madness from any of the Indian street sellers, they will be persistent and you have to be persistent too in telling them to leave you alone.
• Do stop by the Piazza Navonna and examine the statue of the Four Rivers by Bernini in the center, you are looking back some 400 years into the past.
• The Vatican Museum is best seen in the afternoons or off-season, the tourist hoards pack in the mornings and ruin the entire experience (Disney wishes they could pack in the throngs like this!)
• The Coliseum is now open to be toured at the basement level, it’s a personal choice, but again, wait for the afternoons.
• Don’t try to do Rome in a couple of days, it’s like Disneyworld, you can’t do it!
• The Trevi Fountain tends to slack off in the early afternoons, most tourists are busy elsewhere.  Gelatos are very good from this area (as practically everywhere).

There are so many more recommendations that I will have to come back to this post from time to time.  If Rome is in your future, I would suggest “following” this post in particular.  Like Rick Steves, this is my Europe and I enjoy sharing!  Am also sort of a history buff, so I tend towards things that are more important historically.

My Bucket List…

I have decided that instead of having a running, mental bucket list, it would be better to actually write it down, check off what has been done and update it from time to time.  I will also ask my friends, family and visitors to help me think of new things to do that will continue to enrich my life.

Why have a bucket list at all?  Many that know me, know that I have had two brain tumors, my hips replaced and am HIV-positive.  I have an “understanding” with God that I cannot leave this planet until my bucket list is empty (to make up for the madness that has since entered my life).  I have read many entries of the books 1000 Things to See/Do Before You Die, <flash>I DON’T recommend them.</flash> The problem is that although they may be a good starting point, they are not YOUR lists and so may have little in common with you, as was the case with me.  If you truly need to see them, stop by the library, buying these books is not worth the money, in my opinion.  P.S.  You can also Google “bucket list” and get some other ideas, like I did.  So to that end, I present my bucket list, now the date that I think of ideas.  If the item is barred, it has been completed and will also have the date it was fulfilled!The list is in no particular order and will not certainly be fulfilled in order…

• watch the sunrise with David on Bronte Beach, Sydney (11/09/12)
• swim with whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium, this activity requires that I get my PADI license.  Although I could snorkel around the top, what would be the point?  If you’re gonna swim with the fishes, you need to swim with the fishes!  Plus this aquarium offers to very unique PADI certifications that can only be gotten here.
• revisit Yellowstone National Park in a few years as my last visit was sort of a bust animal and feature-wise.
• move to Vancouver, British Columbia
• solo jump out of an airplane and go jumping with my new beau, David!
• visit Amsterdam with my special guy and possibly get married (the marriage bit could also be done in Canada, anywhere but the U.S.)
• go on a hiking tour of Bryce Canyon (or horseback) and Arches NP
• take a horseback-riding tour in Montana, possibly returning to the Bar W Guest Ranch, maybe another one.
• take the cross-continent train from Vancouver to Montréal or Toronto, maybe even as far as Halifax, Canada
• take the Empire Builder and California Zephyr trains here in the U.S. in First Class
• speaking of trains, take the American Orient Express, this could be combined with my revisiting Yellowstone as the train makes a stop there
• when the political situation settles down a bit, I would like to go to Luxor, Egypt
• I really would like to explore Scandinavia intensely
• see that my cats (my boyz) live a wonderfully long and well kept lives
• go see the Golden Spike in Utah
• how could’ve I have missed a trip down under?  I am chomping at the bit to see Australia and New Zealand, I think separate trips would do better justice to this part of the world
• take David to Iceland for no apparent reason!
• vacation on the big island of Hawai’i at the gay B&B near the lava flows!
• actually watch the movie, The Bucket List (strangely I haven’t done that yet)
• go to the Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, I’m still not used to how the Canadians spell color, too British!
• actually watch the movie The Bucket List (11/11/12)

… this ought to be enough to get me started, but by no means is complete.  I will keep adding to my list continuously as I see things that catch my eye and ear.  As I mentioned, I invite the reader to comment and maybe make a suggestion ( I will see if it fits in my life view ).  To you all, I wish a long and very fulfilled life!