Long Time No Hear

There was a big ship...

There were gladiators....

A breezy afternoon...

Any guesses?

Yes, it's definitely been a while. Did you miss me ? Did you notice ?
We are back. We were away from late June thru to the end of July.

We did a cruise, then 12 days in Paris, then 10 days in Israel, where my SIL had arranged 2nd Bar mitzvahs (near the Western Wall) for 3 of her sons. (She has 6 kids, ranging from 7 to 18.)

The cruise was wonderful. It was our 1st cruise and we were very impressed. It's just like being in a luxury hotel, that magically moves. You barely feel any movement at all - it's very smooth. The ports were -- Messina, Athens, Kusadasi Turkey, and Heraklion Crete. All pretty interesting.

The best was Turkey - we'll have to go back there.

Food and service were excellent, and we were upgraded to a room with a balcony, which was very pleasant. About 40% of the passengers were Italian, and 40% American, with the rest a mixture of many other nationalities.

It's a huge ship, and you never feel crowded or cramped; there's lots of space, plenty of deck chairs, and places to walk. 16 bars, 3 pools, etc.

Then came Paris, which we enjoyed very much. The apartment we rented was very convenient, and in a nice location, right near the Eiffel Tower, in the 16th arrondissement (district).On Bastille day we watched the parade on the Champs d'Elysees, and then gorgeous fireworks at night on the Eiffel tower. Truly stunning.

There were huge crowds but everything was very orderly and polite.

Here's a shot of the parade.

We did a lot of walking, enjoying yummy pastries, and seeing all the sights in a leisurely fashion.

Here's a shot from a yarn store there -- the famous La Drogerie (near Les Halles shopping complex). Finished knitted items from their own exclusive patterns, and yarn galore.

Israel was wonderful as well. There is lots to see, but it’s very hot.

We visited lots of DH’s relatives and unfortunately also attended a funeral as DH’s cousin (who had ALS) passed away while we were there.

I hope you’re all having a great summer!

I will update you on my knitting activity soon !

P.S. Please leave a comment so I'll know if anyone's reading this ! That will spur me on to update more often :-) .