Never Say Never Again

That was Sean Connery's choice for the name of his last Bond flim, a remake of Thunderball. You might think that with that very public example, I might have avoided that mistake. Alas, no.

Wanderlust is a part of my make-up. But I have settled down a bit in the last few decades. It's not that I don't like travelling, it's just that I like sleeping in my own bed more. So, when I took the wife to Europe in 2005, I assured her we wouldn't do anything like this again (16-day cruise, Galveston to Rome, and two weeks in Italy).

Still feeling that the poor thing deserved to see some of the places she had dreamed about in her youth, I relented in 2007 and took her on an 18-day cruise (Tampa Bay to Venice, a follow-up cruise through and Adriatic and Aegean Seas and a two-day layover in London). This was designated as her Farewell Cruise to Europe. Are you seeing a pattern, yet?

So it was our thirtieth anniversary last year and her ability to walk for extended periods is disappearing. She's mooning for another last cruise. And the drop in fuel prices, the looming recession, and largely empty ships have led to some bargain prices for some cruises.

Behold, an 18-day cruise, Fort Lauderdale to Rome, and a six-day stay in Rome. I'd have my head examined, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing there.

There will, at least, be a pilgrimage aspect to this. We are scheduled for the Scavi Tour. We plan to visit Santa Croce. And maybe this time I'll climb the Santa Scala on my knees in penance for my sins. Ok, now I don't feel quite so bad.