Italy & Greece 2026!

 My Dearest Avery,

We got back a week ago from our biggest trip yet! We spent two weeks traveling to: Tuscany (Siena area), Rome, cruised to Santorini, Mykonos, Crete and Pompeii and then ended back in Rome! It was lovely and amazing and the Pompeii tour was your highlight (also your birthday gift). You were enthralled. Here's a summary:

We started flying into Rome (through London) and you didn't think flying economy was all that bad - you enjoyed it. We rented a car and took the Tuscany scenic route to our off-the-beaten path castle hotel in Tuscany. This included a stop at some thermal pools which were lovely and us getting lost in Viterbo where I wrongly guided Dad to drive into a Piazza where the Pope once lived! That was embarrassing and stressful and probably illegal but we were lost and followed someone out of there quickly. I think Dad lost years off his life that day. But man! When we arrived at our room in the castle (Castle Banfi), it was breath-taking. You and Evan had your own room and bathroom and it was so spacious and luxurious. You worked out outside with me and we went to Siena for a day. There, we ran into a random neighborhood parade where they were wearing medieval costumes and banging drums and everyone was wearing a scarf representing the neighborhood (so of course we got some for ourselves). They stopped in the middle of the parade to throw flags and drink wine before continuing!

On the way back to Rome, we stopped in a little town for lunch and found out our restaurant had a cave in the basement! We were loving all the little unique surprises we stumbled upon! Back in Rome, we stayed at Corso 281, right in the center of everything and did the Trevi Fountain, the outside of the Pantheon and Piazza de Navona. We got an early morning guided tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum and then visited the Vatican which I thought would be cool because it allowed you to visit another country but you weren't impressed and were somewhat upset visiting a Catholic place. We also happened by the Spanish Steps which also failed to impress. Tough crowd!

We got onto the Disney Dream cruise ship and had a great experience enjoying all the things they offer. You especially loved the kids club because you got to be in Edge (the tween hangout) which allowed you the freedom to go in/out on your own and allowed for a kids-only sun deck experience which you enjoyed immensely. You liked the big raft slide and swimming and lounging by the pool, you loved the ice cream and also the shows. You did not like all the pictures I made you take because I got the photo package and you did not like formal night where I asked you to wear a dress. 

For our port excursions here's what we did:

1. Santorini: We did a small villages tour which I thought would be more intimate and less crowded, and it was. But it was steep and the restaurant where we stopped wasn't that happy to have us visit. The tour guide was lovely and described the Greek isle and culture well. We also stopped for some shopping and lunch in Fira before heading back to the ship. Evan flirted with the tour guide by showing her his magic tricks (which impressed her but not the bus driver).

2. Mykonos: I really enjoyed this one. We booked a short tour at the last minute and hopped a boat to Delos Island, where Zeus left his two daughters. The ruins there were pristine and massive! It was such a lovely surprise. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable but I got the sense she was on there to feed the cats (she carried a bag of cat food around with her and put some out everywhere we stopped - all the cats followed her around). She's a school teacher on summer break. We had plenty of time to explore Mykonos on our own too so we ate at a nice cafe (Dad and I had the red snapper) and shopped a little. We also put our feet in the water for a bit but it was pretty cold, although it was super clear. It was gorgeous with the stunning white Greek houses in the background.

3. Crete: We did a tour with several stops included: first was a site of some Greek ruins, modified by the Romans. Then we stopped at a lake with clear water for a dip. Then we stopped at a small town with a bunch of restaurants and waterfalls before heading back. Our guide here was fine but it did feel somewhat like they were just trying to figure out what to do with all the tourists that come to Greece :) It was still fun and the Greek food was amazing!

4. Pompeii: We did a Pompeii and Naples city tour. You just adored Pompeii. You sucked up all the intel you could here and it was just amazingly big - they had SIX MILLION people living there at the time of the eruption! It was breathtaking and I know you really felt it was worth all the build up to it.

We spent one more day in Rome before heading home, where we shopped a little and made sure to finish by eating as much pizza as we could possibly handle before heading back! You got a soccer jersey everywhere we went - I swear that's like the only kind of top you own anymore!

Here's the trip in pictures (including every single one of Pompeii):

Thermal pools

Castle!

Siena!

gelato

Our first taste of Italian pizza

the parade

Views from the Castle

The hidden cave in our restaurant on the way back to Rome

Pantheon

Colosseum tour!

Trevi Fountain

Piazza de Navona

Roman Forum

Lego store in Rome

Vatican

Boarding the ship!

Pascal with us in spirit!

Daisy welcoming us onboard

we were on the Disney Dream

Santorini

life is rough

Delos island

Cat lady!

Mykonos

Pirate night! Of course you had a jersey for this too!

Crete tour!

Yummmmm Greek food!

Waterfalls in Crete

Cooking (not really something that can be done in the US)

Who doesn't love a hug from Mickey!

Getting ready for the piece de resistance!

And this is Pompeii!

Mt Vesuvius

You had a friend from the kids club on the tour with us so you hung out with her most of the time.

We had to tell you to stop rubbing the walls because rubble was falling into your hand (and that's not a good thing, kid!)

And that's a wrap on a huge adventure! You definitely proved yourself capable of the longer trips....except you and your brother could stand to not argue so much about the smallest little things. I love you and I love traveling with you!

All My Love,

Mom