My favorite experience besides shopping for an Italian leather purse was the great city of Athens. Here, we toured the incredible Acropolis Museum, which resides next to the actual Acropolis. This summer, we experienced our first Viking Ocean cruise. We've had the privilege of the river cruise before, but this was different. This adventure began outside Milan, Italy, on Lake Maggiore. This beautiful area was one we'd never visited before, and it's so close to Switzerland that you can almost taste the chocolate and hear the cow bells. We had a 3-day pre-cruise stay here and explored the Italian lakes while doing some shopping, eating, and relaxing. Then we were transported to Venice to board the beautiful Viking Star. We spent 11 glorious days exploring Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, and Greece. We explored everything from monasteries, walking the city wall in Dubrovnik, a classical guitar concert, to ancient Olympia. Did you know the original Olympic Games were played sans clothing? Ouch! This rule ensured no women were sneaking in to compete or train with the men. Travel is a passion as well as an education. Learning about the Italian and Greek cultures through the daily lecture series onboard was fascinating. It is not only history, but also the spotlights on artists, architecture, and trade. All fascinating! If you have the desire and opportunity, travel! RFG Stories - Susan Dawson “Travel continues to be a theme, and we love it.”