Darphynia's Diary


Days 3-4:  Pompeii, Sorrento & Capri Some recovered artifacts and a plaster cast of one of the residents. On our way to Sorrento we stopped at Pompeii.  It was definitely not as I had imagined.  The city was considerably larger, and they continue to excavate.  

Days 2 & 3:   Rome, The Vatican City & Other Roman Sights Managed to find a Korean restaurant within the first 24 hours of being there... There are so many things to see and do that you could be in Roma itself for two weeks, and it wouldn’t be long enough.   The architecture, history, food, and culture are remarkable.   If only the locals could appreciate as much as the visitors do.   But I guess it’s the same anywhere.   I don’t see the fascination with Los Angeles, and as much as I love Disneyland I often forget why the tourists are so awed.   Since we live around these things, we really take them for granted.   Okay, rant over.   Each building has a story to tell.   Many of the homes owned by the wealthy have been converted into apartments or government buildings.   You can tell which time periods the buildings were constructed by the architectural style.   Ticket to the museum. A fountain. ...

About 15 years ago, I took a trip to the UK using Trafalgar.  We had such a great time, and it was decided that we would use Trafalgar again on our next trip.  If I ever decide to take a tour again, I will be sure to ask specifically for the tour guide we had this time.  I can't say enough about Paolo.  He is a fountain of knowledge, and has a great sense of humor.  He made the trip memorable and so much more.  I actually meant to have these bits posted up the week after we came home, but I was so sick and recovering from mosquito bites (I've never reacted to them before, and don't know why I did then).  And then I relapsed, but I'm 100% better now. You will probably notice that the posts are in different tenses.  That's because I wrote them at different times.  Anyway, here is Day 1: Day 1:   From LAX to Rome LAX-Chicago From the wing.   The day has been quite long.   I hate leaving things

Left to Right:  Chocolate Brownie Trifle, Strawberry Lime-Lemonade (Venti), Youthberry (Venti), Strawberry Shortcake Trifle.  Starbucks has been phasing out their Fizzio sodas (which were surprisingly good) in exchange for fizzy teas.  Now they have introduced something new.  Today granitas and trifles were added to their summer menu.  Available after 3pm, these infused, blended lemonade or chocolate beverages are probably one of my new favorite things.  The trifles are either chocolate or strawberry shortcake-- sort of.  More on those later.  Youthberry, up-close.  

  Face masks are a wonderful addition to any skincare routine.  I love to use them when I'm winding down for the night.  I was able to try out Valentia's new Skin Detoxifying Mask , and I LOVE it!  My skin is not sensitive, and is combination (oily T-zone, and dry around the hairline).  This vegan mask