Even before the 1992 publication of Robert James Waller’s novel and the 1995 release of the movie starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep the Bridges of Madison County, Iowa have been celebrated. This one was moved to Winterset City Park in 1970 before the first Covered Bridge Festival. We checked it out after a dinner at the Northside Cafe in town but weren’t inclined to seek any others or even any geocaches in this extreme heat. It’s not just the humidity, it’s also the heat, with heat index over 105°F !
It was an incredible experience to actually walk the streets of Pompeii, once a bustling resort town in the Roman Empire until 79 AD when an apocalyptic explosion buried it under 20 feet of volcanic ash. Archeological excavations since the 19th Century continue to reveal evidence of a thriving community.
Once the largest cruise ship in the world, Allure of the Seas will be our home for the next seven nights as we cruise the Western Mediterranean and explore the eighteen decks of this behemoth.
Our recent travel misadventures seriously curtailed our time in Rome pre-cruise but we did get to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before making the trip to Civitavecchi for an overnight in the port city of Rome preparatory to departing on Allure of the Seas tomorrow.
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