Fifty years ago, David started a phone conversation with, “How’d you like a Mediterranean Honeymoon?”

It was his way of easing into the news that our wedding, scheduled for 12 December 1975 would have to be rescheduled because he had just reported to his new duty aboard the USS Dace SSN 607 and they would be leaving 25 November for a six month Med deployment. If we got married before he left, as his wife, I would be able to visit him in La Maddalena, Italy. (Things were very strict in those days!). So, I accepted his offer and six weeks later on 13 September we were married.

It has been a grand adventure!

I followed him to New London, CT… to our hometown of Philly… to Nova Scotia… to New Hampshire. We have 2 beautiful daughters and 4 “perfect” grandchildren, wonderful friends, lots of photo albums from amazing vacations. But, that Mediterranean Honeymoon ended up being lots of time in La Maddalena in the cold off season during January 1976 and one 24 hour leave. NOT what I was envisioning.

I was not going to let him forget about his original offer. Now, 50 years later, we are about to head off on that Mediterranean Honeymoon…

Barcelona; Turkey: Istanbul and Ephesus; 3 Greek Islands; then back to Italy for some time in Tuscany.

I’m hoping to chronicle our journey here. Stay tuned.