MARSEILLE, FRANCE: NZ All Blacks vs. Italy World Cup Rugby

​Ok, we arrived in the beautiful port city of Marseille late last night and went to our first World Cup Rugby Game today. How very exciting! All Blacks absolutely "broke" Italy, at a score of 76-14. Shame - for Italy, but since I love All Blacks, thanks for kickin' Italia's ass. It was REALLY exciting to be watching one of the World Cup games and get to see NZ perform the Haka on the field. That was a highlight for me, and I posted the vid.

Marseille: such a VERY Mediterranean port! Go figure - its ON the Med! The city is very arid and hot (all the spectators during the game sat out in 90-degree heat for 3+ hours. Talk about "berled" potatoes! The buildings, while not whitewashed, are very sun washed and all light colours, with the terra cotta tiles for rooving. Pics attached

Early tomorrow morning we are off to Rome. MORE travel excitement! We are starting to feel like we're competitors in the Amazing Race!

**Oh, our latest funny story: RyanAir. For anyone who hasn`t travelled on this airline, what can I say? It's a frenetic, and interesting flight and travel experience! There is no assigned seating (unless you pay for it), so they load you up like cattle, but cattle don't run fast, so let's say line up like horses, behind a barricade (at the gate) and you all get ready to walk RAPIDLY to the plane to get a seat. I`m still not sure what the benefit is of no assigning seating. It's not like anyone got a preferential seat on these planes. I don`t even think they have emergency "larger" rows. Who knows**

MARY: Yes, of course I went to Anne Frank Huis. Amazing eh, her story (as well as all survivors during that period). Can you believe someone painted a Nazi cross on her statue? How despicable!