The Best Of . . .

There are some nights it's hard for me to fall asleep and I try everything from counting up and down to a hundred in English and German to making up story lines for another novel. The other night I tried something different-listing the best ofs, biggests, etc., in our travels. Here's some of what I came up with.

The best cup of coffee -- Singapore McDonald's. Really! It was a cappuccino in a large ceramic cup with a beautiful design drawn in the milky froth. On the other hand, the most expensive cup of coffee was in Venice where we paid $15 USD because we didn't know a cover charge was included.

The best road trip -- While Ireland and the National Parks were wonderful I'd have to say New Zealand wins this one. (Even though, my friend, we had to fly to get on the road.)

The most romantic meal -- Our anniversary dinner on the Piazza Navona in Rome. We ate at one of the outdoor cafes and listened to wandering musicians. I can't remember what we ate but I remember the beautiful night and the lovely music.

The biggest thrill--I know. To many of you this is probably not so thrilling but it was a challenge for me. Climbing the Sydney Bridge.

The best view from a hotel room--This will probably sound crazy but on one visit to Las Vegas we were upgraded to a better room at Ceasar's and we had a window that went from floor to ceiling and could see down the Vegas Strip. It was a spectacular view at night. We don't usually book rooms with a view in order to save money.

The largest hotel bathroom--I would have to say the Marriott in Quito, Ecuador, wins here. While we have had several beautiful hotel rooms on precruises, the one Celebrity put us in for our Galapagos trip was amazing. A suite, it had a sitting room, a huge bedroom, and a bathroom that had a tub, a shower, two sinks and enough room for a dozen people.

The smallest bathroom--Gotta watch those old English bed and breakfasts. I can't remember which one it was, but I do remember a bathroom obviously tucked into what used to be a closet. You had to leave the door open while you brushed your teeth because you couldn't bend over the sink otherwise.

The most expensive meal--This is a tie in my mind between a meal we had in Venice where we were told the seafood dinner for two was the special of the day but weren't told the price and then the evening we went up in the Eiffel Tower for dinner. Ah, but the view was terrific and the food tasty.

Well, that's a bit of what I came up with before I finally fell asleep. What would your list look like?