Another Great Adventure, Part 2014

 



 

Sundays With Sharon

Many of you remember the cruise we took last year from Italy to Brazil, and all the amazing places we visited. I took over 300 pictures and posted many of them. I plan on doing the same this year. Once again, we are cruising from Savonna, Italy to a mysterious and exotic destination: Miami. By the time you wake up and read this, we will be leaving port.

Today we wandered around Savonna, after catching a train from Genoa. Our hotel is right at the port of Savonna, and we had a day there twice before when we boarded the ship from this location. It was here during breakfast I met the Brazilian dance instructor, Roberto, from Cruisin For A SEAL. I also had the chance meeting between Mark and Sophia in the little piazza where this picture was taken. Sophia was speaking with her mother, and Mark couldn't help but watch her out of the side of his eyes as he sipped his cappuccino. Remember the description? There was a statue of the Virgin Mary embedded in the building? She's there in the picture.

The other SEALs hung out at the Ferrari store, sat and drank espresso and beer by the boats in the harbor. Remember Jones was hoping to get lucky and wanted Mark to go with him? But Mark had a date with Sophia, who lived in an appartment in one of these little winding streets off the Piazza?

In earlier books, Anne goes to the chapel here (although I do not call it Savonna, taking literary license) and prays for true love. Little does she know that Marcus Monteleone is in the chapel at that very moment, can hear her prayer and feel that she is the woman he's waited for for 300 years.

Just about everything I do I can make into a story. Today I watched another young couple kiss goodbye and I found myself staring. I love watching people in love, kissing in public. It makes my heart sing. In Italy, they do it a lot.

I wrote nearly 60% of Cruisin For A SEAL on the cruise we took last year, finding the lifeboat Mark and Sophia would have their rendezvous, and later where the Team would pull off a daring rescue. I climbed aboard this lifeboat and sat on the seat where they made love by candlelight. I found a secret way to enter the deck through a door covered by a curtain by accident. It was the perfect plan!

So, coming to Italy and going on another cruise has lots of meaning for me. I hope my readers will enjoy some of my next adventure. I've also got a setting in the Caribbean I'm wanting to research, and looking for a house to rent so I can explore next year further, perhaps stay a month or two and write. Another thing to add to my bucket list.

How about you? Do locations create stories in your head. Even if you're not a writer, do you make up stories about people just by watching them like I did with the young couple today? Are there places that get your creative juices flowing? Or make you so romantic you practically can't stand it? I want to hear it!!

Enjoy your Sunday.