Images of far off lands stimulate our appetite to venture beyond our structured lives. Willing us to be a part of it all, images allow us to daydream of wonderful experiences that exist throughout the world.

A photo coming to life in our imagination gives us a sense of experience. What is stunning is when that imagined experience becomes a reality.

In the promotion of our Sicily & Malta tour I lived vicariously through many lovely images. In destination, photos came to life in an extraordinary way. I no longer had to drum up what it might feel like to be there, I was there.

The first of these experiences occurred when, on the day of our arrival in Sicily, our group viewed the Ancient Greek Theatre in Taormina. All my senses took in the scene. It was sunset so the lighting was perfect for viewing this ancient ruin. Through an arched opening at the front of the theatre I could see the Ionian Sea. Following the sea to the shoreline brought in sight the Gulf of Naxos where ancient Greeks landed and decided to call this part of the island home. It was the third century BC. I felt as though, by merely being here, I became a part of that history.

Our tour continued to emotionally enlarge images for me: the Temple of Concordia, the fishing village of Marsalokk, the Azure Window to name just a few.

Images became my own. When showing my personal photos to friends and family the showing came part and parcel with a knowing smile.