TRAVEL TALES
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More than a decade ago, Ruben Mendoza asked Heidi Mendoza to marry him
at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Last month, the couple returned to that exact spot. Except this time,
they had three kids in tow -- Miles is 7, Mitchell is 6 and Sophia is 3
-- and Miles remarked that everything down below looked like Legos.
Accompanied by one set of grandparents and other relatives, the
Mendozas did a quick run through of Paris, Rome and London before jumping
aboard a seven-night Mediterranean cruise in Portofino, Italy.
“It was nice to be on a ship,” Heidi Mendoza, 37, said. “And it was
nice for the kids because they had a pool on the ship.”
Some favorite sights included the colorfully-painted buildings in
Portofino. They were orange, yellow, red and every other bright color on
the rainbow, and coordinated in abstract designs. Elaborate yachts were
parked in the water nearby.
Magic Johnson hung out there, Ivana Trump did too.
“We were saying ‘how’s it going Magic’ and he was talking to me and my
boys,” Ruben Mendoza said. “He was a lot bigger than he was when he was
playing. He put on about 30 pounds and he’s a lot more muscular.”
In Rome, the family visited the Coliseum, the Forum and even got a
private tour of the Vatican.
“It was amazing, how old everything was and just to be somewhere....”
Heidi Mendoza trailed off. “I would just say it gave you a sense of awe.”
And yes, pasta did seem different in Italy, the family said -- much
more fresh and varied.
Ruben Mendoza recalled the first visit to the Eiffel Tower about 12
years ago. It was November and it was cold. The ring was cushioned in
toilet paper and stuffed in his pocket.
“I was carrying it around two or three days,” said the building
material distributor. “I was planning on doing it the next day but
spontaneously, I chose that spot and day... It was kinda nice, this time
returning with the family.”
* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation
recently? Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to Travel Tales, 330 W.
Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail [email protected]; or fax to
(949) 646-4170.
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