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in front of St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City with the Egyptian Obelisk.

The Kelleys’ view as they were driving up to the highest point in Marseille.

A Venetian gondola driver gets ready to take tourists on a ride

Mary Frances Kelley in Rome, Italy, on the Tiber River. The bridge behind her is known for its markets.

The Kelleys in front of the Coliseum in Rome.

Jim Kelley might have won best husband of the year after taking his wife, Mary Frances Kelley, on a 12-day Mediterranean Romance cruise visiting 10 cities in Europe for her 50th birthday.

Kelley said that neither she nor her husband had ever been to Europe before.

“We were in awe of all of its historical beauty,” Kelley said. “I really didn’t have a favorite port, it was just a joy waking up each day to a different beautiful port.”

The couple traveled to Marseille, France; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Livorno, Italy (Florence,) Civitevecchia (Rome) Italy; Sicily; Corfu, Greece; Dubrovnik, Croatia; Kotor, Montegro; and Venice.

But their favorite was Dubrovnik, Croatia.

“We are both Game of Thrones fans,” Kelley said. “Dubrovnik had an ancient walled-in old town, which is where some of the scenes are filmed.”

Most of all, Kelley said that they both enjoyed the European food.

“Jim loved Taormina, Sicily,” Kelley said. “It was on top of a mountain and known for its cheese cannoli, which is a favorite dessert of both of us.”

–Christopher Smith

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