TRAVEL TALES

Young Chang

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 young.chang@latimes.com; or fax to

(949) 646-4170.