The last remaining days of the trip are winding down. Today, the bus tour really got to us - we felt like we were on a Senior Citizen trip, with everyone complaining about having to walk. These four hour tours can go by really quickly when you can only move as fast as the slowest old person in the group. Five minutes into the tour, we hit the WC (water closet), and we must have spent 30 minutes rounding up the old fogies so that we could continue the tour. The streets of Lucca are very narrow, and filled with cars and people on bicycles. We had several near misses of our traveling companions getting hit, because they either couldn't see the cars or hear the bicycles coming as we stood in the street to hear the historical information. By the time we witnessed one fellow tour member have seven cigarettes in the span of 45 minutes, I told Hamer that we were going to leave the group and meet them back at the appointed spot. It was just getting too frustrating, and we could cover more ground on our own. We managed to explore many of the side streets, and walk along the ramparts, or old wall of the city. It would have been lovely to stay a few more hours in this Tuscan town, and ride bikes around the area. The tour buses do not provide you with this lingering options, and we were back with our pals before we knew it. There are really a lot of loud East Coast people that really give the US travelers a bad name. You wish you could apologize for them...
On Saturday, we had to leave the ship in the AM, and we moved to the Seccy Hotel in Fiumicino, the town where the Rome airport is. This small fishing town is located along the sea, with a canal that runs through it for the fishing boats. We dropped our stuff at the hotel, wishing we could fly home today, but we could not get flights early enough after getting off the ship. We killed time by napping, and taking strolls through the city along the promenade. It was great watching the locals fish off the rocks, and gather at the restaurants for dinner. We followed the recommendation of our hotelier, and went to a neighborhood restaurant. We knew this would be an adventure when we were told that they did not begin serving dinner until 7:30 (due to the late lunches everyone has). The hotelier called and convinced them to serve us at 7:00 (we are getting up tomorrow at 3:45 AM to catch our flights). The restaurant was run by two elderly ladies that looked like the lunch crowd had tired them out. They kindly made an attempt to explain the menu, but there were a few glitches. Hamer's spaghetti with mussels came with sardines, but he hardly wimpered. I carefully ordered mine with "no fish" to avoid any similar errors. It all tasted great, and after about an hour and a half, we wandered back to the hotel.
After three weeks on the road, seas, and skies, we are anxious to get back to the hum drum life that we are used to. This has been one hell of a trip, and we are so glad that we made it. Many times along the way, as we strolled in beautiful spots, we pinched each other about being able to experience this.
Ciao from Italy!
Peggy and Ken
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Monte Carlo/Monaco
Today, we had no organized tour planned. One of the other couples that we are traveling with set off with us for a “come what may” day of exploring this fascinating city. We’ve all seen Monte Carlo listed as the place for the “rich and famous”, and we were not disappointed as we entered the harbor.
The yachts here are unbelievable! We spent about an hour watching a crew prepare a yacht to set sail - the boat was probably 125 feet long, and we counted at least 10 crew members who busied themselves with pulling up jet skis and motorized skiffs and putting them on the deck. They even had a treadmill on the deck that they had to secure! This was just one of hundreds of large pleasure boats.
We set off on a 15 minute walk up the hill to where the Palace of Monaco is located. This is one clean city - everything is well maintained. We arrived at the Palace in time to see the changing of the guard. Another tour group today got to see Prince Albert. We decided not to take the Palace tour so that we could continue on with the bus loop that would take us up to the top of the hill overlooking the city. After coming back down, we were dropped off in the area of the famous Monte Carlo Casino. They have Secret Service looking guys guard the doors, metering who can go in. There is a dress code, and we knew that we wouldn’t pass (casual traveler was the order of the day for us). The cars in front were nothing like the kamikazi style small cars we saw in Italy. Here, there were Rolls Royces, Maseratis, Mercedes, and BMW’s. Not a spec of dirt. Everyone here looks very well heeled.
Our last leg of the trip was a short open air water taxi over to the end of the pier where the ship was docked. This gave us an up close and personal look at the yachts. Where does all of this money come from? We wish we knew our flags better, as we had to guess where they were from.
Tonight, we sailed out of the harbor around 8:00 PM, with a beautiful lightning storm taking place over the mountain behind the city.
The yachts here are unbelievable! We spent about an hour watching a crew prepare a yacht to set sail - the boat was probably 125 feet long, and we counted at least 10 crew members who busied themselves with pulling up jet skis and motorized skiffs and putting them on the deck. They even had a treadmill on the deck that they had to secure! This was just one of hundreds of large pleasure boats.
We set off on a 15 minute walk up the hill to where the Palace of Monaco is located. This is one clean city - everything is well maintained. We arrived at the Palace in time to see the changing of the guard. Another tour group today got to see Prince Albert. We decided not to take the Palace tour so that we could continue on with the bus loop that would take us up to the top of the hill overlooking the city. After coming back down, we were dropped off in the area of the famous Monte Carlo Casino. They have Secret Service looking guys guard the doors, metering who can go in. There is a dress code, and we knew that we wouldn’t pass (casual traveler was the order of the day for us). The cars in front were nothing like the kamikazi style small cars we saw in Italy. Here, there were Rolls Royces, Maseratis, Mercedes, and BMW’s. Not a spec of dirt. Everyone here looks very well heeled.
Our last leg of the trip was a short open air water taxi over to the end of the pier where the ship was docked. This gave us an up close and personal look at the yachts. Where does all of this money come from? We wish we knew our flags better, as we had to guess where they were from.
Tonight, we sailed out of the harbor around 8:00 PM, with a beautiful lightning storm taking place over the mountain behind the city.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Barcelona - Wednesday, September 30th
Barcelona was a pleasant surprise to us! We had no preconceived ideas of how it was going to be. This seemed much more modern than the cities in Italy that we have visited, and the building architecture really kept our attention as we rode the open air, jump on, jump off bus. We had received some suggestions from our friend Alex, who spent several months there last fall while she was going to school. We didn’t have much time, so we took a loop of the city, and jumped off in areas that we found interesting. We even got rained on when we were on the top of the bus - amazing what you will put up with on vacation! About the time I began to question how long I was going to sit in the rain, it stopped! No umbrellas are permitted on the bus - I guess they don’t want them to get hooked as you go in the tunnels and underpasses!
We thought Barcelona was a beautiful city. We were warned about the dangers of pick pockets, but we made it out of this town with no losses! We visited the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in the center of the city, a large, on-going project by Gaudi. The tour takes place inside the church, in amongst the tradesmen working. I kept expecting at least some part of the interior to be finished - like I missed something. The began in 1890. We were told that it won’t be finished for another 30 - 40 years, due to money. I guess in the meantime, they have lots of admissions to collect to finish it.
We finished our visit with lunch at McDonald’s, where things don’t vary much. We then strolled down the Las Ramblas area, which is a many block area with large pedestrian venues running between the streets. These are filled with street vendors, street musicians, actors, and a lot of birds! Yellow parrots live in the trees down the boulevard, but there were so many vendors selling birds, cages, and various other varmints. There was a great covered market area of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. I guess people must shop daily. The smell sent me for the exit, and would cause me to turn vegetarian if I had to look these fish, chicken, and pigs in the eye each time I had to buy them! Way too up close and personal for me! Beautiful flower markets here.
We strolled back to the ship, and watched the sunset as we sailed out of the harbor. Another good day!
We thought Barcelona was a beautiful city. We were warned about the dangers of pick pockets, but we made it out of this town with no losses! We visited the Sagrada Familia Cathedral in the center of the city, a large, on-going project by Gaudi. The tour takes place inside the church, in amongst the tradesmen working. I kept expecting at least some part of the interior to be finished - like I missed something. The began in 1890. We were told that it won’t be finished for another 30 - 40 years, due to money. I guess in the meantime, they have lots of admissions to collect to finish it.
We finished our visit with lunch at McDonald’s, where things don’t vary much. We then strolled down the Las Ramblas area, which is a many block area with large pedestrian venues running between the streets. These are filled with street vendors, street musicians, actors, and a lot of birds! Yellow parrots live in the trees down the boulevard, but there were so many vendors selling birds, cages, and various other varmints. There was a great covered market area of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. I guess people must shop daily. The smell sent me for the exit, and would cause me to turn vegetarian if I had to look these fish, chicken, and pigs in the eye each time I had to buy them! Way too up close and personal for me! Beautiful flower markets here.
We strolled back to the ship, and watched the sunset as we sailed out of the harbor. Another good day!
Messina/Taormina Italy
Today, we went on a guided tour of Messina and Taormina, Italy. These are both hill towns, built around ancient ruins. Our tour guide had a heavy accent, so we had to strain to hear her as she barked instructions. She had a much different accent than the other Italian guides that we’ve had. Ten minutes into the walking tour, she had already lost the last half of our group. She was marching like a drill sergent (and we paid money for this???) They finally caught up with us, and we all swore that we weren’t going to let her out of our sight. We didn’t want to be left behind! I have to admit, we have had our share of inconsiderate fellow travelers. Some people don’t think a thing about not showing up by the deadline.
Taormina once had a thriving Greek Theatre. The remnants still stand, and they still hold some events there, overlooking the sea. This town lies at the base of Mt. Etna, a once active volcano. Due to the cloud cover, we did not catch a glimpse of the mountain.
We had some extra time before we met our group, so we found a wonderful sidewalk café to do some people watching. Of course - you can’t sit down, and not order anything - so we ordered the Coca Cola Light - the Euro version of Diet Coke. Thank goodness they have improved the taste since we were there in 2001. We had a great venue for spotting some of our traveling companions that are on the “favorite” list!
Taormina once had a thriving Greek Theatre. The remnants still stand, and they still hold some events there, overlooking the sea. This town lies at the base of Mt. Etna, a once active volcano. Due to the cloud cover, we did not catch a glimpse of the mountain.
We had some extra time before we met our group, so we found a wonderful sidewalk café to do some people watching. Of course - you can’t sit down, and not order anything - so we ordered the Coca Cola Light - the Euro version of Diet Coke. Thank goodness they have improved the taste since we were there in 2001. We had a great venue for spotting some of our traveling companions that are on the “favorite” list!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Venice
We steamed towards Venice and entered the Grand Canal just after lunch. It was spectacular to see the city from this high perch at the top of the ship. There were three ships coming in at once, so this provided extra interest in watching them all dock. We were allowed off the ship at 2:00 PM, and we were on our own to explore the city. The ship is spending the night so there were no real deadlines to hit for getting back. (Speaking of deadlines to get back to the ship - we have been entertained on the nights that we are leaving port, watching the late arriving passengers stroll up. Most don’t seem to be sweating it - my blood pressure would be through the roof! They warn people that they could be left behind if they miss the deadlines. They know exactly who isn’t back on the ship, because we have to insert our card in a machine when we get off - the wonders of technology! At the deadline, they overhead page for family/friends of the missing passengers to call. Then they begin pacing the dock.)
We got on the vaparetto that took us to St. Mark’s Square, and tried to get into the beautiful mosaic church located there. We just missed the deadline for getting in. Ken even remembered his zip on pant legs, but they were all for not. We spent the next several hours wandering the back streets of Venice. Things here are very expensive, but you have to figure in that everything is transported by boat and by hand to get it in to the city. Lots of designer shops. We didn’t buy anything here. We then took one of the vaparetto’s out towards the island of Murano. About half way, we decided to get off, and we strolled down a park like area next to the Grand Canal. When the legs and enthusiasm gave out, we jumped another water bus back to the area of the ship, where we had dinner.
Day 2 Venice: Just before getting off the ship, we started talking with our Russian room steward Ihar (pronounced E-har). He was asking for advice on how he could see some of Venice in the 3 hours that he had off. We weren’t going to be using the balance of our vaparetto pass, so we gave that to him (typical segments on the vaparetto are over 6.0 Euros (or approximately $9.00 US). We filled him in on the directions to where he needed to go, and we worried all day like parents whether he would get on the right vaparetto to the ship before we sailed. Fortunately, he was here when the ship sailed, and he was thrilled with all that he saw in Venice. He said “I take lots of peectures!”
At 8:00 AM, we boarded a boat to go out to the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is famous for its lace making, and Murano for the glass. We saw a demonstration on the glass making, and then taken into a store - VERY expensive - especially when you have to pay in Euros. We passed on any glass purchases, but I did find a bracelet. The price didn’t cause Ken to have a stroke. We got back to the ship, and took our usual perch of watch the late arrivers.
We have been very surprised at the number of Russian passengers on this ship. When announcements are made, they are first done in English, and then in Russian (the only other language they repeat them in). The cabins on either side of us have Russians in them. Lots of smokers, which is a little aggravating when one is seeking a quiet moment on the balcony. The general people watching has been great, and we have named the odd balls. See attached pictures for the “best of” cruise passengers.
Today, we are sailing for Messina, down by the toe of Italy. I seem to have picked up a flu bug (possibly the dreaded Noro virus that frequents cruise ships). The aches, chills, and trots continue today - thank goodness for a day a sea to recover. I hope to feel better by tomorrow, when we have a five hour excursion. Nothing more fun than needed a bathroom when you don’t know where they are, or how much they will cost!
Ciao,
Peggy and Ken
We got on the vaparetto that took us to St. Mark’s Square, and tried to get into the beautiful mosaic church located there. We just missed the deadline for getting in. Ken even remembered his zip on pant legs, but they were all for not. We spent the next several hours wandering the back streets of Venice. Things here are very expensive, but you have to figure in that everything is transported by boat and by hand to get it in to the city. Lots of designer shops. We didn’t buy anything here. We then took one of the vaparetto’s out towards the island of Murano. About half way, we decided to get off, and we strolled down a park like area next to the Grand Canal. When the legs and enthusiasm gave out, we jumped another water bus back to the area of the ship, where we had dinner.
Day 2 Venice: Just before getting off the ship, we started talking with our Russian room steward Ihar (pronounced E-har). He was asking for advice on how he could see some of Venice in the 3 hours that he had off. We weren’t going to be using the balance of our vaparetto pass, so we gave that to him (typical segments on the vaparetto are over 6.0 Euros (or approximately $9.00 US). We filled him in on the directions to where he needed to go, and we worried all day like parents whether he would get on the right vaparetto to the ship before we sailed. Fortunately, he was here when the ship sailed, and he was thrilled with all that he saw in Venice. He said “I take lots of peectures!”
At 8:00 AM, we boarded a boat to go out to the islands of Burano and Murano. Burano is famous for its lace making, and Murano for the glass. We saw a demonstration on the glass making, and then taken into a store - VERY expensive - especially when you have to pay in Euros. We passed on any glass purchases, but I did find a bracelet. The price didn’t cause Ken to have a stroke. We got back to the ship, and took our usual perch of watch the late arrivers.
We have been very surprised at the number of Russian passengers on this ship. When announcements are made, they are first done in English, and then in Russian (the only other language they repeat them in). The cabins on either side of us have Russians in them. Lots of smokers, which is a little aggravating when one is seeking a quiet moment on the balcony. The general people watching has been great, and we have named the odd balls. See attached pictures for the “best of” cruise passengers.
Today, we are sailing for Messina, down by the toe of Italy. I seem to have picked up a flu bug (possibly the dreaded Noro virus that frequents cruise ships). The aches, chills, and trots continue today - thank goodness for a day a sea to recover. I hope to feel better by tomorrow, when we have a five hour excursion. Nothing more fun than needed a bathroom when you don’t know where they are, or how much they will cost!
Ciao,
Peggy and Ken
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Croatia
Dubrovnik, Croatia
We sailed into this beautiful port around 6:30 this AM. This is by far the most beautiful place we have been to. Most of the other ports have been more industrial ports. This was an inlet into the city, where there were many smaller boats going in and out. We left by bus from the pier around 8:30, and took a drive through the Croatian countryside to a farm with a water wheel powered grinder. Here we were served wine (9:30 AM), cheese, prosciutto, dried figs, and candied almonds and orange peels. From here, we visited a smaller seaside town that was so pretty. The water here in the Adriatric Sea is a beautiful blue, and very clear. We took a walk around this city, and then did a 30 minute walk around one of the peninsulas of the city. From this beautiful place, we were then taken to the walled city of Dubrovnik. These ancient cities are fascinating, and one could spend hours walking the narrow side streets. All of us have decided that this is our favorite city, and one that we could return to when we needed to get away from our busy lives at home.
Tonight, we skipped our usual 6:00 dinner seating time, and had drinks on the upper deck of the ship. We wanted to be sure that we got to see the sunset over the islands outside the harbor, and to see the ship leave port at 7:00 PM. The weather today was the best so far, so we had a great evening to be outside to see the sunset. For most of the trip, we have had cloudy days and some rain. The Mediterranean has been hard hit with weather issues that seem to be missing the more northern areas of Europe. We should have nice weather in Venice tomorrow. No tours tomorrow - just exploring on foot and the vaparettos (city buses that are boats). New camera is working well.
Ciao,
Peggy and Ken
We sailed into this beautiful port around 6:30 this AM. This is by far the most beautiful place we have been to. Most of the other ports have been more industrial ports. This was an inlet into the city, where there were many smaller boats going in and out. We left by bus from the pier around 8:30, and took a drive through the Croatian countryside to a farm with a water wheel powered grinder. Here we were served wine (9:30 AM), cheese, prosciutto, dried figs, and candied almonds and orange peels. From here, we visited a smaller seaside town that was so pretty. The water here in the Adriatric Sea is a beautiful blue, and very clear. We took a walk around this city, and then did a 30 minute walk around one of the peninsulas of the city. From this beautiful place, we were then taken to the walled city of Dubrovnik. These ancient cities are fascinating, and one could spend hours walking the narrow side streets. All of us have decided that this is our favorite city, and one that we could return to when we needed to get away from our busy lives at home.
Tonight, we skipped our usual 6:00 dinner seating time, and had drinks on the upper deck of the ship. We wanted to be sure that we got to see the sunset over the islands outside the harbor, and to see the ship leave port at 7:00 PM. The weather today was the best so far, so we had a great evening to be outside to see the sunset. For most of the trip, we have had cloudy days and some rain. The Mediterranean has been hard hit with weather issues that seem to be missing the more northern areas of Europe. We should have nice weather in Venice tomorrow. No tours tomorrow - just exploring on foot and the vaparettos (city buses that are boats). New camera is working well.
Ciao,
Peggy and Ken
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Moving On
Departing Rome/Cruise:
We finished our stay in Rome with a wonderful dinner at a small Italian restaurant near St. Giovanni Lanterna Church and the famous steps that Jesus walked on. Our mission in going out for dinner included obtaining enough toilet paper for the apartment to last us until we left on Monday morning. None of the local stores were open on Sunday that sold toilet paper (you can purchase wine, but no TP on Sundays – go figure!). We spent a leisurely Monday morning at a neighborhood café enjoying the pastries and coffee, and finishing up at the local Internet Café. It was great – we could take care of all of our messaging and calls to the US (10 cents/min) to check on family. We also Skyped the kids a few times. It was easier to reach Stacy in Scotland, with just a one hour time difference. We did speak to Kelly, but it was more challenging with a nine hour difference. Congratulations to Ryan and the US PGA Cup team on their victory over Great Britain and Ireland. I’m sure that it was a tremendous experience for both of you.
On our first full day on the ship, we took a tour that included the Island of Capri, Sorrento, and Pompei ruins. We took a hydrofoil boat over to Capri (short cat naps for all of us). Capri is a lovely small island, with shear rock cliffs lining it. We then took another boat ride over to Sorrento. This is another beautiful town, where they took us to a restaurant high on the cliffs. A two stop excursion would have been enough for one day, but we had one more stop to see the Pompei ruins below Mt. Vesuvius. It was very fascinating to see what they have excavated, and the stories that accompanied these buildings, including the “happy room”. The road surfaces where challenging to walk on, as they were very uneven. You had to stare at your feet at all times when walking, which caused you to miss out on some of the commentary about things we were passing. Needless to say, we were whipped after the end of this tour. We were one of the last couple to buses to return to the ship, and arrived past our dinner seating time of 6:00 PM. We went anyway. It was going to be a short night for most of us. Ken had not had much time to explore the ship, so he spent a couple of hours checking out where everything was (it sure helps me when it comes time to go somewhere!) He can’t sit still – does that surprise some of you?
Today, we are at sea, steaming towards Dubrovnik, Croatia. We are all relishing the down time, as we didn’t have much time in Rome to kick back. I went and had a pedicure this AM, while Ken went and worked on getting us signed up the for the internet. We also purchased a new camera, since the battery is ready to die soon on our normal camera (rewind to the lost bag story – battery charger was one of the casualties). This ship is really beautiful, but they have a number of things to work on. I’m sure this is the same for all new ships. For the most part, we don’t have major things wrong like some (sewage smell down on deck 3????). Glad we are on Deck 9, with a balcony. This is the first time we have splurged for a balcony – I don’t think I can go back to an inside room again.
Hope this finds you all well. We get bits of information from the US on CNN International. For those of you that are FOX lovers, you would be out of luck. This is a great alternative to the bickering that goes on between the partisan networks. No “fair and balanced” here!
Ciao – Peggy and Ken
We finished our stay in Rome with a wonderful dinner at a small Italian restaurant near St. Giovanni Lanterna Church and the famous steps that Jesus walked on. Our mission in going out for dinner included obtaining enough toilet paper for the apartment to last us until we left on Monday morning. None of the local stores were open on Sunday that sold toilet paper (you can purchase wine, but no TP on Sundays – go figure!). We spent a leisurely Monday morning at a neighborhood café enjoying the pastries and coffee, and finishing up at the local Internet Café. It was great – we could take care of all of our messaging and calls to the US (10 cents/min) to check on family. We also Skyped the kids a few times. It was easier to reach Stacy in Scotland, with just a one hour time difference. We did speak to Kelly, but it was more challenging with a nine hour difference. Congratulations to Ryan and the US PGA Cup team on their victory over Great Britain and Ireland. I’m sure that it was a tremendous experience for both of you.
On our first full day on the ship, we took a tour that included the Island of Capri, Sorrento, and Pompei ruins. We took a hydrofoil boat over to Capri (short cat naps for all of us). Capri is a lovely small island, with shear rock cliffs lining it. We then took another boat ride over to Sorrento. This is another beautiful town, where they took us to a restaurant high on the cliffs. A two stop excursion would have been enough for one day, but we had one more stop to see the Pompei ruins below Mt. Vesuvius. It was very fascinating to see what they have excavated, and the stories that accompanied these buildings, including the “happy room”. The road surfaces where challenging to walk on, as they were very uneven. You had to stare at your feet at all times when walking, which caused you to miss out on some of the commentary about things we were passing. Needless to say, we were whipped after the end of this tour. We were one of the last couple to buses to return to the ship, and arrived past our dinner seating time of 6:00 PM. We went anyway. It was going to be a short night for most of us. Ken had not had much time to explore the ship, so he spent a couple of hours checking out where everything was (it sure helps me when it comes time to go somewhere!) He can’t sit still – does that surprise some of you?
Today, we are at sea, steaming towards Dubrovnik, Croatia. We are all relishing the down time, as we didn’t have much time in Rome to kick back. I went and had a pedicure this AM, while Ken went and worked on getting us signed up the for the internet. We also purchased a new camera, since the battery is ready to die soon on our normal camera (rewind to the lost bag story – battery charger was one of the casualties). This ship is really beautiful, but they have a number of things to work on. I’m sure this is the same for all new ships. For the most part, we don’t have major things wrong like some (sewage smell down on deck 3????). Glad we are on Deck 9, with a balcony. This is the first time we have splurged for a balcony – I don’t think I can go back to an inside room again.
Hope this finds you all well. We get bits of information from the US on CNN International. For those of you that are FOX lovers, you would be out of luck. This is a great alternative to the bickering that goes on between the partisan networks. No “fair and balanced” here!
Ciao – Peggy and Ken
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