The Ship, Day 10

The final day of the cruise we were sailing back to Barcelona, so we got the entire day to explore and enjoy the ship.  And let me just tell you, there was plenty to do.  Our ship was amazing. 

Let's begin with our room: we stayed in a suite, since we had a pretty big group.  It was beautiful; two bedrooms and a living room where Caroline and I slept.  We also had a gorgeous outdoor balcony, which hung over the back of the ship.  So when we entered and exited the ports, we saw everything.  Beautiful views, beautiful sunsets.  It was amazing. 

As for the ship, there was everything, everywhere.  People, pools, restaurants, overwhelming and interesting things to behold, ALL the time.  There were two big pools, next to each other, with a huge hot tub in between(you could watch movies on the big screen, in the hot tub, at night).  There was a skydeck with lounge chairs for gold members only, which we were(because of the suite). There was also rock climbing(I got to the top!), ice skating and a wave rider that we did on the last day. For our meals on the ship there were also about 5 or 6 different restaurants.  One of these was a main dining hall, with 3 levels and assigned tables for each family.    We ate dinner here every night.  The food and service were fantastic!  Our waiters were Eriberto and Dikkie and after 7 nights with them, they knew all of us by name and we all chatted like old friends.  On a couple of nights the waiters and chefs came out and sang or walked around the restuant and all the diners would wave their napkins in the air(we were pretty cool like that).  Two of the dinner nights were more formal and we dressed up for the occasion.  After each dinner we would go out for a stroll along the pool deck and watch the sunset. 

Each night there was a different show.  We went to the "In the Air" show, which was full of amazing acrobatics and dancers and lights.  People would run across the floor with huge twirling fabric and jump into a hole in the ground and then fly right back up from a trampoline.  It was amazing.  The adults went to a couple of other shows, also.  One of those nights the kids rented a movie, got some appetizers from downstairs and hung out in the room.  On the other one, Theo stayed with the adults at the show while Caroline and I explored the ship(and played elevator tag :).  The Royal Promenade was the central area of the ship, with shops, restaurants, lights and music.  It was lot of fun to explore at night as well.  There were (literally) thousands of photo opportunities in this area as well as other parts of the ship.

This last day on the ship, as well as all the other time we spent there was time to relax, explore and really have fun in such an amazing place.

All fancied up for the formal dinner

The Waiters Serenading Me On My Birthday

Amalfi Coast Photos

There are just so many things to see that the pictures require their own post. :)

Me, at the restaurant

Positano!

Walking down to the restaurant, by the gradens

Us, at lunch

Famous scene in the wall

The first course

Gorge, with ancient building, Sorrento

The lovely ocean

Our first stop

The dining area

Personal gradens of the restaurant

A hole in the cliffs

Looking down a street.

Amalfi Coast, Italy: Day 8, Part 2

Picture this: Soaring cliffs, shooting straight up from an ocean brighter than the sky.  Tiny cliff side towns with roofs in every vibrant color, seeming to appear out of nowhere.  Each street filled to the brim with quaint shops, their products overflowing into the streets.  Handmade dresses blow in the breeze and the cobblestones feel ancient under your feet.  Each time you round a corner the view takes your breath away.  The ocean literally sizzles with enticing coolness on this summer day, while tiny boats float next to tiny islands, miles away.  Tiny children run by, screaming with happiness.  A breeze wafts past, bringing with it the smells of the ocean, lemons and whatever delicious food the restaurant next door is cooking up.  This, is living.

One piece of advice: take a trip to the Amalfi Coast.

I guarantee, you will never regret it.  This gem of Italy is something that many people never see, but nobody should miss.  It begins with Sorrento and Positano, the two towns we visited.  On the way, we stopped for a fabulous view of the cliffs and Mediterranean, which included actually taking pictures(with permission) on a pastor's balcony area.  After this we toured his gorgeous church, complete with extremely old tiles and beautiful paintings. 

We carried on and had an absolutely breathtaking lunch, on the outskirts of Positano, high on a hill.  It was merely a balcony, built into the side of the cliffs, forming a tiny restaurant where there was no menu.  We sat down and immediately 10 dishes of food was brought to us, all ingredients picked that day, out of their personal gardens.  We were surrounded by stuffed peppers, tomato salad, fresh mozzarella (prepared that day), rice, broccoli, fresh bread, prosciutto, potato croquette and grilled eggplant.  We shared it all, major family style.  The second course was 4 different types of homemade, fantastic pasta, including ravioli, sausage pasta and lasagna.  Finally, when we though we couldn't eat anything more, they brought out a platter of still warm desserts and Lemon cello, the region's specialty.  All this amazing food combined with the incredible view right next to our table made this more than just a meal; it was an experience. 

After we'd successfully stuffed ourselves Paolo took us right into the heart of Positano, where we hiked down the narrow, winding streets, beauty in every direction.  We went all the way down the ocean, where people sat sunbathing, swimming or taking in the view.  The hot, rocky soil caused the water to actually sizzle as it swept in and out. 

On our way out of the city, we saw the tiny nativity scene carved into the cliffs embracing the narrow road.  Going backwards know, we went to Sorrento, another Amalfi jewel.  This city is more about color than cliffs, but it was almost as stunning.  Here, in Paolo's hometown we showed us an ancient building, hidden in a deep gorge as well as showing us the inside of a lovely monastery and its gorgeous, flowering gardens.  We then went to a ledge, looking down on the clear, blue water, where unique floating rafts lay, happy sunbathers enjoying them.  These sights were some of our last of the beautiful city, along with the memories of gazing upon the beautiful church and sipping fabulous Sorrento lemonade.

What.  a.  day.

Pompeii, Italy: Day 8, Part 1

This was our last excursion day off of the cruise ship.  It was definitely one of the best.  Our guide today, Paolo, was quite the character and everyone quite enjoyed his company and tour choices. 

Me and Caroline in the Forum of Pompeii

In the morning we made our first stop at the extremely well-known Pompeii attraction, situated right between the stunning Mediterranean and Mt. Vesuvius.  Pompeii was an amazing place, but also very crowded and touristy.  In the more famous parts, such as the very popular Forum and Goddess Rooms I felt mobbed by people from every country, clutching cameras.  I preferred the moments when we were walking on one of the smaller side streets with no people.  In the less densely populated areas of this landmark I was able to feel like we were a part of an older time, another world. 

Pompeii was originally an ancient city, located at the base of a mountain.  This, of course was Mount Vesuvius, a volcano, and it erupted suddenly, and violently, burying the entire city, which would be lost for centuries.  Because of this unique situation, the people of Pompeii were literally "buried alive" and when the forgotten city was discovered, they also found exact casts of the people, in the exact same positions they were in when they died.  The casts are now on display in some of the many rooms of Pompeii, where visitors can see these people, frozen in time.  After we had our fair share of learning and discovering, we left Pompeii, picked up some souvernirs outside and headed on to our next leg of the  amazing journey, the Amalfi Coast.

Civitavecchia, Italy: Day 7 **Annie's Birthday!!

The Castle

Today the cruise suggested we go to Rome, but seeing as we were going back for 3 days, we didn't want to "waste" our time.  Instead we decided to stay near the port, Civitavecchia.  We planned to go to a castle about 15 minutes away, but had no idea how to get there.  So, we asked the bus company, who said to ask at the train station, so we asked the info booth about the train station and they said to try the bus system.  So we stopped asking people and decided to try the train station.  We headed in that direction, rather aimlessly.  Someone on the street asked us if we were interested in tours to Rome, but we thought nothing of it.  Then about 3 minutes later (stopped in almost the same spot we had been when he asked)  while huddled over a map, Pop turned around and asked the guy if he would take us instead to this castle.  He agreed and we had a guide. 
     So, the incredibly cute Matteo (and his dad) took us to the neighboring town where the castle was located.  They dropped us of at the main entrance and waited in the parking lot.  So, we wandered into the main courtyard area where we were surrounded by gorgeous brick walls, arches and flowers.  But, it was deserted.  A minute later Matteo came back and said that he had just heard that the castle was closed for renovations.  Glum and unsure what we would do, we wandered to the other side of the courtyard where we stopped in a pottery store, filled to the brim with every handmade decoration possible.  Outside the shop, I got a birthday present of gummy jolly ranchers(one of my favoite things) from my other set of parents back home :). 
     Our spirits slightly lifted, we went outside where Matteo said he knew something else we could do, but first suggested stopping down at the black sand beach.  We took the advice, knowing something pretty was in store.  On one side we saw the beach and the beautiful Meditteranean, and on the other, a view of the port 15 miles away.  We made our way down to the beach, careful to stay away from the waves rushing in as none of us had brought the proper "equiptment" for getting wet.  Everyone was on the other side of the beach and Mom, Caroline and I were making our way over to them when a huge wave came far up onto shore and got everyone wet(meaning Caroline, Mom and I as well as the innocent beachgoers).  Needless to say we were sandy and soaked all the way up to our calves and I was not wearing sandals.  So far the castle excursion wasn't going so well. :)  But, no worries, it was all uphill from here.  We made our way around the side of the beautiful castle, taking in the views of the ancient building until it almost felt to me like it was the 13th century. 
     When we were finshed exploring we went back to the van where Matteo told us we would be going to see some ancient Roman baths, where an emperer had once lived. It was an untouched gem.  We were the only people there and the baths were an amazing piece of history.  The town of Civiavecchia is very near Rome, and this spot used to be part of the Ancient outskirts.  The ruins were built during the period between 126 and 80 BC as a public area for bathing and relaxing as well as the home of some influential people. 
      Many of the areas seemed to be mazes of very small rooms whose walls had now crumbled down. Each had a completely distinct and gorgeous tile pattern on the floors.  The second area was made of much larger, more public rooms, some with large baths or pools that were fed by underground springs.  Amazing architecture completely surrounded us.  The last part was a more practical area, where people stored foods and possibly made homes.  We saw cellars and dwelling-type areas here along with a gorgeous garden, complete with olive trees, fountains, archways and beautiul sculptures discovered on the property.  After meandering around and taking it all in for a while, we were ready to go back to port.
     Matteo and his father brought us to a great little restaurant and said goodbye.  It wa sad to see our guides leave but we really did have a great day.  We all enjoyed a delicious "birthday" lunch(I had Spaghetti Carbonara, Caroline had Cacio Pepe, Theo had pizza, etc), during which Pop asked an accordianist to sing me Happy Birthday in Italian and we made friends with the waiter. After our lunch we made our way down to the water(right below the restaurant) where we (illegally) looked at the Coast Guard planes because someone told us we couldn't.  Back on the boat early, we enjoyed some swimming and relaxing before heading off to our dinner on the ship where I was serenaded by our waiters and given some extra pie.  It had to have been my most memorable birthday ever. :)

Some tiles at the Taurine Baths

Our guide, Matteo

Florence, Italy: Day 6, Part 2

      There is no real way to understand how much I loved Florence, how amazing it was, how absolutely fantastic it was, without going there yourself.  Hopefully until that day comes, this blog will do. 
      In the Tuscany/Florence area, sunflower fields are like Wisconsin's corn fields.  Everywhere; all the time.  Our driver, being a Tuscan native was rather confused by our need to point out EVERY sunflower field we passed, but it was just too exciting and foreign a thing for us, to say nothing. 
     Our very first stop, before we even got to the city, led us on the narrowest road of the trip for sure(at one point we had to pull into a driveway barely long enough for the van so someone else could go down the hill), through a tiny "village".  We wound up and back down on the other side where we stopped and met a stunning view of the entire city.  Italy, of course, is known for its red roofs, rolling hills and history-rich cities.  This is exactly what we saw.    In my opinion, absolute beauty.  And then we got to the second view.  This one was closer to the city and much more touristy, another kind of otherworldly to me. :)  We could see the Duomo up close, the river, and in the distance the Ponte Vecchio.  The same gorgeous roofs that by this point felt almost like my own way of life, though they weren't.  Then Francesco took us into the heart of the city, where we kept looking from the car window on one side, to the one on the other, ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the sights.  A huge, marble arch right above us.  The river on the left.  A famous museum on the right.  And then, all at once the Duomo, right in front of us.
       We went first to see David, created by Michaelangelo in the early 1500s.  Skipping the endlessly stretching lines altogether-thanks to Francesco-we headed inside.  The Statue of David went above and beyond my expectations.  He was enormous, a 10 foot tall man with almost exact proportions as well as being incredibly intricate(down to strands of hair and fingernails).  It was a statue that was completely unflawed, except for one crack in his left leg, left there forever by a crazy man with a hammer.  In the same hall leading to David's permanent exhibit, was something almost as interesting.  About 20 unfinished Michaelangelo pieces.  They were large pieces of stone with varying amounts of human features chiseled into them.  In some you could distinguish an entire man's figure except for his hands or feet.  In others all we could see was an arm reaching out or half a face, seeming to say, "Help Me". :) 
          After this, Francesco took us to a restaurant he recommended, gave us directions to the rest of the sights, and told us we'd meet up in an hour and a half for gelato.  Lunch was eaten outside a tiny, cramped, delicious deli.  We got slices of pizza or caprese sandwiches and ate on the move.  The Duomo was our next stop.  Having seen it on the way in, we only spent a few minutes, just to take pictures and admire.  Then we walked to the Ponte Vecchio, on the way seeing the town hall, and a huge outdoor market.  The Ponte Vecchio is a bridge, one that is not used for driving across, but rather simply for hosting two parallel rows of high quality jewelry stores.  From the outside you can see the backs of the shops protruding outward slightly, windows decorated with vines and flowers.  From another, much more plain bridge, you can get a great view of the Ponte Vecchio. 
          A quick walk back and we met up with Francesco who took us to his favorite gelato shop, Grom, where he suggested the Crema, an egg cream.  I took his suggestion and boy, was I glad I did.  It was amazing.  Our first gelato in Italy was a huge success.  I ended up getting the Crema every time we had gelato from then on. 

This concluded one of my personal favorite days of the trip, leaving me with many solid memories.  Two gorgeous views, the remarkable Ponte Vecchio, the flawless David, the enormous Duomo, my first real Italian gelato....and the bright blue color of Francesco's shoes.  :)

Pisa, Italy: Day 6, Part 1

Being our very first stop in Italy, of course we were excited, seeing as more than half of us had never been and Italy is just about the most well-known, beautiful country in the world.  We didn't spend the whole day in Pisa, just a few hours, leaving in the mid-morning to go to Florence.  Our tour guide for the day was named Francesco, my personal favorite of the trip.  Omi and Opa had been to Florence before and decided to have a more relaxing day, exploring Livorno(our port city), and spending time on the ship.
        Pisa pretty much consists of 3 things: some beautiful, Italian-typical buildings, an extremely old wall around the main city, and of course the famous Leaning Tower.  This was obviously the sole purpose of our visit and on the way to the tower our guide filled us in on it's history.
        The first three floors were created at the same time, but when the creators realized it was leaning they stopped building it for centuries and it was left unfinished.  Finally, someone came along and completed building the unique structure, but it leaned more each and every year.  Then in the late 20th century a group of scientists got together and figured out a way to make an enormously heavy marble building stop leaning in the soft, sandy soil it was built on.  They injected their special substance into the soil to freeze the tower in its current place.  And here we are today.
        So we visited.  We played the mega-tourists and took pictures holding up the Tower, as well as doing some souvenir shopping.  It was incredibly striking to look at a building that was so beautiful, so intricate and so obviously heavy, leaning noticeably to its side, yet still safe to stand in.  The buildings next to the tower are also very interesting.  One has an enormous door covered in carvings and the other is a dome that is red on one side and faded to white on the other.  One of the things that I liked the most about Pisa was the fact that surrounding these famous buildings is and area of extremely green and beautiful grass that makes the whole thing less touristy to me in some way.  I adored that grass almost more than the main attraction. All in all I never expected much out of this city OR the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but both surprised me by being above and beyond my original expectations.