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.

Monaco and Monte Carlo: Day 5, Part 2

After leaving Eze, our guide, Sandrine took us right on to Monaco.  Monaco is divided into 10 districts, the most famous of which are the Rock District(where we began our time in Monaco and where the Prince's Palace is located), The Port District (Formula I Grand Prix location) and Monte Carlo (where we ended our time in Monaco).  To get on top of "The Rock" you must drive around a mile or so of curving streets, get into a parking garage, go up an elevator, walk across a gift shop and museum AND FINALLY, ride another elevator to the top.

View of the Royal Palace in my sunglasses

       Upon our arrival, our guide showed us the Oceanographic Museum, and then took us all the way to The Main Square, going past the gorgeous Judicial Building, covered in intricate stonework; the homes of the Princesses and numerous other beautiful buildings and gardens.  The square of Monaco was what you'd probably expect: colorful, bright and open.  At the center was the Prince's Palace, a unique building itself due to it's two parts, built in completely different centuries.  On either side of the Palace are incredibly gorgeous and different views of the harbors below.  On one side you can find a view that looks completely fake (in my opinion it looked like a miniature village), with the buildings perfectly cut and colored exactly the same.  In this same spot were the original cannons and stacks of cannonballs used when Monaco was first created, to protect from outside invadors.  The second view, on the opposite side of the square is where you can see the Grand Prix track, the biggest port, the Olympic swimming pool, and a great view of the hills AND the sea.
       We see the statue of Francois Grimaldi, who tricked his family's way into power by pretending to be a monk.  After this, Sandrine leaves us to explore on our own.  We eat lunch at a little restaurant with an even littler outdoor cafe where I fell off the patio's edge twice. :)  Then we saw the changing of the guards(the hourly, much briefer version than the 11 o'clock changing), went shopping and decided to take the tour of the Prince's Palace.  The Palace had it all.  Gardens, courtyards, famous artwork, paintings, and rooms in every color.
       After this we met up with Sandrine who drove us along the beginning of the Grand Prix track, (around the harbor and nearby areas) and stopped we in Monte Carlo.  We saw the famous and beautiful Casino(which Mom and Omi went in) and the Hotel de Paris(from the movie Monte Carlo) and then explored the gardens next to these famous buildings, which were filled with fountains, sculptures and more fountains.  Finally, we finished up the Grand Prix track on the way back to the main road, where we headed back to the ship.  The end of an amazing, beautiful, colorful day.

Eze, France: Day 5, Part 1



The church in town



This was our second excursion day from the cruise ship.  We had hired another private tour guide to meet us at the dock.  She took us first to the medieval village of Eze, located between Cannes(our port, think Cannes film festival :) and Monaco, our second stop.  On our way to Eze, we stopped once to take pictures of the whole town itself, a gorgeous sight to see.  Then she took us right into the base of the city and we walked to the top.  We stopped on the meandering streets to go inside the beautiful(and bright orange) church, which was filled with gorgeous frescoes and statues.  We shopped and walked and finally made it to the top where we found an exotic garden and absolutely AMAZING views of the French countryside and ports.  This viewing area is found at the prior location of the castle of Eze, (now just a few walls and bronze statues).  Let me just say, it was well worth the hike to the top.  And of course, a day wouldn't be complete for me without falling and embarrassing myself and this was no exception.  On the way back down I slipped and fell full out.  :)  All in a day.  Back on the road again, now, we headed of to Monaco, our second stop. 





The view from the top



Provence and the Cote 'd Azur, France: Day 4



The cliffs of Provence



Our first excursion day on the ship was to Provence.  I was extremely excited for this day and it did not disappoint.  We hired a private guide for the day, to show us the sights.  They met us at the dock and had already come up with a plan for the entire day.  Our first stop was to a tiny town about 25 minutes away from the port of Toulon, where a typical Provencal market was being held on the main street.  There were vendors selling everything from fresh fruit, to clothes, to olives, to knives.  We meandered the market street and stopped to get some coffee and tea at a cafe.  The marketplace is a setting where you can really immerse yourself in the non tourist culture of a place.  Our second stop was what our guides, David (the main guide) and Vincent (driver), called the French equivalent to the Fjords of Norway.  Our journey to these cliffs led us on a long, narrow and incredibly foggy road with stunning, but fleeting views of the port on one side and great views of the mountains on the other.  We stopped once to take photos of the mountains and then got back in the car to finish the drive to the main cliff view.  It was quite amazing.  The fog blanketed the towns below as well as the countless vineyards scattered throughout the valley.  After this we continued our drive to another small town, on the way seeing the basilica built into the high cliff faces where Mary Magdalene's body was discovered in a cave where she lived for 30 years.  We reached the next town and had a delicious lunch.  Me and about half of our group had crepes while the others had meat and fish dishes.  My crepe of choice was prosciutto, cheese and an egg cracked on top, baked.  In this same small town we visited the Basilica de Mary Magdalene, built in her honor.  It was a gorgeous church and featured in the center was her actual skull, in a container and framed by decorative golden hair.  After this, our last stop was a private winery tour.  We learned how they make wine and the adults got to try it.  We all got to try the olive oil as well.  We rushed back to the ship after this, completing a great first day in France.





ah, France









An olive vendor



The Basilica



The gorgeous mountains

Barcelona, Spain: Days 1-3

The first stop on our trip, Barcelona, at first struck me as a loud, crowded, dirty city.  But as our time there progressed I realized that while these things may be true, it was also a city full of culture, beauty and great food.   Our first day was only a half day and we were completely exhausted after a 11 hour flight, plus jet lag.  But after dropping our bags off at our apartment and getting freshened up, we headed out anyway.
        Our apartment was located on a side street off of Las Ramblas, the main shopping avenue of Barcelona.  We went to get some food and choose to go for Spanish traditional and have Tapas.  We were happy we did.  It was absolutely delicious.  To give you an idea, Caroline and I shared: La Bamba (a large rounded fried potato filled with meat and cheese), Patatas Bravas (my favorite; baked potato chunks covered in a delicious spicy sauce), a Ham and Cheese Potato Croquette, and Pan con Tomate (Bread with Tomato).  After this we began our search for the "Big Fish" a sculpture I learned about in art class.  Fast forward to an hour later when we finally found it, took some pictures and sat on a rock wall looking at the beautiful waves of the Mediterranean coming in.
      The next day, Theo was sick all morning and we had a late start.  But eventually he was feeling a bit better and we headed off to the bus tour we had signed up to do for the day. We saw the Sagrada Familia, La Pedrera, and then got off the bus at Park Guell, a park designed by Barcelona artist, Anton Gaudi, located on the outskirts of the city.  It was one of my favorite things about Barcelona.  We ate lunch in the Park, which was filled with interesting sculptures, paths and walkways, built in a natural style.  The front of the park was beautiful with two interesting and unique buildings framing the entrance.  Across from these was a set of stairs with a balcony on top.  All of the tiles throughout the Park were uniquely painted and often in shapes of valleys of hills, giving everything an even more interesting look and feel.  We climbed to the top of the balcony where we were met with Park Guell's famous curving benches and an amazing view of Barcelona.
       After this we got back on the bus for a scenic view of other parts of the city.  Along the way we saw the Palau Nacional, The Olympic Stadium, Monjuic and other beautiful sights.  During this time Mom got sick as well and we came back to the apartment.  Later, the 5 of us who weren't sick went out to another dinner on a street similar to Las Ramblas, called La Raval and once again had fantastic Tapas in a beautiful nighttime setting.  The next morning we packed up our stuff and got on the cruise ship, leaving the vibrant Barcelona behind us.

We're Back!

Here we are, back in Wisconsin, after a FANTASTIC 2 weeks in Europe!  We left on July 13th and came home on the 26th, and let me say, OHMYGOSH!  Europe is more amazing than all the rumors, pictures and stories put together!  Now, the next 10 or so posts will be about each individual place we travelled to on this trip.  Enjoy.  :)

Trip Preparation

Here are some things my parents have taught me or I have learned about preparing for a trip:

1. ALWAYS have a list(and have different ones for different kinds of trips)
2. Start packing early so you never have to rush
3.  When packing, think through your daily routine (showering, doing hair, brush teeth, etc.)
4. Have a place set a side where you can put important things before you even bring out a suitcase
5. Double check you have your documents
6. Keep your phone on when going to the airport in case your flight is delayed
7. Always be at the airport early

I know most people who see this will already know these things, BUT since I'm leaving in 3(!) days I was in the mood to talk preparation :)

The "Method" To My Madness

You may see this blog and ask yourself, "why?".  Why am I so crazy for travelling?  Well the answer is simple:
I'm not really positive.

I'm sure someone could look at my life and say, "THAT is where it all began", but personally I think there are several factors.

For starters, I think my passion for travel may have something to do with where I live.  Wisconsin.  Now, don't get me wrong, Wisconsin could be a lovely place.  But, I have always believed there was just not enough to do, especially in my towns.  So I'll jump at any opportunity to go somewhere new and exciting. 

Secondly, I am a very lucky person.  Meaning, I have been going on nice trips, with both my families, my whole life.  Just as a little girl, I went to; California, Pennsylvania, Disney Land, Disney World, Crivitz, Mole Lake and North Carolina.  Then when I was older; North Carolina(again), The Dome Home(Northern Wisconsin), The Dells(numerous times), Mexico(twice), The Florida Keys, Colorado, Boston, Cape Cod and now Europe.  So, yes I have been blessed.  And every time I go somewhere new, that love of travel is instilled a little deeper in me.

Thirdly, I love adventure.  My parents are constantly remarking on my willingness to do anything exciting(meanwhile I have tons of other fears).  For example, I have always wanted to skydive, I LOVE going whitewater rafting, snorkeling, cliff jumping, and zip lining, and if you asked me to go bungee jumping or scuba diving I would say yes in almost a heartbeat. 

So, there they are.  The reasons I can think of to explain my passion for being somewhere new, exciting and different. 

Cliff Jumping in Crivitz

Snorkeling:Florida Keys

Zip Lining in Puerto Vallarta

On a sailboat in Cape Cod

Swimming with a Dolphin

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: 2011

Late March 2011:

We wake up at the literal crack of dawn and get dressed in a haze.  Somehow all 4 of us make it to the airport and, sleepily, to our gate.  Fast forward to that afternoon with the 4 of us, now joined with the other half of our group (my dad's brother and his family), sitting by the pool dining on nachos.  We have reached our tropical destination on the coast of Mexico: Puerto Vallarta, a bay town surrounded by Pacific Ocean on one side and mountains on the other.  Now we are all just excited about the week to come.  We spend the first few days, mostly just laying on the beach or by the pool, but we do head to town on Tuesday to do a little shopping and sightseeing. 

The main street of the city of PV is the Malecon, a road made entirely out of river rocks(as all are here), and with one side facing the beach and the other being intersected by other streets, all heading straight into the mountains.  On the beach side, artists have created metal sculptures, lined up on the sidewalk like soldiers, while other, different, artists in the area spend their days ON the beach making beautiful and elaborate sand sculptures.  We do `some shopping and try to find a restaurant with a balcony, but end up heading back to The Marival (our resort) early instead. 

So here's the thing about our resort; it was amazing.  It contained 4.5 pools, something like 6 restaurants, thousands of chairs for general lounging about, and just about the prettiest beach you can imagine.  We all adored it of course, and could have lived there forever. Sometime each day a group of us would walk along the beach, seeing the world at different times of the day.  The ocean at sunrise, the waves at sunset, the stars at midnight.  One night we had sunset pictures taken, on others we ate at some of the fancier restaurants and then spent the rest of the night sitting at the snack bar, playing games or telling stories. 

The highlight of the trip for my family was, without a doubt Friday, also known as Zipline Day.  My aunt, uncle and cousins went to swim with dolphins instead so it was just us(my immediate family).  Our adventure lasted all day and began with a gorgeous (open-air) bus ride through the mountains, passing stretches of amazing ocean views or tiny rundown towns deep in the hill areas.  We arrived at the zip line company excited and ready for fun!  All morning and afternoon we went from one line to another, each more thrilling than the last.  We were accompanied by a small group of other tourists and maybe a dozen hilarious tour guides.  Some zip lines required a hike through rain forests to reach, while others were right next to each other.  Many of the lines traveled over thrilling scenic views of a river or rain forest canopy.  The last line was a race to the finish.  I raced Caroline and won(of course) and we were done. 

But there was more to do at Canopy Los Veranos.  A restaurant, monkeys, a lizard and a beautiful, cool river all awaited us AFTER we got of the zip lines.  We each took our turns feeding monkeys and holding iguanas on our shoulders as well as enjoying some refreshments at their outdoor restaurant and bar and wading in their river(which also had a water slide built into the rocks).  We left, sad to go, but excited by our amazing experience, one we all agreed was the best we ever had.