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.