Friday, July 3rd, Rome
We had to meet at 6:50 am for our tour (yes, that is am as in morning). We were blue 5, and Morgan did pretty well getting there on crutches and to the bus. We had about an hour drive over the Rome, and we left a little late so we arrived around 8:30. We did make a pit stop at a little gas station where we went to the Restroom and Morgan got some M&M’s. She was happy. Morgan sat next to Papa, Mark and Grams sat together, and Mike and I sat together. I was amazed during the drive at how much it looked like Tennessee. The rolling green hills were so nice. Of course, the trees were a little different and there were palm trees here which you don’t see in Tennessee, but it still reminded me of home.
When we got into Rome, the first thing that struck me was the graffiti. It was everywhere – on cars, walls, doors, anything you could imagine. It was sad as there were many old beautiful buildings that were disgraced.
We first drove around a bit and saw the where Caesar lived, where Mussolini gave his speeches, the wedding cake building, the old senate where Caesar worked, and many churches and other buildings. We then got out of the bus and walked for a LONGGGGGG way to see the same things in more detail. We had to carry Morgan most of this way, and this took about 3 or so hours. It was hot too, so you can imagine how fun it was to walk and carry Morgan while trying to listen to a difficult to understand guide (we didn’t care for this guide as much but the one who came with us from the port was incredible to us – Luigi). Despite the difficult circumstances, the sights were simply amazing. It is truly like seeing the history books open right in front of you. I thought we would get to go inside the Coliseum, but you only could see the outside. We started with the Trivedi Fountain. They say if you throw a coin into it that you will come back to Rome. We also saw where Michangelo lived even though the building has been torn down. We saw where he was originally buried until he was moved. Such a rich and amazing history. The guide also said that 70% of the workers in Rome are government workers. I wonder how that compares to Washington DC. I will have to look it up.
After the exhausting but fabulous morning, we went to eat lunch at Ristorant da Arturo. We had this salad that I didn’t eat (it had tuna fish on it and I don’t like tuna fish) and then we had amazing, melt in your mouth, lasagna. It was sooooo good. We decided that the fresh pasta makes all the difference. We also had some local wine and some tiramisu for dessert. Even Grams liked the tiramisu and she doesn’t usually like it. We got Morgan some butter noodles, and she was happy. When I first asked the waiter who didn’t speak much English, he brought out a bowl of butter. It was kind of funny. Next, he brought pasta with tomato sauce. Finally, he understood that we wanted plain noodles for butter. :)
After lunch, we went to the Vatican. We started with the museum, and ended in the Sistine Chapel. Thankfully, Luigi said we could get a wheelchair for Morgan, and we were SOOOOOO excited. She didn’t even complain, so that was a bonus. Our guide explained what we could see in the museum, and she explained the panels in the Sistine Chapel. Morgan and I had to do some elevators and ramps, but we kept up for a while. The statuses from the Roman times are amazing, and there were pictures made out of cloth that looked like paintings but they were not. Also, many of the ceilings had flat paint, but it was made to look like carvings and were 3D. We giggled a bit that they removed all of the genitals off the men and put fig leafs in their place. How would you like to have THAT job?
At some point, Grams was pushing. Luigi said that we needed to go to the elevator. So, Grams took Morgan and they went. Next thing you know, we have to take a “detour” because it is crowded (according to a guard), and we wander for at least 30 minutes through many rooms with pictures, statues, and who knows what else because our guide had us practically running through the rooms. It was very difficult to keep up with her. We finally ended up in the Sistine Chapel. I have seen pictures of it, but they don’t do it justice. It is simply incredible. Of course, some man was hired to paint clothing on the naked bodies after Michaelangelo died. They called him the Underwear Artist. We learned that the left and right sides were painted by someone else, and the Judgment Day painting poked fun at the Cardinal by giving him donkey ears and having a snake bit his genitals in the picture. I guess that is what you did back them when you didn’t have a blog to air your opinions. :) It was also pretty cool to see his self portrait in the skin in the Judgment Day painting. Mike wanted to know how much the people get paid to "shh" people in the Sistine Chapel (you can't talk in there).
After the Sistine Chapel, we walked all the way around the Vatican Walls (our guide kept telling us that it is its own private country) to get St. Peter’s Bastion. Unfortunately, Morgan was on her last leg (no pun intended), and Grams and Papa waited with her since they had seen it before. I am not even going to try to explain how amazing this is, but I will say that I was truly shocked at how large it is and at how incredible all the status, paintings, and the tomb of St. Peter are. THEN, a mass started while we were there. It was really neat to hear it even though it was all in Latin and I had NO idea what they were saying. :)
We saw where the Pope’s office is (corner of gray building in the pictures – the light was on and Morgan wanted to know what “work” he would do”? We saw where the smoke is used to indicate if the pope has been elected or if he hasn’t.
To end the tour, we of course stopped in a gift shop for gifts and for restrooms. We got some drinks, and Mike and I got a couple of books. Then, we went toward the bus and headed to the ship. When we got back, we went to dinner in the Lido restaurant. They were having all Italian night for dinner, and I had cheese tortellini and sugar free chocolate ice cream (with some chocolate sauce on it that did have sugar in it). It was really good.
We sat on the deck for a bit chatting, and then we went to bed after a long day of touring. :) I cannot believe that the cruise is almost over. :(
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Thursday - Naples - HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MIKE!
Thursday, July 2, 2009 – Naples – Happy Anniversary Mike!
We docked in Naples, and Mike and I were a little bummed about not going to Pompeii. I have been interested in Pompeii since I was in 2nd grade. However, we were excited to do the tour with Morgan today anyway. I was a little nervous as to how she would do, but I was anxious to try it.
Mike surprised me by breaking the no gift for the anniversary since we are on a cruise rule. He gave me a beautiful blue morano glass necklace. I absolutely love it. I have gotten several new jewelry pieces on this trip, so that rounds out the collection! Thanks Mike!
We made it to the lounge where we check in for the tours around 9:20, and we got to get a head start to the bus. Morgan did pretty well making it to the bus, but then she was a bit mad when the bus drove back closer to where we left the ship to get the rest of the people. All that effort for nothing!
We first did a tour of Naples. It looks really pretty from a distance, but when you get into town, the buildings are peeling and aren’t so pretty. We drove around for a bit, and then we stopped to see the square. This was the square where the kings lived, and it was nice to see it. We also saw a beautiful church that is in the square, and we saw the old opera house as well as some other cool buildings. We shopped for a bit in our “free time” and then we went back to the bus. Mike and I had to carry Morgan for a bit on our backs, but it wasn’t too bad. She did a great job of getting around. We saw a protest that we later found out was because the health benefits are being reduced (National Healthcare). They will start having to pay for some things like blood tests, x-rays, etc, and they are MAD. Sounds like some other debates going on in the US. Imagine that – the government can’t afford to provide EVERYTHING? NO WAY. Hopefully, the US won’t go down the same path.
We then did a panoramic tour. We drove through the nice areas of Naples where the really expensive villas were that overlooked the sea. We saw where the president’s house was, and we saw the other side where the crater and the soccer field was. There was a HUGE street market going on where we turned around. The guide said that there are all Catholic churches in Naples – no synagogues, no mosques, nothing but Catholic churches. That was interesting to me.
We had a quick stop to take pictures at a beautiful scenic spot overlooking the water, and then we went back into town. We drove down the street where the consulate buildings are (the most protected street in Naples according to the guide), and we saw the US consulate, the French Consulate, and the British Consulate. We stopped and ate at ToTo’s Pizzaria. We got to watch them make the pizza. We learned the story of pizza and that it originated for Queen Margharita (spelling??) who wanted a restaurant to make her something different but that represented Naples. Pizza had always been for poor people because it only had 4 ingredients – water, yeast, flour, and salt. So, the restaurant put tomato, mozzarella, and basil on the dough. It had the colors of Italy on it, and the Queen loved it. Now, you can get many types of pizzas, but this is how it originated. This is the type of pizza that we ate. It was delicious.
We didn’t think that Morgan would like the pizza as it wasn’t light sauce and double pepperoni, but she ate over half of the HUGE pizza (that was a serving for one). We did learn later that pizza is usually not eaten for lunch but is more of an evening meal. We sat with three people from California, and they were really great to talk to and to share our table with. The pizza was very simple, and it didn’t have much on it. However, I thought it was fantastic and would love to have it again. J We had some weird fruit dessert, but Mike was nice and got Morgan a chocolate ice cream from around the corner. We also had a local beer that was included in the meal. It was rather tasty.
After the pizza, we headed back to the ship. We got to the room and found that the towel animals book that Morgan had been dying to get (they put a different towel animal on our bed each night) was waiting. We tried to make a duck, but it didn’t look very good. So, we made a cobra, and it wasn’t too bad for our first one. :)
Mike and I then went to do our 2 miles of walking/running. It was pretty hot out, but it was really nice to see the port area as we went. Mike said, “I haven’t ever run in Naples before.” I thought that was so cute. :)
Grams, Papa, Mike, Tracy, and Mark all had longer tours than us, so they didn’t get back until about 5:30 and we sailed at 6. We had drinks on the balcony before our 7:30 dinner reservation at the Pinnacle Grill which is the specialty restaurant on the ship. Our travel agent had given us that as a gift. It was nice to have it for our anniversary. Mike and I have been married for FIVE YEARS! Wow, how time flies. It was a nice way to celebrate at the very nice restaurant. I had lobster bisque and a filet with blue cheese. We also shared some mushrooms, asparagus, and spinach. Morgan and Mike also had the filet. Morgan got the chocolate soufflé for dessert, but she didn’t eat but half of it. The ship was having a “dessert extravaganza” from 10:30 – midnight (Biko would not approve), and Morgan had been excited about it. However, she decided that she didn’t want to go, so we all called it a night to prepare for our 6:50 am tour to Rome the next day.
We docked in Naples, and Mike and I were a little bummed about not going to Pompeii. I have been interested in Pompeii since I was in 2nd grade. However, we were excited to do the tour with Morgan today anyway. I was a little nervous as to how she would do, but I was anxious to try it.
Mike surprised me by breaking the no gift for the anniversary since we are on a cruise rule. He gave me a beautiful blue morano glass necklace. I absolutely love it. I have gotten several new jewelry pieces on this trip, so that rounds out the collection! Thanks Mike!
We made it to the lounge where we check in for the tours around 9:20, and we got to get a head start to the bus. Morgan did pretty well making it to the bus, but then she was a bit mad when the bus drove back closer to where we left the ship to get the rest of the people. All that effort for nothing!
We first did a tour of Naples. It looks really pretty from a distance, but when you get into town, the buildings are peeling and aren’t so pretty. We drove around for a bit, and then we stopped to see the square. This was the square where the kings lived, and it was nice to see it. We also saw a beautiful church that is in the square, and we saw the old opera house as well as some other cool buildings. We shopped for a bit in our “free time” and then we went back to the bus. Mike and I had to carry Morgan for a bit on our backs, but it wasn’t too bad. She did a great job of getting around. We saw a protest that we later found out was because the health benefits are being reduced (National Healthcare). They will start having to pay for some things like blood tests, x-rays, etc, and they are MAD. Sounds like some other debates going on in the US. Imagine that – the government can’t afford to provide EVERYTHING? NO WAY. Hopefully, the US won’t go down the same path.
We then did a panoramic tour. We drove through the nice areas of Naples where the really expensive villas were that overlooked the sea. We saw where the president’s house was, and we saw the other side where the crater and the soccer field was. There was a HUGE street market going on where we turned around. The guide said that there are all Catholic churches in Naples – no synagogues, no mosques, nothing but Catholic churches. That was interesting to me.
We had a quick stop to take pictures at a beautiful scenic spot overlooking the water, and then we went back into town. We drove down the street where the consulate buildings are (the most protected street in Naples according to the guide), and we saw the US consulate, the French Consulate, and the British Consulate. We stopped and ate at ToTo’s Pizzaria. We got to watch them make the pizza. We learned the story of pizza and that it originated for Queen Margharita (spelling??) who wanted a restaurant to make her something different but that represented Naples. Pizza had always been for poor people because it only had 4 ingredients – water, yeast, flour, and salt. So, the restaurant put tomato, mozzarella, and basil on the dough. It had the colors of Italy on it, and the Queen loved it. Now, you can get many types of pizzas, but this is how it originated. This is the type of pizza that we ate. It was delicious.
We didn’t think that Morgan would like the pizza as it wasn’t light sauce and double pepperoni, but she ate over half of the HUGE pizza (that was a serving for one). We did learn later that pizza is usually not eaten for lunch but is more of an evening meal. We sat with three people from California, and they were really great to talk to and to share our table with. The pizza was very simple, and it didn’t have much on it. However, I thought it was fantastic and would love to have it again. J We had some weird fruit dessert, but Mike was nice and got Morgan a chocolate ice cream from around the corner. We also had a local beer that was included in the meal. It was rather tasty.
After the pizza, we headed back to the ship. We got to the room and found that the towel animals book that Morgan had been dying to get (they put a different towel animal on our bed each night) was waiting. We tried to make a duck, but it didn’t look very good. So, we made a cobra, and it wasn’t too bad for our first one. :)
Mike and I then went to do our 2 miles of walking/running. It was pretty hot out, but it was really nice to see the port area as we went. Mike said, “I haven’t ever run in Naples before.” I thought that was so cute. :)
Grams, Papa, Mike, Tracy, and Mark all had longer tours than us, so they didn’t get back until about 5:30 and we sailed at 6. We had drinks on the balcony before our 7:30 dinner reservation at the Pinnacle Grill which is the specialty restaurant on the ship. Our travel agent had given us that as a gift. It was nice to have it for our anniversary. Mike and I have been married for FIVE YEARS! Wow, how time flies. It was a nice way to celebrate at the very nice restaurant. I had lobster bisque and a filet with blue cheese. We also shared some mushrooms, asparagus, and spinach. Morgan and Mike also had the filet. Morgan got the chocolate soufflé for dessert, but she didn’t eat but half of it. The ship was having a “dessert extravaganza” from 10:30 – midnight (Biko would not approve), and Morgan had been excited about it. However, she decided that she didn’t want to go, so we all called it a night to prepare for our 6:50 am tour to Rome the next day.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wednesday in Sicily, Italy
Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 – Catania, Sicily, Italy
We woke up this morning refreshed as the clocks were moved back an hour (Greece is an hour back from Italy), so we got an extra hour of sleep. I was GLAD to get that hour back. J Grams and Papa decided that they would stay with Morgan on the ship since they had seen Catania and Taormina last August. I had told Morgan that she was not allowed to entertain any suggestions by Grams and Papa to stay with them, but they were pretty convincing.
So, Mike, Mark, Mikeo, Tracy, and I went into Catania on our tour. We did a brief tour of Catania before heading to Taormina. The city of Catania was kind of icky as the buildings have not been well maintained. The buildings looked a bit dirty. There was an old Roman town that is under the streets of the current city, and they have part of the remains uncovered and available to see.
The landscape was pretty on the hour long ride to Taormina, and we saw plenty of pretty beaches. The architecture looks nice from a distance when you can’t see the dirty look. J When we got to Taormina, we walked down the main street and looked at several churches along the way. The road was very quaint, and we even saw an American flag outside of one of the buildings. Lots of cute shops. At the end of the road was a Greco-Roman theater that was incredible to see. It was not in very good shape, but even so it was an amazing site. It was very interesting that the people in the town didn’t value the theater much after the Greeks and Romans were gone, and they stole the bricks, stones, and even the columns to use in their architecture in the towns. You can look in the town and see what should belong in the theater that is instead in different buildings.
We did the three man version and did all the steps to the top. Some amazing sights were there and the scenery was amazing. After we saw that, we started walking back to meet the group. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time. However, Mike and I managed to buy some murano glass necklaces, some lava animal necklaces, and some other nice things for the kids. Loved it. We RUSHED back to the courtyard, and even with rushing we were 4 minutes late. Thankfully, there were others that weren’t there. Whew. Mikeo still videoed us coming back to the square. Mean Mike. Mean.
We took the hour long trip back into the town of Catania, and then we hung out at the ship for the afternoon. I changed our Pompeii tour to the Taste of Naples tour, and I was sad because I have been interested in Pompeii since I was a kid. However, Morgan just couldn’t do it with her crutches, and the taste of Naples one is a one man (sorry Biko).
We went back to the doctor to see if he could offer a sturdier contraption for her foot, but he said no. So, we are stuck with the temporary cast. Bummer.
We decided to eat in the Lido restaurant tonight as the menu didn’t look as good in the dining hall. Mike and Tracy were eating a wine tasting dinner, but Mike and I thought we would rather spend the $160 in the Casino. :)
Grams, Papa, Mark, Morgan, Mike, and I went to the Lido for dinner. I had Weiner Schnitzel, a salad, and some sugar free coffee ice cream. Morgan had slow roasted beef. I think everyone tried the Weiner Schnitzel and liked it.
After dinner, Mike and I went to check on Papa. Mike had signed us up for the Pub Crawl the reunion, but I really didn’t feel like going. Morgan was tired and falling apart. Mike and I went downstairs to check on Papa who was playing three card poker. We played a little roulette, but we weren’t doing well.
We decided to go upstairs and to bail on the Pub Crawl Reunion, but we ran into Mikeo and Tracy. Mikeo had enjoyed the wine dinner, and they were on their way to the Pub Crawl Reunion. They convinced us to go, so we did. This one started on deck 9 at the Crow’s nest and we had the fourth drink on the Lido deck. Stromboli was visible even though it was night time, and we saw the volcano erupt 4 times!!!!! It was amazing. I guess it averages an eruption every 20 minutes or so. We ended the pub crawl with a melon shooter in the Northern Lights dance bar. Mike and Tracy tried to get the dancing started, but it didn’t work. So, we all went to bed as we had an early arrival in Naples.
We woke up this morning refreshed as the clocks were moved back an hour (Greece is an hour back from Italy), so we got an extra hour of sleep. I was GLAD to get that hour back. J Grams and Papa decided that they would stay with Morgan on the ship since they had seen Catania and Taormina last August. I had told Morgan that she was not allowed to entertain any suggestions by Grams and Papa to stay with them, but they were pretty convincing.
So, Mike, Mark, Mikeo, Tracy, and I went into Catania on our tour. We did a brief tour of Catania before heading to Taormina. The city of Catania was kind of icky as the buildings have not been well maintained. The buildings looked a bit dirty. There was an old Roman town that is under the streets of the current city, and they have part of the remains uncovered and available to see.
The landscape was pretty on the hour long ride to Taormina, and we saw plenty of pretty beaches. The architecture looks nice from a distance when you can’t see the dirty look. J When we got to Taormina, we walked down the main street and looked at several churches along the way. The road was very quaint, and we even saw an American flag outside of one of the buildings. Lots of cute shops. At the end of the road was a Greco-Roman theater that was incredible to see. It was not in very good shape, but even so it was an amazing site. It was very interesting that the people in the town didn’t value the theater much after the Greeks and Romans were gone, and they stole the bricks, stones, and even the columns to use in their architecture in the towns. You can look in the town and see what should belong in the theater that is instead in different buildings.
We did the three man version and did all the steps to the top. Some amazing sights were there and the scenery was amazing. After we saw that, we started walking back to meet the group. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time. However, Mike and I managed to buy some murano glass necklaces, some lava animal necklaces, and some other nice things for the kids. Loved it. We RUSHED back to the courtyard, and even with rushing we were 4 minutes late. Thankfully, there were others that weren’t there. Whew. Mikeo still videoed us coming back to the square. Mean Mike. Mean.
We took the hour long trip back into the town of Catania, and then we hung out at the ship for the afternoon. I changed our Pompeii tour to the Taste of Naples tour, and I was sad because I have been interested in Pompeii since I was a kid. However, Morgan just couldn’t do it with her crutches, and the taste of Naples one is a one man (sorry Biko).
We went back to the doctor to see if he could offer a sturdier contraption for her foot, but he said no. So, we are stuck with the temporary cast. Bummer.
We decided to eat in the Lido restaurant tonight as the menu didn’t look as good in the dining hall. Mike and Tracy were eating a wine tasting dinner, but Mike and I thought we would rather spend the $160 in the Casino. :)
Grams, Papa, Mark, Morgan, Mike, and I went to the Lido for dinner. I had Weiner Schnitzel, a salad, and some sugar free coffee ice cream. Morgan had slow roasted beef. I think everyone tried the Weiner Schnitzel and liked it.
After dinner, Mike and I went to check on Papa. Mike had signed us up for the Pub Crawl the reunion, but I really didn’t feel like going. Morgan was tired and falling apart. Mike and I went downstairs to check on Papa who was playing three card poker. We played a little roulette, but we weren’t doing well.
We decided to go upstairs and to bail on the Pub Crawl Reunion, but we ran into Mikeo and Tracy. Mikeo had enjoyed the wine dinner, and they were on their way to the Pub Crawl Reunion. They convinced us to go, so we did. This one started on deck 9 at the Crow’s nest and we had the fourth drink on the Lido deck. Stromboli was visible even though it was night time, and we saw the volcano erupt 4 times!!!!! It was amazing. I guess it averages an eruption every 20 minutes or so. We ended the pub crawl with a melon shooter in the Northern Lights dance bar. Mike and Tracy tried to get the dancing started, but it didn’t work. So, we all went to bed as we had an early arrival in Naples.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
At Sea, Tuesday
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 – At Sea
Ahhh…we slept in today until around 10:00 (even though Mikeo knocked at 9:!5 and we blamed Morgan). I took Morgan to the doctor as her foot was really bothering her and she said she couldn’t put weight on her ankle. The facility was much better than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a small room, but they seemed to have quite extensive equipment and rooms.
We didn’t understand how the medical center works though, and they were closing 6 minutes after we got there. There was also no doctor there except for 2 hours a day. There was a crew doc there, and he saw Morgan to start with. He x-rayed her right foot, and then he called the passenger doctor in. The doc took us to his office and said that it was fractured and that he needed to splint it. UGH. I tried to get an air cast or anything else, so he said that he would x-ray the left foot to compare it to the right. Unfortunately, he came back and said for sure that it was fractured, and that even though it is a small fracture, it is a fracture nonetheless. UGH. So, he splinted it and gave Morgan crutches. He said that she cannot put weight on it. Hmmmm……This is going to be interesting.
We didn’t do much in the day time after that, but Mike and I did do our 2 miles of walking and running. We had dinner in the dining hall, and they had surf and turf. It was delicious (Morgan and Mike had the same thing). After dinner, we went to the Filipino Crew Show, and it was awesome. We got to learn a little more about the culture by hearing some songs like the National Anthem, and we were also entertained by some dancing. Boozee, a bartender on the cruise, was the host. He did a great job. Also, Edwin, our wine steward was in 5 of the 7 acts. He was awesome. There was also an amazing Elvis impersonator. He was really great. We had a fun time, and it was great to watch the crew have so much fun performing.
We go to bed after discussing what in the world we are going to for the tours with Morgan in her crutches. She is not very good at the crutches, and she has fallen on them several times.
Ahhh…we slept in today until around 10:00 (even though Mikeo knocked at 9:!5 and we blamed Morgan). I took Morgan to the doctor as her foot was really bothering her and she said she couldn’t put weight on her ankle. The facility was much better than I thought it would be. I thought it would be a small room, but they seemed to have quite extensive equipment and rooms.
We didn’t understand how the medical center works though, and they were closing 6 minutes after we got there. There was also no doctor there except for 2 hours a day. There was a crew doc there, and he saw Morgan to start with. He x-rayed her right foot, and then he called the passenger doctor in. The doc took us to his office and said that it was fractured and that he needed to splint it. UGH. I tried to get an air cast or anything else, so he said that he would x-ray the left foot to compare it to the right. Unfortunately, he came back and said for sure that it was fractured, and that even though it is a small fracture, it is a fracture nonetheless. UGH. So, he splinted it and gave Morgan crutches. He said that she cannot put weight on it. Hmmmm……This is going to be interesting.
We didn’t do much in the day time after that, but Mike and I did do our 2 miles of walking and running. We had dinner in the dining hall, and they had surf and turf. It was delicious (Morgan and Mike had the same thing). After dinner, we went to the Filipino Crew Show, and it was awesome. We got to learn a little more about the culture by hearing some songs like the National Anthem, and we were also entertained by some dancing. Boozee, a bartender on the cruise, was the host. He did a great job. Also, Edwin, our wine steward was in 5 of the 7 acts. He was awesome. There was also an amazing Elvis impersonator. He was really great. We had a fun time, and it was great to watch the crew have so much fun performing.
We go to bed after discussing what in the world we are going to for the tours with Morgan in her crutches. She is not very good at the crutches, and she has fallen on them several times.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, Santorini, Greece
Monday, June 29, 2009 – Santorini
Today, we didn’t dock until noon which was really nice. Grams knocked on our door at 10:00 and was completely dismayed that we were still in bed. Ahhh…sleeping late. What a nice change. To avoid the wrath of Grams, I got ready and went to eat breakfast with the fam. It was really crowded, so we ate with a couple from the Netherlands.
We left for our tour around 12:20. We took a boat in from the big ship to the dock. It was pretty rough getting out of the tender, and an older man almost fell flat on his face. I was thankful that right after that, they stopped people from exiting and tied the boat to the dock again.
Our tour was one of my favorites. We went to the highest point where a monastery is, and the scenery was FABULOUS. We walked around and took some pictures. Seeing the terraces (rock walls) and the white buildings with blue domed churches everywhere was such an amazing sight. We saw a few donkeys, some fig trees, olive trees, and grape shrubs (they make them into shrubs there).
We went to the town of Oia after crossing across the narrowest part of the island where you can see both sides. There are three types of volcano rock – red, brown, and black. It is a spectacular sight to see the different colors in the cliffs. The town of Oia was charming, and I could see spending a week there. We shopped (I got two necklaces, a slider for my other necklace, and some earrings), took pictures, and went in a little café.
We went from Oia (pronounced eee-ya) to Fira. We did a little shopping, Morgan got some gelato, and we walked toward the cable car to get back to the ship (it moved while we were in port). Mike let us know that he and Tracy had arrived in Fira after their ATV drive, and we met at the Kastro Café on the top of the cliff in Fira. As we were walking to the café, Morgan stumbled on the cobblestone and hurt her ankle. We had to help her get back to the ship. We had a few glasses of wine and headed back to the ship.
We ate in the dining hall and saw a beautiful sunset (supposedly they are the best here although we heard the same thing in Corfu). I had mahi mahi with some crab legs, and Mike had veal cordon bleu. Morgan had the “perfectly grilled chicken.” There was a party on the lido deck, so we went up there to check it out. They had chocolate fountains (Biko, I was good and so was Mark) and lots of other desserts. They also had line dancing, and I got to do the Cupid Shuffle. We were thinking that we need Mikeo to do the YMCA when they were doing it, but he and Tracy stayed in town for dinner.
We sailed at 11:00 pm, and I think we were all excited to have a relaxing day at sea the next day. Morgan’s ankle/foot was still bothering her and was kind of swollen. I hope it is better tomorrow.
Today, we didn’t dock until noon which was really nice. Grams knocked on our door at 10:00 and was completely dismayed that we were still in bed. Ahhh…sleeping late. What a nice change. To avoid the wrath of Grams, I got ready and went to eat breakfast with the fam. It was really crowded, so we ate with a couple from the Netherlands.
We left for our tour around 12:20. We took a boat in from the big ship to the dock. It was pretty rough getting out of the tender, and an older man almost fell flat on his face. I was thankful that right after that, they stopped people from exiting and tied the boat to the dock again.
Our tour was one of my favorites. We went to the highest point where a monastery is, and the scenery was FABULOUS. We walked around and took some pictures. Seeing the terraces (rock walls) and the white buildings with blue domed churches everywhere was such an amazing sight. We saw a few donkeys, some fig trees, olive trees, and grape shrubs (they make them into shrubs there).
We went to the town of Oia after crossing across the narrowest part of the island where you can see both sides. There are three types of volcano rock – red, brown, and black. It is a spectacular sight to see the different colors in the cliffs. The town of Oia was charming, and I could see spending a week there. We shopped (I got two necklaces, a slider for my other necklace, and some earrings), took pictures, and went in a little café.
We went from Oia (pronounced eee-ya) to Fira. We did a little shopping, Morgan got some gelato, and we walked toward the cable car to get back to the ship (it moved while we were in port). Mike let us know that he and Tracy had arrived in Fira after their ATV drive, and we met at the Kastro Café on the top of the cliff in Fira. As we were walking to the café, Morgan stumbled on the cobblestone and hurt her ankle. We had to help her get back to the ship. We had a few glasses of wine and headed back to the ship.
We ate in the dining hall and saw a beautiful sunset (supposedly they are the best here although we heard the same thing in Corfu). I had mahi mahi with some crab legs, and Mike had veal cordon bleu. Morgan had the “perfectly grilled chicken.” There was a party on the lido deck, so we went up there to check it out. They had chocolate fountains (Biko, I was good and so was Mark) and lots of other desserts. They also had line dancing, and I got to do the Cupid Shuffle. We were thinking that we need Mikeo to do the YMCA when they were doing it, but he and Tracy stayed in town for dinner.
We sailed at 11:00 pm, and I think we were all excited to have a relaxing day at sea the next day. Morgan’s ankle/foot was still bothering her and was kind of swollen. I hope it is better tomorrow.
Sunday, Argostoli, Greece
Sunday- Argostoli, June 28th, 2009
Today, we docked in Argostoli, Greece in Cephalonia (kefalonia) which was the location used for the movie Captain Corelli’s Mandolin with Nicolus Cage. The island is the famous resting place of Odysseus from Illiad and Odyssey. As we pulled into port, the water was smooth as ice, and the view was beautiful. You could see the white buildings with orangish roofs in the distance, and mountains all around. Mike and I didn’t go walk because we had to meet at 7:40 this morning to leave for our tour. We have been finishing our walk/run about that time, so we knew we would have to get up way too early for vacation. We had breakfast delivered to the room again. I had my same special K with skim milk and banana. Mike planned to prepare a croissant using the eggs and cheese, but the croissants were tiny so he just ate it.
We had to tender into port which means you ride in the lifeboat to the shore. I was so happy to see that roughly 100 people were on the boat comfortably, so I feel better that our 16 group could make it on the lifeboat if necessary. Of course, I am really hoping that we don’t need them at all.
Once we were onshore, “white 5” which was the sticker we wore to identify our group got on a bus. We had a good guide who was easy to understand (from England), talked enough but not too much, and was interesting with some humor. He spoke a lot about the Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and I decided that I wanted to watch it.
The first stop was to an underwater cave at Lake Melissani. We went down into the cave (on Astroturf on top of the rocks), and then we got into a boat. There was a man rowing, and he sang some of the time. He took pictures, and he rowed us around. He did hit me in the head a few times, but he was otherwise good. We went into the cave, and we could see the beautiful structures hanging. It was apparently damaged some by the 1953 earthquake, but it wasn’t as badly damaged as the rest of the island. It had to be rebuilt almost entirely.
We continued on a very steep and winding road that gave great views down. However, I nodded off a few times as it was so relaxing with the turns and the guide speaking so soothingly. The views were really nice though.
We arrived at a small town, Fiskardo, that didn’t get as damaged in the earthquake, so it still had Venetian architecture. It was a nice harbor town with shops and restaurants. I bought a pretty plate to hang on the wall. I also bough the Captain Corelli movie, so that we could see what the guide was referring to during the trip. Mike got some Greek snacks from the deli and said that they tasted authentic. :)
We had to do a bit of a rush to get back to the bus, and the steps and uphill were determined to be a 3 man effort because it made everyone breathe hard. We have laughed a lot about the one, two, and three man pictures used in the cruise brochure to represent how difficult the effort will be on the tour.
We rode the bus back into Argostoli and stopped to take pictures of a famous European beach. It was beautiful with the blue water, white sand, and spectacular scenery. We also saw a couple of fish farms and some goats on the way down. We could also see where the original town of Argostoli was by the remains, and we could understand why they moved lower. The city is still on a fault line, so we are hoping that they stay earthquake free for a long time.
We took the tender back to the boat, and we went straight to the Lido deck for lunch. I had cashew chicken and rice from the Asian place, Morgan had a hamburger, and Mike had some Asian, cheese and crackers, and a salad. You can’t beat that variety.
We set sail at 3, and it was a beautiful sunny afternoon as we departed. The sea is calm, and the atmosphere is just stunning.
For dinner, we ate in the dining hall, and I had prime rib. It was delicious. Morgan had prime rib too. After dinner, Mike, Mark, Tracy, Mike, and I went to the Pub Crawl. It was AWESOME. It costs $20, and you go as a group to 5 different bars where you get 5 different drinks. Every time the leader says “Pub Crawl” everyone has to yell “Pub Crawl at the top of their lungs. We started in the piano bar and had a wayne wayne or wang wang or something like that. It was fruity and pretty good. Then, we went to the top of the ship and had a chocolate martini. We also had to pass a lemon using your neck at that point, and it was a lot of fun. Team 1 was the victor which was our team. Next, we went to the pool bar and had a long island tea. After that, we journeyed to the Northern Lights bar which is the dance club for a Kamikaze. Even the bartenders joined in at that point. We ended up in the Queens Lounge where we had battle of the sexes. Mike G was one of the three men picked to be on stage, and he was hysterical. Basically, the host asked questions and the three guys and the three girls got points not on whether the answer was right but on how many of their answers were the same. So, they had to try to answer what the others said. They were questions like, “what does the ms stand for in front of the ship name, what does a woman notice first about a man (and vice versa), what is the name of another Holland America ship, etc.” It was really fun.
After that, we went to the casino to find Papa. He was at the craps table but it wasn’t going so well. We played “Let it ride” poker (both of us had never played that one), and then we played three card. I was down about 40 bucks after both. Papa went to bed, and Mike and I went to the Roulette table. It was a lot of fun. We both ended up ahead for the day. J 25 and 13 were hot numbers. What a great day.
Today, we docked in Argostoli, Greece in Cephalonia (kefalonia) which was the location used for the movie Captain Corelli’s Mandolin with Nicolus Cage. The island is the famous resting place of Odysseus from Illiad and Odyssey. As we pulled into port, the water was smooth as ice, and the view was beautiful. You could see the white buildings with orangish roofs in the distance, and mountains all around. Mike and I didn’t go walk because we had to meet at 7:40 this morning to leave for our tour. We have been finishing our walk/run about that time, so we knew we would have to get up way too early for vacation. We had breakfast delivered to the room again. I had my same special K with skim milk and banana. Mike planned to prepare a croissant using the eggs and cheese, but the croissants were tiny so he just ate it.
We had to tender into port which means you ride in the lifeboat to the shore. I was so happy to see that roughly 100 people were on the boat comfortably, so I feel better that our 16 group could make it on the lifeboat if necessary. Of course, I am really hoping that we don’t need them at all.
Once we were onshore, “white 5” which was the sticker we wore to identify our group got on a bus. We had a good guide who was easy to understand (from England), talked enough but not too much, and was interesting with some humor. He spoke a lot about the Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and I decided that I wanted to watch it.
The first stop was to an underwater cave at Lake Melissani. We went down into the cave (on Astroturf on top of the rocks), and then we got into a boat. There was a man rowing, and he sang some of the time. He took pictures, and he rowed us around. He did hit me in the head a few times, but he was otherwise good. We went into the cave, and we could see the beautiful structures hanging. It was apparently damaged some by the 1953 earthquake, but it wasn’t as badly damaged as the rest of the island. It had to be rebuilt almost entirely.
We continued on a very steep and winding road that gave great views down. However, I nodded off a few times as it was so relaxing with the turns and the guide speaking so soothingly. The views were really nice though.
We arrived at a small town, Fiskardo, that didn’t get as damaged in the earthquake, so it still had Venetian architecture. It was a nice harbor town with shops and restaurants. I bought a pretty plate to hang on the wall. I also bough the Captain Corelli movie, so that we could see what the guide was referring to during the trip. Mike got some Greek snacks from the deli and said that they tasted authentic. :)
We had to do a bit of a rush to get back to the bus, and the steps and uphill were determined to be a 3 man effort because it made everyone breathe hard. We have laughed a lot about the one, two, and three man pictures used in the cruise brochure to represent how difficult the effort will be on the tour.
We rode the bus back into Argostoli and stopped to take pictures of a famous European beach. It was beautiful with the blue water, white sand, and spectacular scenery. We also saw a couple of fish farms and some goats on the way down. We could also see where the original town of Argostoli was by the remains, and we could understand why they moved lower. The city is still on a fault line, so we are hoping that they stay earthquake free for a long time.
We took the tender back to the boat, and we went straight to the Lido deck for lunch. I had cashew chicken and rice from the Asian place, Morgan had a hamburger, and Mike had some Asian, cheese and crackers, and a salad. You can’t beat that variety.
We set sail at 3, and it was a beautiful sunny afternoon as we departed. The sea is calm, and the atmosphere is just stunning.
For dinner, we ate in the dining hall, and I had prime rib. It was delicious. Morgan had prime rib too. After dinner, Mike, Mark, Tracy, Mike, and I went to the Pub Crawl. It was AWESOME. It costs $20, and you go as a group to 5 different bars where you get 5 different drinks. Every time the leader says “Pub Crawl” everyone has to yell “Pub Crawl at the top of their lungs. We started in the piano bar and had a wayne wayne or wang wang or something like that. It was fruity and pretty good. Then, we went to the top of the ship and had a chocolate martini. We also had to pass a lemon using your neck at that point, and it was a lot of fun. Team 1 was the victor which was our team. Next, we went to the pool bar and had a long island tea. After that, we journeyed to the Northern Lights bar which is the dance club for a Kamikaze. Even the bartenders joined in at that point. We ended up in the Queens Lounge where we had battle of the sexes. Mike G was one of the three men picked to be on stage, and he was hysterical. Basically, the host asked questions and the three guys and the three girls got points not on whether the answer was right but on how many of their answers were the same. So, they had to try to answer what the others said. They were questions like, “what does the ms stand for in front of the ship name, what does a woman notice first about a man (and vice versa), what is the name of another Holland America ship, etc.” It was really fun.
After that, we went to the casino to find Papa. He was at the craps table but it wasn’t going so well. We played “Let it ride” poker (both of us had never played that one), and then we played three card. I was down about 40 bucks after both. Papa went to bed, and Mike and I went to the Roulette table. It was a lot of fun. We both ended up ahead for the day. J 25 and 13 were hot numbers. What a great day.
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