Western Mediterranean

All good things must end.

2010-09-04T19:02:00.002+02:00

Today was Palma, we decided not to get off the ship but have a day of rest. We will be disembarking in the morning. We leave for home on Monday so we still have one more night in Barcelona. It was a wonderful vacation. I will post additional comments next week with some great pictures.

Amalfi Coast and Sorrento, my favorite.

2010-09-03T17:56:00.008+02:00

First let me do my commercial. We were met at the ramp by our driver/guide for the day Carmine Foggia of www.seeamalficoast.com he is my new Italian action hero. Carmine made our day perfect. He took us to see what WE wanted to see and took such good care of us it made us feel like Royalty.
We were met at the pier and whisked away in a Mercedes Benz. We decided to skip the city of Naples and went straight to Pompeii. On the way we passed "il Vesuvis" Mount Vesuvius. In the same area we were taken to the Cameo Store, Donadio Coralli E. Cammei, where we were given a demonstration on the art of carving Cameo's. www.donadio.it Naturally we had to buy something, the staff was lovely and not only showed us many many cameo pieces but also gave me a DVD which I will download to the site when I get home. It was a very interesting stop.
After the Cameo store we headed for the hills and the Amalfi Coast Drive, this is about a 25 mile drive of over 600 twists and turns that showcase the beautiful cliffs, waters and vistas of the area. Fruit stands, olive trees and bougainvillea trees line this amazing coastline. This trip is not for the faint of heart or those who have motion sickness, take your Dramamine This trip took us to the town of Positano. This is a shoppers dream and a nightmare for anyone not used to driving these winding streets. Scooters are parked everywhere, even in Rome we had to move a scooter to get around the corner. Unique craft stores cascade down the steps to the bottom of the hill, there is no traffic allowed so you have to be able to climb. Since this was not the case with us Carmine took his time and stopped along the roadside to let us peek at what this quaint town had to offer. We decided to stop in Sorrento for lunch and on the way there, along the same coastal road he stopped to pick fresh figs from a tree on the side of the road that he pealed for Charlotte and myself. We had been having a discussion about the fig and olive trees in the area, the olive trees actually have nets attached to the tree to collect the olives, the easiest way to pick the olives is to shake the tree and let them fall into the nets. It takes approx. 8 lbs. of olives to make one quart of Virgin Olive Oil. See you learn something new everyday.
Ahhh..... Sorrento, this was my favorite stop. After the houses hanging on the winding cliffs it was amazing to drive into the town proper and see a beautiful plaza filled with colorful flowers greenery, restaurants and shops. Here Carmine had one of the restaurants open the back gates to the garden so we could get in without managing any steps. The restaurant was Tasso Restorante at Via Correale in Sorrento. After a fantastic lunch of Margarita Pizza and homemade Ravioli we went to shop in the small pedestrian streets of this magnificent town. Don't forget that when these towns were built there were no cars, so some streets are narrow and built with cobblestones. Here we walked among the shops and bought pottery, pasta and leather goods. On the way back to Naples one of the requests from Charlotte was for "gelato" Carmine called ahead to a shop and hand delivered gelato to us in the car for a refresher on the way back to the ship
When we began to plan this trip I wanted to see as much as possible taking a private car with a experienced guide that has all the permits to enter the ports and "hot spots" made our wishes come true, it was truly a memorable visit. One more thing, Carmine and his cousin (every woman's dream date) who run this company have a passion for the area, that will make your trip memorable. If you ever go to Naples, I can highly recommend this company.

Rome, the Eternal City

2010-09-01T20:53:00.005+02:00

Our Rome experience began meeting our driver Francesco (Access Italy Tours)right on the pier, 50 steps from the ship. The ride to Rome takes about an hour and fifteen minutes depending on traffic. This is a tour I booked myself. Knowing how much we wanted to see and what limited time and access we had I researched several limo companies on the Internet before our trip. This one was highly recommended by many people on Trip Advisor; they were modest in their praise, they were fantastic.
We began entering the "New Rome" as compared to the "Old Rome". When you enter "Old Rome" you go through the city wall, this wall was built in ancient times to guard the Roman Empire. Think Ben Hur the movie that was shot in the mall that borders the old city wall and one of the first places we saw. We choose what we wanted to see and were not disappointed. Our driver knew the way around, stopped where we wanted to get out (even helped us with Charlotte's electric scooter) and gave us all the time we wanted to take pictures, look around or just enjoy the sights of Rome. At the Spanish Steps he took around to the back where we were able to get out and walk around, Charlotte and I both bought some artwork and the men (our driver and the vendor) moved people out of the way for her to get to the railing and look around.
We took a tour of Bvrhessie Park before continuing to the top of the hill for a beautiful view of the Vatican. Past the Presidential Palace, many, many Embassies and onto the Trevi Fountain. This is where I got out (cobblestones again) and went and climbed down to throw some coins in the fountain. The fountain is located in a small plaza, the police were watching everything going on. Francesco went and spoke to them to see if he could pull up (no cars allowed in this area) to let Charlotte get a good view without getting out of the car. The police cleared the way and let him pull up the the fountain so she could even toss her coins in. This is where I tell you I took all the coins so the driver had to give her a European quarter. From there we went on to the Forum, Coliseum, and the heavily guarded Malta Embassy to look through what is called the "keyhole to the city". It is actually a small keyhole in a wooden door that guarded this castle in medieval times. It was used so the soldiers could look through the keyhole to see who was coming up the hill to attack.
Onto to the Piazza Navona for some shopping and lunch. This is a large plaza area that is home to many fine restaurants and the mall area is full of vendors selling artwork and some small souvenir shops are also there. We had a great lunch here and stopped for a gelato before getting back in the car to head to the Vatican.
The Vatican....
We were met in the back entrance where the museum is located, it is also handicapped accessible. Our personal Vatican Guide, Serrena was lovely, she had our reserved tickets and got us through without waiting in line (she is also supplied by Access Italy Tours). She let us set the pace but she explained everything to us as we went. We toured the museum where they have many artifacts from past leaders of the Catholic Church. We went out to the Vatican gardens where we took a few pictures. Continuing through the library and into the Sistine Chapel. The whole ceiling was painted by Michangelo and she explained each scene to us. In all we spent about 2 hours at the Vatican including about 20 minutes in the gift shop :). When we got out we went across the street to the cafe' for something to drink and meet our driver. What a GREAT day.
Fear not everyone, I have over a hundred pictures already and I will boar you all with them when I get back. Tomorrow we head out to the Amalfi Coast.

Florence, Tuscany

2010-09-01T20:31:00.003+02:00

So I arranged a bus to Florence, it was called "Florence on your own", it was not half bad. The bus was right at the pier, it was a double decker and had a guide on board. It took us an hour and a half to reach Florence from the Livorno pier. This is the area of Pinocchio, Vespa's and Olive Oil. The countryside is filled with farms along the major highway to Florence. Our 1st stop was at a leather factory, (gorgeous stuff) and I got a few small items. After this short stop we were on our way to Florence, now I must tell you that this was sort of a first for me, not Florence but this kind of tour. They drop you off at a point about 4 blocks from Ponto Vecchio, which is the famous medieval bridge that is home to the most luxurious jewelry stores in the world, in fact we were let off the bus right in front of Ferraggomo.
Now Florence is an old city, I get that, but the streets and sidewalks were cobble stone and not even (as in uneven) stones at that. They were set at all different angles and the sidewalks would not fit two people. If you have mobility issues, bad knees or back, stay away from Florence. This tour was a recommendation from the cruise ship for people with limitations, don't ever do this with a wheelchair.
I walked from the drop off point down to the bridge, crossed over to the museum went through there and came out on the other side; this is where I started to panic, I could not find any of the streets on my map that I set my course on. This is because I got turned around in the museum. I was 4 blocks out of the way. I found a resident who pointed me in the right direction and headed back to the meeting place (we only had two and a half hours to explore). I ended up at the Piazza Della Republic, and had one of the BEST pizza's I ever had. I walked through some of the shops in the Plaza, still high ends stores, bought some pastries to bring back to the ship and found the tour group to return home. To my distress we had another 5 blocks to walk to meet the bus. I returned to the ship with sore knees and a sore back but I did see some beautiful sights and got some wonderful pictures.

If it's Monday...

2010-08-30T18:33:00.003+02:00

It must be Monte Carlo, home of the Circuit de Monaco, Formula One Grand Prix and a lot of f____ing rich people. You cannot believe some of the boats in this marina, there are some private yachts so big they don't fit in the slips and they are anchored out in the sea. We had a nice day for this port, a little warm (you know this when the sweat drips down your back), but we made it to shore. We walked most of the way, rather I walked all the way, Charlotte just had to walk down the ramp. We strolled along the piers on our way to the walkway which took us up to the stores (steps are not conducive to electric scooters) and a beautiful view of the bay. Took pictures of the Monte Carlo Yacht Club where we left Cags name for a new membership, took our pictures in from of the Yacht Club sign, and even found a Yellow Submarine, (don't tell George).
There is so much crammed into so little space, but if you look up on the hill you can see the castle and across the marina is the Grand Casino. We got to see some great sights which included the rich and the richer and befriended a security guard at one of the hotels who let us stop for a rest, he tried to get a taxi for us but after 30 minutes no one showed up.
We never made it to the casinos (which might have been a good thing) we couldn't find a cab, even the marine police tried to get us transportation to the other side of Monaco. However we did enjoy a very nice lunch overlooking the port and even got our passports stamped.
In the afternoon we came back to the ship, took showers and rested, then I did one of my favorite things - - - I went for a facial in the spa while Charlotte had a manicure.
Tomorrow we are on to Livorno, where we actually have a bus tour to Florence, home of the famous "David".

The Norwegian Jade

2010-08-29T22:38:00.003+02:00

Well we are on the ship, we had no problem boarding, it helps to grease a few palms with the luggage guys, they tell you all the shortcuts. This trip I was very concerned about the cabin, last time we had trouble getting the cart in the door, but this one is great..... I booked a handicapped room, it is perfect and about 100 sq. ft. bigger than a regular cabin. They got the funky shower also but the bathroom and the room itself is plenty big. Charlotte is in her glory. When I wrote my notes for today's blog we were sitting by the pool having our "Bon Voyage" Pina Colota's. Since then we got the cabin ( love it), unpacked our suitcases, had dinner and we spent a little time in the casino tonight. In fact I am going back to get Charlotte now, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow; we land in Monte Carlo.

The Marriott Renaissance Hotel, Barcelona

2010-08-29T22:27:00.003+02:00

This was another good choice for us. The room was spacious (for a European hotel) and the pool was fantastic, the shower was a little funky, no sides, it's like showering in the middle of your bathroom. LOL The hotel staff was very pleasant and most of them spoke English, we had no problem with asking for anything or ordering meals. The hotel provides shuttle service to and from the Airport, however when we landed after out 2nd flight we were wrung out, it was very hot and humid and they don't believe in super air conditioning so we just grabbed a cab to the hotel. They also run a shuttle to the cruise ship for 10 euro. They even provide a free shuttle into town. I must say both the taxi drivers and shuttle men were very good about loading and unloading the electric cart, they wouldn't let me touch it.

De Plane, De Plane.......

2010-08-29T22:15:00.003+02:00

Wow!!! Extreme 1st class. We used our miles to upgrade and it was a great decision for us. The sleeper seats they really work. We had room to stand up and get out of the isle without touching the person next to you. The meal was fantastic and the service superb. But, there is always a but, the 2nd leg of our journey on British Airways (Euro Class) left a lot to be desired.
London Heathrow Airport is humongous. We had to take a bus to get to the 2nd flight and we saw almost the whole airport, boy are they building. I have to say their amenities for the those with mobility issues was fantastic, Charlotte could roll the electric cart right onto the bus. I only hope our trip home is as enjoyable.

On our way!

2010-08-26T21:26:00.003+02:00

We are just getting ready to leave for the airport. We will arrive in Barcelona on Friday around noon their time.

I will probably put up my first post on Sunday night so you guys should check back on Monday. Thanks to all who called or e-mailed to wish us a good trip....... :)

Amalfie Coastline

2010-08-18T21:26:00.006+02:00

I can't believe it!

2010-08-18T21:07:00.009+02:00

We are leaving in one week from today. We just heard that we will be able to have an audience with the Pope; I hope it all works out and we really can get in to see him, a lot depends on timing and logistics.

We are getting very very excited. I have been practicing my Spanish phrases and trying to understand the money conversions and which method would be better, travelers checks or ATM. I actually looked into the AAA money debit card, which is accepted anywhere you can use a Visa Card. Like I said before when traveling to foreign countries or remote locations you have to do your homework before you go. I was able to find a lot of good information and even language Cd's at my local public library.

We are flying out next Thurs. (Aug. 26) on Continental Airlines going through London and onto Spain. We will be staying at the Renaissance Barcelona Airport Hotel, it's not near town but I have heard good things about it on the trip advisor web sites. After a long night time flight I think we may just crash when we get there and have a nice dinner in the evening, that would be Friday. Saturday we'll travel to the town center and do some sightseeing and shopping. Sunday we get on our ship and the tour is fast and furious, it's an event pack schedule.

I have hired cars and drivers for Rome (Civitavecchia) and Naples, these will be private cars that will take us to see what we want on our schedule. I felt this was a good decision for us since there is so little time in each port and so much I want to see. In (Livorno) we are taking the bus service offered by the cruise line to Florence. There is no tour involved but after an hours' drive from the pier through the countryside it gives you about 4 hours to explore Florence by yourself. There are guides on the bus to describe the sites and towns you go through.

Exploring the food, culture and history of these great cities is going to be amazing. Think about it, we will walk on ground that was held by the Romans. The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and Spanish Steps; they remind us of what Rome once was. The Vatican, the art and history that belongs the the Catholic church in this historic location. The Trevi Fountain where I promised someone I would toss a few coins and stop for gelato at Valentino's gelato stand. In Barcelona there is more than 2000 years of history and it has the largest Aquarium in the World. Exploring on this vacation is going to take a lot of energy I only hope I can keep up with an electric cart....LOL.

Until sometime next week, goodbye, Adios (Spanish), Addio (Italian), Buenas noches! (goodnight) Jo Ann

Well, we are getting ready.

2010-07-23T16:19:00.001+02:00

We have about 4 weeks until we leave for Barcelona. We get to spend two days there and then get on the cruise ship, this time the Norwegian Jade (NCL). Planning our trip and what tours we want to take. Hope you all will join us for our adventure beginning 8-27-10.