Joyful Journey Travels....

Baltic Ports

2010-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

It has been hard to find the time or a decent internet connection in order to update our blog. Today in Warnemunde, while more than 1000 passengers are in Berlin, I will take a stab at updating all that we’ve been seeing and doing. After a relaxing day at sea on Monday, we spent Tuesday in Oslo. Utilizing the Hop on Hop off Bus, we visited a most unusual sculpture park. Gustav Vigeland was famous for his designs of the human body. His sculptures are of babies, children, teens and adults posed in many different contortions. Vigeland shows the male and female body in exact detail.

Wednesday we visited three different castles in the North Zeeland section of Denmark. Our inside visit was at the Frederiksborg Castle, otherwise known as the “castle of Frederick II”. The second castle was called Fredenborg Castle or the “castle of peace”. The Danish Royal Family uses it still today as their summer residence. The last castle, called Kronberg was right on the waterway that separates Denmark and Sweden. Because of its distance from Copenhagen and northern latitude, the Royals of old never wanted to visit or stay there. It was used by the military for over 200 years, until 1924. It s now a UNESCO site and a public museum.

Frederiksborg Cathredral

Frederiksborg Castle

Today we chose to stay around Warnemunde and do a Disney excursion that visited the Bad Doberan Monastery and took us on a 100+ year old steam train. The “Molli” Steam train was so named because a lady was trying to catch her dog (named Molli) who was chasing the train. The conductor thought she was calling the train, and ever since the train has been called “Molli”. We had apple cake and coffee in the resort town of Kuhlungsborn and afterwards walked around the quaint seaside shops before returning to Warnemunde. The rest of the sunny afternoon was spent browsing the shops in Warnemunde and watching all the ferry and boat traffic go in and across the canal. As the Disney Magic left Warnemunde tonight we had a flotilla of boats with passengers following us to waive goodbye. This is the last time this season the Magic will sail out of the port of Warnemunde and they wanted to wish us well.

Friday is a day at sea to rest up for our two very busy days in St. Petersburg, Russia. Till next time.

Chanted Tallinn and beyond

2010-07-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Livonia, Estonia

Our hike to Toompea

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral-Tallin

Monday, July 26th dawned bright and sunny. Temps went up to the mid 80’s so our self-guided walking tour turned out to be a great day of exercise. Our tour took us up to Toompea, but because we took a wrong turn we climbed up 6 flights of stone steps to reach the top as opposed to walking into town via the front gate. Toompea is where the first stone fort was built in Tallinn and is the highest land point in the historic part of the city. We looked around the area, visiting the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church and the fort before gradually making our way downhill to the Old Town with its many shops and restaurants. I had researched where we wanted to eat prior to our arrival in Estonia and we found the restaurant Balthasar which specializes in garlic dishes. The restaurant was named after a notorious writer, Balthasar Russow who wrote his masterpiece “Chronicle of Livonia” while residing in the very rooms that now house the restaurant. Balthasar overlooked the town square so it was pleasant watching all the tourists while we enjoyed a delicious garlic laced meal. We walked around the quaint town square and soaked up the history of what used to be called Livonia before making our way back to the ship. Estonia is steeped in history and was one of the main reasons we chose this itinerary for our cruise, so we were very glad to visit here.

Our next and last port of call on Tuesday was Stockholm. We did a Disney excursion here that showed us the Gamla Stan (old town) section of the city and other city highlights of this town spread over 14 islands. After a short bus ride out of town we came to Sigtuna. Sigtuna is an idyllic little town with wooden houses, narrow streets and the smallest Town Hall in Scandinavia, dating back to 1744. We enjoyed some free time here where we were able to pick up the rest of our souvenirs for folks back home. We enjoyed a Swedish lunch of meatballs and boiled potatoes with the rest of our bus group before heading back to Stockholm. From the quick visit we had of Stockholm, it is definitely a city worth more exploration.

Historic Stockholm-Gamla Stan

Sigtuna Town Hall

Main Street in Sigtuna

Our last two days of the cruise are spent at sea as we make our way back through the Baltic Sea and into the North Sea. An interesting tidbit we learned about why our time in Stockholm was cut short has to do with the amount of ship traffic expected in the English Channel and the docking times in Dover. The dock times are 5:30am and 11:00am and the Magic has to be in port by 5:30am so passengers flying out on Friday can catch their flights. We are spending an extra night in London so we plan on hopping on the tube and exploring some more of the city.

Till then……

From Russia with Love

2010-07-28T04:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings from St. Petersburg. As we sailed into St. Pete it was raining and gray, kind of befitting as we sailed past their naval island where we saw some old dilapidated battleships but also many of their newer members of the naval fleet. However, by the time we docked in Petersburg, the rain had ceased and the sun was starting to appear. Everybody was very anxious to get off the ship and begin their tours. We made it through Customs without any problem and emerged on the other side to look for our private guide. There were about 25 different guides waiting, all holding name boards of different passengers who had booked private excursions. We found our guide and proceeded outside to meet our driver. Nadia was our tour guide and Vladimir was our driver. We set off for our tour of the city. How amazing it was to see what is called one of the “most beautiful cities in the world”. On Saturday we saw 2 Egyptian Sphinx that were a gift to Petersburg in 1830. We toured the Peter and Paul Fortress where the walls are 12 meters thick and where prisoners were kept inside those walls. We saw the Baroque style Peter & Paul Cathedral built between 1712-1719, the battleship Aurora, which fired the first shot of the 1917 Revolution, the beautiful Church of the Spilt Blood, the green Triumphant Arch built to recognize Russia’s victory over Sweden in 1721 and St. Nicholas Cathedral built by Elizabeth in a Russian Orthodox design. Around 5PM we went to a traditional Russian restaurant where we enjoyed a very typical Russian meal in a beautiful setting. After dinner we went to a traditional folkloric show before heading back to the ship.
Sunday dawned bright and sunny with temperatures eventually getting into the low 90’s for the day. Nadia and Vladimir were waiting for us at 9AM and we headed off to see Catherine’s Palace. The crowds were many as we walked up to the entrance but being on an independent tour with a knowledgeable guide has its benefits. Nadia took us right to the front of the line and said “stick with me lie glue” and she meant it as we pushed (with permission) through the lines and into the palace grounds. Utterly amazing and breathtaking is even not enough to describe the grandeur and gaudiness inside the palace. The palace grounds were beautiful as well, Our tour included a 5 course Russian lunch at a popular country restaurant.
After lunch we enjoyed the scenic drive to the Peterhoff Palace and Fountain Gardens. On our visit to the gardens we saw a majority of the 180 fountains that are on the grounds. Amazing to see the technology that was used when these fountains were built hundreds of years ago. The designs themes are something to behold. After our walk thru the gardens we took a hydrofoil back to the city center of Petersburg where Nadia gave us some free time on our own to walk around and have a bite to eat before our evening canal cruise. We successfully chose little café and ordered something to eat off the Russian menu which turned out to be quite good. The canal cruise was interesting and we were grateful that Nadia was along because the narration was all in Russian. Nadia and Vladimir delivered us back to the Disney Magic where we bid them farewell and thanked them for a delightful visit to their city.
Two very long, sunny days in Petersburg, but it has been the highlight of our shore excursions thus far. I will try and update on our next two ports before we get back to Dover on Friday.

To Dover and The Magic

2010-07-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

After spending a sunny, breezy day on Saturday with 9 of our English cousins, we are off to Dover where we will board the Disney Magic. The 5 hours we spent with famly at Kew Gardens were precious and have created some beautiful memories.

Gary and I also took time to ride the London Eye, do a Thames River cruise and enjoy dinner at an English Pub. I will post more as I'm able.

Traveling Day

2010-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well we're off today to jolly old London. Hope the thunderstorms and hail that are predicted don't delay our flight. Can't wait to taste that yummy airline food ya know'. Tomorrow we are doing a Thames River Cruise followed by a flight on the London Eye and dinner at Porter's Pub. We will be meeting others that I have been chatting with on the Dis-boards at the London Eye and Porter's so we are looking forward to it.

Saturday, our English relatives, probably about 10-12 of them are coming into London to meet up with us at Kew Gardens. We are really looking forward to seeing them all again.

Till next time....
Sandy

Getting Ready

2010-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

Can you say BUSY??? That's how our lives have been this past week as we make final preparations for our departure to London later this week. We are looking forward to doing some sightseeing in London, visiting with our English cousins at Kew Gardens this weekend and meeting some of our fellow travelers on the BallyHoo Bus to Dover. We will be sailing on the Disney Magic to the Northern Baltic Capitals. Ports of call include Oslo, Copenhagen, Warnemunde, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Stockholm. I will try and post as often as I can while we are gone.

Sandy

Abu Dhabi Day

2009-04-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Our time in UAE is almost over. Monday we arose bright and early for an all day excursion to Abu Dhabi. Located 100 kilometers away from Dubai, it took about 2 hours to get there by bus. We traveled on a well maintained multi-lane highway all the way, often times with some construction. Our guide, Tony kept us well informed along the way with interesting facts about Abu Dhabi and the UAE as well as history about the Sheik Zayed Mosque we would be visiting.

The building of the mosque began in 1996 and even though construction is completed, they are still working on the landscaping. Some statistics about the mosque that I learned were: there are 80 domes, 1097 pillars in total, wit 97 of those pillars directly inside the main prayer room. These 97 pillars were made of marble and inlaid with mother of pearl. All of the marble used in the mosque was imported from Macedonia. The main dome of the mosque measures 35 meters in diameter on the outside. The turrets around the mosque are each 107 meters tall. The walls of the outer room are marble with beautiful inlaid mosaic floral design. Inside the main prayer room a handwoven Persian rug spreads from one end of the room to the other and is the largest handwoven Persian rug in the world. The large Swarovski crystal chandelier hanging in the center of the prayer room is reportedly the largest of its kind. There are two other smaller Swarovski chandeliers in the side rooms as well. The 99 names for Allah are calligraphed on a Kibbah wall inside the mosque. The Kibbah wall points in the direction of Mecca. In our hotel room there is an arrow on the ceiling which also points in the direction of Mecca. Sheik Zayed Mosque is the largest machine made mosque built is comparison to the Taj Mahal which was man-made. The mosque was built at a cost of 3.6 billion US dollars.

Quite a sight to see! The rest of the day we spent driving past Presidential palaces, and the Emirates Palace Hotel. The Emirates Palace is a 7 star hotel and a lot of the rich and famous put in frequent visits to this hotel. Abu Dhabi was a fascinating city, even larger than Dubai, and with even more construction cranes than Dubai. We made a quick stop at a date market as well where we made some purchases.

Later that evening was our OSSN farewell dinner, which we followed up with a walk to the Old Souk. This was a very authentic feeling souk and we got some unbelievable deals. The little pathways we took back to the hotel were crowded with people, adults and children even at the late hour of 10PM. The shops were still open and the area seemed more alive than during the day. One thing for sure... we have felt TOTALLY safe walking around Dubai. With a 1.5% crime rate who wouldn't feel safe. This has been a wonderful experience and we are so glad that we had the opportunity to make this trip. Tomorrow we pack up and head home, but not before going to visit the Palm Jumeirah island and take a tour through the Atlantis Hotel.

Stayed tuned for our next adventure....

Our Day in the Desert

2009-04-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday started off with a 1/2 day to ourselves, so we walked down to the creek and took an Abra (water taxi) over to the gold and spice souks on the other side. Wandering around on our own gave us more time to take in the whole flavor of the area. We didn't feel so rushed in looking for some special souvenirs and practicing our bartering skills. After lunch in our hotel lobby restaurant we gathered up our Safari gear and met everybody in the lobby.

There were sixteen 4x4 SUV's lined up outside our hotel waiting to take all of us out to the desert for our Safari. They had warned those with back or heart problems that this desert safari could be too rigorous for them. We decided to just ask our driver to take it easy at first so we could see how rough it really was. The SUV's caravaned about an hour outside of Dubai to one of a handful of "businesses" that offer these Safari tours with a Bedouin camp experience. Upon arrival to the desert base camp we were given an opportunity to souvenir shop and use the restrooms while our drivers deflated the air pressure in the tires.

The time had come--we piled into the Land Rover, made sure our seatbelts were tight and our stomach's settled before Ishmael took off. We were 12th in a caravan of 16. This is the sort of dune ride that you WILL NOT experience on the Lake Michigan sand dunes. This was dune bashing at its best--sand flying, tires spinning, rocking back and forth as Ishmael skillfully took us up one dune then spun into the next dune all while avoiding the other SUV's that were so close by or worse yet not rolling our vehicle. Gary looked a little nervous at times. I would not really compare this to a roller coaster as it wasn't as steep or as fast. And it was NOT as rough or bouncy as one of those simulator rides at Disney. A couple of times we would see a vehicle stopped and were told - oops, somebody got sick to their stomach. The Safari made two stops, one for pictures and scenery, the other a beverage stop (no it wasn't a McDonald's in the middle of the desert) before arriving at the faux Bedouin camp.

We arrived just prior to sunset and we were anxious to try riding a camel. This was a real camel ride, starting with climbing onto the camel while it was kneeling on the ground, having it stand up while you're seated, being led on a short stroll around the camp and then back to starting point. To be honest, when the camel starts to kneel down, you had better be holding on for dear life because you are not expecting it to lunge forward and down all at the same time. This part of the camel ride was more jostling than the dune buggy ride and actually a bit scarier.

Afterwards we went into the camp where they had low tables with cushions to sit on set up in a square around a Persian carpeted performance area. We had a choice of having our fortune told, smoking a Hookah, having our picture taken in traditional garb or getting a henna tattoo. I opted for the tattoo. Then it was time to enjoy the Arabian style meal that had been prepared for us...fresh breads, lentil soup, rice, stewed vegetables, kabobs, a local fish, chicken sausage and an array of desserts. They make a very tasty version of bread pudding and we have had it served at almost every meal since arriving here.

Once our belly's were filled it was time to watch some belly dancers. The performance was on the Persian carpeted area and we were all mesmerized by 2 belly dancers as they moved in ways I could never dream of moving. They even got some audience involved which was fun to see how much we didn't know about moving our belly's. It was great fun, but soon it was time to get back in our SUV's and head out of the desert. A short 5 minute ride brought us to the air refill station where Ishmael reinflated the tires so we could get back on the road to Dubai. All in all I would rate this as an A-1 excursion for the entertainment, adventure and dining value it provided.

Next time we're off to visit Abu Dhabi....

The City-Sites, Sounds & Smells

2009-04-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon our group of 66 climbed onboard two coaches and had a 4 1/2 hour tour of Dubai. The origin of Dubai goes back to 1830 when traders from Oman came here to make a life for themselves. At that time the city was called Al Wasl. It is fascinating to ssee how the old and the new Dubai live side by side (or across the creek) from each other. Our first stop on the tour was to Jumeirah Beach. Jumeirah means "Land of the Moonlight". Along this stretch of beach is where the luxury hotels and resorts are built up as well as palatial size homes and villas. Along this same stretch of Jumeirah Road stands the Jumeirah Mosque. This mosque is one of the few places where they have on display a copy of the Koran translated into English. As we headed towards the Dubai Creek, which is 14.5 km long, you can see the obvious difference between old and new Dubai and its way of life. Our guide pointed out the large blue Dhows which still ply international waters, sailing to far off ports with their wares. In contrast luxury yachts are moored near by. Our Dhow Dinner cruise in the evening was a great way to experience the culture from the creek all while enjoying traditional Indian and Arab cuisine.

Another stop in our city tour was the Dubai Museum and fort. This structure was built in 1785 originally as a residence for the ruling family, then it became a dungeon, a place of refuge during the was and eventually this museum. It was interesting walking thru the gallery and seeing displays of what used to be the way of life in old Dubai. After the museum we were off to visit the Souks, or markets. A note of explanation is necessary-Friday and Saturday is the "weekend" for the people here in Dubai which means that it is a day for all the Indian people to be bussed into town for shopping, visiting with relatives, eating and just congregating in LARGE numbers. Therefore, the Gold Souk was exceptionally crowded today, with people bartering, buying, selling and telling you anything to get you separated from your dollars. All the gold was pretty to look at, lovely to touch, but definitely not in our budget at this time. Upon leaving the Gold Souk we walked over to the Spice Souk where our guide took us into one shop to complete our purchases and get us all back on the bus in a timely manner. The bus literally crawled through the hundreds of Indians milling about in the streets, on the sidewalks and everywhere! Unbelievable to witness!

Some interesting facts I learned about Dubai:

Population of Dubai Emirate is approximately 2 million, of which 80% are Ex-Patriots. Of those 80%, 43% are from India, and one particular province within India. The other 20% of the population are domestic residents.

UAE is the 5th richest oil producing nation in the world

The tallest building in Dubai iis the Burj (means tower) Dubai at 818 meters. It is not totally completed yet due to the building slowdown here.

The Burj Al Arab hotel is 321 meters tall which makes it 1 meter taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Residents of UAE pay NO taxes. Dubai is a duty free shopping zone.

Ex Pats are treated with more respect and hospitality in Dubai than they would be in their home countries.

Dubai is 98.5% crime free, and in Dubai women enjoy equal rightswith men.

Just thought I'd share those tidbits with you all. More about our Desert Safari tomorrow.

Flight-Fantasy-Food

2009-04-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

Flight-

We arrived in Dubai after a 13 1/2 hour flight on one of the new Delta 777 aircraft. This flight, though long, was smooth and uneventful. The two meals & snacks that were served were better than many we have eaten on airplanes. There was a long list of movies to select from if one chose to stay up and view them. Fortunately, we had exit row, bulkhead seats so we had plenty of room to stretch out and sleep. We actually got more sleep than anticipated so once we got to Dubai, cleared customs and reached our hotel at 8:30PM, we went out for a walk. Our body clocks didn't seem to be too off kilter.

Fantasy-

We pinched ourselves the next morningto make sure we really had woken up in the "City of Sunshine". After breakfast we took off walking and exploring the area around the Radisson Hotel. It was located right across from Dubai Creek, so we strolled along the creek and looked at all the Dhow's. We will be taking a Dhow Dinner Cruise on the Creek during our time here. It was fascinating seeing all the fishing boats at the wharf-watching the men hose down the boats and hang their laundry out to dry. I love visiting new places and experiencing new adventures, so being able to visit Dubai is a fantasy dream come true.

Food-

An early highlight of our trip was being able to partake in an afternoon High Tea at the Burj Al Arab hotel. I had reserved it prior to our departure from home. We arrived early so we could explore this famous hotel before taking the express elevator to the 27th floor to the Skyview Bar where they served High Tea. The view from the top was breathtaking, looking off in one direction to see the Jumeirah Palm Island where the Atlantis Palm Hotel is, then off in the other direction to see the coastline which boasts an expanding number of luxury hotels and high rise buildings.

To say that High Tea was an indulgence is an understatement but one SO well worth every calorie eaten and every dollar spent. From the fresh berries and cream, the Salmon Wellington, a variety of finger sandwiches, chocolate Cream Brulee' and other sweets, to the fresh scones with clotted cream and jams, it was 2 hours well spent enjoying every morsel and crumb. Our server even packaged up some petit fours for us to enjoy later in the evening.

After Tea we decided to take a taxi over to the Mall of the Emirates seeing as how we were so close at this point. Plus, we wanted to walk off some of the calories we had just enjoyed. This gave us the chance to see Ski Dubai - the indoor ski mountain inside the Mall. Quite something to witness, snow, chair lifts, ski runs, tubing slopes etc. After a couple of hours of walking the 3 levels of this Mall, we were ready to head back to the Royal Ascot Hotel, our host hotel for this OSSN Conference.

More to come as the conference activities begin later today (Friday)....

Off to Dubai

2009-04-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is the big day! When I first heard about this opportunity to visit Dubai with OSSN, I told Gary that I wanted to be on that bandwagon. That was almost a year ago and so when the conference registration opened in December of 2008, we began our plans to attend. From compiling frequent flyer miles into one account to finding a hotel to stay in for our early arrival, all things came together nicely.

We fly out Tuesday from Detroit to Atlanta and then a 14 hour flight from Atlanta straight over to Dubai. That is a LONGGGG time to be on a plane, so sleep aids, reading material, snacks and more sleep aids are all part of our packing list. We are supposed to arrive in Dubai on Wednesday, April 15th at 7:50 PM, so our body clocks should be totally confused. However, that is not stopping us from jumping right into exploring this fascinating city. Thursday afternoon we are scheduled to go to the infamous Burj Al Arab hotel for High Tea. Having a reservation of some sort at the hotel is the only way of gaining entry into the property. Even our scheduled city tour the next day is just a drive by of the Burj. I will try and post some pics from our view from the Skyview at the top of the Burj.

More from Dubai....

Hawaii is Great in 2008

2008-11-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

ZIPLINING---still Fun!

Praise be to God for another beautiful sunny day here on Kauai. This is the day we've been waiting for, when we do our zipline excursion. We returned to the Kauai Back Country Adventure camp near Kapaa and signed our life away by filling out all their waiver forms. We weighed in and then were given our equipment. After a 15-20 minute ride in a German made military vehicle up to the start of the Zipline course we got our first look at what was in store. 7 different zips that would gradually take us down to a lower elevation from whence we started. At first, we were comparing the equipment and the procedures to our adventures in Barbados back in January of 2008. After leaping off the first platform and arriving safely at the next, we realized that even with differences in procedure, this was still a blast. I found out at the end of the day that Gary's semi-fear of heights was kind of an impediment to his total enjoyment of the course. During the zips, he was breaking out in a cold sweat, which he later said was because of that GIANT leap of faith he had to take to get off each platform. Overall though, we did both have a great time. I've included some pictures for you to laugh at.

This afternoon we head back to Honolulu to catch our mainland flight back to the continental US. Hopefully, our return flights will be less adventurous than our flight over, and Lord willing, we should be back in Michigan by early afternoon. Everybody should make it a priority to visit our 50th state and all her beauty. Hawaii truly is Paradise.
Till our next trip...ALOHA!!

2008-11-19T22:46:00.000-08:00

Coffee, Chocolate & Sugar Cane

Well since I last made an entry, we have covered half the island of Kauai seeing many new and interesting places. Monday was pretty much a wash-out, there was so much rain it caused flash flooding in many places. We used that time to look at hotels, souvenir shop and eat in local eateries. We also prayed for SUNSHINE! Tuesday burst forth with blue skies, tradewind breezes and sunshine. This was cause for seeking out the surf and sand in front of our hotel and soaking it up for a few hours. After eating lunch at a local diner we paid a visit to the historic town of Hanapepe. The one street thru town looks like time stood still here, which has played to its benefit in that it is often used in movies. We took a walk over the famous Hanapepe Swinging bridge. I love doing these suspended bridges, be it on a playscape with my granddaughter or over the Hanapepe River with my honey, Gary. On our way back to Poipu we stopped at a new visitor attraction, from which the Coffee part of my title comes from. The Kauai Coffee Plantation is new within the past 10 years, since we were last here. With a small museum, a coffee sampling showroom, a gift shop and a self-guided walking tour explaining the coffee growing process, it was an interesting, free way to spend the dwindling hours of sunshine on Tuesday.

Wednesday morning was warm and sunny as we headed out early for a 9AM tour at the Steelgrass Chocolate Farm. While Gary drove thru "rush hour" traffic for all of 10 minutes, I watched and listened to a webinar on my laptop in the car. YEAH! for modern technology that enables one to travel and learn at the same time. We arrived at Steelgrass with time to spare. This is a family owned and operated business and they wear their hearts on their sleeves when it comes to sharing their passion for organic fruit, spice and chocolate farming. Throughout the walking tour we learned about and tasted some unusual fruits, ie: "lon-gone", "hairy eye-ball" and Tahitian lime, along with sugar cane, bananas and star fruit. Everybody was VERY anxious to get to the chocolate part of the tour. Did you know that the theobromines in dark chocolate caused chocolate to be called the elixir of the Gods? Cacao has one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of ANY food and so with that in mind, the tour ended with a taste sampling of 10 different types of dark chocolate. Hey, somebody has to do this for you, so I hope you appreciate the sacrifice we made in tasting all these samples. The picture is of Cacao pods as they grow on trees. These are almost ready to pick. Immediately following our Chocolate tour we headed off to the Sugar Cane fields. This is where we "flumed the ditches", otherwise known as floating down the irrigation ditches that were built approximately 150 years ago to facilitate the watering of the sugar cane fields. This activity is not for the faint of heart as you ride in a large, sturdy inner tube, in 69 degree water that flows swiftly down hill, thru 5 different tunnels and two gurgling waterfalls as you try to not bump into the rock-walls and outgrowths of greenery. The tour ends with a nice picnic lunch at the Backcountry Adventures Camp. The picture shows a participant entering one of the tunnels. Tomorrow we take our rescheduled Zip-line excursion.

2008-11-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Parades, Planes & Poses

Today, Sunday, there is going to be a parade celebrating King Kalakaua. The route goes right past our hotel so we should have a good view from our balcony. On Saturday, we completed our trolley tour of the city by taking the red line trolley throught Historic Honolulu. This included drive-byes of the State Capitol, Iolani Palace, the Cathedral Art Gallery, Foster Gardens, the historic Aloha Tower, a drive thru China Town. We did get to stop at the famous Hilo Hatties mega-store. Hilo Hattie started her business in 1970 with one little store and it has grown across all the islands with the mega-store located here in Honolulu. They carry all sorts of great Hawaiian stuff...clothes, home decor, macadamia nuts, chocolates, jewelry, you name it they have it. The picture below is of Gary next to the World's Largest Aloha Shirt, a size 400XL, available only at Hilo Hatties. We have been fortunate that while we have been here, there were a number of local festivals and special events taking place. We were able to go to a local craft/holiday outdoor market in Queen Kapiolani Park after our trolley tour. Some wonderful vendors with handmade Hawaiian jewelry, clothes, wood products were on display. A great place to start my Christmas shopping. We saw a beautiful sunset the other evening with sailboats silhouetted against the sky.

We caught the tail end of the parade, so we decided to do one last stroll along Waikiki Beach. Beautiful sunny morning for people watching and picture taking. Sandy is pictured with Duke, the famous surfer of years gone bye.

This afternoon, we catch our flight over to Kauai.

2008-11-14T23:27:00.000-08:00

Sites and Sights

We met the sales rep at the Outrigger Reef and proceeded to see this beautiful rebuilt property. If you've ever stayed here in the past prior to the rebuild, you definitely need to come and see it again. It is absolutely gorgeous. The Pacific Tower is complete, with the Ocean Tower scheduled for Spring of 2009. The guestrooms are sooo much bigger now than they used to be. In the Ocean Tower they have suites ranging from 1 to 4 bedrooms...great for family reunions. The guestrooms in the completed Pacific Tower were outstanding, a good percentage of them are oceanview. The decor is tastefully done with the theme of Hawaiiana carried very nicely throughout. From bedspreads to carpets and wall hangings, everything reflects the heritage of the islands of Hawaii. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the Shorebird Restaurant while a quick blast of wind and rain showered down outside, soon to be over with, leaving a beautiful rainbow in its wake.

The rest of the day we pursued leisure activities. A great way to see Waikiki as well as Historic Honolulu or the scenic Windward side of the island is via the Waikiki Trolley. We took the pink line over to the Ala Moana Center and saw the sights along the way, and then decided to do the 3 hour blue line trolley tour which provides a nice, slow ride up the eastern coast and back. Our guide was excellent as she pointed out Jackie Chan's mountain top mansion, Jack Lord's burial sight, the location of many famous movie shoots, and the beautiful Hanauma Bay, famous for its fantastic snorkeling. A stop at Diamond Head as well as Sandy Beach Park to see the giant turtles and the blow hole. All in all a fun, windy, sunny way to spend the afternoon.

Till next time... Sandy

2008-11-14T07:28:00.000-08:00

Aloooha!
Well, after a 3 hour delay at DFW, we finally departed at 4PM and prepared to settle in for our 8 hour flight. We were blessed that at the beginning of the day in Detroit, we had been able to secure exit row seats for our entire trip. What a treat, to have that extra leg room. Now for some humor, I want you to picture this...2 tiny airline pillows, one flimsy airline blanket, my lumbar back support pillow, an inflatable neck wrap, an eye mask and an exit row window seat. Got that picture of me trying to get comfortable and sleep? NOT PRETTY huh? Sleep was very elusive even with all those "amenities". All I craved at the end of our flight was CHOCOLATE!

We arrived safely into Honolulu at 8PM local time/1AM Michigan time, claimed our luggage and proceeded to secure shuttle service to the Waikiki Parc Hotel. After waiting for about 20 minutes with a long line of people ahead of us, I convinced another older couple to share a taxi with us as we headed to our respective hotels. They were very eager to join us as they had flown in from PA. and were equally tired and ready to get to their hotel. The taxi provided us with non-stop service to our hotel for which we were grateful.

The Waikiki Parc is located just across the street from the Halekalani Hotel and a short walk to the Outrigger Reef. It is an ultra modern hotel geared towards DINK's and the well heeled Generation Y population. At the entryway to the Parc there is a Lotus automobile just to give you an idea. Our room is on the top floor-19th and we have a deluxe ocean view. Thankfully, my desire for chocolate was fulfilled because when we got to our room the sales manager had left us a box of chocolate covered Macadamia nuts. Yum yum. We hit the sack shortly after arrival and put in a good nights sleep.

We are scheduled for a 9AM site inspection of the renovated Outrigger Reef which will include breakfast. More later.

Hawaii is Great 2008

2008-11-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

Thursday, Nov. 13th...a very long travel day!

The day has finally arrived for us to depart on our 9 day vacation to the beautiful state of Hawaii. We will be visiting Waikiki, Oahu for 3 nights and then off to the Garden Isle of Kauai for 5 nights. Suitcases packed, computer and all electonic gadgets are on board, now we await our Checker Sedan transportation to the airport. They arrive at 4:45AM and we are just about ready. Little did we know what was in store for us today as we got into the Town Car that took us to the airport. It really is funny looking back at it now.

The driver said he had no problem finding our house, but then when he turns out onto the main street to go to the airport, he is totally turned around and almost makes two turns in the wrong direction. Good thing we knew where we had to go. Our check-in at Metro went smoothly as did our departure. However, about an hour into the flight the captain comes on the speaker and tells us there is a slow oxygen tank leak in the cockpit, so we will be setting down in St. Louis to make repairs. Fortunately, it took less than an hour for repairs and we were on our way to DFW airport.

Now the real ADVENTURE begins. When we deplane, and head to the restroom we hear rumblings about a security breach. Turns out to be a full Terminal D evacuation. Evidently somebody had opened a secured fire escape door and after a lock-down of Terminal D, where nobody owned up to it, they proceeded with a total evacuation. That was a first for us. Mass confusion once out in the terminal, with everybody trying to get into a security line for when they reopened. We ended up taking a shuttle to a different terminal, clearing security there and then taking the skylink monorail back to terminal D, only to find that now our 12:50 PM departure was delayed until 3:30PM due to equipment problems. Keeping our fingers crossed that all goes well for an on time departure. I will update tomorrow.

Final Thoughts...

2007-08-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

It only seems fitting that at the conclusion of a "Magical" cruise that I should post a list of the highlights throughout our Mediterranean Odyssey.

Travel: We are both grateful that our flights went off without any hitches, albeit close connections, what with getting thru massive lines at the Barcelona airport, and multiple levels of security at the Madrid airport. Most important though was that all of our luggage mananged to get on the same planes as we did. Having heard horror stories of lost and delayed luggage for folks on our sailing, we feel very fortunate.

Pre-cruise: Highlights in Barcelona would have to be walking thru Las Ramblas and seeing all the characters that "make a living" entertaining the tourist. Definitely our Segway Tour was something special and being able to see the works of Antonio Gaudi throughout this beautiful city brough a new appreciation for his works of art and architecture.

Disney Magic: Pirates Night, where my hubby proudly walked around all evening in his Pirate costume. We took advantage of the opportunity to have our picture taken with Pirate Mickey. The Pirates in the Caribbean Party on the upper deck was not to be missed, and was capped off with a fireworks display right from the ship, and a late night Pirate Buffet. The nightly productions that Disney puts on are equal to any land based theatrical production that one might see in New York or Las Vegas. What made these show even more special and entertaining was the fact that they were being "interpreted or signed" for a non-hearing family on board. We always sat mid-way back in the theater just above where Brian and Jen were standing, and we would find ourselves watching them instead of focusing on what was going on onstage. The expressions and creativity that they brought to the shows was extraordinary.

Food: The Chocolate Lava cake served in Palo Dining room was to die for. We also tried many local dishes while we were in Barcelona, a paella dish as well as tapas. In Erice, the almond cookies from Grammatico Maria's Pasticceria were wonderful, as was the Italian gelato we had in Porto Cervo.

And of course, you can't be in France without trying an original French Crepe or a cup of Cappacino in Monaco. I could go on and on about the food, but then thinking about it just makes me want to be there again enjoying it all.

New Friends: It was really great to meet all the fun people that we had been chatting with on the Dis-Boards. Our pre-sail away gathering was lots of fun, putting names to faces, exchanging token gifts from our hometown. Most of all, getting to know Lilian and Alex and their family as we shared some long, hot, days together on private excursions. We had a good time walking thru the ruins of Pompeii and then off to the beautiful isle of Capri and our bright red taxi tour. Scrunched together in the backseat of our tour guides Lancia as he showed us Rome in a day. Then exploring Nice, Monaco and Eze with the whole Preston Clan in a roomy mini-van with our delightful guide Isolina.

So many wonderful new sights we experienced, so many new things we tried, a lot of memories brought home to share with friends and family and even more pictures. Yes, it was definitely a trip of a lifetime and we are so grateful to have been able to celebrate 30 years of marriage in such a romantic way.

Sandy

Marseille and the cows

2007-07-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our last port of call was Marseille, France on Thursday, July 26th. This was probably our least favorite port of call and had we not already pre-purchased a Disney Excursion we would have stayed onboard the ship. For those cruiser's still trying to decide about Marseille excursions, save your money and do it on your own. When you get off the Magic, there is a free shuttle bus into the center of town near the "vieux port". Once there, you can pay 5 euro per person and take the "little train" for a complete sightseeing overview of Marseille and it includes a trip up to see the Basillica du Notre Dame. You will avoid a lot of the hassles that the tour busses encounter trying to drive up these narrow mountain roads. Then you can spend however much longer you want to in the city center, returning to the ship at your leisure.

But, we did do the tour, and so boarded the bus at 8:15 in the morning. I do have to say, the drive up to the Basillica du Notre Dame was interesting, watching our driver manuever these narrow roads with traffic coming around the hairpin turns and screeching on their brakes. Once at the top, we had 200 steps to climb in order to reach the actual church. 200 steps by this time in the cruise was a piece of cake. After using the steps instead of the elevator whereever we went on the ship, plus all the walking and climbing on the excursions, our legs no longer felt the pain. Yeah! The Basillica is beautiful inside and was interesting to view on the outside, as it has been refurbished recently but one side of the church was left in its post-war state with pock marks all over it from the bombings. The view of Marseille and the old port was fascinating too.

As the title of this post indicates, Marseille is having one of those festivals where charities decorate a cow statue and then at the end of the festival they are auctioned off. Believe it or not, searching for cow statues became the goal of a number of us on the tour bus, and the highlight of the tour. We had about 1 hour to spend looking for cows or shopping after a complimentary beverage at a local cafe.

We were back at the ship by 12:30PM and just relaxed the rest of the afternoon and evening before attending the evening show. More on the ship and entertainment etc. tomorrow.

Sandy

Villefranche France

2007-07-27T02:42:00.000-07:00

Qui Qui, that's our answer to your question, did you enjoy the French Riviera?

Wednesday was Villefranche, France, gateway to the French Riviera. Our private guide Isolina met us at the pier after the Magic had anchored off shore and we tendered in. We toured today with Lilian, Alex, Deborah, Ian and Olivia, so there were 7 of us plus our driver/guide in a very spacious mini-van. This is a custom tour that I had arranged it certainly made for a very delightful, personalized experience in seeing Nice, Monaco and Monte Carlo and Eze. After stopping for a city overview picture opportunity of Nice, Isolina took us to the Nice flower market and allowed us time to shop and smell the roses. We also were right across from the beach, so we were able to see some of the sights there as well. The beauty of taking a private tour is that if traffic is congested on the main roads that all the tour busses take, our driver can just turn about and take a scenic back road, which is the case for our ascent up to view the artists community of Saint Paul. Here again we had time to stroll through this magnificent community and enjoy some authentic French Crepes for lunch. Picture above is of the cemetary located in this community of Saint Paul.

After lunch we headed down the mountainside and heard about Monaco and its history and about Grace Kelly and her tragic death driving down the upper corniche. Arriving into Monte Carlo was exciting as she took us straight to the Casino area and the famous Cafe De Paris, Le Louis XV restaurant and the Hotel De Paris. The casino did not open until 2PM so we were not able to step inside the lobby even for a quick look. We did go into the Hotel De Paris but thru the revolving doors was as far as we got. Unless we had a hotel reservation or a restaurant reservation, the doorman would only allow us to do a quick look around the beautiful lobby.

Our next stop was the prinicipality of Monaco where we viewed the palace and the church where Grace Kelly's funeral was held and where she is buried. Again we were allowed time to stroll these narrow little streets filled with cafe's and shops. We had time to sit down and enjoy a French cup of cappacino in one of the little cafe's. As we were leaving Monaco, the Disney bus tours were starting to arrive and queue up at the church. It was so nice to just hop into the mini-van and speed off. Off we went to the perfume factory of Fragonard. Isolina had arranged for us to take a tour and see how perfume is made. Of course the tour ended in their gift shop which was a pleasant smelling place to be.

Next and last stop on our personal tour was the little village of Eze, another mountain top artist community. We didn't have a lot of time to spend here but we enjoyed the visit just the same.

When Isolina dropped us off back at the pier in Villefranche, Gary and I walked around the shops and restaurants in the area just to get a flavor of Villefranche. We tendered back to the Disney Magic and enjoyed a relaxing evening on board. Bell tower in Villefranche, pictured below.

Will try and get the rest of our shore trips posted before the end of the cruise. The shore days are so long and the activities on board so late, that it is hard to find time to update the blog.

Later,
Sandy

Picture Perfect Portofino

2007-07-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Tueday morning came a little too early, but never the less we were ready for our Disney excursion to beautiful Portofino and Santa Margherita which are reached from the port of La Spezia, Italy. We boarded the tour bus and headed along the highway towards these picturesque villages. The reason for taking the highway is that the scenic route winds along the coastline thru many villages but more importantly, those roads are so narrow it would have taken forever for the bus to manuver them all. Besides, the scenery from the highway wasn't too shabby to look at. All the beautiful mountainside terraced fruit and olive tree groves could be seen as well as occassional glimpses of the coast.

We stopped first in Santa M. and visited the church in the city square prior to be cut loose for shopping. Plenty of interesting little local shops and pasticceria's to visit in addition to some designer shops as well. Our group all gathered together at noon and descended on a pizza restaurant for a real Italian pizza party. There was no shortage of pizza's, we were full after each having a piece of white pizza made with a wonderful thin crust, and then true pepperoni pizza. They continued to bring out veggie pizza and pizza margherita before bringing out the best...Chocolate (Nutella) dessert pizza. However, we had already excused ourselves after the 1st two pieces and headed out to take pictures along the bay.

At 1:30 PM we met together again at the ferry pier and boarded our launch for the short ride to Portofino. It was such a beautiful, sunny day with a mild breeze blowing as we approached the postcard perfect harbor of this playground for the rich and famous. The ferries don't have priority in docking, as we had to wait 10 minutes or so while a YACHT moved out of our way and provided us entry to the pier. Portofino is as beautiful as you have seen on postcards etc. We strolled around and up and down the hilly streets of town, popping in and out of the little shops, making sure we weren't missing out on some designer fashion that possibly could have been on sale. These were the true "designer" shops and way out of our price range. We decided to settle for a refreshing Nutella Frappe enjoyed Al Fresco at the cafe in the square. This excursion was a nice relaxing way to see more of Italy in a leisurely fashion, especially after the hecticness of Rome the day before.

Sandy

Rome Highlights

2007-07-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

If it's Monday it must be Rome, and indeed it is. Gianni our private driver met us at the pier with his brand new Lancia sedan. The four of us climbed in and were off for the 1 1/2 hour drive from Civitavecchia to Rome. Gianni shared tidbits of information about the area we were passing thru enroute to our destination. Upon entering this bustling city it was obvious that it was a Monday morning. All the workers were headed back to the heart of the city from their weekend homes by the seaside. In other words, traffice was heavy. We headed straight for the Vatican, but even at 9:45 in the morning, the line wrapped around 3 sides of this 190 acre walled city, with people waiting for the 10AM opening. Needless to say, Gianni said it would be best to try later in the day. After crossing over the Tiber river, we were in the other section of Rome where the majority of historic sites are to be found.

Gianni showed us so many of the significant sites I can only begin to list them. We drove by Saint Mary of the Holy Mount, which is one of the seven churches of Rome. We stopped at the Trevi Fountain which at the time was being emptied of all its coins. The armored truck carried away 5 laundry size canvas bags of coins. We contributed by tossing a coin over our shoulder for luck. Our next interesting stop was the Church of St. Peter, a beautiful setting for the statue of Moses, sculpted by Michaelangelo prior to his being assigned to do the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Inside this church were the chains in which Peter was locked up in while in prison during his ministry.

Our next stop was the Colusseum, an awesome structure to view, and to hear the stories of events that were held within from Gianni. According to Gianni, it took 7000 Jewish slaves to build the Colusseum, the capacity of the structure was 80000 people and it could be evacuated in 10 minutes time as there are 80 exits. Next to the Colusseum is the Arch of Constantine the Greek. Before lunch we also saw the Roman Baths and had a unique visit to the "keyhole of Rome" as well as a stop at Palentine Hill where the rape of the Sabine women took place according to legend in 753 BC. On this site now is the Imperial Palace, built in 80 AD.

After enjoying a meal served at a quiet, picturesque restaurantby 3 old men (we called it the Elderly Gentlemen's Club), we went to the Roman Forum, City Hall, the Pantheon and St. Peter's Square. St. Peter's Square took from 1450-1626 to build, has 152 statues around the top of it. Gianni pointed out which window was the Papal residency and told us that the columns on either side of the church represent the outstretched arms of Christ. We returned to the entrance of the Vatican but the line was still queued around 2 sides of the Vatican. Because the Vatican was due to close in 40 minutes, it was determined we would not queue up to try and get in. Therefore, it was time to head back to Civitavecchia and our floating home.

Ciao,

Sandy

Pompeii-Sorrento-Capri

2007-07-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

What can one say about Pompeii? To walk in the footsteps of a city, and a civilization that was wiped out by a volcano is a totally awesome experience. Thanks to our private driver, the 4 of us, Lilian, Alex, Gary and myself arrived at Pompeii just before it opened at 8:30AM. We hadn't planned to engage the services of a tour guide to show us around Pompeii, but we encountered a very good salesman who convinced us that the 4 of us should join this other group of 6 that he put together, and that we would be better off for doing so. We figured with only having 1 1/2 hours to visit this massive site it might be a wise idea and besides, to rent a headset was 12 Euro a person, and our live guide was only 10Euro...such a deal. It really was a smart decision, as was getting to Pompeii first thing in the morning. It was already bright and sunny and closing in on 90 degrees in the shade (what shade?) We even ran into a Disney photographer who obliged us and took pics of the 4 of us.

The ruins were amazing, and some of the murals on the walls were still in good enough condition to imagine how much more beautiful they must have been centuries ago. Abut mid-morning we left Pompeii and headed to Sorrento. Michael, our driver knew some shortcuts which avoided about 3 miles of bumper to bumper traffice that the busses have to go thru. We didn't spend time in Sorrento other than to get our hydrofoil tickets over to Capri.

Michael had arranged for us to be met by a private taxi guide upon our arrival into Capri. Paolo met us at the end of the pier and led us to his 1960 bright red Fiat. Not just any little Fiat but an old fashioned sedan with a huge back seat and 2 full size jumpseats in front of the backseat, as well as a passenger seat in front next to the driver. The taxi's in Capri all have the hardtop roof removed and a canvas canopy replaces that roof, allowing for an open-air experience that makes you feel like you are in a convertible.

Paolo took us straight away to the top of this beautiful island to the village of Ana Capri. He suggested we eat at this quiet little restaurant, away from the crowds. Turns out of course that the restaurant was owned by one of his relatives (surprise, surprise) but at any rate, the food was delicious and the atmosphere very relaxing. After lunch, we spent time in Ana Capri shopping and watching an old Italian man make leather sandals while singing Italian love songs. Now if only I could afford the leather sandals he was making.

Paolo showed us all over the island, beautiful little, hidden overlooks with breathtaking vistas or yacht filled harbors and beaches with romantic looking hotels perched above the sandy beach. We ended our time on Capri with a stroll around the village of Capri, located at the waters edge. This part of Capri was very crowded and filled with all sorts of souvenir shops, along with expensive designer shops. The locals say the place totally quiets down after 5PM when all the ferries and hydrofoils leave. We were on the last hydrofoil out at 5:05PM and returned back to the Disney Magic to relax and unwind. It had been a long and busy day, as have most of them. These long days off the ship make it difficult to keep the blog updated, but I am trying my best to post when I can.

Sunday we will be in Olbia, Sardinia.

Sandy

Palermo Excursion

2007-07-22T12:44:00.001-07:00

Our Palermo day was an early morning, meeting our fellow Disney mates who were going off to visit Segesta and Erice. The bus ride was made interesting by Vera, our guide who was very knowledgable and talkative. We were able to sit in the front seat, so Gary and I were a captive audience. We went first to Segesta, an ancient city from the 13th century and earlier, but no longer exists. All that is left is the Theatro and the Temple of Segesta. The Theatro was built in the 3rd Century BC and is still in wonderful condition, however they are doing some maintenance upgrades to it This excursion does require a good amount of walking uphill and on uneven pavement (what do you expect when it is centuries old?) The Temple was fascinating as Vera told us the history of it and the gods it was built to honor as well as why it was never finished. The Temple was built in the Classical design and faces east as most temples are. This is to represent each new day.

Following our time at Segesta we headed off to Erice. In order to reach this ancient, historic and quaint little village we had to take a cable car up the mountain. Once up at the top, Vera led us up to the Piazza or town square. The story behind Erice is that no one knows when the city was built and inhabited. Obviously by the looks and style of the buildings, it was centuries ago. There is a particular "bakery" on the "main street" that specializes in almond cookies and the knack of making marzipan. When our entire bus (32 of us) walked in, they started cutting up samples for us all to taste, which was a very smart move as it resulted in more sales for them. (think souvenirs ) Here is a picture taken in the bakery of the marzipan. We had time for looking around in the little shops that offered local handicrafts and produce. For lunch we were taken to a local restaurant/inn that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. The delicious homemade pasta and veal dish we were served made everybody very satisfied, therefore making for a very quiet bus ride back to the port of Palermo. This is the season for fresh watermelon and many other tasty fruits and vegetables and so this little markets display caught my eye.

For those reading this who are yet to come on the cruise, a couple things you do need to remember to bring with you on this excursion... suntan lotion, hats, and your travel paks of Charmin tissue as well as hand wipes. All were definitely needed, especially in Segesta.

On Board the Magic

2007-07-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

It's Here! The Disney Magic is docked in Barcelona and waiting for it's passengers to board. Transfer by taxi from our hotel went smoothly, but be sure to have your passport handy because you will need to let the taxi driver show it at the port entry booth. We arrived about 12:15 PM, gave our luggage to the porter, went into the terminal to check in, had our picture taken with Mickey and were on board by 1:00 PM. We went and grabbed a bite to eat at Topsider's as the staterooms were not available until 1:30PM. Our room was decorated by Disney in recognition of our Anniversary, but we added some additional decor to keep us in a festive mood the entire cruise. Pictures to be added later.

After unpacking and getting settled in we went and met our fellow Dis-boarders in the Promenade lounge. It was a chance to put faces to the nick-names we had become so familiar with and exchange our little Dis-gifts we had brought for each other. We had our special dinner at Palo's tonight and we were not disappointed. After dinner we went to the 1st evenings show in the Walt Disney Theater, called All Aboard and then later, went up top to the Sail-Away Party. The picture is of Gary's Cappacino Cheesecake dessert at Palo's.

Thursday, was a full day at sea. Beautiful sunny, warm breezes caressed us as we spent some time outside, but we had a number of events inside that we took advantage of, spa treatments, port lectures, and DVC gatherings and before we knew it, it was time for dinner and the evening show called the Golden Mickey's. Great performance, even seeing it the second time around, not to be missed.

Friday, we will be in Palermo and our excursion takes us to Erice and Segesta. More later.

Sandy

2007-07-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

Here it is Tuesday already. Tomorrow we board the Magic!! Can´t wait! Of course then the serious eating begins. We haven´t really overindulged in cuisine the past few days, only having 2 meals a day with a healthy snack while on the Bus Turista. The weather has been gorgeous...80 degrees, sunny, breezy, low humidity, couldn´t ask for anything nicer. Just perfect for riding on the top deck of a double decker open top bus.

Today the Bus Turista was a bit more crowded as the route included more of the sites where Antonio Gaudi´s works were displayed. The Sagrada Famailiar was too crowded so we didn´t get off, but we did go to Park Guell to see his works. I just loved all the mosaics.

Another stop we got off at was Tibadabo, an amusement park. In order to get to the actual amusement park we had to take a 100 year old tram and a funicular. The park is located at the highest point in Barcelona.

What a unique amusement park Tibadabo was...there was this huge cathredral up at the top of the mountain, a couple of hotels, the amusement park and a wonderful overlook from which to view Barcelona. After descending the mountain, we finished the blue route and ended up at this internet cafe so we could bring you all up to date on our happenings.

Signing off for now.
Sandy & Gary

Our Big Anniversary Day

2007-07-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

Well this is our big day! 30 years of being married! Who would´ve thought it? We started the day by sleeping in until 9:15AM. A luxury for us for sure. We tracked down some breakfast at a local department store called Ingles. It is really neat because it reminded us both of the old JL Hudson store downtown. It is 9 stories tall, with a cafeteria on the top floor, with a nice view of the city. It is so neat to see what a traditional department store "used" to look like, with a different type of merchandise on each floor. Our route today took us on the Bus Turista, a hop-on, hop-off tour bus thru the southern part of the city. A couple of the stops that we explored were the Spanish Village, picture below and then Montjuic.

Montjuic was very interesting as it is a part of the city where all the Jewish people were exiled to hundreds of years ago. There is a Jewish cemetary there now and today we were told that there are only about 3000-4000 Jewish people left in Barcelona.

Our very special activity was a 2 hour Segway tour around parts of the city. After a quick lesson on balancing, stopping, starting, and turning we were off with our guides. Both of us were a little nervous at first, seeing as how there are no horns on these things, and pedestrians, posts, curbs, trees, bikes and cars were all things we needed to avoid.

It is definitely something we would do again, and will on this trip if we come across it in another city. After our Segway tour, we skadaddled over to Las Ramblas for an evening Flamenco show. As a special Anniversary treat we indulged in a scoop of Gelato following the Flamenco show.

It is an Anniversary that will hold lots of special memories for us in the years to come. Off to bed as another full day on Tuesday awaits us.

Sandy & Gary

Travel - no problem!

2007-07-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are familiar with some of our past experiences while enroute to our destinations, this trip went off without a hitch. Our flights from Chicago to Barcelona, thru Madrid were uneventful, very smooth flights. If you don´t take into account that Friday night at home, my "sleep number" was a 65 and the next night on Iberia #6074 my "sleep number" went down to a -5 :) In other words, not much shut eye for this gal, even with my ¨"first class sleepere" inflatable bed, nothing worked. Gary caught some shut eye off and on, as he had put in a very long day and night of work on Friday the 14th.

We were very thankful all our luggage arrived at the same time as us on Sunday morning into Barcelona, as we had been hearing lots of reports of delayed or lost luggage from our fellow Disney cruisers. Our hotel in Barcelona, the Hotel Inglaterra is a very nice boutique style hotel, just a few blocks off Las Ramblas, near the heart of all the action. We are very happy with it and its proximity to everything. (read Starbucks)

Sunday, we took an afternoon nap to regain some zip and then went out and explored Las Ramblas and had a taste of Spanish food for dinner. Called it an early night.

Departure Day is Here!

2007-07-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Well, Saturday is finally here. After a very busy day Friday wrapping up all the loose ends, we both finally tumbled into bed about 1:30 AM (Saturday). Needless to say a short nights sleep as the alarm went off at 6:15 AM.

Gary was off to deliver the jobs that he worked so late to get finished. I was busy doing last minute housecleaning! Then we both went to weigh in at Weight Watchers. I was very pleased to hear that I had lost some more weight this week. YEAH! That gives me more wiggle room with all the great food we'll be imbibing in the next two weeks.

We're off to the airport in about an hour from now, when our travel adventures begin. Stay tuned, I promise to keep you posted.

Sandy

Welcome to our Cruise blog

2007-07-12T11:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our Blog. This will be a new experience for us, but then so is going on a Mediterranean Cruise. Two more days until we fly to Barcelona where we will celebrate our 30th Anniversary on July 16th. We'll be celebrating by trying another new experience...taking a Segway tour and then going to a Flamenco show.

Check back often to see what we're doing and where we've been. I'll try and include pictures when I can.

Sandy

First post.

2007-07-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

testing.....