Sunday, June 30, 2013

Afternoon in Civitavecchia

The port of Civitavecchia is a large one and requires a shuttle to get from the ship into town. We took the five minute ride to the end of the port area to walk along the boardwalk. When we were here previously, our driver Mike from Rome in Limo pointed out the statue of the iconic picture of the sailor kissing the girl. I had forgotten it was in Civitavecchia until I saw another DISBoarder post a photo of it on her Facebook page, so of course I had to go get my own. I'm glad we went because it was a beautiful afternoon and there are plenty of places to just sit, relax, and enjoy the view.

Back on board, I was hanging out on Deck 4 starboard when one of the cast members came out the side door of the Animator's Palate galley, and he let me take a picture. They have two windows where you can peek into the cold kitchen which is pretty cool to see salads and appetizers all laid out and ready to go.

From Aft to Forward, it's all aboard!

This is what it looks like when a dozen buses return from Rome at the same time! I was standing on Deck 4 just above the aft gangway around 6:15 PM. The far end is the forward gangway.

Bracciano and countryside

For our second port day in Civitavecchia, we decided to forego Rome and enjoy a relaxing day in the countryside. We chose the DCL excursion Bracciano and Wine Tasting even though we aren't wine drinkers because it would allow us to see a bit of the area and also sample local foods.

The tour began with an hour's drive from the port to the town on Bracciano. We stopped along the way for a picture of the castle from afar to get a feel for its majesty and vastness because once we were in town, we could see some of the castle area but did not have time to explore it. Half of the castle is a museum. We did, however, have time to walk around the town and take some pictures. I loved the one doorway framed with vines and flowers. We have seen a lot of that during our time in both France and Italy.

After we left Bracciano, we went to a winery, Casale Cento Corvi, where a wine tasting had been prepared for our group by the local owners. They had a variety of first course foods which I am sorry to say I forgot to take a picture of, but included fresh baked bread slightly toasted with olive oil, a cheese made locally at the winery, that really thin sliced salty meat they like to serve, and a cup with what appeared to be lentils with a small shrimp on top... All were very delicious. I skipped the wine, but my fellow excursionists declared it to be a good sampling. They also sell jams and preserves that they make, so I picked some up to being home.

The flowers in the bottom right are from the winery. This is such a beautiful time of year, and the weather was a bit cooler than it has been, so that made for a pleasant outing. I enjoyed getting to know more of our cruise mates during our hour visit at the winery.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Villefranche, part deux (repost because the picture didn't attach)

We ported in Villefranche again as the first port of call for our Venice cruise itinerary.  Unlike last time, the weather was beautifully sunny and not too hot, perfect for a walk about the town.  The tendering process seemed a little faster, too, so whatever snafu they hit 12 days ago appears to have been resolved. 

I'm trying something different with the photos from today so that rather than having a few blog posts, I am combining the photos here.  They may appear too small for detail. It if you click the collage, it should appear larger on your screen.  When we return, I plan to upload our photos to our Photobucket account where they can be more easily viewed.  I will include a link for each port at that time.  

In 2007, I thought Villefranche was the most beautiful of all the ports we saw on that Mediterranean cruise, and she has not let her beauty; if anything, she has improved with age, much like what is said about French women. The top left quadrant of photos are from near the harbor with part of the Citadel in the lower portion and the Welcome Hotel awaiting guests. I thought the Chapelle Saint-Pierre was interesting with the eyes painted on the facade, particularly after having been in other countries where eyes are prominent in their culture... We saw symbols of eyes to protect the Greek and Turks, we saw eyes to protect the fishermen in Malta, we saw the Eye and Ear of the watch tower in Valletta.  I haven't noticed eyes on things at home; perhaps I am oblivious to them.

The top right quadrant is my reconnaissance mission to see for myself how easy it really is to get to the train station from the port station. So easy! When you arrive on the tender dock and enter the building, turn to the right at the information counter to exit the building.  Tour groups generally go straight through which is why I hadn't noticed the side exit before.  As you exit, you will pass through a free wifi zone where you can connect free for 20 minutes.  This area was full of cruise crew. 

As you exit the building, you will walk to the street and there will be a sign with information about which way to go. You will follow the directional information for Gare SNCF (train station).  We followed the street towards the beach and then there is a sign just at the car park that leads you up to the station.  You will pass through the station tunnel to get to where you buy the tickets.  We were on shoreside at 10:15 in the morning and it was less than a 15 minute walk to the station, but there was quite a queue for tickets, so allow time for that in your plans. I don't have a link to the train schedule or fares, but a search should get you there. Also the platforms are clearly marked for whether you are heading towards Nice or towards Monaco for the day.

The bottom left corner of photos are of things we found interesting.  I remember seeing the marker for Missud Louis before, but it struck me again as a sobering reminder of how vast the effects of WWII were.  We have seen memorials, markers, and the results of damages caused by the ravages of war 70 years ago, and heard the stories of battles fought, alliances made, etc.  and not just from recent history (which is quite a different time span from a European point of view than from an American one), but from battles fought and won centuries ago.  The other two photos were just ones I thought were pretty.  

The bottom right photo is from the public beach in Villefranche.  There was another ship in port today which you can see alongside the Disney Magic in the far background.



Sent from my iPad

David and Perseus

While the original David has been moved to the Accademia, there is a replica out in the Piazza Signoria near the Uffizi. Photos are not permitted of the original, but you can take all you want of the replica. The detail in both the original and the replica are extraordinary, and while I took close-ups of various aspects, I thought his hand was most appropriate to share publicly.

Just across the corner from David is Perseus with Medusa's head. The detail in this bronze statue is also amazing. These are just two of the sculptures that you can see right out in the open.

Historical center of Firenze

Our time in Florence was limited, and our tour focused on Michelangelo with the high point being to see the David in the Galleria Accademia. But along the way, we saw much of the historical center of Firenze (Florence, only now we are required to say Firenze, much like we now have to say Roma). Somewhere between the Piazza Signoria and the Duomo is a bronze map of the city which gives a great birds eye view of what we had seen and where we had been. By the time we got here, we had already walked through the exterior area of the Uffizi museum (bottom left). Even for a Saturday (or especially because it is a Saturday), the lines for the museums and cathedrals were long.

One of the things N wanted to see was the bronze door with gold plated carvings. This is a replica on the Battisero (Baptistry) at the Duomo. N's AP Euro History class had viewed a video that included information about the door and the Duomo (bottom right).

Free time in Florence

We ported in La Spezia on Saturday and went into Florence with a DCL excursion titled Florence and Michelangelo. As part of the tour, we had free time for lunch and wandering about. This set of photos are from things we did during our free time.

Long time readers of this blog may remember a post about international Disney Stores. I had forgotten there was one in Florence so I was pleasantly surprised to walk right by it. We went in for a quick look and I snapped the photo of Donald before a cast member could tell me no photos of the structures. Oops. Guess I have been on the ship too long where they let us photograph nearly everything. Even my DCL excursion sticker didn't let me get a second photo inside. The Goofy one was funnier.

A friend told us if we had a chance, we should try the gelateria shown in the bottom left photo. He went so far as to send me a screenshot from Google maps (or some similar site) and a photo of the shop so we could find it. It was easy as it was just a few steps down from the Disney Store. We each had a cup of gelato and grabbed some free wifi although I got fussed at when I sat on a chair to type in the password they had just given me... Even though there were no customers there for table service, you cannot sit. I stepped over to a table still needing to be cleared and put my gelato down so I could type in the password before we stepped outside to use it. Apparently that was ok. DH reminded me that La Spezia was the same port where I was stopped coming out of a shop in Vernazza with my small purchase and receipt in hand, yet the man felt it necessary to make sure I hadn't taken anything... all for a 2,50€ thimble! I guess I just don't fit into this part of Italy.

The bottom right picture is of the menu from where we had lunch, an underground restaurant that our tour guide recommended. We each had ravioli as that was the best we could figure out with our very limited Italian, and it was a good choice... Very fresh and delicious.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Villefranche, part deux

We ported in Villefranche again as the first port of call for our Venice cruise itinerary. Unlike last time, the weather was beautifully sunny and not too hot, perfect for a walk about the town. The tendering process seemed a little faster, too, so whatever snafu they hit 12 days ago appears to have been resolved.

I'm trying something different with the photos from today so that rather than having a few blog posts, I am combining the photos here. They may appear too small for detail. It if you click the collage, it should appear larger on your screen. When we return, I plan to upload our photos to our Photobucket account where they can be more easily viewed. I will include a link for each port at that time.

In 2007, I thought Villefranche was the most beautiful of all the ports we saw on that Mediterranean cruise, and she has not let her beauty; if anything, she has improved with age, much like what is said about French women. The top left quadrant of photos are from near the harbor with part of the Citadel in the lower portion and the Welcome Hotel awaiting guests. I thought the Chapelle Saint-Pierre was interesting with the eyes painted on the facade, particularly after having been in other countries where eyes are prominent in their culture... We saw symbols of eyes to protect the Greek and Turks, we saw eyes to protect the fishermen in Malta, we saw the Eye and Ear of the watch tower in Valletta. I haven't noticed eyes on things at home; perhaps I am oblivious to them.

The top right quadrant is my reconnaissance mission to see for myself how easy it really is to get to the train station from the port station. So easy! When you arrive on the tender dock and enter the building, turn to the right at the information counter to exit the building. Tour groups generally go straight through which is why I hadn't noticed the side exit before. As you exit, you will pass through a free wifi zone where you can connect free for 20 minutes. This area was full of cruise crew.

As you exit the building, you will walk to the street and there will be a sign with information about which way to go. You will follow the directional information for Gare SNCF (train station). We followed the street towards the beach and then there is a sign just at the car park that leads you up to the station. You will pass through the station tunnel to get to where you buy the tickets. We were on shoreside at 10:15 in the morning and it was less than a 15 minute walk to the station, but there was quite a queue for tickets, so allow time for that in your plans. I don't have a link to the train schedule or fares, but a search should get you there. Also the platforms are clearly marked for whether you are heading towards Nice or towards Monaco for the day.

The bottom left corner of photos are of things we found interesting. I remember seeing the marker for Missud Louis before, but it struck me again as a sobering reminder of how vast the effects of WWII were. We have seen memorials, markers, and the results of damages caused by the ravages of war 70 years ago, and heard the stories of battles fought, alliances made, etc. and not just from recent history (which is quite a different time span from a European point of view than from an American one), but from battles fought and won centuries ago. The other two photos were just ones I thought were pretty.

The bottom right photo is from the public beach in Villefranche. There was another ship in port today which yo can see alongside the Disney Magic in the far background.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Minnie photo collection, part one

I finally got some photos of Minnie Mouse for my photo collection. From her Sailaway party outfit to her character breakfast dress, she looks lovely. I particularly like her flamenco outfit as we were leaving from Spain today.

A few pictures from around the ship

The atrium area of the Magic will be remodeled when she goes to dry dock later this year, including removal of the chandelier which will be placed in the terminal at Port Canaveral if I have understood correctly. So we wanted to get some atrium photos specifically and were able to get these before many people were onboard.

In addition, the center top photo is from lunch - something called a roasted steamship which is a giant side of beef. I guess because we were onboard and some of the first people at the lunch buffet, I got to see it before it had been carved down. It was huge.

The bottom right picture has the Venice tshirt that DCL has for this sailing.

And we're all aboard again!

Thursday marked our first experience with the back-to-back experience with cruising as our cruise to Greece and Turkey ended and our cruise to Venice and Dubrovnik began. We were curious about how change-over day would work, and our experience is different than others might have, but the process for DCL in Barcelona is generally the same.

We received a letter two days before the end of the cruise with instructions for when and where to meet to disembark and reboard as well as what to do with our luggage and such. Because we were moving just one cabin over and would have the same stateroom host (big shout out to Cheffy!), we were able to arrange with him to move our things before having to go through the disembarking process. The people who had occupied our new cabin had an early departure, so he cleaned the cabin first, then let us know it was available for us to move into. We had packed most things already and were able to just carry over items on hangers.

After we moved everything in, we wandered around the ship and ran into several of our new friends so it was great to have a chance to say goodbye and such. Then we met in Sessions (Deck 3 fwd) by 9:30 and were escorted off the ship, through the terminal, and directly to check-in. We received our new keys and then waited for a bit before the ship was cleared for us to reboard. We were back onboard by 10:30.

We used the time onboard to go back to our cabin and unpack so that job was out of the way. Then we walked around taking pictures and just watching what was happening until people started to board and lunch was being served. After lunch, we took a couple of pictures outside and then happened to be in the atrium when Mickey Mouse boarded the ship. Once he was on, we knew we could go at any time!

Be ause the unpacking was already done, I had time for an afternoon nap which has become a bit of a habit. I hope my coworkers won't mind that when I return to work in a couple of weeks.

It was a bit odd when I went to Deck 9 for a soft drink after my nap and didn't recognize anyone. After spending 12 days with the same people, you meet a lot of them, but most were gone. The best thing about today was getting to meet some new friends and share in their joy of being all aboard!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Malta fishing village

One of our stops during our tour around Malta was at a fishing village where the boats were so colorful. They nearly always have eyes on the front to ward off evil. There is also a souvenir row with lots of locally made textiles.

More Malta

When entering to port of Valletta, you can see the domes of churches and cathedrals standing above the fortified walls. While Greece was all white and blue, Malta is more beige and red tones and makes an impressive view as you approach (top left). The actual port side had colorful windows and doors... They didn't make these for the tourists, but these buildings were historically used as store houses with each color indicating what was stored within. Many have since been converted to shops and restaurants but have maintained their colorful facade (top right). We were also impressed with the details of the architecture, particularly the doors with their ornate handles (bottom left).

Our guide suggested that we try a favorite local snack called a pastizzi which is stuffed with ricotta cheese or peas (like mushy peas in England). We opted for a cheese one. Malta was under British control for many years, thus accounting for the mushy peas in their snacks, the use of English as an official language (along with Maltese, of course) and their driving on the left side of the road.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Malta

Here are a few photos from our day in Malta.

1. At noon each day, the cannons are fired from the Upper Barracca to announce the time (top left).

2. The Maltese cross is recognized by its distinctive 8 points (top right). The 8 points represent the heavenly virtues of truth, faith, repentance, humility, justice, mercy, purity, and endurance of persecution. The cross is a symbol of the Order of the Knights of Saint John that were formed with representatives of eight lands in Europe as original knights.

3. The Blue Grotto is one of the major attractions of Malta. Each day when weather permits, boats take visitors through the caved area.

4. The harbor is overseen by the Watch Tower (bottom right). Notice the eye and the ear on the sides.

Upper Barracca Gardens, Valletta, Malta

We ok the Barracca Lift up from the cruise ship port area into the city of Valletta. At the top is the Upper Barracca gardens which provide a quiet, restful place with free wifi access. We enjoyed relaxing there for part of the afternoon. From there, you can walk to several shops and sites of interest.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Of sea days and fish extenders

It's day #10 of the cruise and for this itinerary, that means a day at sea. Our use of a clothespin to keep the curtain from gapping let our cabin stay dark later than usual, so we all slept in. Sea days are great for just relaxing and hanging out, but if you aren't careful, the day can get away from you fast. Here's what we did today:

1. Picked up passports. We had to turn them in before arriving in Greece for immigration purposes, and since we were going to Athens and Mykonos with another country between, they had to be inspected by the Greek authorities each time. Unfortunately, they did not stamp them.

2. Exchanged $US travelers checks for Euro. The ship's current exchange rate is $1.359 per Euro.

3. Saw Lincoln at the Buena Vista theater with DH and N. I had wanted to see it but hadn't gotten to, so a sea day was perfect time.

4. Delivered the rest of the Fish Extender gifts to DISboard participants. This is a trinket/gift exchange that began several years ago among fellow cruisers and is a fun tradition. It is called Fish Extender because one extends the holding capacity of the fish decor outside the cabin door to allow gifts and such to be left. See photo.

4. Met one of my new friends and her tablemate to share our Smash Book / scrap books and ideas. I've had such a good time putting things together in our book to help us remember this trip.

5. Nap, of course.

6. Pirates in the Mediterranean dinner. It's usually pirates in the Caribbean but since we are in the Med, that's what they are calling it (even though the materials still say Caribbean).

7. Gratuities for cabin steward and dining staff were auto-added to accounts today. I like that it means no extra paperwork for me. We just put the ticket in a provided envelope and if we want to add more, we can. The recommended tipping is $12 per person per day which is split among the team.

8. Once Upon a Song is tonight's main show, followed by the Pirate deck party and fireworks. We learned yesterday that the ship has to be at least 12 miles from land to be able to shoot off the fireworks. Hopefully it won't be too windy for them to do tonight. After the fireworks is the late-night pirate buffet with turkey legs, crepes, and other food choices.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Mykonos, part 3

During my pre-trip research, I came across pictures of the windmills on Mykonos, so I wanted to see them. They are easy to find, about a 20 minute walk from where the shuttle let us off if you don't stop to shop, eat gelato, mail a postcard or two, or take a picture of a pelican that roams the streets. The streets are narrow and shop-lined, and reminded me a bit of Eze. But as long as you could find your way to the water, you could find your way back to the shuttle pick up point.

Mykonos, part 2

While wandering along the waterfront in town, we passed by locals selling fresh fish and vegetables. Then we stopped for gelato: raspberry and lemon. Mmmmm.

Mykonos, part 1

Our day in Mykonos, Greece, may be my favorite day so far. We didn't have anything planned for the day except to sleep in after two early, long, hot, dusty days in Athens and Turkey, and then wander into town.

DCL provided complimentary shuttle service, so we left the boys on the ship while we spent a lovely warm but breezy day in the town. The shuttle ride was about five minutes and dropped us near the town center. From there, we literally wandered around for the next 3 1/2 hours doing some shopping, mailing postcards (top left), and going up to see the windmills. The town was pretty quiet at first but as more and more passengers from the ship returned from their excursions to Delos Island, the Old Town area became busier.

More pictures from Turkey Day

We kept calling Saturday "Turkey day" and that usually elicited a giggle from one of us. Here are a few more things from Turkey that made us giggle.

1. The public toilets in Ephesus. These were used by the men only, and who knows what business was conducted while they were "doing their business"?

2. Medusa. This was at the Temple of Apollo in Didyma.

3. If DUR means STOP in Turkish, does our name mean Stop It?

4. How could I not give the man a Euro to take a picture with his camel?

We did wonder why we didn't have turkey on the menu for dinner.

Greek Isles menu

We know some of our readers have cruise(s) planned on DCL that will go to Greece either later this season or next. One of the menus this week was the new Greek Isles menu, posted below. Hopefully it will appear large enough to read if you click on it.

One of the boys is particularly enjoying the variety of the menus this trip. It has been two years since we last sailed on DCL and his palate has changed, making him more adventurous in his food choices. From this menu, he chose the Greek Mixed Grill, and he was most surprised at how good the "yellow potatoes" (aka butternut squash) were.

In addition to the new Greek Isles menu, DCL premEARed their Bella Italian menu which was also good. I will try to get a picture of it next week to share as well. I haven't taken many pictures of food this trip, much to the delight of my family. DH and I have enjoyed trying local food in the ports, having had lunch out in Monaco, Italy (Vernazza and Roma), Greece, and Turkey.

Ephesus, Miletus, and Didyma

We spent Saturday in Turkey, visiting Ephesus, Miletus, and Didyma. We had an early start, leaving the ship before 8:00 AM which was good because it was a hot and dusty day.

Our first stop took us to the ancient city of Ephesus where we entered from the upper gates and worked our way towards the lower. The middle left picture is from the Odeon which was a gathering place for political meetings and such. The bottom right is the Celsius Library, one of the more important buildings in Ephesus. The top left shows the Great Theater in the distance.

There aren't many things to see at Miletus, but the theater is still there (top right). After Miletus, we drove to Didyma for lunch where we had apple tea along with a variety of Turkish delicacies (bottom left) before going to see the temple of Apollo.

While the day was full and exhausting, especially since it was back-to-back with a full day in Athens, we still managed to stay up for the 10:30 PM showing of Monsters University. Because this is such a port intensive cruise, we were a week into it before we had a chance to see a movie! (Well, technically one of the boys saw one while the adults were in Cinque Terre for the day).

Friday, June 21, 2013

Acropolis

Friday's tour from Piraeus took us past several important archaeological sites in Athens as well as to the most important one, the Acropolis where there are several works that are preserved and/or are being restored. Unlike the Forum in Rome, the Acropolis, which means hill, is airy and a cool breeze would occasionally rise to blow dust everywhere but keep one from becoming overheated in the summer solstice's sun today.

The Parthenon (top) is just as awesome to see as you might think this icon would be. It stands so tall and is an architectural wonder. The temple of Athena (bottom left) is beautiful. And there is one one olive tree on the top of the hill.

If you go, the entrance fee is 12€ and worth it. Allow 15 minutes to climb to the top, at least 45 minutes at the top, and another 15 minutes for the journey down. The paths are mostly marble and stone, worn slick from the millions of people who have trekked up to see these ancient buildings. There is a WC at the bottom before you enter, and another one at the top just beyond the Parthenon.

Quick look around the cabin

Her is a quick look about our cabin, our home for 24 nights. You can see the bed as well as how the sofa turns into a bed and the upper bunk pulls down from the ceiling. DH is standing on the verandah which gives us additional space and is his favorite place to be. The top left is yet another inaugural cruise gift, a shadow box, that we received from DCL tonight.

Inaugural call to Piraeus, the port of Athens

Friday was the Disney Magic's first call to Piraeus, Greece, and when we arrived, there was a welcome banner hanging for us. While some ports have great fanfare for an inaugural call, that was not the case for Piraeus, but we felt welcomed by our tour provider who led us on an excellent tour of the Acropolis and Archaeological Museum, including a delicious lunch in Plaka in Athens. After the night's Greek Isles dinner, there was a deck party that the boys and I went to, thus our festive headgear.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Train to Cinque Terre

We ported in La Spezia on a Monday. This is generally a tendering port, but they have a highly efficient tendering service so we were able to pretty much walk on for the tender rather than having to wait. We still had to get a tendering ticket, but it was so easy, especially compared to the lengthy tendering process of the day before.

When you arrive along shore from the tender, if you want to walk to the train station through the pedestrian mall, you will head to the left and walk to the end of the immediate harbor area. You will pass the boat service to Cinque Terre and other locations along the way. There is a wide pedestrian cross walk, painted blue when we were there, so use it to cross the multiple lanes of traffic that may or may not stop for you. Once across, you will be walking through a park area for a long block and then you will enter the open air mall area. Keep walking though to the other side, then keep heading in the same direction, taking the right side of the forked intersection.

You can reach the train station in about 20 minutes at a steady pace, but you will want to allow time to purchase your ticket and validate it before boarding the train. When you arrive at the train station, walk beyond where one goes to board the trains until you see the ticketing area.

You can purchase your ticket from an agent at the window, or you can use one of the automated ticketing machines (photo left). We purchased the CT card for 10€ each from an agent as we wanted to be sure we bought the right ticket and to ask where our train would be arriving. The CT card is good for boarding the train and using the hiking trails the rest of the day.

As you head towards the track where your train will be arriving, make sure to look at the schedule to see which bin it will be at. For us, it was Bin 5. We had preprinted a schedule to know when it should arrive. Then as you head towards where you will board, make sure you validate your ticket using the validation machine as shown in the top right.

We took the 9:56 express that stopped in Riomaggiore and then in Monterosso along with a bazillion other people. We were jammed in literally shoulder to shoulder. It is always a good idea to keep your belongings close, but particularly so here because of how crowded it was. Most of the people were other tourists.

A few people got off at the first stop while most of the rest disembarked at Monterosso. There was a train that left from La Spezia stoping at each village between Riomaggiore and Monterosso that I expect was not so crowded.

We had planned the amount of time in each location based on the train station with an eye toward returning to La Spezia by 16:45. This was really enough time in each place except Corniglia where we had only time to climb the steps before needing to descend back to the station. We could have waited for the following train in about an hour's time but were concerned that if there were delays later on, we would be pushing to for our 19:30 last tender call.

Each station was similar in that whichever track you got off at was the one you would reboard the train at. Except for the original train, we had our choice of adequate seating. Most of the stations had only limited shade and seating, but our new friends with us introduced us to the air conditioning of the tunnels when it was time for a train to arrive!

The CT cards are 10€ each and are valid for use until midnight of the day they are validated. We never had anyone aboard the train to check our tickets, but we had them ready just in case. The time between each stop is only a few minutes.

When returning to the station at La Spezia, there were several taxis waiting to take people back to the ship, or you can walk the 20 minutes back (slightly downhill most of the way).

Laundry

We enjoy looking for hidden Mickeys at the Disney theme parks and on board the Disney cruise ships. But when we were looking at the laundry photos from Cinque Terre, we spied a Mickey in the background. Do you see it?

We think Monday must be laundry day in Italy because everywhere we turned, there was laundry hung out to dry.

Speaking of laundry, we have done a few loads already. We were able to get some done shortly after boarding. Here is a packing tip: if you have been traveling a few days before boarding and have a suitcase dedicated to dirty laundry, be sure to pack your detergent with it; otherwise you will have to either purchase some onboard or wait for your other bag to arrive (we bought some).

The washing machines on the Disney Magic are set for HE detergent but can use non-HE or the laundry sheets like Purex if you still have any. If you use the sheets, place them in the middle of your load rather than in last to prevent it from being tossed to the front of the machine and not being used properly. The machines can hold up to 18 lbs. They take 23 minutes for a cold water wash and it costs $2 per load.

The dryers are doing a pretty decent job this trip but usually need longer than the 45 minutes you get when starting a load. We have found you can double-up the time by swiping your KTTW (key to the world) card through a second time after starting and add an additional 55 minutes to the time. The nice part about this is you can take your clothes out sooner and the next person can use any remaining time plus add their own. It's like pay-it-forward pixie dust in the laundry room!

We arrived back onboard from Roma around 4:00 PM and there was no one doing laundry, so on port intense sailings, that can be a great time to use the machines. We are on our 2nd sea day in a row today and I was pleasantly surprised to find two open washers at 10:45 AM and three men doing laundry. As I am writing this, I am waiting for the laundry to finish drying before heading to Topsiders for a BBQ lunch.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

More from Roma

Our day in Roma was fabulous. (Our driver said we couldn't call the city Rome, her name is Roma.) In addition to spending time at the Roman Forum, our driver (Mike from Rome in Limo) took us to a place where we could see the breadth of the city and its mishmashed architectural styles (top left).

We got a history lesson as we viewed the Circus Maximus (top right), and while many people said before we left that oh, it's just a field, with a proper guide or reading ahead, you can nearly hear the chariot races in your mind as you look on that field and imagine the crowds of over 300,000 people gathered to watch the racers win at any cost.

We stopped by the Mamertinum Prison (bottom left) where the apostle Paul was held captive and viewed a cell typical of those found in Bible times. Entry is 5€ per person.

I remembered the umbrella pine trees from our visit in 2007 and still think they are so cool. Our driver told us that there is a height restriction for buildings, and the flat tops of the trees make me think that even Mother Nature complies with the laws of Rome.

Eze

High up in the clouds along the French Riviera lies the medieval village of Eze. This was our third stop on our day excursion from Villefranche and the one I was looking forward to the most. When you arrive in Eze, there is a parking area, and then you walk straight up to the medieval area where you will find spectacular views, a beautiful church, gardens, and several shops set among the old stone buildings. The "streets" are really pathways, barely wide enough for a person to pass, but well worth the trek.

Before going up to the medieval area, you will find a small hotel, a perfume factory, several gift shops, the local post office, and the tourism office. The tourism office offers free wifi and there are a few benches outside where you can get a good connection. I was able to use some of my free voice minutes on an iPod app to call my family while we were waiting for our free time to be over. Had I realized there was the Internet access earlier in our visit, I would have parked the teenagers on a bench so they could download the latest episode of their favorite podcasts.

Monte Carlo

Our excursion from Villefranche included an hour stop in Monte Carlo. We drove along the highway through the starting point of the Grand Prix and were able to see the markings and some of the barriers that were still in place from last month's race. As we walked up to the main square, we walked along the famous hair pin curve which you can see in today's featured pictures.

While in Monte Carlo, we had our first gelato for the trip, and as you might expect, everything in Monte Carlo is expensive! A single scoop for each of us was a grand total of 16€... we looked at souvenir prices and they were marked up about the same percentage over what we have since found. You might say that the gelato in Monte Carlo was our souvenir for the day as that was about our entire daily souvenir budget!

The Funnelvision movie for the evening was Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The Roman Forum

Tuesday found us visiting the city of Roma and spending time at the Roman Forum. There is so much to see in this historical place, and there will always be something new being discovered and uncovered. Our driver dropped us off at a side entrance as we already had our tickets so we were able to get moving through ahead of several large groups. I would advise reading up on the specific parts of the Forum that you are interested in seeing before you go so that you might have a better understanding of its role in civilization at the time of its modern existence. There are audio guides available, and of course you can hire a tour guide to explain more about what you are seeing. It is really hot there with only limited places where a breeze finds its way, but there are also a few places where you can readily refill your water bottles with fresh water. A stop I side the Tempio di Romolo offers a bit of air conditioned reprieve from the heat, plus it has some frescoes and a really cool dome inside.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Cinque Terre

Monday morning found us anchored at La Spezia, Italy, the jumping off point for Pisa, Florence, and Lucca, but also an easy connection to the five nearby villages known as Cinque Terre. Today's picture is a composite of my quest to "collect" all five lands in one day.

We took the regional train to the furthest, Monterosso (photo center) which is mostly known for its beaches. Next stop was Vernazza (top left) where we had a delicious sandwich on toasted focaccia bread. The third stop was Corniglia which is often skipped because the train zooms through rather than stopping several times a day, and the boat tours cannot get in to drop off tourists. From the train station you go up a series of switchback steps to get to the town top right photo). With a tight train schedule to keep from sitting around waiting, you can go up and back down in about half an hour if you are in reasonable health. Manorola was the next stop (bottom left) followed by Riomaggiore (bottom right) which were similar in looks and what was available, we had really good gelato in Manarola (lemon).

The train station is about a 20 minute stroll from where the ship tenders drop off, so add the step climbing and general walking, and even a leisurely day in Cinque Terre can override any need for a gym.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Monaco

On Sunday, our tour took us to Monaco which is a town on the principality of Monaco. While there, we saw Princess Caroline's house, the Jacques Cousteau aquarium, and the Palace. But my favorite part was the gardens which are featured in today's photo.

Because it was Sunday, we did not tour the cathedral, and the crowd was thick so we weren't able to see the changing of the guard, so instead, we went in search of something to eat, much like we enjoy the rides at Disney World while everyone else is watching the parade. We found a walk-up pizzeria where she had just placed a fresh Margherita pizza, so we bought a few slices and called it lunch. That is a "hidden expense" of cruising - being out on an all day excursion and missing the midday meal onboard because you are too far away from the ship or it is too much hassle to get back on just to go back out.

From Monaco, we visited Monte Carlo and Eze, to follow.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

First day

Some first day "classic" pictures. Our first glimpse of the Magic, still as beautiful as ever. My obligatory picture of something from dinner (the Mickey ketchup)' and our first towel animal of the cruise.

We had a busy first day on board, getting settled in, doing some laundry, having the safety drill, meeting new friends, going to the top deck for sail away, having dinner (in Lumiere's for those familiar), watching Mickey Mania, going to the Welcome Aboard show, collecting our DVC collector's pin, ordering cookies and milk from room service while trying to not be disappointed about the lack of Mickey Rice Krispie treats, and getting ready for a busy day in Villefranche ahead.

Inaugural Sailing Lithograph

For inaugural sailings, Disney Cruise Line usually has some special mementos, and one of them for the Greece itinerary is this lithograph. Pretty cool, eh?

Aboard

We have met so many new people these last few days, and some are becoming fast friends. It is one of my favorite things about cruising.

We boarded the Magic late this morning and it was like coming home even though it has been three years since we were onboard.

Everything is going well. We will be in Villefranche tomorrow, heading to Eze and Monaco.

Friday, June 14, 2013

La Sagrada Familia

Today we went to La Sagrada Familia. We had pre purchased our tickets so we were able to avoid the long line that was over a city-block long. Our ticket was for an 11:00 entry (it gives you an hour window to enter) but they will let you in 15 minutes early if there is not too much of a crowd. We arrived at 10:20 via the Bus Turistic so we had time to walk around the block for some exterior pictures.

We had seen the outside in 2007 and noticed a bit of change since then. This church building is truly a work in progress. But we had not been inside before; it is beautiful and worth the 1/2 hour we enjoyed it. There is an app I have mentioned previously that gives a virtual tour, so I will leave it to you to look for yourselves, but I thought I would share these images from inside that caught my eye.

After our visit, we finished the blue route on the Bus Turistic before returning to the hotel for an afternoon rest.

Montjuic

On Thursday, we arrived in Barcelona at 8:15 AM and by the time we made it to the hotel, it was just before 10. Of course our room(s) were not ready, so we had a few hours to fill before we could check in and rest. We knew that was a likelihood, so our plan for the day was to use the Bus Turistic for sightseeing and transportation. My pre-planning paid off as we knew where we wanted to stop and spend some time exploring.

Hop on, Hop off (or HOHO) bus tours are a great way to see and learn about a new city. This particular one has two routes, so we chose the Red route in order to go to Montjuic. I wanted us to ride the Telefuric (cable car) to the Castell de Montjuic. Our bus ticket came with a coupon book that had a 2€ discount off the usual 10€ price, so we used it to buy our tickets. There was no line or wait for the cable car, although we had been told that it can be pretty busy. I think because it was a weekday morning, that had a lot to do with it.

So the cable car takes you up to the Castell de Montjuic, and the views of Barcelona are pretty amazing along the way. And once you get there, the views of the Port area are pretty cool, too.

The Castell is a work in progress as they are making visitor information available. It started as a fort in the 1600s but was expanded to a castle by the end of the century. One of the boys remarked how much it reminded him of the fort in St. Augustine. I particularly liked the garden and the way the vegetation has grown along the side walls.

There are a couple of souvenir shops at the Castell as well as a small restaurant and a place to get cold drinks and snacks. Allow about an hour to see it. It's peaceful up there and was a great way to get outdoors for a bit before we returned to the hotel to check in.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Pasta Bar for lunch

We found this place via TripAdvisor and it lived up to the reviews. A great place to get some food and fuel into our tired bodies.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

International Terminal at Atlanta Airport

I have to say how awesome the International Terminal is at the Atlanta airport. It is quiet, spacious, and very much out of the fray of the hustle and bustle of the rest of the airport. There are plenty of charging outlets, and even some that you can connect your device by USB, so everything can be fully charged before boarding. Restrooms are conveniently located near the gates, so no long hurried trek before boarding. Plenty of seating and the seats are more comfortable than other places.

The food court is pretty limited, but a quick ride on the Plane Train to to Concourse E can take care of that. Z and I had a sandwich from Arby's, something we don't get at home because it is across Magnolia and out of our zone. N had some pizza while DH found a salad. Concourse E was where we have flown from before.

We have met some fellow DCL passengers waiting to go, and we have heard from others who are trying their best to get here on time but have experienced flight delays from their originating airports. Wishing them all safe travels.

The plane is here and so are we!

A few more of our cruise mates are reporting travel delays today. This is exactly why we, and they, plan to travel a few days early for such an extensive vacation... so there is time to still get there.

About five minutes after I took this picture, the Atlanta afternoon rain started.

Rental cars and pancakes

It's Wednesday morning, and that means we fly to Barcelona this afternoon.  We had an uneventful night at the hotel, always a good thing.  My brother met us for dinner, then we returned the rental car to the ATL airport.  Since the hotel has a shuttle service, we decided it would be better to take care of that last night and be dropped off today right where we check in than to have to return the car and manage our luggage, too.  The rental car companies have their own site by the airport and have a sky train to connect you to the main terminal.  We were able to get an idea of how to go when we get back and need to pick up a vehicle. 

We are staying at a Holiday Inn and Suites.This hotel is in a great location with several restaurants within walking distance.  Also a Publix, Walgreens, and even a movie theater.  We requested a late check out since we don't need to be at the airport until around 1pm.

We got up in time to get some breakfast before they stopped serving, and brought back a tray for a sleeping teenager.  Then we walked over to Publix to hit the ATM to replace the cash we spent yesterday, and now are just waiting until time to toss our overnight stuff into a suitcase, unplug everything that is recharging, and take the 12:30 shuttle over.  One boy and one DH are napping right now.  The other boy was giggling over a YouTube video.

Which made me wonder if there was a YouTube video of the pancake machines at the Holiday Inn Express. yep.  

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Let the traveling commence

The planning portion is over and the traveling portion has begun.

We decided to rent a vehicle to make the drive to Atlanta, so we used the state contract that allows employees to rent vehicles for personal use at the state's negotiated rate. We got to the local airport to pick up the car only to discover that the local site requires proof of employment by way of photo ID. Of course I had taken my ID badge out of my car rather than leaving it while on vacation, so I didn't have it with me. This is apparently a newer policy and the woman at the counter told us that we were the 5th person today who was denied. She checked for other discounts but none compared, so we went back home. An hour later, we returned, ID in hand, and were soon on our way in a Toyota Venza.

So we left about an hour later than we thought but we don't have a specific time to be there which means we can take our time. We stopped for lunch at Chick Fil A in Thomasville. For those who have followed me before, you know my affinity for CFA peach milkshakes. But instead of getting one today, I googled to see if there is a CFA at ATL airport. There is. So tomorrow while we are waiting, I will make my way to Concourse C.

Speaking of the ATL airport, there was a bit of a to-do there earlier today. We are hoping for an uneventful day tomorrow. Some friends and fellow passengers have their flights affected by the air strikes in France. We are thankful we aren't connecting through there and hope everyone has a safe journey.

Until later...

Monday, June 10, 2013

Time for a few thank you's...

Today's blog post is an easy one.

Thank you to my fabulous co-workers for the sweet send-off "meeting" today (and the sweet goodies, too).  And mostly thank you for making our workplace one that I can be away for so long... I appreciate each of you so much. 

Thank you to our wonderful church family for the prayers on our behalf for a safe trip. We are excited to see places that we have studied about with you for many years.

And thank you to our wonderful travel agent, Deb Chambers, of The Magic for Less Travel - you have been so fabulous from handling the "big stuff" to answering even the most minor of questions as we've put this adventure together.  The fact that you knew exactly what we'd want from the moment DCL announced their itineraries and made it so effortless for us is a testament to why we have been loyal TMFL Travel customers for over 8 years and have had all of our cruise vacations booked through the agency.

If you're a regular reader, we will have internet access through Saturday and do plan to update the blog from the road.  Some of you have asked if it's ok to share our blog with friends and workmates - absolutely - we're glad to share our adventure.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

What to do with the yard sale money

We participated in a neighborhood-wide yard sale today and ended up selling enough to make it worth using the morning for it rather than for packing.  The whole time I was thinking about what the extra money could mean for vacation.  I posed the question to the online groups we participate in and got quite a varied response.

Some people thought putting the money towards a special souvenir, perhaps even "upgrading" a planned souvenir purchase, would be worthwhile. Others thought of splurging on a spa treatment (mani-pedi, massage, facial, even just a hair-do).  Some suggested just applying it to the onboard bill.

We follow Dave Ramsey's principles, and one of the main ideas that allows people to be successful in managing their budgets is to give every dollar a name.  In other words, when you find yourself with extra money coming in, rather than letting it slip through your fingers, figure out what you'd like it to do for you and name it. 

So I was thinking of some possible names for our yard sale money:
  • Laundry service:  we plan to do our laundry ourselves, but it might be nice to send some of it out for the ship's laundry service to do for us! Or at least for the pressing portion.
  • Arcade cards:  each boy could be given a specific amount to be used for the onboard arcade
  • Bingo: we've never played onboard before, but Z has watched it a few times. We thought we might have a go for something different to do
  • Palo (brunch or dinner): The onboard fancy restaurant requires fancy clothes and a coveted advance reservation.  DH isn't interested, but I could still try to book a solo table for brunch or pair up with another person who also has an uninterested partner.  There's an upcharge for brunch and dinner.
  • Gelato in every port: we have plans for gelato in some of the ports, having been given recommendations for Cinque Terre, Florence, and Civitavecchia, so we could expand our gelato-itinerary to include other ports as well.
Whatever we end up naming it, it's nice to have cleared some things from our house, and the process for gathering items to sell has resulted in improved organization of closets, drawers, and shelves, so it's a win-win for sure!  What would you do with your extra??

Thursday, June 6, 2013

More travel tips

Today’s travel tips are brought to you courtesy of members of the DISBoards ( www.disboards.com ).

 

1.       Make a copy of your passports, credit cards, and driver’s license along with information about how to report them lost or stolen.

2.       Leave a copy of your passports at home or somewhere safe but accessible to your home-based emergency contact person.

3.       Take a picture of your luggage so if it’s delayed, misdirected, or lost, you’ll be able to show the baggage claim personnel what you’re looking for.

4.       Place a label or tag on your luggage that has your destination information so that if your bags are separated from you, they are more likely to catch up with you than to be returned to your home.

5.       If you have young children, take a photo of them before leaving and keep it on your camera or other device.  Children change so fast that last year’s school photo may not look like them.  Then if in the unlikely event that your child is separated from you, you’ll have an up-to-date image to use if you’re looking for them in a crowd. (We always did that when going to Disney World when our boys were younger so if they got separated in the crowd such as after a parade or other event, they knew to find a Cast Member for help. Thankfully we never needed the photo but it gave ole worry-wart me some peace of mind.)

 

We don’t like to think of any of these things happening, but it’s better to be prepared and not need them than to need them and not be prepared.

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Pre-trip Things to do related to Electronics

Sometimes I use this blog space to keep my list of things to do.  Tonight is one of them, but I hope it will be useful to others who travel, whether new or experienced.

Pre-Trip things to do related to electronics:

1.  Empty the camera's memory card. We want to take a lot of photos, so while our memory card is 4GB, we want to have access to as much space on it as possible.  Plus when we get ready to download our pictures, we won't have to sort through the random pictures of flowers, band banquet, and last day of school photos first.

2.  Charge all electronics that are going on the trip at least two days ahead so that any that aren't used frequently have plenty of time to fully charge.  And top off any that are frequently used the night before.

3.  Download any material needed or wanted for the trip.  This includes travel apps, entertainment apps, games, movies, books for your device(s).  Be sure to have things that aren't dependent on wifi to use, which includes downloading files from the cloud to your device.

4.  Save a copy of any email related to your travel plans, particularly confirmations for hotels, rental cars, flights, and tickets for venues onto your electronic device that you plan to have with you.  Many have the ability to hold email without being connected to wifi, so even if you don't typically use that setting for your email, make an exception.  Or you could take a screenshot of the confirmations so you at least have an image should you need it.

5.  Print any confirmations that are critical to the trip so you can have them handy should you need them.  The electronic version really serves as a back-up.

6.  Make sure chargers aren't left plugged into the wall.  It won't do to get where you're going and not have any way to charge your electronics. 

These pre-trip things to do are also good for preparing for your trip home, especially if you have a long journey ahead.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Sneak peek at Miletus, Turkey

There is some unrest in parts of Turkey that we are keeping an eye on as we are currently scheduled to port in Kusadasi in just over two weeks.  We are hopeful that things will be such that our ship will be able to dock there and we will be able to go on our excursion to Ephesus, Didyma, and Miletus.

We chose this excursion out of all the offerings through the cruiseline because we could see Ephesus and also go to Miletus, both places which are mentioned with significance in the Bible.  There is a website called BibleClassBooks.com that has several photographs from the area that we have been able to look at for a sneak peek of what we will hopefully be able to see while there.  Here's just one of the photos from Miletus.



If you're interested in more photos of Miletus - and we think they are worth viewing - you can find them at this link.  And as long as you're there, you might want to look at the photos from Athens, Greece, as well.  We're scheduled to be there the day before.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Marine Traffic



Next week we board the Disney Magic in Barcelona, then head for the following ports: Villefranche, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Piraeus, Kusadasi, Mykonos, and Valleta, Malta.  If you want to see where our ship (or any other ship) is, the Marine Traffic website is pretty cool.  On the lefthand side of the screen, type in Disney Magic in the Vessel Name.  It's pretty cool, and I'm watching her sail from port to port this week.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Next week!

When we first booked these cruises, it was "we're going next year."  Then a month before we started this blog, we got to say "we're going this year."  And on the first of May, we could say "we're going next month" and now we can say we are sailing next week! 

Saturday, June 1, 2013

It's officially summer vacation!

Some of our fellow passengers are heading towards Barcelona this week. A few are doing back-to-back cruises with their first one being the week before ours, while others are having a "land and sea" adventure, spending some days in places like London and Paris before making their way to Barcelona.

As for us, we are breathing a sigh of relief that the school year is complete and we can turn our full attention to summer vacation.  Phineas and Ferb sing about the 104 days of summer vacation... while our summer is never quite that long, this one will have no worries about finding a good way to spend it....


In addition to today being the first official day of summer vacation, the Disney Parks Blog reports that the Disney Magic arrived in Barcelona from her transatlantic crossing.