Notes from our trip: (thanks to Daddy)
Our ship name - Emerald Princess
Drove from Louisville to Cincinnati airport to take flight from Cincy to Rome (Jack's 1st flight)Jack was slightly fussy for takeoff, but he was probably just tired. He was great on the flight. Flew from Rome to Venice.
Venice, Italy
Had to walk a little bit to hotel, since no cars in Venice. Stayed at the Hotel Canal in Venice for 1 night. Walked around Venice, ate. 2nd day, we boarded the cruiseship (floor 14 room 720), but stayed docked in Venice until the following day. Walked around Venice some more and took a gondola ride (Scott, Amy, Jane, Kyle, Jordan). Jack didn't go to bed til late that night, so we slept in and opted not to go into Venice early that morning.
Day At Sea
Athens, Greece
Bus with driver. Went to Sounion (south of Athens) to see the Temple of Poseidon, overlooking the Saronc Gulf. Drove to a place with a good view of the Acropolis to take some pictures. Very hot outside. Drove to The Plaka (shopping area) and had lunch, then walked around for a few hours. Jack got his first teeth!! Two on the bottom - very cute.
Kusadasi, Turkey
Bus with guide and driver. Went to Ephesus to see ruins of the ancient city. Walking guided tour lasting about 2 hours. Saw Celsus Library, Great Theater (where St. John preached to Ephesians), etc. Drove back into Kusadasi and walked around a shopping area near the cruise ship.
Istanbul, Turkey
No bus - on our own. Took a cab to St. Sophia, walked around inside. Walked to the Blue Mosque. Only spent about 5 minutes inside (very crowded). Walked towards the Grand Bazaar and stopped at a cafe to have apple tea, Turkish coffee (Kyle had a shrimp casserole of some kind). Walked to the Grand Bazaar. VERY crowded, smoky, lots of "hustlers" trying to get you to stop so they can sell you something. Leather coats & purses, jewelry, trinkets, etc. Scott didn't like it much. Jane and Alice each bought leather coats. Amy bought 2 pashmina's. Michael and Dana bought a hookah. Jordan bought a fake designer purse. After an hour or two, we walkedto a nearby outdoor restaurant for a not-so-good meal (cheese pizza with not much cheese and other dishes). Jack, Amy, and Scott decided to walk the 2-3 miles (?) back to the cruise ship. We walked through a "locals"market area that was very crowded with almost zero tourists. We stopped briefly outside the Yeni Mosque which had lots of pigeons outside. Then we crossed the Galata Bridge on our way to the cruise ship, which was docked at the Sali Pazari Terminal.
Mykonos, Greece
We were supposed to stop in Mykonos, Greece, but it was cancelled due to high winds which would have made it difficult to dock the ship. So, we had an extra Day At Sea, which was spent sleeping in, walking around the boat with Jack, playing in the room with Jack, and playing Bingo.
Day At Sea
5K On Deck for the Cure - Jack, Scott, Amy, Jane, Bruce, and Michael - 7.5 laps around ship. Played on Bruce and Jane's balcony.
Naples, Italy
Bus with Italian/Spanish-speaking driver. Drove to Ravello, Amalfi, Positano, and Sorrento. Spent 30-60 minutes walking around each town. Ravello: visited church, small bakery/cafe, town square, a few stores. Amalfi: nursedJack on a bench near the beach; got a mozzarella and tomato sandwich. Positano: stopped at restaurant with a fantastic view between Amalfi and Positano (in Positano?); viewed Positano from lookout point, but not on foot. Sorrento: nursed Jack at empty cafe in town center; walked around some neat shops; got a gelato in a nice place with approx 25 flavors.
Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
Bus with guide/driver. Drove straight to the Vatican, where we had reserved tickets to skip the 1-2 hour line. Guided tour (with audio headsets so we could hear our guide) of the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, tombs beneath St, Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square. Drove to lunch at a great pizza restaurant and had Margherita pizza with mozzarella di bufola. Made a very quick stop at the Colosseum. Drove to Piazza Navona. Got gelatos and shopped a little. Walked to the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps. Walked up the Spanish Steps to meet the bus for the drive back to the port city of Civitavecchia (1-1.5 hour drive). Amy got a colorful glass pendant to go on a necklace.
Livorno, Italy
Bus with guide/driver. Drove 1.5 hours each way to Florence. Mostly walking around shopping, seeing different piazzas. Walked around the outside of Uffizi. Amy and I bought a small watercolor outside the Uffizi. Bought Jack an Italia soccer tshirt, a "Football is Life" tshirt, a Zidane jersey, and an Italia jacket. Scott bought Amy a pair of gold and pearl earrings from a jewelry store. Bought 2 small bottles of Chianti, including "Parentini". Walked across the bridge with all the gold jewelry stores (Ponte Vecchio). Michael D suggested a good pizzeria for lunch, but it was closed. So, we had a decent lunch at a different pizzeria. Saw a burned motorcycle on the sidewalk outside lunch pizzeria. Started at Campanile/Duomo (but Scott, Amy, and Jack didn't got inside - fed Jack inside a cafe/gelato place). Ended at Santa Croce.
Marseilles, France
No bus - on our own. Took shuttle from boat to Old Port in Marseilles. Stopped at cafe to feed Jack. Started raining. Somewhat cold outside. Walked around inside a shopping mall. Went to a large candy store and bought a few caramels and chocolates. They sold chocolates that looked exactly like olives. Amy, Jack, and Scott walked back to shuttle bus to boat. Too cold and rainy for us. Only spent a few hours in Marseilles. Everyone there seems to smoke. Saw a few people selling fresh fish in the Old Port area.
Barcelona, Spain
hotel in Barcelona - Hotel Husa Oriente
Explored city near our hotel and took our picture with street performers. Very exhausted, ready to go home.
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