Day at Sea - Finally!

After port after port after port, this relaxing day was much needed. Until today, I hadn't really felt like I was actually on a cruise because our daily routine consisted of waking up early, going out to port, coming back exhausted, going to dinner, seeing a show or hot tubbing, and sleeping. Needless to say, I enjoyed sleeping in past 6 am. The second I woke up at 11, I quickly got ready for a poolside day. Unfortunately, I didn't put a sufficient amount of sunscreen on for the four hours I played in the raw sun. That happened to be the biggest "oops" of the trip...and I will never sunbathe for that long with so little sunblock again. 

Once I realized just how badly burnt I was, I immediately left the sun and went inside for some shade. We began the long process of hair and make up for our first formal night. Eventually, the three of us made it out the door and at the table. After eating an amazing dinner, I joined some of my new friends for 50's night at Club Fusion and karaoke afterwards. It was a fun night ending in just as much exhaustion as any of our previous ports.

Bella Napoli - or rather Amalfi and Sorrento

This is my third time coming to the port of Naples, and this is my third time doing something other than seeing the city. Naples isn't the most exciting nor safest city for tourism, unless you want to eat pizza all day. Rather than roaming around a less than spectacular city, we went on our first and last ship excursion to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. My mom had wanted to go to Sorrento, since we hadn't been there and we thought it would be a nice scenic, relaxing day. It was a huge difference from our action packed Rome and Florence adventures. Our first stop on the tour was Sorrento. Normally on ship excursions, they take the tours to some kind of factory with the opportunity of purchasing nice items. We went to an outlet store of beautiful wooden carved tables, chairs, and jewelry boxes. We were then allotted free time to explore Sorrento. We mainly shopped on one of the main shopping streets in search of souvenirs and cough drops. We found both. With Grandma's collection, we now have cough drops in every language!

After a long and windy bus ride, we arrived at Amalfi. On the way, if any of us was awake, we saw a gorgeous coast line, expensive hotels for a future destination, celebrities' villas, and quaint coastal towns. Before reaching our destination, we ate lunch at a four star hotel overlooking the Amalfi Coast. It was absolutely breath taking complimented by delicious food. After lunch, we continued on our drive to Amalfi. The first time my parents and I ventured to Amalfi, I was car sick. I was so car sick I had to keep my head down so I didn't see the windy cliffs we were racing through. When we saw tour buses, we couldn't imagine how scary it would be. But actually, the buses have to go a lot slower than cars, which helps the motion sickness. When we finally reached Amalfi, we walked around the town and shopped. At the local church, there was a wedding and the bride and groom were outside the church taking pictures they will never forget. Although we chose against seeing another church, the church is open for visitors. I would definitely recommend this trip again, because the Amalfi Coast's beauty is difficult to absorb in just one trip.

Roman Holiday

With a relative knowledge of geography, Rome is not directly on the ocean. In fact, it is about an hour train ride or hour and a half taxi ride from the port. Since my mom loves figuring things out on her own, we took the train into Rome and planned to use the subway as transportation from one sight to the other. Our first stop was the one sight my grandma personally requested: the Spanish Steps. My mom and I couldn't figure out why she wanted to see the Spanish Steps so badly. I mean, after all, they are just a lot of steps. And she was slightly disappointed when she looked around and said, "This is it?" On our way to the Trivi Fountain, we made a bathroom break at the most elaborate and exquisite McDonald's in the world. It was unlike anything I had ever seen for a fast food place. This McDonald's was lavishly decorated with marble flooring and a few statues. Although the toilets may not have been up to par according to my high standards, the overall atmosphere of a fancy restaurant in a McDonald's is an experience not to be skipped!

After our lavish McDonald's visit, we followed a tour group to the Trivi Fountain. In such a tourist congested area, it is always important to keep an eye out for gypsy children who can steal all your valuables right before your very eyes. However, I have noticed a drastic improvement from my first time visiting Rome, but it is always important to be on the cautious side. When visitors wish in the Trivi Fountain, each is allowed three wishes. The first two are your free choice, but the last is always to return to Rome, and it has never failed me! Each time I've wished in the Trivi Fountain, I've found myself returning, as well as my other wishes fulfilled. Our next stops to cross off our list were 5 churches that either my mom, grandma or I had never seen before. All of which the American travel phenomenon Rick Steves recommends. The first church we wandered into is my personal favorite church in Rome, St. Ignasis. During construction, the church ran out of money to complete it with all marble columns and the dome. In order to appear lavish, the church painted a three dimensional dome on a canvas and painted some columns as in order to make them look like marble! Pretty clever if I don't say myself. In the end, they made a gorgeous church and the lack of money is not noticeable to the ordinary visitor. The next church on our list was the Pantheon. The Pantheon was originally a pagan and has been recently featured in the blockbuster Angels and Demons. On my mom and grandma's last trip in November, they did not visit the Pantheon, only walked by it. Although the church was in service at the time, we made up for it. 

By the end of our church expedition, it was 12 pm. Not bad to see 5 churches, the Trivi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps in only 3 hours. We then went to lunch in the Plaza Nirvoano. The three of us shared a pizza and salad. Most Americans find Italian pizza disappointing. However, I don't really notice a difference between pizza in Italy and pizza at Italian restaurants. Ordering at Pizza Hut is a different story though. While walking to our next stop, a galleria, we saw one of my best friends from USC, Joey! I screamed in excitement as we crossed paths in Rome! It's always weird seeing someone from home in Europe. Last time, I ran into Kim and Amber from high school, knowing they were in Europe too. But this caught me completely off guard because I had no idea that he was even in Europe! After a short walk back to the Pantheon, we parted ways, but it was still good seeing someone from home. 

The galleria we visited was once a palace for a wealthy and influential family. They had a huge art collection, complete with originals and copied works. Some of the copies were so close to the original painting, that it was difficult to tell if the painting was the original or not. At every audio mark, Grandma stopped to listen to the handset. She was enthralled with the collection as well as the elaborately decorated rooms the palace invited guests to dance and dine. Although a house tour and art collection could put me to sleep, it was the highlight of the day for Grandma. After listening to all of the recordings, we headed back to the train station to ensure that we caught our train...but we never would have guessed the trouble it took to get there. 

The lucky day we were in Rome was the day the Giro d'Italia blocked some of the streets, severely inconveniencing some of the tours from the cruise ship and our route to the subway station. At first, the bike race was really exciting! First the cop would come by, then the biker followed by its car with substitute bikes and supporters. As the biker would race by, spectators rattled the gates in support of the biker. Unfortunately, we did not know the race's route. We walked from the monument of the tomb of the unknown soldier all the way to the Coliseum in search for the metro. Towards the end, we were getting a little frantic because we were in jeopardy of missing our train. Finally, we found the station and raced to our train. We were literally minutes away from missing the train. And missing the train entailed missing the boat. But overall, we had a great day in Italy as we sail towards Naples!

Home of the Medicci: Florence!

Today's journey to Florence only took one train ride. Quite less adventurous as a bus and a walk! In order to see different sights than our previous 3 times, we took a walking tour with one of the best art historians I have ever met. This girl knew what the story behind every stone on a building. We learned all about the Medicci family; how they lived, their influence in Florence, and the remnants of their history. When the average person goes to Florence or Rome, he or she doesn't really appreciate each building. I would have never guessed that the restaurant I quickly ate at today dated back to the 15th century. When you learn the story behind the buildings and the feuds between the weathy and powerful families, you really get a profound appreciation for the archetecture that is standing before you. And that was what our tour guide gave us, well at least me.

After the tour, my mom wanted to go see the Medicci Chapel and Saint Lorenzo Church. Well, so much for that...we went shopping instead! Majority rules. My grandma bought a white belt and a new black purse she's been looking for. I bought a purse, a few scarves, and some souvineer gifts for Tommy and Jonathan. Eventually, yes, we did make it to St. Lorenzo and it was definitely worth seeing. After understanding the prominence of the Medicci, we played a bit of art history and figured out some things for ourselves with the foundation our guide gave us earlier today.

Currently, we're on our way to Rome, church capital!!!

First Port of Call: Monte Carlo!

Today, the Ruby Princess docked at Monte Carlo!! Since my mom and I had already been here twice, my mom thought it would be nice to do something no one has done! One wrong direction, one bus ride, and about a mile walking later, we arrived at the Villa Rothschild. Located between Monaco and Villa Franche, it has 7 gardens (4 of which we walked through) and the manor over looking two harbors. In the first garden located outside the manor doors, there was a fountain water show every 20 minutes accompanied by orchestra and opera music. The atmosphere was relaxing, just what we all needed. Honestly, it was gorgeous! Built for a princess. The couple that built the villa died without any children, so it is open for visitors. We ventured through the exotic garden. Well, I guess their idea of exotic was plants native to California, cacti. The garden just below was inspired by Beatrice's visits to Asia. Although my grandma didn't want to walk through, I took the camera and snapped around 20 pictures worthy of a post card. Honestly, you couldn't go wrong! For lunch, we ate in the cafe inside the manor. Interestingly enough, it is located just outside the dining room where Beatrice and Rothschild guests dined on a nightly basis. The view was stunning, and we were sad to leave it.

After walking the same mile and taking the same bus back, I thought it would be a great idea to go to the casino since my grandma hadn't seen it. Even though we managed to get to a villa neither of us had been before, getting to Monte Carlo Casino, where my mom and I had been twice, was a completely different story. My mom thought taking the public bus would be easier than walking. Knowing that we were going to the casino, the bus driver didn't inform us that the only bus stop would be the stop for the elevator, so we missed it. Then, we had to walk all the way back through the tunnel and figure out how to get into the correct elevator. What there aren't signs for is you have to go down one elevator, cross the street underground, and then go up from there. At least if you ever go it will be easier for you.

And there it was, Monte Carlo Casino in all its glory. Parked outside are the Ferraris and Masseratis of the wealthy gamblers inside. This is popular for tourists because its not everyday you see a car worth more than your lifetime earnings! The view of the Med is exceptional from there as well. Although we've been there multiple times, we've never gone into the casino because it costs 10 euros just to get in. Imagine how much you'll lose gambling! Even though it was difficult getting there, returning to the ship was as easy as can be when you take a water boat!

Our next stop is Florence! Can't wait!

BARCA!

Yesterday afternoon, my mom, grandma and I arrived in Barcelona. Upon our arrival, we labourously pulled our luggage through the subway to the hotel. Our hotel is located on Las Ramblas, a very touristy part of town. And we have a balcony overlooking one of the most popular parts of the street. However, my mom had her first almost failure...she booked the hotel for June instead of May. But it was no problem! One major difference between Spain and England are the pick pocketers. Even though it is not very fashionable, I would recommend carrying your back pack on the front rather than the back, if you don't want to lose some valuables.

After freshing up at the hotel, we went to my favorite church in the world La Sagrada Familia. Every time I have been to Barcelona, I've checked on the progress of the church. Contractors have been building the church for over 75 years and it's thought it won't be done for another 50. I absolutely love the architecture of the church. Every detail has a specific meaning from the spiral staircases to the gargoyles. Unfortunately, the line was too long and we were too tired to go up the lift and climb around the top of the church. On our first trip, we did this and it is definitely something to be experienced at least once in a lifetime.

We arrived on the day of the big soccer game: Barcelona vs. Manchester Utd. The city was thriving with blue and maroon fans flocking the streets. At the hotel, I met some students from a small liberal arts college in North Carolina who invited me to watch the game with them. Although we had no idea what was going on, we tried our best to cheer and boo appropriately. Among the students was a fellow ADPi sister!! Who would have guessed!?! It was great to meet someone who has the same appreciation as I do for diamonds and lions. We then went into the streets for a bit to experience the excitement of the Barca fans! We didn't stay for long because it got more rowdy than celebrations in the states. This makes Laker fans look terrible! If we win the NBA championship, I expect a celebration like this!

While the massive celebration was taking place, this was not the night to have a balcony on Las Ramblas. Cheers and fireworks didn't cease until around 2 in the morning when the police cleared everyone out of the streets. And this morning, it looked like nothing happened! There was no sign of the massive party that took over the city. Quite amazing if you ask me.

Earlier today, we finally boarded our cruise ship and currently we are headed to our first stop: Monte Carlo!

London: Days 2, 3 and 4

Getting internet has been a bit more difficult than I previously thought...Anyways, our second day in London we ventured to Hampton Court, most famously associated with Henry VIII. In honor of his 500th anniversary, Hampton Court had an entire special exhibition of him, including a reinactment of the day he married his last wife, Katherine Parr, and an exhibition of his six wives. Rarely viewed artifacts and portraits were displayed for our viewing pleasure in his apartments. We also watched a fencing and falconry demonstration where young children were invited to participate. It's too bad I or another member of our group wasn't younger because it would have made this a day to remember. One of the most interesting things we explored was the kitchens where servants prepared two meals for 800 people daily!! Not to mention a courtier of his court ate 4,500-5,000 calories a day!! I guess he may not have been the only one to turn out fat....

After our adventure at Hampton Court, by my special request we went to the world famous Harrods. Unfortunately, we only had 30 minutes to look at pretty things we couldn't afford, but we did buy a cute bracelet. Small, but at least we can say we bought something from Harrods! And accross the street, was my second favorite store in the universe, Zara! I first discovered Zara in Portugal a few years ago and have been enchanted since. Even though it originates in Mexico, there are few in California and the one that I have been to wasn't my favorite. But the ones in Europe are to die for! Walking out, I found a shirt with a, wait for it...diamond!!! Now, this may not be a big deal to you, but its a big deal to me since the ADPi symbol is a diamond and shirts are hard to come by. Oh, and yes, I bought it.

Yesterday, we went to Cambridge with London Walks on their explore day. London Walks is a fabulous way to get to know any part of London with detailed tours lasting around two hours. But once a week, they have an explore day and it's a great deal! Our first stop in Cambridge was the American Cemetery. Since it was Memorial Day in the U.S., the cemetery had a ceremony playing the national anthem upon our arrival. Ironically, I've never celebrated Memorial Day more appropriately, and who to think in England! Our next stop was the walk itself where we learned all about the university and the individual colleges. Quick fact: 80 Nobel Prize winners are associated with Cambridge and around 40 went to Trinity College. Trinity College was founded by our man of the hour, Henry VIII. I guess he wanted to leave a better name for himself. The highlight of the day was going punting down the Cam. It was a beautifully relaxing trip, even amusing when a punter was close to falling in the water occasionally!! We ended the night exhausted in our new hotel, Jury's Inn in Chelsea. A bigger hotel than we normally stay, but quite nice indeed.

Today, we started our day a bit later than normal waking up a quarter til 9. Who would guess sleeping in would be considered past 6 a.m., considering at home I don't get up until 10 at the earliest! As soon as we could we were at Leister Square buying tickets to Hairspray! On past trips, we went to multiple plays, but on this trip, Hairspray would be our first and last. Between buying the tickets and the show, my mom thought it would be a great idea to go to Winston Churchill's War Rooms during WWII. This was perhaps one of the most interesting museums I've been to because for me, it was history coming to life. We walked through the halls that Churchill himself commanded fighting the Germans. With about an hour to get to our play, we left the museum and Churchill. Neither myself nor my mother or grandma had seen the play. My initial thought was whether the actors would have British accents or try to master Baltimore accents...and they tried! I thoroughly enjoyed Hairspray, although I did have some problems with a few of the actors. I felt Tracy was played too old and Amber played too unsophisticated. On the other hand, Wilbur and Edna were absolutely hysterical!! Clearly the highlight of the performance!!

After the show, we met up with one of my sorority sisters, Marissa, who is finishing her study abroad program here. During dinner, my mom played a thousand questions because I will be participating in the same studying abroad program that she is completing. It was a nice break to see someone else! Well that was my trip to London and boy did it go by fast!! Next stop: Barcelona!!