Our European Vacation

Journey End,

Sun, 14 Aug 2016 12:01:38 -0400

Home!

Ocean City, United States

Sat, 13 Aug 2016 12:01:38 -0400

Trying to get it in before school starts! (With Nicole and Amy, too!) Missing Erica!!

Only in Dewey!

Charleston, United States

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 19:10:59 -0400

We ate dinner in a barrel.

Wild and Wonderful West Virginia

Dover, United States

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 22:30:07 -0400

Two nights ago, Trevor brought the first one back to the camper. Tonight? Kyle left us a bigger surprise.

Last night of the fair!

Wildwood Crest, United States

Sat, 16 Jul 2016 09:28:15 -0400

Getting the party started early

My boy!

Never mind us...just molesting the Dewey Devil

Greensboro, United States

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:23:09 -0400

Keeping it Rio with my best friend!

Maggie needs a vacation from her vacation.

New York, United States

Sun, 10 Jul 2016 19:30:00 -0400

Finally landed after flying 3 hours to Stockholm and 8 hours to NYC.

Stockholm, Sweden

Sun, 10 Jul 2016 11:00:00 +0200

Just a "quick" 6 hour layover. I wish we had a few more hours so we could have left the airport. We did get to see cardboard cutouts of ABBA and eat Swedish meatballs. One word to describe this place: EXPENSIVE!! Don't think we could afford a $25/meal vacation/visit.

Barcelona, Spain

Sat, 09 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0200

Took a pic of our TV screen before we got off the ship.

Too much sangria!!

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0200

The boys are done with sightseeing and stayed on the ship to play pool/swim/eat. So Steve and I ventured to the city center alone.

Marseilles, France

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 09:00:00 +0200

We did not book an excursion for this port because everything was fairly close, and we have had two long days in a row. Our plan was to go to the Stadium so Kyle could experience the Euro Cup 2016 craziness. We had a letter on our bed cautioning us against venturing out on our own because of the travel warnings for this area. We decided that it was early enough in the morning to try to go to the stadium and get back before it got too crazy. The security guy who got a cab for us also tried to talk us out of it. He said he lives there and isn't even going home today! The cab driver was really funny and very nice/informative. He and Steve tried their best to communicate with each other. Neither spoke the other's language very well. When we got back from the stadium (in a cab with massage chair for passenger seat), we walked around Le Vieux Port (Old Port). There was a lot of Euro Cup craziness there, too. I'm pretty sure the German fans were drunk by 1:39. HAHA While in Le Vieux Port, I found La Bar de la Marine, the restaurant used while filming LOVE ACTUALLY.

T just wanted to get a crepe in Marseille.

On the ship

One of my favorite scenes in LOVE ACTUALLY was filmed in this restaurant.

Florence, Italy

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 12:00:00 +0200

After a quick stop in Pisa, we rode on the tour bus an hour and 15 minutes to Florence. We had 3 1/2 hours of free time to walk around and explore. Then we rode 1 1/2 hours back to the ship.

Pisa, Italy

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 08:30:00 +0200

Hopped on a tour bus and rode 30 minutes from the port to Pisa. We had an hour to walk around and take pictures before getting back on the bus to go to Florence. Our tour guides name was Daniele. He said it was pronounced DANIEL-AY and NOT Daniel because he was a male. Our driver's name was also Daniel- AY. Haha

Miracle Square

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Rome, Italy

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0200

We docked at the port of Rome, Civitachia, early in the morning. That's all it is...a port. We boarded a bus for our "Rome on Your Own" excursion at 8:45. During the 90 minute ride into Rome, our guide gave us maps and discussed the various sights we would want to see. She also told is that Rome in the summer is like hell, referring to the hot temps. BOY, was she RIGHT! It was 92 degrees, and I actually got the worst heat rash I have ever had on my legs. We passed many farms, vineyards, olive trees, and sunflowers on the rise in. Once in Rome, we were free to go and do whatever we wanted. We only had 6 1/2 hours, so we took off immediately. 1. Trevi Fountain - ever since T was little we told him Trevi Fountain was his fountain because I call him Trevi. To our/his disappointment, they are currently renovating it. No water flowing...No coin tossing. We could only take pictures for a limited amount of time because guards were rushing people through. It was a bummer, but at least we were able to see it. 2. The Pantheon - A place K was familiar with it because of his video game. When we got inside, he looked up and said "Cool! I climbed to the top of that dome in my game." 4. K pointed out "Castel S. Angelo" on the map. It is another place he is familiar with because of playing Assassins Creed ( I guess there is some merit to video games LOL). He also wanted to see it in person. 5. The Vatican- I took pants and a scarf I could slip on so we could go inside St. Peter's Basilica. K commented later that it wasn't as quiet as he thought it would be. We stopped to eat some pizza at an outdoor cafe just within sight of St. Peter's Basilica. 6. The Colosseum - This was a place T was most interested in seeing. Both T and K wanted to go inside, so we got a ticket that also included the Forum. 7. Roman Forum - It is so crazy to walk on ancient cobblestones and look at the ruins. We kind of rushed through because at this point we were running out of time, and we were all miserably hot. We met the bus at 4:45 to make the 90 minute trip back to the ship. Total walking today: 11 miles!

My Trevi in front of Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain

The Pantheon

Pantheon

Sip of water out of the wall...why not?

St. Peter's Basilica

The Vatican

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Pizza by the Vatican

Sunny day in Rome

The Colosseum

Roman Ruins

Cool fact about Rome...you can refill your water bottle with any fountain in the city. We must have gone through 4 large bottles today in the 92 degree heat.

Sorrento, Italy

Mon, 04 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0200

When I opened our cabin door this morning and walked out, all I could smell was New York City. Naples smells exactly like NYC, and it kinda looks like it, too. I did my research before this trip and learned that this is the port where people benefit from booking an excursion. I'm so glad we did. We took a bus from the port in Naples to Sorrento. On the way, we had a close view of Mt. Vesuvius. It took us a little over an hour to get to Sorrento from Naples. It is AMAZING how a big tour bus maneuvers going up and down the mountains on tiny roads along the sea. I don't even think I could drive a Smart car here. We started in Piazza Tasso, the city center. Then we walked to Villa Comunale to take pictures of the coast. Afterwards, we did some shopping on the main shopping street, Corso Italia. The boys had their first taste of Italian gelato. T ordered dark chocolate, K coconut, S Limoncello, and I ordered walnut. Of course we had to sample each other's. Steve purchased some Limoncello, and I bought a pair of Italian leather shoes. Kyle found a European Football store and bought an Italian soccer ball with Euro Cup 2016 on it. Trevor went for some lemon candy, of course. We walked down a tiny side street and found some lemon and olive trees; these are things Sorrento is known for. Getting around the city is a little dangerous. There are no traffic lights/signs. Crossing the road was definitely a challenge for some of us *cough* Steve *cough*. Haha

Naples from the ship

Castel Nuovo (castle) in Naples

Naples from the ship

Mt. Vesuvius from the bus

Scenic coastal drive

City Square

Sorrento port

See that cliff behind us (on the other side)? Our bus drove up and down that!

Lemon and orange candy for T

Limoncello shop

Another little Italian shopping street

Lemon tree

Olive tree

Statue dedicated to Pope John Paul II

Mmmm...gelato

City Square

Scenic coastal drive

A long way down

Scenic coastal drive

Castel Nuovo in Naples

After dinner pic with Mt. Vesuvius. Off to Rome we go!

Taormina, Italy

Sun, 03 Jul 2016 07:00:00 +0200

We woke up this morning as the ship (Carnival Vista) was pulling into the port of Messina, Sicily. We were informed by our cruise director, Matt, yesterday that all stores in Messina are closed on Sundays. Luckily, I booked us an excursion to Taormina the day before because I wanted to see el teatro Greco (Ancient Greek Theatre) that was built in about 3 B.C. I'm so glad I did...We loved it! After a 50 minute bus ride along the coast and up a very windy road, we headed to the theatre first. WOW! What an amazing sight to see. Bonus: we didn't have to pay to get in today. They let us in for free. They are actually using this sight for performances, so you can see the workers placing floorboards down in the stage area (see photos). The boys were amazed at how old the structure was. After walking around and taking photos in the near 90 degree temps, we stop for some REAL Italian ice...lemon for everyone. We did some shopping for souvenirs for our THE GODFATHER fans/family, and then we stopped to eat at a quaint little restaurant. Our table was actually on stairs going down what can only be described as an ally. S, K, and I had pizza and T had the lasagna. Yummy!! After more photo ops and looking through little shops, cannoli was next. Probably the BEST cannoli we have ever had! We only had 4 1/2 hours to tour Taormina, but we made the most of it before taking the bus back to Messina. We have to be back on the ship by 4:30 in order to leave at 5. We will make it back in time for dinner. Off to Naples and Sorrento we go!

Statue separating Sicily and the Italian mainland.

Messina port

Mt. Etna

Mt. Etna from Taormina, Sicily

Ancient Greek Theatre - 3 B.C.

Ancient Greek Theatre and Mt. Etna

Barcelona, Spain

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 01:50:00 +0200

Arrived last night after midnight and got into the cab of death LOL. Seriously...these people cannot drive! I saw my life flash before my eyes and was sure we were going to run over several people...including two who were kissing in the middle of the street at 1:30 AM. The hotel...the BEST hotel I've ever been to in Europe, and one of the best hotels I've stayed in. The room used to be two rooms, so it is very spacious. Bottle of wine, water, apples, nuts, chips all set out for us...at no extra cost. The breakfast spread was amazing. They speak Catalan here, but the hotel manager told us if we speak Spanish, most people will know what we are saying. Kyle and I have been practicing our Spanish (I'm pretty impressed with how much he has learned over the last two years), and I'm quite sure Steve would be paralyzed here without me to translate. Don't get me started on the Metro story. HAHA! The first stop this morning was to take Kyle to the FC Barcelona stadium, Camp Nou. It's all he has wanted to do since we started planning the trip. We have walked up and down La Rambla and all through La Boqueria (market) where we ate some snacks. We had to keep an eye on our bags at all times. We saw a guy chase down a pickpocket this morning. After walking awhile, we sat down at an outdoor tapas restaurant, and Steve and I tried to get through a liter of Sangria. Almost did it. Kyle was adventurous and tried an ox burger, while Trevor tried something I can't even begin to describe. This afternoon we walked to the port and then around to Gotic area (Old Town) to see the Cathedral. Trevor has become a fan of Costa, so we had to stop for a latte before returning to the hotel for a little rest before dinner. Had dinner at a tapas/sports bar. The waitress LOVED Trevor...even kissed his head before we left! There was a Euro Cup game getting ready to start and it packed up pretty quickly. Check out the pic of one fan's ritual!

Probably the nicest hotel room I've ever been in. DEFINITELY the nicest one I've had in Europe.

View from our room

Camp Nou...home of FC Barcelona

Camp Nou Megastore

The boys from "their" balcony (same room).

I love olives! ...at La Boqueria

Casa Batllo

Sangria break

Tapas snack.

La Boqueria

Near the port

At the port

Old Barcelona

My guys in old Barcelona

Cathedral

Another sangria break!

Met this guy at a local tapas/sports bar. This is how he set himself up for the Portugal v. Poland Euro Cup game.

La Rambla

London, United Kingdom

Wed, 29 Jun 2016 10:10:00 +0100

How much can we show the boys during a 9 hour layover? Not as much as we would like. Between an hour in customs, 30 min train rides each way, tube rides, walking, lunch, and going back through security, we didn't actually have much time. On the flight to Barcelona, Trevor looked out and saw the Mediterranean. He said "The Mediterranean was just a dream when we talked about it in social studies." He has been very observant and full of questions on this trip, and we are just beginning.

What do you do with a 9 hour layover on 3 hours of sleep? Hop on a train and go see some things!

We needed the reminder.

Buckingham Palace

An essential London pic.

"Look, kids! Big Ben, Parliament!"

Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station. Unfortunately, the line to Hogwarts was longer than time we had left.

Kings Cross Station

New York

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 19:00:00 -0400