Day 2-7
We love going to the solarium and reading and relaxing while at sea. We quickly learned that you need to get there early because seats get saved quickly. We were arriving at 7:15 and then only leaving for a quick breakfast and lunch. The water in the pool was crazy due to the waves in the ocean. The first 5 days it was beautiful outside so we were able to enjoy our balcony. Wine and cashews were enjoyed each night. We even received a bottle of wine since Greg told them it was our anniversary.
Our first specialty restaurant was Tuscan Grille. Again, a crappy table and service so slow, we finally left without dessert after 1 1/2 hours. The second restaurant was Q Sine and a great experience. With animation, your meal being prepared was displayed on your table and then served. Service was good, food excellent and the animation was unique.
The last place was the Lawn Club Grille which was on the top deck. It was a crazy windy day and the Grille is outside. Your can start with a flatbread with different toppings, a salad bar, grilled food and sides. If it hadn't been so cold and windy, it would have been a nice experience. We didn't have the flatbread, but the salad was good and the steaks and chicken were great. Service was good and the views were perfect.
We tried going to the show every night, but really only liked a few. The house band was very good and played in other locations throughout the trip.
Day 8
Our first stop was Tenerife, Canary Islands. Our tour was a bus/walking tour. When we left the ship it was sunny, so we had on long sleeve shirts. As the bus climbed the hills, rain clouds appeared. First stop was a small fruit market, much like West Side Market. It then started pouring rain. We bought an umbrella for 3 euros, which only helped a little. Our tour guide kept walking through the pouring rain, talking and talking. We were cold and wet and didn't care what he had to say. The one place he took us was closed because it was Saturday. We then drove to a wine shop and went to their wine cellar. Very cold and damp, but we drank wine, ate bread, cheese, salami and sausage, which warmed us up. Next stop was another winery, for just a small tasting. So happy to get back to the ship for a hot shower.
Day 9-10
Another day at sea and then we stopped at Malaga. Our tour was a tapas tasting with a bit of history. We visited a castle and then back to town. We saw Picasso's house and other interesting architecture. Our guide was really old and walked super slow. We had other guests who were equally challenged. Due to our slowness, 2-3 other tour groups showed up at the restaurant at once, which was chaotic. We had red wine, sausage and bread, along with a tuna fish salad on a crunchy something. Next stop, again slowly moving along, and where a lady with a cane almost bonked us, we had more wine and peppers and paella. Last place gave us an extremely small pour of wine and one piece of cheese and tomato on a skewer and then an omelet piece. Lousy stop. Back to the bus and ship. Liked Malaga, but wish we hadn't done a tour as it would have been a nice city to wander around.
Day 11
Our next stop was Cartagena. Again, a tour, but walking with ear buds. They didn't really work which was annoying. Saw an old coliseum, a castle, and rode an elevator up the hill. Again, a lousy tour. We left the tour and walked around on our own. Stopped for some tapas (chicken croquettes and bread with cheese) and then walked to the ship.
Barcelona was the next stop and we were on our own. We love walking on Las Ramblas and all the side streets. We stopped for tapas of sausage and bread, ham croquettes, and potatoes with aioli. We went back to the Barcelona Church we saw last time and now you had to pay to enter. It was still very pretty, but not as amazing as the first time. Later we stopped for cappuccino and pastries. It was packed everywhere as there were 4 cruise ships docked as well as tons of students everywhere.
Day 13
Our last stop was Corsica, France. The ship docked for 1 1/2 hours and after that you had to get a tender ship. We went to town, walked a bit and got back just in time and had a pleasant day in the solarium.
Day 14
We arrived in Rome to utter chaos at departure. Security was holding up all the taxis so we had to wait awhile for our car. We had made arrangements with a couple from Texas to share a ride. They were staying near our hotel so it was convenient for all of us. Our Suite Hotel was right next to the Pantheon and was very cute and clean. The only pain was locking 3-4 doors each time we went in and out. We got in at noon and went right out for lunch. For me.....pasta of course.
It was sooooo crowded everywhere and we found out it was an italian holiday for 2 weeks. Trying to get close to the Trevi Fountain was impossible. We met up with Betty and Mike for dinner in the same place we had lunch because they had given us a coupon (LOL). Lasagna for me and veal for Greg.
Day 15
Early departure for us walking to the Basilica for our tour. We took an elevator partway and then walked 320+ steps to the top of the dome. Halfway up, we were able to stop and look up and down and the views were very cool. Scary staircases that went sideways. Not cool! View was nice, but it was very crowded at the top. We walked all the way back down for a tour of the Basilica. Not a great tour, but that's only because the guide doted on two french people and left the rest of us waiting for more information. We also walked down into the crypts. We walked around some more, then went back and took a nap in preparation for our food tour.
The food tour was wonderful. History and 7 stops for food. Fried artichoke, pizza, beer, coldcuts, cheese and bruschetta, wine, 2 kinds of pasta, eggplant parmesan and more wine, taramisu, coffee and gelato. The tour was 5 hours and we saw a lot of different areas and visited some very cool restaurants.
Day 16
Walked all over Rome and even found a major volleyball camp going on near the Colosseum. There were hundreds and hundreds of kids playing in the street which was fun to watch. Lunch of pizza and penne bolognese and then back for a quick nap. More walking and sightseeing and then a dinner of lasagna and pasta. Watched 3 guys playing Pink Floyd music for a while and then we called it a night.
After cappuccino and croissants, we went to the bus station for our trip to Siena. Uneventful trip although I was worried we weren't in the right seats. Siena was as crowded as Rome. We felt like movie stars in our cab because all the pedestrians were so crowded around us in the little streets. The road was closed for a short distance so we had to wheel our bags through some construction until we found our hotel. Nice room, but a bit noisy for us. After walking around and getting gelato, we stopped for a teeny pizza and wine and then back for a nap. Napping has become a daily habit for us. Dinner nearby of gnocchi for me and chicken cacciatore for Greg. Free shot of amaretto and we were back in our room for the night.
Day 18
We spent the day wandering around, but Greg was sick, we limiting our running around. It rained most of the day, so we were cold and wet. Dinner was wine and cheese at one place (and only because we decided we didn't like the menu) and pasta at another.
Day 19
Barbara picked us up and drove us to Greve. The B&B was nice, but it rained again so it was damp and cold. She drove us to a winery for lunch of bread, cheese and meat, pasta and dessert, plus 3 small wine tastings. Nice winery and meal and a cute little dog that kept wanting attention. We did a quick tour of their wine cellar and then she drove us back to town. Greve is very small, so not much to do there. Greg is really sick and slept for 12 hours.
Pablo drove us to Volterra and we checked into our hotel. It's right outside the walled city and just a short walk and we were there. Beautiful views forever! Several nice churches and statues all over. This might be one of my favorite new hill towns. Nice lunch of soup, salad and pizza. Rain started again so we headed back for a nap. Back into town for dinner of pici pasta for me with vegetable soup, and caprese and tenderloin for Greg. Crazy light behind the bar flashed colors the whole time we ate.
We got a ride to Monterigginio. It was the last of our small hill towns and it was extremely small. The driver left us off in the middle of the town square and pointed down the road. We wheeled our bags until we stumbled upon the mailbox, which contained our keys. We opened the door to an extremely dark steep staircase. Once you moved inside, the lights kicked on and you had to go quickly as they would go off again. We found the suite, and inside there were 3 rooms and we had to decipher the key to find our room. The room was very cool, probably the best we stayed in.
We wandered around the City, taking in all the sights. There really isn't much there, but it is all very quaint and interesting. We ate dinner at a Michelin restaurant for dinner and had a nice time.
We got a ride to a bus stop, and it didn't feel at all like the right place. We waited for a while, but sure enough, the bus came and took us back to Rome. We would spend 2 more nights in Rome. It was still very crowded, but we wandered around, ate good food, sat in the park and read, anything we could do to avoid spending time in our hotel room. This was the smallest room we have ever stayed at in our life. You could barely move around the bed, and I banged my head on the sink when I was sitting on the toilet.
Day 24
We flew from Rome to Oslo before heading to Tampa. The Oslo customs officer couldn't understand how we arrived in Europe without having our passport stamped. Turns out they should have stamped it in the Canary Islands on our first excursion from the ship. Fortunately it didn't cause a problem for us. Our flight was on Norwegian and we were in business class and it was nice. The highlight was looking out the window and seeing Greenland. It was beautiful!!!!
We are done with cruising for a long time. Greg almost always gets sick and it just isn't worth it.
No comments:
Post a Comment