Hello, ya'll. I wanted to write about my Mediterranean Cruise with the family, but just writing about it would be
terribly boring, so here's to continuing the trend! In no particular order, here are my ten favorite memories from the ten-day vacation.
1. So, this little angel represents a strange phenomenon that I witnessed very clearly on the trip. People need "home." Whenever I go on trips, it is always amazing to me how quickly wherever you are staying becomes a place of comfort, even if it isn't that comfortable. We had some really long days, and it was always such a blessing to come "home" to the cruise ship. (The towel creations were nice as well.)
2. I didn't take my own picture of it, but those who know me know one of (if not my favorite) my favorite desserts is tiramisu. Up until this trip, the best I had ever had was in Ft. Lauderdale. I had a lunch in Sorrento that ended with a small morsel of absolutely fantastic tiramisu. Was it the best? They were both so good that I can't decide, BUT this was certainly a highlight.
3. Most people know that I love musicals. I do. What I wasn't expecting was this little darling show (only an hour long) called
Twice Charmed. Basically, it was a twist on the ending of
Cinderella. I actually ended up watching it by myself (my mom came in late and was at the top of the theater), and I enjoyed it so much. I thought the actors were great; the singing was top-notch. The staging of it was actually what I was most impressed with, and I found myself more and more pleased and surprised with each unique way they chose to tell the story. Loved it.
4. Our first port was Malta, which is a beautiful place. We took a Turkish Schooner boat and traveled about an hour to spend the day swimming in the Mediterranean. The boat ride was a bit rough because people got sea sick, but once we anchored in, it was just magical. The water was SO CLEAR (everyone always says that...but it is just so shocking), and I just kept pinching myself because the whole experience was so surreal. I loved swimming between these two boats.
5. Little known fact: I love the prospect of being tan. Other little known fact: I hate sunbathing...for the most part. I get really hot really fast, so I end up going swimming, and my face, back, and forearms are always tan (burned), while the rest of me remains stark white. However, on the last day of the trip, we were at sea. It was super windy. I went up to the top deck fairly early and braved the wind. It was actually kinda cold, but I got a few extra towels and read my book. The sun started getting hotter, so I wasn't cold, but I was NEVER hot. The wind was amazing. I fell asleep. Then, I moved, and the wind died down, except for one part of the boat. I fell asleep again. It was the single greatest sunbathing experience of my life, and yes, I got burned a bit, but I never got hot. Wonderful.
6. Picking excursions is a bit daunting. They all sound awesome, and they are so expensive. Mom and I chose to do the "Day at the Farm" with the grandchildren from the start, and we were excited. Parts of the day did not live up to our expectations, but the meal (after a delayed start that landed us at our own private table in the lobby...) was so amazing. They would bring small plates out at a time, never giving large portions, but the courses just kept coming. Seriously, one man suggested that the day be called "Day at the Table" instead. This meal taught me the art of dining. Just to let you know, we had bread, olives, artichokes, eggplant, jalapeno peppers, olive spread on bread, an egg dish, potatoes, pasta, pot roast, and cannelloni. Never-ending but delicious.
7. Speaking of meals, we had a great waiter/waitress combo on the cruise ship. (There are three dining rooms, but your servers rotate with you to each of them.) The assistant server was a man from Bali named Inyoman. He shared MANY crayon tricks (brain teasers) with the kids (which turned into the entire table), and I really enjoyed this. I felt like it was a bonding experience for all of us and something we all enjoyed and laughed at. The meals were all special, but I especially loved what Inyoman brought to the table.
8. I knew I was excited to see Rome, specifically the Colosseum. Standing inside it seemed so surreal. I just wonder what that must have been like. I also wonder how in the world they were so good at structural monstrosities back then, but that is another issue altogether. Yes, we have bigger stadiums now, but I'm not sure they could ever be more impressive.
9. Visiting Florence was really special to me. My mom and I went together, and although it was PACKED (which I loathe), everything was so beautiful. We walked A LOT, but I loved being there. (My mom bought a beautiful purse, so that was a plus.) I was continually impressed with the feats of architecture paired with the nuance of design and personality. The afternoon got super hot and wore on, but overall, the morning spent in Florence was absolutely lovely.
10. We went to three cities (not really cities, but whatevs) on the last day of the cruise...well, the last port. It was so unbelievably beautiful that I was in awe for most of the day, even though I kinda felt like a hobo. (It was SUPER wealthy.) Did you know it costs 50,000 euros to park your boat in the Monaco Harbor during the Grand Prix...per day? Yikes. Anyway, our VERY LAST stop was a medieval town at the top of a mountain called Eze. It is famous for making perfume, and it was magical. We only got to spend about forty-five minutes there, but I was mesmerized the entire time. It is hard for me to explain why, but I simply felt like a character in a story while walking UP the cobblestone path.
So, there we are! I do realize the value of seeing other countries, exploring new places. It is a little unnerving and really expensive, but travel does nourish the soul.
