Madly Making Memories Multiply in Mediterranean Mickey Mode-Pre-trip

[lmhall2000]

Mediterranean Medley

Cast:

Mrs. T : 42, heavily entrenched mom of 3 (meaning I play many roles and although over booked, somehow manage to get some things done)

Mr. Grumpy: 42, happily married to him for 17 years....(sorry I had to delete the but, somehow that seems to diminish the happily part)...AND he has a habit of finding the worst possible scenario in all things...he's already convinced we should never leave the boat for fear it will leave without us.

Goofy: 14, year old first born, he's a huge teddy bear 'and' has already asked me if he doesn't like the cruise, can he get another Christmas present (no presents this year in lieu of our May cruise)

Tink: 11, year old sweet pea...she is our avid book reader...author/illustrator..she is the romantic in the family...all that sensitivity can lead to sensitivities...

Ariel: 10, year old sunshine...always a smile on her face but can be a little persnickety....she's the smallest in the family and sometimes feels she has to let her presence be known with loud gestures.

Grandgrumps: 67, highly capable workaholic Dad...this man can do anything, he can predict weather trends weeks ahead, fly a plane, change his own brakes/water pumps, and get on my mom's nerves...like spraying grease from all those care repairs all over her clean kitchen...

Grandma: (Age withheld, but she's definitely young at heart!) let it be known she's been married to Grandgrumps for 47 years! She's a saint to everyone who knows her and loves her grandkids...her favorite saying in shock is "Hellooooo!" I'll be counting these on this cruise.

The Cruise:

May 5-15 2010 Mediterranean!!! First cruise for our family, 2nd for my parents

Historical references: (They might be helpful in explaining why we act/react the way we do to certain happenings)

Me: Last planned a vacation 3 years ago, we try to do something every year but right before this housing crisis hit, we had a dream to buy a farm and give our kids a home with a purpose...we homeschool so we thought it would be a great idea to run summer camps for foster children...our kids could help each summer and learn some great skills about giving back. We found an incredible once in a lifetime deal on a horse farm (small 5 acre) and bought it...well, our other home has not sold in 29 months...hence no vacation since then. I've been busy learning how to train these horses (2), running a scouting troop, leading a junior speech club, helping organize a science olympiad team, schooling these three sweet peas and paying bills...ugh bills. Disboards has been a heaven send to me, through W.I.S.H. I was able to lose 65 pounds 3 years ago...well, the stress of two houses just put me back...so I'm trying my hardest to get in shape for this cruise, it's kind of a huge reward for getting in shape and staying there...it's soo important. So, I'll be updating monthly my total losses and hopefully encourage others struggling! So far, I've lost 15 walking 2-4 miles a day and cutting back portions.

Grumpy: Well, it has been said that "imagination is the one weapon in the war against reality."...I'm sticking to it!! Poor Grumpy has worked 2 jobs for over 2 years to pay for these 2 mortgages...for the guy who thinks only the worst can happen, it has for him. He's had his moments, but I have been thoroughly surprised in his resilience and ability to just plug on...what a lesson he's giving our kids...we do what we can with what we have. So, this vacation is sort of a "YOU DID IT, WE LOVE YOU, ENJOY YOUR LIFE" kind of happening...If I could ever pocket imagination, I'd have to say carry Disney with you, I've never seen my husband get more excited than when we went to see Aladdin at the movies...he laughed so hard and had such joy from all those Genie lines that if anything will bring dh joy, it could be that Disney cruise.

The kids have just worked so hard at helping around the house, not having ddaddy around much of the day, they help graze the horses, feed/water all the farm animals that find their way here...they are really amazing, maybe it's because they sense that Dad and I have been under a lot of pressure the past 3 years, but they are so dear, I had swine flu last week that went into bronchitis....my ds made me breakfast in bed and my dh and Tink grazed the horses without me...they deserve so much...I just had to make this cruise happen.

Now Ariel has had a bad year. She was misdiagnosed last Christmas and went through horrific health crises. She ended up with a post-strep complication....100's of migratory pains skipping through her body, debilitating muscle cramps, tonsillectomy, 11 cases of confirmed strep, rocephin, clindamycin, you name it she had it...many times she cried out in pain, "Why me?"...we saw 8 specialists at 4 different childen's centers...so many tests and few answers...for the past 8 weeks she's been back to normal...the last penicillin shot seemed to do the trick..but there's always that fear that is it something deeper or just the steroids that rocked her body when she should have been given antibiotics?? We're just moving on and trying to give her back some of what she and all of us lost going through that.

Grandma and Grandgrumps: Oh man, these two are PurrrRecccccious!! They too had their year...Dad had a horrible (surgeon said it was the worst thing he'd removed from someone in his 40 years of being a surgeon) growth removed in his intestines....my Dad is the epitome of health, takes great care of himself and never has had a health crisis...so it scared us all..but he's back to feeling great...3 months after his surgery my mother had to have a surgery to repair hernias and involved this same surgeon doing something he had never tried...the surgery was supposed to last 5 hours and lasted till after midnight...bless that surgeon!! He really saved both my parents. But, they're the types that just won't take a vacation....they cruised to Alaska with my aunt and uncle about 7 years ago....they've been to Branson with my aunt and uncle and on their time share out in Gatlinburg with aunt and uncle. Last month, we lost dear uncle...and I mean dear. My Dad is the last man standing in my mom's family...I think it has hurt him greatly to lose all his brother in laws not to mention being surrounded by these great southern ladies who love to talk! So they need a BIG vacation...while they're still active I want them to enjoy something special.

So, there you have it, trip is booked, downpayment is made...we're cutting out eating out/Christmas/movies/ etc. to afford this...praying our house will sell before the cruise and looking for those can't be beat airfares! I'll post monthly updates (weight loss & bookings) and share how we'll plan all our excursions on our own...again we're broke and some excursions may just be hiking like the Sound of Music crew through the streets of Malta! Maybe I should bring my guitar??

I hope to bring some ideas to some of you, fish extenders and all magnets will be homemade thanks to some great Disigners helping out!!

Mrs. T

[lmhall2000]

Budgeting Tips

I think many of us have had to budget for something at one point in our lives, some of us make it a lifestyle...here are some of the ways we are making it happen.

1. KIDS SAIL FREE!! AND they offered a $999 adult fare on cat 12....so our trip is only 4k for the cruise!!Thank you Disney! 10 nights at that price, you can't beat it!!...I think this was a great value. Now if only the airfare would make that kind of offer for me!

2. Traveling (did you know you could spell this with one "L" or two? I actually had to look that up, I have such angst if I misspell something...feel free to find my errors...it helps me remember next time!) during the cheaper months...if we had booked a trip one month later the price would have been 10-30% higher.

3. Airlines (have yet to book)...gee, I thought we had enough for at least 3 if not 4 of our tickets...and in the past I've snagged outrageous deals to everywhere (Birmingham-Orlando for $38 RT, Atlanta to London for $200 RT) so I felt confident here...but lo and behold within the past 3 years an international flight uses 100,000 points!! It was only 50k last time! AAGH! I have 90k on my skymiles, and dh has 47k on his...we had relied on Am Ex for this but just last month they sent out a letter saying our low interest rates were shooting up (mine from 4.9-12.9 and my dh's from 7.9-19.9)..I've been a loyal Amex customer for years...I was so furious they wouldn't give us the option of opting out that I immediately closed it and any chances for more skymiles...so technically even though we have enough combined for one ticket, the fee for transferring his miles would be in the hundreds!! So, now I'm signing up at airfare watchdog, kayak, american airlines, delta and others to be alerted if something pops up. I did hear that with Delta and Northwest merging, they plan on having a one day sale in January...so hoping for a great deal! I need 7 tickets!!

4. Cutting back on eating out...with dh working 2 jobs, me running the kids around to all their events/activities..we had a hard time making it back home to cook dinner...so we ate out way too much...we can save $500 a month by no eating out and no grabbing a soda when we fill up the car, also no movies...although we only went to the movies about once every 2 months, it would still almost cost a family of five $60!! UGH!

5. Electrical bill...with 2 electrical bills we have to be careful...thermostat set to 65 in winter/lights out when you leave a room, we've done this for a month and noticed our bill is down from $300-$92...granted we did not use AC at all this month and no heat..but still it made me feel good!

6. Gas!!...We have a truck we had hoped to use to tow an RV...but the farm ministry keeps us home most the time now, (having horses means it's hard to leave!) so we decided to sell our truck and buy a Prius...the gas savings will amount to 3k-6k a year!! Or more!! The Prius costs less than our truck and the savings will mean a lot in pocket until the house sells...we put about 25k a year on our car/truck and at 10-15 miles per gallon v. 50-60 miles per gallon and gas almost $3....it's all in the math!!

7. Groceries...Sams Club for eggs/milk/bread/meat/condiments...fresh fruits/veggies from local store...no prepackaged foods...crockpot cooking for time crunches and always keep a fresh salad made in the crisper...it will be healthier and we're saving about $300 a month compared to buying prepared foods...

8. Making Christmas gifts! Taking up crocheting again...have about 20 things of yarn...making it work!! Saving hundreds here..

9. Booked with Dreams Unlimited...managed to book online for the $25 on board credit, transferred to DU for the $250 per room OBC, booked with Disney Visa for the $50 per room credit...so oila! We just made $650 to help with our vacation!!

10. Booking our own excursions....more to come on this...the one excursion I know we'll splurge on is a guided tour of Amalfi coast/Pompeii....just have not found a driver willing to take my offer yet....if it means waiting it out till the port day and taking chances we get an honest driver...so be it...adventure is my maiden name!

Please share any other saving tips...
Tara

[lmhall2000]

ARRIVAL IN BARCELONA

I'm going to quickly take up the next 10 posts so I can add my trip report in here...let's see if I can get to post 10 without missing a beat!

[lmhall2000]

FIRST DAY OF CRUISE

So far, so good!

[lmhall2000]

Day 2 Cruising

At Sea

[lmhall2000]

Day 3

Researching options, hopefully these will help others plan, I copied/pasted tips from previous Med travelers....

Day 3: Valletta, Malta Friday: Bus service is 1 euro meets you at port and drops you at city gates…600m uphill into town
Valleta is the home to knights of Malta…a must see
Upper Barracca Gardens Took a 20 minute walk to Upper Baracca Gardens for great views. -9:30: 5 minute walk to St. John’s Co-Cathedral. Went in St. John’s Co-Cathedral for €6.00. A beautiful cathedral with great works of art notably by Caravaggio and one of the best things we did in Malta. The audio tour was included in the price. They do not allow stiletto heels or uncovered shoulders,
Malta was our first stop-very interesting-best thing we did was get off the ship and arrange at the taxi stand for a 3 hr. tour by taxi for 66E that included Mdina and a few other stops-very worthwhile
The highlight of Malta is going on upper deck like lots of other folks who have discovered this treasure and watching early morning sunset behind stone walls and beautiful scenery entering port. It was worth the missed sleep ( around 645 a.m.) and we got to sit on those comfy chairs on the upper deck for a moment! We took advice of cruise critic friends on this port and did it on our own. Two euros will get you to town and back on a bus. My big disappointment was after all the research I did for this trip, I still could not find a way to get to the Blue Grotto without doing a private speedboat tour in the thousands of dollars. Might have even saved up for it had I known I would not have been able to see this wondrous sight.

The one must-see site that I believe all would agree on is the Co-Cathedral of St. John in the walled city of Valletta. Plain on the outside but unbelievable on the inside - very historic, great audioguide to follow, good museum, great Knights of Malta history, and terrific Caravaggio soccerbobu - the other must see in Valletta is the Barakka Gardens. They overlook the Port and your ship.
I suggest you have a look at Trip Advisor - Malta forum. There are Top Questions on the right regarding cruising. They go into detail with video clips and will be very helpful
Well, we did the free route up that hill; was it you, hat, that suggested it to me last spring? (At the end of the day, we walked down the hill outside the city walls to the port.) Here it is:

Behind the horse-drawn carriages lining the waterfront, you will see a tunnel entrance, which actually is a ramp for a parking garage. Go up the ramp about 100 yards, and take the (free) elevator to the top floor, which will let you out about 50 yards west of the bus terminus just outside the gates of Valletta.

Enter the gate, walk down the main street east, and the Cathedral is on your right. Probably best to go to the Malta info booth just inside the gates on your right and get a map of Valletta first for ease in finding the Co-Cathedral and Upper Barracca Gardens.

With the few hours at your disposal, if you’re using public transport many people opt for just Valletta (the present capital) and Mdina (the medieval capital). Mdina is about 45 min from Valletta by bus , nymber 80 , or 81 stop at Saqqajja and walk 200 metres. The bus schedule is www.atp.com.mt and www.maltabybus.com You could go to Mdina first of all then return and spend the rest of the time in Valletta . The bus terminus is just outside Valletta city.

If you will have taken a taxi, you could tell the driver to stop you either at Mosta to see the church with a large Dome (one of the biggest in the whole of Europe) , or Attard to see the Presidenial Palace garden on the way to Mdina.

One of the must see’s in Valletta is the Barrakka Gardens overlooking the Grand Harbour and your ship. SALUTING BATTERY - You could make it a point of being in the Barrakka Gardens at about 11.00 and 12.15 for a guided tour of the Saluting Battery where the centuries old guns are still fired at noon by historical re-enactors dressed in 19th century military uniforms.. It is open till 1.00. After the guns are fired there is free transport to Vittoriosa (Birgu) and Fort Rinella and the Malta at War Musuem and Shelters. The firing of the guns evokes the days when the cannon firings took place at sunrise, midday and sunset.


Apart from the various Museums there is the splendid St Johns Cathedral, which many say rivals the Vatican , Casa Rocca Piccola (a nobleman’s house) and the War Museum . Also audio visual shows Also worth seeing is the Palace and the Armoury..

8:00 in port, off ship
8:30 Private Tour pick-up with Malta Travelnet
9:00 – 9:45 AM: Mdina (normally visits to this site are for 1hr , there are interesting musuems and stately home if you have more time at your disposal)
Medina is a medieval walled city, nicknamed "the Silent City. The walled city of Mdina is very small - only a long city block long and wide, . There were several streets each way, but very short blocks. Mdina Medieval City (walking tour or tour by horse drawn cabs - traditional mode of transport know as the karozzin)
9:45 – 10:15 AM: drive to Blue Grotto
10:15 – 12:00 AM: boat trip and quick swim stunning Blue Grotto (here you can grab a boat trip that takes through a series of coastal caves which are really stunning).
12:00 – 12:30 PM: drive to Valletta try to grab a snack or light lunch. Tour of the Upper Barraka Gardens.
12:30 – 1:45 PM: Valletta/St. John's Co. Cathedral (09.30hrs to 16.30hrs) Adults €5.80 Senior €4.65 Student: €3.50 Children under 12 Free The entrance fee includes the provision of handheld audio guides with 24 stops
*****proper dress no bare shoulders//high heels


1400hrs return to ship
Entrance fees - PAID LOCALLY and are OPTIONAL:
St. John's Co. Cathedral is EUR5.82 per person,
Blue Grotto is EUR7.00 per person

[lmhall2000]

Day 4

Right now, based on what I'm finding, this will be a stay on ship day!
New updates in blue...I'm trying my best to add helpful hints on these ports as I find them...looks like I may have an option here!

Day 4: Tunis, Tunisia The Mediterranean's version of Ocho Rios. In your face. pushy, obnoxious locals and shops full junk. Oh and the cab ride from the port to town 40 Euro. That's $60 for my fellow Americans at todays exchange rate. I've included Tunis here although we didn't go ashore, having done so in 2005 and not enjoyed it at all. The whole place just didn't do anything for us - we don't like haggling, and the pressure of being taken to various vendors (carpets, perfume etc) with the expectation that we will buy something makes for a really uncomfortable experience. I also don't like being ogled and called out to by random men in the souk while my husband is right there next to me. Our tour in 2005 was called 'Best of Tunis', but I have to say that if that's the best, I'd hate to see the worst! We did an excursion with HAL for Tunis. Our guide was very informative. Carthage was very interesting. The Museum was wonderful. Beyond that, Tunis has very little to offer. The lunch served at the restaurant on the tour was not very good. The port is a long way from anything but does have a newly built visitor centre with shops and retauarant facilities. There was no public transport and Msc did not provide a shuttle service to the town. Taxis were in abundance and we negotiated a 2-3 hour guided tour for 50 euros. This trip was probably the highlight of the holiday because the driver was so knowledgeable and took us to a number of places off the normal excursion routes but it could equally have been a compete disaster.
Do not miss Sidi Bou Said and skip Carthage ! If you decide to go to Sidi Bou Said try the Café des Nattes where you could enjoy mint tea served with dates,pastries or nuts ! then walk to the end of the Cape and have a view of the harbor and the bay !!!
Traveling by taxi is probably the fastest and cheapest way to do it ! Agree for a price before the run ! There are taxis everywhere in Sidi bou Said and Tunis ! I've read that the taxis to Sidi bou Said can be predatory. I would take the TGM train from port to Sidi and back-- a lot cheaper, and no arguments about the fare.

Tourist infrastructure is very well-developed and the locals are very accustomed to seeing and interacting with westerners. Anyone under the age of twenty can converse at least to a limited degree in English and all shopkeepers can conduct transactions and product discussions in English. You have hit upon the most obvious attractions in the Tunis metro area. If you are only there for a day, then the souks (bazaar) Bardo museum, and Carthage are probably too much. Maybe just two of the three. If you have seen Roman ruins elsewhere, then Carthage is unimpressive, but nearby is the tourist landmark of Sidi Bou Said, a ultra-quaint hilltop seaside village with its jasmine-scented cafes overlooking the bay. Quite the scene for tourists and locals alike. Have a great time, Tunis is a wonderful, and for the most part very safe and friendly, introduction to the Arab world.


From there we went to the Bardo Museum. While most places will accept Euros, the Bardo only accepts Tunisian currency. Hedi loaned us Tunisian money from his own pocket. Later at the Medina we stopped at an ATM to get a Tunisian bill to repay him.

(Oh, and if a band with camels meets the ship at the dock, agree on a price BEFORE choosing to have your picture taken with them or going for a ride. It's hard to haggle after the fact, and they're not there simply because they love you.)

[lmhall2000]

Days 5-6

Day 5: Naples (Tour with See Sorrento) We've booked a guide for Pompeii and plan on visiting a local farm where we'll eat lunch with the locals!

Day 6: Civitaveccia (Rome)

Had to add this incredible summary of transportation in Rome!!
In Civitavecchia - as you frequent cruisers know - you can probably get off around 8 AM but you have to be often back sometime near 6:30 PM. Do check with your ship so you know your time parameters. That said, the best way to come into the city from the port – the fastest and cheapest way - is by train.

You can purchase a BIRG ticket at the train station or at a newsstand or Tabacchi shop on the way to the train station (avoid the lines!). The BIRG ticket cost and is good for the trip INTO Rome, the trip BACK from Rome, and also FREE metro, trolley and bus rides while in Rome! The BIRG ticket covers free transportation in FIVE zones of the Lazio Region, and Rome and Civitavecchia are in those five zones. Do note that for train travel, the BIRG ticket is ONLY good on Regionale Trains – not the IC and IC Plus trains - and only good for 2nd class travel on the Regionale Trains. But it's only about a 70-75 minute ride into Rome; less if you jump off early! The BIRG ticket is a GREAT buy and will save you hundreds of dollars in transfer costs – and don’t fear, the train will packed with other cruisers too! You will not be alone in your journey to Rome (nor your return)

As you come into town, you can get off the train at many stops. Most folks go all the way to Termini Station and travel from there. But you can also get off the Regionale trains at Roma San Pietro (the Vatican), Roma Trastevere (ride the #8 tram into the city center), or Roma Ostiense (jump on the metro and avoid the crush of Termini). If you ride into Termini Station, you will arrive usually at tracks 26-29 which is on the far outskirts of the train station. It will take you a good 8-10 minutes to get to the main station. Add this into your “return time” if you are catching a train back from Termini Station.

From Civitavecchia, most trains will stop nine times before they get to the LAST stop which is Termini. The Regioanle train stops – in order from Civitavecchia – USUALLY are as follows:

S. Marinella – Marina Di Cerveteri – Ladispoli-Cerveteri – Maccarese-Fregene – Roma Aurelia – Roma S. Pietro – Roma Trastevere – Roma Ostiense – Roma Tuscolana – Roma Termini .

It’s always good to know the stop BEFORE your stop! These should help you. Reverse, the path on the way back... the last stop on a Regionale before Civitavecchia on your return trip will USUALLY be S. Marinella. TAKE NOTE – If you are on the IC Plus trains, your BIRG ticket is NOT GOOD (you’ll have to purchase a reserved seat ticket before getting on the train) AND the stops will be different. These guidelines are for the open-seating and most frequent running Regioanle trains.

Here’s a copy of the current train options. DO CHECK the Trenitalia site as schedules do change twice a year (and also differ slightly on weekends)… but here’s the best REGIONALE trains you can use the BIRG ticket on for a journey to and from Rome.


The best trains to catch to Roma Termini from Civitavecchia are:
07:33 C.CCHIA 08:50 ROMA TERMINI #3259
07:59 C.CCHIA 09:20 ROMA TERMINI #12231
08:41 C.CCHIA 09:50 ROMA TERMINI #2335
08:59 C.CCHIA 10:28 ROMA TERMINI #12233
09:41 C.CCHIA 10:50 ROMA TERMINI #3263



Getting back, the train options for Roma Termini to Civitavecchia are:
15:39 ROMA TE 16:57 C.CCHIA #12244
16:09 ROMA TE 17:13 C.CCHIA #2344
16:39 ROMA TE 17:57 C.CCHIA #12246
17:09 ROMA TE 18:15 C.CCHIA #3262
17:14 ROMA TE 18:27 C.CCHIA #3264

If depart from Rome to Civitavecchia from stations Roma Ostiense, Roma Trastevere, or Roma San Pietro, the times will be slightly later than these posted from Roma Termini.
Upon getting off at cruise, the port has free shuttles to the edge of the port. We walked from the port to the train station, which was a 10 minute walk. We purchased a BIRG ticket for 9 euros/pp which was valid for the round trip ticket to Rome, and the bus/metro within Rome.
We had read "The Bones of St Peter" at home and knew the history and story. Highly recommend reading this book ahead of time

Plan on doing this on our own, pre-buying tickets for Vatican, buy all day train ticket/buses and see what we can see..oh and eat pizza.

[lmhall2000]

Days 7-8

TuesDay 7: La Spezia, Italy Cinque Terre from La Spezia is very doable on your own. About a 12-14 minute train ride. Be aware that the are some steep inclines, and stairs at every station. Check out http://www.ftroute.com/cinque.cfm

Buy a round trip train ticket from La Spezia to Monterosso. (a couple of Euros & I believe the same cost regardless of which town you choose). Get off at the first town. Between the 1st & 2nd town, there's the Dell A'More. Bring a padlock & forever lock your love with your DH, but you will have to buy a 5 Euro walking pass.
http://www.cinqueterre.com/eng/infor...hiking/2/1.php

Took the train down to Riomaggiora, looked, shopped, and took the 15 min. walk up to Manarola. This portion of trail is essentially a broad sidewalk, with no steps and is the only section they don't close during rain. We could see the rest of the trail to Corniglia from Manarola. It did not appear as though it would be much of a challenge. In fact, our initial walk that morning out of Corniglia to the southbound trail-head guard shack seemed to cover about half the distance

Skip the 2nd town, Definately skip the 3rd town (380 steps or a long zig zag road-or a free bus/if you have the Cinque terre pass, from the train to the town). 4th town I can't recall what was there.

Go to the 5th town. The largest of all towns with a beach a couple of blocks long. Good for kids.

La Spezia is charming (though there may be others that don't agree). On Fridays there's a 2 or 3 block market (Lots of stuff you wouldn't even buy in the states).
If you get off the train in La Spezia --- with your back to the station, turn left and you can walk down the ramp (it's also the way to town). If you turn left... lot's and lot's of stairs.

There's a supermarket there. Basko's. Can you pick me up the chocolate filled biscuits & bags of hazelnuts? I didn't buy enough last week. Cinque Terre is a very easy DIY area. Leaving from La Spezia, buy your Cinque Terre passes at the station before you head for CT. Pass covers all trains, plus the Walk of Love. The train stops at each station are only 1 minute (you have to be quick!) All towns (except Monterosso) are virtually pedestrian only. You will have stairs at every train station.

All the Cinque Terre towns have their own train station. Almost all the trains from La Spezia stop in Levanto. Check your train schedule carefully - some trains that stop in La Spezia, also stop in Levanto, so you do not need to change in La Spezia. Some trains from La Spezia may only stop in Levanto or Monterorsso, not all the Cinque Terre towns. Try the Cinque Terre day pass to travel all day between the Cinque Terre towns (specify 2nd class, La Spezia to Monterosso).

Don't be fooled; your pass says "24 hours", but expires at midnight (remember to write your name on it and stamp it). The 5km train day pass works for the Cinque Terre towns
Stamp your ticket in the machine on the platform before you get on the train. You will be fined by the conductor if your ticket has not been stamped.
Le Cinque Terre can be reached by train from La Spezia in 10 minutes or from Genoa in less than an hour.
You can travel between the towns by boat,foot or train.
Approximate hiking times between the towns.
Riomaggiore to Manarola (20 minutes)
Manarola to Corniglia (45 minutes)
Corniglia to Vernazza (90 minutes)
Vernazza to Monterosso (90 minutes)

We stopped in La Spezia in Sept. It was very easy to take the train from town to town.
Tendering was very easy and we walked to the IT a few blocks to the left from the tender drop off. We were given a map and told to walk down the pedestrian street to the train station about 15 minutes. We found the parks office along track one at the train station and purchased our CT pass for 8.50 which includes the train and hiking. On our first visit to Cinque Terre we hiked between Riomaggori and Cornigila so this time we were planning to hike from Cornigila to Vernazza. We took the 10:07 train to Corniglia. The 10:00 train only stops at Riomaggori and Montarossa. We walked around Cornigila before taking the trail to Vernazza. Part of the trail right out of Cornigila had been badly burned recently. There are a lot of ups and downs to this section of the trail. It took us 2 hours with frequent stops. We had lunch in Vernazza and went for a swim. We took the train back to Manarola so we could walk the Via Del Amore again. When we reached Riomaggori we got a gelato while we waited for the train back to La Spezia. It was a nice walk back to the tender boats through the pedestrian street.
You should probably should go to Riomaggori first and walk the Via Del Amore to Manarola. Before taking the walk go into the town of Riomaggori which is through the tunnel and take a look around. Walk to Manarola explore a bit than get back on the train and take it to Vernassa where you will find plenty of nice places to eat. If you want after lunch take the train to Montarossa which has a really nice beach. After walking around Montarossa take the train back to La Spezia.


WednesDay 8: Villefranche, France (Monte Carlo) Our first port was Villefranche. It's a beautifully small picturesque port. You could easily do Monaco, Monte Carlo and Nice on your own, which we did. The bus routes are extremely user friendly and straightforward. The yachts and the cars in Monaco were all just jaw dropping. The old town was lovely and quaint with old world charm. We did all of these gorgeous places on our own and were back on the ship on time. Exhausted from all that walking but happy that we did it! Gorgeous water, beautiful homes and a short train ride (10 minutes) to Monaco. This was my husband's favorite port as it was the most leisurely and very beautiful. You can purchase fresh lavender sache's that smell amazing! Quaint village, not much to do, so we took a 5 minute train to Nice and had lunch in the old village alongside the open-air farmers market. Great!
I think we're going to skip Monte Carlo/Monaco and instead head to Eze and Nice or possibly St. Paul de Vence, here is information on these!

I would aim for 5 or earlier to be back in VF. I don't think you'll have any trouble getting the 9:55 bus from Eze Bord du Mer up to Eze Village ... you could then leave Eze to head to Nice around noon or 1 (note that #82 also goes from Eze to Nice...giving you two choices of buses, but going to different locations in Nice). Spend a couple of hours in Nice and then head back to VF, and if you have some extra time, VF is a nice place to wander around.

p.s. Here's a link for the schedule for Bus #100: http://www.lignedazur.com/horaires_l...F2009&index=11 (To see earlier or later times, click on the links just above the schedule, where it says, "<< First < Earlier Later > Last >>". ) You can also enter the date that you'll be there to get the schedule for that day.
A couple of other thoughts....

If the schedule that I posted in my P.S. above comes up in French, click on the Union Jack, then 'Timetables' in the left index, and 'Timetables' in the centre of the screen, and choose the route number of the bus that you want.

I would also print a schedule, or take note of how many stops between l'Octroi and Eze Bord de Mer, so that you don't miss your stop there (you can get off at any of the 3 stops in Eze Bord de Mer as #83 also stops at these stops). When we were there, I wasn't counting stops or keeping track, but once we saw the first Eze stop, we just got off at the next one to connect with #83.

Have some euro change or smaller bills with your for the fare, rather than larger euro amounts.

If you have to show the bus driver how many fares you are purchasing by using your fingers, e.g. for three people, use your thumb and next two fingers. (The thumb counts as 1)

Tell the driver on bus #100 your destination ... Eze Village, and use the tickets you buy in Villefranche for bus #83 as well.

Validate your tickets in the machine inside bus #100 in VF.

You'll need to buy new tickets when going from Eze to Nice.

If you don't want to go to Eze you might try St. Paul de Vence

Located on high on a hill on the road leading into St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, is the Rothschild Villa and Museum. We purchased a bus day pass and hopped onto a bus from Nice to St-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. The bus trip alone was a wonderful and easy way to see more of the area! The buses are clean, and comfortable, and let us off at the entrance to the driveway to the museum.

The estate provides the most beautiful gardens we have ever seen! Expecting to only spend about a half hour there, we enjoyed ourselves and the spectacular views so much, we stayed significantly longer!!!! The garden is fairly large (be prepared to do a lot of walking) and is divided into themed segments. The rose gardens are incredible! Tons of photo op's here!

Just about anything is doable in a day but you need to decide whether to spend a longer time in a few places, or try to go to the maximum places with little time to see anything (more common than you would think). St Paul de Vence is the most difficult of the options (unless you take a tour) since its further from the port and has limited public transit (there are buses from the Gare Routier bus station in Nice). Eze is relatively close to the port, but does have its own issues regarding transportation. If using public transit you can take the train or bus to Eze/Bord sur Mer and than wait for the local bus that runs from the Eze train station up to the village (this bus runs an irregular schedule which can be frustrating). There are also buses that go directly to the Village of Eze from either Nice or Monte Carlo. The Villa Ephrusi (Rothschild place) is another good option that you can read about at http://www.villa-ephrussi.com/en/ephrussi/ . You should be able to couple a visit to the villa with a visit to either Eze or Nice. I believe the local bus line that connects Nice to Monte Carlo (and also stops at Villefranche) can get you within walking distance of the Villa

AN FYI...ONLY the May 5th cruise has Villefranche on this day...the Grand Prix at Monte Carlo is on Saturday so they moved us back one day to hopefully avoid the crowds...me thinks it'll still be crowded the day before the Grand Prix!

There are various options to see some of Monaco, despite most of the inner city is blocked for the GP race track:
Have a walking tour in Fontvieille in the morning, see the Princess Grace Rose Garden, stroll through the Fontvieille port with its incredible display of luxury yachts (especially on that weekend!), take a walk along Cap d'Ail coastal path.
Museums in Fontvieille, worthwhile a visit: The Top Car Collection (rather the garage of late Prince RainierIII), the Money and Stamps museum and the Marine museum.
While the races are on, the crowds are not so bad, since everybody is watching, so take a city bus, which is running from Place d'Armes to the Casino gardens / Office du Tourisme. The Casino gardens are closed to the public, since the race track is right there (incredibly noisy), but take a walk along Boulevard des Moulins with its beautiful shops all the way to Place des Moulins. There's an elevator going down to the beach front. Within easy walking distance you find the Hotel Le Meridien or Hotel Monte-Carlo Bay for some nice drinks on their terraces or gardens, or try the Forum Grimaldi (Zelo Bar/restaurant). Nice to visit, too: The Japanese Garden.
Opposite Grimaldi Forum, there's the NMNM (New National Museum of Monaco) with seasonal exhibitions in a beautiful Belle Epoque villa and small gardens.
Best thing that weekend: People watching --- this is simply incredible.
One more hint: The hotels along the race track and the Casinos are closed to the public, except for the people with entrance tickets to view the races from there.

Don't take a bus tour to Nice or Eze on your own that day, I strongly advise. Traffic is horrific and cars and busses are blocked from entering the city at a certain time in the afternoon, to permit the thousands of cars and transfer busses to get out of town after the races. Trains might be a possiblity traveling towards Nice (or Beaulieu, Villefranche or Menton), since most race fans get into town in the morning and out in the afternoon, just contrary to your possible schedule.
Again, I forgot, maybe you are interested to see the Grand Prix?! It's a very good opportunity for all fans of car races. Tickets can be obtained in advance from www.acm.mc, the Automobile Club. The Grand Stands nearest to Fontvieille, since you have to walk anyway, are tribunes V,W, T and L, or even K. However, tribune B at the Casino Square is very spectacular for the views and you can get there with the local bus (see above). Don't be shocked by the prices; you can find more expensive places in Monaco that weekend at any time. Count this as a once-in-a-life-time experience.

If you want to leave Monaco instead to tour the surroundings that day, a ship's tour might be recommandable, since they will always wait for their own busses, if they stuck in traffic or can't get to the tender boats in time.

[lmhall2000]

Days 9-10

Thursday: Ajaccio (Corsica) Go to kids play park and the beach is just down from there
You should definitely allow enough time to visit Bonifacio (marina and upper town).
Then you could take one of the boat trips, perhaps allowing yourselves an hour or two on the island of Lavezzi. Three of the companies cooperate so you can take one company's boat on the outward journey and they will tell you at what time to expect the boat for a return trip. It is just possible that in the high season they are not so flexible about this. This is one of the companies: http://www.vedettesthalassa.com/circuits.htm
Another possibility: take a taxi to Santa Manza beach. This would avoid the terrible traffic jams coming into Bonifacio from Ajaccio and Porto Vecchio. There is a restaurant there.
Whatever you choose, take no chances about getting back to your ship on time. It has happened that people on a private trip turned up too late and they had the choice between two expensive air tickets from Corsica to Palermo or hiring a boat from one of the local companies and catching up with the cruise ship, the captain having agreed to slow down slightly !!
Relax on the fun and friendly Tonnara beach near Bonifacio, whilst watching the windsurfing and kite surfing experts perform their impressive aerial tricks.
Alternatively join in the fun, by hiring a board or taking a windsurfing lesson. Great beach restaurants to refuel in

Friday (At Sea)

[lmhall2000]

Saying Goodbye & Did we book another one??

I knew if I didn't put these up, I'd make excuses for not finishing it from a tiring 10 day 'vacation' And I hope to make it easier for those to follow and easier for them to read them in a row!

T

[lmhall2000]

Character Flaws

Now, it's just not a trip report without preparing you for situations that may arise based on our unique character flaws. We have many, but I'll just focus on the ones you're most likely to encounter.

Mrs. T (me): I can not let things go, no not material items, the really important stuff like what time zone Colorado is in. If someone is convinced Colorado is in central time zone and i KNOW it is NOT because I LIVED there...I just can not let it go! Something terrible could happen, what if said person was to pick up someone at the airport and gave up waiting because they were on the wrong time zone? That could lead to tragic consequences....I'm just saying.

Mr. Grumpy: Aside from the sky has already fallen, just look around you misconception....Mr. Grumpy can be sarcastic. He lets it roll out like molasses, not a teaspoon at a time but once it starts pouring out it has to fill a cup and trying to get it to stop is like catching up to a grocery cart on a mountainside...you'd be exhausted so why even try. However, I will add that Disney has a unique effect on him..perhaps it's the fact I orchestrate no lines for his favorite rides, his table is always ready with those ressies and I plan incredible weather...I don't have as much control on a cruise, so I am a little wary.

Goofy: He's a teenager. Unfortunately, that sometimes is your character flaw. In trying to get him excited about seeing Pompeii, the Vatican etc...I get, "I'll just stay on the boat, I really don't care about seeing anything." AAAGH!! That just won't fly, I am counting this cruise as a historical field trip so he better enjoy it and learn something!!

Tink: She's one of those sooo sweet and soo dear you just hate to mention a bad flaw....but she can sulk...she can shut down and hang her head low and give you the pitifullest responses..."What's wrong, honey?" "nothing" but her whole body language is screaming.."Y'all never understand anything I mean!" Luckily, it's not that often, but you just hate to see her bring herself down! Let us do that for you!

Ariel: Also another too sweet to eat...however she likes to be a bit bossy. I don't know if her brother and sister will ever be able to make a decision without her telling them where they're going and what they'll be doing. I guess it's being the baby and trying to earn that Napoleon complex...can't wait for Ajocca...expecting her to have a moment of "A-ha" kindred spirit.

Grandgrumps: What can I say, he's my Daddy, do they really have any flaws?? My mom can name many, but to me, they're endearing...hmm..let me think...if you've broken an ankle, he's most likely to tell you to walk it off...if your merely a flesh wound starts flowing, he'll tell you to walk with your arm above your head...deal with it later...well...he is a workaholic but that's just a symptom of being raised right after the depression, not much work to be had, so he makes sure he's the first one in last one to leave....hopefully, he does not carry that over to excursions!! I think he has a secret dream of being left behind on the Amalfi Coast.

Grandma: Everyone who knows her loves her, I get all those comments, "I just love your mother!" Even in school, she was class mom, all the kids fell in love with my mother and would beam when she was bringing in cupcakes...but I think my mom and I are too much alike...I get my "do not let it go" flaw from her. She can master in it....you get the two of us together, it can either go along beautifully or we can have terse/tense moments of a bottle rocket about to explode.

There...it's the worst of it, no drinkers in the bunch so you won't get the funny dancing pics, no smokers, so you won't get the complaints about no smoking zones...but we do have a knack for being a hoot adventurous and that leads us down some slippery slopes...waiting to see what the Mediterranean has in store...I will be checking Mt. Vesuvius's tectonic plates before we sail...that would be our kind of luck...

Mrs. T

[siestakeys04]

Great job keep it coming.

[lmhall2000]

Little Particulars

* I just read that the Cruise Director on the Magic is supposed to be a gentleman named Brent. Nice name, pretty sure he's a cool guy, but the best part?? He's from IRELAND!! You see, Tink has had a fascina-no-preocuppa-no-obsession with Ireland. Not sure if it's that her given name is Gaelic for light or the stories of our Scotch/Irish heritage or the Irish Dancing performance we saw three years ago or maybe her favorite Irish restaurant down in Destin, Florida...but she begs to go to Ireland. She started Irish soft shoe dancing this year and you can routinely see her double skipping carrying her folded clothes to her room. She will be all dreamy and take it as a sign that she's destined to see Ireland in her lifetime by having Brent be a native. Ah, this trip just gets better!!!

HA!! I just read what I wanted to read! There was a poster who commented how she loved Brent's accent then went on to talk about a friend's husband who was from Ireland, I made the leap that she was talking about Brent, the word on the Dis is that he's actually Australian. I broke the news to dd and she was, "oh." Poor thing, I had her this close to someone from Ireland!! Here's hoping there are some servers from Ireland!!! Brent will have the adoration of my youngest daughter...her favorite restaurant is Outback Steakhouse My husband used to work alongside a 'bloke' from Australia, when I would call the office looking for dh I would try and chat it up with him just to keep him talking!

[lmhall2000]

Little Particulars

Creative ways to give your kids presents that reflect their 'real' gift is a cruise 5 months after Christmas.

I've created a travel book that I'll send to Kinko's to print out and bind with a spiral binding...I'm using the GREAT autograph pages created by one of the Disigners and made pages for each port we're visiting by putting the native flag on there and the name. It will be 5x7 and probably just for the girls...I may make my son one without the characters, not sure at 14 he'll want to chase all those siggies..???







I'm going to try and tackle the T-shirt for the group by painting swabs of color over a 'swirlie' Mickey that I'll either make with glue or flour paste, not sure which will be easier yet. I hope to make these next weekend so I'll post pictures...but I want to find nice quality t-shirts on sale to use...iron on designs just don't last longer than 3-4 washings but the paints stays a good long time...I hope they turn out!

I'm also making door magnets for each kid....I am soo thankful to all the great Disigners who have helped in creating all these! So fun! I can wrap all these and make it seem like Christmas...we were lucky or not so lucky, Grumpy (who never wins anything...remember, sky is always in a perpetual state of falling or has already) texted me while he was at a training conference and said he won a gift at the raffle...I was hoping for something we could sell to help us pay for this cruise...but he was excited b/c it was something we could actually put under the tree for the kids...he won an X-Box..I'm not that thrilled because I think we could live life without video games...but I will probably be the one on the cruise in Wii competitions, I rock at Mario Kart....but hey, one game isn't so bad? But how do you use an X-Box if you've already got Wii hooked up to it? We only have one TV to put them on. Guess we'll figure that out, but I guess it was kind of cool that we can technically say they get something non-cruise related..and it was free!

One more day closer and I even passed on that extra piece of pizza tonight, 2 slices and a small salad...the old days I could have had 3-4 pieces...baby steps and portion control!!

Mrs. T