August 13, 2011 Med - Mickey's Marauding Mates

[janetfk]

I have been looking at both the Trenitalia and the RailEurope train websites. I like the RailEurope site best but it doesn't show the local trains. I checked them last week & printed out some schedules to compare them - you can't see the local trains on the RailEurope site tho - you can only see those on the Trenitalia site - those are the ones you need between the towns. The faster trains only stop in La Spezia & Monterosso I think. I figured I would try to look again maybe on Saturday to see if there'd been any changes posted. The day we're there is a holiday so the schedules may be inclined to change. The ferry does take a long time to get to Monterosso & it may or may not be runing so I was thinking of taking the train to GET THERE & then try the ferry on the way back between Monterosso & Vernazza maybe just for the view from the sea. Supposed to be spectacular.

This is exactly my plan too! Apparently there are still plenty of trains despite it being a holiday.

 

[janetfk]

That looks spectacular, Jeff! The weather is apparently super-warm there!
Enjoy!!

 

[luke]

Thanks LeAnn

Great pictures of Greece back there too

 

[Anal Annie]

Jeff - great pictures! Glad your trip started out better than last years! The pic of you with your family on the ferry reminds me a little bit of Hawaii - almost looks like it was taken from Maui with the island of Lanai in the background. The water looks fabulous! Love that deep, deep blue color! Keep 'em coming!!

At this point I think our plan in La Spezia is up for grabs right up until we catch the tender that morning! We can see how the weather is that day & how comfortable we feel about trying both Pisa & Cinque Terre OR we can see if we feel like being more laid back & take it easy and just go to Cinque Terre. I've read a couple of reports where people have done both in 1 day - but I think most only do a couple of the towns & I'm fine I think with that as long as the 2 towns are Monterosso & Vernazza.

OK, so I saw shiny things yesterday & got ZERO packing done so now today I have to HUSTLE. It was supposed to be a productive day BUT as I was running errands I went thru Best Buy looking for something and on the way thru the store I stopped to look at the compact cameras. Big mistake. I think I mentioned I'd bought new 8 GB cards for both my old compact and my DSLR so we'd have plenty of memory - welllll, so when I tried to use the new card in my old compact it wouldn't format. Turns out 5 or 6 years in camera life means that my oldie but goodie won't take more than a 2 GB card. It's a Canon PowerShot with 6x zoom (not real WIDE tho - but goes from 50 - 210 mm) and it's only 6 megapixels & the ISO only goes to 800. When I BOUGHT IT it had great reviews & had most of the bells & whistles of the day. NOW tho in comparison to the newer models it's larger & slower & clunkier & it runs on AA batteries which are a pain and now ISO's go to 3200. OY! A new camera was NOT in my budget...but so I played around with a couple of Sony's (I've only ever had Canons) and found that they have this "panoramic" feature which automatically stitches several frames together into wide panned shots. I was like OHHHHHH!!! Me likey that!! (I can take a panoramic picture from the Eiffel Tower!) Problem with most of the more affordable models tho is that their zooms don't amount to much. But so I came home & literally spent hours researching & reading reviews to see if there might be a model that I could afford. I don't want to drop $300+ right now but I also don't want to buy something that doesn't do what I want. I would miss the telephoto zoom if I got something that only went to 100 mm. While I love my DSLR, it's big & clunky & there are lots of times I'd just as soon bring a pocket camera (like at the parks). Best Buy has dropped their restocking fee so I might pick one up today - they have the Cybershot DSC-H70 on sale for about $190 this week. It's almost as big as my Canon but has the panoramic feature & a 10x zoom. The other problem with a new camera is I reallllly don't see the need for 16 megapixels - 10 or 12 would be plenty IMO (since I'm used to only 6 mp) but the one that has the zoom ability I want is 16.1 megapixels. That means fewer pictures on a card and that they will take up HUGE amounts of space on my hard drive. I can give my old camera to DS to use. It's still a good camera...I just want a new one?

OK...off to get breakfast then I gotta clean my pond, shower & get moving!

 

[janetfk]

When do you leave, LeeAnn?

 

[Anal Annie]

When do you leave, LeeAnn?

SUNDAY!! We leave on SUNDAY!! Just got an email from Air France...the flight has been pushed back by 20 min. to 5:00. DH won't like it but I am NOT contacting the hotel where I arranged the parking deal to change our shuttle time. It's an international flight & it won't kill us to be early, right? So we will leave home around 12:45 as it's an hour drive & we need to be there around 1:45 to catch their 2:00 shuttle... Am I wrong? Should I contact them & change it to 2:30? Do I need that aggravation??

Cleaned out my pond this morning & pulled some weeds in the backyard. What I REALLLLLY need to do is weed the front shrub beds...but DH's yard has been taken over by some unknown weed that has just LOVED this hot, dry weather. I tend to think that it came out of a bag of grass seed or something that DH used as the neighbors do not seem to have the same weed. Hopefully I can find time tomorrow am to weed out front a little. Meanwhile, my fish were gone. They were there on Monday 'cuz I had cleaned my pre-filter on Monday & I saw them. However today, I wanted to do a backwash on my pressurized filter & clean up some of the algae & nonsense & when I got in there they didn't come nibble on my legs. I was in there at least 30 minutes & no sign of either of them. This is why I stopped buying the beautiful butterfly koi. When something gets them it breaks my heart.

Then I showered, went to Best Buy & bought this new camera that I shouldn't buy and then went to get my pedicure. My toes are now sporting "Strawberry Margarita" I didn't want to have to GO ANYWHERE tomorrow. I MUST get everything DONE!!

 

[kerrykerr]

Your photos look fantastic Jeff!

Lee Ann - I know what you mean about not wanting to do anything this weekend. I told DH that we are staying home and getting the house in order and the packing DONE! We also have weeding to do before we leave or we'll be returning to a big mess.

I am REALLY looking forward to my first beverage on the ship! I'm hoping that their pina coladas are gluten-free.

 

[west&east]

Oh and for our loooooong six hour layover in Philly I went ahead and bought the us airways club 90 day membership. Well worth it for the peace and quiet and comfort and snacks. And we can use it on the way home too.

Do they let you bring the kids in the club? We have some free day passes...

 

[SailingSeas]

It's still a good camera...I just want a new one

if you want recommendations...

http://www.dpreview.com/products/se...n,fujifilm,leica,nikon,olympus,panasonic,sony


In Europe, I'd suggest having a long zoom, and image stabilization. Try and grab a second batter too, if you are like me and rip through the shots. I love my lumix and my canon's. Love love love them. they really take a beating.

 

[Kimh121]

Hiya I'm Kim we're on thus cruise too. Myself 29, Scott 32 ( I think lol) poppy 4.5yrs and coral 3.5yrs We're from the uk. This is poppys "make a wish" holiday so it's real special and shes very excited!

We're in cat 9c deck 2 2512, deluxe ocean view state room. Was wondering can you upgrade as would of loved a verandah? If so how much does it cost?

Also I read it's USA plug sockets, is this right? As we need plug points for poppys machines.

And do you have to eat on the rotational dining or can you eat at a buffet? It's just poppy dosnt eat or drink, so formal dining may take to long. I saw also you are seated with others is this right?

We are so excited!!!!! I just hope daisy duck is their lol poppys desperate to meet her!! Kim

 

[SailingSeas]

Also I read it's USA plug sockets, is this right? As we need plug points for poppys machines.

Yes. A weak one in the bathroom (not really good for your hair accessories but fine for a shaver) and a bank of them over the desk area.

No, you do not have to do the rotational dining restaurants; you can either eat room service or go to the buffet on the top deck, or eat from the quick service stands around the pool. Yes, frequently you are dining with others.

 

[ukwizard]

Also I read it's USA plug sockets, is this right? As we need plug points for poppys machines.

Hi Kim,

Yes, we've been told everywhere its just US sockets apart from the 230v shaver charger in the bathroom which won't power much.

Does the equipment you have run on dual voltage, if not it might be worth contacting Disney to see if they can provide a converter. We have one for our house in the States which converts the 110v to 230v so its possible, its just making sure they get it in for you.

I can assure you if you were dining with us it would be be a pleasure to dine with you and your family, and if you needed to 'nip off early' it would never be an issue! There are lots of other dining options too so no worries there!.

Counting down the days now!!!

Andy

 

[jd99]

Some more pictures from Andros Greece

 

[jd99]

Do they let you bring the kids in the club? We have some free day passes...

They told me if you buy a day pass for each adult in your party that yes, you can bring the kids in....

 

[Anal Annie]

if you want recommendations...

http://www.dpreview.com/products/se...n,fujifilm,leica,nikon,olympus,panasonic,sony


In Europe, I'd suggest having a long zoom, and image stabilization. Try and grab a second batter too, if you are like me and rip through the shots. I love my lumix and my canon's. Love love love them. they really take a beating.

Thanks - dpreview is my standby research site as well. That's where I was for about 4 hours yesterday! DH is not happy with me about this purchase tho. I have ALWAYS had Canons...and would've this time too EXCEPT I reallllly wanted that Panoramic feature mode that the Sony's all have now. The only other compact that offers anything similar is a new Nikon but it was $100 more. I ended up getting the one I mentioned, the DSC-H70. I kinda wanted the dark blue color but they only carried it in black in the store. It was $189 on the Best Buy website but like $225 in the store so I asked about that & the girl was like "Oh we can match that price." So always check their website price before you go in!! Anyway, so I bought the bundle which included a case, a (semi slow class 4) 4 GB SD card and a spare battery plus I went ahead & bought a 16 GB class 10 SD card 'cuz this puppy is 16.1 megapixels so I wasn't sure how much space I might need. The bundle price worked out to only be $1 more than if I purchased everything A La Carte & skipped the 4 GB card. So I figured can use the 4 GB card with the Kodak Playsport I suppose. I haven't had time to play with it yet but so I hope it's intuitive. I did not buy their extra warranty thing that they push...but I'm a little nervous - the lens covering thing is very thin & loose. The salesgirl said DO NOT ever just throw it in a bag or a pocket not in the case because that will get damaged. The closure on my old Canon was very rigid & didn't budge when you touch it. This makes me nervous but she said they're pretty much ALL this way now.

http://www.dpreview.com/products/sony/compacts/sony_dsch70

There wasn't much about it on dpreview but I found a LOT of reviews on the Best Buy website and it was for the most part getting a 5 star rating from their buyers.

Hiya I'm Kim we're on thus cruise too. Myself 29, Scott 32 ( I think lol) poppy 4.5yrs and coral 3.5yrs We're from the uk. This is poppys "make a wish" holiday so it's real special and shes very excited!

We're in cat 9c deck 2 2512, deluxe ocean view state room. Was wondering can you upgrade as would of loved a verandah? If so how much does it cost?

Also I read it's USA plug sockets, is this right? As we need plug points for poppys machines.

And do you have to eat on the rotational dining or can you eat at a buffet? It's just poppy dosnt eat or drink, so formal dining may take to long. I saw also you are seated with others is this right?

We are so excited!!!!! I just hope daisy duck is their lol poppys desperate to meet her!! Kim

Welcome aboard Kim! You can ask at check-in if there are any cabins available to upgrade to. The past few weeks the cruise has been showing as sold out so I don't know if there will be anything available or not. If you are truely interested in upgrading you need to get to the port EARLY to ask (10:00-10:30 I think is when they open). If available the cost is generally about 50% of the difference in the 2 categories. It may be a long shot at this point but always worth asking. I hope you and Poppy have a magical cruise!!


Sooo I finally finished IRONING and got everything into the packing cubes & folders this evening & started trying to fit them into our bags this evening. They are stuffed to the gills. I tried to pack the heavier stuff in the smaller duffle and it weighs just almost 45 Lbs. so there's only 5 Lbs to spare with that one. The larger duffle came to about 47.5 Lbs. And this isn't even our DRESS clothes yet and I haven't TOUCHED any of the misc. crap (toiletries, tour books, sunscreen, batteries & general nonsense). The more I look at all of the remaining piles the more I'm thinking the garment bag isn't going to be enough space for the final bag. I think I will probably end up using a regular suitcase that has a "suiter" in it. Doesn't work quite as good for dress clothes but probably gives more space for CRAP! The forecast for Paris is really throwing me off. Now they're calling for less rain but still only about 67 - 68 degrees on Mon. & Tues. with lows around 50-55 so I ended up throwing in jackets for each of us. I washed up some old thing of DH's and I took the heavy linings out of DS's and mines ski jackets & just packed the outer shells. I've heard it's COLD at the top of the Eiffel Tower too. I can't decide now if I want to stick to my orig. plan of soft cozy cotton & spandex capris (very light) or if I should switch to heavier denim capris for the plane on Sunday??!!??!! It's gonna be mid-90's here when we leave...but freezing over there when we land! What would ya'll do?! At the last minute I also threw in a pair of long pants for myself. I probably have 8 or 10 Lbs of extra stuff packed now that I hadn't PLANNED on before.

Chris! When do you leave tomorrow????? Is your flight a late one????? Ours got bumped from 4:35 to 5:00. Not a big change. I emailed that rstransport place to tell them but (again) they never answered me. They have our flight number so I hope they check the arrivals.

JEFF - AWESOME pictures!! Hope you're rested up by now!!

 

[Kels Sem]

Hi Lee-Ann, Ok here's a tip for you. Instead of packing your heavier clothes, like jackets & heavy capri's or long pants etc just wear them on the plane! They are not going to weigh you!! I know it sounds a bit mad when you have heat in the mid nineties but you won't be in the heat for very long as you will be in the airport and on the plane. That will save you a bit of weight and room in the bags. I keep looking at our stuff as well and wonder how I'm going to pack it into 3 bags and I'm not taking jackets!

The transfer company in Paris should watch the flight times do you should be ok. TBH the plane might make up that time over the atlantic anyway depending on the tailwinds.


Jeff- I'm loving your photos of Greece Keep them coming if you can.

 

[Kels Sem]

Hiya I'm Kim we're on thus cruise too. Myself 29, Scott 32 ( I think lol) poppy 4.5yrs and coral 3.5yrs We're from the uk. This is poppys "make a wish" holiday so it's real special and shes very excited!

We're in cat 9c deck 2 2512, deluxe ocean view state room. Was wondering can you upgrade as would of loved a verandah? If so how much does it cost?

Also I read it's USA plug sockets, is this right? As we need plug points for poppys machines.

And do you have to eat on the rotational dining or can you eat at a buffet? It's just poppy dosnt eat or drink, so formal dining may take to long. I saw also you are seated with others is this right?

We are so excited!!!!! I just hope daisy duck is their lol poppys desperate to meet her!! Kim

Hi Kim, Welcome aboard I hope you and your family have a wonderful cruise and we'll get to meet you on board. We're super excited as well as this is our first cruise

 

[jd99]

JEFF - AWESOME pictures!! Hope you're rested up by now!!

We are still very messed up on time still. That's largely because everyone stays out late here and sleeps in. Got up earlier today but everyone is very sleepy. Hoping to get back on track by getting in the hotel earlier tonight and sleeping earlier. Last night we didn't go to sleep until 4 am.

 

[SailingSeas]

We are still very messed up on time still. That's largely because everyone stays out late here and sleeps in. Got up earlier today but everyone is very sleepy. Hoping to get back on track by getting in the hotel earlier tonight and sleeping earlier. Last night we didn't go to sleep until 4 am.

Jeff, i am loving your pics. My dad's family is from around Thessaloniki and when i saw your wife's hair in the boat pic, all I could do was smile wide and say "now she looks like a long lost cousin..."

LeeAnn, do you have a slime softcase for it? And you probably won't find many reviews on dpreview on it as they are more hard core SLR, but it does get very good reviews. And my daughter calls it "idiot mode." LOL

 

[mikki.young]

I'm safely back from Bermuda, just a bit shattered and jet lagged! Everything went as well as could be expected and it was good to see the family again.

Now on to some serious packing as we leave on Monday for Barcelona