Blogging the June 16th Mediterranean Cruise (until we can't type anymore!)

[Shercara]

Not far from the Sam Brown, place!!! LOL

Peter

Love the report too - Great info and lively read!

Peter - what is the "Sam Brown place?" and if we do EZE on our own - is the train or the bus the best route? Can't wait to hear you report on Villefranche Lou!

 

[Hygiene99]

Love the report too - Great info and lively read!

Peter - what is the "Sam Brown place?" and if we do EZE on our own - is the train or the bus the best route? Can't wait to hear you report on Villefranche Lou!

Samatha brown from Travel channel, stayed at a hotel in Eze.
http://www.welcometocostazzurra.com/Eze/Alberghi/Chevre/index.uk.html
Would take the Bus!

however we had an excursion bus..

but have heard people did go on there own!

 

[Hygiene99]

Here is an article of the shop, I mentioned.

http://luxuryexperience.com/luxury_products/pantry/les_trois_etoiles.html

 

[goingsouth]

this is a terrific blog--
the only one I could get my husband to read--you had him hooked from the plane ride!
thanks so much for taking the time
Joanne

 

[mickeyfanmom]

Hygiene99 - for some reason I want to write "Peter"- is that your name?
Anyway, I think that I remembered you saying that you had the proprietor, Horst I think, wrap the oil and vinegar up so that you could bring it home. It obviously made it unbroken as we can see from your pictures.

My question is, did you then put this in your carry on bag to bring home on the plane? Didn't that take up a lot of space? Did you ask how much it would be to ship it home?

We are not planning on venturing to Eze, but will be in Paris before the cruise and was thinking of checking out their shop in Paris that was mentioned in the article. We also love the authentic olive oils, vinegars and dressings of the region- YUM!!! Thanks for the help- you are a GREAT salesperson for them- they ought to give you a commission!

 

[Hygiene99]

Hygiene99 - for some reason I want to write "Peter"- is that your name?
Anyway, I think that I remembered you saying that you had the proprietor, Horst I think, wrap the oil and vinegar up so that you could bring it home. It obviously made it unbroken as we can see from your pictures.

My question is, did you then put this in your carry on bag to bring home on the plane? Didn't that take up a lot of space? Did you ask how much it would be to ship it home?

We are not planning on venturing to Eze, but will be in Paris before the cruise and was thinking of checking out their shop in Paris that was mentioned in the article. We also love the authentic olive oils, vinegars and dressings of the region- YUM!!! Thanks for the help- you are a GREAT salesperson for them- they ought to give you a commission!

Peter - Is correct, Jenn is my Wife..

He wrapped everything in Bubble wrap.

We then used the Towels from our stateroom, as suggested by the Cruise Director, at one of the shows... to put them in our checked luggage, we had 7 bottles in 2 suitcases...

Actually we used the DVC towel we won, and several sweattshirts


We left with a bag that was very light, for the purpose of bringing stuff home!!!

 

[mickeyfanmom]

Thanks for all of the info Peter!!

I am glad to hear that everything made it back fine. We also plan on bringing back some limoncello and other local specialties!

Can't wait!!!

 

[Hygiene99]

Thanks for all of the info Peter!!

I am glad to hear that everything made it back fine. We also plan on bringing back some limoncello and other local specialties!

Can't wait!!!

Sorrento is the place to get it....

We have a bottle in the Freezer!
The cream stuff did not make it home!!

 

[Lqqieee]

It's 1 AM on the last night of our cruise (gotta get up in 4 and a half hours, eek!) and I just finished up Rome and Marseilles. Still got La Spezia (Florence), Villefranche and our final night to write about, though I'll be doing that (hopefully) in the downtime at Disneyland Paris. I'll be blogging about that trip, too, if anyone here is interested.

Here's what I've got for tonight:

• Civitavecchia, Italy - Jumping Back into Eternal Rome
• Marseilles, France - Arles and the Olive Mills of Les Baux

Thanks again everyone for the positive comments here and on the blog!

I got a few comments anxiously awaiting my take on Florence and I'd like to settle this right now:

It was the most enjoyable port and excursion of the cruise. Florence and Michelangelo, our excursion, was 100% pedestrian and thus we were able to bask in every sight we saw, not worrying about having to rush back to the bus that was illegally parked somewhere. Everyone we talked to on the tour agreed that they had a wonderful time. I think the complaints about Florence were coming from those who took the Florence and Pisa tour, and I can understand it. The travel time was 2 hours each way, and to have to shove Pisa in there somehow must've meant an unsatisfying time at both places, something confirmed by several people who took that tour. If you haven't booked Florence and Michelangelo already, book it. I hope you have as good a time as I did.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Villefranche was our least favorite excursion (not our least favorite port, it was actually very charming and by far the most beautiful port we'd docked in). After being steeped in history over the past several days, the paltry offerings in the mostly modern Nice, while nice (ugh), didn't live up to where we'd been. The excursion, Monaco and Nice, included Eze in the description, going so far as to say as you would have lunch in Eze. This is like saying lunch in New Jersey is actually lunch in New York since you can see the skyline across the way. We were at the bottom of the hill Eze is perched upon, unable to see the medieval town we had been promised, given barely enough time to eat the subpar food we were offered, and unallowed to wander up to where we really wanted to go as it would take too much time. Monaco wasn't much better since we had no interest in how the other half lives. It was clean and nice, but the casinos and hotels you'd want to wander in wouldn't let you in if you had a camera or if you weren't a guest. If standing outside the places you really want to be sounds like your idea of fun, this is the tour for you. The excursion was otherwise flawless, with perhaps the best guide of the trip accompanying us, but the sites we saw bored us for the most part, and even a funny tour guide can't save that.

Hopefully I'll have the internet in Disneyland Paris so I can get you more information and, hopefully, pictures. I'm over 10 gigs now and we haven't even got to Paris yet!

Thanks again for the comments guys, they keep me writing these far too wordy posts.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

Thanks again for the comments guys, they keep me writing these far too wordy posts.

They are not too wordy at all, Lou. All of your posts are written well and are very interesting- I am really enjoying reading them!

I really appreciated hearing your comments on the whole Florence thing. We are booked on the Florence/Pisa excursion which we will not be able to get out of since my son REALLY wants to see the leaning tower "up close and personal." We will do that this time and will just have to visit Florence more in depth at a later time.

I really appreciate you taking precious time (time which you could use to nap!) to keep us all informed.

 

[Lqqieee]

We're sitting in Dublin airport killing the 5 hours before our flight home. I've got to give Lisa some long awaited laptop time before I post anymore, but hopefully I'll be able to get some stuff up before I get back into New York and go into a coma.

Mickeyfanmom and everyone else going on the Med cruise: No matter what they excursion you'd be wise to go in with the attitude that you'll never have enough time to see everything. Even if you book the super expensive tour that guarantees that you'll see everything, you'll never feel like you had enough time to see everything. You're better off seeing this as a good thing: now you know what places to come back to and what to avoid. Either way, you'll know you have to come back, and hopefully it'll be out of excitement rather than a disappointment with your first (or whatever number) trip.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

Mickeyfanmom and everyone else going on the Med cruise: No matter what they excursion you'd be wise to go in with the attitude that you'll never have enough time to see everything. Even if you book the super expensive tour that guarantees that you'll see everything, you'll never feel like you had enough time to see everything. You're better off seeing this as a good thing: now you know what places to come back to and what to avoid. Either way, you'll know you have to come back, and hopefully it'll be out of excitement rather than a disappointment with your first (or whatever number) trip.

Good advice Lou. We are booked on the VIP Vatican and Highlights of Rome and DCL just sent us a letter saying that we will not now see the Trevi Fountain, the inside of the Colisseum, or the Pope's car museum. We knew that it was a lot to see- now trying to decide if we should just do a private tour on our own. Since we just got the letter yesterday, everything is pretty much booked. Oh well- we will be back to Rome anyway (hopefully even without tossing a coin into the fountain! )

Thanks again for taking the time to share all of your experiences and insights. It has made these last couple of weeks of waiting much more tolerable.

Now get home and rest from your "restful" vacation! Hah!

 

[Lqqieee]

We're home and I fell into that promised coma: after a promising start at 6 am on Sunday morning after a reasonable bedtime of about 11 pm the previous night, my body gave up and I spent the day in bed from 2 pm until I woke up again at 4 am this morning (I woke up in between, don't worry, but Lisa was on the phone with a funeral parlor a couple times when I did).

I finished the long-awaited La Spezia/Florence and Michelangelo recap and I put the finishing touches on a recap I did in Disneyland Paris about our Disembarkation and the insane trip to Disneyland Paris that followed. I haven't gotten actually into the parks yet, but I'll get there eventually.

Here's the new stuff:

• 6-23-07 - La Spezia, Italy - Florence and Michelangelo
• 6-27-07 - Disembarkation, Barcelona to ORLY and Disneyland Paris

If you go to the main page, La Spezia's buried underneath stuff that's already posted because I edited its timestamp. I thought it would be better to keep them in chronological order based on when I experienced them rather than when I typed them up.

I'll be back tomorrow with more.

Thanks again, everyone, for the comments here and on the blog. I can't express how much it's meant toward keeping me motivated to keep on blabbing.

 

[mickeyfanmom]

Thanks again Lou. We leave today for Paris, (but not DP) and then board on Saturday. Your observations and opinions have helped us to know what to expect. I'll read the rest when I get home!!

 

[figment52]

Patiently, ok, not so patiently, waiting for the Villefranche report.

Loved all the others.

 

[Lqqieee]

I'm finally done with all the cruise recaps!

Reality is incredibly overrated and I'm not sure why I returned. Next vacation I go on I'm bringing a hobo bindle, just in case I get the nerve up to just keep on wandering.

Here's the new stuff:

• 6-25-07 - Villefranche, France - Nice and Monaco
• 6-26-07 - Our Final Day at Sea

I've still got my work cut out for me: I've got to recap Disneyland Paris and the Disney Studios and our flight home, as well as an overall reflection and, since Lisa told me I missed some things, Lisa's What I Missed. Oh, and all the photos still need to be uploaded!

Hopefully things will stay quiet and I can get everything finished in a reasonable time limit so I can finally start reading what everyone else wrote!

Thanks again, everyone! Be back soon with more!

 

[Lqqieee]

For anyone interested, I just finished a MASSIVE recap of our day in Disneyland Paris:

• 6-28-07 - Disneyland Paris

At 10k+ words, it's by far the longest thing I've written so far and, since I'm winding down the recaps (only the Disney Studios to go), probably the longest thing I'll write in a long time.

If any of your brave souls makes it through it without keeling over dead, let me know. I expect none of you who try will, and I extend my condolences to your families in advance. It's the Ring tape of trip recaps.