May 5, 2010 Magic of Barcelona

[maynrive]

Hey all,

Just thought I'd pass on this tip. I was looking into booking my transport from home to the airport this morning and figured our options were around $60-$100 for the 2 of us.

I did a quick look at the local car rental companies and found that if I did a one way rental with Avis, I could get an intermediate size car for $27 including tax. I'm sure if I went with one of the other companies I might have gotten it even cheaper. Too bad the return from the airport isn't as cheap...

Hope this helps...

 

[Erin&Fam]

Can't wait to see everyone in less than 10 days!!! We decided to blog our trip. Feel free to share the link with family or friends who may want to read about the adventures of the May 5th trip.

http://mirskyfamily.blogspot.com/

 

[Kaleigh]

Can't wait to see everyone in less than 10 days!!! We decided to blog our trip. Feel free to share the link with family or friends who may want to read about the adventures of the May 5th trip.

http://mirskyfamily.blogspot.com/

Great! I'll add it to our site!

 

[marlower]

Can't wait to see everyone in less than 10 days!!! We decided to blog our trip. Feel free to share the link with family or friends who may want to read about the adventures of the May 5th trip.

http://mirskyfamily.blogspot.com/

Looking forward to your blog posts!! Thanks for sharing

 

[torimarrett]

I love reading everyone's blog, I think I may start one of my own. Thanks guys.

 

[AmberI]

Is it true that you don't get your OBC (from booking on your last cruise) if you book a cat 12?

 

[Kaleigh]

Where is everyone? I've been following the new trip blogs, so excited that it will be us next time! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Oh, and the Magic just left Barcelona. Next time it leaves, we'll be on board!

 

[everafter1]

I agree, it's been really quiet, but I am enjoying reading everyone's blogs. So exciting that we're getting closer! I still have a little more shopping to do, but I can't wait!

 

[Erin&Fam]

Has anyone booked a Barcelona hotel yet? We're looking at staying at the Le Meridien on Las Ramblas on the night before the cruise and then the airport Renassiance on the 15th...they say they have a shuttle from the port to the hotel for 10 Euros/adult and a free shuttle to the airport, which seems convenient since our flight will leave at 10am on the 16th. Anyone familiar with either of those? Last time I was in Barcelona, I was a student, so a very different budget!

Is anyone else doing Disneyland Paris before the cruise?

We will be at Le Meridien arriving on May 3rd. Hope to see you there.

 

[cj'smom]

I haven't started packing yet.....I don't have THAT much underwear . I tend to wait until a couple of days before at the soonest. It works for me, I rarely forget something.

You do have a lot on your plate to get ready for before you leave!! How exciting about your DD's prom, I'm sure you have instructed many photos to be taken.

Still haven't started packing...but I have a huge pile of stuff I want to take -- considering I really want to have just one checked suitcase and one carryon bag between my dd and me, this should be an interesting challenge.

Yes, exciting about prom but it's also hard that I'll miss it (and some of her other Senior events). However, my daughter urged me to go ahead and take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. Her formal dress is lovely on her -- an elegant strapless red satin with rhinestone details. She wants to wear long white gloves and a dramatic rhinestone necklace(still looking for those), with rhinestone hair jewelry (purchased). She's going very "red carpet" classic glam for this! Frustrating thing is she could have bought all this wholesale last August -- she models promwear and had the opportunity to shop for everything when the buyers were placing orders for their shops and showrooms. It's amazing how much cheaper wholesale is than retail. But, did she take advantage of the opportunity? Noooo..... so here we are pulling it all together at the last minute. Got the hair/makeup apt. made and is going in a group for the limo. Boyfriend will take care of dinner and flowers. DH is under strict instructions to take lots of photos and e-mail me some asap!

Speaking of gowns...I was planning to bring a lovely formal that I bought some time ago and have never worn. Really pretty sage green with a flattering cut (harder to find the older I get, ). Was taking it to a seamstress to have hemmed...had placed it on the mid row seats in my minivan and closed the sliding door...when I got out I saw that some of the chiffon fabric had got caught in the door. My lovely new dress now has a rip and black oil marks on it. Guess I have to add another thing to my to do list...shop for another formal.

 

[cj'smom]

CJ's Mom...I wonder if you got my PM or not as well? I'll resend just in case

Replied a couple days ago ... seems like lots of people have been complaining of problems with the pm system. CJ is hoping to hear from your dd soon.

 

[cj'smom]

I don't love the Dooney Bags either. But I would never spend that much on a purse, so I guess I am not the target audience.

I'm with you, Kaleigh, on this...I don't find these bags attractive but even if I did, I'd never spend that much on a purse and "brand names" mean very little to me so I must not be in their target audience either. Seems like people either love these bags or don't care for them at all.

 

[cj'smom]

WOW, so excited! I found an amazing blog about Barcelona including tons of pics of food and restaurant reviews as well as attraction info and reviews. I posted it on the site, but here it is http://chowtimes.com/2009/08/07/barcelona-getting-around-barcelona-and-our-first-spanish-meal/
You just keep following the pages to get through all of it. After reading this blog, I am for sure having churros with hot chocolate!

Great blog...thanks for posting. We've been researching Barcelona for months since we are spending several extra days there. One of the first things my daughter insisted we do is go for lots of hot chocolate with the giant bowls of whipped cream. She also wants to visit the chocolate museum....who cares about Picaso, bring on the chocolate!! Can ya tell what our priorities are?

 

[cj'smom]

Where is everyone? I've been following the new trip blogs, so excited that it will be us next time! Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Oh, and the Magic just left Barcelona. Next time it leaves, we'll be on board!

I don't know about everyone else but I've been off the thread for awhile crazy busy with all the prep so am just now catching up on everything. Once I get through Monday, I should be able to concentrate more on getting ready for the trip. Have lots of details to take care of for my graduating Senior - having Senior portraits taken tomorrow, finish buying for prom, get together photos from K - 12 for the senior slide show, still dealing with college apps and financial aid paperwork. Wah....hard to believe my oldest is graduating.

Had a sweet sixteen party for dd # 2 tonight. Nothing super fancy. Just a dozen teens for pizza, took them out to a movie then came back for games and refreshments. The boys left around midnight and the girls are sleeping over....hence being up at 1 am waiting for them to decide they'd like to go to sleep. Lots of talking, shrieks and giggles coming from the basement Glad to have this party done and over.

Oh, and my basement flooded last night, thankfully only part of it...but it was interesting trying to clean and prepare for a party to be held there while vacuming water out of soggy carpet. Great - we just went under tornado watch - same line of storms that killed 10 people in Mississippi earlier. Looks like a sleepless night keeping an eye on the weather tonight. If it gets bad, we'll be joining the teen girls in the basement!

Monday have to finish the final day of standardized testing for CJ - a mandatory requirement for all homeschoolers her age in our state. Gotta get together some meals for while I'm gone and instructions about the kids activities for dh. Hee, hee, he won't be able to call me with every little question and will have to figure out things for himself.

Cruise? Oh yeah, cruise...gotta finish prep for that in there somewhere. Got credit cards and bank notified, euros ordered, European cell phone in hand. Making progress but still a long list to get accomplished. Thankfully, the volcano threat seems to have cleared up (and hopefully will stay that way) so at least that stress is gone. Enough late night ramblings...better go check on the teens and take a look at the weather radar.

Hope everyone else is progressing nicely with their prep. Not long till we meet

 

[gibmum]

i see nearly everybody is busy with the packing i still havent started ive got the euros and the dollars ready but nothing else, not sure what clothes to take since it seems to be raining one day and the other really sunny its 10.25am here in Gibraltar today and its really cloudy and looks like if it could rain, whilst yesterday it was a really hot day and most people i know where making plans to go to the beach, what type of clothes are you packing?
hope anybody who has already started there vacation are having a great time c u all soon

 

[Lemonbee]

If you would like to add your info/picture to the website, just PM me. I think most, if not all the facebook members are from this board. Can't wait to meet everyone also!

I sent you a PM thanks!

 

[cj'smom]

i see nearly everybody is busy with the packing i still havent started ive got the euros and the dollars ready but nothing else, not sure what clothes to take since it seems to be raining one day and the other really sunny its 10.25am here in Gibraltar today and its really cloudy and looks like if it could rain, whilst yesterday it was a really hot day and most people i know where making plans to go to the beach, what type of clothes are you packing?
hope anybody who has already started there vacation are having a great time c u all soon

I haven't actually packed a thing yet but have been making mental lists.

Since the weather sounds like it will be so variable and possibly cool in the evening on ship, I'm planning on layers. Will bring 2 pairs of lightweight travel pants, a pair of capris and probably a pair of jeans to wear off the ship. Will layer tanks, 3/4 sleeve shirts or nice T shirts with a lightweight overshirt or jacket that I can take off if it gets too warm. 1-2 dressier pants to wear to dinner along with some dressier tops. Formal dress. Possibly a dress for sem-formal nights or may go with a sequined vest to wear with nice pants. A few lightweight scarfs to dress things up. Probably a couple pairs of shorts for on the ship (I've read numerous places that shorts are not commonly worn in Europe). 2 bathing suits - one older one to wear in the hot tub (which has a reputation for badly bleaching suits) and one new one to wear for beach or pool. Have nice reversible lightweight jacket that matches both travel pants. Also bought a travel vest with lots of pockets I can wear as a layer off ship. Maybe a lightweight long sleeve shirt for evenings onboard. 2 pairs of walking shoes, sandles and dress shoes.

Haven't gone through my dd's wardrobe to figure out what to bring for her yet. She likes to wear jumpers with T's underneath and has some cute play dresses. She's picked out 3 fancy dresses to bring -- don't know if they will all make it into the suitcase, lol! One tip for those with little girls - if they have a princess dress, bring it! So cute to see all the little princesses running around the ship. Many will wear a princess dress for formal or semi-formal nights.

 

[gibmum]

ive been trying to make a mental list aswel but still dont have a clue lolol, dont worry about the shorts its comman her in europeand im going to put my suitcase, though the trend at the moment here is for leggings and ill be putting some in aswell, my dd has already chosen her princess dress and a pirate of the caribean dress aswell for pirate night. the weather has turned lovely and it didnt rain after all and im watching the spanish channel as the moment and its showing loads of people in the beach in barcelona

 

[Goofy Mum]

I've been busy with kids, laundry, etc. But did do my door magnets today!

We leave for Barcelona (Salou) in 7 days! It's gonna be such a long work week.

The April 24 Med's are at sea...We're NEXT!

 

[strawberryblonde]

We leave tomorrow for Paris! I think I'm finally beginning to believe it is happening. It is all so surreal. I've been planning this for so long and now its finally happening!

Safe travels everyone!

How exciting!! Have a great trip pre-cruise, see you Wed. after next