*Sept 10th 2011 WB Transatlantic* From Spain to Space Mountain-Taking the Magic Home

[TotallyAngelic]

We aren't even allowed to have clothes lines by our association rules. If I can possibly avoid it, I will never live in a community with covenants again!

Really ... not even in your own back yard ????? Do people come around and check ???

 

[3canadianslovedisney]

Mostly in summer we hang our washing on the line. I really love doing it. The weather can be a bit unpredictable in this country so you can only really do it if you know it will be a good day, or you are staying around the house. In winter we use the tumble dryer.

I understand it can all look untidy, but goodness me with the price of electricity etc, the sun and air is free, and your clothes smell great too.

We have had rental homes in Florida, and no way to even put some things out in the pool netted area. I do however put things out over the chair backs. I just can't understand not using all that sun and heat there instead of the dryers.

Our neighbours heat their homes with either wood or coal, so I tend to not like to hang outside. Although in the summer I do, as it's too hot to run the dryer in the house.

and I just realised .......


ONLY 25 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL WE ARE ON THE DISNEY MAGIC !!!!

Whoo, hoo!!!

Every Spring here in central Georgia we have something called the "Cherry Blossom Festival." WHY we have this, I've never quite understood, but we do. (There is also a Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., but given a choice b/w visiting D.C. and Macon, Georgia, everyone will pick Macon, of course. Okay, that was sarcasm.) For two weeks everyone dresses in pink, eats pink pancakes and cherry ice cream - you get the idea.

Anyway, they always have the same mascot for the Festival, a pink standard poodle. I've seen the poodle and I think he looks strange - and a bit unhappy.

So this year, my groomer-friend and I decided we should dye my American Eskimo Dog, Luna, pink. First, she's a girl, so the gender-stereotype fits. Second, she loves attention. Third, she's about as crazy as my friend and I are. And fourth, dogs are colour-blind, so she won't really know she's pink and the other dogs won't know either and won't make fun of her.

There is a dog fashion show at the festival tomorrow, so I'm working on some accessories for Luna and Juanita, so they can compete and look very fashionable. Neville will be getting a hot pink touch-up on his mohawk so he can compete in the "cool dog" category.

So here is Luna with her dye-job:

She has received many compliments so far. In fact, I took her for a walk in the neighborhood this morning, and someone actually stopped his car to compliment her!

We all agree that Luna looks fantastic! Can't wait to see pics of Juanita!

I also love drying clothes outside. It goes back to the days when Bill and I lived in a high rise flat and didn't have the outside option. When we moved to a house with a garden I was in my element

I don't remember anything at the port. Not even the shop that has been mentioned in this thread. I know you gave me a bottle of water Marilyn

Is there a store at the port? DH wants to get down to the port first thing in the morning and we don't fly in until 8:00 pm the night before. I was hoping to get to the store before heading to the port but maybe I could just pick up what we need there.

 

[granmaz]

Is there a store at the port? DH wants to get down to the port first thing in the morning and we don't fly in until 8:00 pm the night before. I was hoping to get to the store before heading to the port but maybe I could just pick up what we need there.

The only shop at the port was a wine/alcohol shop, nothing more. Not even a cafe!! You will need to get things before then or wait till Gibraltar.

 

[tojam]

Pat- I love your pink dog!!!!! That makes her extra cute. I think we can all agree though that we need a pic of Juanita in her tutu

Wow things have really moved along the past few days. We keep looking at airfare. It isn't going to be pretty. The cheapest we can find is roundtrip for around $800... all the one way tickets are around $2,000 Picking flights is always the worst part of planning.

If you get a chance, go to www.kayak.com. Just checked and from JFK to BCN flights are around $ 468 for one way. I am sure you can find a local flight to JFK for aournd $ 200 each.

I know for us we booked the cruise last September and then waited til January of this year to book airfare. We are DTW to JFK....JFK to BCD via CDG. We leave Thursday, 9/8...arrive in Barcelona around 11:15 am on 09/09. We planned the one day cushion just in case of unexpected problems, etc. Even with our layover in Paris, if we have a problem we could still rent a car, drive nine hours and be there in plenty of time for the cruise.

Best of luck....don't stress.....enjoy the planning!

 

[MandyGirl]

A few days ago, DH actually suggested I post to see if anyone would be interested in a Parrothead meet....he's seriously into JB. Great minds think alike, apparently! Anyway, he'd be first in line for a Parrot party.

DD moved to Austin from PA about three years ago. She works third shift, so she's sleeping during the worst heat of the day. Her first year, she was so worried about her electric bill, she didn't even use the AC (first year on her own). Then, she grew wiser.....! We'll be visiting in May or early June, and I'm sweating already (and I grew up in TN). My middle-aged bones can't take the heat and humidity anymore.

Your DH is a wise man!! I would CERTAINLY think DISers could come up with a good Parrothead night (DAY!). Actually, in the Caribbean, those are the tshirts I usually take... The funny thing is that in college for my undergrad, I didn't drink a drop and kinda equated JB to Satan. He sang that song about Margaritas! I'd be the one sneaking in the kitchen dumping drinks down the drain without being seen. Now, I'm much more tolerant, and learned to relax some. (And for grad school, someone told me to have a couple glasses of wine before writing my papers, and I'd be fine.) The last two years I taught, my classroom was decorated as a beach theme, and when I was awarded 'teacher of the year' for our district and had to speak to over 1,000 educators at our school district's August convocation, my speech was titled "Islands of Adventure" and I wore flip flops and a hula skirt (no coconut bra though!). But I've definitely learned to relax and enjoy life. Anyway, the Dallas tix for floor are $142 each. Curt vetoed that for Dallas, although I think that's about what we have paid the times we have gone to Vegas to see him. (And the ENTIRE STRIP is a huge Parrothead party for those concerts!) I know JB has performed at the Westin St John for a private company function... on the beach... wow... only about 300 people on a beach for a private JB concert?!?!? (St John is where we married, so double love!)

You guys definitely need to consider the Tortola excursion on the first page of this thread over to JVD on a catamaran. It's the one I'm putting together. White Bay is gorgeous, and Soggy Dollar is home of the Painkiller. We need 40 DISers to make it private (and save our $5), and are up to about 25 now. PM me if you want to sign up. Think Kenny Chesney and some of his songs. Here's a great teaser... The same comparable tour with DCL is over twice the price.


Your DD is very lucky to live in Austin. It is THE place to live in Texas, and so close to the hill country. Summers are yuck for sure. By 9AM, we are already IN for the day, and swimming pools feel like giant bathtubs. Definitely grab some Amy's Ice Cream near gate 9 or 12 (?) at the AUS airport! Her story how she started is pretty neat.

I do think people hang clothes out much more than in the US, but normally we do have tumble dryers. I noticed too the many apartments in Barcelona only have a washer and there wouldn't actually be anywhere to hang clothes out either. I think most would dry overnight hung up in the apartment though.

I love drying clothes outside.

We aren't even allowed to have clothes lines by our association rules. If I can possibly avoid it, I will never live in a community with covenants again!

HOA rules here as well... would love to be able to hang it outside. My Granny always did that. So many benefits!!

Really ... not even in your own back yard ????? Do people come around and check ???

If visible from a neighbor's window and they report it, then yes. We even had to submit pictures and put an X on the survey of our lot as to where we were going to put the playset in the backyard! Could only be x number of feet high, certain colors, etc....

and I just realised .......


ONLY 25 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL WE ARE ON THE DISNEY MAGIC !!!!

WooHoo!! We're making the paper chain to represent weeks, and marking the calendar for days.

 

[tojam]

This may have already been discussed and if so I apologize. I have tried to read all of the posts but with work I can go 3-5 days without checking the boards and might have missed something. I have to work on my commitment!! LOL

As a new member to this board, I am excited to meet all of you. Some of us have pictures and locating those board members will be easier. My thought was that when the ship pulls out and everyone is on deck would that be a good chance for everyone to initially meet, shake hands, toast the cruise, etc. We could pick a location and enjoy the view provided the weather works. We could always plan for rain and have a second indoor provisional location picked out.

I remember leaving Barcelona was so amazing last time it might be nice to do as a group. Can't wait for the horns!

 

[MandyGirl]

This may have already been discussed and if so I apologize. I have tried to read all of the posts but with work I can go 3-5 days without checking the boards and might have missed something. I have to work on my commitment!! LOL

As a new member to this board, I am excited to meet all of you. Some of us have pictures and locating those board members will be easier. My thought was that when the ship pulls out and everyone is on deck would that be a good chance for everyone to initially meet, shake hands, toast the cruise, etc. We could pick a location and enjoy the view provided the weather works. We could always plan for rain and have a second indoor provisional location picked out.

I remember leaving Barcelona was so amazing last time it might be nice to do as a group. Can't wait for the horns!

We'd always have a sailaway (or pre-sailaway) party with CruiseCritic meets out on deck. If we get tshirts, that's one way, the other ways I have seen have been something simple like wearing a lei at sailaway and meeting in a certain area. And from what I am hearing of past TA cruises, it is less crowded, so the deck should be pretty good. (?) We've only done one sailaway from our cabin when we had a pretty cool suite on the aft, but have always gone up on deck for all the rest.

And I meant to tell you I am glad to hear DCL vs NCL for TA is a no-brainer. We have sailed NCL a few times, and always been treated very well, so that makes looking forward to DCL even better!! The other lines we have cruised are Celebrity and HAL.

 

[GA-yaya]

Every Spring here in central Georgia we have something called the "Cherry Blossom Festival." WHY we have this, I've never quite understood, but we do.
So here is Luna with her dye-job:

I love it! Luna looks so "Pretty in Pink".
She reminds me of a very popular Blue Dog that we have in Louisiana - he is painted in all of Rodrigue's art.

Good luck, Luna!!!

 

[GA-yaya]

Pat- We keep looking at airfare. It isn't going to be pretty. The cheapest we can find is roundtrip for around $800... all the one way tickets are around $2,000 Picking flights is always the worst part of planning.

Have you tried Kayak.com or Airfare.com? We were seeing the same amounts to fly to Barcelona as you are, but kept watching these websites. On Wednesday night, the flight that we wanted showed up under "Secret Carrier/Airline" designation on Airfare.com - and we were able to determine that was indeed the flight we wanted by adjusting the flight parameters. So we bought it!!! Our one-way direct flight was under $800pp , as opposed to $2100pp if we had actually bought it from the airline website.

You can also set Kayak.com to sent you alerts if the fares change.
Good luck!

Peggy

 

[TotallyAngelic]

This may have already been discussed and if so I apologize. I have tried to read all of the posts but with work I can go 3-5 days without checking the boards and might have missed something. I have to work on my commitment!! LOL

As a new member to this board, I am excited to meet all of you. Some of us have pictures and locating those board members will be easier. My thought was that when the ship pulls out and everyone is on deck would that be a good chance for everyone to initially meet, shake hands, toast the cruise, etc. We could pick a location and enjoy the view provided the weather works. We could always plan for rain and have a second indoor provisional location picked out.

I remember leaving Barcelona was so amazing last time it might be nice to do as a group. Can't wait for the horns!

What we have done twice in the past is have a DIS meet up in the Promenade lounge at 3pm, before the safetly drill and sailaway. This gives us a chance to meet up and to pick up lanyards, pins etc that we have ordered.
It is a good idea to meet up on deck for the sailaway too.

Pat

Wow things have really moved along the past few days. We keep looking at airfare. It isn't going to be pretty. The cheapest we can find is roundtrip for around $800... all the one way tickets are around $2,000 Picking flights is always the worst part of planning.

Have you tried

www.skyscanner.com and www.vayama.com for flights?

She reminds me of a very popular Blue Dog that we have in Louisiana - he is painted in all of Rodrigue's art.

That blue dog looks very nervous ... must be the close proximity of that alligator !!!

 

[squitty]

and I just realised .......


ONLY 25 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL WE ARE ON THE DISNEY MAGIC !!!!

I'll dance to that


Pat - good luck to your dogs, Luna looks very poochable - my word for doggy cuteness

 

[Tod&Copper]

It is beautiful in Dallas today! I was listening to Jimmy Buffett driving to the grocery store, wearing my flip flops and shorts, just singing with the windows down. I know I need to enjoy it before it gets TOO hot to go outside! Hope to get my girls outdoors after 4:00 today (we try to avoid the sun 10-4 each day).

Mandy, I am so jealous, that sounds wonderful... how about a house swap - Texas / North Scotland .... no competition lol

There is a dog fashion show at the festival tomorrow, so I'm working on some accessories for Luna and Juanita, so they can compete and look very fashionable. Neville will be getting a hot pink touch-up on his mohawk so he can compete in the "cool dog" category.

Wow, she is gorgeous good luck for Luna, Juanita and Neville

which do you guys prefer?

We always do second seating. I would be asleep in the threatre at night if I had had a heavy meal and a glass or 2 of wine. We enjoy coming out of the restaurant and then going straight to Rockin Bar D or whatever the next adult entertainment is.

To be honest we are always too stuffed to try anything at pirate night or the desert buffet, but I don't think that's a bad thing

This year however, due to time constraints and holiday entitlement from our jobs, we are flying out on the first flight from London the day of the cruise, This means we will arrive in Barcelona around 9.30 in the morning,I think, and we plan to go directly to the boat, although I think we will be a little too early to board straight away. Hopefully will be able to find a nearby cafe or restaurant where we can spend a couple of hours enjoying a morning meal before we board.

SW

Will, we are exactly the same, I think we land at 10 am and then going straight to the port

and I just realised .......


ONLY 25 WEEKS TO GO UNTIL WE ARE ON THE DISNEY MAGIC !!!!

OMG worth another round of dancing

We aren't even allowed to have clothes lines by our association rules. If I can possibly avoid it, I will never live in a community with covenants again!

I practice in property law in Scotland, not sure what your term would be for that. The only covenants we have usually are not hanging anything from the front of the house or in the front garden to dry. Nothing at all is quite harsh

It is a good idea to meet up on deck for the sailaway too.

That would be good doing the sailaway party together and having a cocktail on deck

 

[JessicasMom]

Your DH is a wise man!! I would CERTAINLY think DISers could come up with a good Parrothead night (DAY!). Actually, in the Caribbean, those are the tshirts I usually take... The funny thing is that in college for my undergrad, I didn't drink a drop and kinda equated JB to Satan. He sang that song about Margaritas! I'd be the one sneaking in the kitchen dumping drinks down the drain without being seen. Now, I'm much more tolerant, and learned to relax some. (And for grad school, someone told me to have a couple glasses of wine before writing my papers, and I'd be fine.) The last two years I taught, my classroom was decorated as a beach theme, and when I was awarded 'teacher of the year' for our district and had to speak to over 1,000 educators at our school district's August convocation, my speech was titled "Islands of Adventure" and I wore flip flops and a hula skirt (no coconut bra though!). But I've definitely learned to relax and enjoy life. Anyway, the Dallas tix for floor are $142 each. Curt vetoed that for Dallas, although I think that's about what we have paid the times we have gone to Vegas to see him. (And the ENTIRE STRIP is a huge Parrothead party for those concerts!) I know JB has performed at the Westin St John for a private company function... on the beach... wow... only about 300 people on a beach for a private JB concert?!?!? (St John is where we married, so double love!)

You guys definitely need to consider the Tortola excursion on the first page of this thread over to JVD on a catamaran. It's the one I'm putting together. White Bay is gorgeous, and Soggy Dollar is home of the Painkiller. We need 40 DISers to make it private (and save our $5), and are up to about 25 now. PM me if you want to sign up. Think Kenny Chesney and some of his songs. Here's a great teaser... The same comparable tour with DCL is over twice the price.


Your DD is very lucky to live in Austin. It is THE place to live in Texas, and so close to the hill country. Summers are yuck for sure. By 9AM, we are already IN for the day, and swimming pools feel like giant bathtubs. Definitely grab some Amy's Ice Cream near gate 9 or 12 (?) at the AUS airport! Her story how she started is pretty neat.

JB=Satan... Love it! We went to see him summer 2009 in both Pittsburgh and Atlantic City, which were different but equally great experiences. Last summer, we decided the $ was better spent elsewhere (and we had just done the EBTA), so no Jimmy. I'm sure he really missed us! DH Larry's summer wardrobe is basically shorts and JB t-shirts; he'd love nothing better than to spend the rest of his days in the islands living the life.

You sound like a fabulous teacher...the FUN one everybody loves and wants to have. TOTY is a great honor and obviously well earned.

We Austin. It's a wonderful city, with something for everybody. I never would have expected any of us to end up in TX but, after college, DD got a job with an online game company and couldn't get out of PA fast enough. I'm sure there is still burnt rubber in the driveway!...not that she didn't love home, but it was her dream job. We've visited several times and would consider relocating in the future (elderly MIL keeps us here for now). Last trip was Jan, when we all cruised RCL out of Galveston and spent an extra 10 days helping DD move into a new apt. Amy's is fabulous...Mexican vanilla is my favorite. Oh, good grief, I'm drooling.

We're considering the Tortola excursion (amazing video, btw-thanks for that!). Have to check with DD first.

 

[MandyGirl]

JB=Satan... Love it! We went to see him summer 2009 in both Pittsburgh and Atlantic City, which were different but equally great experiences. Last summer, we decided the $ was better spent elsewhere (and we had just done the EBTA), so no Jimmy. I'm sure he really missed us! DH Larry's summer wardrobe is basically shorts and JB t-shirts; he'd love nothing better than to spend the rest of his days in the islands living the life.

You sound like a fabulous teacher...the FUN one everybody loves and wants to have. TOTY is a great honor and obviously well earned.

We Austin. It's a wonderful city, with something for everybody. I never would have expected any of us to end up in TX but, after college, DD got a job with an online game company and couldn't get out of PA fast enough. I'm sure there is still burnt rubber in the driveway!...not that she didn't love home, but it was her dream job. We've visited several times and would consider relocating in the future (elderly MIL keeps us here for now). Last trip was Jan, when we all cruised RCL out of Galveston and spent an extra 10 days helping DD move into a new apt. Amy's is fabulous...Mexican vanilla is my favorite. Oh, good grief, I'm drooling.

We're considering the Tortola excursion (amazing video, btw-thanks for that!). Have to check with DD first.

Yep - JB=Satan -- it was usually those typical college parties, underage students, and I had a boyfriend at the time who was NOT a nice drunk. I would discreetly pour the beer down the drain to hopefully stall him from drinking even more. At least now I have loosened up. Some wine or a good fruity beverage (like a Painkiller in the Virgin Islands!) are my speed now.

The islands... ahhhh... could go on and on. We'll have to swap stories onboard! We love St John, and wanted something even more primitive (less developed) so we searched for "the St John of 30 years ago" and discovered Bequia down in the Grenadines. Love love love the islands!

Haven't tried Mexican Vanilla. Thanks. Now you have me drooling!!!

And thanks for the compliment. My students were always my "kids". When I lost my Taylor last Spring Break (the link in my signature) it absolutely killed me. However, I am loving volunteering with their foundation now, and Facebook keeps me in touch with my former "family" of students since I now moved 30+ miles away.

Definitely check with DD on the Tortola-JVD beach day!


Here is the count we are up to for the Tortola---> JVD excursion:

Grand Total:
For sure going (paying): 25
Maybe going (paying): 4
Possible total going (paying): 29
Total capacity: 31 (includes under age 3, free)
** Need 40 paying, max capacity of 50. **

So if those who are still in the "not sure" category decide to confirm, we are at 29 of our required 40 to have our own catamaran.

 

[karentan]

could you add us to the maybe pile?

 

[Namsupak]

Kayak.com is what I've been searching but the cheapest one is always airfare.com or vayama. I'm just worried because I've read a bunch of bad reviews for both. Still searching. Thanks for the advice for the flight from JFK to bcn

 

[MandyGirl]

could you add us to the maybe pile?

I have you both down as "Maybes", Karen!

Updated spreadsheet of totals:
For sure going: 25 (paying pax)
Maybe going: 6 (maybe paying pax)
**Possibly going: 31 (paying pax - need 40 minimum)
For sure (under 3): 2 (no charge for under 3)
Total capacity: 33 (includes under age 3, free)
** Need 40 paying, max capacity of 50 including under age 3 children. **

 

[PFlamingo]

Well, we're back from the dog show. I entered Neville in the "most unusual" category, and Luna and Juanita were in the "prettiest in pink/best dressed" category.

Neville won 1st prize in his category, and Luna took 2nd in hers!! Poor Juanita didn't win anything, but she looked cute all the same. She was very nervous around all the people and dogs. We're still working on her socialization, so it was good that she didn't completely freak out with all that stimulation.

There were many dogs in cute little outfits, but the dog that won in Luna's category was a Pyrenees with a pink sash that said "vote for me." I think Luna was 'way prettier, and definitely pinker! Personally, I think the "best dressed" was a Chihuahua mix who wore a little pink jacket, a top hat, and shades. He looked very suave! His name was Pablo, which made my friends and me laugh because my Min Pin is also named Pablo and he's a total clothes horse!

Neville is very proud of himself - he knows he's cool! But Luna's okay with 2nd place. She's kind of the "middle child" of our pack and doesn't get as much attention as the others at home. Well, she got tons of attention today, with people wanting to pet her, and take her picture, and telling her how pretty she is. She was definitely in her element!

Juanita in her tutu. "Just don't drop me, okay?"

Luna in all her glory. "Yes, I am very pink. Thank you for admiring me!"

Neville the tough-guy. "Bring on the big dogs!!"

 

[MandyGirl]

Well, Pat, those judges just completely missed it with Juanita! She looks so cute though!!!


For anyone looking/staying at Universal Hotel Barcelona, I was just checking updated reviews, and they look great! Here's the TripAdvisor link:


http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...elona_Catalonia.html#REVIEWS#CHECK_RATES_CONT

#20 of 558 hotels in Barcelona

 

[TotallyAngelic]

Well, we're back from the dog show. I entered Neville in the "most unusual" category, and Luna and Juanita were in the "prettiest in pink/best dressed" category.

Neville won 1st prize in his category, and Luna took 2nd in hers!! Poor Juanita didn't win anything, but she looked cute all the same. She was very nervous around all the people and dogs. We're still working on her socialization, so it was good that she didn't completely freak out with all that stimulation.

There were many dogs in cute little outfits, but the dog that won in Luna's category was a Pyrenees with a pink sash that said "vote for me." I think Luna was 'way prettier, and definitely pinker! Personally, I think the "best dressed" was a Chihuahua mix who wore a little pink jacket, a top hat, and shades. He looked very suave! His name was Pablo, which made my friends and me laugh because my Min Pin is also named Pablo and he's a total clothes horse!

Neville is very proud of himself - he knows he's cool! But Luna's okay with 2nd place. She's kind of the "middle child" of our pack and doesn't get as much attention as the others at home. Well, she got tons of attention today, with people wanting to pet her, and take her picture, and telling her how pretty she is. She was definitely in her element!

Juanita in her tutu. "Just don't drop me, okay?"

Luna in all her glory. "Yes, I am very pink. Thank you for admiring me!"

Neville the tough-guy. "Bring on the big dogs!!"

OH my .. those dogs are amazing. The little one looks so cute in her tutu bless her. Well done to the other two for their prizes. They are all sooooo cute