Trip in Review: Sarah's Take

Well, it looks like John took the easy road on this one! I certainly can't duplicate, so I've taken a different spin on the lists. This was a fun trip full of surprises and lessons learned.

Things I Learned on Vacation (either because of it, or in spite of it)

• The best places to shop are the markets and bakeries.
• Sleep is not overrated.
• On the weekend, be sure to make dinner reservations.
• Take full advantage of sea days to recharge your batteries.
• Live a little...it's okay to return to the ship at the last minute. (As long as you do indeed return.)
• Don't be cheap--try out the specialty restaurants.
• Make the most of your time in port. Check out the must see sites and the roads less traveled.
• Always, always, always have snacks on hand.
• Download and use the free Rick Steves audio tours (and preview them).
• Do your homework ahead of time--have at least a little background knowledge before visiting a new city or site.
• It's okay to "waste" a day in port. Relax and take cues from the locals. Get caught up in what they do, not what the tourists do.
• Embrace the people you meet during your trip (locals and tourists). Make new friends!
• Participate in activities on the ship (other than happy hours and spa treatments). Go to trivia and other contests.
• If you plan to stimulate the economy, share the wealth. Don't save souvenir shopping until the last minute (and last city).
• Must-haves include: Rick Steves books, journal or notebook, MP3 player, clothing for layering.
• Take full advantage of Cruise Critic for--organizing tours, transportation, and learning more about the ship and ports of call.
• Regardless of your planning, truly take to the heart the suggestions of those who know best (owner of the B&B you're staying in, etc.).
• Invest in the appropriate RS phrase books. They're worth their weight in gold, especially when ordering from Italian only menus!

Top 5 Gelato Flavors

1. Salted Caramel

2. Limoncello

3. Biscotti

4. Melon

5. Nutella

Travel Tips

• Venice, Italy: Get lost...literally.
• Florence, Italy: Enjoy the gelato, it's the best. Seriously, find out if you'll be there during the gelato festival and check it out if you can. (We missed it by a week.)
• Rome, Italy: Check out local listings before visiting. Find out what the locals are doing and try to participate or observe.
• Santorini, Greece: Do not use the donkey stairs.
• Istanbul, Turkey: Use the public transportation system. It's easy and will make your life significantly easier.
• Kusadasi, Turkey: When on a tour, don't allow yourself to get roped into going to a carpet shop (or leather shop, or any other type of shop) with the promise (yeah right) that there is no pressure to buy anything.
• Athens, Greece: Get to the Acropolis first, like as soon as they open. You'll notice a huge difference in the crowds between the time you arrive and the time you leave.
• Mykonos, Greece: Take the time to people watch. If you don't go to the beach, be sure to at least dip your feet in. You can't travel to the Med and not put your feet in it!
• Amalfi Coast, Italy: Take your time exploring the towns along the coast. Don't pack your day so full so that you're rushed out of them before you've had your fill.

Photo Superlatives

Best Reminder of Home (Venice, Italy)

Italy's version of the Nittany Lion.

Best Reason to Visit Italy (Florence, Italy)

Nothing beats a cone of gelato while people watching.

Best Reason for Chiropractor Visit upon Return Home (Rome, Italy)

The best pieces to check out are always on the ceiling.

Best Reason to Miss the Ship (Santorini, Greece)

Really, the only reason to miss the ship is the view here.

Best Combination of Art and Worship (Istanbul, Turkey)

Intricately painted tiles show off the handiwork of Turkish artists while the sliver in the dome indicates the direction to Mecca for worshiping.

Most Serene Moment (Hills above Ephesus, Turkey)

Mass in Latin, solemn walk through the House of the Virgin Mary, drink of healing water, and finally a simple, powerful prayer.

Most Accurate Depiction of Our Thoughts on Ruins (Athens, Greece)

Yes, even when you think they've ended, the ruins continue, even through that small opening. Not just this time, but every time!

Best Place to be a Pirate (Mykonos, Greece)

Nameless, identical streets are only part of the maze which deterred pirates from invading and looting in this cozy, beautiful town.

Saddest (Pompeii, Italy)

Not only the end of the road for our trip, but quite literally shows the devastating end of a flourishing civilization (look carefully for the area where wheel ruts begin and end, where road reconstruction stopped when Vesuvius erupted).

Best Representation of Driving in Italy (Amalfi Coast, Italy)

Narrow, windy roads with tunnels and cliffside impeding the ability to detect oncoming traffic...I'm glad we let Mario do the driving!

I'm so very happy we chose to write this blog together. Now we'll always have something to remind us of our trip! We had a great time, no regrets, and I'm ready for another vacation already!

Trip In Review: John's Take

Sitting back at home relaxing with our dog sleeping nearby, I've been pondering the experience that we just had.  To start off, it was, without a doubt, the best vacation of my life and one of the best overall experiences I have ever had.  We learned a stunning amount about the history of the world and saw sights which I have had pictured in my head since I was a young child.  We made new friends, relaxed (just a little bit), and enjoyed wonderful cuisine both on land and on the cruise ship.  I found Italy to be a most amazing country and hope we get to return there many times over the course of our lives.  The cruise itself was also wonderful, both the ship and the staff.


I am not as capable at writing these posts as Sarah is (as you may have noticed), and have decided to sum up my experience with two lists.  The first one is a list of my rankings of each place we visited in terms of how much I enjoyed each.  The second is in terms of how much I would like to go back to each place.  There is actually quite a bit of difference between these two lists.


So, here we go.  First, the rankings for enjoyment of each place we went:

1. Istanbul, Turkey - The history of this city was fascinating with an almost unending supply of top notch museums/buildings.  The only let downs were the Grand Bazaar, and to a lesser extent, the Bosphorus cruise.  The overnight stay really let Istanbul shine.
2. Venice, Italy - A charming city.  Even the touristy areas were not overwhelmingly busy when we were there, and once we got off the beaten path, Venice was even more amazing.
3. Naples, Italy (Amalfi Coast and Pompeii) - The Amalfi Coast was stunning.  The scenery was unbelievable, and the towns, particularly Ravello, were beautiful.  Pompeii was a worthwhile stop, even with our fatigue of ruins at that point.
4. Athens, Greece - This proud country shined when depicted through the history of Athens.  The Acropolis was a sight to behold.
5. Florence, Italy - Our two days in Florence were delightful.  The town was so easy to walk around in, and we were never at a loss for good food.
6. Rome, Italy - Of course the Vatican and the Colosseum lived up to their billing.  But Rome was so much more hectic and busier than Venice and Florence, and after four days of the freedom of walking almost everywhere, having to rely on the metro was a bit of a let down.
7. Kusadasi, Turkey (Ephesus) - Ephesus was probably the best of the many ruins of the trip.  The House of the Virgin Mary was very spiritual. Kusadasi itself was forgettable.
8. Santorini, Greece - This ranking is deceiving.  Santorini is beautiful (almost as much so as the Amalfi Coast), but we were rushed due to the short time in port and the time consuming process of getting back to the cruise ship.
9. Mykonos, Greece - It was a nice place to relax and stroll, but nothing about Mykonos really popped.  I think this is just on cruise ship itineraries because it is a popular resort destination and it is easy to get to for ships.

Now, the rankings for which places I would most like to return to:

1. Venice, Italy - I could wander around Venice for a week without getting tired of it.  It would probably be even better since we could almost totally stay out of the major tourist areas (Rialto, Saint Mark's).
2. Naples, Italy - While I wouldn't go back to Pompeii, I could similarly spend a week in the Amalfi Coast without getting tired of it.  There are also many other points reachable from Naples which I would like to see (Capri, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius, Naples itself).
3. Rome, Italy - Our two days in Rome were severely constrained by the large number of must-see sites which limited our ability to just explore, in addition to the lackluster weather on Sunday.  I think Rome could really make an impact on a return visit.
4. Santorini, Greece - I would like to return to Santorini for either a longer stay in port or, ideally, for a few nights in a hotel.  I could just sit in Oia for hours and hours and stare at the caldera and then the sunset.  I'd also like to explore the island.
5. Florence, Italy - There are quite a few more things in Florence I would like to see and do, but of our three overnight stays in Italy this one was the one which felt the most comprehensive and complete.
6. Athens, Greece - We had a busy day which covered most of the major sites.  Athens would be a good return visit as a jumping off point for other locations in Greece and to pick up anything we missed.
7. Istanbul, Turkey - Our whirlwind trip to Istanbul saw us visit almost every site I have interest in there.  The notable exception is the Mosque of Suleman the Magnificent.  The pushy nature of the shopkeepers there (not just in the Grand Bazaar) also really limits my interest in returning.
8. Mykonos, Greece - I enjoyed it, but the only reason I would want to go back to Mykonos is to try out their famous beaches, but there are many other places that also have famous beaches.
9. Kusadasi, Turkey - I got everything I needed to out of Ephesus and the other ruins.

Some of these rankings above have a very fine line between them, particularly in the first list.  Every port was excellent.  It was the trip of a lifetime.  Hopefully one of many.  I am glad we decided to chronicle our journey in this blog for everyone to read and for our personal record.  I hope you enjoyed reading it.  Until our next trip, arrivederci!

Home sweet home

One final early morning wake up call on the Celebrity Equinox marked the beginning of the end. Ok, I won't be so dramatic. How about just the beginning of the last day of the best vacation we've had. Better? I hope so, because it only goes downhill from here, kids!


A quick look at the iPhone (before 6am) and I knew we were in for a long day. One US Airways plane goes from Philly to Rome, then back again, daily. That's it, no more than that. The outbound flight from Philadelphia was delayed (for maintenance), which in turn delayed our return flight by more than three hours. I can think of about a million other things I'd rather do than spend an extra three hours in the Rome airport (like wandering through the city), but I certainly didn't have a choice. On the bright side, we had the opportunity to catch up on posts and email. Not a complete loss, but it definitely brought us back to reality more quickly than we would've liked.


Side note: disembarkation from the ship was the best I've ever seen. We were dismissed as we arrived at our waiting area, luggage was ready to go, and we were happily surprised to see our driver waiting for us 40 minutes early.


Once we boarded the plane everything went fairly smoothly. In an attempt to quickly adjust back to East Coast time, we tried to stay awake during the flight. Surprisingly, I was the successful one. Movies certainly helped with that. Customs was a breeze, but the the whole process of gathering checked luggage and going through security again is not my idea of fun. It's especially tiresome when you're running on essentially no sleep and you have to meander through the mazes of construction in one of the world's worst airports. Ok, I'm being dramatic again. It wasn't that bad, but I just wanted to sleep! We had plenty of time between flights. This was mostly due to John's thoughtful planning and partially due to our flight to State College being delayed (weather).


After a long day of traveling, it was so nice to see Mary Ann's familiar and smiling face. Special thanks to her for picking us up very late in the crappy weather. Of course after seeing my friend I got my second wind. Not an ideal time for it, I know. So, I took full advantage of it and unpacked. Once the luggage was empty, laundry sorted, and washer set to begin in the morning, it was finally time for bed. I'm looking forward to a Waffle Shop breakfast and my dad bringing Glorydog back in the morning. Looks like it's back to the real world for us!

Good morning, Venezia

It's been two plane rides and less than 24 hours since we left. The flights were smooth, but sleep was a little more difficult to come by than we had hoped. It's like being a five-year-old the night before Christmas. You know you should sleep because, as Effie Trinket would say, tomorrow's going to be "a big, big, big day!" But the combination of the less than comfortable seats, the occasional crying baby, and anticipation of the adventure ahead keep you just restless enough from falling into a deep sleep. Regardless of the amount of sleep we've gotten, it appears as though we may have been fairly successful in adjusting sleeping patterns with the time zone changes. I suppose that's something we'll truly find out when it's time to go to sleep (or before, you never know).

The Alps (left), Beautiful Italia (right)


We're looking forward to an exciting first day!

And we're off!

It was an uneventful, yet entertaining flight from State College. Although kind and helpful, I think our flight attendant would be better off at an open mic night. We've officially claimed squatter's rights close to power outlets in the Philly airport. The remainder of our five hour layover will consist of watching movies and trying not to fall asleep. Usual airport rituals already checked off the list: eat expensive, low quality airport food, people watch, scramble to charge as many electronic devices as possible, and an overall fight with technology (which lasted a good three hours). Looking forward to our flight and some sleep!

A big thanks to my sister for taking us to the airport and taking care of Glorydog while we're away. Even though it was a rainy day, she enjoyed the short ride to the airport to wish us a fun trip. I'm sure she'll have plenty of fun playing with Nike!


For those who were wondering...Packing finally concluded at 10:12 this morning, one of my books for class being the last item stowed. Of course that wasn't packed until a frantic and fruitless trip to work. Here's the final tally: one camera bag, one backpack, two carry-ons, and yes - one checked bag (and eight pairs of shoes for me)!

Packing

So, it's Saturday night and where do we find ourselves? Doing laundry and packing...I know no one is surprised by this. There's a sense of peace within the house, but isn't there always a calm before the storm? Pretty soon we'll be double and triple checking the list against what's actually been packed (very little, so far). Inevitably I'll be adding to the list, and John paring it. Here's to hoping this doesn't turn out to be anything like the packing fiasco for the trip to Wisconsin!

I wouldn't be surprised if my shoe packing list is overridden.