We arrived in Barcelona on Wed/23--settled in our stateroom, unpacked --rested and had a lite dinner in the room--exhausted from 11 hr flite--went to sleep.
Thurs--toured Barcelona--saw the Famalia church--had a tapas tour withe wine in two bistros--tender calamari, cured bacon roll, crab salad, good local barrel red and white wines. Dinner on the ***** was rack of lamb. Delicious!!
Fri--Went to Monte Carlo--brief tour--on to Nice--toured old city--beautiful!! We had snacks and local wines in a little cafe--we had pasta in the Italian dining room on the *****--very good.
Sat-Pisa/Lucca--Pisa covered with pickpocket gypses--tower is smaller than I thought--ok--lite dinner in the *****!!
Sun.--Rome!!! Fantastic private tour--St Pauls Basilica, colliseum, Trivi fountain, Pantheon, Circus Maximus, forum. Great lunch near fountain--clear vegi soup, rissoto with prawns--Jane had prawns with fresh pasta in a lemon sauce. Good local white wine!! Dinner on the *****--strip steaks with a cab. We could not get in St Peters (Sunday) but did tour Vatican square--the whole city is overwhelming!!!
Got to run --will get back later and finish!!
OK we're back--company coming Monday--ran to the store--
Monday--cruised straits of Massina and docked about 2:00PM. Lunch poolside--blooody marys, red wine with the hamburgers--went ashore and visited some areas the Godfather was shot--some relly high up!!! Dinner in the Italian Restraunt on the *****--Lasagna with a Primitivo wine!!
Tues--at sea all day- a day of rest--shopped on board, imbibed around the pool--napped in the stateroom. Mariners luncheon for repeat Holland American sailors. Served Herbed chicken breasts with wine. Met lots of people! Formal dinner--osso buco (no marrow spoons) and a bottle of Brunello Montelcino I picked up in Rome. Magnificent!!!
Wed--Navplion/Corinth Greece--Toured ancient Corinth--saw the marble stage where Paul preached--about 100 AD--there is probably a Greek city underneath dating back to
700BC, but they don't want to mess up what's on top!! So they wait for an earthquake!! Lunch ashore in a little bistro seaside--shrimp salad with local white wine--sooo good!! Sommelier Dinner--7 courses-4 wines, beginning with Ch St Michelle Brut (Jean!)--hazelnut crusted rack of lamb was the main course w/Arbodela Carmenere from Chile--really an experience!!
Thurs--tour of ancient olympia--700BC--INCREDABLE!!! Nothing like it!!
Fri--Corfu--neat little town--mostly good shopping for gifts to bring home-dinner in Pinnacle Grill--Steak Diane/cab--storm outside--beautiful!!
Sat--Gale forced us in backwards--we were the only ***** to get in--great captain!!! Dubrovnik Croatia-- beautiful walled city--Folks over 30 grew up under Tito--speak well of him but like todays government better--democratic capitalism. Loved the place and the people!! Formal dinner--Surf & Turf.
Sun--Sailed into Venice at 11:00 AM--Gorgeous!!! Sailed in the Grand Canal with the city fairly close on both sides . Great views!! Better than on shore--too crowded--gondola ride was not what I expected and Piazza San Marco was dazzeling, but too crowded!! Some rude folks here too--met friends for farewell martinis--to the room for packing and room service!!
Monday--flew out at 1:05PM--11 hrs to Atlanta--all daylite--3hr layover--2 hrs to Houston--arrived at midnite--7 hr time difference--straight to the Marriott--home next day--took until today to get over jet lag---absolutely worth it--if you get the chance to go --GO--we loved this --our trip of a lifetime!!! Pictures when I get some help! Bill & Jane
Thurs--toured Barcelona--saw the Famalia church--had a tapas tour withe wine in two bistros--tender calamari, cured bacon roll, crab salad, good local barrel red and white wines. Dinner on the ***** was rack of lamb. Delicious!!
Fri--Went to Monte Carlo--brief tour--on to Nice--toured old city--beautiful!! We had snacks and local wines in a little cafe--we had pasta in the Italian dining room on the *****--very good.
Sat-Pisa/Lucca--Pisa covered with pickpocket gypses--tower is smaller than I thought--ok--lite dinner in the *****!!
Sun.--Rome!!! Fantastic private tour--St Pauls Basilica, colliseum, Trivi fountain, Pantheon, Circus Maximus, forum. Great lunch near fountain--clear vegi soup, rissoto with prawns--Jane had prawns with fresh pasta in a lemon sauce. Good local white wine!! Dinner on the *****--strip steaks with a cab. We could not get in St Peters (Sunday) but did tour Vatican square--the whole city is overwhelming!!!
Got to run --will get back later and finish!!
OK we're back--company coming Monday--ran to the store--
Monday--cruised straits of Massina and docked about 2:00PM. Lunch poolside--blooody marys, red wine with the hamburgers--went ashore and visited some areas the Godfather was shot--some relly high up!!! Dinner in the Italian Restraunt on the *****--Lasagna with a Primitivo wine!!
Tues--at sea all day- a day of rest--shopped on board, imbibed around the pool--napped in the stateroom. Mariners luncheon for repeat Holland American sailors. Served Herbed chicken breasts with wine. Met lots of people! Formal dinner--osso buco (no marrow spoons) and a bottle of Brunello Montelcino I picked up in Rome. Magnificent!!!
Wed--Navplion/Corinth Greece--Toured ancient Corinth--saw the marble stage where Paul preached--about 100 AD--there is probably a Greek city underneath dating back to
700BC, but they don't want to mess up what's on top!! So they wait for an earthquake!! Lunch ashore in a little bistro seaside--shrimp salad with local white wine--sooo good!! Sommelier Dinner--7 courses-4 wines, beginning with Ch St Michelle Brut (Jean!)--hazelnut crusted rack of lamb was the main course w/Arbodela Carmenere from Chile--really an experience!!
Thurs--tour of ancient olympia--700BC--INCREDABLE!!! Nothing like it!!
Fri--Corfu--neat little town--mostly good shopping for gifts to bring home-dinner in Pinnacle Grill--Steak Diane/cab--storm outside--beautiful!!
Sat--Gale forced us in backwards--we were the only ***** to get in--great captain!!! Dubrovnik Croatia-- beautiful walled city--Folks over 30 grew up under Tito--speak well of him but like todays government better--democratic capitalism. Loved the place and the people!! Formal dinner--Surf & Turf.
Sun--Sailed into Venice at 11:00 AM--Gorgeous!!! Sailed in the Grand Canal with the city fairly close on both sides . Great views!! Better than on shore--too crowded--gondola ride was not what I expected and Piazza San Marco was dazzeling, but too crowded!! Some rude folks here too--met friends for farewell martinis--to the room for packing and room service!!
Monday--flew out at 1:05PM--11 hrs to Atlanta--all daylite--3hr layover--2 hrs to Houston--arrived at midnite--7 hr time difference--straight to the Marriott--home next day--took until today to get over jet lag---absolutely worth it--if you get the chance to go --GO--we loved this --our trip of a lifetime!!! Pictures when I get some help! Bill & Jane
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
