Travel Day

Saturday, June 7, 2014

I dislike travel days because that means packing . . . but I like travel days because I always look forward to the next place on the itinerary!  The great thing about cruising is you go to a new destination every day without having to pack.

Today was a looooog day.

A long, long day.

I stayed up late to pack and had to get up very early to catch the bus to the airport. There was no time for breakfast. We took a bus from the hotel in Vienna to the airport; a plane to Switzerland; and another plane to Milan.  

In Milan, we had a hard time figuring out which train we needed to take to Lake Como. We hopped on one train, but before it pulled out of the station, we realized we were on the wrong train. Stan went and asked the person at the ticket counter and we were directed to another train on a different track.  We schlepped all our luggage to the other track and second-guessed ourselves thinking that the original train was probably the right one after-all.  We schlepped our luggage back to the original track, re-boarded the train and then, just to be sure, asked someone who looked like a station manager. He said we needed to be on a different train on  the other track so we schlepped our luggage back to the other track. By then, we had missed the train.

Oh, bananas!

We asked again, checked the internet, checked again just be sure and THIS time we got on the correct train on the correct track.

Whew!  

All of this would have been fine except I was fighting a miserable cold and neither one of us had eaten.

We finally made it to Lake Como two trains later and caught a bus to our hotel.  I just HAD to video the ride on the bus because the roads are really narrow and our bus took up a lane-and-a-half. The driver was really sweet and his two daughters were along for the ride. The youngest one was talking away to her Dad and he patiently responded to all her comments while trying to concentrate on the road.

When we finally arrived at our hotel we were very happy to be there.  First stop was the restaurant where I was warmly greeted by the wait staff. Apparently everyone remembered us from our visit in 2012.

Vienna, Austria

Friday, June 6, 2014

Filling in the gaps . . . 

The cruise ended on Wednesday, June 4th. Everyone had to be off the ship by 8:30 AM so there was a lot of hustle and bustle. I got ready, grabbed a quick bite in the dining room, hugged my cabin-mate goodbye and headed to the port to find Stan.

Considering this was my very first cruise, I think I did pretty well.  Ha! Ha! I had no idea what to expect or how to plan. My friends (Bill and Diane) absolutely love cruising and now I can see why. I was very fortunate to have sweet Kris for a cabin-mate. It would have been a very long 12 days if I had been stuck in close quarters with someone I didn't connect with. LOL. But thankfully, everything went smoothly and I'm sure we will be life-long friends. Bonus!

Stan met me at the ship and we headed off to the airport. We flew from Barcelona to Vienna and arrived at our hotel about 3:00. The first order of business was LAUNDRY ... Lots of it!

On Thursday, I stayed in my room and caught up on email, bills, the blog and uploaded photos. I literally did not leave my room until dinner. The day was over-cast and cool so I didn't feel too bad taking a day to catch up.  Stan and I were in Vienna two years ago so Vienna isn't totally new to us.

Today, I stayed in again but this time it was because I came down with a cold. One of the girls in our group was sick the final days of the cruise so perhaps I got what she had. It stinks! Boo! 

Double Boo! 

I was determined not to miss the concert tonight so I stayed in and tried to relax. I soaked in the tub for awhile and tried to nap. 

This evening we took a train into the city and walked around a little. Stan showed me the building where we would be attending the concert.  I never grow tired of looking at beautiful mouldings, columns, and overall detail in architecture. Vienna is so beautiful! (I posted lots of photos in this blog my last visit in 2012 so you can check that out if you want to see more.) We did some window shopping, had dinner and then headed to the Sacher Hotel to have one of their famous tortes for dessert.

Musikverein
Vienna, Austria

That's a mighty big shoe!

I'll take it!

I found my hat for the next Annual Hat Party!

A must in Vienna.

Stan took one bite, I ate the rest!

The highlight of the evening was the concert at the Vienna Musikverein in the Golden Hall performed by the Vienna Mozart Orchestra. The program included Mozart's most popular pieces and the members of the orchestra dressed in full costume! 

Ceiling panel in the lobby.

Ceiling in the lobby.

Golden Hall

Happy girl!

Stan

At night.

Tomorrow is a travel day. I still have to pack!

Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast, Italy

Monday, June 2, 2014

Yesterday was a "Sea Day" and today was the last port on our itinerary.  I can't believe the cruise is coming to an end.  It has been such a blessing to visit all the wonderful places we've been to and I am so thankful for the opportunity.

The tour today took us to three destinations.  The ship ported in Salerno and then we drove to Pompeii, Sorrento and along the Amalfi coast to Positano.  This was Salerno this morning as we were pulling in to port:

Salerno, Italy

Salerno, Italy

This morning I was right-on-time when I disembarked the ship and checked-in with the tour guide.  But when I stepped on the bus, everyone groaned at me for being the last person to board. Geez Louise! Apparently everyone else got downstairs EARLY and had been sitting on the bus eager to get started. Ha! Ha!  Allow me to reiterate that I was right-on-time. (They all reminded me of my eager-beaver Dad who used to be up at the crack of dawn and out the door two hours before we were supposed to be somewhere.) LOL.

The tour started with an hour journey to Pompeii. The story of Pompeii is fascinating (and sad).  Pompeii was a Roman city near modern-day Naples that was buried under volcanic ash and pumice in 79 AD when a near-by volcano (Mount Vesuvius) erupted. According to Wikipedia, the city was lost for about 1,500 years until its re-discovery in 1599 - and broader re-discovery in 1748.  For centuries, the city lay beneath the surface well preserved from air and moisture. The discovery of Pompeii has provided  us with an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city during the Pax Romana. 

Pompeii

Mount Vesuvius in the background.

I just thought he was pretty.

There's always one . . .

'

Interior of a home in Pompeii.
Notice the mosaic detail on the floor.

Mosaic detail on this fountain.

The streets of Pompeii.

This section hasn't been excavated yet. Who knows what lies beneath?

Pompeii city gates.

After Pompeii, we drove to the quaint southern town of Sorrento.  This vacation spot overlooks the Bay of Naples and is famous for its lemons, specifically its  Limoncello  - a sweet liqueur made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar.  I did not take a single photo of Sorrento because most of the group went straight to a nice restaurant in town and had lunch. I met a couple from North Carolina and enjoyed visiting with them. The woman reminded me so much of my cousin, Carla. 

Back on the bus, we drove along the Amalfi Coast to Positano. The drive was beautiful. Everyone from home agreed it looked like Santa Barbara except it was much greener, and of course the water was deep blue.

Positano, Italy

Positano, Italy

Bill and Scott

Bill, Christie and Scott

Tomorrow is our final "Sea Day" and on Wednesday, the cruise ends back in Barcelona. I'm sure everyone will be busy packing and preparing to leave the ship. My friend Stan is meeting me in Barcelona and we are flying to Vienna for a few days.