Roaming Recap

We've survived our marathon visits to Barcelona, Florence, Rome & Naples and are currently at sea heading towards Santorini. With all this rest and spare time I've decided to be blog productive. So, here are some highlights of our last few days...


I know, the format and layout is all hosed and I can't believe my perfectionist self is publishing anyway. I will definitely make it all pretty when I get home. For now, just be happy I posted pictures!

Ciao Bellas!

I know, I know...I promised to write more and be in touch often. However, it's not as easy as I thought to connect to the 'net on this big hunk. And with over 400 images taken, selecting just the right photos proves to be a task outside of my attention span. I do feel bad as I am receiving the "Are you still alive?" emails so here is the basic recap.

Nice was nice but the people weren't. After missing our stop on the train, we couldn't find a friendly French soul to direct us the right direction. We missed the shopping, Cannes and the pastries. Fortunately, we were able to end the day on a good note with drinks, crepes and a server who insisted on referring to me as "The Princess".

Following our adventure in Nice we were a little hesistant about what would await us in Florence the following day. Well, it was the complete opposite experience. We hopped on a bus headed to Cinque Terre and spent the day exploring, learning, eating and shopping. Protected by UNESCO, the locals have farmed the grapevines on these hillsides for generations.
I must say I would give my vote to the Italian Riveria any day! They still had topless beaches, boys but the locals were much more pleasant. And they are known for their Limoncello and esto so I was instantly in love.

Today found us wandering the ancient streets of Roma...visiting the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, etc.
Tomorrow is we hit up the shores of Naples and head on a excursion for wine and olive oil tasting in Sorrento trailed by a visit to the ruins of Pompeii before taking a day at sea. You wouldn't guess it but all this traveling around is exhausting!

I will work harder at being a better blogger and keep you all informed on the Carol & Michelle Celebrity Cruise Show.

P.S. I am realizing after posting this that the pics up aren't the best of the collection. Iphoto isn't very user-friendly and doesn't display every pic in my portfolio. This leaves me selecting blindly and after a couple margaritas I don't really have the patience to go back and edit. Please now that I have way better ones and will update them when time permits (aka at home)

Barcelona!

Though we never thought the flights we would end, my mom and I arrived in Barcelona yesterday morning. We hopped on the Celebrity shuttle bus and were presented with a 2 hour tour of the city. While a stroll around the town would have been welcomed, being barely able to keep my eyes open, it wasn't really an option. The wheels rolled us through parks, up streets and past Gaudi ( a thrill to see in person). Soon we arrived at the boat, checked in and hit our beds for a nice little nap.
Sporting a stain on my pants from a wayward piece of red cabbage and our luggage still making it's way to our stateroom, we skipped lunch and worked on acclimating to our swaying surroundings.

Dinner was pleasant but had room for improvement. The bottle of wine we shared made us feel a little better though so we freshened up and headed to Disco night.
We didn't take our feet to the dance floor as drinking and then dancing on a rocking boat could end badly for a clutz like me. However, the fellow guests provided much entertainment. A couple cocktails later, we retired to our rooms and ended the evening with a much-needed Tylenol PM and a great sleep session...

Today finds us at sea with the boat on target for arrival at Villefrance tomorrow. We are looking forward to our first formal dinner this evening which will be followed by taking in our first onboard show...BROADWAY NIGHT! I'd better go practice my jazz hands...

Hey Christine,
I had to fly all the way to Barcelona to see one of these... I begged the bus driver to stop but I think something got lost in the translation.

Where in Europe is Meesh?

So, this will (probably) be my final blog before I toss back a couple Bloody Marys and take to the skies. In case you can't sleep at night wondering where in Europe I am, here is my itinerary:

08.13, 7:11pm: Depart Reno for Detroit

08.14, 5:11am : Arrive Detroit

08.14, 4:05pm : Depart Detroit for Barcelona

08.15, 9:00am : Arrive Barcelona!

08.16, all day : At Sea

08.17, 7am-8pm : Nice, France

08.18, 7am-7pm : Florence/Pisa, Italy

08.16, 7am-7pm : Rome, Italy

08.20, 7am-7pm : Naples/Capri, Italy

08.21, all day : At Sea

08.22, 7am-7pm : Santorini, Greece

08.23, 7am-7pm : Athens, Greece

08.24, all day : At Sea

08.25, 7am-5pm : Dubrovnik, Croatia

08.26, 12pm : Venice, Italy

08.27, 2:45pm : Depart Barcelona for Detroit

08.27, 5:35pm : Arrive Detroit

09.01, 5:45pm : Depart Detroit for Reno

09.01, 10:02p : I'M HOME!!!

Thanks to all who joined me at the Blue Onion last night, to Auntie C and Mike for keeping an eye on Eli and Em, to Belle for the gift of blank pages to write upon, to Tom for the tasty tips and to everyone else for their well-wishing. Cheers!

Bon Voyage ala Etsy

I said "Bon Voyage" to Etsy today and this is what it said back...

Adieu hand-painted pendant from margrietje



Crest Bon Voyage card by Earmark



The World Is Yours by lisaburch



Bon Voyage note card by thebeautifulproject

Casulo!

The ultimate in modular furniture coolness!

Casulo!

The Day is Upon Us...

So, tonight is my Bon Voyage/Taco Tuesday get together at the Blue Onion in Kings Beach...my suitcases are packed, my house is semi-clean, I've wrapped up the majority of my open items at work and given Elliot & Emma the no-parties-while-mom's-away lecture. All that's left to say is...

Looking forward to seeing all my friends out tonight for cheap beer & tacos and maybe a dip in Tahoe.

Photo courtesy of Flickr/Ashley03

Food, Friends, Four-Letter Words and Five Cent Blinds

We ended the work week in a perfect way. The San Rafael Hyams clan was up visiting the Truckee Hyams clan and they extended an invite to us for a BBQ on the West Shore. Knowing what a fantastic cook Mary is and the fact that Mike was visiting from NY, Christine and I knew we had to go. And what a treat it was...not only was the whole group there, but the food was fantastic! Flank steak, corn on the cob with chipotle butter, vermicelli salad, black bean, tomato & avocado salad, followed by cookies....oi vey!

We worked off dinner with a little swing time and then sat by the shore watching the sun drift into sleep.

Along with the sun, we bid the grandparents and Keelan goodnight...

After a run home to change up, we hit the Pastime for an evening feeding endless quarters into the shuffleboard table.

Twas a night of plenty of laughs and memories to add to our "Why We Love the Hyams Family" list

Saturday was all about packing for my trip and then babysitting Keelan with Christine. Thanks to Elliot and Emma, he can now officially meow perfectly! (This is the the 4-letter word to which the title refers)

Sunday, C, Taude, Karlberger and I hit the surface of Tahoe for some paddleboarding, chowed some Izzy burgers and then went home to clean, read, sleep, pack, etc.

I reunited with Christine at her house and Danny & Reno arrived for some Peluso's & Poker.

Christine won but only because she bullied us around (and it was her change).

This was my last weekend before my trip and I must say, it was perfect. Time with family, friends...Fun in the sun...Endless hours watching Keelan in all his toddler greatness and kicking back on C's porch. I'm gonna miss it all.