Pisa and Florence Day 9

Day 9 started off much better than Day 8. I felt much better when I woke up and even managed to eat some breakfast. We headed off the boat and caught a shuttle and headed into Livorno. And just as a warning, the number of pictures taken during this trip were a direct reflection of how I was feeling so you should prepare yourselves for some pretty picture heavy posts coming up...and having access to my computer helps in this process too. :)

This is a shot of the ship as we were getting on the shuttle.

On our way to the bus stop...if this is what I would see on the way to the bus stop in Dallas, I would actually consider riding the bus here at home. 

The bus took us right to the train station and we bought tickets and hopped on the train heading for Pisa.

Something that I need to do is a separate picture post about riding the trains. EVERYONE seemed to be able to hop on the train and then promptly fall asleep. I however could not, so I just took pictures of everyone sleeping. Teena even slept so hard she started talking in her sleep and woke up saying "He's frowning at you!" 

Once we got to Pisa, we grabbed another bus and headed to see the leaning tower of Pisa.

Luke and Teena walking towards the tower.

 This is a shot of all the tourists lining up to take that famous "Look I am holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa" shot.

 One of the markets outside of the piazza.

Our next plan was to grab the bus back to the train station and hop on yet another train to Florence.

This is Den while waiting for the train....not sure what he was doing or what he was saying but I am sure that it was important and profound.

The first order of business when we reached Florence was to get our return tickets. We didn't want to have to worry about not making the train back and having to take a taxi back to the ship which would have been outrageously expensive. Then we stopped at McDonalds to grab a quick cheap lunch before heading out. 

Our first stop was the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore. It is the cathedral church (Duomo) of Florence, Italy, begun in 1296. The exterior of the basilica is faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white and is absolutely stunning.

The cathedral complex, located in Piazza del Duomo, includes the Baptistery and Giotto's Campanile. The three buildings are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We were going to go inside but the line was pretty long and we were quickly running out of time so we headed to the market to see what we could find.

Florence is known for its leather goods. And even though it felt like 105 outside, I stopped to admire this beautiful leather jacket. The salesman started talking to me, asked me if I liked the jacket, and then offered to show me some more...and by offered, I mean grabbed my hand and pulled me past the stand where the jackets were and into the shop behind him and into the back room. Luckily Christina was following along behind me and eventually her sister and mother joined us. While in there, we met the designer and tried on several different jackets. In the end, Christina, her sister Monica, and I all purchased a jacket. And it is a pretty awesome jacket if I do say so myself. :)

After all the alterations and purchases were completed, it was about 3:00. We had bought tickets for the 3:28 train, so we started heading back to the station. We got to the station about 3:15 and decided to stop back in the McDonalds to use the restroom and grab snacks. All the girls headed upstairs to wait in line, but it seemed kind of long so I joined Den back downstairs to wait. Den ordered, got his food, returned his drink and got a refund because it was flat, and still no one had come downstairs yet from the restroom. By now it was about 3:20 so we decided to go ahead and figure out which platform we needed to be at to board. As we started looking at the schedule, it showed that our train was leaving earlier than we expected. So Den told us to hurry over to platform 2 and he stepped back into the McDonalds to hurry everyone up, which I think consisted of opening the door and shouting "CHRISTINA!!!!" 

We were starting to feel a little panicked at this point because we really couldn't afford to miss this train. So walking very quickly, we made our way to platform 2 only to realize that it is NOT the train back to Livorno. 

This was when the running started...

Skirt flying, camera bouncing and new leather jacket clutched tightly to my chest we ran to platform 4, which sounds like it might be close to 2 but it is not. I am not sure why we ran to 4 but that was where the group was going so I followed. We jumped onto the train, confirmed with some of the passengers already seated that this was in fact going to Livorno, and then started looking for seat. 

We found a seat for Christina's mom, who was a rockstar and kept up with us the whole time, even during the sprint to the train. Then we found another seat for Monica, but that is where our luck stopped. So Den, Christina, Luke and I found a nice comfortable spot between the cars on the floor.

 Just passing the time on our hour long train ride by trying on the masks that Christina bought

 Thankful that these feet can run in flip flops

I told you....everyone falls asleep on the train but me.

A few things I want to remember about this train ride bullet style:

* The homeless man who almost spilled his beer on Teena.

* Lime green pants

* Freaking out every time a train passed us

Near the end of the train ride the homeless man returned to our little compartment. He had the song Forever Young playing on his phone and I remember thinking that there wasn't a better song to use as a soundtrack for this day. So thank you homeless drunk man, for helping make a pretty awesome day even better.

After a couple of cramped bus rides, we made it back to the ship in one piece. We all showered, grabbed some snacks and met up at the pool for movie night.

 Christina, Den, & Monica

 Luke attacking the watermelon.

And then everyone fell asleep. :)

Rome Day 8 - aka...The Ultimate Puke and Rally

Day 8 begins with Teena's alarm going off at 5:30 am. Den wants everyone to meet at 6:00 for breakfast and be the first off the ship at 6:30 so we can get to St. Peter's square to try to beat the lines. Still not feeling great but I really want to see Rome so I am up and dressed and at breakfast by 6:00. Den and Luke eat their weight in pancakes, bacon, and omlettes and we head to the gangway to explore Rome.

I am one of the last in our group to walk through security, and for those of you who haven't been on a cruise before, you have to scan your card when you leave the ship. So I hand them my card and the alarm goes off. It turns out that they really meant it when they put me under quarantine. :( I was not allowed to leave the ship until I met with the medic which didn't open until 8:00. So I sent everyone else on and told them I would meet them there in about an hour.

I cried all the way back to my room because I felt sorry for myself. I sucked it up however and pulled out my book to pass them time until the medic opened. About 15 minutes into my wait, Teena walks in the room. She claims that she wasn't feeling very well and wanted to take some medicine, but somehow I don't think she was being completely honest. :)

8:00 finally rolls around and we head down to the medic where I am declared well but am told that my quarentine lasts until 9:00 and there is no way they can change it. So back to the room we go and now we are not 1 but 2 hours behind the others.

Dizzy, dehydrated, and determined, Teena and I headed out one more time to see if we could make it to Rome. After a little pushing and shoving, we ended up on the 2nd shuttle bus to what we thought would be the train station.

When we stepped off the shuttle, we were not at the train station, but just at the port entrance where we were greeted by no less than 20 taxis all offering rides in to Rome. But at 60 euros a person, we decided that the train was good enough for us. After about a 5 minute walk, we were at the station. However, since we bought our tickets down by the shuttle we had NO idea which platform the train was at. So we just started following the crowd that was running and luckily made it on the right train. I mean...all roads lead to Rome right?

While on the train we got directions texted to us from Luke to get off at the San Pedro stop and meet them at St. Peter's Square. There were plenty of signs and people headed that direction so we made it there without any issue.

When Teena and I got there, the group was already inside the tour so we had a seat and waited for them. We did look around at a few other free areas but to be quite honest I have no idea what it was called or what we looked at. Den said that we should look through the St. Peter's Basilica but we didn't know where it was so we continued to sit and sweat.

After a couple of hours Den and Luke finally made their way out of the labyrinth that was the Vatican museum and met up with us on the steps. Den showed us where the Basilica entrance was so Teena and I headed that way. However, once I got to the line, I started feeling pretty bad so I turned back to let Den and Luke know that I needed to grab the train back.

I really must have looked pretty bad because Den insisted on walking me back part of the way to the train. Even the knock off hand bags we saw along the way were not enough to make me feel better. I finally made it back to the train and had a twenty minute wait. 

As I waited, I started to feel worse and worse. Needless to say, what should have been a 40 - 45 minute train ride, ended up being about 2 hours as I had to hop off several times. I am now extremely familiar with the restrooms of several trains stations in Italy...and will probably not be welcome back on the train as a couple of times, the stops didn't come quite soon enough.

After the train ride, I grabbed a cab ride down to the ship. It cost me 15 euros to go 5 minutes but at this point it really didn't matter. All I wanted was to get back to my room. I slept the rest of the afternoon and got up that evening feeling much better. Den and Luke joined Teena and me in the dining room that night for their 2nd dinner.

I took this picture from the top deck as we left port. Shortly after this picture was taken I was fast asleep, hoping that the next day would be better.

Monacco Day 7

Morning came and I was worse than the night before. Den was kind enough to move a trash can over by the bed which I promptly filled once everyone left for breakfast.

All I remember from the day is feeling sick, throwing up, and brief moments when the group would come back to check on me. Finally by the afternoon, when I still wasn't feeling better, the group urged me to visit the clinic on board because it was obviously something more than sea sickness. So I made my way down and was told that I had a virus and was then quarentined to my room until 8:00 am the next morning. I gladly went back to the room and passed out again only happy to comply with my quarnetine. Little did I know this would come back to bite me in the morning.

I went to sleep again with the fear of waking up and missing out on our next day's adventure....ROME!

Sadly no pictures of Monocco but I hear it was beautiful!

Setting Sail Day 6

Well, what a day we have had! Everyone woke up excited about the cruise. We did some last minute packing, had a quick bite to eat and stopped at one more catherdral before we headed to the port. This particular cathedral had a dress code and since Teena didn't have her shoulders covered, she wasn't going to be allowed in. So her sweet brother was told to offered his shirt so she could go in.

 Den trying to act casual while waiting for his shirt. But he wasn't the only one who gave up his shirt.

I am surprised there weren't more guys hanging around with their shirts off. I should go back next week to check. :)

It was finally time to head to the port. Someone, who I won't name, decided that we should walk to the port. "It will only take 15 minutes!" they said. So we all started walking. And indeed it took us about 15 minutes to get to the port, only we were not at the port for cruise ships. That was a bit of a walk down the road, probably another 45 minutes. And it really wasn't the fact that we were walking that was bad. It was the fact that we had to walk up a huge bridge that went over the water the get to our ship.

If you look way in the back, you can see the white bridge that we walked over. I don't have an up close picture because of the terror that took over my body as we climbed the bridge. Luckily, we had a ride the next time we crossed that bridge.

When we finally made it tot he ship we were sweaty, exhausted, and hungry. We dropped our bags at our rooms and headed straight to the buffet. This was the beginning of Den and Luke earning their money back.

This was also about the time that I started to feel a little sick. I thought that I might be getting sea sick(even though the boat was still at the dock) so I took some anti nausea pills and joined everyone on the top deck. We hung out, swam, ate and just layed in the sun as Barcelona faded in the distance until it was time for dinner.

After dinner, Teena and I went back to the room because I still wasn't feeling great and Teena was tired. Everyone else went and played bingo.

My biggest fear as I fell asleep, was that I wouldn't feel well enough to go into Monocco, our first port, in the morning.

Barcelona Day 5

I can't believe that I have been in Barcelona for 5 days! The weather has been absolutely beautiful. Each day the high has been around 80 and for this Texas girl that has felt like a dream. There have been a few times when we have been hot but all you have to do is find some shade and it instantly feels ten degrees cooler. We have adjusted to the more laid back style here. So when I say we got up early, it really means we got up around 8:00. We have lunch around 2:00 and last night we didn't have dinner until 9:00. I am sure that it had nothing to do with the fact that Den only has one burner in his kitchen and no oven, which makes cooking multiple items at the same time VERY difficult. :)

Den's apartment is absolutely charming. He is on the "second" floor but not really. There are actually two flats below him and then the ground floor businesses so it really is like the fourth floor, and the 69 steps it takes to get up here confirm it. I will put together a photo tour later.

His flat is actually very spacious. There are 4 rooms that can be used as bedrooms and then one large common area. The common area and two of the bedrooms are on the back of the apartment and each of them have there own balcony. I am staying in one of these rooms. Luke, Teena, and Den are all staying in the front of the apartment and have either a window or balcony to let in the cool evening breeze. We keep the windows and doors open pretty much all day. It is surprising how very few bugs there are here. At home we would have fly swatters out nonstop if we tried to do this.

Den's flat is in the Gothic Quarter, which is one of the oldest parts of Barcelona. There are lots of twisting and turning streets that you never quite know where they will lead you. The streets are so small that they have special garbage trucks that run through here because the bigger ones won't fit. He is surrounded by tons of old cathedrals and charming courtyards. There is a story around every corner and to Den's credit, he knows almost all of them.

It has been a nonstop whirlwind so today we decided to take it a little slower to recoup from our long day in Tarragona. Our morning began with Sagrada Familia. We got there about 10 minutes before it opened and only waited in line a short time before we made it in. Sagrada Familia, another Gaudi masterpiece, is what most tour books say is a "must see" in Barcelona, but I am not so sure that I agree. It is amazing and beautiful but it was not any where near my favorite place that we saw in Barcelona.

This cathedral began construction almost 100 years ago and it is estimated that construction will continue for another 50 years before it is complete.

 We ended up buying a ticket that would allow us to take an elevator to the very top and then make our own way down through the maze of tight curvy staircases. This is Den taking a break while Teena and Luke explored a little further up.

 Teena on one of the balconies.

 Back on the ground floor.

The ceiling...you can see all of the nature inspired carvings and how the columns break off like branches towards the top.

Next we grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back towards Den's neighborhood. Along the way, Den was kind enough to go into a couple of hair salons to describe the effects that the Barcelona air was having on my hair. Most of my hair products were taken from my checked luggage so I was looking more and more like Ms. Frizzle everyday. And although, I do not think that my hair got as big as he described with his hands, I did get what I needed and was very grateful for his translation skills.

After park Guell we had talked about what a shame it was that people didn't really sit and enjoy the park and all its beauty because it was so crowded with tourists so he took us to the Ciutadella. Which is a local park that WAS packed with locals who were reading, riding bikes and or just laying in the shade.

This is the Arc de Triomf, an archway structure that was built for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona. There was a basketball competition going on so I wasn't able to get a clear shot but it was very impressive.

After our little mini tour, we went back to the flat to rest up and get ready for the cruise. It was very laid back, we listened to music and hung out mostly. 

We did take a quick walk to a restaurant named Sagardi for pintxos, which is like a buffet of little snacks. You pick up what you want and then they count the toothpicks at the end of your meal to determine your bill.

 Den explaining the different dishes.

 It was super good. Perfect dinner.

Our next stop was a quick trip up to Den's school to pick up his suitcase. I was able to grab a picture of him in his classroom. And on the way back, we missed our metro stop by about two because we were so busy talking. It was nice to have some time just to catch up and talk.

Our last task of the evening was to grab some booze to sneak on the cruise. Den and I had a nice walk and I got to see some great night views of Barcelona.