French Riviera!!!!

Our last port of call was to the south of France. Wow, it was beautiful. We split our day between Monte Carlo, Monaco and Nice, France.

Monte Carlo Casino

We were told that no visit to the south of France is complete without a trip to Monte Carlo. We were promised nice cars and all. Although we only saw two Lamborghinis, a Bentley, and a Royles Royce we did see some awesome yaghts. Apparently the rich folk hop onto their million dollar yaghts, glide on over to Monte Carlo, and play in the casino all night. What a life!!!!

The beach in Nice, France was amazing. Crystal clear water, freezing, but crystal clear. If you look closely you will notice that there is no sand. The beaches are covered with pebbles. Surprisingly, we kinda liked it. They are rough on your bare feet, but no sand stuck on you and the rocks are kinda therapeutic. The sun warmed them quite nicely.

Florence, Italy

We spent Fabulous Friday in Florence, Italy. And it was just that, fabulous. It is a beautiful city with beautiful people.

Duomo Cathedral The Duomo is a cathedral that consists of a massive dome with the most amazing murals painted inside of it.

Ponte Vecchio The Ponte Vecchio is a famous bridge in Florence lined on both sides with shops. This is the only bridge that survived bombings in World War II.

The happy couple.

Arno River My husband, the photographer, captured the view off the Ponte Vecchio. I think it is beautiful.

We didn't get a chance to leave the city and venture out into the wine country so I took pictures from the train. I'm not too bummed though. It just gives me an excuse to go back some day.

Rome, Italy

We spent all day Thursday in Rome. It is so overwhelming how much history is jampacked into this city. There was soooo much to see.

St. Peter's Basilica
This gives you an idea of how the inside of the Vatican Museum looked. It was breathtaking. There is just no way to capture everything. Here Josh and I were able to see the Sistine Chapel. It was my favorite sight that we saw in Rome. Sorry, no cameras allowed. I was pretty bummed.

Spanish Steps

Trevi Fountain Josh and I each threw a coin in the fountain. They say if you do, you will return to Rome. I hope that saying is true. I adored Rome.

...and of course the Coliseum. Yes, it was as extraordinary as the books say.

Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast!!!!

We arrived in Naples, Italy bright and early Tuesday morning. We boarded the train and headed straight to Pompeii. Pompeii was a city that in 79 A.D., was completley buried by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It wasn't discovered until nearly 1500 years later.
This is the forum, the center of the city. In the background you can see Mount Vesuvius.
This is just a sampling of some of the murals on the walls that have survived.
This gives you an idea of how some of the housing looked. This is actually part of the ampitheatre.

...and off to Sorrento, Italy. These pictures just don't give this area of Italy any justice. It was phenomenal. Known as the Amalfi Coast, this area is loved for its towering cliffs over the Mediterranean Sea. There are very few beaches to sun bathe on. There were docks so to speak built that are primarily used for sun bathing.

The island of Malta

Our first port of call while aboard the Norwegian Gem was Valletta, Malta. Malta is an island that throughout history was considered to be a crucial strategic location due to its position in the Mediterranean Sea.

We got up extra early to witness our arrival into Malta. What I thought was neat was how it looks like a big fort. Alot of the cities along the coast looked like this.
This is the entrance to Mdina, a medieval, walled city.
We spent the 2nd half of the day at Meliah Bay, a beautiful beach outside the capital city. The only problem was that the water was freezing. Josh had goose bumps the size of golf balls. FYI, if you go to Europe in May, don't expect to go sun bathing. It is just too cold.

We're Back!!!!!

Josh and I are back from our Mediterranean adventure and I must say that it was the most amazing vacation that I have ever been on. I feel so blessed to have been able to see the sights that I saw and experience the various cultures along the way. We began our get away in Barcelona, Spain and from there cruised to the island of Malta; Naples, Rome, and Florence, Italy; and ended in Nice, France. The best word to describe everything is simply WOW! It was just that, WOW!!!!!

Our journey began in Barcelona, Spain..... (Yes, I am the dork who forgot to rotate the pictures before uploading them. I'll make sure the rest are not like this.)

This was the hotel we stayed in, Hotel Adagio. It was right off Las Ramblas which made it ideal for us.
Las Ramblas. This is a famous street in Barcelona that is lined with shops, hotels, and restaurants. Literally at all hours of the day, this street is packed. Barcelona is a city that does not sleep.
Sagrada Familia. This is the famous cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi. Here's a bit of trivia...The term goddy that we use to describe really ornate things, comes from this man. The structures he designed were just crazy. People claim that what he created looks like he was on drugs when he designed them. Construction on this cathedral began in 1883 and as you can see is still not complete and they say it may never be complete. It was the most amazing structure.

This is the entrance to Park Guell, also designed by Antoni Gaudi. What you see is comprised totally of mosaics.

Here we have Casa Baittlo, also designed by Antoni Gaudi. It is supposed to look like bones.

Europe Bound....And We're Not Looking Back!!!

This weekend Josh and I embark on our dream vacation. After months of planning, we are finally almost there. We fly to Barcelona where we will board the Norwegian Gem and head to Nice, Rome, Naples, Florence, and the island of Malta. I can't even begin to explain how excited I am. I feel so blessed to be able to take such an amazing vacation. We will be back in the states on June 15th and I can't wait to share with all of you all the adventures that we had and show some of the sites we saw. Love you all!

Adios! Ciao! Au revoir!