Geo: 37.209, -93.2916I'm using this entry to explain our change in travel plans this year. As many of you know, in October 2013 we booked a trip to China. We were both strangely nervous and for various reasons (excuses) by March of this year we paid a transfer fee with our tour company and moved our funds to visit Europe. About a week or so ago our goddaughter, Molly, a mere 16 years old, hopped on a plane to Japan. She was our inspiration and we decided if she has the courage, so do we. We paid another change fee, booked a new trip to China, and paid for the trip in-full. Our tour is nonrefundable so barring any medical emergencies, we shall be visiting China in a few months! The only step remaining in the ... read more

Geo: 43.2983, 5.38322Today was a lovely day in Marseille, France… the Provence region of France. We arrived and it was an interesting, mountainous area and it was also raining and chilly today. We took the Carnival shuttle to "town" and learned there really wasn't much to see or do in Marseille. We took a little touristy train around the town and up the hill to the Notre Dame and the Le Corniche area. We walked and finally shopped for just a bit. Kamie said we were like little kids today because we both decided to buy French hats. We were excited wearing them back to the ship. France left almost the same impression on me this time as the last time we visited – clean, impressive, and expensive. So, it's around 7:30pm when I am writing ... read more

Geo: 41.9023, 12.4581This blog starts at 4am today… Kamie & I are wide awake because we have an 11-hour tour in Rome planned. We will meet a group of 17 other cruisers downstairs at 7:45am and we will not return until 7:00pm. Here is the itinerary for today….- Private tour of St Peter's Basilica, The Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and Grotto with a licensed Vatican guide· Skipping-the-line and going directly into The Colosseum with our prepurchased tickets for a 2 hour tour of The Colosseum, Palatin Hill and The Roman Forum· Piazza di Spagna (The Spanish Steps)· Fontana di Trevi (The Trevi Fountain)· The Pantheon· Piazza NavonaUpdate: it's now nearly midnight here. I'm sitting up in bed trying to ignore the ship's rocking again tonight. Dangit!The cherry on ... read more

Geo: 38.1922, 15.5566We had a beautiful day today! I was awake around 4am and ready to get off the boat before 8am. Kamie wasn't quite as bright-eyed as myself but we still got off the boat around 8am. Today we walked, and walked, and walked…. all over the town of Messina on this island of Sicily. There is history at every corner. The buildings are amazing. The cars on this island are the teeniest, tiniest cars I've seen anywhere…Fiats and Mini Coopers… we even saw what I think was a Mini, Mini. It said "Mini" across the front and it was a tiny version of my car – no kidding! They don't drive too crazy here (thank goodness) as pedestrians are everywhere and well respected. We walked from one side of the town (graffiti, old barbershops, ... read more

Geo: 38.4122, 27.1387Turkey had my blood boiling before 10am. We got off the boat around 9am today and walked by the Carnival tour buses straight to the Izmir City Tour bus. This bus is advertised as a hop-on, hop-off bus which stops at 17 stops throughout Izmir and is super cheap at a price of 10 Euros per person for a ticket good for the entire day. Well, we got to the bus and it was about 75% full and started to leave so I gestured to the driver "Can we get on?" and he took his finger, moved it across in a line as if to cut his neck off and said "NO!" Dangit! He left and then I saw a little ticket booth - with a line of others wanting tickets. O, Okay, I ... read more