MONichols

The next day was Cannes, a gorgeous seaside city, which has a lot to offer vicitors besides the yearly Film Festival. The beaches are pristine sand, unlike most of the Cote d'Azur. We tendered in and out of this port, and of my entire cruise, it was the only time there was a wait to board the ship. It was only abour 30 minutes wait, and at the end of the line we were offered cold lemonade or water, there were nice, clean portable restrooms about halfway through, and they had boarding the tender very well organized. This is where I opted for the Grasse & St.Paul de Vence tour, another hill town, but very different that in Italy, with much narrower streets, and mosaic patterns all the way up the hill. In Grasse we went ... read more

At Civitavecchia, most people from the ship headed off to Rome for the day. I opted instead for the Hill Towns of Tuscania & Civita de Bagnareggio. There is nothing more beautiful than Italian countryside and it’s historic hill towns. It was a beautiful day and being a photography buff, there were gorgeous shots around every corner. In Bagnareggio we were given two hours to wander and eat lunch on our own. My friend Sally had gone to a University of Washington summer program here, population 7 (really!), and I ran into a woman who was currently teaching the same program, 40 years later. We chatted for a while and she recommended a restaurant to us, a lovely place with an animated owner, it had Etruscan tombs in the basement, where you could dine, but it ... read more

Cruising the Mediterranean today, I slept in and ordered a room service continental breakfast to enjoy on the deck. I was overwhelemed by the sheer number of things to do at any given time, and maybe jet lag or maybe just on overload, I opted instead for some quiet time at Spice H2O pool. There were lots of families with children back there, Nickelodean movies playing on the big screen almost all day. Perhaps a little too much time elapsed between arriving and putting on my sunscreen, as I ended the session with a slight sunburn around the edges. My afternoon plan was the spa for a Musclease wrap, but because of the burn, the therapist recommended a milk bath wrap instead. It was done on the float table, which cocoons you in water, leaving you ... read more

It's Saturday and the city is abuzz with weekend travelers and Barcas alike, shopping, wandering, dining al fresco. What a beautiful city to walk in and get lost! My goal was the Picasso Museum and the Cathedral in the Barri Gotic, a few blocks from my hotel. First I went to the Cathedral, not Sagrada Familia, where I'd been before, but to the main Cathedral of St. Eulalia, HUGE, gothic, beautiful courtyard, many many altars, and a gorgeous specimen of the dedication of wealthy patrons of the Church in the 12th through 16th centuries. From there I headed to the Picasso Museum, but got sidetracked by a sidewalk cafe on a plaza, where I had a delightful lunch of mixed seafoods and salad. Never did find the museum, but found my way to the waterfront and ... read more

We were on our own the next day, and after an early morning walk around the area, through the parks and some shops, I was happy to lounge by the pool at the hotel. The city air is quite polluted and when out in it for too long, my asthma kicked up. I got a wonderful manicure and pedicure in the hotel spa, which lasted 4 weeks at home, with delicious teas first cold, then hot. I I went out again after dark to see the city as the families and young people came out. The mopeds and bikes were everywhere, three, four to a bike. People carrying everything on them, from fruits to flowers. The young seemed happy and care free. The men picking up the women working in the shops that closed at 10:00pm, ... read more