Europe...FINALLY!

Blogging has definitely taken a backseat this summer.  It's high time I get back into the swing of things.  I have a lot of catching up to do.  I'll start with our trip to Europe this summer.

In honor of my mother's 70th birthday (I know...she doesn't look or act like a 70 year old, but it's true - I hope I am blessed with her genes) we took a Mediterranean cruise to Italy, Greece, and Croatia.  Dear friends of ours, and another mother-daughter pair went with us. 

 

 

We all met at JFK and took a direct flight to Venice, Italy.  We arrived there at 11am, and exhausted, and trekked our luggage through the cobblestone alleys and over bridges through the city to our hotel.  Since there are no roads, taking a taxi or bus was out of the question.  On our way back to their airport we were smart enough to take a water taxi!  We explored the city by foot, ate, drank, and just had a wonderful time.

 

Our hotel was delightful.  A quaint, quiet, and WARM place, with no elevator.  Are we spoiled or what! 

The following day, we leisurely made our way to the cruise ship (by water taxi) and prepared to embark on a truly unforgettable trip.

Our first stop was Bari, Italy.  We toured the Old Town on our own.  The Old Town was a quaint town  filled with narrow, winding streets lined with old 2-3 story apartment buildings adorned with beautiful, colorful flower-filled windowboxes and laundry hanging to dry from the balconies. Just outside the curtain covered "door", an older woman would typically be sitting on a metal kitchen chair smoking a cigarette and watching the passersby.  What amazed, and frightened, us were the speeding motorcycles, small vehicles, and bicyclists that all shared the narrow streets with no apparent concern for the other.  There seemed to be no "right of way" and it was scary to watch them speed around the winding streets.

 

We spent the following day at sea on our way to Pireus (Athens), Greece.

Athens was just as amazing as I expected it to be.  Ahead of time, we had hired a private tour of the city, which I highly recommend.  It was so strange to be standing on the street or sidewalk and see a modern apartment building on one side, and the remainder of an ancient temple on the other. THe city was filled with excavators trying to uncover ruins and learn more about the ancient Greek way of life.  Climbing up to the Acropolis, one couldn't help but think, in awe, about how on earth the ancient Greeks maneuvered the marble and stone all the way to the top to build the Parthenon and other temples up there.  The Parthenon was under construction, but just UNBELIEVABLE.  Definitely one of my favorite sites!

 

Olympic Stadium

 

Then we were off to Corfu, Greece which is a common European vacation spot.  Our tour guide drove us around the island, which allowed us to see ordinary life amidst grapevines and olive groves.  Corfu was home to the most beautiful, clear, turquois water I've ever seen.

 

Next stop: Dubrovnik, Croatia

We "walked the Wall" that surrounded the Old Town.  It was H.O.T, but allowed the most breathtaking views of the city and Adriatic Sea.  Because the city was built in the mountains, everything was a climb!

 

We rode this cable car to the top of the mountain.

 

Sadly, this marked the end of our cruise, but boy, did we have a lot of fun on that ship!

We returned to Venice for another night and saved the best for last!  We took a gondola ride and were even able to lure our gondolier into serenading us.

 

 

What a once-in-a-lifetime trip.  Happy Birthday Mom!