PORT LIVORNO, ITALY-APRIL 13, 2012

Our driver, Ferdinando, dropping us off @ Port Livorno.
Our pizza lunch - yummy.
One of the 7 gates to the walled city of Lucca.
Happy Don!!
Nancy and Don with Antonella, our guide.
White wisteria!!
Church in the old part of Lucca.
The walls of Lucca constructed of large, rectangular stones.
Don holding up the Tower of Pisa.


LIVORNO is the gateway to Florence-Italy's Renaissance City. Don and I had both been to Florence so we hired a driver, Ferdinando, who met us @ the port and drove us to Pisa where the Leaning Tower of Pisa tilts precariously above the Piazza dei Miracoli and has become a trademark of Italy. Then to Lucca where we had a guide, Antonella, waiting to show her charming medieval village of Lucca. Featured are the historic city walls which were built to encircle the town in the16th century. In the 19th century they were redesigned to include a verdant, tree-lined promenade, making a perfect enclosure for the serene city within. Lucca is often called the "City of 100 Churches". We had pizza for lunch and headed to the ship.

MONTE CARLO-4-12-12

The harbor @ midnight from our verandah.
One of the many fabulous shops.
A painting of Princess Grace hanging in one of the shops. She was beloved and died in 1982 @ the age of 52.
Heliocopter on one of the yachts in the harbor.
Yachts in harbor.
Monte Carlo harbor.


Our second day in Monte Carlo and we took the hop on-hop off bus for a city tour. Unfortunately my battery in the camera was dead and I did not get any photos of the Palace (Albert II and his new wife are living there) and the Cathedral where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier are buried.
I did go back to the city in the afternoon and took a few photos. The city is so small and is very upscale with shops, yachts and people.
We left @ 12 midnight and I was up to see the beautiful port with all of the lights.

MONTE CARLO, MONACO-APRIL 11 &12, 2012

Our afternoon visit to Monte Carlo in front of the Grand Casino.
The Grand Casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
On the road up to EZE looking down on the Mediterrean.
NICE and the French Riviera.
The incredible NICE harbor.
Nancy and Don having a coke.
Can you believe this asparagus?
Fabulous Roses @ Flower Market.
Nancy in Flower Market in NICE.
Greek church.
Hotel in NICE.
Beautiful streets of NICE, France.
Breakfast in the room served by Igor before setting out for the day.


MONACO is an ancient principality steeped in rich and colorful history. Its proud monarchy is presided over by Prince Albert II. Today it has a modern skyline and covers less than one square mile. It is the size of 1/2 of Central Park in NYC. It has a breathtaking sea, a fantasyland-style palace, a nail-biting Grand Prix, no taxes and a world-famous casino. It is truly regarded by all as the gem of the Mediterranean.
Our delightful 1/2 day excursion took us to the dazzling Nice and medieval Eze. Nice, often referred to as the "Queen of the Riviera" is a beautiful city. We strolled along Cours Saleya, an elegant promenade lined with palm trees and bordered by inviting shops and visited an enticing flower market.
Next, we traveled to the quaint village of Eze, perched atop a rugged peak high above the Mediterranean and climbed to the town's medieval castle and browsed through the town's unique shops.
The day was NICE AND EASY!!
Back to the ship for lunch and then a shuttle to town and a visit to the Grand Casino with a peek inside. Jackets are recommeded and we had none. Nancy went to the Prada Store.

BARCELONA, SPAIN-VISIT TO LA SAGRADA FAMILIA

A day @ sea ending with a formal night. I won 2 games of Bingo during the day. Yea!!!
Dinner @ Prego with Roseanne and Jerry Levinson (the bridge teachers aboard)
Local show on board-Fantasia Espanola.
Las Ramblas with "living" statue.
Part of the facade of the Church.
La Sagrada Familia.
Nancy and Don in front of the Church.


The Monday after Easter is a holiday in BARCELONA and most everything is closed. We took a cab to see the Church of the Holy Family which is a large Roman Catholic Church designed by architect Antoni Gaudi. At the time of Gaudi's death in 1926, his masterpiece was not nearly finished and is still today a work in progress. 4,000 people a day visit the Sacred Family. (I think they were all there with us!) A ride down Las Ramblas, a tree lined pedestrian boulevard, was fun to see the "local color".
An early show was the local group Fantasia Espanola and was very entertaining with lots of Flamenco dancing.

Nancy and Don on the city sight seeing bus.
Fountain and building in Barcelona.
Building designed by Gaudi.
We took a double decker sight seeing bus and toured Barcelona on Sunday, April 8. This is the city with a park.
Our vice-captain Stefan Vikingsson and his 2 month old son, Emil, leaving in Barcelona for a 3 month time off the ship in Sweden.
Lunch with Karen and Bill Stutzer (the golf profession on board from San Diego).
Chocolate Easter eggs that the chef created for Easter Sunday.
Museum designed by Gaudi.
A living statue.
Las Ramblas.
Our first day in Barcelona- on LAS RAMBLAS (the tree lined pedestrian boulevard which is packed with living statues and salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jewelry.
The show on board with the Mamma Mia number which gets a standing ovation.
Captain's farewell party on the last segment of our cruise and formal night.
Our winning Team Trivia-we were 1st in 2 out of 3 sea days. We have a collection of Crystal ball hats!!

DAY @ SEA - APRIL 6, 2012

Our last sea day on the Lisbon to Barcelona part of our cruise. We won 1st place in Team Trivia 2 times and I came in 3rd in the Bridge Tournament.

BARCELONA, SPAIN-APRIL 7, 8 AND 9, 2012

We are docked in Barcelona for 3 days and 2 nights. A new cruise starts on Sunday for 7 days going to Rome. The ship will be full and we will have a whole new table of 8.
BARCELONA is the Catalonian capital of Spain. BARCELONA is closer to the French border than it is to Madrid and is an acient seaport on the Balearic Sea. As a port city, BARCELONA has long been connected to a myriad of cultures and peoples. Northern Africa is within a few days sailing, therefore you will find a hint of Arabic influence. The Romans certainly left their mark on the city. The arts and culture all bear unmistakable marks from this multinational impact creating what many believe to be the rarest gem in the Spanish crown. BARCELONA is an intellectual center that wears the proud patina of time.