As some of you may know, we just got home from an amazing Anniversary trip. I am still jet lagged, and planning a Thanksgiving Dinner to make up for the one we missed, have about a million things on my to do list, so this is the short and sweet recap of our trip, if you want more details, just call me! I can talk and clean/cook/decorate at the same time. I am just talented that way. Also, just putting this out there, we LOVE to travel, but want travel buddies. Anyone want to know when I find a good deal so you can go with us? Let me know.
This is me in the Atlanta airport. We had an early flight to Atlanta, then a 3 hour layover that turned into closer to 5. Stupid Obama. Yes, I am blaming him. The plane we were supposed to fly to Rome on had been part of the fleet that flew around the Pacific with him on his little tour thing. Of course, the press crew that was on it trashed it, so they had 3 cleaning crews trying to clean it up and get it ready for us to take it to Rome. It took a while. We did not mind waiting too much. We ate at a restaurant in the airport (Friday's) and then I worked while Brett watched football.
After we flew to Rome we took a tiny little flight to Genoa, or Genova, if you are Italian. We rode a bus out to the tarmac, and boarded our flight. Isn't Brett cute after 12 hours of travel?
Me, not so much. Very tired!
Brett was pretty excited because look at all the leg room he had on this flight? We were in row 2, and they had one more seat on that row so he had no one in front of him.
When we got to Genova, we took a bus to our ship (it was a cruise transfer). Then we pretty much slept the rest of the day, trying to catch up and acclimate. That night we went to dinner and met some soon to be new friends. When I booked the cruise they ask if you are celebrating anything special. I indicated that we would be celebrating our anniversary. Well goofy me, I put in the wrong date (the 21st, but our anniversary is the 22nd). Brett always teases me that I am the one that always gets it wrong. Long story short, they brought out a celebratory cake for us, which was awesome!
It was tasty!
The next day we went to Barcelona. This was our actual anniversary. We did a tour of Gaudi's Masterpieces, which was pretty great.
This was one cool building. I can't remember the name right now (fatigue does funny things to my brain), but the top was designed to look like a dragon, and the balconies like the masks worn to masquerade balls.
Then we went to Casa Milano, it was really beautiful.
This is from the inside courtyard.
The view from the top balcony thing. It was pretty windy, and cold. Brett thought it was funny that the wind blew my shirt up right when he took the picture. He said it made me look pregnant. haha.
This is an old curling iron! I am so grateful for modern convenience.
We then went to this beautiful public park designed by Gaudi. GORGEOUS. Seriously, it was awesome.
He used all the leftover tile pieces from other jobs to make this park, and all of the beautiful mosaics, etc. for the people.
Then to the biggest thing by Gaudi in Barcelona, La Sagrada Famila, a huge Cathedral that is still under construction according to his specifications. They are hoping to have it done by 2026, 200 years after his death to celebrate it.
The next day we went to Palma de Mallorca. It was a beautiful island. I forgot my camera, and the one on Brett's phone is kind of broken, but we went to a pearl factory, then went and bought jackets because we were FREEZING. Then we went to the coolest place I have ever been, the Cave of the Dragons, or Cuevas del Drach. It is a huge cave full of stalagmites etc. and underground lakes. It is huge. At the end of walking through it there is an underground amphitheater that seats about 600, and a big lake. They have you sit in the amphitheater, and then this orchestra comes out on boats and you get to listen to this amazing music. It was great. Then you got on a boat and rode out to the exit.
This is the cathedral in Palma. Huge.
This is in Malta. This was our least favorite day. It rained a lot. We went to Mdina, and Mosta, and the Rotunda. We rode a hop on hop off bus, and it was ok.
This is in Mdina, an old city, the old capital. It is all walled off, and very old, really cool buildings, cathedrals, etc.
We made a joke just the day before that these phone booths only exist now for tourist because everyone has mobile phones. So we had to get a picture in it.
Brett wearing the crown!
Oh, my knight in shining armor!
Our towel animal!
We played a lot of foosball or table football as our London friends onboard called it.
On this day we were in Palermo, Italy. It was a beautiful day. We went to the Opera house, the big theater, some garden place, a huge cathedral, a few smaller churches, and a big market. We took a cab, and then when we got back to the port, we decided to just walk around the city. It was really fun.
There were lots of stray dogs.
This theater was pretty big, but a bunch of people were having an Occupy Mossimo outside of it.
Horse and Carriages everywhere!
The big cathedral. Brett needed to confess his sins. JK
If you look at the rocks in front of us it says PA for Palermo, then 26, 11, 2011 the date we were there. They change it every day I guess. Pretty cool.
This is a really old, really cool tree.
This was the lunch we ordered in a little cafe in Palermo. Then we shopped. Brett got a couple suits, I got some pants and a hand bag.
That night the ship had a food art thing, it was really cool!
Then Rome, my favorite city. We went to St. Peter's, then toured the Castel Astel, then went to Piazza Navona for tartufo, then the Colosseum again, and took an amazing tour. Then took the metro to Trevi fountains, had our delicious gelato, and then back to the ship. A lot of walking in such an amazing city!
St. Peter's square. The pope came out and waved, but we missed it.
Oh don't worry this is just Brett with a bust of Lord Voldemort. Seriously, it looked just like him!
At the castel
The outside of the castel
Eating yummy chocolate!
We of course had to buy roasted chestnuts. YUM!
Listening to the tour guide.
Our favorite gelato!
The next day we left. We took a bus, then a train, then a bus to get to the airport.
We saw the monuments to Christopher Columbus, and had lunch in the city center.
Then we took a flight back to Rome, and from there to Paris. We got to Paris about midnight, and took a night time bus into the city. We ate this amazing meal at this cute little cafe, Garde de Nord Cafe.
We had onion soup (The French is implied because we were in France)
Brett had mussels.
Here he is showing me his muscles and mussels.
I had duck confie, YUM!
Then we finished off with absolutely fabulous creme brule. Then at about 3 in the morning we hopped in a cab and went and saw the sites. We went to the Arch de Triomphe. the champs elysees, the louve, the opera house, the big obilisque, and of course the Eiffel tower. The pictures suck because it was dark, and I couldn't figure out how to use my camera in the dark. But here they are!
this is brett in front of the Eiffel Tower, can you tell? haha we bought a little light up one for the kids, and some key chains! We can't wait to go back.
if you look closely you can see the louve pyramid thing behind us!
This is me trying to sleep on the freezing cold, marble floor in the CDG airport in Paris. Then we came home. It was lots of fun, but we are glad to be back and with the kids.
