Santorini

 After the strain on my body of Pompeii - and then a little less strain at Ortygia - I got a day at sea. This translates to books, games, trivia and sunshine. The pool was slammed, the kids weren't interested - and I don't blame them. So we let the day float on by with relaxation no matter what that looked like to the individual.

Read: technology, pizza and ice cream.

Knock your socks off, kids!

Our next stop was Santorini - the last time I was there was 2008 and I still recall my hilarious response to "no bus...take taxi" schtick at the top of the hill before the ferry left.

This time, we arrived with knowledge - and a plan: be prepared!

Having been there before and not investing in the bus or ferry to the wine or romance part of the island - we took the cable car up to the top of the caldera. We wandered the streets - we bribed children with Sprite and treats - and then they promptly pooped out. 

Pass no judgement - we called an audible - and Hubs took the kids back to the ship. 

We, however, weren't done. We wanted "the best gyro ever" which we found in 2008 - and we wanted a peaceful view from the top.

I found the exact restaurant where we had met my aunt and uncle (also in Santorini that day, in on a cruise) - and I snagged a prime spot overlook the water. I found wifi, I video chatted with my mom at 5:30am local, I caught up on emails - and had a glass of wine in honor and memory of my aunt. It was lovely.

Cary took the kids down the caldera via the Donkey Path - a series of switchbacks and 575 steps. In the sun. With the donkeys.

We left the kids on the ship - and he returned to find that gyro he wanted so badly. We wandered - we chatted - we admired the beauty - and then wanted some good ol' AC and a pool.

So we started the trek down the hill, once again, to get back to the boat.

Let's just say my calf muscles screamed at me for three days. 

But to say I did the "Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" donkey path was totally worth it.

We're off to Turkey tomorrow - the other of the two "must see" spots - so it's time to rest up!

Syracuse/Ortygia, Sicily

Greetings from Sicily! We're on the lower portion, south of the Straits of Messina, and hanging out in a lovely harbor for the day.

I did over do it yesterday. This was to be expected, it was Pompeii - and it was something I wasn't going to miss. So today - I need to take it easy. Fortunately, it's a little section of town, not a lot to see per se, and something we can cover quickly. The kids are tapped out with history, so a little quick shot into the town will be fine.

We dock - we make our way off the ship and through the streets of Syracuse. We find the bridge up and over a little canal that connects us to the island of Ortygia where there is an ancient temple of Apollo. 

Beyond that - I need to find a WC - which I do - and escape finding the lady who would charge me. Woohoo! I'm wiped by this point and take the kids back to the ship for ice cream and pizza...and a book on the deck for me.

 Hubs makes his way out to the fort, through more streets and gets a few minutes by himself - I'm so happy for him! 

The evening is dinner as a family - perhaps some live music - a movie on deck - a sunset over the Med and a big sigh. It was a good day!

Pompeii All The Way

Sorrento, Italy

It's sleepy? It's a flurry of activity? It's both?

It's Italy - they do what they want to do!

Arriving on this small stretch of the Amalfi Coast, we're met with steep hills smashing up right to the water's edge. We look out the window and catch a glimpse of the freeway - easily several hundred yards up. Huge bridges remind us of the Pacific Coast Highway - but the houses are nothing like Carmel.

We board a bus with about 40 others to head inland towards Pompeii and away from the ocean breezes that keep Capri cool. Switchbacks on a bus. With Italian scooters everywhere. The Lord love a bus driver in Italy. Nerves of steel.

KK and I take a seat on one side, Hubs and Bubs on the other. She's desperate to get a shot of Mount Vesuvius to show her bestie. I'll let her - because momma is anxious to see it, too!

It's a double-topped mountain. Didn't know that. 

And the smaller side erupted. Didn't know that.

And the lava and ash had to make it over 6 miles to destroy Pompeii. Didn't know that either.

Now that the town has rebuilt - the locals are right up next to the volcano all over again. Funky apartment dwellings dot every inch - save a few fields for sunflowers and tomatoes. Apparently there  are lots of cheese manufacturers in town, too.

Sign me up!

We arrive with 976 other tour busses, lemmings all following flags or paddles or umbrellas. Languages fly - Chinese, Arabic, Italian, English, German etc - everyone wanting a slice of history.

After our "here's the entrance, be back in 2 hours" - we're excused to explore on our own. We hop up to the counter, a little snafu with kids tickets and tour groups, but once again, KK saves the day by looking sweet and precious and the gate agent takes care of the missing kids tickets. 

We pop through, locating the ever-needed WC, and start our stroll down the side of a rock wall. 

Um, this place is bigger than we think.

Like a lot bigger.

We twist and turn, we start to climb, we overhear tour groups and grab slices of info as we work our way through an old market, past a theater, up to a park and continue to climb to where the upper crust lived.

Because even in 79AD, people knew that crap rolled downhill - and living at the top meant something. Cooler breezes, too. 

It's overwhelming how large this town is - and we're only seeing part of it.

My energy gives out and I make my way with KK back down to a plaza where there are abundant trees and a breeze. Oddly, they've carted a grand piano to the locale and offer it up to anyone who wants to play. Bubs circles - as he's been practicing a song he's learned by ear - but never quite makes it to the piano.

Others take a turn -we spot stray cats - KK wanting to pet them all.

Um, no. They are feral and they have fleas. Please use your eyes only, lovey.

Hubs continues on. He finds the replicas of bodies caught in ash. He finds more detail, more history, more tragedy at every turn. He's got the photos - I'll find them one day.

We'll make it back to the bus on time - just as the Italian sun is straight overhead.

We wind our way back out to the coast and make the sharp turn down the last switch back to hit a traffic jam. The driver explains when the cargo ships unload, they shut the roads down, allowing as many semis to depart as possible without tourists and busses - and the ever-present scooter - to get in their way. We wait about 10 minutes and finally make our way to the sea level.

What surprises me most about this gorgeous town is that it faces the same issues Gary, IN or Cleveland, OH does with a stunning body of water, but citizens who need goods and supplies. The port takes over the prime real estate. The pollution is gross, the windows are barred, the garbage is everywhere and it's not a town to take a stroll in. The money has moved to higher ground, once again. They look at the sea, but they do not touch. 

I'm sure the locals find that leaving the harbor by 10 miles or so - they find their toes back in the water. But to an average tourist that lands on their shores - there is no beach that's clean enough to swim in when Maersk is sitting 100 yards away. 

So we board the ship - find the pizza - and the pool - and books and ice cream and music and entertainment  - and call it a good day. 

KK's new friend agrees.

And Off We Go

 Alrighty - the trip is here. I'm going. Whether my body can take it all or just a portion - we're COVID free and off we set for Toronto - on to Rome, Pompeii, Syracuse/Sicily, Santorini, Kusadasi/Ephesus, Mykonos and Athens!

Let's start with the plan and the prep.

You need a certified negative COVID test to get on the ship - and I'm not going to drive all the way to Toronto to fly to Rome to find out we can't get on the ship. So - you buy this kit from eMed - and you go online with a PC that has a webcam...and they watch you take the test and certify your results. Ok, simple enough - an hour later, all four of us are done, we're negative and we pile in the car.

We are prepared - it'll be a long day. We've done copious (and by we, I mean HUBS) amounts of research on transferring from country to country - the first step is to get over the Canadian boarder. We're prepared - we've done ArriveCAN online, submitted all our vaccines and we're prepared for the wait.

Up and over the Blue Water and down into Passport Control.

Where there isn't One. Single. Car.

We're it.

He asks where we're going, are we bringing anything and tells us to have fun. It takes 2 minutes.

Um, what?

Ok - so we drive to Toronto.

Where there is no traffic and we arrive way to early.

So we get  a snack and settle in. To get bored because we want to get to the airport.

Ok, fine. The shuttle for long term parking is a breeze and we arrive 3 hours early - because Pearson is supposed to be a nightmare.

Except there isn't anyone.

And the AirTransat terminal is so far at the end of International, no one is down there except those passengers. We get a kiosk immediately, we aren't checking bags (oh heck no, not with a labor shortage and exorbitant fees) - and so we sail into security. 

Which is 10 people deep.

Go down to El Al or British Air and it's out the queue to the door.

Hmmm...ok.

We clear in record time - no shoes off, no nothing - and I decide it's too much to walk, so I get a wheelchair and Bubs pushes me - all the way to the gate.

We're early and the first ones there, and it fills up over time. Announcements for passengers going to Paris in groups 4, 5 and 6 will need to check their bags - because it's slammed. But nothing for Rome.

I get nervous at this time. It's what I do. I hate having worked SO hard to get my bags packed in carry ons only to have them taken.

I'm humming to myself when a woman in broken English asks to wheel my chair - it's time to go. She just assumed I needed the assist. And she'll get us on first.

Um, sure - works for me. It'll take a while to load the Airbus 330 (3 - 3 - 3) but so be it. We settle in - and the kids and I share a 3...and Hubs takes the aisle across from us. Where no one takes his middle seat.

I'm beside myself. This doesn't happen - ever. Whoa.

Ok - off we go. And we arrive EARLY.

To get down the long gangway to security. The kids didn't sleep - they are whipped - but we still need to catch a train into the city. I beg them to hang in there and they can nap at the hotel.

Alrighty, security, we're at the back of the line because we're at the back of the plane. Except the guard sees KK, asks her age, she responds and he says "families this way" and points to a queue with no line. And I walk right up to the passport guy, wait a minute for him to finish his conversation and he clears us in seconds. 

The train isn't too hard to find...I've printed a map before we left, I buy tickets, we wait for "the next train" but the steward says this one is fine and is leaving now - so we hop on.

And I'm transported back to 2017 when I did this before. We emerge from the train - down the platform - past the hustlers and the bustlers and those begging for Euro - and we emerge in 90* sun. I remember there is supposed to be a fountain ahead. It's 2000 years old. It should still be there. Ok, an exaggeration, but it's there. Find the fountain, take a left. Look for the red and white striped church. Go across the street to the big oak door, ring the bell, you'll be buzzed in.

So we did. The host came down, the room was ready, we could check in. Because they texted me the day before to confirm. 

I'm dizzy. This is crazy.

We get to the room - it's the biggest one they have - and probably used to be the former apartment of the host. A huge sitting room and two bedrooms. For $170. It has four beds. None of this European mumbo jumbo of smash. My kids are thrilled.

I find pasta for dinner - wine for the walk - and the sun setting on the Coloseum. That's about as much as I have in me. I tell the kids they can do the Trevi Fountain - but they sit down, unable to move - and it's lights out at 8pm. Twelve hours of sleep later - we wake for a lovely breakfast - and a walk to the Trevi. Ok, so it's light out, but all good. They go on to the Pantheon and Piazza Navona - I go back to rest - before it's time to head to the train station and head to the port.

We did come to cruise, after all!

The train station is slammed.

I am in charge of tickets - and I go for 2nd Class.

But they put us all in different cars.

KK freaks. Nope. Exit out. Back to the beginning.

And now, it says 2nd Class is so out - 1st class it is.

Don't get all excited, but it was worth the $12 upgrade.

20 rows - 3 to a row (1 and 2).

The ONLY hiccup - the train was running late.

Italian trains rarely do this. This is the express to Civitaveccia - and the other leaves in an hour but takes twice as long.

We aren't the only ones cruising, waiting for a train.

After the 4th 10-minute delay, Hubs and I start to discuss Plan B. $180 taxi - a whole new set of tickets - messages to the ship saying we'll miss our boarding time. 

But we planned so far ahead, we were scheduled to arrive in CV an hour early -so we let the time tick by.

My some chance, I overhear Americans talking about plans and one lady chucks it in, headed for a taxi. We all agree to give it two more sets of 10 minute delays.

It bounces 5 minutes - and then we hear some clapping.

I'm uncomfortable at this time, my body isn't cooperating, but I'm hanging in, hiding my anxiousness from my kids.

We chat more, I peer down the track....and VOILA! The train.

Which arrives with 1st class right in front of us. 

We board - we find seats -and I end up chatting with this wonderful couple from DC. We talk the whole way - she's just lovely and a perfect distraction from my body and the weariness. Moreover - her husband is a Florida State fan. Ok...yeah. BUT!! She's a UM Alum...and I yell down three rows to hubs and they both throw up the U. It's a thing. Ask him if you don't know. But it seals the deal on our mutual admiration of each other.

We arrive in CV - and we make our way outside - finding the bus line loonnnngggg....and a flurry of activity for a taxi. We see the ships in the distance - but it's hot. We have the same look - the cabs are minivans - we can share!

And she bounds off, more aggressive than I have energy for - and hails us one. One family tried to snag it - but we can all fit. The van holds 10. Fine - we're all on the same ship and in the same boat - so let's go.

The drive is longer than I remember. I am SO FREAKING GLAD I found this woman and this taxi.

We all arrive, bid adieu in the hopes to bump into each other and head to the line. We're stopped at the beginning -same four questions:

Did you check in online?

Do you have your passports?

Do you have your vaccine cards?

Did you take your COVID test?

Three rounds of this - which takes no time at all - mom and dad are PREEEEEPARED!

The security line is 3 people long. The check in line has none. The guy is waiting - and they have improved service - it's all done on an iPad. Pictures included. Stateroom cards are waiting your room - your App has your boarding documents.

Boom. Go.

We find the room. We've got bunk beds and 125 sq ft for the next 8 days. Ooof! Ok, that's how we travel on the cheap.

But one day...one day...there will be a balcony!

We find food, we make our dinner reservations, we do our online muster station checks (another improvement)  - we find the dining room - we meet Vichet from Cambodia and Joseph from Mauritius - KK and he will bond over parmesan rolls and water over the next 8 days.

The kids find ice cream and kids menus - and all you can eat pizza.

The ship has standard plugs, they have technology - and find the ping pong tables and the pool.

The horn blows -we pull out of CV and set sail for Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. This was the #2 port on our wish list - tomorrow is going to be a good, full, long, hot, wonderful day!