Slideshow - New York City

Even after our cruise ship docks in NY, the fun still won't be over! We are spending three and a half days in New York City after our cruise! At Christmastime!!!

Slideshow - Norwegian Gem

After all that grand European sightseeing, we will have six days sailing the great blue Atlantic Ocean! Here's a look at our cruise ship, the Norwegian Gem!

Slideshow - Granada

Our ship docks in Malaga, Spain, and we will take a bus about an hour and a half to Granada!

Slideshow - Ajaccio

"ah-YAH-cho"
Beautiful Capital city of the French island of Corsica, and birthplace of Napoleon. :-)

Slideshow - Rome

After our ship docks in Civitavecchia and we hop on a train, we only have about 8 hours in the city of Rome. There is no way to even scratch the surface of all that there is to see...but we are going to do our best!!

Slideshow - Florence and Pisa

Buongiorno! Hello, Italia! After docking in Livorno, most of the day will be spent in Florence, with a quick stop in Pisa to see the famous Leaning Tower!

Slideshow - Cannes, Nice, and Monaco

Our ship docks in Cannes, France. Natashia and I have not yet decided if we are going to venture out to see Nice, Monaco, or both. Here is a little bit of all three locations!

Slideshow - Barcelona

¡Hola!

Here is the slideshow for Barcelona! And a bonus: A video of the "La Fontana Magica" at Monjuic!!!

Slideshow - Paris

Bonjour! I decided that I am going to post a slideshow of pictures from each of the major cities we will be visiting on our trip. I want to share some of the fun things we might get to see! First up...PARIS!

Granada, Spain

One of the gorgeous places we will get to see!

It's in the Bag!

I finally found a bag to use to tote around my camera and other daily necessities while in Europe! I looked for bags for what seemed like forever, and had a lot of trouble finding something I liked. I had been leaning towards Timbuk2 brand for a while, but they are expensive (starting around $105 for a custom bag...$135 by the time I was done with it!). One day, while browsing the net, I happened to find the Timbuk2 messenger bag for a GREAT discounted price PLUS a Labor Day sale (about 60% off!) on ebags.com! I couldn't pass it up! They say this brand lasts forever and there is tons of room without it being too bulky! It is not specifically a camera bag, but it will work perfectly for what I need...I'll just have to add a little bit of my own padding for keeping the camera safe. Yay!

An Invaluable Website for Cruising Info!

---> Cruise Critic

The Infinite Wisdom of Mark Twain...

"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover!!!"

-Mark Twain

T-minus 80 Days...and Counting!!

Just over two and a half months separate me from Europe! I can't believe how fast it is approaching! Natashia and I talk just about every day, sharing ideas and our "must see" lists for our grand adventure! I've started compiling lists of translations for common phrases, colors, foods, and numbers in French, Italian and Spanish. I have also gotten together lists of all our reservation confirmation numbers and emergency contacts.

While I still have sooooooo much to do, I feel like it is really coming together at this point! Packing, of course, will be a challenge for me, but I have faith that I can get everything I need for three weeks into one 50 lb. suitcase and one 13 lb. carry-on! I can't wait to have my breath taken away by all the amazing monuments and ocean views, and to relax and explore with my Natashia!