Happy October!

Our cruise is officially NEXT MONTH!!!

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!

Look Out, Europe! Here Come Sarah and Natashia!

This year is going to be a big year for me! I have several adventures that await me, but the one I am probably most excited about is this fall.

After years of talking about the possibilities, my friend, Natashia, and I decided to take the plunge (no, no...we aren't getting married, silly!) and go on a Mediterranean cruise!!!! I'm going to use this site to share itineraries, research, and after the trip, photos and stories from our adventure!

THE INTINERARY:

Natashia and I will meet in New York City, where our international flight departs JFK airport in the late evening. After a brief layover in Reykjavik, Iceland, our flight will take us to the City of Lights...Paris, France! We will have a full day and a half to explore the many sights of Paris, including the Muse de Louvre, Arc de Triomph, Moulin Rouge, Luxembourg Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, and of course, the Eiffel Tower! In fact, our hotel is only a 5 minute walk from the Tour de Eiffel, and we even have a view of it from our room!

After our much-too-brief-time in Paris, we will board an Elipsos Trenhotel (overnight train) and ride in a private sleeper compartment to Barcelona! We will have about 7 hours to explore sights such as La Sagrada Familia, Casa Mila, La Rambla, and Montjuic before boarding our cruise ship and setting sail on the Mediterranean Sea!

For one week, our ship will take us on a grand tour of some of Europe's most amazing cities! First is Cannes, France. We will explore the luxury of the French Riviera and hope to take side trips to Nice and Monaco.

Day two will take us to the port city of Livorno, Italy. From there, we will day trip to beautiful Renaissance Florence, and to Pisa, with its legendary leaning tower.

On Wednesday, we will get to experience the city of Rome! We won't get there in time to have an audience with the pope, but I can't wait to see all the sights...the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Vatican City and St. Peter's, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain, just to name a few! It will be a jam packed day, but very exciting!

On day five, we will stop in Ajaccio, Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon. Corsica is rich with natural beauty, and Ajaccio is relatively small, with not a whole lot to see. This day will be very laid back, and a nice break after days of intense sightseeing!

The next day, we will be at sea on the beautiful Mediterranean...our first day to just relax on the ship! It will be a little on the chilly side, so I don't think sunbathing by the pool will be on order for the day, but I'm sure we will not be bored!

Our last stop in Europe is Malaga, Spain. We will take a bus about an hour and a half inland to Granada to see the cathedral, the Albaycin (old Moorish town), and of course, the Alhambra! We won't have time to go inside the Alhambra :-( but at least we can say we have seen it!

We will re-board our ship, but our adventure doesn't end there!! Oh, no! We will have ANOTHER FULL WEEK on board our ship, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean! We can enjoy the ocean sunrise from our private balcony while sipping a mimosa, gamble away some change at the casino, sing off-key at a karaoke bar, dip our toes in the indoor pool, indulge in a massage or facial, or take a nap in the middle of the day! It will be the ultimate in relaxation, and I can't wait!

After a nice, gradual change back to US time zones, our ship will finally drop us off in New York City. We will spend three more days living it up swanky style with visits to the Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center (we get to see the Christmas Tree!!!). On our final night, we will get all dolled up for a fancy dinner and a Broadway show before heading back to our hotel to try to pack all of our souvenirs into our luggage for our return trip home the next day!

All in all, it will be (almost) three weeks of incredible, life-changing experiences, and Natashia and I are bursting at the seams with anticipation!!!

*On a side note, we have been amazed at the off-peak season deals we've gotten, not only on the cruise fare itself, but on flights, hotels, and tourist attractions! Who knew Europe could be so affordable?!?!