Monday, August 5, 2019

Mediterranean Cruise



 July Journalling 2019

1.    Canada Day! The grandkids came over for a last visit before we leave.

2.    Last day to pack and prepare. Picked up some euros and all my blister packed pills. Rented and loaded the truck to move our daughter.

3.    Moving our youngest to Ottawa to work for a year for a federal judge. She will be living in a house with three others. I am driving my car there so she can use it for three weeks while we’re away. She will drive the CRV and my husband will drive the moving truck one way.

4.    We ended up driving back home last night after my husband put together her bed and hung her curtains up. There is a problem with our furnace again that we have to deal with before we go. A few months ago they replaced the motor at great cost to us, and said it was pumping out carbon monoxide but venting it outside. Last minute packing. Going to miss the grandkids.

5.    Off to Europe for a Mediterranean cruise. The flight will be the hardest part because I can’t stretch out.

6.    Arrived in Rome, Italy. The flight was agony, as I expected. Although we’ve been here before, I wish we had more time. It’s one of my favourite places and there’s so much more to see. Hard to adjust to the time change. Rested then went out for dinner. Brought along my book to take a picture of it in many world landmarks, we went to Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon again.

7.    Setting sail on our ship, Koningsdam (Holland America Cruise Line) for our 12 day cruise of Ancient Empires.

8.    Sea day.

9.    Olympia, Greece. We missed our excursion and lost the money we paid for it as they wouldn’t give us a refund. We ended up going to Ancient Olympia on our own with a cab.

10. Athens, Greece: Seeing the Acropolis and spending time in the Plaka. Did you know that real Greek salad doesn’t include lettuce?

11. Second day in Athens: we did a half day tour of Ancient Corinth and paid extra for a stop at Mars Hill, where the Apostle Paul preached Acts 17. While there we met some Christians from Australia. We also saw the Corinth canal.

12. A beach day at Mykonos, Greece. They didn’t tell us in advance that the sunbeds where not included in the price.

13. Ephesus, Turkey. We had an interactive tour of ancient Ephesus. Very impressive ruins. So great to stand in the places where Paul worked and preached. Then we were taken to a Turkish rug company. Very beautiful but out of our price range. I’ll post a picture of the library.

14. Rhodes Island, Greece, where there was the Colossus, until God knocked him over by kneecapping him. Beach day. Very nice beach. Spent the day with some Canadians we met on our excursion to Ephesus.

15. Santorini, Greece, which is the most beautiful island in Greece, which the white buildings against blue waters.

16. Crete, Greece, and another beach day.

17. Sea day. Pedicure.

18. Naples, Italy with a tour along the Amalfi Coast. Our bus broke down for an hour. We sat on the wrong side of the bus so we had no view and the roads are so narrow they can’t even pull over till we get to the bottom.

19. Returning to Rome, then flying to Barcelona, Spain. Dinner out. Delicious food.

20. In Barcelona, Spain. We did a bus tour and a tour of La Sagrada Familia. We had dinner out at Barceloneta.

21. Second day in Barcelona, did a second bus tour since all stores and museums are closed. Also went to the same restaurant for lunch and dinner tapas and sangria. Love Spanish food.

22. Travelling home to Toronto from Barcelona. Our transfer didn’t arrive and they were closed on the weekend so we couldn’t confirm our pickup time.

23. Nice to travel, but nice to be home, too. Exhausted from the flight and the time change. Unfortunately, I got used to having someone else cook for me, and wondered why the food didn’t appear in front of me when I sat down at the table. Also, no one made my bed and cleaned my bathroom. But happy to get back to regular food. Went to see the grandkids and bring them some gifts.

24. Our daughter brought my car back from Ottawa where she had it while we were away.

25. Pain clinic, then nap and celebrating a friend’s birthday.

26. It’s our 33rd anniversary. We went out for breakfast, then downtown to Barsa Taberna for Spanish tapas, which we learned to love in Barcelona.

27. Visiting out of town relatives at my mother-in-law’s. Bringing blueberry pie for dessert.

28. Prepping for a radio interview tomorrow. A little nervous.

29. Did a radio interview about my novel on a St. Catherine’s based Christian radio station called Hope Stream Radio. It will air within 5 weeks. It’s about fifteen minutes long. He made me feel at ease.

30. Ugh. Mammogram. So painful.

31. Chiro and massage, then the grandkids are coming for the weekend so my daughter and her husband can paint their house.

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