OK... A Mediterranean Cruise in November Was Not My Smartest Idea...- November 26, 2007 In retrospect, we had a good time on our first week of vacation... but we would have had a better time if we'd thought things through. This trip was planned around TechEd EMEA in Barcelona running November 5th-9th. The conference was great and we had a blast! Our cruise covered Nice and Monaco, Florence and Pisa, not seeing Rome because we were exhausted, Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, a pain-in-the-butt visit to Sicily, and a day at sea. We saw a lot and we..http://blogs.msdn.com/pathelland/archive/2007/11/25/ok-a-mediterranean-cruise-in-november-... Friday, November 16th -- A Day at Sea with a Major Storm...- November 26, 2007 Oh, my, it was moving!! I used to own a large power boat and have had it in 15 foot seas. Then, I experienced 30-35 degree pitching (forward-backwards motion) and rolling (side to side). Ive been seasick on smaller boats and this did not bother me. Still, over half the people on the boat were seasick. Lisa slept in (our cabin was near midship and didnt experience too much pitching) and I went to exercise at around 10AM. The gym on the boat is near the bow with a lovely view forward. I...http://blogs.msdn.com/pathelland/archive/2007/11/25/friday-november-16th-a-day-at-sea-with... Thursday, November 15th -- The Bus Tour from Hell and a Lovely Formal Evening- November 26, 2007 On Thursday, we had signed up for YET ANOTHER all day cruise Again, Roger and DArcy had wanted to try the Corleone Village and Wine Tasting tour but hadnt purchased tickets as early as we had. So, off we were (without our new friends) onto yet another large bus (but seated in the front). This time, we were bus 1. We quickly determined that this tour guide was VERY annoying. We hadnt even gotten out of Palermo (where the ship was docked) before we really wanted off the bus. We drove through...http://blogs.msdn.com/pathelland/archive/2007/11/25/thursday-november-15th-the-bus-tour-fr... Wednesday, November 14th -- Pompeii, Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, and Motion Sickness...- November 26, 2007 Naples! The evening cruise had been quiet and we were back at it with the tour busses. Our new friends had not been able to book with the Royal Caribbean sponsored tour to Pompeii, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast. D'Arcy had gotten on the Internet and found a private tour to these same locations. This was our longest and most expensive tour and we were hopeful that it would be enjoyable. We started by going to Pompeii. I had always dreamed...http://blogs.msdn.com/pathelland/archive/2007/11/25/wednesday-november-14th-pompeii-sorren... Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 -- Our Second Wedding Anniversary (and NOT in Rome as We Had Planned)- November 26, 2007 After months and months of talking about our second anniversary in Rome, we decided not to go after all... We started the day by sleeping in!!! What a joyous relaxation after TechEd and Tour-busses! We slept late, exercised, and had a couples' massage. This was simply two tables and two masseuses in the same room... no different than a normal massage except they ended it by massaging our hand and gently slipping them together so we ended holding hands. ..http://blogs.msdn.com/pathelland/archive/2007/11/25/tuesday-november-13th-2007-our-second-... Monday, November 12th -- Florence, Pisa, and Challenges with the Tour Bus- November 26, 2007 We had determined that D'Arcy and Roger had tickets for the same 10 hour excursion to Florence and Pisa as we did... to get on the same bus, we needed to arrive at the theater together and get the same stickers. We met for a very fast (think inhaling) breakfast. We were down at the theater to get on the bus and Lisa was determined to ensure we were at the front of the bus. Indeed, today, we were bus number "1" and we scored seats up on the top of a double decked bus. ...http://blogs.msdn.com/pathelland/archive/2007/11/25/monday-november-12th-florence-pisa-and... |