Pirates of the Mediterranean

Mr. Fleece & I were able to take a Mediterranean Cruise with his family this summer. With six people, having all the decisions made up front was incredibly helpful. It felt like the only decisions we had to make was what to order off the menu at dinner :). The cruise ship itself was the definition of opulent, but I suppose that's part of the fun.

Highlights:

- We absolutely loved Barcelona & had the best food & relaxation here. Tapas for the win. Air BnB for the win. Play "nutsy" on the hotel patio for the win.
- Watching children play soccer & ride bikes after 9pm(!) in Placa de la Villa de Gracia which turned out to be one of my favorite local spots of the entire trip!

- Rome was beautiful & historic - our tour guide Hugo made the trip with his chill demeanor & off-the-cuff side commentary. "There are two things I do not tolerate. Impoliteness & confusion."  

- Our favorite port stop was in Villafranche, exploring Nice, the medieval city of Eze with its winding streets & charming views, & Monaco. Hearing our personal tour guide Karen say "isn't in beau-ti-ful" at every strop.
- Walking the streets of Pompei, the Roman Forum, & Colosseum. Took me back to my 'History of Ancient Rome' class I took my freshman year at UT.
- Watching the ice skating performance on the boat - we were the perfect jaw-dropped, hand-clapping, can't-stop-cheering front-row-seated audience there ever was.
- Winning Family Feud & trivia. Mr. Fleece coming alive again at Harry Potter trivia & Patrick running out to find the snitch :)
- Eating so much gelato!
- Riding electric bikes through the city of Marseille on our first day off the boat. Though rather dangerous at times, it was a unique & amazing way to see the city. City streets, parks, the calanques & a leisurely lunch near the water! I just wished we would have see the Count of Monte Cristo.
- Dinners with the family in the "corner office" in the dining room - with the best views & service staff!
- Getting to practice our Spanish & listening to the cruise director switch back & forth between languages in rapid succession.
- Touring a perfume factory & cameo factory. I always love seeing how things get made.
- Making our last day one of pure relaxation in the sun, eating pizza, dozing, reading, & eating out at Cerveseria Catalana.

SPAIN - Barcelona

FRANCE - Marseille

FRANCE - Villefranche, Nice, Eze, Monaco

ITALY - Portovenere & Monterosso in Cinque Terra

ITALY - Rome, Vatican City, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Colosseum

ITALY - Naples, Mt. Vesuvius & Pompeii

It's really fascinating & eye-opening to see new places, explore new cultures, & take in iconic sites. But honestly, it's the people that make a trip! The conversations, laughs, connections, & memories made along the way! Grateful for this amazing trip & time with family.

In honor of our cruise director,"Chao Chao for Now,"

- SJW