Christmas Fun

So now that we have been home for a couple of weeks and my mind has processed our trip, I think I am ready to write about it. For Christmas we went on a 12 day cruise of the Mediterranean with the boys. I think the hardest part of the trip was leaving Laine behind for two whole weeks, so we won't be doing that again.

We left a few days early and spent a day in Florence, Italy. About 3 years ago Bryce's best friend came to visit and we did a grand tour of Italy with them. One of our stops was Pisa which is close to Florence. I was pregnant and after traveling for almost a week already I needed some R&R so I stayed at Camp Darby with the boys and played in the pool. Bryce, Chris and Tammy all went to Florence for the day and I have been jealous ever since. So this was my time to go explore Florence.

We had a great time with the Meldrom family, even though we found out that winter is the time for restorations! Lot of construction and scaffolding on the statues and churches!.

The next day we went to Pisa in the morning. This is my third time there and the first time I got a picture of me with the tower.

We then headed to Genoa to get on the ship. The first day was just to get ourselves orientated with the ship. The highlight of the first day for the kids was the kids play area. Once there they did not want to leave that area at all the rest of the trip!

Our first full day was at sea. I found out that I do not have sea legs and the legs I do have love terra firma! The boys loved that we passed an active volcano though. There was smoke coming out the top and a little town on the bottom. Something did not seam right to me!

Our first port day was Katakolon, Greece. From there we rented cars and went up to the ancient town of Olympia. We were able to explore where the Olympic games started thousands of years ago. It was amazing to see the Temple of Zeus and walk the track of the ancient athletes.

After Katakolon we headed to Athens, Greece. There we went to the Acropolis and saw the Parthenon. The view of the city is beautiful from up there. And once again we had renovations! So we had to try hard not to get pictures with scaffolding. We also took a tour of the city and got an up close view of the riots destruction. Our next stop was the archaeological museum down town Athens. There we were able to see the artifacts from the Acropolis that were not taken by the British! Our last stop in Athens was the Plaka. It is a vibrant part of the city with a close neighborhood feel. The food was great and the shopping plentiful.

On the 22nd of December we went to the "Land of Sun" Rhodes, Greece. In a place that has 360 days of sunny weather we went in pouring rain. We still were able to walk on the Knights street and explore the four quarters of the old town. Unfortunately we did not stay to do some shopping. The next day was our big excursion to Cairo, Egypt! We had been planing this for months. And you all know that I am the Nazi Planner! We were all really excited to go to Egypt. All three families went together and we had a great time. When we got off the boat it was beautiful out side. Sunny and warm we were prepared for a great day. The closer we got to Cairo the darker the clouds got. The winter in Egypt is mild and sunny but not on the day we were there.

The pyramids loom over the city and you can see them as you enter Cairo. Once you get to the base of the pyramids you are attacked by people selling everything from postcards to faux Egyptian antiques. Of course we were conned within minutes of getting there but I have to say it was the only time during the whole trip!

As we where gazing at the pyramids all of sudden the wind starting plowing and the sand went with it. I now know from first hand experience that sand really hurts! So we raced to our van and piled in. Off we went to our camel rides. I decided to stay behind with the babies and forgo the pleasure of a mouth full of sand. Bryce and the boys were all ready for that experience. As we stood watching them we soon could not see them because the sand storm was so thick. We got in the van and went to the meeting spot about 10 minutes away by car. I knew where they would be coming from so I held my camera and started taking pictures. All of a sudden out of the sand they came and I got a great picture!

Our next stop was the Great Sphinx. It was not as big as I thought it would be but it was still impressive. After the Spinx we went to the Egyptian Archaeological Museum. We saw the entire King Tut burial treasures and tons of other artifacts. The museum is very over whelming with how much there is inside. The boy's highlight was the mummies!

On Christmas Eve we were supposed to go to Cyprus but because of 75 mile an hour winds they could not go into port. So we spent the day at sea instead. Which was a much needed relief after spending 13 hours in Egypt the day before.

That night the cruise had a special Gala Night for Christmas. The kids prepared for a Christmas parade that night and we sat around and played games. We all dressed up and had a great meal. They had the Christmas parade and then a special night of music with a Soprano and Alto singer and a string trio. And last but not least a surprise visit from Santa for all the kids.

On Christmas day we were in Maramis, Turkey. Before we got there I could not have told you anything about it. We were planning on staying on the ship and not doing much that day since it was Christmas. Oh boy where we wrong. It was one of our favorite stops. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time SHOPPING! I really got into the spirit of bargaining there. And was proud of my bargaining skills. By the time we left I made grown men weep because I got such a good deal. I also got quite a few job offers!


The next day was Herklion, Crete. We went to the Palace of Knossos, it was not only the residence of the ruling house but also an administrative & religious center for the whole region It is one of the most important archaeological site of the Minoan Empire.

The 27th was supposed to be a day at sea but because we did not port in Cyprus we were ahead of schedule and we went to Sicily instead. We were able to walk around and see a few churches and get real Sicilian pizza! Bryce was in heaven.

Our final port was Naples. I really wanted to go to Pompeii because last time we were here we missed it and I was upset about that. So Bryce and I went alone to Pompeii and we where able to walk around and see the ruins. It is incredible there. When the volcano exploded it preserved an entire culture intact. I also really enjoyed seeing so much of their history preserved. We then went to the Naples Archaeological Museum to see all the artifacts that they took from Pompeii. The fresco's from the wall were so preserved some looked like they were painted yesterday. It was great to relate Pompeii with the museum. We almost only went to the museum thinking that the victims casts were there. At Pompeii we saw several and learned later on that there was a whole other area with much more. The Naples Archaeological Museum did not have any at all so I am very happy we took that impulse to go out to Pompeii.

One of the most sobering pieces we saw in the museum was a large cast taken from the beach below Pompeii. They are the remains of several victims fleeing the destruction of Mt. Vesuvius exploded. The description said that the victims where very young children, elderly and lame people helping each other to safety. It was a moving piece and Bryce took a picture that captured the essence of the scene.

After Naples it was homeward bound for us. We really enjoyed out time on the cruise and the opportunity we had to visit so many things. You probably don't want to ask me about it because I will talk your ear off about it.