Category: 2023 – Europe

This morning, we all enjoyed a hotel buffet breakfast. Before Tavis and Addison went to pick up our rental car. They came back with a diesel Peugeot 2008 with a manual transmission. It was a Road Trip edition with 6 gears and Tavis seemed to enjoy driving it. When they got back, we set on our way to explore some of the tourist attractions and small villages near by.

Our first stop was Arles. We arrived just before 11:00 and found parking just outside the city walls. After paying for parking, we entered the gates and quickly found the coliseum. It was huge and reminded me of the one in Rome. Apparently the one in Arles is the 20th largest Greek coliseum. We didn’t go in but we got some photos from the outside. We then walked through the narrow streets down tiny alleys that apparently are big enough for cars. We stopped infront of a cafe that Van Gogh painted. Then we went to an art museum that had some of his work and other abstract female artists. It was interesting to discuss what we each saw in the paintings. Some just looked like splotches but others were quite intriguing. We then made our way to an open space that had something to do with VanGogh. It was very pretty. I enjoyed our walk through the town, but it was getting warm and we only paid for 2 hours of parking so we continued on our adventure.

On our way out of town, we drove to a famous bridge that Van Gogh painted. It was interesting to see a bridge that was painted back in 1888.

Our next stop was Nimes. Parking in Nimes is free on Sundays. It was also weird because there were single lane streets between buildings with parking on the shoulder. Cars drive quite quickly between those buildings on the narrow streets. The temperature seemed as hot as it was in Greece. We stuck to shaded areas and made our way to the park and water canals. There were large trees around the canals which provided shade. We walked through a huge gravel park to a hill. The stairs took us up to to paths that led to an old tower. By this time it was 38 degrees out and none of us felt like waiting in line to climb stairs to a sunny rooftop, so we snapped a few photos and made our way back to the car. I think this would have been much more enjoyable in cooler weather. It would be stunning at a sunset.

Next we decided to find the Roman aqueduct, Pont Du Gard. It was built in the 1st century AD to carry water to Nimes. It was very impressive. We took photos of the structure and spent 5 minutes trying to decider the year in Roman numerals on the plaque. We were quite amused when we discovered the side of the Aqueduct we had photographed was built in the 1700s and the actual structure was on the other side. Thanks Google for that information! We then walked under and took photos of the actual structure that had obviously been repaired and restored over the years. We then walked up along the bridge and enjoyed the view down along the river. IMPORTANT FACT: This is a great day trip destination! It is a local swimming area where lots of people were cliff jumping, swimming, kayaking, and having fun. I definitely recommend coming here with bathing suits and pack a lunch. I was the only one in a bathing suit and sandals so we just enjoyed it from a distance. If I am back in the area, I would love to come back! It costs $9 for parking per car.

We decided to start making our way home. Addison just had 1 last stop for us… The sport where Van Gogh painted Starry Night. We drove the the asylum where he supposedly lived when he painted this famous piece. We parked outside the gate and wandered around the shaded street where many of his art pieces were displayed with stories about each one. It was getting late though so we decided not to go into the gated area. Instead, we started back home to Marseille.

We arrived back to the hotel just after 19:00. Ayva and Ari went swimming while the rest of us relaxed for a couple hours. At 21:00 we all went out to dinner at a restaurant near by called L’Escale Restaurant. We had home-made burgers and they were huge and delicious.

Now we are going to bed early because tomorrow morning we are catching a train to Disneyland.

This morning we got off to another late start. We left the apartment by 11:00 but our bags were mostly packed and ready to go. We purchased a 10 pass card for the bus and trams today but we couldn’t figure out how to use it really. We probably have about 5 passes left on the darn card. No one was checking tickets the entire time we were in Nice.

We took the tram to Old Town Nice and wandered around before making our way up to Nice Capital Hill. It was a combination of staircases and walking paths that wound up to the top of the hill. It was a nice walk with lots of great views overlooking the city and the ocean. Nice really is a beautiful place, especially when looking from above. We walked around the entire hill and viewed a waterfall from above. We walked down to the base of the waterfall and it was quite impressive. The mist also felt good because it was about 36 degrees out and we were all dripping with sweat. It was also starting to get busy so we decided to walk back down the hill and find a place to order ice cream.

We made our way back to the square in old town Nice and found a highly recommended gelato spot. We all ordered a single scoop and it was amazing! We stood in front of a store while we ate and someone offered us samples of what looked like candy. I was so wrong! It was a truffle shop and they were really quite disgusting. Thank goodness I had just started my ice cream and was able to hide the taste! Yuck!

After devouring our ice cream, we walked toward the water to catch a glimpse of the famous beaches of the French Riviera. It wasn’t at all what I imagined. The beaches were made up of large white rocks. There was no sand anywhere. It actually looked nice. I was the only one in sandals so instead of walking along the beach, we walked along the road up to the “I Love Nice” sign and took some photos. Then we started making our way back to the apartment.

Along the way, I wanted to stop at the carousel because when we rode by earlier there was a market. By the time we got off the tram, the market was finished and the streets were empty. Only garbage and cleaners were left. We had to wait 5 minutes for the next tram so we decided to go into the large building behind. It turned out that it was the old train station and it was transformed into the coolest restaurant ever. It had a beach vibe with soft background music and chairs and tables all over. I tried taking photos but it really didn’t get the true atmosphere. If anyone goes to Nice, you have to check out the old train station by the carousel on the T1!

After returning to the apartment, we ate the food that was left over and packed our sandwiches for dinner on the train. We planned to leave at 15:30 to catch our train to marseille at :16:30. We actually got out early, but just as we were leaving, Addison dropped the box of Pighin wine on the street and the red wine bottle broke and made a mess. By the time we got it cleaned up, we were a few minutes behind. It all worked out though because we still got to the station 30 minutes before the scheduled departure and our train was already there.

We found a room of 8 seats and put our luggage above us. It was similar tot he sleeper car, but with seats instead of beds. There was a guy talking (or singing) quite loudly so Tavis went to the next car over and we found 2 sets of 4 seats. We moved there instead. Shortly after leaving, we realized the car we moved to had no air conditioning and there seemed to be a lot of people coughing. We ended up dragging our luggage back to the original car and shared a seat with a young woman who was only going to Antibes. The rest of the 3 hour train ride was quick.

When we arrived in Marseille Saint Charles, we got off and looked to see which platform our next train was leaving from. A man was doing surveys so we told him we would take the survey if he could help us figure out the platform we needed to be at. We found our platform and answered his questions about our time in Marseille (which was really only 5 minutes). Then we made our way to the platform. The train in Marseille is similar to Nice where you have to scan your ticket to open the gates. The problem is that it really doesn’t work well. The man in front of us couldn’t get his ticket to scan so we tried ours and we all went through together.

When we arrived at the airport train stop, we got off and that is where it got interesting. We were not actually at the airport, but we could see it in the distance. It was about 2km away. There was a sign for a shuttle but we had no idea how much or how often it came. We decided to walk toward where we thought the hotel was (according to our Google maps). We all walked single file down side roads, over an overpass, and across an onramp. There were no sidewalks and some areas didn’t even have much of a shoulder. It wasn’t really the best parenting moment, but we all made it without getting hit by any cars. We were happy to finally arrive at the hotel. Tavis asked at teh front desk if they had a shuttle to the train station and they said yes, we just have to let them know when to pick us up. That would have been much more helpful before! His jaw dropped when we told him we walked.

We were happy to finally settle in tour rooms. The kids are in room 362 and we are in 356. We all enjoyed showers and relaxed while snacking on peanuts and pretzels before getting ready for bed.

Tomorrow we are meeting for breakfast at 08:00. We have a car rental for the day but we have no idea what adventure tomorrow will bring.

Today was a sleep in day. Tavis and Addison went to the bakery to get breakfast while I had a shower and Ari and Ayva slept. We didn’t get out of the apartment until 11:00! We took the tram to the train station and literally crammed on the train that took us to Monaco.

The train was so busy that I didn’t think anyone would fit on. Apparently, I was wrong. People just pushed their way onto the train, squishing everyone together. We were holding onto each other to make sure everyone made it. Then more people came after us. The problem is that many people got on and did not move through the cars to make room for anyone else. I was sandwiched between 3 people. It was extremely hot and everyone had sweat dripping off them. It felt discussing, especially for short people like me who were shoved up into other people’s armpits. When we arrived in Monaco, we were so happy to get out and breath again.

We found a seat and recovered for a few minutes at the Monaco train station. We also discovered they had free wifi so we enjoyed that. Then we made our way out of the train station and the boys were giddy! They were pointing out rare cars that you just don’t see at home. Then tavis was pointing out different parts of the street where the Monaco race took place. We made our way down windy roads and got photos of famous turns. We went into many souvenir stores so Ari could find something in Monaco to bring home. In one of the stores, the cashier discovered we were from Canada and he got a big grin on his face. We told him we were from Vancouver and he asked if we knew of Coquitlam!!! He said he likes Coquitlam because people speak French there. It was so crazy to meet someone from Monaco who knew our home town. After several hours of walking the streets of Monaco, Ari finally picked out a licence plate to bring home and we made our way back to the train station.

Our next train ride was much more comfortable. We easily got seats and and went back toward Nice. We got off at a place called Beaulieu-sur-Mer. It was a cute little port town. We made our way down to the yacht club past many large resorts. There wasn’t too much to see, so we went back to the train station and caught the next train that took us into old town Nice.

We decided to get some lunch and went to Chicken Chicken which was sort of like KFC. It was really good and they had free bathrooms, wifi, and they filled our water bottles for free. After leaving, Addison navigated us to a weird art structure of a cube head thing. It was weird. Then we went to a Basilica near the main train station. It was beautiful and had nice gardens around it with lots of bunnies. It is crazy to see such a peaceful property among the busy streets.

We then made our way back to the main station at Nice Ville. This time, we weren’t as lucky getting on the train. First, our passes wouldn’t scan. We eventually just ran through when someone else scanned their pass. Lots of people were having trouble so I think the scanners weren’t working properly. We had tickets and no one was there to ask, so we figured it was the only option. Then we got to the platform and noticed the trains for 45 minutes delayed. Not a good sign! After waiting 35 minutes, we saw a repeat of the morning train. We were in line, but at the last minute, we all decided to wait for the next train. Only 15 minutes later, another train came, but we noticed it was not going toward Cannes so we didn’t even try. I think a bunch of people who missed the previous train may have got on that one by mistake. Another 10 minutes later, another train came. This time, we went down a few platforms and we were first in line. We squeezed on and continued walking to the end of the car. We even found seats! I think the end cars are the busiest because that is where the entrance to the station is. Either way, it was 17:00 and we were finally on our way to Cannes.

When we got to Cannes, we walked around the streets for a while. Down by the water reminded us a lot of Hawaii. It seems like most of the shoreline is just beach from Cannes all the way up through Antibes and almost to Nice. There are old building, but also modern ones. It is a cute town but it definitely had a tourist vibe. After, we took a train to Antibes and did the same We wanted to see the Old Fort but it was closed, so instead, we walked to the big Ferris wheel. It was neat because there was a circus or gathering of some sort just inside the walls. There was even wifi. We sat and rested for a bit and checked the train schedule. We saw a train was scheduled to leave in 15 minutes, then almost an hour wait until the next one so we rushed back and walked straight onto the train home to Nice.

When we were on the tram, it stopped in the middle of the track. Tavis asked a lady on the tram when the announcement said. She told us the train was stopped because of a medical emergency on another tram ahead. We were talking to her for quite a while and it was neat to hear all the places she lived. She has Canadian Citizenship, but she is from Nice. Just before 21:00, we arrived at our stop. There was a grocery store still open so we went in and bought stuff for dinner and lunches tomorrow before returning home to do laundry.

Tomorrow we plan to explore the city of Nice before we make our way to Marseille.

Last night, no one really had a good sleep. It was quite a bit warmer in the apartment, but I think the real reason is that everyone knew we had to leave by 05:00.

At 04:30, Tavis and I got out of bed and woke up the kids. It was still pitch black outside! Addison actually showered. The rest of us brushed our teeth, packed up the last of our belongings, and ate the home-made apple strudel that our host had dropped off the night before. It was greatly appreciated!

Our bags were pretty much packed, so it didn’t take long to load the car. We left the apartment by 05:15. Tavis turned on his phone today for the first time because we had a train to catch in Verona and we didn’t want to be late due to the scheduled construction along the way. We decided yesterday that today we would pay the tolls and take the Autobahn. Google estimated we would arrive by 07:30 which left us 30 minutes to find fuel, get lost, and locate the rental car drop off location by 08:00.

So, apparently, construction on the Autobahn does not take place before 06:30. We avoided all congestion and arrived in Verona just after 07:00! Since we had an hour before the car rental office opened, Addison used Tavis’ phone to locate a nearby POI. By 07:15, we found ourselves at an ancient arena that had the look and feel of the Roman Coleseum. The streets were practically empty, and we easily found a parking spot near the entrance to the gate of the community. Pay parking wasn’t in effect for another 45 minutes, which was perfect!

Ari decided to stay and sleep in the car while the rest of us ventured out to explore the site. It was such a picturesque area. The old fortress walls, dilapidated structure of the old arena, surrounded by the cutesiest colourful buildings and a fountain along a Main Street. It looked like a scene right out of a movie set! To top it off, there was practically no one around! We spent about 20 minutes walking around before making our way back to the car. We topped up the diesel and easily found the drop off area at the train station just before 08:00.

We unloaded the bags, found the correct platform (6), and left the kids with all the bags while Tavis and I went to explore the station. Tavis got a coffee, an ear cleaning thingy-mo-bob from the pharmacy (he got water in his ear when swimming and it was driving him crazy), and returned the keys to the rental company. Just before 08:30, we boarded our train to Milano.

To our surprise, we were in carriage 2 which was in 1st class. Funny, we totally forgot about that since it was booked several months ago. When booking, it was cheaper for us to go 1st class than it was for a regular ticket. It was only $120CAD for the 5 of us to travel from Verona to Ventimiglia which was way more relaxing than driving! Our seats were roomy, we had free wifi, and we even received a free beverage and snack pack! I absolutely recommend the Frecciarossa trains!

We arrived in Milano (platform 10) a few minutes late at 09:47. We had over an hour before our next train arrived so we went into the crowded station and found 5 seats with enough space in between for our luggage. It was perfect! Tavis and I took turns exploring the impressive train station. The architecture was beautiful. Out of curiosity, I tried to purchase a ticket for our train to compare costs. It was completely sold out! I guess it was a good thing I purchased them so early. About 15 minutes before our train was scheduled to leave we decided to make our way to the gate since our platform wasn’t assigned yet. As we got up and walked past the board, our platform popped up. We walked straight to platform 18 and boarded our next train. This time it was a Ter IC train. It left promptly at 11:10. We were also in Carriage 2 which was first class, but this time, no wifi and no beverages or snacks.

At 14:54, we arrived in Ventimiglia. We purchased train tickets to Nice because we read online it was cheaper than buying them online. Unfortunately, it was busy and the ticket agent didn’t give us the family discount. We ended up paying $43,50 instead of the $22,00 it should have been. Now we know to ask for the mini group discount (not the family discount). If the ticket agent doesn’t give us the discount, we will purchase our tickets online. Our train was scheduled for 15:16, but it didn’t leave until 15:30.

When we arrived in Nice, we found the L1 tram and used Google to find the house. We got a bit lost because Google took us a different route than our host suggested. We walked around the apartment a few times before finally meeting Laurence. She gave us the key and showed us around the apartment.

That evening we did laundry, work, and purchased train tickets for Nice. We have a family day pass for tomorrow and our train is booked from Nice to Marseille on Saturday.

This morning we woke up at 05:45 with intent to leave at 06:30. We were disappointed to see that it was a cloudy day and the forecast showed clouds and rain all day, with temperatures around 12… not sure why none of us thought to check the weather forecast before now. This was our only day to see the most famous peaks in the Dolomites so we decided that the clouds would be better than direct sun and hoped that we would be able to see something up there. We dressed in the warmest clothes we had, shorts/pants, t-shirts and a sweatshirt. We shared 2 buns with home-made strawberry jam that our host gave us, and we were on our way. We left the apartment at 06:35 which wasn’t bad.

The traffic wasn’t too bad and we arrived at the toll booth just after 08:00. There was a long line, but the sign showed about 200 parking spots available so we figured we had timed it well. After paying the 30,00, and driving up the crazy switchbacks, we reached the “parking”. It was basically a wide gravel road with place on both sides to park. Addison got out and directed Tavis into our spot so he didn’t fall down the hill to the parking lot below us. By 08:30 we started our 11km journey around the Tre Cime.

The clouds seemed fairly high and the mountains looked surreal all around us. We were just happy to see them! The road we started on seemed quite narrow and we thought it was only for pedestrians. About half way down, a Heineken truck was coming at us. The people walking the road had to stand up the hill off the road so there was room for the truck to pass. It was crazy! We came to the trail to the first look out and quickly made our way down, only to find that it was completely covered in clouds. We could see some peaks occasionally through the cloud cover but there wasn’t much to see so we carried on.

At 09:20, we came to the first station. There were bathrooms, and I figured I should probably try to use it in case we didn’t see any more. I was surprised that you had to pay ,50 to get in. I didn’t have any money so I snuck in. I was sure glad I didn’t pay because when I got to the women’s stall, it was just a hole in the ground and a sink!!! I double checked to make sure I was in the right place. Yes, there were other women in there aswell. Someone showed me how to use the pedal to turn on the water. The hole in the ground also had a pedal so I guess they were flushing holes. Either way, I decided I didn’t need to go to the bathroom that bad.

At 09:30, we reached the base of Tre Cime. The view was stunning and not at all covered by the clouds. We all took some time getting photos before moving along to the next station. As we left, we could see some clouds moving in. By 10:00, the clouds had completely moved in behind us and we could no longer see the peaks of Tre Cime. We couldn’t have timed that better if we tried!

At 10:15, we had hiked all the way up to the second station along the back. This was the furthest station, and it seemed to be where people were getting ready to rock climb. By now, the clouds were starting the thin again, and we could catch glimpses of the peaks. We stopped for a short break to eat 1 cookie each for energy. The clouds sure move fast. We continued on our way and began a steep descent down toward a valley. Once we reached the bottom, we had to hike a steep incline on the other side. We could all feel it in our legs today. By 11:15, we reached another station down by a couple of lakes. We took a short break and each ate 1 more cookie and we shared a package of peanuts. The water was beautiful, the views were incredible.

By 12:00, we had hiked the entire 11km and made it back to the car park. However, Addison was not finished with us. He had a short 3.5km walk that he also wanted to take us on. Not everyone was onboard because the clouds had rolled in and we really couldn’t see much. However, we dutifully followed our leader and bypassed the car park. An hour later, we reached a peak and decided it was finally time to sit and eat our sandwiches. The clouds seemed to be thinning out and we saw a trail down to a steep peak. Addison decided that was a famous instagram spot he had been looking for and it was our final destination.

We followed a very narrow dirt path along the cliffs of the mountain. Eventually we reached a spot where there was a narrow path with cliffs on both sides and dropped straight down. It was by far the scariest and most thrilling part of the entire hike. At the end, there was maybe room for 8 people. There were 2 guys out there already and they couldn’t believe our timing. They had been waiting for 3 hours for the clouds to lift. Moments before we arrived, the clouds finally lifted and revealed the breathtaking view they waited all morning to see. The spot we had climbed out to dropped straight down on 3 sides. It made me dizzy just thinking about where we were. We each took turns walking/crawling to the furthest point and getting our photos taken. It was such a surreal experience and we all made it back without any incidents. A success! It was definitely worth the extra trip, and everything seemed perfectly timed.

The photos don’t even begin to capture the moment but the memories will last a lifetime! We got back to the car just before 14:00 and arrived back to the apartment by 16:30. Everyone went straight to bed and had a siesta. Later today we will go back to the pool to rest our legs and it will be an early bed time tonight as we have to leave at 04:30 in the morning to make the 2.5hr drive to Verona so we can catch our train at 08:30 (Thanks to the train tracks still under construction, and the disruption to the train schedule). The construction was actually a blessing in disguise because had we not rented a car, we would have missed the beautiful drive through the Dolomites, and we wouldn’t have been able to make it to Tre Cime.

We will see what adventures tomorrow will bring!

So, apparently the traffic starts at 04:15 and the cars go quite fast along the road under our apartment! It is not the quiet town that I had pictured when we booked this location. With the blackout blinds on the windows, it felt like the middle of the night though. I was able to sleep until 07:30. Tavis and I got up and walked to the bakery and the cafe to get breakfast. The prices here are much more expensive than in Udine and Trieste. It is similar to being in Whistler, we are in a ski resort. When we got back, I put in another load of laundry and did some work while Tavis went back to bed. Today we decided to let the kids sleep in a bit.

We actually didn’t get out of the apartment until after 11:00! We walked 2 minutes to our bus stop to catch the bus up The Plose at 11:15. Our Airbnb included a Brixen card which gives us free access to all transit in South Tyrol, aswell as the gondolas up Plose, and other attractions such as free admission to the local pool and all museums in South Tyrol.

The bus ride was 15 minutes straight up! The hairpin turns in a bus are terrifying! When we got to the gondola, we went straight up the mountain, no line ups. The view of Bressanone as we went further up was incredible. The towns in the valley are scattered and the mountain ranges seem endless!

Since this is Addison’s leg of our journey, we let him be our guide. He took us straight up to the first peak we could see. Our legs were burning, and most of us were out of breath. Little did we know that our journey was going to take us back down the other side of the peak, only to go up the next peak, and the one after that, and the one after that! We hiked up for almost 3 hours before we turned around and walked back to the top of the gondola. It was cold up there! We learned that sweatshirts and windbreakers are a must when climbing the Dolomites. There was a bit of complaining but we all agreed that the hike was worth the views! We also saw lots of sheep and many other hikers and bikers on the slopes. What we thought was a small local ski hill, ended up being huge. I can only imagine the vastness of the mountain in the winter and beauty of the area covered in snow.

We returned to the apartment around 17:30 and went grocery shopping for dinner and lunch tomorrow. Then, Ayva, Ari, Tavis, and myself went to the Aquarena to use our free pass at the pool while Addison stayed home to make us dinner. I was quite impressed by the size of the local pool. They had a water slide, lazy river (what was definitely not that lazy when it was on), whirlpool (that wasn’t hot), a salt water pool, underwater loungers, and an entire outside area that we didn’t even get to. The water slide was if-until except for 2 boys who mooned us every time they went down. It was a very disturbing experience have a teenager stick his bare butt in the air before going down the slide. I guess he figured it made him go faster? Only in Europe???

When we got back to the apartment, dinner was ready and we all enjoyed a home cooked meal of Tortellini with meat sauce and a baguette. Then Ari washed the dishes while I spent the night getting caught up on work. Tonight we are all turning in early because tomorrow we plan to get up before 06:00 so we can get up to Tre Cime in time for parking. We read that we have to be up there by 08:00 before the parking lot is full.

Today we disembarked MSC Splendida and made our way to the Dolomites. We got off the ship at 09:00 and walked to the bus station. We arrived at 09:25 and purchased tickets for the 09:35 bus to the Trieste airport. There we picked up our rental car and began our 5 hour drive Northwest through the Dolomites. Addison navigated us to an old fortress about 30 minutes from the airport which as an UNESCO site. It is called Palmenova, and it is a star shaped fortress. We drove in through the gates and drove around the outer streets until we found parking. Then we got out to explore and made our way to the center, where they had a huge market set up. Ayva and I went dress shopping in the local market while the boys explored the UNESCO site. Addison also bought a canvas print of the fortress. After 30 minutes of exploring, we started again on our way.

About 15 minutes away was the Pighin Winery. We arrived at 12:45 but it was closed for lunch until 13:30. We found a cafe down the road to enjoy lunch and went back to the winery after it opened. By 13:45, we set on our way for the 4 hour journey ahead of us as we navigated to Bressanone through the Dolomites.

The views were stunning and the roads were like nothing we have back at home. The narrow roads took us from one village to the next and we weaved our way further up the mountains. The hairpin turns seemed narrow for cars, and each time a bus or logging truck passed, it was a bit of a thrill. We were supposed at the number of logging trucks on the road. The trees looked very similar to what we see at home, except they are cut much shorter (probably so they can transport them on the narrow winding roads). The drive itself was quite an experience for all of us.

Nadia welcomed us into our Airbnb in Bressanone around 19:30. It is a beautiful little apartment. She showed us around and handed over the keys. We quickly walked to the grocery store to get some supplies to make lunches. We enjoyed the cooler weather up in the mountains. It is between 12-24 degrees up here. When we got back, we put in a load of laundry and walked down to the local Pizzeria for dinner. It was crazy busy and they had no room to seat us. Instead we ordered pizza and were told to wait 60 minutes to pick it up. We came back to the apartment to get some work done and hand our laundry. We didn’t eat dinner until after 22:00, which was our latest dinner this trip.

Tomorrow, we look forward to exploring the Plose.

This morning we arrived in Bari before 07:00. Since we had no excursions we decided to meet in the buffet at 07:00 with the intent to leave the ship before 08:00. I went down to reception before breakfast to request self-baggage for tomorrow. We aren’t sure of MSC protocols, but we read that they have limited space for those wanting to take their luggage with them. Just before 08:00, we met in our stateroom and walked off the ship together (The kids aren’t allowed to leave the ship without a parent). I think that Bari was the longest walk to the terminal gate. When we left the terminal, we had a rough idea of a few points of interest to check out.

We first walked to a huge Basilica behind the city wall. The ceiling was beautifully decorated with murals. As we looked up, we noticed the pillars were not symmetrical. It was a beautiful structure though! As we were leaving, there was a sign outside that caught Tavis’ eye. It was a nice message to the tourists of Bari.

We made our way through narrow streets and alleys toward our next stop. We passed a couple more Basilica’s and street vendors. Eventually we found Castello Normanno-Svevo House. It was a museum with archeological diggings underneath the castle. As we approached, the sign said it was 8 euros and 3 euros for the kids. However, when we went to pay, there was no charge. Yay! I was actually impressed with the museum, not just because of the price. Throughout the site, they used modern technology, combined with ancient design. The rooms had drywall between old historic bricks. They also had impressive slideshows where they lit up specific areas of the ruins as the video described what they found in each location, and the meaning behind each finding. The museum had a lot of the same things we had seen in other museums, but this time, I didn’t touch anything. I really enjoyed this museum. I am glad we went in, and I would recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in Bari.

After leaving the museum, we wandered through old streets and into a more modern area of the town. All the stores along the main street were closed but they had several name brand stores you would expect to see at home. It wasn’t at all what I expected. At the end was a nice fountain, and a grand train station. The architecture of the town was a very “old meets new” feel. I liked it.

At this point everyone seemed to be ready to go back. We popped into a cute little store and enjoyed gelato as we made our way back down the main street and toward the waterfront. We saw a fish market and saw several people selling fresh shellfish along the boardwalk.

We enjoyed a nice walk in Bari today but everyone was a little depressed that this was our last stop. Our cruise portion of the vacation is coming to an end. When we got back on the ship, everyone parted ways. We knew this would be the last day to enjoy all the amenities and everyone had their own way of saying goodbye.

Tavis and I relaxed at the Espresso Bar with a few drinks while our room was being cleaned. We then decided to check on the kids before making our way to the buffet. We were shocked to find all of them in their room packing their bags. They were reminiscing about all that we had done on the cruise. We all took some time to recap some of our adventures. We eventually made our way to the buffet to enjoy our last lunch at our favourite spot at the aft of the ship (the best views onboard in my opinion).

After lunch, Tavis and I finally broke down and began packing our belongings as well. It is funny how 9 days can seem so long but not long enough. Once we were all packed up, Tavis spent time at the F1 Simulator and Ayva and I enjoyed several rounds of bowling. We met up with the entire family again at dinner. We enjoyed our last meal in the dining room with our servers, Budy and Yogi. From there we went to a show, which wasn’t’ as entertaining as gthe previous nights, but we enjoyed the American Rock and Roll music.

We ended our day bowling a few rounds with Ayva before returning to our staterooms for our last sleep onboard MSC Spledida. Tomorrow we make our way to Bressanone, in the Dolomites.

This morning started off quite slow. Tavis may have had a bit too much to drink lastnight and was quite sluggish in the morning. I went up to the buffet to get breakfast and tried to find something for Tavis, but he was not into eating. I am really going to miss my morning fruit, pastries, and bacon when we get off the ship.

A noon, we all met up at the buffet. Everyone seemed to eat on a different schedule so some of us snacked while others had a full lunch. By 13:15, we met in our stateroom and we all made our way off the ship to the meeting point for our “Sail & Snorkel” adventure. We had instructions to meet our driver at the gate at 13:45.

We arrived at 13:30 and sat in the hot sun, but there was a nice breeze so it wasn’t unbearable. Just before 14:00, the van finally arrived and we piled into the large grey van (not at all what I pictured when we were told a mini van would pick us up). We took off right away, and didn’t even leave the port before our driver stopped and ran out of the vehicle. We were quite confused as we sat there in the van with 7 other people and no driver for almost 10 minutes! Finally, he came back and we were on our way,

We pulled up to the marina about 15 minutes south of the Port. He dropped us off in front of a line of sail boats and directed us toward the 45ft sailboat at the end. We all climbed onboard and within minutes, Captain Nick was navigating us away from the slip. The skies were cloudy and a perfect temperature.

During the 1 hour cruise out to our first stop, Ari asked if he could sit on the bow of the yacht. Captain Nick gave him a thumbs up. While the rest of us were crammed in the back , Ari had the entire front, under the sails, to himself. Part way out, Tavis joined him, then a bit later, I ventured out as well. It was actually a thrill being out under the huge sail.

As we got to our first stop, Captain Nick maneuvered us into place and let down the anchor. Within minutes of stopping, the rain began to dance on the sea. It was the first rainfall we’ve seen all summer and it was spectacular. Ari asked if he could still swim and Captain Nick put the platform down and gave him a thumbs up. Ari was half in the water in no time while the rest of us had no intentions of venturing into the sea with such a storm among us. He didn’t want to go in alone though. I figured, we couldn’t come this far and not swim in the Greek islands so I peeled off my wet bathing suit cover and slowly climbed into the sea.

The temperature of the water was warmer than most pools. It was especially warm compared to the cold rain falling in large splatters all around us. One of our Dutch friends offered us the use of their snorkels and before long, Ari and I were mesmerized by the hundreds of fish swimming among us. After 30 minutes, Tavis and Ayva joined us. Shortly after, we had all 12 passengers swimming in the water. By this time, the lightening was striking all around us and the thunder was quite loud. Most of the fish had moved on, but there were still quite a bit to admire. After swimming for almost 45 minutes in a thunder and lightening storm, I decided to get out. When everyone else came out, we all went down underneath and enjoyed a nice lunch that Captain Nick had prepared while we were in the water.

After eating, we pulled up the anchor, and Ari asked Captain Nick if he could please take us to the caves. He navigated us to another spot where he set the anchor. We thought we could see the caves from the boat, but he informed us they were best viewed by swimming through. No one was eager to get back in the water, but Ari wanted to go in. I dove in first and he quickly followed. As we swam toward the caves, everyone else seemed to slowly follow. When we got to the cliffs, I was amazed at how smooth the rocks were. There were live coral around as well. The captain of the other yacht was in the water with us. He took us through the cave 7 at a time. We were able to walk in, but then we had to dive under the back to get out. It was a crazy experience.

After swimming through the cave, I made my way back to our boat. Just as I was getting onboard, a group was heading toward the cliffs. I didn’t want to miss out on an adventure so I dove back in and followed the captain and a few others up a cliff. We were jumping at 4 and 6 ft heights. I did 1 jump and realized I was not int he proper attire to be cliff jumping. A bikini and no shoes is not a good idea. I did manage to jump, with all eyes on me, and luckily my bathing suit was still in tact when I came up. It wasn’t worth the risk to do a second attempt. Addison jumped twice, and Ari jumped once. Another kids was doing flips off the higher ledge. It was a great show.

Before we knew it, it was 18:00 and time to start making our way back to the marina. Captain Nick discovered that Ari had a boat license so he let Ari take the wheel as we pulled away. We raced the other yacht back and we were neck and neck. The clouds were parting and the sun was peaking through. On the way back, Ayva and I say up front with a couple other girls, while the boys stayed in the back. They learned that Captain Nick was actually an athlete. He qualified for the summer Olympics in pole vault, but got into a motorbike accident and broke his back so he never got to compete.

An hour later, Ari was still at the helm as we were coming up on the large yachts quick. Luckily, Captain Nick took over just as we were entering the marina. He navigated the marina like an expert and backed us into our slip with ease. By now, the clouds had dispersed and the sun was beating down strong. Just like that, our adventure was over, along with the storm.

A shuttle took us back to the ship, and we eagerly showered the ocean off. It felt good to be clean again. We had dinner at the buffet, caught another show, then went bowling before bed. Tonight we turn our clocks back an hour as we make our way to Bari, our last port of call on this cruise.

Today was a well appreciated lazy day at sea. We slept in until after 10:00! We enjoyed our morning beverages and didn’t make it to the buffet until 15 minutes before lunch was served. We met up with Ari who was just finishing his breakfast. Ayva and Addison met us in the buffet at our usual table. It is less busy at the back of the ship because everyone typically gets their food and sits down right away.

After lunch, we met Ari in the sports bar for a few rounds of bowling. Ayva and I lazily wandered in the stores while Addison and Tavis went up to the room to check emails and get some work done. Ari got his placement for residency and is happy that he did get his first choice. He will be in Orchid Commons.

Ayva and I had a siesta while the boys were at the F1 simulator. It was a few hours later that they came to get us and we all got ready for elegant night. The meals were all excellent! Then it was followed by another highly entertaining show. The cast on this ship is phenomenal.

After the show we participated in an ABBA Trivia game. The bar was completely packed! There were several fans among us. It was such a neat atmosphere to sing familiar music. Actually, even though it is not the first language of most of the people on this ship, all the staff speak English. The ship itself is all in English, which I didn’t even realize.

It was another great day and tomorrow we have another sleep in day as we won’t arrive in Corfu until after lunch.

Nautical Info

Splendida sailed all night through Sea of Marmara and Dardanelles Strait. We sailed all day, navigating westerly through the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and Greek Islands in order to reach the Greek Island of Corfu.