Venezia, Italia - The Floating City

Not much needs to be said about this city.  Pictures can speak for it.  So...there are many.  However, there were a couple of mentionable things that we did while porting in Venice.

Morgan, Emma, Kristine, Janelle, Devon, Juilia, Caroline

Disney often hosts "Voluntears" events that they and the hosting port city arrange.  I volunteered to greet for Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale at a Voluntears event at a local children's hospital.  My limited, but comprehensible Italian came in handy to be able to speak to both the children and then to our furry Disney friends.  Most if not all of them had never seen a Disney character in person.  And because many of them were more ill than was apparent, this was a first and possibly only encounter for some of the children.  It was a wonderfully rewarding experience.

Meeting Mickey and Minnie for the first time

So small to be so sick

The inside of the Children's Hospital

Juilia and Emma on the water taxi

Erica on the Grand Canal on the way to the Children's Hospital

Sangria with Rodolfo, Ivo, and Carissa

Overnights

We only ported in Venice twice all summer, but it was a special case, because both times were "overnights."  As a crew member, a night off the ship is, well, it just doesn't happen.  

Shimmering lights from the Rialto Bridge

Nights are always spent at sea.  So these two nights in port were rare and cherished by all!  One of the two overnights, I stayed out with a few friends through the night, walking the echoing, beautiful streets until sunrise.  We returned to the ship at 7:00am, watching the city come to life all around us.

Piazza San Marco, 5:00am. The sky was the most beautiful indigo blue.

The beginning of sunrise and a waking city.  The coldest time of night is just before sunrise.

Surprises are the Best!

Thanksgiving in Turkey!  Yep, you read that right, I went back again.  Just two months after I visited Victoria after of year of going without, my parents gave me their accrued airline miles, scoring me a FREE ticket to Turkey!  I was able to spend time with my mom, dad and Victoria, all at once, for the first time since before I was working for Disney Cruise Line, beginning March of 2013.  Not long for some, but I'm not embarrassed to say, long for me.

Playing games!  One of our favorite past times!

A few of the many we shared our American tradition with.
Represented: USA, Turkey, Belgium, Syria.
An international Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is done, so now it's Christmastime!
Christmas movie night with Victoria's roommates, Julianna and Kaylee.

Istanbul! (Not Constantinople)

After a few days in Izmir at Victoria's, the four of us traveled to Istanbul!  Only took four visits to Turkey, but thanks to my parents I finally made it!  Istanbul is an enormous city, so of course I didn't see all the things on my list, but there's always next time.  The most important part was the people I was there with.  

I very much enjoyed learning little bits of the language while I was there.  Languages, I have realized over the past few years, are something that fascinate me.  Because I had just been two months earlier, I remembered this and that, and sometimes fooled people into thinking I was Turkish.  For instance, I would be asked on the plane if I wanted something to drink.  Obviously, they have a drink cart and are going down the aisle, so I know what they are asking even though I don't actually understand the words they are using.  I told them I wanted, "Kahve." (coffee)  They then rambled something else off and I responded, "süt," (milk) knowing that the next logical question was if I wanted milk and sugar.  If they asked me anything else after that, I would respond, "Türkçe bilmiyorum," (I don't know Turkish) and leave them extremely confused.  A for effort at least!

Can't even put into words how much I love this girl!