Cinque Terre, Italy

In English, Cinque Terre means "five lands" or towns.  This destination spot is one of the many quintessential images of Italy, placed on the costal cliffs and hillsides of the Italian Riviera.  But let me tell you, it is HOT and CROWDED in the summer time, a season when I had not ever visited.  However, it's charm and beauty make up for these small inconveniences.

Vernazza

If all of the trails are open, (no washouts from the rainy season, maintenance, etc.) you can hike from the first to the last town.  It takes a few hours and although it is beautiful, it is work.  Soaking your feet in the cold ocean is a welcome reward upon completion. If you have been reading my blog since it's beginning, you know that I had the opportunity to visit Cinque Terre a couple times when I spent my senior year in Florence.  It is like Yosemite National Park in California, in that you can visit time and time again and still find it beautiful and alluring.

I was also able to visit several times over the course of the contract.  Riomaggiore is a short 20 minute train ride from La Spezia, making a relaxing beach day pretty doable, depending on the work schedule for the day. (Don't forget the time it takes to tender in the La Spezia port.)  Kristine and I hiked the trail once and I also spent a day at the beach in Monterosso with Kaleigh on another occasion.

A beach day in Monterosso with Kaleigh

Ready to hike with Kristine!  We were so DONE when we reached the end...and then we were off to work.

Riomaggiore

Princess Aurora and Snow White enjoying each other's company

La Spezia, Italia

Setting foot in Italy after two years!

I can't even begin to express my joy, the day I set foot back in Italy.  For those of you who haven't read my blog since the beginning, I began it for my year long adventure of studying abroad in Florence during my senior year of college.  I didn't speak a word of Italian before arriving and knew absolutely nothing about this beautiful, romantic country.  I fell in love with the country and with the language, and it will always have a special place in my heart.

The Port of La Spezia

Our first port of Italy was La Spezia; one we would return to the entire summer of my Mediterranean cruise adventure.  From here, in theory, you can visit many surrounding towns and cities...if time permits--which, for crew memebers, not all destinations were possible.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  Today is about La Spezia.  Like Villefranche, we anchored further out in the port and took tender boats to shore.  The process was easy, painless and frequent in Villefranche.  Not so much in La Spezia.  The boats were bigger--which required a longer wait time to bring them to maximum capacity--and the distance was longer (about 20 minutes each way).  Not to mention, waiting for the tender to arrive if one had just departed, and allowing all Disney guests to be the first on the tender as well as the first ones off.  All this to say, if you were cutting it close in La Spezia, you were really playing the odds.

What a joyful day this was for me!  Kristine, Kaila, Kev and myself enjoyed our first Italian meal of the summer

Of the four Italian ports we frequented over the summer, La Spezia reminded me most of Florence, making it my favorite.  I mean, that should come as no surprise since it is the closest of the ports to Florence.  This quaint little town had a small farmer's market and a decent shopping scene, but mine and my friends' destination was usually a little "bar" (cafe) called Lo Sfizio.  The people were wonderful, the wifi was always reliable (and always is not a term used liberally when it comes to this matter).  It may not be a city full of breath taking views and adventures, but it was wonderful to me.

Gelato is always a must.

Una bici pittoresco 

My friend, Princess Aurora, on a port morning.

Monte Carlo, Monaco

The Monte Carlo Casino...The view from the back (featured) is better.

Monte Carlo.  Home of Princess Grace (Grace Kelly) after she married the Prince of Monaco and the famous Monte Carlo Casino.  The people of Monaco were clearly very excited to have an American actress as their new princess.  It was the Golden Years of Hollywood.  Theaters, dance studios, streets, restaurants...they are all named after Princess Grace.
Yes, Monaco is it's own itty bitty country (499 acres) surrounded by France and again, only a short train ride away from Villefranche.  If you are rich, Monte Carlo is the place to shop.  If you want to feel rich, but aren't, Monte Carlo is a place to walk around and take pictures and feel fancy; but not much else.  Every designer, high-end store you could hope for is here in this yacht-destination, I-have-money-and-want-to-flaunt-it city.

Just, ya know, a casual street in Monaco.

The yachts of Monaco

Lunch behind Saint Nicholas Cathedral

Delicious baked Brie

Saint Nicholas Cathedral, where Princess Grace was married

Formal night with Chip and Dale.  Because what's a blog about travels with Disney Cruise Line without a little dose of Disney to go with it?

The French Riviera, Part 3

Nice, France

Said "Niece." Although...Nice was nice.  Just a short train ride away, this was definitely a city, not a town, on the French Riviera.  It was lovely and classy and hot and beachy.  The shopping was plentiful, the wine was delicious, and while I never spent a day on the beaches here, they were beautiful.

Once, when we were eating at a restaurant and couldn't connect to the wi-fi, our server left his phone on our table during our entire meal to let us connect to his internet hotspot.  A moment of immensely appreciated kindness for disconnected crew members.

A lovely day with my dear friend Kristine and the coast of France

A beautiful, seemingly abandoned carousel

Delicious French macaroons!

I found this beautiful bouquet and carried it with me, shopping in Nice.  If only it weren't prohibited to bring fresh flowers on board.  I savored their beauty for the day at least!

All Aboard!

A view of the ocean while it looked as though we were sailing on glass.

The French Riviera, Part 2

Eze, France

At the Villefranche train station

Pictures say more than anything else when it comes to Eze.  What a beautiful little town full of breathtaking views, cobbled streets, and quaint allies and alcoves.  After the short train ride from Villefranche, just be sure to focus on the scenery during the bus ride up the mountain, instead of the cliff-side hairpin turns made by the care-free European bus driver...

Beautiful Channa- a close friend of Princess Tiana.

Lunch with Kaila.  Don't forget the wine!

The Disney Magic was on the other side of the mountain, but a beautiful view none-the-less

And so that is a snippet of Eze.  Abounding in fresh lavender and other herbs as well as breath-taking views.  Definitely worth returning to these hushed, narrow streets.

The French Riviera, Part 1

Villefranche, France

The quaint town of Villefranche

Ah, the French Riviera.  One day I will give Paris a second chance but until then, I would always choose the south of France first.  This was one of the five ports we visited on every cruise over the summer.  Pronounced "vil-fraah-sh." (Sorry, I don't write dictionaries for a living.  That's the best I've got.)

We always spent time with our furry friends in the mornings because of tendering, but also had plenty of time to spend in port after all the guests were off the ship.  Tendering is when the ship is anchored a ways out from the port and small boats are taken to shore.  Villefranche tendering was quick and painless.  The boats were frequent so it was no hassle.

Chip and Dale admiring the view of Villefranche from Deck 4.

A favorite stop here in Villefranche was a creperie where the woman spoke no English and made the best crepes.  With only a few tables outside of the little walk-up counter, if you were willing to withstand the heat of her cooking and the Mediterranean summer, there was no room for disappointment.

Later in the summer Kristine and I took advantage of the beautiful scenery of the small town and did a just-because photoshoot.  Her talent left me with some great photos and a fun afternoon.

There was a small beach here, but we most often enjoyed the small cobbled streets and shops, took day trips to nearby towns, or utilized internet at cafes.

 

Minnie was so excited to see the view!

Barcelona, Spain

Transatlantic cruise, check!  We finally reached the destination of "The Trans."  Finally time for some new guests. For the rest of the summer, Barcelona was our new home port.  I didn't explore it as much as I could have for many reasons.

YUM.  No, I did not color enhance this photo.

1. Embark/Debark day = POSSIBILITY TO SLEEP IN!  No work until our company meeting at 3:30.
2. "We're here every cruise.  I'll explore next embark day." (Tip: you eventually run out of 'next times')
3. A day for business: Post office, WiFi, Shopping, etc. (well, maybe not all business)

Anyway, I saw the things I wanted to see and I am satisfied.  Obviously, I didn't experience the famous Barcelona night-life since we sailed away every afternoon, but that doesn't disappoint me that deeply.  From the port, the bus let us off on Las Ramblas, and from there we took our pick.  

Just another Gothic cathedral in Spain

The Farmer's Market! It's crowded...watch your purse!

An early walk down Las Ramblas with Kaila for a day of wifi. Before the crowds. Sometimes you just need a day to get business done.

Tapas! Buffet style. Price per "stick."

The famous La Segrada Famiglia.

 

Begun by Antonio Gaudi in 1882. Expected completion: 2041

The Apostle's Creed in La Segrada Famiglia

Park Güell. Another creation of Antonio Gaudi.

Don't feel the need to watch this video in it's entirety.  I enjoyed sitting and listening in the shade for a break from the intense heat at Park Güell. My favorite is around 9.40, when they thank everyone in all different languages.