Egypt

We’ve already lost track of what day it is, so we are going to stick with the dates. We celebrated Christmas with a nice dinner on the ship & did some Christmas caroling with the ship’s crew. Then, we were off to Egypt. Our tour guide was awesome! In two days, we were able to see a lot. First, we saw the alabaster mosque of Mohammed Ali in downtown Cairo, which is a replica of the Blue Sofia in Istanbul. Then, we saw the treasures of King Tut and later went to a night show of the pyramids. After that, we went to a dinner cruise on the Nile with music and a belly dancer. During the next day we saw the great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphynx. We even rode camels! It was so much fun and such a neat experience.

Today, we’re going to Rhodes, Greece. Thanks for checking with us. We are happy to read your comments.

Bye for now,
The Torres Family

Pompeii and Sorrento

Wed Dec 23 2009

The weather was perfect today, 65 degrees and sunny! We visited Pompeii and Sorrento. First we stopped at a Cameo factory where an artisan was carving jewerly out of seashells. We were all impressed with how well preserved the ruins were and the seemingly nice life the inhabitants had. After a great time at the ruins, it was time for Sorrento. We drove through the steep shores and cliffs along the coast ovderlooking the ocean. It was breathtaking! We went to a local farmhouse where they produce Mozzarela, Lemoncello, and Olive oil. We ate lunch at the farmhouse. They served us freshly made mozzarella, locally grown tomatoes and salami, followed by home made pasa with riccotta and tomatoe sauce. For dessert, we had a Lemoncello cake (Yum!) and of course, Lemoncello. Then we walked through Sorrento. We loved this place! We would love to come back and stay at one of the local hotels overlooking the ocean. There are Enotecas (wine houses), Gelaterias, and small eateries everywhere. The town is very lively! We wish to come back soon with some of our friends.

Back at the ship, we relaxed with Spanish wine overlooking Sorrento and the Amalfi coast as we departed from Italy. After dinner and the kids had gone to bed, we ran into the couple from Venezuela we met the first day, and we talked until 2am!!

At around 6am, we could see the coast of Sicily from our room trhough the balcony. Alexander loves to go out in the balcony and watch the ocean. Ed loves going to the Gym overlooking the coast while Sabrina and I update the blog J

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!! Wishing you a wonderful time.

Love.
The Torres

Rome

Tue Dec 23 2009

It was a rainy day today in Rome but we were still able to do a lot. We saw the Colesseum, walked through the Forum, visited the Pantheon, threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, walked around St. Peter’s square, and even had some gelatos and crepes. Alexander & Sabrina were very impressed with the Pantheon and the Colesseum. They did a great job getting around in the rain & heavy traffic. Ed & I were glad to be back in Rome and had a wonderful time.

Sea Day

Mon Dec 22 2009

Today we spent the day at sea, cruising from Barcelona to Rome. It was a cold, windy day and the waters were rough. Early in the afternoon we went to go play Bingo. It doesn’t sound very fun, but we had a great time. Ed & I then decided to take Salsa lessons. It was tricky because the boat kept rocking back and forward. Later in the night, Ed & I took Italian Language lessons. We learned basic phrases while Alex & Sabrina were having fun in the arcade. After the language lessons, we all went to eat dinner with the couple from Tampa. Then, we went back to the room to get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow’s tour.

Barcelona

Sun Dec 21 2009

We made it to Barcelona!! It was a beautiful day but very cold (30 degrees!). We got a little tour before the bus took us to the ship. We drove around Gran Via, or Main Street then stopped to see the Sagrada Family. There was new construction since we last saw it 7 years ago. It is truly amazing. After checking in at the cruise, we headed out to Mountjuic. We took the cable car to the Fort. Then we took the metro and funnicular to Las Ramblas where we met Yamilet’s best friend from High School, Mariella. What a treat!!
At the ship, we halve already met a couple from Tampa, another couple from Windermere, Orlando, and another one from Venezuela. So far, we have had a great time!
Love,
The Torres Family

Itinerary

Sat 19-Dec Flight Orlando, FL to Barcelona

Sun 20- Dec Ship departs Barcelona, Spain

Mon 21- Dec At sea

Tue 22- Dec Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Wed 23- Dec Naples/Pompeii, Italy

Thu 24- Dec At sea

Fri 25- Dec At sea

Sat 26/27- Dec Alexandria (Cairo), Egypt

Mon 28- Dec Rhodes, Greece

Tue 29- Dec Izmir (Ephesus), Turkey

Wed 30- Dec Piraeus (Athens), Greece

Thu 31- Dec Iraklion, Crete, Greece

Fri 01- Jan At sea

Sat 02- Jan At sea

Sun 03- Jan Ship arrives at Barcelona, Spain

Sun 03- Jan Flight Barcelona to Orlando, FL