Barcelona,Spain

What a wonderful place. We were able to spend approx. 8 hrs there. It reminds me , in many ways, Venice because of it's small, narrow, winding streets. All the cars are little and if they can get down a street, the car has very little wriggle room. We met our tour guide in town for our Segway tour. The tour was around 2hrs and we were all over Barcelona with them. They have buses to see the city or you can walk. But, the Segway was the best way to get around. There was a festival going on so people all over. After the Segway tour we were guided to a small local restaurant. We ordered pizza and sangria and listened to Spanish music on the guitar. Ambiance was great. Lovely, lovely, day

Mike and Sandy in small local restaurant in Placa

Sandy, Rick, Me, Mike and Susan waiting in the Placa for Segway Tour

Street in Barcelona

Susan and Craig in local restaurant after Segway Tour

Rick, Tour guide and Craig on Segways in Barcelona

narrow streets in Barcelona

Craid, Susan, Rick, me and Mike outside of a cathedral in a placa

Beautiful mosaic building

Susan, tour guide, Rick, me, Sandy, tour guide, and Mike on the Segway Tour, Craig taking picture

Tour guide, Rick, Me, Sandy, Tour guide. They were terrific

Cannes, France

Well this is the second time we have been in France and are unable to see anything. Three years ago we had a layover in France but not enough time to see anything. Today at 0700, we were getting ready to go ashore and the Captain of the ship came on and Said by noon the winds would be too high(45 knots) to take people ashore and try to bring them back so we are not going to Cannes. It is raining currently, cloudy, temp approx 70 degrees, waves are BIG, time is 9:15am, 3:15am your time. So a much welcomed sea day today.

Early morning in Cannes, about 7 am

Early moring in Cannes

Florence, Italy

Best place to be on a Friday. Lovely, lovely, like Venice. We took a private tour and went to Pisa and Florence. See the leaning tower of Pisa. Then we went to Florence. We tried to see David at Accademia but they were closed due to a strike so we saw David in a Piazza which was a duplicate.Then we saw the Duoma ( a church) . Mike climbed 470 steps whilst we didn't and shopped instead. Then we went to Tuscany at a vineyard, Casa Emma and had a wonderful lunch where Chianti is made. Now we are drinking Chianti on our room deck waiting for the ship to leave for Monico tomorrow.

Sign on the door that the Accademia was closed

Rick, Theresa (private tour guide) Susan, Craig, Sandy in Pisa by the Leaning Tower

Rick, Sandy, Mike in Casa Emma for lunch. Tons of food served. This is a small, private vineyard, out of the way for tour buses, very quaint, lovely, food was lovely Italian food and wine.

All of us in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Mike on top of the Duomo. Climbed all those steps

Vineyards of Casa Emma

Susan, Craig, me eating at Casa Emma in Florence

Sandy and I buying leather purses in Pisa

Leaning Tower of Pisa. Some of the sides lean more than the other sides

Picture of the Duomo in Pisa

Mike and Sandy in Casa Emma

Inside the Duomo in Pisa

Susan and I in Pisa with the copy of David in the Piazza

Rome

We stopped in Rome yesterday. We had been there for 3 days, 3 yrs ago. We all love Rome except this time we were only there for 10 hrs.Susan and Craig went on to Orvieto . They looked at St. Patrick's well and a fortification and Orvieto Cathedral. They had an authentic Umbrian lunch which was really good. Sandy and Mike got on the train with us to Rome where we split up with them. Sandy and Mike went to Borghese Gallery in Rome. There were all kinds of Bernini statues, the floors, the walls, all beautiful. Rick and I went back to St. Peters Basilica and then we walked to Piazza Novona and met Sandy and Mike for lunch. Ahh...pizza in Rome. We eventually rode the train back to the ship. Not enough time in Rome. Have to go back.

Rick with 3 young nuns in the streets of Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica is in the background

In St. Peter's Basilica 

Sandy and Mike in Piazza Novona, one of our all time favorite Piazza's in Rome

St. Peter's Basilica

Part of a fountain in Piazza Novona

Rick and I in Piazza Novona

Mike and Rick in Piazza Novona where we ate. There are many restaurants with tables and umbrellas in the Piazza overlooking artists with paintings in the middle of the square placed around fountains. I think one of the most beautiful places to be in Rome

Mike and Sandy walking through the streets of Rome. The Thames is behind them

Sandy and I at a cafe in Piazza Novona.

Vatican City, St Peter's Basilica and Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel

Streets of Rome

Chef's Table

Last night we were invited to the Chef's table. There were the six of us, two other couples, and a woman traveling on her own. We were given white coats to put on and then were directed to an area in the beginning of the kitchen where we had to scrub our hands. Then we proceeded to travel throughout the kitchen to show us how food is prepared. During the tour we were given four appetizers with champaign . After the tour we were directed to a lovely table where we spent 3 hrs eating a six course meal with separate wines with each course.we ended the meal with Limoncello, roses to all the women and a free copy of a cook book with recipes cooked on princess cruise line. It was an experience we will never forget

Mike, Susan Sandy eating one of the appetizers while the chef is talking

This was one of the courses in the dining room at the Chef's table. It was crackers and cheese and nuts with Balsamic Vinegar

Chef explaining how the food was repaired. The kitchen was serving dinner while we were in the kitchen. It was amazing to see how dinner was being served for thousands of people while we were touring at the same time

Susan and Sandy with Champagne during one of the appetizers. They would never let the glasses remain empty. Always being refilled. Of course, we drank them so as not to let them think Americans were rude

Chef MacDonald, Mike, Susan, Craig

This was a sorbet with a spun sugar. This was served to clean the palate. Grey Goose vodka was poored over this. It was delicious

Craig, one of the waitstaff, me and Rick eating appetizers

This was beef tenderloin that had been set on fire moments earlier, with scallops and lobster. The presentation was beautiful and the food was wonderful but the picture just doesn't do it justice

The chef and the dessert chef at the end of the meal. We were treated like royalty. The women were all given a red rose with baby's breath, a cookbook of the recipes on Princess Cruises and an individual picture of each couple with the chef and the head waiter. One of the best things we every did

Alghero, Italy

It is now 4:45pm and we have returned from the land excursion by a small boat (a tender) to the ship. The temp is in the 80's. Really bad tour. We traveled for more than 1 hr there and back. Then we walked up and down on cobblestone roads...... And saw practically nothing. Mostly involved travel time. We had no time to eat and little time to shop. Stay tune for later.....The Chef's Table

Streets of Alghero

Sandy, Mike and Craig in Alghero. Tons of steps. We were always going up a lot of steps and then back down.

Alghero. Beautiful just not enough time to explore the town

Susan, Craig and Sandy in an old church in Alghero

One of the old streets in Alghero