Archive for June, 2009

European Vacation Part 5: Florence and Cannes

// June 30th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Pictures, Travel

SANY2554I definitely did not get enough time in Florence. The day was so hot and we only had a few hours, so we just went to the Basilica di Santa Maria, did a bit of street shopping, and then had pizza at a cafe. But we did get to stop at Piazza Michelangelo and take some scenic pictures of the city, which is so incredibly beautiful! Next time I go to Florence I am definitely taking several days to see everything.

On the last day of the cruise we stopped in Cannes for a little while, and Helen and I took a bus tour of the French Riviera (which is basically a glorified beach resort). Not much to impress, but we did see the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès where they hold the Cannes Film Festival, so I pretended that there were celebrities nearby. (I have a good imagination.)

And that concludes Joy’s European Vacation Extravaganza! The cruise itself was so much fun (I won the karaoke contest!), and, of course, Europe was fantastic! Just enough to get a taste and convince me that I have to go back as soon as possible!

European Vacation Part 4: Rome

// June 29th, 2009 // No Comments » // Pictures, Travel

SANY2465Rome is nothing short of fantastic. Helen and I spent 6 hours on our own in the city just taking in the sights and trying to figure out how to catch a taxi (apparently they won’t stop if you try to flag them in the street, who knew?). We visited everything we could in that time, including the Colosseum (which really was amazing) and the gorgeous Trevi Fountain (although I didn’t throw in any coins). And, of course, we ate real gelato – yum! Unfortunately for us, the Sistine Chapel was closed that day because of a Vatican holiday, but we did go into St. Peter’s Basilica, which is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen. I definitely want to go back someday so I can see the Sistine Chapel, and really, you can’t see all of Rome in just 6 hours! But it was enough to get a taste of some of the magic the city holds.

European Vacation Part 3: Amalfi Coast & Pompeii

// June 28th, 2009 // No Comments » // Pictures, Ramblings, Travel

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Even though the winding mountain drive made me carsick, the Amalfi Coast has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. We spent several hours just driving through the mountains, taking in the view (and of course I got hundreds of pictures) before heading to the ruins of Pompeii, which was fantastic. I’ve always been fascinated with the history of Pompeii, and seeing it in person was even better than I’d imagined. (Our friends Tom and Sue actually climbed Mt. Vesuvius, but I certainly wasn’t that crazy!) Seeing actual people and animals so well-preserved for almost two thousand years, not to mention the elaborate paintings and carvings in the streets and buildings… wow. If I owned a time machine…

European Vacation Part 2: Malta

// June 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Pictures, Travel

SANY2151I have to admit that before this vacation, I wasn’t 100% sure that Malta was actually a country. But once I got there and saw how absolutely gorgeous it was, I was so glad it was on our itinerary. We took a bus tour of the main island and got to see the Blue Grotto where they filmed The Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorite movies of all time) and saw some amazing historical buildings from the Knights of Saint John. We also got to visit a fishing village and the marina, and I got some amazing pictures. (If you want to see all of my Europe pictures, check them out at my flickr account!) We even found the Hard Rock Cafe so Helen could buy a shotglass. The island was so beautiful, it would definitely be worth a second visit – especially the Blue Grotto. Maybe next time I’ll get to see a Maltese Falcon (although Sue did let a trained seahawk perch on her arm). ;)