Kehrmiterranean Day 14: Going Home

The morning of our arrival back in Rome was a little disorganized and hectic. We had hoped to meet Bill, PawPaw and Grandma Kate for breakfast but no one was ready in time, and instead we scrambled to make sure we got off the ship in time to get our transfer to the airport. I was saddened that we didn't get a chance to say a proper good-bye and thank you.

But God saw to it that we crossed paths a few hours later at security in the airport. It was a blessing for all of us to trade hugs and good-byes. Despite flying different airlines, we ran into each other again at the departure gates and got to wait together for a little while.

The whole trip was an amazing gift and it was a wonderful reflection of the gift that PawPaw and Grandma Kate's 50 years of marriage have been to our whole family.

We had a layover in London and then got on our flight with British Airways back to Baltimore. We landed at some crazy early morning hour and we were not at our best. It was a struggle to get through customs and finally to be in the van on the way home. It was so good to be home again.

Kehrmiterranean Day 13: Naples, Pompeii

We got an early start in Naples on Tuesday. Our group of 10 entered the old port city and out first stop after making our way through a large crowd of organized looking men offering tourist services was Castle Nuovo. It was a large sturdy structure from the 1200's and was complete with a canon ball divit in it's wall. Just a few paces away there was the Royal Palace. This had gotten great reviews but was under restoration so we visited the huge open Piazza del Plebiscito and the church of San Francisco di Poala. The morning was young but it was already getting hot, so we bought a few waters and walked up the Via Toledo.

Castle Nuovo

Piazza del Plebiscito and the church of San Francisco di Poala

Via Toledo was lined with many contemporary shops and we came across chalk drawings of some of our favorite things, the Virgin Mary and the characters from Inside Out. We had an early lunch at MaMa cafe. The staff there was very cordial and seemed a little surprised by our large American group. I think they also were surprised by receiving a tip. It was still a little early for lunch so no one ate much. I would up wrapping some of our sandwiches and pizza and put it in my bag. From there we headed toward the Spanaccnapoli, which is a basically a series of old streets filled with shops. We were headed to the train station. The Spannaccnapoli was full of fast moving Italians and wandering tourists. We popped in and out of stores and grabbed some fruit at a fruit stand as we made out way to the train station.

The train station and ticketing was rather confusing but we got our tickets to Pompeii. None of us were prepared for the train ride.

It was standing room only and we were lucky to jump on. We were in a few different train cars but we were all on the same train and all headed in the right direction. We had to hold onto each other as we were pressed together in the non-air-conditioned train, so that we didn't fall on top of anyone as the train accelerated or stopped. When we arrived we didn't see our tour guide right away so we walked toward the entrance of Pompeii. Finally we connected and after reviewing return train schedules we determined that we would have to make the tour a quick one.

Pompeii is astounding. It's shear size was hard to comprehend. It was a whole city, buried in one devastating day. Out tour guide brought us along street after street where we got a feel for much of the city as it was in 79 AD. We saw bakeries and food counters, homes and municipal buildings. We stopped at the baths which were amazingly preserved. The biggest impact though was to see a few of the hollows left by people. All of their things, their food  their tools. I was fascinated by their streets which had gutters and a water drainage system, as well as traffic control measures for horses and carts. The roads even had white bites of marble that reflected light, to aid travel as night. The sun was high and the blue sky had very few clouds. It was a beautiful day and it was difficult to leave. We were all a little disappointed that we didn't have any time to visit the gift shop or local stalls but we really needed to get back on the train.

The train ride back was just as crazy. It was tight and cramped and so so sweaty. But after a few stops we were able to grab a seat and rest. We had so many new thoughts to consider and experiences to log and soon we were back at the Train station. We then had to check local buses to get back to the cruise ship and that took some navigating and decision making based on guidebooks and terrible sign reading. We grabbed .50 euro granitas as we walked and that made the bus ride more pleasant.

When we arrived back at the port, it took a bit to get back on the ship because Emma had lost her room card. She and I were the last people across the gangplank, and it was a little intimidating to have them pull it up behind us.

That evening, our last evening on the ship, we had a reservation for a cirque show DREAM and dinner. That was so much fun and made even sweeter as we shared the bottles of wine that PawPaw and Grandma Kate received as a gift for their anniversary. The gymnasts and cirque members were great and funny. WE were thoroughly entertained. Poor Hanna was so tired after our crazy and hot day that she feel asleep in my lap during dinner. I am glad that she was at least awake for some of the show.

After the show Em and Rachael mustered enough energy to head off to the Teen club one more time. after the packing was done.

Kehrmiterranean Day 12 : At Sea

Our amazing vacation included a day on the ship at Sea. We spent the day resting. We visited the pools and ate ice cream cones. The big girls hung out at the teen club and by the pool. Megan did the big slides. It was a lazy sun soaked day.

Mom arranged a family photo to be taken so we all met at 5:30 to have our portrait taken. That went quickly and we got engaged in a movie trivia game in the main deck while waiting. That evening Hanna, Bridge and Megan all went to Splash Academy. It was a jungle theme. Megan was really starting to enjoy the youth activities and was seeing new friends in the halls. They were playing a game where if they saw each other outside of the club a word would be said and the other would have to drop to the floor. It was really funny. I dropped the little girls off and then made my way to dinner.

Mom and Dad made a dinner reservation for the rest of us at Morderno a South American restaurant. After a full buffet of salad, side dished were brought to the table and then servers brought a steady stream of skewers of meat to the table. The meat was really good, but poor Mom had to wait many rounds before she got lamb that wasn't still bleating. We took our time and enjoyed the courses. One of the ship officers came by the table, and we shared that Mom and Dad were celebrating their 50th Anniversary. He then made a note to send bottles of wine to their room. We enjoyed our last course of dessert before heading back to get the little girls.

Johanna thoroughly enjoyed the Jungle theme at Splash Academy, especially having her face painted like a tiger. Megan and Bridget's age groups both had a Survivor game of sorts. We were impressed by the creativity of the programming. Later that night Em and Rae went to Entorage again.

Kehrmiterranean Day 11: Barcelona

Barcelona Day started with great news: PawPaw was cleared and they were out of quarantine. We all grabbed breakfast and disembarked. We had tickets to visit Sagrada Familia at 9:00 AM so we went to the taxi stand and wound up divided into 3 taxis, we regrouped outside of the Basilica and got in line for our entrance to the Basilica. We had 30 minutes to look around and take some pictures of the amazing church. The outside is ornate, with intricate 3D representations of the life of Christ, and full of Symbolism. We entered through the eastern Nativity facade, which was covered with scenes from the birth of Christ with the whole cast from the Gospel, the Tree of Life,  and scenes from Christ's first years. The Gospel was being told in visual form on every inch of the facade. This was the first side that Antoni Gaudi was able to complete.

The interior was mesmerizing. The vaulted ceilings with it's tree canopy effect felt natural, and Gaudi's attempt to let creation speak of God's glory was effective. The truly mesmerizing part though was the stained glass and the way the light painted the interior is color and life. After we soaked in the space we joined our audio tour. Each of us got a headset and receiver. Hanna thought that was fantastic, for about 5 minutes and then yanked it off. The tour was helpful as our guide explained what we were looking at and gave us some of the 134 year history of its construction. The guide also helped us envision what the final church would look like. There is still a lot yet undone, including the main spires. I found the architecture fascinating and was glad the tour brought us through some of the workshop space. Hanna was a handful on the tour but she did really like the floor plan map and would have been happy to spend more time there. The girls also loved the interior and were actively spotting things in the ornate exteriors. On the Passion Facade we were drawn to the number grid in which all lines added up to 33.

 

We finished the tour, visited the gift shop, and then went across the street to a outdoor cafe for a snack and some water. We had bus tickets for a tourist bus which we wanted to take to our next stop 12:00 Mass at the Catherdral. We were planning to meet Grandma Kate and PawPaw's friend Joaquin and his wife Carmen at Mass. Joaquin had lived with them for the better part of a year and is the brother of one of their Parrish Priests. We went to the bus stand and discovered that our bus tickets were for a loop that only went in one direction, and that direction went an hour the wrong way. We considered taxis but our group is so big and we didn't want to get separated.

We looked at each other, took a deep breath and walked. Our destination was a diagonal across a city grid system, so we made use of the lights and beveled corners to every advantage. The city streets were well maintained and the buildings were beautiful. Sadly because we planned to use a bus and be in churches we didn't bring the stroller, so Jim and I took turns carrying Johanna. We kept a fast pace and it was a tough 2 miles, that took about 40 minutes. Our group powered through but it wasn't easy.

We got to the Cathedral in time for the Gospel. The Gothic Cathedral had dark gated side chapels and felt heavy. We were also dehydrated and all of the girls felt ill. A short time later we had received the Eucharist and we were back outside. I had to take the little ones to use the bathroom in a hotel
across the plaza, while the rest of our group found Joaquin and Carmen. PawPaw's face was full of joy and obviously delighted in seeing Joaquin again. We all took a picture together with the Cathedral behind us. We also made a point to find and enter through the Holy Doors of the Cathedral, our 4th oppurtunity of the trip.

Carmen had made lunch reservations for us a few blocks away. We walked over to a beautiful restaurant with big windows and high ceilings. On the walk over my girls were smitten with Carmen, she was poised and open and beautiful and I think they all wanted to sit near her at lunch. Jim made sure that Grandma Kate and PawPaw were seated near Joaquin and Carmen, because this part of the trip was about reconnecting with good friends. It was wonderful to look down the table and see them smiling and enjoying conversation together.

Our lunch was leisurely and we even decided to have dessert. When our meal was complete we set back out. We discussed our next direction and because everyone wanted to maximize the opportunity to talk and visit together, we again decided to walk toward the waterfront.  Barcelona is a beautiful city and the fellowship was even better. Group conversations ebbed and flowed as the roads influenced our nearness to each other. We talked of the Catalan region, more Spanish elections and the connection of Christopher Columbus. It was fun to see my girls faces as they listened intently to the wonderful English of our hosts. The girls loved the community bicycles and the detail of the buildings. We stopped briefly at an outdoor market and then kept on walking to our ship. Joaquin and Carmen accompanied us most of the way.

It was after Joaquin and Carmen headed back toward the city and we saw ahead the still long walk, that the tiredness set in. We forged on over a huge bridge and then along the many docking points. Our ship entrance felt like it was at the farthest ramp. Jim put Hanna on his shoulders and he Bill and the girls drew from their energy stores and powered on with a focus on the finish line. Grandma Kate, PawPaw, and I took the steady approach and kept moving forward. PawPaw and Grandma Kate were a steady support to each other and their tenderness was a beautiful example of sacrificial love. It was an honor to walk along with them.

We were all exhausted when we finally got to our cabins. I have no memory of what we did that evening. I think we collapsed on our beds and at some point ate dinner. I think we also got sucked into a few of the free movies.

It was a gorgeous day in Spain!

Kehrmiterranean Day 10: Marseille

Saturday the ship ported in Marseille France. The non-stop pace of our trip was catching up to us. Johanna and Bridget were both exhausted, and this was making Johanna's behavior more and more unpleasant as the days were going by. We made the decision that I would stay on ship with Hanna and Bridget, while Jim went on shore with Meg, Rae and Emma. Uncle Bill was rested and ready to visit museums. Mom and Dad were quarantined for another day.

The littles and I slept in and it was just what we needed. On ship the girls went to Splash Academy and did a French Activity, coloring Eifle Towers, while I enjoyed an hour to record some vacation memories and read some of my book. We had lunch on the 15th floor outdoor cafe and they swam in the sea themed little kid pool. The went down a kiddie water slide over and over again. We also got in the deep pool together  before we took an icecream cone break on the deck. Shortly after we went back to our room. Jim and the big girls arrived back from port. They seemed to have had a great day in Marseille.

They had gotten off the ship quite early and so they got to see the city wake up and start it's day. They went to the Mediterranean Civilizations museum. Most of it was in French so that didn't take as much time as it would have normally. They enjoyed the exterior structure and took a lot of pictures. They went to a fort and enjoyed walking the French Port city's streets. I think one of the big highlights was the fresh ice cream. They stopped at a place with a cow statue and fairy lights, and the girls pitched in the get themselves hand made ice cream, with fresh ingredients prepared in front of them on a cold slab and served in little spirals.

That evening back on ship, Splash Academy had a carnival theme after which we ate in the Garden Cafe. We were all a little worried about Grandma Kate and PawPaw, and we were praying that they would be cleared so they could join us for our Barcelona visit the next day.

I took Hanna back to the room to continue to recoup some her lost sleep. The water was again choppy and for the first time we were feeling a little seasick. Bridget and I probably had it the worst but it effected everyone. Jim picked up some anti nausea oils for us. We put it behind our ears as directed and although it didn't smell great it helped alot. Em, Rae, Meg and Bridge went down to the game room again that night and Em and Rae got to check out the teen club. There was a ton to do on ship.