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| Rock of Gibraltar |
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Hello Everyone,
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| Cheeky monkey on the top of the Rock of Gibraltar |
I have to say these last few weeks have been incredible. This has been my favorite set of ports so far and they all have one thing in common....the Mediterranean. :) Here are some of the highlights.
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| I loved the cultural influences in this picture, Gibraltar. |
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| The lighthouse on Gibraltar that separates the Atlantic from the Mediterranean (Atlantic behind lighthouse Med. in front) |
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| Monkey on top of the Rock |
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| Caves in the Rock of Gibraltar |
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| There was a concert hall in the caves!! |
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| The view from the siege tunnels in Gibraltar |
First of all, while the Rock of Gibraltar isn’t technically in the Mediterranean I was so happy to get there one of the first days on this 21 day cruise….plus….I had a monkey on my head. Thats right , a real live wild monkey!! Not only that but this little cheeky monkey got a little fresh with me trying to find food as you can see in the picture. Gibraltar was quite a different place. It was so tropical yet English at the same time that the mash up almost seemed strange but it works for this little island. You can also see the history everywhere you turn with the WWII siege tunnels and the left side of the street driving. This place quickly became one of my favorite spots and I cannot wait to go back someday in the future and when I do I will make sure to wear a turtle neck. :)
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| Amazing tapas that I shared with Spencer in Barcelona Day 1 |
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| The wonderful and tasty Ximeneta that we stumbled upon in Barcelona...very delicious pastry! |
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| This says it all! |
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| City view of Barcelona from the top of a hotel |
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| One of the very cool Gaudi houses...this one was inspired by the scales of a dragon |
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| Another piece of architecture by Gaudi |
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| Sunset on the Olympics beach in Barcelona |
Second, we had an over night in Barcelona and I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful this city is. The Gaudi archetecture is something that should not be missed by anyone who has an artistic eye or imagination. One of the buildings, if you can believe it, was built to resemble dragon scales and that in itself is just cool. I was also very fortunate to be able to go on one of the excursions to a Flamenco and dinner show. First of all, they served us this wonderful paella and Rioja wine, followed by a chicken stew, dessert then a glass of cava (Spanish champagne). All of this was followed by one of the coolest flamenco shows I have ever seen. They have live singers as well so it was really neat to hear the traditional singing as well.
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| The parliament house also known as the "wedding cake" in Rome. This place was HUGE! |
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| The Coliseum, Rome |
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| The BEST Gelato found in Rome. I had Fig, Coconut, and Chocolate flavors and it was epic. |
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| A legitimate Raffaello painting found in the Palazzo Barbarini, Rome |
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| Throwing my coin in the Trevi fountain! |
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| Trying to get an action shot of other people throwing their coins in the fountain. |
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| Trevi Fountain, Rome |
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| Pantheon, Rome |
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| YUM, Rome |
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| A Spritzer Parole, a drink with orange liquor and champagne. Very refreshing after the long day out in the sun. |
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| THE Pizza. Madeline and I gave it no chance. So good. |
Last but not least and my top favorite place so far was the Rome. Of course, I didn’t stop moving one I got to this place because there was soooooo much to see. I tried to see everything but the Vatican because I am saving the pleasure of seeing that for when my friend Danielle visits me in September (which I can’t wait for!!!). I had the pleasure of seeing the Coliseum, which let me tell you, makes you feel like and ant in the course of time when you feel the history there. In a strange way I felt relieved of all my stresses while in the presence of the Coliseum because I felt like they were just all so minute in the scheme of things. That being said, I also say the Pantheon, threw my coin in the Trevi fountain because legend says if you throw a coin in you are bound to return, and also had me the best gelato and pizza I have ever had while standing on this earth. Whoa. It was all well worth the five hours of walking in 90+ degree heat.
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| Ibiza |
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| Ibiza |
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| Ibiza |
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| Tito and Mollie, who were with me shopping in Ibiza |
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| Old village in Ibiza |
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| View from castle in Ibiza |
Ibiza, this was a quick stop and while this place is known to be a legendary party spot for all the A-listers including Paris Hilton and the likes of (classy right?) but we only stayed until 2:30 in the afternoon so the best thing to do was shop and go around the castle. All of which I will let the pictures show you how beautiful this place was and in a way I am kind of glad we didn’t stay because it gives me an excuse to walk back.
I know I went through all of these rather quickly but so much has happened and I truly gave all the highlights I could think of right now. Plus, I feel the pictures always speak louder than my words so I made sure to put plenty of them in.
As far as the ship goes life has been great. I am now doing a daily morning show with the cruise director (who is one of the big wigs on the ship for those who don’t know) that is aired on the ship televisions every day. It is really neat and one could say that my role on the ship has shifted to a little more of a leadership role position as opposed to just being an entertainer. It is also really strange to be in the gym and have the person next to you watching you talk on the TV. Cool, right!? I am really embracing this role and it feels good to have something else to work on during the long cruises.
So I am in Cadiz, Spain today. Let’s see what unfolds.
