Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2007 — Flight Home

We’re back in the home port of Barcelona. After a very quick bite of breakfast at Topsider’s we debark. It’s raining. I tell Maddie the Magic is crying because we’re leaving. We arrive at the airport at 8am for our 10:30 flight and wander around until we find the right line for Air France. The line is massive and the airline doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to check people in. We’re waiting patiently, but other families fresh from the cruise keep trying to jump lines. At one point a nice young man from Air France singles us out and helps to check us in. What a break. There is a slight hiccup with our tickets thanks to a foul-up by our travel agency, AAA. I haven’t been real happy with the service we received from them on this trip and will probably use Dreams Unlimited for any future trips.





So, we’re stuck in the back of the plane again, but no problems going from Barcelona to Paris and on to Houston. Jet lag home isn’t as bad as going since we’re going backwards in time zones. Air France feeds us well, and even provides wine throughout the flight (we didn’t take advantage of this perk, but many passengers did). An elderly lady sitting next to us is chowing down on the endless parade of sandwiches, snacks and complimentary Haagen Daas. Boy, are we going to need to go on a diet when we get home! Maddie is zonked.



Our only challenges occur when we arrive late for our connection in Houston. Clearing customs in the U.S. appears to be much more difficult here than anywhere else. Probably for good reason. An unforeseen problem arises because of our Day on the Farm. That requires us to visit U.S. agriculture representatives. But apparently we didn’t carry any contaminated sheep poo onto U.S. soil. Still, it’s an additional time consideration to keep in mind if you are planning your own trip to the Med. It’s now 8:50pm and the last flight home is to depart in five minutes. The baggage handlers take our bags and send us dashing to the gate. Thankfully, the flight has been delayed by about an hour and we make it safe and sound. We arrive home around midnight and discover our bags didn’t make the flight. They end up being delivered to our home 36 hours later. Back home we have an opportunity to reflect on all that we have seen and done over the past 13 days. Yes, it was exhausting. And expensive. And required tons and tons of planning. But our trip to the Med with DCL was well worth it. Let’s do it again!

Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2007 — Day at Sea

The reality that our vacation of a lifetime is starting to set in. No more ports, no more excursions. Angie misses her bed. The rest of us are ready to set up permanent residence on board. Our breakneck pace during the trip hasn’t allowed for much time to hang at the pools. Plus, Maddie got water in her ear on the last day at sea, and that nearly kept her (and one of us adults) from going to Rome. So, today we arose early and hit the hot tub near the Goofy pool at mid-deck. We’ve had spectacular, sunny weather everyday. But it’s a little cloudy this morning. So, we have the run of the place with hardly anyone around. Meg decides to sleep in, but is up and gone with friends for a last day of fun on board. Maddie and myself head to the Q&A session with the performing cast at 11am, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour. Maddie enjoys going on stage and seeing the stage lift below. Here’s Currilla deVille’s car, she said. Angie meets up with us and we hit the boat’s stores for some souvenir shopping. We also have some things to attend to … like settling our onboard account, wrapping up pictures, trading in Euros for cash, etc. At 3pm Angie heads out to the last bingo session. Unlike other cruise ships, DCL doesn’t have an onboard casino. So bingo is hot, and today’s final session features a jackpot of nearly $12,000. Like so many others, Angie gets close, but a family of England takes home the prize. Well, that should about cover their trip. I forego the bingo and head up to the top deck to catch up on my journal (but I won’t finish until after the trip). Today the sea swells are up to nine feet and everyone can feel it. At one we crash into one wave, sending sea spray nine stories above. We’re okay, as I liken it to a busy day aboard a small runabout on Lake Texoma. Back at the cabin Angie is wrapping up packing. Aside from what we’ll wear tonight and tomorrow, all bags have to be outside of the cabin by 8pm. Everything barely fits, but we’re glad we brought two extra duffel bags to bring home our purchased loot.





We skip the last show, Remember the Magic, but make dinner in Animator’s Palate. There is a salute to our servers and the more than 50 countries they represent. Everyone gets in on the action.





After dinner, we head back to the cabin. The girls call it an early night as we have to be off the ship and to the airport at 7:15am. I head up to the Quiet Cove for final visit with many of our friends from the Dis Board. A couple no one knows is getting way too amorous on a nearby lounge chair. Apparently, this is a first and the ship’s security doesn’t know quite what to do. I say my goodbyes to these fine folks that I have come to know through the Internet and take a final stroll on Deck 4 to survey the night sea. I’m sure going to miss the Med.

Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 — Villefranche, France

After the long day we had yesterday, we needed a shorter excursion, and this one—“Create Your Own Perfume”—fit the bill perfectly. Again, this was an excursion that I had planned and booked 90 days out (the limit for returning Castaway Club members). I knew the girls—especially Megan—would enjoy the opportunity to make their own sweet-smelling stuff. But I had some reservations about the excursion because of a negative review I had read beforehand. In fact, I was going to drop it when I got onboard. But a member of the crew working at the excursion desk recommended that we keep it. She said she had been on this one and that it was actually quite fun. Our excursion didn’t meet to go ashore until 1:15pm, giving us an opportunity to catch up on some sleep and just hang out on the boat. We enjoyed a late breakfast at Topsider’s with our friends from our Day on the Farm excursion, Brian, Karen and Marley. They are going with us today. Arriving at the port aboard a tender, the water below was crystal clear for nearly 10 feet deep.



Amazing. A DCL photographer was lurking about and snapped a family photo. Maybe the best one of the trip. Our group was small, but included several families that we had encountered on our previous excursions (apparently we all have the same great tastes). We board our bus and make the short drive up the coast of Nice for the feature event of the afternoon—making our own perfume famous Fragonard perfumery. On the way up we stop for a grand photo of the Magic. As in La Spezia, the Magic was anchored off shore, sideways in the harbor. The Villefranche coastline was magnificent, full of fishing boats and multi-million dollar yachts. I can easily see why the rich and famous play here. Our guide tells us that the annual Cannes film festival is held just an hour away. I’d love to come back to that event some day.



We arrive at Fragonard and make our way inside. The perfumer’s master “Nose” and a very pretty apprentice give the group a lesson in making perfume. I feel like I’m back in chemistry class. In front of us is a collection of beakers, droppers and a specimin bottle half full of clear liquid. Hmm. The perfumers introduce us to the concentrated aromas in each of our bottles—vanilla, lavender, citrus, lemon and more. Wow! The smells are intoxicating. Using our new ingredients (and within certain guidelines) we concoct our own perfume and give it a name. I call mine “Mediterranean Dream.” Angie’s comes out cloudy due to some soap residue left in her base liquid. They give her a new bottle and she tries again. But she liked the first one better. Because of seating arrangements, the girls are sitting away from Angie and myself. The pretty assistant, Irene, is helping them. She comments that Maddie has a good nose and has made a nice fragrance. Maybe there is a future here.



During the course of our demonstration we learn that there are very few master “Noses” in the world and that each one makes very good money. But they only work a few hours a day. Sign me up! Satisfied with our concoctions we move on to tour the small, but efficient Fragonard factory. In addition to their fragrances, they also make soaps, creams and other beauty products. After the tour, visitors are given the opportunity to purchase wares at a special factory price. Capitalism is good, no matter where you are! Leaving the factory, we make a short drive to Eze, one of the most picturesque villages on the Cote d’ Azur. It is perched on top of a huge rock and is located halfway between Nice and Monaco. On a funny side note, it’s the first time that we’ve seen a cat in Europe.



Our guide shares with us that Eze was one of the places that Walt Disney visited frequented during his travels. Apparently, he was so impressed with a local restaurant that he convinced the owner to expand into a hotel that you can stay at today (Albeit a bit pricey). And one can definitely see traces of this beautiful French architecture in the theme parks in California and Florida.



We drink in the tranquil beauty and do a bit of shopping before heading down to the busses for the return to ship. Several of us trek into the nearby (new) town of Eze for a bite at the bakery and a last taste of France. At port, we return to the ship while other passengers in black tie tuxedos and little black dresses are heading in … to the Grand Casino in Monaco. Initially, this was something I wanted to do (I envisioned being James Bond in Diamonds are Forever). But my senses—and my thinning wallet—made the choice to decline easy. Have fun at the casino, I tell them. Last tender to the ship is at 11pm. Back on board we get prepare for tonight’s show, When Mickey Dreams. I’m glad I skipped the casino because the show was very cool, mixing DCL cast members with Cirque de Soleil-type acrobatic performers based in Villefranche. I was amazed by the athleticism of the troupe, at one point climbing 20-foot poles with their bare hands. Their bare hands!
Dinner tonight is semi-formal and in the upscale Lumiere’s. Angie and Maddie both had the lobster tail. I had the tuna. Both were delicious. We’re a share-the-food sort of family. At first our Belgium table mates didn’t know what to make of it. But by now they’re joining right in on the fun. Erich and myself are eyeing the same two desserts on the menu, but neither can decide. So we order both and split. Yep, we’re rubbing off on them. After dinner we head up to Deck 9 for the Party Paradiso Deck Party. It’s definitely not as lively as the previous Pirates party. But it does finish with a nice laser light show. I notice that at certain times the powerful green laser lights are bouncing off the glass of the houses on shore. I’m sure they’re happy about that intrusion. Sorry! Not much going on after the show, so we say our goodnights and head down to the cabin. Meg is out with friends. But she has a definite earlier curfew tonight.

Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007 — Marseille, France

Today we’re up and early to for our first excursion in France, “Arles and the Olives Oil Mills of Les Baux.” This excursion was a bit of a crapshoot as I hadn’t been able to find any information about it on any websites prior to the trip, except for what DCL had provided. We had a quick breakfast on Deck 9 at Topsiders. I had my favorite of smoked salmon on a bagel with fresh fruit. I’m sure going to miss the convenience of this morning meal when we get home.



We made our way to the busses at the pier to meet our local tour host, Anne Marie. Heading west from Marseille, we got a good overview of the city from our host. Marseille is one the oldest cities in France, located in the Provence area in the extreme southeast southeastern corner of the country. Today it’s heavily dependent on incoming petroleum. Crossing the bay you can see many tankers bringing oil into the port.



We continue our way to Arles, a French village that was the home to acclaimed artist Vincent Van Gogh for several of his best years painting. Here, he was a misunderstood artist, often ostrecized by the more affluent of the community. To combat his isolationism, he mixed with the peasants, often using them as the subjects of his masterpieces. His isolation is also the reason he painted so many self-portraits. Among the masterpieces Van Gogh created in Arles was “Starry Night.” We make a quick photo stop at the cheery yellow Café du Nuit—the subject of Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night–his painting of an outdoor cafe with bright yellow walls against a navy star-swirled sky. This really brought art history to life for all of us. It did for me, at least (I now regret sleeping through most of those class periods, which happened early in my college days). Ironically, Van Gogh only sold one painting during his stay in Arles.



In Arles we also got to see one of the best-preserved arenas from the time that the Greeks settled Arles. The locals have restored the structure and now use it for public events, such as the popular bullfights. In shop windows you can catch a glimpse of the head of a bull mounted on the wall. Anne Marie explains that even today the locals have a custom of barricading streets and allowing bulls to run free, much like they do in Spain. Crazy!



A short walk from the arena is the town square of Arles, anchored by the Catholic Church. I recall that Anne Marie said it was built some time in the 12th century. She points out the details of the intricate masonry work around the door and explains that the depictions chiseled in stone represent scenes and stories from the Bible. This allowed people who couldn’t read—and at that time most couldn’t—with a means to understand what the church represented. The detail is amazing. She goes on to explain that this particular doorway is well studied because it’s one of the few that survived destruction during the French Revolution.



We stop for a short restroom break and Maddie gets an opportunity to engage in one of her favorite activities wherever we are — ride the carousel. I have to jump onboard before the ride is done to collect her for the bus. The ride operator and locals look at me like I’m nuts. And I felt a little crazy (and embarrassed) at my actions. Stupid tourists!



Back on the bus we head for a local olive oil mill for a demonstration and a lunch featuring regional foods. Upon arriving you cannot help but notice the thousands of olive trees that are producing fruit in the summer sun. Our guide explains that they purposely cut the trees in a crown-like form to allow more sunlight to reach them, producing more fruit. If the trees could withstand a freeze I’d consider planting a couple.



The mill is old, but the current family owners took over operations 16 years ago. They produce the olive oil in December, after the harvest. The owner explains that they comb the trees and catch the fruit. The old manual presses have been replaced by modern machinery, which produces cleaner products. It’s a small operation requiring just five people to operate at peak production. Surprisingly, they use the entire fruit to get the oil, including the pit. After the oil is pressed out, the remaining flesh and pit of the fruit is then laid back on the ground of the orchard as fertilizer—simple and efficient.



After our tour of the small factory we get a sample of the olive oils and pastes produced by the mills. Wow! This sure isn’t the stuff we buy at Wal-Mart. It’s liquid gold—and the first time that I have actually TASTED the olives in the oil. Our little sampler also includes crusty French bread topped with green and black olive oil pastes, and a light wine to wash it all down. Yummy! But this is just a prelude to the incredible lunch that is to come. The family, which formerly owned a restaurant, supplements its income in the summer by hosting tourism lunches like the one we’re having today. Served in an open-air, cavernous setting, our meal is immense, but not heavy. Now in France, it’s a bit different than what we experienced in Italy. Appetizers are followed by a main course of lamb. We’ve seen nearly no beef this entire trip, and here is no different. Everything is wonderful. We wrap up our meal with a trip to the adjoining store and purchase some of the delicious oil. They promise that it will keep up to seven years in the can, but I have no doubt we’ll need that long.



We thank our hosts at the mill and head off to our last stop on the tour, the nearby village of Les Baux. Originally built as a fortress, it’s perched atop a high hill, with one entry and exit. Today, Les Baux is mainly operated as a tourist destination, thus the reason why shops are open on a Sunday. We climb the winding street leading to the top of the settlement. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Les Baux is well-known for cicadas—what we call locusts—and their distinctive sound can be heard in the trees throughout the village. Their images adorn pictures, pottery and other goods sold in the many stores. A small, but significant, church is the pinnacle of the settlement, and remains in use today. Our guide explains that this church holds a special Christmas processional that has been ongoing for centuries. We do a little shopping and make a last stop in the most incredible candy store near the exit of the village.



We return to the Magic around 6pm, just in time to get ready for tonight’s theater show, Disney Dreams. “In this spectacular fantasy, a little girl discovers the power of her dreams,” according to the information provided in the ship’s Personal Navigator, a four-page event guide published and distributed to guests daily while on board the Magic. The show is very good and featured an actress that we had met briefly at the port in La Spezia. She was off work that day (remember it was the crew talent show) and in Florence to do a little shopping.

Tonight is also Pirates IN the Caribbean Party—a popular carryover theme night from DCL’s regular routes from Port Canaveral. All of the ship’s crew and nearly all of the 2700 passengers are decked out in pirate costumes ranging from the obligatory head scarves and eye patches to full-blown, cut-off-my-leg-and-replace-it-with-a-wooden-peg regalia. Only on DCL could such a scene be taken in without thoughts of lunacy. Here, big kids acting like little kids is just the norm. The Pirate theme runs through dinner. Fortunately, we’re in Parrot Cay restaurant tonight—a perfect setting for this. Maddie strays from the kid’s menu and orders her favorite meal of shrimp and scallops on pasta.



At one point the kids are invited to dance around the restaurant with the service staff. They all had fun. After dinner we head upstairs to the Pirates party happening on deck at mid ship. Meg and her band of teenage pirates are awash in the crowd, while we (along with our table mates) watch from the railing on deck 10. The energy is palpable, and is elevated when Captain Mickey swings on a guideline above from one of the ship’s two towering smokestacks to the other. Of course, no visit to a Disney destination would be complete without fireworks, and the Magic is no exception. In fact, the appearance of the Big Cheese is our cue to look upward as fireworks fired from off the deck of the boat (by experts from a well-secured area) light up the sky. DCL is the only cruise line to offer this and I cannot help but wonder what the people living in the houses in the twinkling lights a few miles away on shore must think of this display in the Med.



The fireworks finale is the crew’s signal to open up the massive Pirates buffet on deck. I spy a kid with a meaty turkey leg and, for a moment, consider thoughts of plundering. But we’re all still stuffed from dinner and instead head back to the cabin. I put the girls to bed and take the opportunity to return to the Buena Vista theater to see “Pirate of the Caribbean: At World’s End.” It was good, but not as well done as the first two episodes. I returned to the cabin around 1am, but didn’t find Meg there. She finally arrived at 5:30am, well beyond our expectations. I wasn’t happy and she knew it. I feel safe that the kids can’t get into too much trouble on the Magic, but a curfew will have to be imposed for the remainder of the trip. In fact, I think the ship should have a 2am curfew for anyone under the age of 18. (Are you listening, DCL?) Missed curfews aside, let me say that this was one of my favorite days thus far. Tomorrow is our last port stop—Villefranche.

Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007 — La Spezia, Italy

Today was another full day. Our excursion—“Discovering Florence”—meets at 7:15am in Diversions on Deck 3. We awake, grab a quick bite and head out. In the port of La Spezia he Magic is anchored offshore sideways in the bay, so we have to catch a tender to the nearby port. The bus ride to Florence is about an hour. As we’ve seen throughout Italy, nearly everything here is ancient in one way or another.



Arriving in Florence we are passed over to a local guide, who walks us through the city. This is our first male tour guide. Like our other guides, he obviously has passion for what he does. The places we stop throughout the tour are too many to list here, but among them is the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence overlooking the Piazza della Signoria with its famous statue of David by Michelangelo and gallery of statues in the nearby Loggia del Lanzi.



Maddie cannot quite grasp why the Renaissance Italians would leave their statues unclothed, but she’s interested nonetheless. Especially as the guide explains that David was the artist’s interpretation of David and Goliath from the Bible. Understanding that so much of the art we have seen has religion as its base has made it more interesting for both girls. They might not appreciate it now, but to walk in the remains of Pompeii, or the footsteps of the masters here in Florence, will be a great help to them at some point in their academic future.



Along the way we walk by the Uffizi Gallery, a palace housing one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world, and the Accademia Gallery. The lines to enter are very long. Apparently, they aren’t on our agenda, and we move on. This is the first tour we’ve been on where the DCL-selected tour operator is a little disorganized. Because of the walking tour route we take, we arrive at Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross), the ending point of our walking tour, at an odd time and there is another very long line. Our guide is a little perplexed and gives us the choice of waiting, or having lunch early and finishing with some time on our own. More interested in pasta than pieces of art, the mob elects for lunch and off we go. Our dining location is beautiful—a palace originally constructed for the sister of Napoleon.



It’s a huge hall with massive chandeliers made of intricate, hand-colored glass. DCL has obviously reserved the entire hall for the number of tours that are in Florence today (all with slightly different agendas). At the moment our little group has the run of the place—we’re the only ones here thus far. We enjoy a leisurely appetizer, some wine and bottled water. Our server, a pleasant older Italian man, brings on two types of pasta, insisting that Megan try more ravioli. After the pasta we have the main course of meat, potato and vegetables. Of course, no great Italian meal is complete without dessert and coffee. I’m blessed to enjoy my lunch with Angie and the girls, another passenger and her daughter, and our unexpected guest—Allysa, a member of the crew of the Magic who is off work today and enjoying the excursion. She tells us that she is a dancer in the entertainment cast. At 23, Allysa has already been a cast member for five years, joining the company fresh from high school. I asked who played Cinderella in “Twice Charmed” the previous night—she had a beautiful voice. In true Disney form, and without hesitation, the young dancer replies, “Cinderella.” Duh! Everybody has a laugh and Allysa tells us to look for her in tomorrow night’s show. We’ll be watching.




We wrap up our tour with an hour of shopping on our own. I’m really interested in buying a painting from one of the many artists who have set up shop on the cobblestone street, but most are beyond my budget. The girls grab a gelato and we just take in the scenery while we wait for the remainder of our group to arrive at the meeting point to return to the ship. Par for the course, many are taking a siesta on the bus back, including dad.



We don’t get back to the Magic until after 7pm. Waters in the bay are choppy from boat traffic, and the tender captain is testy, but we arrive at the Magic without incident. Back on board we decide to skip tonight’s theater show, the crew talent show. On the way to the cabin we run into Arya (“Ary”), our cabin steward. He’s very friendly and has done an excellent job of keeping us organized (you can imagine how dirty a tiny cabin with four people can get over 11 days).



Our dinner rotation tonight is in Animator’s Palate. Megan abandons us to hang with her new teen friends. Our restaurant server and tablemates are beginning to suspect we threw her overboard. Dinner is good and we get an unexpected surprise when Belle comes around to greet the children.



After dinner we head back to the cabin for some shuteye. Tomorrow is another big excursion day in Marseilles—our first in France—and we need our beauty sleep.

Friday, Aug. 3 , 2007 — Dat at Sea

Today was a day at sea and we needed it. In reality, this cruise could actually be 14 days long with about three more sea days added. The days in port take so much out of you that you need the time to recuperate. After breakfast at Topsider’s, we took Maddie to the Oceaneer’s Lab while Angie and myself attended a Castaway Club (prior cruisers) event at 11am. It was basically a promo event for DCL staff to thank us for continuing to spend thousands of dollars with them, and to whet our appetite for future cruise itineraries. The Captain of the Magic suggested possible routes may include northern Europe or Hawaii. The only certainty is that they will return to the Mexican peninsula in 2008. Afterwards, we went to Shutters to check on pictures and then to a presentation by the Disney Vacation Club. Many of the families we have met onboard are members and said it’s something we should consider. Basically, it’s Disney’s version of a timeshare program. You “invest” in a Vacation Club property (most are at Dinsey World in Florida) and pay annual membership dues. The presentation goes on for almost two hours, but we’re interested. We take some literature to peruse and promise to set up a one-on-one meeting later. We had been looking forward to the next item on our agenda—a couple’s treatment at Vista Spa on Deck 9. We didn’t take advantage of the spa during our last cruise, but heard great things about it. We can see why. Our treatment was very relaxing. Done at Vista Spa we headed back to pick up Maddie at the club and get ready for tonight’s theater presentation, Twice Charmed. This was the Disney Magic’s take on Cinderella II and it was not bad. Like all shows on board, it has beautiful costumes and elegant choreography. After the show we got cleaned up for dinner and went to the atrium for a family photo.



We release the girls to go to their respective clubs. Angie and myself have a date for dinner at Palo, the adults-only restaurant on Deck 10. Dress for the ship for tonight is semi-formal, but Angie made the smart recommendation for me to again wear my tuxedo since it’s already here. Dinner is amazing (as always in Palo).



I couldn’t pass up the restaurant’s signature rack of lamb, but the real hit was Angie’s sea bass (although, for some reason our server, Toni, didn’t think she would like it). Toni makes sure we don’t miss out on anything, bringing us samples of a few more of the restaurant’s entrée selections to try. After dinner we pick up Maddie, meet Megan at the cabin and prepare for tomorrow’s excursion in La Spezia. It will be another long day and we have learned to get ready the night before. The girls go to bed and I head out to catch up on reviews and blogging.

Aug. 2, 2007 — Civatevecchia (Rome)

After a good night’s sleep we awake, get dressed and head to Topsider’s for breakfast at 7:15am. It seems like the full passenger list of 2700 is here as well. Finishing, we head down to Animator’s Palate on Deck 4 for our excursion departure to Rome. There are five busses for our group alone, and about 40 busses in total for DCL passengers heading to the Eternal City.

After a short bus ride from the port we catch the Roma Express train for the hour-long trip into Rome. On the train, the girls fall asleep (again), only to be awaken by a loud “cocadoodledoo” from a DCL-costumed Peter Pan that bounds into the car. He chats it up with the kids on board and then moves on.



Arriving in the outskirts of Rome we transfer to another bus for a short hop into the bustling downtown area and the first leg of our excursion to the ancient Colosseum. During the ride our local guide, Margerite, gives us a history lesson. Everywhere you turn there is another building or ruin that is hundreds, nay, thousands of years old. It’s so much to take in that your mind cannot fathom it all. We arrive at the Colosseum and deboard. Standing at the gates it’s hard to imagine that we’re actually here. It’s somewhat surreal. As in other picturesque stops, a DCL photographer is at the standby to snap a photo. We join a dressed Roman gladiator for a pic. Our excursion allows us to bypass the long queue waiting to go through security and we go to the head of the line. Along the way, visitors are sitting on large chunks of columns from the ruins that have been placed in the outer hallway for just this purpose. In the U.S. such treasures would be encased in glass or put behind other barriers to preserve them. But there seems to be so much antiquity here that it’s just not that big of a deal. Like I said, surreal.



I take note of the big holes in the marble columns—a result of Romans in the middle ages who salvaged the iron clamps holding the pieces of the Colosseum together to melt and make weapons. Margerite gives us a walking tour, pointing out interesting tidbits along the way—like the fact that animals awaiting slaughter in the ring were kept at a special zoo just a few kilometers away. She debunks the myth that naval battles were held in the ring. “There is only small evidence that we find to tell us they did this very early,” she says. Continuing, she tells us that after the decline of the gladiator battles that that Romans tried to embrace more civil Olympic competition. “But there was not enough violence for Romans to like it much,” she says, in her thick Roman accent. Leaving the Colosseum we head back to the busses and a short drive for our long walking tour of Eternal Rome. A local artisan hired by DCL makes paper silhouettes of the ladies in the group. He is very good. A cut here, a cut there and, bam, a masterpiece.



All done in seconds. On the bus, we see that every corner reveals another thousand-year-old structure. There is too much to take in, but the highlights on our walking tour include a visit to the acclaimed Trevi Fountain, where the girls throw coins over their left shoulder, ensuring a return visit here.



Three local teenage boys are straining over the edge of the fountain with magnetic wands, illegally collecting the fresh coins. The nearby policeman blows his whistle and they retreat into the crowd, only to return moments later. Pickpockets and gypsies also abound, but we were forewarned. All of our possessions are tucked away in the bags and secured with travel locks. If they get anything it won’t be special. Leaving the fountain, we move on to the well-preserved Pantheon. This is our first visit to a church. I didn’t have time to zip on the pantlegs to my convertible short/pants and I’m a little worried that I won’t be allowed access (while in churches your knees and shoulders must be covered), but there are many people not adhering to dress code here. I pull down my shorts to cover my knees as best possible and enter. It’s a beautiful, high-arching structure. A wide, open hole in the roof rains down a flood of sunlight on the walls of murals and goldleaf and solid marble floors.



Wow! But the best is yet to come. We move on to a sprawling courtyard that now houses one of the many foreign embassies in Rome. Two working fountains of perfectly chiseled marble spew water and us tourists snap, snap away with our cameras. A third fountain is under renovation. Hawkers with more fake watches, purses and sunglasses set up shop on the ground wherever they can spread a blanket and their wares. Meg spots a pair of sunglasses that she wants. She haggles the Indian man down from 25 Euros to 10 Euros. She’s a good negotiator. Another teen from the cruise follows suit, insisting that she get the same good deal. It’s now about 1pm and the group is famished. We head back to the bus and speed off down the narrow streets of Rome for our catered lunch at a local restaurant, da Alfredo a S. Pietro, just outside the walls of Vatican City.



Margerite, obviously a devote Catholic, stresses again that Vatican City is the smallest independent country in Europe. It’s full-time inhabitants only number about 900, she says. Our local lunch consists of bottle water, white wine, an antipasto plate, velvety-smooth lasagne, a chocolate mousse dessert and fresh espresso. The server continually tries to give Maddie the child’s offering of a plain hamburger patty and limpless fries. But our little adventurer likes the big-kids meal much better. Our bellies full, we walk the short distance up the street to St. Peter’s square, the outdoor gathering place for Romans to hear from the Pope. The square is massive and I envision thousands of people gathering here to hear from the high church official on important occasions. Margerite points out a tiny window stories above and tells us this is the Pope’s room where he addresses the crowd on Sundays. Moving on, we queue up for a security check.



Official Vatican personnel size up each visitor. Here, you must dress appropriately. Angie and I note the giant big screen televisions rising up from the marble floors just outside the building. It’s a case of new vs. old and allow the throngs of people to better see the proceedings inside. Inside, the beauty is beyond words. Sparkling gold, pristine marble floors and masterpiece frescos are everywhere, What a beautiful tribute to God. I am quickly approached and asked (told) to remove my hat. Sorry, I say. But the security man is gone. To my surprise flash photography is allowed here and I snap a bazillion photos. My new camera yields impressive results as I capture the sun’s beaming rays cascading down from the perfectly positioned and engineered high windows. I’m impressed with my own work.



All too quickly we are ushered up and out. It’s time to go. Outside we take a few more pics for Angie’s dad, a strong Catholic man himself, and head for the busses. We reverse our route back from bus, to train, to bus, and back to the ship. It’s been a long, hot (like Big 12 football in August hot) day. Before the trip we invested in a small Camelbak that holds 2 liters of water. And it was a good thing, too. It kept us refreshed throughout the long day. Back on board it’s evident that the day’s trek has taken its toll on most of the passengers. Undaunted, Meg quickly sheds her sweaty excursion gear and heads for the teen club. The rest of us decide we’re too tired for dinner service. Instead, we head to Topsider’s for a quick bite. Tonight they are showing the new Disney animated film, Ratatouille, on the big screen in the Walt Disney Theater. Maddie and myself take in the 9:30 show. We spot our table mates a few rows up and Maddie abandons dad to sit with her new girlfriend, Ronnie, from Belgium. We both enjoy the movie very much. Afterwards, I take Maddie back to the cabin to get ready for bed. I leave again for Deck 3 to catch up on blogging, returning about 2am. Meg and family are asleep. I quietly brush my teeth and slip into bed for much-needed shuteye. Thank goodness tomorrow is a day at sea.

August 1, 2007 — Olbia, Sardinia

This was a light day, and we needed it. With an inside stateroom it was completely dark. And we knew we wanted to sleep in, so we didn’t bother making a wakeup call. We have pretty good internal clocks, right? Wrong. We awoke to the sound of the Magic’s “When You Wish Upon a Star” all-announcement speaker at 9:45am and the voice of our friendly cruise director Brent notifying passengers that the crew would be staging a mock emergency drill in 15 minutes and that passengers should pay it no nevermind. Groggy, Angie jumped out of bed about that time and went to the front door. She peered down the hall to the right and was startled to see what appeared to be smoke. What? As we found out later from our server Sara, the crew sometimes is faced with mock smoke in their drills in order to make them find alternative routes to their emergency station. Someone had left a door ajar on the first deck and it somehow made it to the passenger area. Oops! But no harm done. I’m just glad the Magic goes to such great lengths in its drills to protect passengers in the unlikely event of an emergency. Now fully awake we got dressed and made our way to deck nine for a bite at Topsider’s. We just made breakfast. Afterwards, we headed back to the room to get ready for our Day at the Beach. We met at 1:15pm and headed out by bus.



La Cinta beach is a play area for Olbia’s more wealthy residents, our guide tells us. It’s about a 45-minute bus ride from the port to the beach and we enjoy the sites of the country en route. Olbia relies heavily on agriculture and tourism for much of its income. The land here is much different than what we have encountered thus far. For Americans, it looks like a cross between the plateaus of New Mexico butted up against the mountains of southern California. A British couple on the bus tells us this terrain is more like what one would expect to see in the Greek isles. At La Cinta beach the Magic passengers file off the bus.



We definitely look like a gang of tourists, tramping our way past the Sicilian beach goers to our designated area. I again note that the Italians are a fit bunch. No fat here, and the men and women alike are very tan. Many of the men wear Speedo-like bathing suits. And a noticeable number of the women tan sans a top. This is no shock as we had been forewarned. So, we settle in to our promised chairs under quaint umbrellas. One of our passengers makes a fuss to the tour guides that his chairs and umbrellas aren’t exactly the way he wants. To be truthful he was being rather rude. To the point that he makes one of the Sicilian boys working the beach so angry that he walks off in disgust. I inquire about the restrooms and make a point to apologize to the workers. They shrug it off. But justice comes when the man goes to sit in his chair and it topples over backward throwing his large frame off in the process. It’s all we can do not to laugh, but we hold it together. Now settled, Maddie heads off into the crystal-clear water with Angie for a dip.



The hawkers file by offering us everything from hair braids and knock-off purses to necklaces and water toys. We wave them off, but Meg is dying to bargain for a purse. I go with her and ask our local excursion guide, Pilar, if it is okay to buy from them and negotiate. She politely agrees to accompany up the beach to where the hawkers are camped out and we peruse the endless array of faux items. Meg settles on one and the negotiations begin. The seller, whose accent sounds African, starts at 75 Euros. He and Pilar go back and forth and she asks me how much we want to spend. I wasn’t planning on buying anything today, so I only brought 30 Euro. Amazingly, she talks him down to this price. Meg almost backs out of the deal, but I say we can’t at this point. As she takes the goods she gives a big smile, happy with her purchase. Pilar tells me she is a high school English teacher and this is only her summer job. She’s happy to see the teenage so happy.



We play around in the water a bit more and then it’s time to leave. In all, we spend about 2.5 hours here, but it’s time to go back to the ship. On the way back, the girls crash again (all of the kids here are so worn out that you see many of them sleeping on the busses). and hear about their fun day on board. We return to the boat and follow our routine of going to the evening stage show at 6:30pm followed by dinner in Lumiere’s. We release both girls to go to their clubs and we eat dinner with our table mates. Dinner was good. I forgot what we had. The adults enjoy our desserts and coffee and part ways. Tomorrow is a long day in Rome. Tonia and Erich have been there before, so they decide to stay on board. On our recommendation they head to the theater to see “The Italian Job.” We stopped by Shutters, the ship’s photo shop, to see if there are any photos we want. We choose a few and head back to the cabin. Our excellent cabin steward, Arya, has left Maddie a towel elephant. It’s now about 11pm and Meg returns. Anticipating a long day, we all hit the hay for a good’s night sleep. All ashore call tomorrow is scheduled for 7:45am.