Being Prepared For An Emergency During A Road Trip

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

We have dreamed for years about road tripping around this great country of ours once we retired.  We finally did retire two years ago and are living our dream.  We have been on a number of road trips but haven't gotten a chance to venture too far from our home in North Carolina and snowbird home in Florida.  This year will be a very busy year for us as our first grandchild is due in April and our youngest is getting married in September.   These glorious events will keep us close to home but we are looking forward to road trips we will be taking next year.

We always prepare our car before we hit the road and you can read about how we do that in our recent post.  But a story we heard a couple of months ago about an elderly couple getting stranded in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument when their rental stalled made us think beyond just getting our car ready.

Most of our road trips will revolve around seeing as many National Parks as possible.  We have been to a few and have enjoyed each of them and look forward to enjoying a few more.  The story of this Houston couple made us think about the possibility of getting stranded in one of these parks.  We know that help is not a cell phone call away in places where there is no cell tower around for miles.  We would have only ourselves to help us out of an emergency situation.  We will have more success helping ourselves if we are prepared.

We decided that we need to arm ourselves with an emergency kit to keep in the car before we hit the road.  The couple that I mentioned above were rescued 6 days after they became stranded but were severely dehydrated.  We were thinking of what we would need to survive for a couple of days.  We have come up with this list.

Essentials- Store these items in a backpack and leave in car.
Water.  Gallons, bottles or small boxes.
Non-perishable food items.  Also, granola bars and power bars.
Blankets and ponchos
Flashlight
Whistle

Extra Necessities - Store these items in a bin and leave in car.
First Aid kit - containing different kinds of bandages, sterile wipes, scissors, tweezers, gauze and instant cold pack.
Road flares.
Jumper cables.
Flat tire kit - including temporary tire sealant.

I think that once we secure these supplies we will be ready for any emergency on the road.  I will look on the My Patriot Supply website for everything I need.  They not only have survival supplies you would need to have on the road but My Patriot Supply has supplies for many other emergency situations.

Also, a good idea is to leave your, detailed as possible, itinerary with a loved one.  Check in on this person with a quick text from time to time when you have reception.  They will be the ones who will alert authorities if they have not heard from you after a period of time.

We were very fortunate that when we got a flat tire in the middle of the night, in the middle of nowhere and in the middle of winter, that it happened in front of the only house for miles around.  A very nice gentleman, still dressed in his postal uniform, came out of his house with a flashlight and helped Soko put on the spare.  So we know firsthand that things can happen and we need to be prepared when they do.

Must See In Rome, Italy - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

Visiting Rome, Italy has the number one spot on our bucket list and it's the reason why we started to think about going on this Mediterranean cruise.  I still can't believe that we have our reservations made and we will be seeing this amazing city in a few short months.  It is truly a dream come true.  Trying to see Rome in the small amount of time we will have there is going to be challenging though.   Our cruise ship is arriving in Civitavecchia, Italy at 7:00 am and leaving at 7:00 pm.  The port is miles from Rome so the first thing we had to figure out was how to get to Rome the quickest and easiest way possible.   We decided to book a Train Transfer By Roma Express that we found on the list of excursions offered by Royal Caribbean.  A shuttle bus will take us from our cruise ship to the train station where we will board a vintage train to Rome.  There will be an escort on the train who will provide us with a map of Rome and who will answer any questions we might have.  The train ride will take 50 minutes and will bring us to San Pietro Station which is a 10-15 walk from the Vatican.  We will then have 6 hours to explore on our own before taking the train back to the port.

Port 4 - Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy

The main reason for us wanting to go to Rome so badly is to visit Vatican City to see the greatest, most important Catholic Church in the world, St. Peter's Basilica with Michelangelo's Pieta and for a chance to see Michelangelo's ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.  If we think we have enough time for anything else, we would like to see the Colosseum, just the outside.   I am pretty sure we won't have time to venture inside.  We would also like to see Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps and the Pantheon but we would not be disappointed if we didn't make it to these sites.  It would give us an excuse to come back!

Our plan at the moment is to buy tickets in advance to get into the Vatican museums.  If we can get them for 12:30 pm it will give us 3 hours to explore the museums and 3 hours to get to the other sites.

This is what our schedule might look like:

10:00 - Get to San Pietro Station.  Look for Bus 64 here to take us to Piazza Venezia stop.   30 minute bus ride and 12 minute walk.  

10:45 - Arrive at Colosseum - This 2000 year old building is one of those sites you dream about seeing in your lifetime.  It was a venue that saw many gladiator contests among other things.  Only 1/3 of the building remains having been destroyed by earthquakes and builders taking stones from here to build other buildings.  The exterior of the Colosseum is not impressive or beautiful as it was built by engineers and not artists.   If you go inside and look down into the arena, you will see the underground passages where prisoners and animals were held.  There are private tours you can book to avoid lines here but I couldn't find any information about getting online tickets in advance from the Colosseum itself.

11:15 - Walk 20 minutes to Trevi Fountain.  

11:35 - Arrive at Trevi Fountain - I will be looking for Neptune in his shell-shaped chariot and Triton blowing his conch shell.  I won't forget to bring a coin to throw over my shoulder to ensure that I get back to Rome one day.

Now it's time to decide if we have any time to do the 8 minute walk to get to the...

Spanish Steps - Many people have spent time hanging out on these steps, which are over 300 year old steps, including British poet John Keats.  I will be looking for the Sinking Boat Fountain at the bottom of these steps.  Then if we somehow have saved time somewhere we will walk 14 minutes to the...

Pantheon - This Roman temple was dedicated to all gods and is what the word pantheon means.  It is now a Christian church.  It was originally built in 27 B.C. but because of a few fires had to be rebuilt  around A.D. 120.  It is a great example of architecture of the Roman Empire.

I would like to have at least 1 hour to get to Vatican City from this area.  The trip back should take 30 - 45 minutes by Bus 64.

Vatican City

St. Peter's Basilica - is free to enter but costs 5 euro if you want to climb the stairs or 7 euro if you take the elevator up to the top of the dome.  We are not packing shorts and making sure all my tops cover my shoulders because of the dress code of this and most of the other churches we want to get in to explore.  We will follow Rick Steve's walking tour here.

Holy Door - is one of five doors that lead into the church.  The Holy Door is the one on the far right.  This door is only opened during Holy Years and special Jubilee years and on Christmas Eve every 25 years.   The pope will knock three times on the door with a silver hammer to open it.

Charlemagne's Coronation Site - On the floor in front of the central doorway is a round maroon colored stone.  This is the spot where Charlemagne was crowned Emperor.

St Andrew Statue and View of Dome - Near the altar, on the left hand side, is the statue of St. Andrew holding an X-shaped cross.  If you stand in front of it and look up you will find the dome 448 feet above you.  I will be looking above the windows to find Jesus, Mary, saints and angels and further up God.  He is so far up that he will look like a blur of blue and red.

St. Peter Statue - To the right of St. Andrew we will find St. Peter.  There will be a line of people waiting to kiss the big right toe of this statue as a sign of respect.  I will take the suggestion of Rick Steves and kiss my fingers, then touch the toe!

Pope John XXIII - is laid out to rest in a lighted glass tomb in the Basilica.  Some say that it is a sign of a miracle that his body was completely intact after being buried for 38 years.   Because of the amazing condition of the body, the authorities decided to put it in the church for all to enjoy.  Pope John XXIII himself performed a miracle when he cured an Italian nun who had a stomach tumor.

Main Altar - Look for the 7 story bronze canopy and you will find the main altar.  Only the pope can say Mass here, when he is in town.

BERNINI - Dove Window and Throne of St. Peter - In back of the main altar is a smaller front alter that is used for everyday services.  Here we will be looking for Bernini's dove window.  The six foot dove is used as the symbol for the Holy Spirit.  Underneath the dove is the Throne of St. Peter.  It is an oak chair that was built in medieval times for a king.  Bernini encased it in bronze and it is now a symbol of papal authority.

St. Peter's Crucifixion Site - To the left of the main altar we will look for the exact spot (according to tradition) of St. Peter's crucifixion.  When he was told he was going to be crucified like his Lord was he asked to be hung upside down because he was not worthy to be treated the same as Jesus.

RAPHAEL - Mosaic Copy of The Transfiguration is something I will be looking for near St. Andrew's statue.  The actual painting is in the Vatican museum.  Every painting in the Basilica are mosaic copies because the smoke and humidity would damage real paintings.

MICHELANGELO - Pieta is the reason why we will be in this Basilica.  To be this close to the actual pieta after knowing about it all our lives and seeing pictures of it will be more than amazing.  Seeing a mom holding her lifeless son in her arms is just too sad but it is one of the most famous works of art in the world and we can't wait to see it.  I think seeing this piece will be very emotional.

Tomb of St. Pope John Paul II is located under a painting of St. Sebastian, his favorite saint.  This Polish pope was the first non-Italian pope in four centuries. 

The Treasury Museum - is located near the altar and contains the tomb of Sixtus IV along with church ornaments, statues and various objects which are mostly gifts from kings and princes.

Blessed Sacrament Chapel - is located on the right-hand side of the church and is a peaceful place to meditate and pray. 

After you have looked around the church you can go down to the crypt where the tombs of popes and memorial chapels are.  You can also go up to the dome (there is a charge for this) to see the one of the best views in Rome.  Both areas are claustrophobic so Soko can go himself if he wants.

Vatican Museums - is a four mile complex of museums.  It takes 2 hours for a quick look around or 3 to 4 hours, if you have time, to be able to enjoy the museums more.  It is impossible to take it all in on one visit.  We will arm ourselves with a map of the museums and highlight where the must-sees on this list are.  After researching on the web, looking at travel guides and asking friends who have visited Vatican City and the museums, I have come up with this Top 5 list.

Belvedere Courtyard - is where we will find two statues that are not to be missed.  The Apollo Belvedere is a large white marble sculpture showing Apollo just after he has shot an arrow.  There are different ideas about what he has just shot at.  And Laocoon which is a marble sculpture showing Laocoon and his sons struggling with and getting overpowered by a serpent.  There are a couple of stories about who sent the serpent to kill the three and why.

Spiral Staircase - We can't miss finding this because it will be the first thing we see when we walk into the museum but I want to make sure we take it all in and take lots of pictures as it is the one of the most photographed staircases in the world.  Good to know: I read that we should not go through the doors at the bottom of this staircase as it will lead us out of museum and we will not be able to get back in. 

Raphael Rooms - are four rooms that are famous for their frescoes by Michelangelo and Raphael.  We will be on the lookout for one in particular, School of Athens, which was done by Raphael and his assistants.  This fresco gives us a preview of St. Peter's, which was under construction.  Raphael includes great thinkers, Aristotle and Plato and great painters, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in this remarkable painting.

Sistine Chapel - is the main reason for everyone being in these museums.  I know it is for us anyway.  I will definitely have my map of the ceiling so I can understand what is going on up there.  Basically it is the story of creation with the central panel being the Creation of Adam.  This painting is what I think of when I dream of seeing the Sistine Chapel.  Especially where God's strong hand is reaching out to Adam's limp hand with their fingers almost touching.  After the ceiling, we will look for Michaelangelo's powerful Last Judgment behind the altar, with God separating the good from the evil.  If we are hurrying to get to St. Peter's Basilica  we will take the shortcut exit at the far-right corner of the chapel but if we have time we will go into the...

Pinacoteca Vaticana - where we will find Raphael's last work, Transfiguration.  If we went into St. Peter's first we would have seen the mosaic replica of this stunning painting.  After admiring this painting, we will find the souvenir shop to exit the museum.

Our itinerary looks a bit ambitious for a 6 hour day but we will try our best.  We will get a better idea of timing when we get there.  Only 8 more months until we are boarding the Vision of the Seas in Barcelona!

Must See In Florence, Italy - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

The third stop of our Mediterranean cruise is Livorno.  It is in the Tuscany region of Italy.  Although Livorno is a charming city it is not where you can find Tuscan highlights like Michelangelo's David or Pisa's Leaning Tower.   We will definitely be venturing out of the port city but hopefully we will have time when we get back to look around Livorno for a bit.  We have booked an excursion to board a bus at 8:10 am that will take us to Florence where we will have 4 hours to explore on our own.  After Florence, we will be driven to Pisa where we spend 1 hour before the bus takes us back to the port.  We will also be given a smart device to use to navigate through the two cities.

Port 3 - Livorna (Florence), Italy

Florence - There is so much to see in Florence and we only have 4 hours!   At the top of our "must see" list is Accademia.   If we want to have any hope of seeing Michaelangelo's David here I will have to buy our tickets in advance online before our cruise.  Undoubtedly the main draw at the Accademia is David.  Michaelangelo, at 26 years old,  carved the biblical shepherd boy who stepped forward, with only a sling, to take on the giant Goliath.  Some believe that Michaelangelo has captured David moments after he has slain the giant.  Others see in David's expression, a boy who is sizing up his enemy with extreme confidence.  And what is he holding in his hand?  Is it the sling or the pouch he carried it in.   We can't wait to come to our own conclusions after we see the magnificent statue.

After visiting the Accademia we will do Rick Steve's Renaissance Walk.  But before the walk we'll have lunch at Mercato Centrale (Central Market).  There's a fresh food market on the ground floor with food courts above.  We will definitely want to try a slice of pizza while we are in Italy.  I heard we can find a slice here!

Renaissance Walk - This walk will take us past most of Florence's top sights.  We should have enough time to do this walk as long as we don't spend any time going into any of the buildings.  That's an option we have, though, if we do have the time.  The sites on this walk are:

The Duomo and Its Dome - Florence's cathedral was built in the Middle Ages.  The architects at that time had envisioned a grand dome to top off the building but didn't have the technology at that time to create it.  They were confident that if they left a big hole in the roof someone would come along and finish the Duomo.  That someone was architect Filippo Brunelleschi.  He was commissioned in the 1400's to finish the job.  The dome he created was the inspiration for the builders of the US Capital.  The dome is so large that it is visible from anywhere in the city.  

Campanile (Giotto's Tower) - is the bell tower of the cathedral.  It is easier to climb to the top, and less crowded than the Duomo, but doesn't have as good a view.  I hope that Soko will climb the bell tower and enjoy the view but I got claustrophobic just looking at the pictures of my friends climbing the dome which I think is a bigger space than the bell tower.  I will admire Giotto's work from the outside!

Baptistery and Ghiberti's Bronze Doors - Up until the 19th century, the Baptistery was where all catholics of Florence were baptized.   I would love to go inside to see all the story-telling ceiling mosaics in the Baptistery if we have time.  The "must see" here though are Ghiberti's bronze doors.  Michaelangelo described these doors as being fit to be the gates of paradise.   If we want to see the original doors we have to go to the Duomo Museum where they are now housed.  We will have to be happy with seeing the replicas that replaced the original doors of the Baptistery if we don't have time to go to the museum. 

Via de' Calzaiuoli - is a pedestrian only street that is filled with designer shops, souvenir shops,  restaurants, bars, hotels, bakeries and gelato!  Besides for the gelato we will be keeping an eye out for an arch on Via degli Speziali.  This symbol celebrates the unification of Italy in 1870.  

Orsanmichele Church - was originally a grain warehouse.  In the warehouse was a column that had the image of the Blessed Mother (Madonna).  This image was given credit for several miracles.  The original image was destroyed in a fire in the 1200's and a new image was painted by Bernardo Daddi and the miracles continued.  People started to flock to the warehouse to visit and pray and so it was decided that the building should be turned into a church.  Daddi's painting is the center of the gorgeous tabernacle inside the church.  We are definitely putting this on our "must see" list.  Also, there were 14 statues of saints in  niches around the church.  Some of the niches are empty now and some of them have replicas of the saint that occupied it.  Some of the original statutes still remain and are in the museum which occupies the 2 and 3 floors of the church.  The museum and church are free to get in.  

Piazza della Signoria - is the main civic center of Florence and where David once stood.  A replica now stands in the statue's place.  This is where we will find the Uffizi Gallery which we will probably have to pass on and Palazzo Vecchio, Florence's Town Hall.  There is lot of history, art and architecture in this palace to admire for an entrance fee, but there are fountains, statues and frescoes in the courtyards that are free to enjoy.  Because of time constraints and because we love free things as it is easier on our retirement budget, we will pass on going inside but hoping to look around the courtyard.

Loggia de Lanzi a.k.a Loggia della Signoria - is an open-air sculpture gallery.   It is free to enjoy the many sculptures that are on display here.  I will be keeping my eye out for Perseus holding Medusa's decapitated head!

Savonarola Plaque - We will look for this plague, near the fountain of Neptune, that is placed where Girolamo Savonarola was hanged and burned.  Savonarola was a monk who briefly overthrew the power from the Medici family.  He asked his followers to throw their riches; paintings, etc. into huge bonfires.  The Florentines finally fought back after they were encouraged to do so by the pope.

Uffizi Courtyard - is filled with souvenir shops and artists waiting to paint portraits.  It is also where we can find statues of the well known Renaissance artists, scientists, writers, etc.  We'll be looking for Michaelangelo and Galileo among other great figures of that time.

Ponte Vecchio - is Florence's most famous bridge and the last stop on the Renaissance Walk.  It is lined with jewelers selling very elegant and expensive gold and silver creations.  We will go to see the statue of master goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini and get a picture perfect view of the Arno River.  I'm sure our wallets will stay in our pockets as we cross over this bridge.

Pisa - From Florence we will be bused to Pisa, specifically to the Field of Miracles square.  Here is where we will find the Leaning Tower.  We can't wait to see this building.  We will take one of those cheesy holding up the tower pictures here for sure!  The other buildings in this grass-covered square  include the Duomo.  The Leaning Tower is actually the bell tower for this cathedral.  Although it is free to enter, it is very crowded and will probably take more time than we have to look around the interior.  We will definitely want to find the bronze back doors here though.  They were designed by Bonanno Pisano and have 24 different panels each telling the story of Christ.  The round Baptistery found here is the biggest in Italy.  There are two museums here and Camposanto Cemetery.  I think one hour should be plenty of time to walk around the field and maybe the cemetery but not enough time to go inside any of the museums.  

The highlight of Pisa for us is the Leaning Tower and with lots more to see in Florence I think the excursion we reserved will work perfectly for us.   

We are getting more and more excited about our cruise the more we research.  I checked today - only 295 more days!

Getting The Car Ready For A Road Trip

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

1.  Having a membership in a motor club gives us piece of mind when we are on the road.  Our membership costs $150.00 a year for the two of us.   When we need roadside assistance, it is only a phone call away.   A big plus to having this membership is that it allows us to call whenever or wherever we need help.  Less than a week ago our car was completely dead in our driveway.  Soko called the motor club and they were at our home within an hour to pick up our car.  Because we have the premium plan, we can have our car towed up to 200 miles with no expense.  They towed our car to their mechanics who had our car up and running a couple of hours later.  Their charge seemed reasonable for the repairs they made.  We could have had our car towed to any mechanic but as we are relatively new to our area, we don't have any mechanics we are loyal to yet so this was fine.  We would definitely not feel comfortable on the road if we were not motor club members.

2.  Checking the fluids in the car is on our check list before each road trip.  We check the oil, coolant, brake fluid and windshield wash.  If our car needs oil or is due for an oil change we will have the mechanic check the fluids and also check the belts and hoses.

3.  We check the air filter while we are checking the fluids and will replace it if needed.

4.  We always check the air in the tires before a long trip.  Usually the night before our trip we will fill up the gas tank and fill the tires with air if needed.  We always keep a tire gauge in the car in case we suspect we are losing air in a tire.  Also at this time, we check on the spare to make sure it's in there and that it's in good condition.  We were stuck once when we completely forgot to replace a spare tire that we used!

5.  If something has not been feeling right we get it checked out before we hit the road.  We once felt a rattling, like something was loose, under our feet every time we drove in our van.  We brought it into the mechanics before our road trip to have it looked at.  We were right.  It was the axle.  We were very happy that we didn't ignore the vibration we felt.  Well, the new rebuilt axle we had put on was defective and actually fell off as we were on our way to Ohio to meet friends for our annual camping trip.  It could have been worse for us if it hadn't fallen off when it did, just after we drove through a toll stop.  I hate to think what might have happened if the axle fell off when we were driving full speed on the highway.  Thank goodness for our motor club for picking us up, fixing us up and getting us back on the road.

6.  We have three cars so we always have to make sure we have the GPS and other travel necessities in the car we will be traveling in.  As long as we have our phones with us we won't get lost but we'd rather use the GPS.  We would definitely have to buy a phone charger if we realized it was not in the car.  I have a charger that also has an outlet for the computer now.  I would not be happy if I left home without this charger.  I always count on my sunglasses being in the car but when they aren't I have to buy a pair.   This must not only happen to me because there is always a sunglasses kiosk open at every rest stop on the highway.  We like to have a flashlight (so happy this on our phones) and an umbrella in the car.  I also make sure to replenish our supply of garbage bags and napkins.  We do a lot of eating and drinking in the car  a when we are on the road and need lots of napkins and garbage bags.  Soko still uses maps and likes to have them in the car so we check to see if the ones he needs are in the glove compartment.  (Go here to see how we organized our glove compartment.)   We also like having moist towelettes, aspirin and bandages in the car at all times.

7.  On the top of my list is to get the car cleaned before we hit the road.  I don't like having to sit for hours looking at the dust on the dashboard or pulling my drink out of the sticky cup holder.  I feel so much more comfortable starting out with the car washed, dusted and vacuumed.  Also, for safety reasons, the windows need to be free of dirt for better visibility.  We usually change the windshield wipers before a long trip if we need to.

That is our routine.  Do you have a road trip checklist?  We would love to hear from you if you see that we need to add something to our list.

If you are looking to buy a new car because your car is not road trip ready, go to Cars.com for a huge selection of new, used and certified cars.

French Onion Soup - Getting Our Taste Buds Ready For France

I just recently finished researching Nice and Villefranche sur Mer, France for our upcoming Mediterranean cruise.  One of the things I really want to do in France is to have some French onion soup.  The people of France call it onion soup or rather soupe a l'oignon gratinee.  Thank goodness soupe looks like the word soup and l'oignon kind of looks like onion.   I think I can remember this.  I better or I will miss out on having the soup if I can't find it on a menu!  So now I have an urge for French onion soup and I can't wait until next September to have it.

I looked all over the web to find an authentic onion soup recipe.  What I can gather is that Cevennes onions are used in France and I have never seen them in my local grocery store.  I have decided that my onion soup will not be authentic but it can be delicious!  Also, I found that no two recipes are exactly alike.  For a 4-6 person serving the recipes vary in amount of onions, from 4 onions to 6 pounds of onions, and beef stock, from 2 cups to 2 liters.  Also, different kinds of onions are used and the liquid can be beef stock, beef broth, water and chicken broth.  Most recipes call for freshly grated Gruyere cheese but some list Swiss or a combination of cheeses that include Parmesan.  One thing that most of the cooks agreed on was that the onions should be cooked slowly, to bring out their sweetness, until they are brown but not burnt.  But how brown is another debate!

This is the recipe I finally came up with.  It was delicious and satisfied my onion soup craving!

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FRENCH ONION SOUP
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

3 lbs. onions (combination of Vidalia and yellow onions)

4 cups beef stock

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1/2 cup red wine

3/4 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. salt

dash of black pepper

1/2 loaf of French baguette, sliced into 1/2 " pieces

8 ozs. cave aged Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions

1.  Melt butter in a large Dutch oven on medium-low heat.  Add onions and cook until the onions turn a golden brown.  It should take about an hour.   Stir often to keep the onions from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pot.

2.  When onions are done, sprinkle flour over onions and stir to coat.  Add the red wine and stir, about a minute or two, until you no longer smell the alcohol.  Add the beef stock, thyme, salt and pepper.  Cover the pot and simmer about 30 minutes.

3.  Lightly toast bread under the broiler.  

4.  Place ovenproof soup bowls on large cookie sheet.  Place a piece of bread on the bottom of each bowl.  Spoon soup into bowls.  Put one or two pieces of bread on top of each bowl along with 1/4 of the cheese.  Put bowls under the broiler until the cheese is melted and lightly browned.

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Must See In Nice, France - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

The second port of our vacation in Europe, and our first stop after we board our cruise ship in Barcelona, Spain, is Nice, France.  Although our cruise itinerary says Nice, France, our port is actually in Villefranche-sur-Mer.  Our ship will arrive at 9:00 am and we will probably have to be back to the ship by 6:00 pm as it departs at 7:00 pm.  We will research Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer then decide what we "must see".  Hopefully we have time for everything on our list.  If not we will follow the edited version of our itinerary.  What I really want to do the most in France is have some French Onion Soup!   

Port 2 - Villefranche (Nice) France

Nice is the largest city in the French Riviera and the region's biggest draw because of all it has to offer.  You can find museums, a beachfront promenade and much more.  We will travel by train from our port in Villefranche to Nice.  I heard that there will be a tourist information area at the port where helpful people will point us in the direction of the train station, or to any other transportation.  It should take us 10 minutes (2 train stops) to get to Nice's main train station, Nice-Ville.  To get to the start of the walking tours we would like to do in Nice, we will have to find the tram once we arrive at the Nice-Ville station.  We will take the tram in the direction of Hopital Pasteur which will take us toward the beach and Vieux Nice.

Walking Tour 1 - Promenade Des Anglais Walk is a straight mile walk down the beachfront that starts at Hotel Negresco.  You have to be a guest of Nice's finest hotel to enter but if you confidently walk in and explain, when asked, that you are going in for a drink or for shopping you should be let in.  One of the things we will be looking for, if we make it past the doorman, is a huge chandelier that is made up of 16,000 pieces of crystal.  Also, in addition to historic and modern art to enjoy, there are bronze portrait busts of Czar Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna.

Across the street from Hotel Negresco is Villa Massena a palace built for military hero, Jean-Andre Massena and his family.  The admission price for the Massena Museum is 6 Euro for adults.  If you are a fan of Napoleon and Josephine, you can see lots of their belongings including Josephine's cape and tiara and Napoleon's death mask!  The gardens that surround the palace were designed by Edouard Andre, the landscaper who designed the gardens of the Monte-Carlo Casino.  The gardens are free to enjoy.

The sea will be on our right as we start our walk down The Promenade.  We will take our pick of a number of rocky beaches to enjoy.  The average temperature in Nice in late September is low to mid 70's.  It won't be warm enough to swim, but we will definitely find a spot to sit and relax.  I will make sure to bring an empty water bottle to collect some sand.  (Look here for a craft idea using vacation sand.)  There are several beach restaurants on The Promenade.  I will be keeping my eye out for French Onion Soup!  At the end of the walk is Albert I Park.  We are excited to enjoy this park with many statues, sculptures, fountains and even a tiny bronze Statue of Liberty.

Walking Tour 2 - Old Nice Walk is a leisurely hour walk through Nice's old town.  It starts at Place Massena and takes us down several streets until we get to Castle Hill. Place Massena, with it's checkerboard pavement, is a 30 acre square where we will be looking for a towering modern swoosh sculpture, men sitting on top of high pedestals (they are lit at night which make them look like they are floating above you) and finally Apollo holding his beach towel.  We will have to walk past him to get into the old town.  

Rue St. Francois de Paule will take us into the heart of Vieux Nice.  On this street we can peek into the Alziari olive oil shop that has been in operation since 1868.  La Couqueto is also on this street and is a shop that sells santons (hand painted clay figurines).  We may have to buy a thing or two here.  Further down the street, we will pass Nice's opera house and admire the beautiful facade and what I am most excited to find on this street is Patisserie Auer's chocolates.  I read that Queen Victoria occasionally shopped here.

Cours Saleya is Nice's main market square.  You can find produce and flowers here.  The flowers that they sell are are the ones they use to make perfume.  I can only imagine how heavenly it must smell in this part of town.

Rue de la Poissonnerie is where we will be looking for Adam and Eve.  We will have to look up at the first floor of the first building on our right as we turn onto this street to see them.  We will also be looking for a small church, Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation.  It's the most popular church in Nice because it is dedicated to St. Rita.  She is the patron saint of desperate causes and desperate people and she has a special place in the hearts of the locals here.

Rue Droite is where we will be looking for Espuno's bakery.  Their house specialty is a tart that is stuffed with Swiss chard, apples, pine nuts and raisins.  It sounds like something we really should try but it all depends on how much chocolate I bought and ate two streets back!  Also on this street is Eglise St-Jacques.  Like St. Rita's church, it is a Baroque style building.  The definition I found for Baroque is "richly decorated with many ornaments, stucco, false marble, cherubs and medallions."  It sounds like a lot to look at.  It will be fun to compare the two churches.  There is a mansion, Palais Lascaris, on this street.  It houses a collection of antique musical instruments on one of its four levels.  There is a charge (6 Euro) to go in.  We may check it out if we have time.

Place Rossetti is the end of this walk.  We can check out the Cathedral of St. Reparate and have a gelato at Fenocchio in this square before we head back to Villefranche or if we have time, we can venture up Castle Hill first.

Castle Hill offers sensational views from the top of the hill.  We can either climb up or take a free of charge elevator up.  Besides for the views, there is a park, playground and cafe at the top.

Our port city is Villefranche-sur-Mer, a small town with narrow streets and a beach.   The promenade that leads to the beach is lined with fancy seafood restaurants.  There is a town square, churches and a castle to see.  There is also a grocery store in the town that I would love to get a chance to shop in.  If we have time to kill before our ship leaves this port we will definitely stroll around the town and beach. 

We can't wait to see all these amazing sites.  Any other suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated!

Must See In Barcelona, Spain - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

Our dream of taking a Mediterranean cruise is coming true next year.   I'm not sure how long we've had this vacation on our bucket list but we actually have reservations on Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas and I can't believe it!  Now we need to figure out what we want to do and see.  I am armed with my Rick Steves' book Mediterranean Cruise Ports, recommendations from friends and, of course the web, and ready to start the planning, researching and preparing for the trip.  Our cruise ship is leaving from Barcelona, Spain in the late afternoon on a Sunday in September next year.  We will plan to leave from Miami on the Thursday before so that we will be in Barcelona no later than late afternoon on Friday.  It will not only get us to Spain in plenty of time to get to the cruise port but will also give us time to tour Barcelona.  We heard it is a beautiful part of Spain and we can't wait to see it.

Our plan is to research every port we will be stopping in and make a list of things we would like to see, do or eat there.  Then we'll figure out how much we can squeeze into each day.

Port 1 - Barcelona, Spain 

1.  Watch locals as they join hands and dance the sardana in front of the cathedral on weekends.  It's a dance that is a symbol of national pride and unity for the Catalans who have been campaigning for 150 years for Catalunya to be independent from Spain.  We would love to experience this important cultural tradition.   This event happens every Sunday at noon and it lasts about 2 hours.  We will be boarding our cruise ship then but we might have a chance of seeing the dancing on Saturday evening.  It is occasionally danced on Saturdays especially if there is a celebration.  There is a festival, La Merce, that happens every year in late September.  This year the festival was held the 3rd weekend which is when we will be there in 2018.  The festival dates are not set for next year yet but I think we have a good chance of being there for it.  I'm hoping the sardana will be danced in addition to the other festivities.  If we are lucky enough to be in Barcelona when this festival is being celebrated, we will also have a chance to see another Catalan tradition, the castell.  This is a tower made by people standing on top of one another and is 10 humans high!  That would be a site to see for sure.  We are crossing our fingers.

2.  Sagrada Familia is a temple that was designed by the truly unique architect Antoni Gaudi.  He worked for 43 years on it until he died.  The temple is currently 70% finished.  It is estimated to be done in 2026 which would be 100 years after Gaudi's death.  Gaudi's buildings can be seen all over Barcelona but the Sagrada Familia is called his masterpiece.  Go here to see photos of this magnificent building and I think you will put it on your list of sites to see in Barcelona.  If you are trying to fit a visit to this amazing site into your itinerary, figure that you will be there about 2 hours.  To save time and money, consider ordering entry tickets before you leave home.  You can place your order here and print your tickets.  Make sure you put a note on your packing list to bring your tickets so you don't forget them.

3.  The Picasso Museum is located in Barcelona because this is where Pablo Picasso lived between the ages of 14 - 23.  This is where his career started before he went to France where he joined the Cubism movement.  The Cubisim art style is what I think of when I think of Picasso, the portraits that are broken up and reassembled in an abstract way.  The true Cubist 3-D paintings are not at the Barcelona museum although you can see a later variation of this style.   Instead, this museum focuses on Picasso's early works right before he moved to France and  became one of the best known artists in the world.  I think that it would be very interesting to see what his style of painting was before Cubism.   If you are thinking about adding the Picasso Museum to your itinerary, allow yourself 1.5 hours of time to check it out.  Also, note that the museum is closed on Mondays.  There is free admission to the museum on Thursdays from 6:00 pm until 9:30 pm and on the first Sunday of each month from 9:00 am - 7:00 pm.  It won't be possible for us to go when the admission is free so I might consider buying our tickets ahead of time here.

4.  The Ramblas Ramble is one of two self-guided walks that Rick Steves recommends.  This walk takes you down Barcelona's main boulevard.  This walking tour starts at the top of the Ramblas and takes you all the way to the opposite end.
    A.  Placa de Catalunya - This is a very lively 12-acre square plaza where you can find fountains and statues and Art Deco buildings.  This is also where you find transportation if you need it.  The Metro, bus, airport shuttle and Tourist Bus stops are in this area.  The locals congregate here to watch soccer games on big screens and also to enjoy outdoor concerts and festivals.
     B.  Fountain of Canaletes - This black and gold fountain has been around for more than a century.  It is said that you are ensured that you will return to Barcelona one day if you have drink from this fountain.
     C.  Rambla of the Little Birds - At one time this was where you would see kiosks that sold many different types of animals that you could buy and keep as pets.  The animals have been replaced with shops selling ice cream and souvenirs.
     D.  Betlem Church - This church, constructed between 1680 - 1732, is dedicated to Bethlehem and locals enjoy the nativity scenes that are displayed at Christmastime.
     E.  Rambla of Flowers - A colorful block where locals go to not only admire the beautiful flowers but also to buy seeds to grow their own vegetables.  I will be stepping into Gimeno's which is a cigar shop to look at the cigar boxes they sell there.  Sounds like a perfect souvenir for our cigar-loving family members!
     F.  La Boqueria Market - You can find all kinds of fresh foods.  I will definitely be getting some kind of fruit here.  I know when I have eaten fruit in Japan it has always been better than what I eat at home.  The peaches, especially, are the most delicious I have ever tasted.  I am very curious about what kind of fruit is popular in Spain.  I also will be checking out Pinotxo Bar to have something to eat and to find Juan.  I heard that he loves having his picture taken if he's not busy serving food to hungry shoppers.
     G. Heart of the Ramblas is a small, lively square where I will be looking for a mosaic on the ground that was created by abstract artist Joan Miro.  Her art can be found all over the city.  It will be fun to spot her work here and there.  I know to look for the La Caixa bank logo she designed.  This is where the best stretch of the Ramblas ends.  We will decide at this point if we want to continue or take the Metro back to Placa de Catalunya.  We're hoping to have a day and a half to spend in Barcelona but if we have less time, we will head back to do the second walk, Barri Gotic (see below), so we won't miss out on seeing that part of town.
     H. Placa Reial is a town square that has both old-fashioned bars and modern taverns with patio seating.  I will be looking for Gaudi's first public works, two colorful helmeted lampposts.  As we head back out to the Ramblas, I will be looking across the boulevard to find an apartment building, Palau Guell, another Gaudi project.
     I.  Raval Neighborhood - This is where you can find creative and elaborately costumed human statues.  They have to audition and register with the city government before they are allowed to perform here.  If you throw them some change they may entertain you.  The Drassanes Metro stop is here (or you can look for Bus #59) which will take you back to Placa de Catalunya.
     J.  Columbus Monument is a 200-foot column dedicated to Christopher Columbus.  He came to Barcelona after his trip to America in 1493.  There is a tiny elevator inside the monument that will take you to the top where there is an observation area.  You can buy a ticket for the ride up inside the base.  I would love to enjoy the view of the city but the words itself ,"tiny elevator", is making me feel claustrophobic already!
     K. Waterfront is where you can board a harbor cruise or shop or just watch the busy maritime zone in action.  You can see a historic schooner, the Santa Eulalia or take a walk down the promenade to see the iconic sculpture, Barcelona Head.

5.  Barri Gotic is the second walk.  It starts at Placa de Catalunya and weaves around the town.    You can go here to look at maps of the Barri Gotic area.  I am using the map in my Rick Steves book and his suggested walking tour.
     A.  Avinguda del Portal de l'Angel is a boulevard where you will find the most expensive shops in Barcelona.  There are high-end Spanish and International chains.  I will be doing a lot of window shopping only here!
     B.  Church of Santa Anna is a Romanesque style church.  This architectural term is given to buildings that were erected in the 10th - 12th centuries.   Some of the characteristics of Romanesque construction, and things I will be looking for when I walk through the church, are thick walls, round arches and sturdy pillars.
     C.  Els Quatre Gats is a restaurant that Picasso frequented and he also designed their menu cover.  Although you can enjoy a snack, meal or drink here, people are welcome to come into the restaurant just to admire the menu cover.
     D.  Fountain - Barcelonans got their water from this fountain, and fountains like this one, as recently as the 1940's.   I will be looking for the ladies carrying jugs of water, in blue and yellow tilework, that is somewhere on this fountain.
     E.  Placa Nova - There are two huge towers here that were once a part of an entrance gate.  On the opposite side of these towers is the Catalan College of Architects.  Picasso's art depicting Catalan traditions including the sardana dance, music and bullfighting can be seen on this building.
     F.   Cathedral of Barcelona is where I will find Catalans dancing the sardana if I am lucky enough to be here at the right time.  The style of this cathedral is Gothic which is a style of architecture that got popular after the Romanesque period.  I will be looking for pointed arches, robed statues, decorative molding on the windows, gargoyles and bell towers with winged angels.
     G.  Casa de l'Ardiaca is a mansion that now houses historic documents but once was the residence of the archdeacons.  It is free to enter so we will definitely be checking it out!
     H.  Monument to the Martyrs of Independence was erected to honor five patriots who were strangled for resisting Napoleon in 1809.
     I.   Placa Sant Felip Neri is a plaza which Catalan school children use as their playground.  In this square is the Church of Sant Felip Neri.  You can see where the building was damaged by bombs during the Spanish Civil War.  There is a plaque on a wall that is to the left of the church door that has a list of 42 victims of a 1938 aerial bombing.  Most of the victims were children.  So sad.
     J.  Jewish Quarter is called El Call which comes from the Hebrew word kahal which means congregation.  This is where you will see narrow alleys where 4,000 Jews were forced to lived.  There is a small synagogue, Antiqua Sinagoga Mayor, that you can tour.   Their synagogues were only allowed to be as big as the smallest Christian church.
     K. Carrer del Bisbe Bridge is a bridge that connects government buildings to what used to be the Catalan's president's residence.  Although the bridge looks medieval it was constructed in the 1920's.
     L.  Placa de Sant Jaume is the central square of Barri Gotic and is where two of the top government buildings are - Palau de la Generalitat is where the govenment offices are and Barcelona City Hall.  Above the doorway of the Palau de la Generalitat building is Catalunya's patron saint, St. George (Jordi) slaying a dragon.  I will be looking all over Barcelona for the very important Catalan symbol, the dragon.  And I heard that there is excellent gelato around here somewhere so I will also be keeping an eye out for Gelaaati di Marco.
     M. Roman Temple of Augustus - I will definitely be going into this temple as it is free, except on Mondays.  There is not much left there to see but the huge colums that are there date back to the first century B.C. which is as old as Barcelona is.
     N. Placa del Rei is where the Royal Palace is.  This is where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel welcomed Christopher Columbus home from his discovery of the New World and gave him the title "Admiral of the Oceans."
     O. Barcelona History Museum is where Rick Steves walking tour ends.  The name of the museum describes itself and is mostly a collection of objects discovered during archaeological digs.  The highlight of the museum is something that I will not be able to do because it is underground.  I hope Soko will go to enjoy the underground maze of Roman ruins.  If he ever finds his way out of there, we will head back to Placa de Sant Jaume to find the Jaume I metro stop to get back to where we started, Placa de Catalunya.

Are you planning a vacation to Barcelona?  Are you dreaming about taking a trip here one day?  I hope you found some information here that will help you when you start to make your plans.

Have you been to Barcelona?  Did you see, do or eat anything that makes you hope to get back there one day soon?  We would really love to hear from you!

Beach Vacation Sand Art

Do you save sand from your beach vacations? I know I do. Read this post for an idea of what to do with your collection.

Read this post, How To Easily Protect Your Property While Traveling, before your next beach vacation.

One of my favorite souvenirs to bring back from vacation is the sand from our beach vacations.  I never realized how different sand is from each other until I started collecting and saw them side by side.  I collected a lot of sand over the years and was even given sand by my daughter, Lisa, when she went to California.  What I did when I finally decided to do something with the collected sand, was to put them in separate glass bottles.  I soon had too many bottles and nowhere to display them.  My second idea was to turn them into ornaments for our Christmas tree.  I bought small baby rattles at A.C. Moore that could be filled with candy for a baby shower.  I labeled them and then filled them with the sand.  The ornaments were too heavy for the branches of the tree and didn't look right.  My third try at displaying the sand is finally something I am happy with.  I like how the sand art turned out so much that I am starting to collect more sand to make another one.

I always have a bottle of water with me when I go to the beach.  I've found that the easiest way for me to bring sand home is in that water bottle.   After I drink the water I dry the bottle out as best as I can.   I try to put only clean sand in the bottle.    I  scoop up a handful of sand and just sift through it to get dried seaweed and anything else out that I don't want in the sand.   When I'm happy with how the sand looks,  I pour it into the bottle.  

If you want to remember where your sand came from make sure you label your bottle or container.  I keep a list of the beaches where the sand in my bottle came from.  Starting from the bottom:  Labadee, Haiti; 7 Mile Beach, Grand Cayman; Rehoboth Beach, Delaware; Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda; Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Outer Banks, NC; Ochos Rio, Jamaica; Santa Monica, California; Cozumel, Mexico; La Jolla, San Diego; Carolina Beach, North Carolina; Long Beach Island, New Jersey.

Before I started pouring the sand into the cute heart bottle someone gave me, I lined up my containers of sand to compare the color and texture.  The more contrast in the color or texture, when you are layering, the better your sand art will look.   I used a funnel to slowly direct the sand into the bottle.  

Be careful handling the bottle when it is not completely filled.  Unfortunately, my bottle was not filled by the time we had to move from New York to North Carolina.   I tried to hold onto it as best as I could but the sand shifted around towards the top and the sand from Mexico and San Diego blended together.  

I am excited about making my next bottle but I need a lot more sand and to find a cute bottle for it.  Guess I will have to go on more beach vacations!

Bottle Two

I knew I wanted my second bottle of sand to be the largest bottle in my sand/shell display. I saved up more than enough sand for it.

I lined up all these bottles and bags in the order of how I wanted to add them into my new bottle. I tried to make sure similar colors were separated by contrasting colors. 

 

This is the larger bottle I picked for my second sand art.

Now it was time to pour the sand. I used a measuring cup with a spout to put the sand from the bags into first then I used a funnel to get the sand into the small mouth of the bottle.

I made sure to write down where the sand came from before I poured it into the bottle. Starting from the bottom: (1) Rutherford Beach, Lake Charles, LA (2) Bimini, Bahamas (3) Gulf of Mexico, LA (4) Lake Michigan, Holland, MI (5) Big Sur, CA (6) Clearwater Beach, FL (7) Great Sand Dunes NP, CO 

(8) Miami Beach, FL, (9) Shell Key Preserve, FL (10) Vero Beach, FL (11) Rivera Beach, FL (12) Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

This is the finished project.

I like how it looks with the other sand/shell bottles.

And I love how it looks in my beachy bathroom!

Read this post to find more ideas for using your vacation finds.

Decorating With Vacation Memories

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                                                              Eclectic Red Barn

twochicksandamom

The Answer Is Chocolate

The Cottage Market

What do you do with the sand you bring back from your beach vacations? Please share in comments!

Music And Vacation Memories

This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

I can't hear Rocket Man by Elton John without thinking about sitting on the plane with my mom, dad and sisters on our way to Japan.  The flight from New York to Japan took 13 hours.  The Contemporary Music playlist I chose to listen to from the airlines's music menu probably had about 9 other songs on the list.  By the time we got to Japan and back, I probably listened to Rocket Man at least 26 times!  The song gives me a warm and comfortable feeling and reminds me of how fortunate I was to have had the opportunity to enjoy many wonderful family vacations.

There are other vacation memory joggers.  We take as many pictures as we can to refresh our memories of our vacations and photos are absolutely one of the best memory joggers.  So are the souvenirs we buy.   I remember the many small shops me and Soko ventured into searching for the perfect serving dish when we were in Mexico.  (Read about it here.)  Every time I use that dish, I remember how very patient Soko was with me, and really supportive actually, as I ran in and out of every store in the shopping center.  When I finally found the perfect shop with the perfect dish, I wound up not only buying a dish for us but found dishes for our kids, my mom and my sister.  Soko followed me around carrying the heavy load I was piling up on him without even the slightest complaint.  It's a great memory for me.  I'm not sure it is for Soko though!

But there is something about music and the power it has to not only conjure up memories but emotions and feelings associated with those memories.   When I hear Rocket Man, a wave of nostalgia sweeps over me.   When I hear the song Happy by Pharrell Williams I get an instant joyful memory of my son's wedding.  He surprised me by asking the DJ to play my favorite song even though he assured me it would not be played at his wedding.  Not only did it make me feel extremely happy but we had almost every wedding guest dancing in a conga line around the venue, including my mom being pushed in her wheelchair!

Some of my favorite music is from the CD's I bought in Japan.  We always stayed at my Obaachan's (grandma) house when we visited.   We traveled by mass transit when we needed to get anywhere.  The train station was a few blocks from Obaachan's house.  The block that led to Imazato Station was lined with little mom and pop shops, two grocery stores, small noodle shops that served the most delicious food and the record shop on the corner.  The record shop would play the current hits and play them so loudly that you could hear the music halfway down the block.  We would start to recognize the songs because we would be in this area almost every day.  With the help of family and friends we were able to buy the CD's of the music we were hearing all the time.  I am so happy to have these CD's because of the wonderful memories and the instant warmth that comes over me when I listen to them.

I will definitely be looking for music to bring back with me when me and Soko go to Italy next year.  Maybe the gondolier in Venice has a CD of the love songs he will be singing as we relax on his gondola.  I'm sure listening to that CD will conjure up some very romantic memories!


This post was inspired by composer and screenwriter John Ross Jesensky.  

Read about the John Jesensky Scholarship which is open to high school seniors or current college students.