12 Day Mediterranean Cruise - Part 2

       Day 7 we spent another relaxing day at sea.  On day 8 we arrived at Livorno, Italy.  Livorno is where Camp Darby is and where I was just a few weeks before our cruise.  I didn't have my camera on my first trip to Pisa, so this time around I got some great photos.  We did another excursion which included a guided tour thru Pisa and then to us to a Winery for lunch and a wine tasting. 

 Miracle square from a distance.

 The leaning tower of Pisa and Duomo.

The baptistry.  You were not allowed to enter the church until you were baptized.  The walking path leads from the baptistry into the church.

 Behind this wall is the cemetery.

 Inside the baptistry.

 The original bronze doors to the church.The church was built between 1063 to 1350.

 Me and Micah in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

 Typical tourist shot.

 Typical tourist shot.

 Our trip to the Tuscany to the winery.

 The vinyard.

 Another shot of the vinyard.

 At lunch with our wine!  The more we drank the better it tasted!

       Day 9 was a trip to Civitavecchia, Italy (Rome).  Since we have both been to Rome, and it was an hour and a half trip to get to Rome from the port, we decided to spend another day on the boat by the pool.  Still working on those farmers tans!  Summer and Cliff didn't go into Rome either, although their parents did.  We hung out by the pool, played yahtzee and cards.  We took much needed naps and enjoyed a very relaxing day.

       Day 10 was Olbia, Italy.  There was really nothing here we wanted to do, so we decided to get off the boat and just walk around where the port was.  I didn't get any good pictures from the visitl

 Olbia port.

 Headed back to our boat in Olbia.

       Day 11 landed on June 26, which is mine and Micah's anniversary!  This was the day we hit Monaco!  This had two places that I was able to mark off my bucket list, Monaco/Monte Carlo and Nice, France.  This was our last excursion we booked.  We booked the excursion labeled The Colors Of The French Riviera.  Sounds amazing right?!  We began the day by taking a motor coach a few minutes down the road to Nice, France.  We visited the beautiful flower market.  We were given free time to tour the city on our own and we made our way to the beach!!  It was a rock beach, but a beach none the less.  

       From Nice we traveled to the village of Eze.  Eze I was least interested in, until we arrived.  It was amazing!  The view from Eze was breathtaking.  I had never heard of Eze, and other than the medieval village we visited there wasn't much else to do there.  But, the village itself and the view was well worth the trip.

       From Eze we traveled to Monaco.  We began by having lunch where I had some of the best spaghetti I've ever had.  We were served three separate entrees, all small, with wine.  The food was phenomenal.  From the restaurant we walked over to the royal palace.  It had just been redone for the nuptials of Prince Albert.  We walked from here to the chapel where Princess Grace and Prince Ranier III were married.  After touring the church we made our way back to our motor coach and were taken to Monte Carlo!  Monte Carlo is amazing!  It's everything you would think it would be.  It looks so rich.  Apparently the Monaco residents are not allowed to gamble at the casino.  Actually only one room of the casino was opened to us tourists.  We took advantage.  By the way there is a strict dress code.  People were entering in tuxedos!  I took ten dollars and hit the roulette table.  I put five on our wedding date and five on our wedding year.  I lost.  :(  I would have preferred to play craps, but the craps table was closed.  Micah hit the black jack table.  $25 a hand!  He played three hands and lost too.  Oh well.

 View from our coach along the French Riviera.

 The fruit and flower market in Nice.

 The flowers were beautiful and so cheap.

 Micah wanted to buy some, but there would have been no way to get them home.

 I love my husband!

 On the rock beach in Nice.

 Micah testing the waters.

 Micah picked out a rock to send home to his mom.

I found a cork on the beach! 

 A building in Nice.

 Eze.

 View of the French Riviera from Eze.

 Beautiful Eze.

 Cemetery down the hill.

 The surrounding village.

 Walking the narrow streets of Eze.

 Port of Monaco.

 Lunch in Monaco.

 Half of the royal palace.

 The rest of the palace.

 Apartments next to the palace for the residents of Old Monaco.

 The palace of Justice.

 Princess Grace Kelly's tomb.

 Prince Ranier III's tomb.

 Alter where the wedding of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier III took place.

 Photo outside of the church of Princess Grace and Prince Ranier's wedding.

 The church.

No cameras were allowed in the casino so we left our camera inside the coach.  I wish we had taken it to get some photos of Monte Carlo.  This photo is of us leaving Monte Carlo and headed back to the boat.

 These are all of the yachts parked in the port.  They were huge.

When we arrived back from our adventure this awaited us!  Our amazing friends had our room decorated and their parents had us flowers delivered.  They are so sweet.

 We have the best friends.

 Our flowers.

 View of the port of Monaco.

 Another photo of the yachts.

 Goodbye Monaco.  I will miss you.

       Day 12 landed us in Palma De Mallorca, Spain.  We had little interest here either so we did not take our camera with us.  Again now I wish we had, but it's heavy and we were tired of toting it around.  :)  

       Day 13 we disembarked our ship in Barcelona Spain.  We dropped our stuff at the hotel and hit the hop on hop off tour bus.  That evening we hit a  Flamenco show for dinner.  Exhausted and full we went back to the hotel for sleep.  We headed on the next, picked up Lulu and headed straight to the ball park.  I've been helping coach the 13-14 year old All-Stars and their tournament was taking place.  When I finally got to go home it felt so good to shower in my own shower and sleep in my own bed.

 At the hotel in Barcelona.

 View from our hotel.

 View from our hotel