"GeoPig knew the TBs were getting restless over the long winter,
but vacation time is finally here. GeoPig and the TBs arrived in
Paris yesterday. Their first stop was the Eiffel Tower where
they went to the top. The TBs were too nervous for pictures
on the top, but they did enjoy the view. Next was the Arc de
triomphe. It was a long walk up the 284 steps – especially for
the TBs who didn’t have legs – but they made it to the top for
a beautiful view of the city. Today GeoPig took everyone back
to the Eiffel Tower for lunch on the second floor. Tonight will be
a special Paris Illuminations tour."
Arc de Triomphe
Mona Lisa
Notre Dame Cathedral
"GeoPig and the TBs flew into Barcelona today for a couple days
before boarding a cruise ship. Their hotel borders on a busy
tourist market place. It was crazy today with all of the tourists
walking around. The TBs had to be very careful they weren’t
stepped on, but they had fun darting around in between all of
the feet. We had time for one cache and dinner at the Hard
Rock Café – GeoPig stops at all of them – before going back
to the room for some R&R. Tomorrow will be a busy tour day,
and everyone wanted time to rest tonight."
May 10
"GeoPig and the TBs took a city tour today. The first stop was
gondola ride over the city. The TBs were afraid to be that high,
but they all enjoyed the ride. The next stop was a model village
representing every area of Spain that was built for the 1992
Olympics. Everyone had fun walking around the area looking
at the different cultures of Spain. The last stop was a huge
Catholic cathedral and tour of the surrounding area."
We're going to take a gondola ride
"We boarded the ship today for our tour of France. It took a while
to acclimate everyone to the ship, but the TBs finally figured it
out. Most of their time today was spent in the spa receiving
luxurious treatments before starting our hectic schedule of
sightseeing."
May 12
"Everyone took a tour to Marseille which was about an hour away.
We stopped at the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica on the top
of a very high hill and Longchamp Park which has a beautiful
fountain celebrating the arrival of water in the city. It a long day,
but everyone had a wonderful time."
Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica in Marseille
"This is the first day of the Cannes Film Festival. The town is crazy
with everyone driving and walking everywhere. We took a tour out
of the city today. The first stop was Nice. We walked through the
flower and farmer’s market. Second stop was Eze – a small
village on a mountain top. It was a long walk up a cobblestone
sidewalk. The TBs were exhausted by the time they reached the
top. After a short rest, they came back down the mountain for
lunch at a restaurant across the street followed by a quick visit
to a perfume shop. The next stop was Monaco where we walked
around the city and visited the Catholic church where Grace Kelly
married Prince Albert. We also saw Grace Kelly’s grave. She’s
buried inside the church. The last stop was Monte Carlo. We
saw the Grand Prix track and did some gambling in the casino
before returning to the ship."
The Cannes Film Building
Statue of Apollo
The French Countryside below Eze
"It was a long rainy day that started in Florence. GeoPig and the TBs were guided through the streets on a city tour in the rain, but that didn’t dampen their spirits. They ran in and out of shops during their free time looking for souvenirs. Their time in Florence ended with a wonderful lunch of lasagna, noodles, and wine. When we came out of the restaurant the sun was shining. Then it was off to Pisa where each TB had its picture taken with the leaning tower. The leaning tower was quite a sight to see, and the history was very interesting. There was time for more souvenir shopping before returning to the ship. It was a 10 hour excursion. Everyone was exhausted so they had an early dinner and went to bed."
Leaning Tower of Pisa
"GeoPig and the TBs enjoyed a leisurely stroll around Ajaccio today. There was plenty of shopping down the narrow streets, and everyone found souvenirs. We returned to the ship early to play a quick game of mini-golf on the grassy area on floor 15 then took a short siesta before getting ready for evening activities."
Ajaccio, France
"GeoPig and the TBs decided to skip the excursion today and wander around the town. There was a lot to see with the street vendors and big department stores. After a couple hours everyone returned to the ship for lunch and a relaxing afternoon. After dinner everyone attending the hot glass show and were amazing by the skill of the glass blowers."
Cagliari,
Italy
"GeoPig and the TBs took an excursion to Silvestri crater. It was a scenic and interesting drive especially the switchback up the mountain. On the way back to the ship we stopped at a jewelry factory. Of course the TBs couldn’t afford to buy anything there, and nothing fit them anyhow. When we boarded the ship, we received an invitation to the helipad on the very front of the ship to watch the ship sail from the port. Everyone drank champagne and enjoyed the wind in their hair (the TBs who had hair) as we sailed. Everyone is excited to attend the last hot glass show tonight."
Silvestri Crater-Sicily, Italy
"The TBs had a relaxing day at sea yesterday and were ready to go today. Everyone enjoyed a boat ride up the Amalfi coast and then spent some time shopping in Amalfi. It was quite frightening for the TBs as everyone was running around and cars, buses, and scooters were whizzing by on the narrow cobblestone streets. When we stopped to watch, it looked like everyone was going crazy. We finally boarded the boat to make the return trip. Unfortunately our bus didn’t show up for over an hour, and we had to wait in the parking lot. The TBs took advantage of the time to work on their tan. We finally made it back to the ship. We had an early dinner and packed so we can disembark tomorrow morning for 2 days in Rome."
The Amalfi Coastline
"We got into Rome this morning. GeoPig took the TBs for a tour of the Coliseum and Forum."
The Colosseum
"GeoPig and the TBs started out with a sunny day and a visit to Vatican City. The TBs had their picture taken with the beautiful fountain and St. Peter’s Basilica. After walking around for a while, everyone decided to eat lunch before heading for our afternoon tour of the crypts and catacombs. We had pizza in a nice little café. During lunch the skies got a little darker, but geopig #1 assured us it wouldn’t rain. Halfway through gelato, it started to rain. Everyone grabbed a taxi to head for our tour meeting place. By the time we arrived, it was pouring. We bought umbrellas from people selling them on the street, but we were already soaked. The sidewalk was flooding and umbrellas were leaking by the time the tour guide arrived. Our feet were getting wet as we checked in for the tour. We finally decided to skip the tour – which started out with a 2-block walk – and head back to our hotel where we dried off and spent a relaxing day lounging around. We leave for Amsterdam tomorrow morning."
Vatican City
"We arrived in Amsterdam yesterday. To our surprise, geopig #1 booked us into a luxury hotel with lots of perks. It was a welcome change after the old hotels we had stayed in previously. We spent the afternoon walking around the souvenir shops on the nearby streets. The TBs were amazed at how different things are here. Everyone is very open about what they do and say, and the tshirts and souvenirs show that too. It was quite a shock to those of us from the US. This morning we grabbed an easy cache after breakfast and before our afternoon tour then spent a little time looking for souvenirs. Our afternoon tour visited windmills, a cheese factory, a clog factory and watched clogs being made, and a museum. It was long day, but everyone had fun. We returned to the hotel then decided to have dinner at the Hard Rock Café. GeoPig always stops at them. Unfortunately, it was a 75 minute wait for a table. We finally managed to grab a table outside where everyone was freezing. Luckily we had a great waiter who brought our food fast and we finished eating as it started to sprinkle. We came back to the hotel to pack so we can fly home tomorrow."
Windmills in Zaanse Schans
"GeoPig and the TBs returned from their trip a couple weeks ago, and they've spent the time relaxing and recovering. Today GeoPig hosted a lunch at her favorite eatery to discuss the TBs' plans to continue their travels. Lake Erie Bee (2014) decided to stay with GeoPig a little longer and join her on her trip to Maine next month."
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