Today I are going to talk about Day 6 of our embedded Adventures by Disney (ABD) trip. For those of you that don’t know, an embedded ABD is an Adventures by Disney trip that is done while on a Disney cruise. Instead of booking excursions through the cruise line, all the excursions are done through Adventures by Disney. I highly recommend it and looking forward to doing many more in the future.
The boat docks about an hour and half away from Rome. We were the first ones off the boat, onto the bus and off to our first stop…the Vatican. I was looking forward to visiting Rome, especially the Vatican. I am Catholic and as a Catholic, this is it. This is the where it all happens. There is so much history and power in this tiny little country. With that being said, as beautiful as it was, I was kind of sad that is has become this big tourist attraction. I had always envisioned walking up to it by way of the square. Well.. you don’t. You enter from the back (you do see the old Vatican wall, which is cool) and it is like entering any other museum. Oh and by the way, the square looks so much bigger in t.v.
First, our ABD guides and our local guide took us aside and told us what we would see in the Sistine Chapel. They had a map and pointed out all the different paintings. They did because, no is suppose to speak inside the chapel or take photos. I was disappointed about the photos, but I understood.
However, prior to touring the Sistine Chapel, we walked the museum. It is very lovely and holds so much history. It is also very crowded. You really don’t walked the museum, you do the Vatican Shuffle. There were different rooms that we walked though along the tour. There is a Gallery of the Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries, the Gallery of the Candelabra and much more. Here are a few shots as we moved room to room.
The last room we were to see was the Sistine Chapel. I wish we could have taken photos. However, the photos probably would not have done it justice. It is simply breathtaking. Prior to going in, I mentioned our guides gave us a bit of history lesson on the chapel and Michelangelo. The chapel was created in 1508-1512. It is named for Pope Sixtus IV. Despite what people think, he did not paint the ceiling lying down. He had special scaffolding made so he could stand. There are over 300 figures painted in the chapel. There are numerous biblical scenes, such as the creations of Adam and Eve, the sacrifice of Noah and the Great Flood. Thousands of visitors tour the chapel each year. It is also where the cardinals meet to elect a new Pope. I encourage you to look online for photos. It is quite remarkable.
After visiting the chapel, it was on to St. Peter’s Basilica. This was another breathtaking work of art. I was hopeful we may run into Pope Francis. He has been known to wander about and meet people. No such luck for us. Inside the Basilica, we saw The Pieta, the statue by Michelangelo depicting Jesus in the arms of his mother after the Crucifixion. My photo does not do this justice either.
After visiting St. Peter’s we had our photos taken and then some time for shopping. From there we had another fantastic lunch. The food in Italy was amazing. Even our oldest, who will not eat pasta here at home, loved it. From there we did a walking tour and saw iconic sights, such as the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia where the Vittoria Emanuele ll Monument is located, ancient Rome, the Roman Forum and the Colosseum.
The Trevi Fountain was another must on my bucket list. While it is beautiful, it was extremely crowded. One has to really push their way to the front to have their picture taken. Of course, we had to throw a coin over our shoulder. This will ensure that we will return to Rome one day.
Our last stop in this incredible city, the Colosseum. This was remarkable. From a distance, it looked fake. It reminded me of a backdrop on a movie set.
The adults and kids split up and the kids did a separate tour that involved gladiator costumes. My oldest did that, but my 13 year old stuck with the adults. In his words, he did not need it to be dumbed down for him. God help me. This kid a something else! Some interesting facts about The Colosseum. It was built in under ten years, mostly by Jewish slaves. Over a million animals and over a half million people died in The Colosseum. Also, The Colosseum had a marble facade and marble seats, however when St. Peter’s Basilica was being built, they took the marble from the Colosseum and used it there. Finally, it is the most visited site in Italy. The Vatican does receive more visitors, but that is not part of Italy. It is its own principality.
All and all, it was a fantastic day in Rome. We saw so much, yet there is still so much to be seen. I am looking forward to heading back in the next few years.
Last month, my the boys and I went to Disney World for 10 days. The purpose of the trip was two-fold, vacation and to attend the Princess Half Marathon weekend. By no means was this our first trip to the World. The boys have been going since they were toddlers. Admittedly, not all trips are like what Disney portrays in their commercials. Kids get grumpy and tired. The crowds are huge. They may not have a reaction we expect or want when seeing a character for the first time. The list goes on. However, over the years I have learned to adjust, make some changes to how we approach the parks, where we stay and how much to push my kids. This trip I put what I have learned into action and both kids said this was our best Disney trip yet.
- Involve them in the planning. Ask them where they want to eat, what Fast Passes they want, what parks they would like to spend the most time in, etc.
- Stay at a hotel that is a good fit for your family. I have teenagers and we need to spread out a bit. We tend to stay at the deluxe resorts, in the DVC sections, as the rooms are bigger. If your kids love a swimming pool, stay at the hotel that was an awesome pool and pool activities.
- Think outside of the box and take advantage of some of special events Disney has to offer. Attend Early Morning Magic at one of the parks and enjoy having the rides to yourself. We did this for Toy Story land and the kids really enjoyed themselves without having to wait 4 hours for one ride. Book a dessert party at one of the parks. Not only do you get tasty desserts, but a fantastic spot to watch the fireworks. Star Wars was our favorite dessert party.
- Know how far to push them. I love getting our picture taken with the characters. However, the boys have very little patience for standing in a long line for this. My solution, characters meals! This way I get all my photos and the boys are not waiting in a line. This often made them more accepting when I did want to wait in a line for a certain character, say like, Scrooge McDuck!
- Build in some downtime. There were a couple of days that we did not go into a park. We hung out by the pool, relaxed in our room, and spent some time at Disney Springs. We usually are in the parks from morning to night. This was a nice change.
I hope these tips are helpful. As I mentioned, we have gone many, many times and each time I learn something new that will help improve our next trip. If you have some tips to share, please do so in the comments. I would love to hear them.
Today I want to take you back to day 5 of our cruise. On this day, we were the first ones to board a bus and head to the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence. As I mentioned, when traveling with Adventures by Disney, you receive VIP treatment. We were the first ones off the boat and last ones on. We made the most of our days and were first in line for all the attractions. On this particular morning, we were up early and took a beautiful drive through Tuscany. There were rows and rows of sunflowers on the roads to Florence. Unfortunately, I could not get a great photo from the bus, so you will need to take my word for it. Once arriving in Florence, we headed over to the Galleria dell’ Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David.
David was created out of marble, between 1501-1504, by Michelangelo. He is a Biblical character. It was breathtaking. The photos do not do this masterpiece justice.
From the Galleria dell’ Accademia, we proceeded with our walking tour of Florence.
The architecture was amazing. We saw the
Baptistery and strolled past vendors selling their wares along the Ponte Vecchio, a spectacular medieval bridge that spans the Arno River. We ended at the Piazza Santa Croce. Here we went to lunch at Cantina Vinicola. It was this lovely restaurant, that felt more like we were dining in someone’s home. We were served the best lasagna I have ever had. Lasagna is not something we eat at home, as none of us like ricotta cheese. However, they made their lasagna with sweet cream. It was amazing!
After lunch, we had plenty of time to explore the Piazza di Santa Croce. We went to a little wine store called Enoteca Pontevecchio. We had a wine tasting, along with some balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was amazing. We bought six bottles of wine, six tins of oil, and three bottles of balsamic vinegar.
We also visited a leather store. I bought myself a beautiful purse and wallet. Afterward, we had some photos taken at the Basilica di Santa Croce. This serves as the burial place of Michelangelo and other famous Italians. The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. As you will see from the photos, the bell tower has a Star of David. A Jewish architect designed the church’s façade. He wanted to be buried there, but because he was Jewish, he was buried under the threshold and honored with an inscription.
Basilica di Santa Croce
Finally, on our way back to the boat, we stopped for this breathtaking view of the city. It was another magical day in Italy!
Two weeks ago, the boys and I went down to Disney for a 10 day vacation and so that I could run the 5k, 10k, and half marathon for the Princess half marathon weekend. This year, my youngest, decided he was going to run the 5k with me
For those of you that don’t know, Disney races start early, around 5:30am. Disney recommends you be on the bus no later than 4:00am. Nicholas and I were up at 2:30. He was less than thrilled. The race took us around Epcot. It was a nice course with some characters. He did not want to stop, so we decided to just get wear the medals in the parks and get pictures. I knew I would have plenty of opportunity to do so in my other races. Here are a few shots of the race and one of the Expo.
I am so proud of him and could not have asked for a better running buddy. Maybe someday he will develop a love for running like his Mama.
As some of you may know, the kids and I are spending the next 9 days in Disney. While we were here, we caught up with our adventure guide from the Mediterranean cruise we did last summer. It was great to see him!
This got me thinking about other adventures I want to experience. We have traveled a lot more over the last few years and love seeing new places. I excited to say that Bill and I are going on a Rhine River Cruise this September. We leave from Basel and tour through France, Germany and end in Amsterdam. Next year, Robbie graduates high school and I was thinking, possibly, the Canadian Rockies. Though he did mention wanting going to California. Ireland is another one that is top of my list, as is England, Norway and Iceland. However, the number one spot, on the bucket list, Greece!!! I told Bill that would make an awesome 50th birthday for me in a few years.
So tell me, what is on your travel bucket list?
Today I had my last long run before Princess weekend. The boys and I are headed down to Disney World in a week and half. We plan on having some fun and then Mama is going to run the 5k, 10k and half marathon. The end of my training plan called for 12.5 miles, but I figured why not 13.1. I know many of you are out doing some long runs for your spring races. I am always interested in hearing what others take on their long runs, how they fuel and how they recover. I thought I would share what is currently working for me.
First things first, I always run with my Garmin watch. I do have a FitBit I wear everyday, but my Garmin is mere accurate and does a bit more than my FitBit when it comes to running. Second, I need go be listening to either a podcast or a book while running. I use Aftershokz headphones. These are bone conduction headphones. They sit outside of your ears. I am aware of heat is boing on around me at all times and can still her my podcast or book perfectly fine. I also wear them grocery shopping and cleaning the house. The final gadget I carry around with me, is this cool device my husband bought me called Wearsafe. As the website states “It is s modern-day mobil panic button designed to get you the help right away.” If you are out and about and get into some trouble, you press the button and I sends an alert to all your emergency contacts. The alert includes your GPS location and audio of what is happening around you. I find it to be pretty cool and a lot better than carrying around pepper spray. Too many wild animals were being sprayed.😂 So that is it for gear.
As for fuel, before I head out the door, I put a pack of Energize into my water and drink it up. This is my pre-workout drink. It increases my energy, improves m performance, increase muscle power and delays muscle fatigue. Then during my long run, every 4 miles I take 2 salt tablets and a couple of Honey Stingers. In the dead of the winter, have been known to bring candy cane Hershey kisses with me. I also carry a handheld water bottle with some Nuun. I make sure I run past somewhere to refill the bottle. When I get home from my run, I make sure to get some protein I my body and usually do that by drinking my Shakeology. Not only does it have a nice amount of protein, it is filled with lots of super foods and the only thing that keeps the post run headache away. So there you have it, my must haves during a long run. Tell me, what are your must haves when you are out there putting in the miles?
In less than a month’s time, the boys and I are headed down to Disney World for 10 days. It is winter break for the boys and Princess Weekend for me. The Princess Half Marathon was my first RunDisney event back in 2015. Since then I have ran Princess 3 times, Wine and Dine 3 times, Marathon weekend once and in April, I will be running the Star Wars races. Nothing compares to a Disney race. The entertainment on the courses is fantastic, the crowd support is amazing and I get to run down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. It does not get more magical than that.
This year, as I mentioned, Robbie and Nicholas are coming with me. We are making a vacation out of it. At first, it was only Nicholas, but then Robbie decided to tag along. Both kids have been very blessed, in that Disney is a place they both have been to many, many times. Each trip is different and fun in its own way. With Robbie approaching the end of high school, I don’t know how many more of these trips he will take with us. With that being said, I have thrown in a few “extras” this trip, to really help make it a trip to remember. I booked a couple of the dessert parties, Early Morning Magic at Toy Story Land and After Hours at Animal Kingdom. Plus, we have lots of fun dining and plenty of days in the parks.
As I was planning this trip, it got me thinking. As we watch our children grow up, we always think about the “first time” they do something. We capture their first steps, first word, first trip to Disney, etc., but do we think about or capture the “lasts”. For example, when was the last time they held your hand crossing the street or the last time you went away as a family before their got too busy living their own lives. So my goal for this trip, as it was for our trip last summer to Europe, is to take it all in. Be present in the moment and enjoy these two special boys. I am blessed to be their Mom and I want to hold on to these days, their childhood, for as long as I can.
Today’s adventure takes us to the French Riviera. When we first booked this trip, the place was I most excited about was Rome. Though I loved it, the French and Italian coasts stole my heart. Simply breathtaking.
Villefranche is a charming fishing village on the Riviera. It is located in between the city of Nice and the country of Monaco. We left the ship early, took a tender, and caught a bus to our first stop, Monaco. Along the way, we saw a beautiful coastline. Though a lot of the bus rides were a bit long, Adventures by Disney goes out of their way to make us comfortable. The busses all have reclining seats and air conditioning. Each day, James and Dusty had plenty of water and snacks for us. We really could not ask for more. As we made our way to Monaco, were told a bit of the history. It is the second-smallest country in the world (Vatican City is smaller). It is notorious for tax havens. As one of our guides said, “It is where the shady go to get sunny.” It is also known for the annual Formula One Grand Prix. Upon arriving, the bus parked next to the Oceanographic Museum. Though we did not tour the museum, we took in the views and snapped some photos.
We walked through a beautiful garden that is paid for and maintained by the royal family. We continued to St. Nicholas’s church. If you remember, before Meghan Markle, Grace Kelly was America’s princess. St. Nicholas’s church is where she married her Prince, Prince Rainier, III. It is also where the royal couple is buried.
After exiting the church, we continued walking through the streets to the Palace. We toured the Palace (no ac!!!), but no pictures are allowed inside. We did get a coupled of good shots in front of the Palace and overlooking the harbor.
After leaving the palace, we had a bit of free time. We shopped and had a crepe. Later, we met up with the group and drove to Monte Carlo. It was interesting to see the streets of the Grand Prix. We were told that to dock your boat in the harbor for the Grand Prix; one must pay 50,000 Euros per day for a minimum of 3 days. Yikes! I guess we won’t be doing that any time soon. LOL! The next stop was lunch. We enjoyed a great lunch on the rooftop of the Fairmont Hotel, overlooking the water. The food and atmosphere were excellent. We had a little bit of time to explore, but we chose to hang back at the hotel and enjoy the views. We also got to know a bit more about our fellow adventurers. It was a lovely afternoon. About an hour or so later, we were off to the village of Eze. Since this post is long enough, I will continue this trip report in the next couple of days. For now, au revoir!
Our first stop on the cruise was Marseilles, France. Marseilles is the 3rd biggest city in France and the largest port. Once the boat docked, we boarded a bus and drove to Les Baux-de-Provence. Les Baux -de-Provence is a commune in France (what we call a town here in the US). It has been named one of the most beautiful villages in France. It certainly lived up to that description. It is a picturesque village, perched on a rocky hilltop. It reminded me of the village in Beauty in the Beast.
At the top of the town are the ruins of a 13th century stone fortress. Lavender fields surround it. The show, The Amazing Race, was filmed at that very spot. It has many historical buildings, such as a hospital, church, chateau, town hall, houses, etc. The views were gorgeous. The village has been restored and is just so charming. There were many craft shops selling Provencal products and goods. I bought some lavender satchels and cookies from this amazing bakery.
We left the village and headed to lunch at a local restaurant. The restaurant was closed to everyone but our group of 40. The adults were seated in one section and the kids in another section. The restaurant was warm and cozy. It was like being in someone’s home for dinner. After lunch, we went to Carrieres Des Lumieres. Carrieres Des Lumieres is an abandoned limestone quarry that featured over 2,000 digital images projected on the surfaces. The photos were of Picasso’s work. It was amazing.
Of course, the day is not complete without heading back to a wonderful dinner on the ship and a photo or two with the characters.
As you can see, day 2 was full of adventure. Stay tuned for the rest of the trip report over the next couple of weeks.
Last summer we went on a trip of a lifetime. We spent ten days cruising the Mediterranean Sea. We sailed on the Disney Cruise Line and booked all our excursions through Adventures by Disney. It was an amazing trip. I wanted to share our experience, just in case one of you may be looking to book this adventure.
On July 4th we flew to Barcelona and stayed at the Hilton Diagonal Mar. It was a 5-7 min walk to the beach and across the street from a mall. We spent some time touring Barcelona on our own and seeing a lot of the local sites. Upon arrival, we went straight to the beach and stuck our toes into the Mediterranean.
The next day we did a city tour and visited Monserett, the home of the Black Madonna. Barcelona is a beautiful city. There was so much we did not see. I look forward to going back some day. Monserett was gorgeous. It was a must do for me and did not disappoint.
On Saturday the 7th, we checked in with the cruise line and was told to also check in with Adventures by Disney. We went over and met James and Dusty. They were our Adventure Guides. We liked them right off the bat. They handed us our gift (duffel bag), some information about the welcome reception and took our picture.
In addition, gave us a new boarding number.. number 1!
We got settled on the ship and went over to the reception at 5:30. There were appetizers and drinks served. We received our name tags, lanyards and our first pin of the trip. I loved receiving the pins. I am not a pin collector, but love the fact that these are unique to this trip. Dusty and James gave us an overview of the cruise and then our navigator for the next day. For those that don’t know, a navigator is basically your interinary for the day. You will receive one from the cruise line each day, but ABD also has one specific to ABD. It told us when and where to meet in the morning and what time we would be back. It also told us if a specific dress was required.
Oh I forgot to mention, this time around we were sailing on the Disney Magic. This is our 8th Disney cruise, but only our second time on the Magic. Our very first cruise was on the Magic and it holds a very special place in my heart. Since, this was not our first cruise, we took it easy that night. We had a great dinner and off to bed we went. With Adventures by Disney, the days are early and long. Tomorrow’s adventure… Marseilles, France.
