Mediterranean Cruise with MSC and getting home

We were not disappointed by our cruise ship the Meraviglia.  MSC is an Italian cruise line and this was easily represented in the make up of the people on board.  Us North Americans were easily the minority which was not a problem.  Its a newer ship and all the signs were in English and each time there were announcements they were spoken in English first. I can't begin to describe how massive this ship is.  It can carry 4500 people.  There are 19 decks.  The top deck has a Himalayan bridge, splash park and 4 water slides. There are 4 pools total, one being an indoor pool which was especially helpful for us since we were there in mid March.  It was really fun.  There was an in door "sport" area and you could check out balls and play soccer or basketball or just let kids run around.  There was  kids club with toys and free babysitting and crafts which is a very nice bonus. The food was good, we enjoyed the shows, our room (and bathroom especially) were more than adequate for the 4 of us.  Sue booked a room with a balcony which she loved.  The ship itself is very glitzy which was fun.  They put in the most sparkly staircases and everything was super clean and people were super helpful.  The biggest annoyance was the service fees and prices for anything "extra" like laundry, Internet, or many activities (bowling, movie theater, arcade).  We were given 12 drink vouchers (each) when we booked our cruise and had fun ordering fancy drinks but when there is a 5 euro service fee attached they are not as fun.  

We left Rome around 11:00 and stopped in a little beach town for lunch and some time on the beach.  It was super windy and only like 50 degrees but Jared and Lydia were happy to play outside.  

We were trying to kill some time before our boarding time.  It was set for 1600 hours (4:00, some of us figured out military time quicker than others but we all got it by the end of the week) but we headed over to the port around 2:00 hoping they would let us board and they did.  We had read that it may take a few hours to get your luggage but ours was in our room within 45 minutes of us boarding the ship.  One thing that seems different about this cruise was that there are people getting off and on the ship most days.  This makes for easier embarking and disembarking because its staggered.  We actually ended up leaving the ship early because flights looked impossible out of Rome.  The cruise was scheduled to end Sunday in Rome and then we were to fly out of Rome that morning.  This was going to be really tight.  In Barcelona we finally got some good WiFI and when we saw the seats available on the Rome flight we knew we had to make a new plan. Our itinerary we supposed to go as follows, Palermo, Malta, At Sea, Barcelona, Marseilles, Genoa, Rome.  Well there was bad weather in Malta so we had to divert to Mallorca Spain. This is a perfectly nice place but we were really looking forward to Malta.  Oh well.  I did not want to be on a ship in bad weather.  I was nervous about sea sickness all along and felt slightly queasy for at a least a little while each day but it was nothing serious.  I had made sure to order lots of anti- nausea patches and used them religiously.  Besides missing out on Malta Jared and Lydia both got a horrible 24 hour stomach bug so Mark was sick from Rome and then they each lost a day to sickness on the cruise.  Lydia was sick while we were at sea and Jared missed out on Barcelona.  They were both throwing up for 6 hours or so (3:00 am - 9:00 am) and then slept the whole day.  Sleeping for 2 hours or so then being awake for an hour then back to sleep. We ended up disembarking in Marseilles, renting a car and driving 9 hours through the French countryside to get to Paris.  It was starting to turn green and we saw some pretty things but really 9 hours in a car is not my idea of a vacation.  Luckily we got to Paris, stayed in a basic but clean air b-n-b right by the airport and all made flights home the next morning.  We had to fly to Atlanta (9 hours on a plane) and then we could not get anywhere in Virginia except Norfolk.  There we rented another car and drove it to the Richmond airport to pick up our car and drive home. It was really crazy!  But really that is nothing new for us and traveling. 

Getting ready to board.  

We were really happy they let us board early.  We had to return a rental car and then figure out how to get to the ship at the port.  This was tricky.  It was a Sunday so not as many things were open (like the car rental place who we planned to ask about the port) but lucky for us, the shuttle to the ship was literally across the street from the car rental place.  It was amazing.  We thought we might have to get a taxi and on a Sunday with no Internet that is not so easy but we just had to walk across the street.  We got on the shuttle and were dropped off at the boarding spot. 

Boarding and our cabin.  This ship is just so crazy big. 

Exploring the ship.  It took me more than a day or two to master how to get to our cabin and Sue's.  We were on deck 13 and she was on deck 11. The main places I could find easily enough but if you go the wrong way in the hallways of cabins you can go around in circles for a good while. There was also a gym which I was grateful for because it was so windy to try to run around the deck plus I would have felt pretty self conscious. I mean they have walking and running lanes that go around one of the upper decks but the gym was better.  

Kids Club:  We only had them go twice each for less than an hour and mostly because they wanted to. 

LEGOS were the main attraction.

 

This was the LED screen ceiling/promenade.  It changed scenes throughout the day and was pretty and cool.  The deck itself is designed to look like a street in an Italian city.  There are all kinds of shops and restaurants.  It reminded me of that hotel in Vegas?  The Venetian? 

We typically ate breakfast in the large but crowded buffet.  The space was used as well as I think it could be but if you got there at the wrong time it was very hard to find a table.  There was more than enough food and it was good just lots of people. I can't imagine being on board in high season.  We would spend the morning to mid afternoon in port and then come back for a late lunch before dinner in the dining room.  Lydia did not like most of the food offered there but the rest of us were happy with it.  Jared tried some really different stuff and ending up liking pretty much all he tried.  He loved the soup and even prawns which I don't think he had ever even seen before.  He loves soup and seafood.  One night we had the most amazing Lemon dessert!  Our server was great.  We had the same two guys each night.  One night I tried to order an entree and he said "I don't think you will like it but I will bring it and the other one you mentioned so you can try both."  He did and he was right.  The first one was not good.  Something with trout I believe.  I was glad he brought the other too.  I also tried an appetizer that did not taste good to me and he noticed and brought me out a different one.  When Jared and Lydia were in our cabin on their sick days he made sure to inquire after them.  They were just very thoughtful.  Each dinner was: bread, appetizer, entree, and dessert.  It was nice to have Jared and Lydia sit in a nice restaurant and practice good manners.  They did very well.  

This was the most amazing lemon dessert.  Sue tried to get our server to find the recipe but no luck. 

Sue loved her balcony room.  It was fun to sit on her balcony as we left the port.  She was kind enough to watch Jared and Lydia one afternoon and Mark and I had a date on the ship. We went out for drinks and had fun exploring the ship.  

I love this staircase! 

The top deck was so fun.  We loved the water slides and were really happy it was warm enough to play in them one day.  We could have done it another day but Jared or Lydia was sick. The water was slightly warm so it was comfortable to play in.  We were really happy the weather was nice enough to be outside.  It was super windy on top a lot of the time but manageable.  

Lydia was just barely tall enough to use the Himalayan Bridge.  The first time I had her go by herself but her harness which links into the tracks above kept getting stuck so she was frustrated.  She was just a little too short to make it move smoothly.  She did like doing it but the next day I went behind her and she had a much better experience.  I know she was little scared but she was so brave. 

Jared loved everything about the bridge and went around and around. 

The shows:  we all had fun attending the shows and went most nights.  There were about 12 dancers and 6 singers.  They were very talented and we all had fun.  They perform three shows a night.  It would have been nice to have a little more variety.  Like a magic show one night but we still loved going.  I think the shows and her balcony were Sue's favorite parts of the cruise. 

In Summary:  

Did we like our cruise? Yes

Would we go again?  Yes but no more than 5 days

Do we recommend MSC?  Yes

3/4 family members getting sick and missing Malta and Genoa was disappointing but I was ready to get off the ship. With the three days in Rome and then adding on a week more it was too long for me.  The ship was beautiful and it was a fun experience.  There were just a lot of things out of our control that all happened during this trip but it was an adventure. Until the next one! 

Saint Patricks Day Shenanigans.

Saint Patricks Day is a big deal to Jared and Lydia. They literally talk about it all year.  I tried to plan ahead as best as I could because our original plan was to be traveling on the 17th and get home late at night.  Before we left I placed a bag of skittles on their beds so it could be a surprise for them but then we ended up getting home Saturday so I had Mark quickly run into their rooms and put them in our room so they wouldn't see them a day early.  I had bought out Saint Patricks day cereal and lime sherbet before we left so we would have those on hand.  As soon as Jared and Lydia went to bed I rearranged furniture and put the candy in their doorways to find the next morning.

We had clover shaped rainbow sprinkle pancakes and our lime sherbet floats that day and made fruit loop rainbows.  

They had set up their leprechaun traps/pit stops (I don't remember what they were this year) in the basement but I admittedly forgot they had and so they were sad to see that nothing happened with them.  Oh well. I was happy I had as much ready as I did! Till next year! 

Charlottesville 10 miler

Today was the Charlottesville Ten Miler and I am happy to report that I had a much better experience this year.  I'm not sure if I felt better because I knew what to expect more or if I ate better or trained better but either way it was a nice way to feel.

I rode to the race with my friend Laura, same as last year.  We started the race together but I quickly realized that her pace was faster than I felt comfortable with so I stopped trying to match her and settled into a more comfortable race.  I've noticed that I am very hesitant to push myself to run faster during races. I have a real history with lightheadedness and I worry that if I push myself harder I will not be able to finish a race.  Passing out during a race is a real fear of mine.

Lat year I think I just ate an orange and half a banana before the race. Laura had mentioned that she likes to eat a lot of protein and normally has a few hard boiled eggs the morning of so I decided to try it this year and I think it helped a lot.  So this year I had a hard boiled egg, an orange (we had no bananas) and 2 Cadbury chocolate mini eggs.  I drank 3 Naglene water bottles on Friday and was in bed by 9:40.  I slept better than last year too which was great because Laura picked me up at 6:15.  This race starts at 7:15 which I love.  The earlier the better in my opinion. I think this is largely because I am out running by 5:50 most mornings so my body is used to going earlier.

It was about 37 degrees which is great running weather. I was very tempted to wear capri's but opted for pants and my most light weight long sleeve shirt.  It was warm but worked out well enough.  We met up with our friend Katie and visited before the race and then went our separate ways.

Training for this race was really enjoyable.  I was nervous this morning because I felt like I did not train as well as I did last year but I actually think I did better this year.  I may have even been a little overtrained last year.  Because of our cruise I did less long runs.  I ran 9 miles, my longest run before the race on Saturday March 09th and then ran only 3 miles three times March 11- 16.  My training schedule had me set to run 4, 4, and 9 but I just couldn't make those distances work while we were traveling.  This week I ran 4 miles Tuesday and then the race today.  I planned to run 3 miles on Thursday but it was rainy so I skipped it. I can't say for sure that this is what made the race more enjoyable but I think it did factor in to it.

I think it was also more enjoyable because I knew how hard this course was.  This year I tried very hard to pay attention to where Iw as running. To check out the old houses and beautiful flowers.  Charlottesville is getting close to full bloom which is always beautiful.  I also enjoyed running around UVA more now that I work there and have more association with the school.  I actually ran by my building twice. I also really tried to respond to the crowds cheering the runners on.  There were so many supportive people and they had hilarious signs and music and cowbells.  There was even a crazy pumped up cycling class around mile 7.5 which was one of my worst spots last year.  The gym had tons of instructors out cheering and 12 - 15 exercise bikes out.  They were actually holding a full class outside while we ran by.  It was bizarre and a great distraction. I stopped and drank water at each station.  Often I try to do the run while drinking thing which is super awkward but this year I took my water cup and slowed down to a quick walk.  Just past mile 6 there was a family who put out a bowl of Hershey kisses and I  seriously think that Hershey kiss and the gatorade at mile 8 saved me.  I was feeling really light headed around mile 7 and was just praying there was another station with gatorade to help my blood sugar. It also helped that I knew there was a big hill right before the finish line.  (So rude!)  The race went really well and I am so glad it was a more positive experience.  I was quite a bit slower this year, my split was 51:29 so a 10:33 per mile pace but I'm cool with that.  I was looking at some numbers that came with my results and I was number 1490 out of 1958.  Its crazy how many people run this race! Its super popular.

There was no finish line to run under this year which was a bummer! 

It's always such a great feeling to see it ahead and cross over it. 

Mark brought Jared and Lydia down to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line which was fun.  Mark is sick again which is a bummer and he was not thrilled to be out there but he made it happen.  I am so glad I ran the race again.  I certainly did not feel this way after I finished last year.  I was just
re-reading my post about last years race and am shocked at how different I felt this year.  About 2 months ago I finally took my medal from last year off my nightstand and hung it up on a wall in our bedroom.  On the medal it says "finisher" and I have come to really take that word as sort of my mantra.  I mentioned this to Mark as we walked to the car after the race and he asked me if that was what I wanted on my tombstone.  It was bizarre but is not a bad idea.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.  I eventually took Jared and Lydia to play at a school playground and then took a nap when we got home.  We cleaned the basement and Lydia's room and Lydia, Jared and I did a lot of reading while Mark watched a lot of basketball and rested up.  I have no idea if I will run the ten miler next year. I don't feel as much as a need since it was a better experience but we will see.  I think I want to try a half marathon but I will have to find the right one.

Adventures in Rome

Trying to get 5 people on a tight flight to Italy is stressful.  So stressful that Mark ended up with a terrible cold that lasted 4 days.  We had hoped to fly direct to Rome but there were not enough seats so the first back up plan was to get to Milan. The third plan was to fly to Brussels and then buy a cheap flight on Ryan Air or a similar airline hopefully for just one or two people.  It was down to the last minute but all five of us made it on the flight to Milan.  We then rented a car and drove the 4.5 hours to Rome.  Poor Mark, this was a stressful trip!

Our first stop near Rome was the newly completed Rome, Italy Temple.  We planned on touring the visitors center and were very disappointed to see the Temple grounds locked up tight when we arrived. It was 3 days before the dedication and everything was locked up for final cleaning and security.  We took a nice walk around the fence surrounding it and then jumped back in the car to head to our Air BNB.

Our Air BNB was really great.  The host was super helpful and we had everything we needed.  We ended up flying out a day earlier than we originally planned because the flights looked better and were really fortunate that there was another opening in the same building. The first night we had a ground floor apartment and it has an awesome garden area.  Jared and Lydia were so happy to run around and play.  The weather in Rome was so beautiful.  The next morning Mark and I went on a run together.  We joked that we ran around a whole country.  Our Air BNB was about a mile away from the Vatican so we ran to it, around it and then back. It was great to be there early in the morning when there were no crowds and the lighting was so nice.

I think it's really fun to go on runs when we take trips like this.  It's taking something that is a big part of my normal life and doing it somewhere new, I really like it.

No crowds!  It was really great.  

The next day we headed to the colosseum while Sue hopped on the Rome hop on hop off bus.  We took a tour of the colosseum and Roman Forum.  Jared really loved the Colosseum.  We also made sure to sample our first gelatto and pizza Italian style.  The colosseum tour was a little long for my taste but it was fun to be there.  That night Sue hung out with Jared and Lydia while Mark and I went out to dinner with a teacher that Mark worked with in Colorado Springs.  She has been teaching in Rome the last 5 years.  It was great to meet up with her and then she took us on a walking tour of a less touristy and very trendy neighborhood near her apartment.  It was nice to meet up and have a night out in Rome.

Only 30% of the colosseum is still standing.  

Saturday we attempted to tour the Vatican which ended up being a huge mistake.  I wish there was a way you could go straight to the Sistine Chapel.  We missed our scheduled tour and had to join  a later one and it was much too slow for all of us. I later found out that President Nelson had been there meeting with the Pope and I wondered if it did overlap some.  All the tour guides were commenting on how busy it was and how slow things were going.  I wonder if earlier tours had to be pushed back to accommodate the visit.  Anyway, it was cool to see pictures of them together in a place we literally just were.  Even if we weren't in the building right after him we were there close to when he was.  It sort of felt like that the whole time we were in Rome.  We were likely there the same time and less than an hour away from all 15 of the major church leaders! Its a fun little side note. I mean its everyday stuff for many people in Utah but not for us!

We had plans to meet up with Pam in Rome for a walking tour and sadly had to leave the Vatican before we could make it to the top of Saint Peters.  We did go inside Saint Peters but the line was way too long for us to deal with and meet Pam in time.  I don't really think Jared or Lydia minded much but I was bummed. I would have preferred to just climb to the top of Saint Peters and not tour the Vatican but it didn't work out that way.  And I am glad we could show Lydia and Jared this very famous place.  I don't think they enjoyed it that much but they were good sports.

This is the map room in the Vatican, Mark loves this hallway.

Inside Saint Peters

2 places at one time

In Rome we did all the traditional sites.  The Spanish Steps, Plaza Navonna, Trevi Fountain, The Pantheon, Monument of Victor Emmanuel II and found a gelato place with 150 flavors.  It was delicious and really overwhelming.   Rome is a very fun city to visit and I am so happy we could go back there. 

Pantheon

Trevi Fountain

Gelato! 

We headed back to our Air BNB to finish laundry (Sue kindly did a lot of it as she did not go into Rome that day) and pack everything up for our cruise.  Some definite setbacks (temple being closed and not going to the top of St Peters plus the crazy wait to get in the Vatican) but still a fun stop in Rome.