family, food and floating....

what is caity looking forward to?..................

what are we looking forward to??? - i asked caity and hugh....

When I first asked Caity and Hugh this question awhile back - it was pizza in Italy and ice-cream in Switzerland!

 I've asked them again today - and here are their answers. We'll see how their sense of this trip and what they value develops over time.......

Is it better to plan, to travel, or arrive?

I mused to cousin Matt this week that the blog was all about the planning and not yet the doing. Rachel has pointed me to an article in the NYT that suggests that much of the joy of travel is in the planning.
 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/18/how-vacations-affect-your-happiness/
"The study, published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life,showed that the largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning a vacation. In the study, the effect of vacation anticipation boosted happiness for eight weeks". Appropriately, this research was conducted at Breda University in the Netherlands.

So, I'll keep planning -  it's good for me! I guess I need to make sure that the other travellers are wound in too, so they don't miss out on this psychological free-kick. Perhaps Syl can decode Trenitalia for me!

Last, dear bloggees, are you happier for this vicarious planning?! I hope so.

Matto will join us in London, Genoa, cruising aboard the Splendida and in Rome

Matt is booked on Emirates to join us in London to see the sights, then fly BA down to Genoa for a couple of days - including a visit to Cinq Terre - then aboard the Splendida for our cruise around the western mediterranean.

Finally we will have some time in Rome to wnader the old city.... and perhaps a trip down to Pompeii. From Rome, Matt flies back to Perth and work.

Rich is an unknown at this stage - his exams run into November and he is job-hunting. With luck,  we hope that he will be able to join us in Dordrecht and in Hong Kong - we'll see.........

RED HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL'S EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT WARMS UP!!

we have an apartment in roma!

Many thanks to Rachel and Matt for advice on roman apartments - we have now booked a beautiful apartment in the Campo de Fiori district of old Rome through owners Natalia and Walter. Their website has all the details .............

http://www.dolceroma.it/

We finish our cruise on Saturday 18 November in Genoa and with Matto will make our way south to Rome - train or plane yet to be decided.

london, rome and genoa here we come!

Once upon a time, you would have trotted along to the travel agent and they would have told you where to stay and booked it - and you'd find out what it was like when you got there!

Not any more! Woah, sooooo much information out there for every choice you might make.

I think I could spend more time researching places to stay and things to do than we will have time to do them! The internet has opened up a wide, wide world of information, reviews, pictures, opinions. More time and anguish, but much better choices ( I hope!!!!).

So we have used all that to book accommodation in London, Genoa and Rome.......and to suss out the million things we can do in each of these places.

In London ..... the Imperial War Museum, National Gallery, Tower of London, Churchill Museum, British Museum, St Pauls, Boroough Market, Golden Hind, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Abbey Road, Camden Weekend markets, the Lion King, Maritime Museum, Hyde Aprk, Brick Lane, Thames River Cruise and Jack the Ripper walking tour!!!

In Genoa....old city, Cinq Terre.

And in Roma....the forum, Colluseum, Pantheon, St Peters, Pompeii, and fooood!!!

A map of our western mediterranean cruise destinations - courtesy of Matto

http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&vps=1&jsv=242c&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=106736875479279989341.000488029fa9edc9a62da

WE WILL BE CRUISING THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN!!!

We are booked on a luxury cruise! We'll be boarding the MSC Splendida in Genoa on 6 November for 8 days of luxury cruising .......
- to Marseilles
- Barcelona
- Tunisia
- Malta
- Rome
......ending in Genoa

The MSC Yacht Club is a private area of the boat - butler, large suite, all food and drinks ....lounge and pool... woo hoo!



Here is what a reviewer had to say about it..................

Best Ship-Within-a-Ship: MSC Fantasia and MSC Splendida




Why: What better way to find seclusion than to shun others from entering one's gated domain? Classed cruising is back in a big way, though the degree of privacy and exclusivity ranges widely, depending on the ship. Some have blocked-off sun deck space or concierge lounges set aside for suite-dwellers; others speed V.I.P. passengers through debarkation and tendering, while still others have entry-fee-required beach clubs or bars. MSC Fantasia and sibling MSC Splendida take the concept furthest with the MSC Yacht Club -- a more-than-43,000-square-foot enclave of nearly 100 suites, accessed via private entrance. Plus, butler and concierge service means these elite passengers can avoid waiting in line to book group or private shore excursions and have snacks brought right to their doors. Not a member of the in-crowd? Take heart: MSC ships, in general, don't overwhelm passengers with annoying PA announcements or constantly throbbing muzak, and they're known for a quieter cruising vibe.



Quiet Escapes: The Yacht Club has its own private pool area with a solarium, an elevator that whisks guests privately to the MSC Aurea Spa, and an exclusive lounge located above the bridge (great for when you're feeling somewhat social but still prefer to avoid cattle-class watering holes). Butlers flit about the Club, bearing complimentary drinks, appetizers, daily afternoon tea and room service from an exclusive menu. In all, the ships' designers and Yacht Club service team have thought of everything you could need to hang out in peace, privacy and privileged comfort after you're done exploring other areas of the ship or come back from a busy day ashore.



Best Rest: Suites range from 278 square feet to a respectable 571 square feet (Royal Suite), with furnishings and amenities that are a notch above the rest -- think marble-accented baths, Italian linens and a pillow menu. With such luxurious amenities, solitary types can easily while away the hours in their cabins without braving the more public areas of the ship. Plus, 80 percent of all cabins have balconies, making a private outdoor retreat much more affordable.



Dining a Deux: Try the French restaurant, L'Etoile, on Fantasia and L'Olivo Mediterranean Restaurant on Splendida, as these alternative dining venues offer plentiful tables for two. As a bonus, Yacht Club guests eat there free of charge.
Matto joins us for the cruise and the week before.