Florence/Tuscany Italy

We booked a terrific excursion for this area. Our first stop was Florence where we were introduced to the leather-makers of the area. They were famous in former times for creating book bindings and they showed us how they performed this task. We had 2 hours of free time in which we visited the Ponte Vecchio and then the Boboli Gardens. The gardens go almost straight up a hill, but once to the top provide a terrific view of the city. Afterwards we drove thru the Tuscan countryside and enjoyed the views of the vineyards and beautiful Cyprus trees. Lunch was provided at a hilltop castle where several courses were served with unlimited wine. Already enjoying ourselves we went to a local wine distributor who offered a unique wine tasting experience. Check out pictures of Florence here and pictures of Tuscany Chianti region here.

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Our first stop was a small country that is well known for its casino and was the home to Princess Grace (Grace Kelly), Monaco. We didn’t have an shore excursion planned so we decided to use the information provided on the ship to venture around on our own. The port was a parking lot of fantastic yachts and the city was already setup to run their famous F1 road race. We walked up hundreds of steps to reach the palace and enjoyed great views and gardens along the way – it was a beautiful city. Many people also took a train to nearby Nice and Canne - where the film festival was starting the next day! See the photos!

Rome, Italy

Up and out early we tried to see if we could get in line early enough to see the Sistine Chapel, but by the time we got to the Vatican the line was well over 2 blocks long! Instead we went inside Saint Peter’s Basilica to see the world’s largest religious building and all its treasures. We had a great time in Rome and now it was time to catch the train to the port to start our cruise. We met our dinner companions: a couple from the Los Angeles area and two ladies from the bay area – we enjoyed dinner with them almost every evening on the ship. The pictures are here.

Rome, Italy

After a nice breakfast in the courtyard of the hotel we went into tourist mode right away and took the subway directly to the Coliseum. The tour covered the main points of the structure and then we had a nice pizza lunch nearby to recount all we had learned. Next we took a tour of Palentine Hill which overlooks The Forum. A stroll through the Forum with the help of a book allowed us to see ‘before’ and after scenes so we could better understand what we were looking at. Next we saw the famous square designed by Michellangelo, Mussolini’s headquarters, the ‘wedding cake’ monument, Trevi Fountain and finally the Pantheon. Dinner was well deserved after such an eventful day. The pictures are worth a thousand words!

Rome, Italy

A quick 1.5 hour flight from Basel we arrived in Rome early afternoon. After dropping off our luggage we went to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and then crowded onto the subway to head for the Spanish Steps. The traveling made us a bit wary so we opted to enjoy a beer and then wander around the city before deciding on a nice place for dinner. The subway was closed that evening so we took a taxi back to the hotel (the taxi driver passed a Ferrari on the way which was a proud moment for all of us, including the driver). Click here for the pictures.

Basel/Gruyere

Mom and Dad Orem arrived yesterday morning. After relaxing for an hour or two we had lunch and ventured out for a tour of Basel: the TinguelyFountain, Lohnhof (the old town prison), Freiestrasse (the main shopping street), Musterplatz where the main cathedral overlooks the Rhine, over the middle bridge for a break, a leisurely trip across the Rhine in an old-time ferry, and a tour of St. Alban’s with it’s old paper mill and city wall. Friday we took a driving tour to Gruyere to visit the Nestle chocolate factory complete with heavenly smells wafting through the parking lot. We enjoyed a self-guided tour that ended with trays full of unlimited amounts of chocolate to sample (YUMMY!). Afterwards we ventured up to the refurbished castle were we enjoyed a tour and great views over the valley. Beer was in order in the town square after a hard day of sight seeing.

Prague Day 1

Our Prague experience started around 3pm in Wenceslas Square, a busy shopping area in the middle of the city. Of course we started by sampling a few Czech beers! After a short walk around the area, we decided to join the first of three walking tours offer by Prague City Walks. First up – “The Old Town Pub Walk”. Prague is is considered THE #1 beer drinking nation in the world! Prague is home to the original Budweiser and they actually invented Pilsner beer. The best liked beers in Prague are as follows: Pilsner Urquel, Gambrinus, Radegast, Velkopopovicky Kozel (our personal favorite), Budvar and Staropramen. Of course we attended the pub tour and visited some great cellar bars. We were joined by people from Spain, and a group of English and Canadian people who are living in Serbia at the moment. We visited three different pubs, had a nice dinner in a special place that had a barrel vaulted ceiling in the cellar, and were able to try several different types of beers. The first pub actually had beer taps on every table!! Perfect!

Prague Day 2

We started the day with another walking tour offered by Prague City Walks. This time, it was a comprehensive tour called “Prague Insider”. The four hour tour enabled us to see many of the crucial aspects of the city including the Old Town, the New Town, the Jewish Quarter, and the Prague Castle. New Town is only 100 years newer than Old Town and is the main retail street of the city and the location where the Velvet Revolution took place. Old Town was formerly a market place and the main crossroads of eastern and western Europe (which is why Prague was a very rich city in the past). The Jewish Quarter is a beautiful area that contains Europe's oldest synagogue and an amazing cemetery that contains over 12k people in 12 layers. After an excellent lunch, we strolled through the Mala Strana (or Lesser Town) area. A nice area filled with cobblestone side streets, shops, churches, pubs, and restaurants. The way back to the old town takes you over the Charles Bridge. Built in the 13th Century, yes its 700 years old, it’s a must see for tourists. Finally, we finished our evening with a nice dinner at Escape Restaurant Café. See these pictures - Castle, Old Town, New Town, Jewish Quarter, Rivers, Parks.

Prague Day 3

The Prague Castle was first up. We walked around the castle grounds enjoying the gardens and landscape. What used to be a moat around the castle, is now a beautiful area to walk in. After passing by the Loreta, we had lunch at an outdoor restaurant that had an excellent view of the city. Next we visited the library \ museum in the Strahov Monestery. Petrin Hill and the Observation Tower were next. The tower is a miniature version of the Eiffel Tower in Paris (so don’t be confused) as well as a great mirror maze! Our next stop was the Vysehrad Castle and Park. In the suburbs of Prague, it has a great view of the river, a beautiful church, and an interesting cemetery. To finish the day, we had our dinner at The Original Needle House Restaurant followed by a Saxophone Quartet performance at the Municipal House Theater. The city is know for opera, orchestra and theatre - Mozart premiered Don Giovanni here - and they also have interesting black light theaters. Prague is also known for its bohemian glassware and Frank Gehry's dancing house.That was a full day! Click these links to see pictures from the day. Castle, Parks, City Overviews, Monestery and Old Town.

Prague Day 4

On our final day, we started with the National Museum in Wenceslas Square. Many things to see there including Pre-historical, Mineralogical, Zoological, Osteological, Paleontological and Anthropological exhibits. From there, we visited St. Nicholas Church in the Old Town Square. During World War II, Czech army units were stationed there, but now, classical music concerts are held there throughout the year. Next we visited the Old Town Hall Tower and Astronomical Clock. The clock dates back to the 15th century! Every hour there is a procession of the twelve Apostles. The tourists are packed in the square to see this one minute extravaganza! Of course we walked to the top of the tower to enjoy great views of Prague and the surrounding areas. The Church of Our Lady Before Tyn was the final stop in the Old Town Square. This gothic church with a baroque interior dominates one side of the square. It’s especially beautiful at night. After some shopping, we enjoyed dinner in another cellar restaurant while watching the US play the Czech Republic in the Ice Hockey World Championships. We concluded our evening with our final walking tour, the “Ghost Trail”, where we heard scary stories about ghosts in Prague. See pictures from the Old Town Square here. Prague is a MUST SEE city - make sure to put in on your list of European cities to visit =)