Mommy and Daddy Go to Europe

Right after Thanksgiving, our family made a bold move by having mom & dad head off on a 12 day European cruise!  Virginia was in good hands, staying the first week with GayGay and PopPop, then getting a visit from Mimi and PaPa at the end of the trip.  We missed her like mad, but really enjoyed the chance to have a child-free vacation.

We cashed in our United miles and flew business class from SFO to Rome, where our cruise started.  Then it was aboard the Seaborne Spirit for a cruise of the Western Mediterranean.  Seaborne is a ultra-luxury and all-inclusive line, but we were able to snag a good deal as we were on the last cruise of the season before the ship repositioned to the Caribbean for the winter.  This meant it was a bit cold, but we were more interested in touring the ports than sitting poolside, so it was the perfect fit.  The ship was very small, carrying only about 100 passengers, so this meant that the service and food were truly excellent the whole time.

We made lots of friends aboard our ship!

Our first stop was Livorno, Italy.  Many aboard the ship set off to Florence, but we decided on a trip up the coast to see Cinque Terre, as we'd both been to Florence many times.

A typical Cinque Terre town view - beautiful!

The next day was Monaco.  Thomas had never been, and the last time I'd been was when I was just 15 years old, so we did it all - the casino, the shopping, the church where Princess Grace was married, and the Oceanographic Museum.  I even managed to make a stop at the Haagen-Dazs on the square, where my cousins and I famously shared a single ice cream 20 years ago when our parents left us on the mean streets of Monaco while they gambled in the casinos.  My sister ran off with the ice cream and accidentally dropped it in a fountain.

Thomas bought a yacht while we were in Monaco!

After Monaco, we had our only sea day, and then the Spanish ports began.  First up was Barcelona, where Thomas and I took a bike tour of the city.  Then we visited Ibiza, but the island was pretty dead as the partygoers were long-gone for the season.  After Ibiza, it was back to the mainland for a stop in Cartagena.

La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona - still under construction after a century.

The next city was truly a highlight - we docked in Motril, Spain where we were shuttled to Granada to see the Alhambra palace.  Our last stop in Spain was Cadiz.  We spent much of the day in nearby Seville, but were able to tour Cadiz as well.

At the Alhambra Palace.

Seville, Spain

Then it was off to Portugal.  We visited a tiny resort town call Portimao, where the beach was truly one of the most beautiful we'd seen.  It helped that we had befriended a Brazilian guest aboard our ship, and he translated for us throughout Portugal, so we were able to get a bit more of the local flavor there.

Finally, our last stop was Lisbon, which was one of our favorite cities despite some bad weather during our visit.

Portugal's very own Golden Gate Bridge - felt like home.

It was truly the trip of a lifetime!  And Virginia loved the souvenirs we brought back!

Future flamenco dancer.