Monday, April 8, 2013

I've added some links to Venice and Barcelona. Info that is helpful in planning for those ports. Want to thank Ann for sending them to me. She also sent a link to this video on how to pack more clothes with few wrinkles....http://lifehacker.com/5639001/video-demo-the-bundled-packing-method-fits-more-clothes-with-fewer-wrinkles

Friday, April 5, 2013

Ann added this link to the Magic Fountain in Barcelona. Take a look at the other fountains as well. You can download PDF walking tours of different areas. Don't think I'll be able to convince my favorite 3 to do all that walking though. LOL

http://www.bcn.cat/parcsijardins/fonts/EN/magica.html

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Introduce yourself to everyone! Go to http://is.gd/crfellows, then find our sailing from the list and "post" away! 
I think this will be a fun way to start getting to know each other! 
(Please, please don't believe everything my husband says about me! I'm really 39 not 34.)

Barcelona

September 20th                        Barcelona 

This is the place to start planning your time in Barcelona! (thanks Ann!)
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/

Wonderful site for tours (not just Barcelona)
http://www.viator.com/Barcelona/d562-ttd

Cruise Terminal Map and Info (thanks Ann!)
http://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/transport/barcelona-cruise-port.html

#1   BARCELONA HIGHLIGHTS TOUR/Huddleston tour
4 HOURS of the highlights of the city  59 EUROS EACH
Pick up at 8:30 at port
see the website for all the places we will see:

4-12 people in a group.  Will drop off at your hotel.  

Contactluvthebeach61@gmail.comfor more info

Marseilles


September 19th                        Marseilles  
          
No tours listed yet   

Florence, Livorno, Pisa


September 18th                        Livorno                
                                                   (Florence/Pisa)

#1 Full Day Private Chianti – Pisa Tour  w/ballerine22   This Tour is FULL.
 (duration 9 hours) price for 6 people is 500Euro total. The pickup will be at 8.00 a.m. right in  front of the CARNIVAL SUNSHINE.
 http://www.guidos-tours.it/chianti_wine_tours.html 
 With this tour you will have the possibility to sightsee trough the splendid Chianti countryside  dotted with beautiful vineyards and olive groves, quaint little, medieval villages and hamlets that  are preserving still intact all the charm and beauty of the bygone days. Of course we won't miss  the opportunity also to stop at a couple of my most preferred wineries for a private, guided visit  of their cellars and to taste their great olive oil and wines and certainly I will not neglect to  select a nice local “trattorie” where you will have the possibility to enjoy an authentic and  genuine Tuscan lunch ! With regard to the wineries and places to visit I wish to reassure you that  the places I normally visit are definitely off the beaten tracks of those horrible, big tour buses  that usually “vomit out” hundreds of people wherever they stop. Finally, I’d like to point out that  you will have my company for the whole day and I’ll do my very best to help you understand, and  to learn as much as possible about wine in general and more specifically about the great Tuscan  wines and the terrific extra virgin olive oil !
 On the way back to the port we will do a little detour in order to stop in Pisa (about 30 – 40  minutes), in order to admire the world-wide famous LEANING TOWER !
 The price for the tour includes: 1 luxury air conditioned van, English speaking driver / wine guide  - sommelier in training , V.A.T. and highway tolls.
 The price for the tour doesn't include: meals, gratuities and eventual tasting fees (usually 10 -  15 Euro per person, per winery).
 Every extra hour costs 50 Euro.
 The payment is intended CASH IN EURO, and can be made directly to me at the end of the tour.

 Already have myself and my husband confirmed with Jim and Buenta. We need two additional  people for a total of 6 

Please email ballerine22 at amberklispie@gmail.com for additional info on this tour.


#2  Tuscany Taste Tour with Mauricio   w/25years2gether 
This Tour is Full

The tour we have planned is with Tuscany Taste Tour by Mauricio Mancini.  Here is the link for the tour which includes stops in both San Gimignano and Volterra, plus wine tasting and light lunch.


The tour is 68 euros per person.

We are also going to Torciano Winery (owned by a life long friend of Mauricio's and who'm Mauricio describes as 'crazy like a horse') for a wine tasting and Tuscan light lunch (20 euros).  Here is this link to the Torciano Winery and a description of the light lunch.
  

Therefore, grand total for the tour/wine tasting/lunch is 88 euros per person (plus tip).  There will be a total of 8 on this tour.  I put a down payment on it, so you don't have to pay until the day of the tour.
Mauricio  Mancini will pick us up at 8 a.m. at the gates and will be holding a sign with my name in it (Diane Andrews)
Diane and Real
MaryJo and John
Marica and David
Barbie and Larry


#5 LIVORNO:  PISA/LUCCA  SEPTEMBER 18

This Tour is Full

You will be greeted at the Port of Livorno, and will make your way to the small city of Pisa.
Here you will spend a portion of your morning at the Leaning Tower and the main square. The cathedral and baptistery, the tower of Pisa, and the Campo Santo or cemetery, together form one of the most beautiful and famous building groups in the world. The Piazza dei Miracoli makes a perfect showplace for these exquisite examples of Romanesque architecture. Continuing on along the scenic route in the Tuscan countryside, before arriving to one of the most famous and glorious walled cities of Italy, Lucca. Here you will spend a portion of your afternoon sightseeing the town and Duomo di San Martino, walk around the city walls if you wish after which or visit a local winery, before you are returned to the Port of Livorno.
8 per group.  Still available:6     75 euros per person.  
Huddleston tour   8:00 am
email: luvthebeach61@gmail.com for more info.

#6 LIVORNO   Room for 4 more

Tour lasts from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Highlights of Tour Include:
Visit to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower
Drive Through the Tuscan countryside on the way to Florence
In Florence:
Accademia – Michelangelo’s David
Santa Croce Church – Monument to Michelangelo
Piazza Santa Croce – flea market
Ponte Vecchio
Duomo Cathedral
Campanile Bell of Giotto
San Lorenzo Area
Piazza della Signoria
Palazzo Medici & Palazzo Pitti (from the outside)
Piazzale Michelangelo up the hill of Arcetri (breath taking view of Florence)
Cost:
With 6 people:  94 Euro per person
With 8 people:  72.50 Euro per person
+ Santa Croce Church Admission – 5 Euro per person
+ Academia Admission – 14 Euro per person
This price does not include lunch or tip.  Must be paid in cash day of tour.

Contact  Casie at utkayce@aol.com for more information.

Civatavecchia, Rome


September 17th                        Rome                    
                                                   (Civatavecchia)

#1 Best Limos in Rome w/ Steeno

#2 Joe Banana w/Islandqween Need 1
http://joebananalimos.net/best_of_rome_civitavecchia.html#.UVmmIPq9Kc0

#3 Rome in Limo w/ deladane  This Tour is Full

Rome in Limo- Rome Highlights Tour:  Cost = 75 Euros per person (plus 18.75 Euros per person for a private tour guide for the Vatican)  


This day excursion is designed for those who wish to enjoy all the highlights of ROME in a day, and at relaxed pace. You will be greeted at the Port of Rome and will make your way to the very historical center of Rome and begin your tour at the National Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Venezia. You will then continue on to the splendors of Ancient Rome, which include the vicinity of the Roman and Imperial Forums, the Coliseum, the Capital and Palatine Hills, the Circus Maximus, and the glorious Pantheon. Moving on, you will walk through the famed Piazza Navona, see the glorious Pantheon, stopping at the Spanish Steps, before throwing your coins into the Trevi Fountain. After a stop for a traditional Italian lunch, you will head over to the Vatican City where you would spend the duration of your afternoon enthralled in the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter Basilica for couple of hours before making your way back to the port of Rome.
It is important to note that proper attire must be worn in the Vatican; shoulders and knees must be covered. The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are closed on Sundays with the exception of the last Sunday of every month (no worries- we'll be in Rome on a Tuesday!). All rates are quoted in the Euro and are only payable in the Euro currency, including Traveler’s Cheques, at the end of the services. Rates include the use of our luxury vehicles, English speaking driver, to and from the port. Lunch, gratuities, or entrance fees to the sites are not included. Entrance to the Catacombs € 8.00 pp.  
We highly recommend for you to pre-purchase your Vatican tickets online for 2 pm. We highly recommend for you to pre-purchase your Coliseum tickets online.  Important notice: From this year you can only pre- book your tickets to the Vatican to avoid the lines but cannot pre- purchase them by credit card. They require payment in Cash Euros only once you enter.

#4  Rome in Limo Tour w/hiplbl (deladane's Mom)  Need 1-3
We are coordinating a Rome tour for returnees to Rome. We have five and are looking for 1-3 more for a 6-8 person limo tour.
If you are  non-smoking, looking for more neighbohood exploration, Spanish Steps, Trevi, Pantheon, Trastavere, which is very cool, kind of bohemian area this might interest you.We also want to go to the Jewishghetto (see this article from NY times)  and Camp de Fiores. If we can fit in the catacombs that would be great.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2013/07/14/travel/echoes-from-the-roman-ghetto.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
Please contact hiplbl at hiplbl at aol dot com.

The tour is from
 Romeinlimo.com and is called Rome as your taste under shore excursions.http://www.romeinlimo.com/rome-civitavecchia/rome-as-your-taste.htm
The costs will be between 75 and 100 Euros dependent on the mumber in the limo. We can plan our own itinerary with our driver on this tour.
Please let us know if you want to join us.
Please contact hiplbl via roll call for more information.

#5 Itinerary- Rome Highlights Tour plus private Tour guide for the Vatican This Tour is Full
This day excursion is designed for those who wish to enjoy all the highlights of ROME in a day, and at relaxed pace. You will be greeted at the Port of Rome and will make your way to the very historical center of Rome and begin your tour at the National Monument of Vittorio Emanuele II in Piazza Venezia. You will then continue on to the splendors of Ancient Rome, which include the vicinity of the Roman and Imperial Forums, the Coliseum, the Capital and Palatine Hills, the Circus Maximus, and the glorious Pantheon. Moving on, you will walk through the famed Piazza Navona, see the glorious Pantheon, stopping at the Spanish Steps, before throwing your coins into the Trevi Fountain. After a stop for a traditional Italian lunch, you will head over to the Vatican City where you would spend the duration of your afternoon enthralled in the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter Basilica for couple of hours before making your way back to the port of Rome.
It is important to note that proper attire must be worn in the Vatican; shoulders and knees must be covered. The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel are closed on Sundays with the exception of the last Sunday of every month (no worries- we'll be in Rome on a Tuesday!). All rates are quoted in the Euro and are only payable in the Euro currency, including Traveler’s Cheques, at the end of the services. Rates include the use of our luxury vehicles, English speaking driver, to and from the port. 
Lunch, gratuities, or entrance fees to the sites are not included. Entrance to the Catacombs € 8.00 pp. 
We highly recommend for you to pre-purchase your Vatican tickets online for 2 pm. We highly recommend for you to pre-purchase your Coliseum tickets online.  Important notice: From this year you can only pre- book your tickets to the Vatican to avoid the lines but cannot pre- purchase them by credit card. They require payment in Cash Euros only once you enter.
Contact   dbjore1@shaw.ca  for more information.

#6  ROME     Looking for 4 people
Tour lasts from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Highlights of Tour include:
The Vatican (Sistine Chapel) Includes private guide for Vatican
St. Peters Basilica
Coliseum
View of Roman Forum from the Capitoline Hill
Trevi Fountain
Spanish Steps
Pantheon
Circus Maximus
Piazza Venezia
Mussolini Balcony
St. Peters in Viniculus to see the Statue of Moses by Michelangelo
Tiberina Island on the Tiber River - Ancient Roman Bridges
Cost:
With 6 people:  114 Euro per person
With 8 people:  90 Euro per person
+ Vatican Admission – 20 Euro per person (16 Euro for the ticket + 4 Euro for the reservation)
+ Coliseum Admission – 13.50 Euro per person
This price does not include lunch or tip.  Must be paid in cash day of the tour.

Contact  Casie at utkayce@aol.com