Rome Was Not Built in a Day.....

So...Jamie and I just got back from our long awaited European vacation. We started off our adventure in Rome. I've always heard the saying "Rome wasn't built in a day" but did not get the full meaning of it until we arrived. There was so much to see! We were only there for 2 days, but could have stayed 2 weeks, maybe even 2 months! We tried to see as much as we could, so it was a very busy two days. We took almost 300 photos for the vacation and I still find myself saying "I wish I would have taken a picture of that!". We started off seeing some of the sites near the hotel like Piazza Navona, The Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. We then had dinner at a little restaurant that was recommended near Piazza Navona. The next day we started with St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican City where we walked though the church and saw the Sistine Chapel. We rapped up the day with a private guide who showed us a little more of Ancient Rome. With Monti, we viewed the Spanish Steps, the Forum and Capitoline Hill, the Colosseum and a few places that are not so well known, which included an area that overlooks all of Rome and another area that you can look through a key hole (literally) and see a fantastic view of St. Peter's. It looked like a postcard! I think the Colosseum was our favorite, but the last view through the keyhole was great as well. Below are some of the photos.

Top photo - Jamie and I at St. Peter's
1st two - our hotel and the historic building across the street
2nd two - The Colosseum and the family with the view of Rome
Photo to right - Jamie and I on the Spanish Steps














The next day we revisited a few sites that we wanted to take a closer look at and then took a train to Naples where we would board our cruise the following day. The cruise was an adventure to say the least. It was not the cruise we were anticipating, but what's a McMillan vacation without some bumps in the road? A few notables were having to pay for water (yes, I do mean tap water), and oh, for those of you who have been on cruises before and have eaten your body weight in the free soft serve...not happening on this ship! We had to pay for all ice cream (except dinner). If you have read my blog about prices in Singapore you can imagine how much of a disappointment this was. I have been telling Jamie for weeks before our cruise " Just wait till we get on the boat, you can have as much ice cream as you want", and then they charged us for it! We spent $60 alone in ice cream cones (and that was just on the boat!) Aside from that, I would have to say that the highlight of the cruise was Palma De Mallorca where we went to the Son Amar dinner show. It was great! For those of you who get a chance to visit Mallorca this show is a must see! Like Rome, there really was no time to relax on the cruise either. We had a port everyday and while some of the ports didn't have much to do (like Tunis), you still felt like you needed to get off the boat and explore. The photos below are from the cruise.


1st- Mom McMillan and I on our first camel ride. 2nd -Jamie and I in Pompeii 3rd- Jamie and I at the Son Amar show 4th-Jamie at the German forts on Frioul Island in Marseille, France



















To the right is Jamie running around the forts. At one point we thought he had fallen off the cliff b/c he had disappeared. Turns out he just discovered another hole to climb in! It's funny how quickly they turn into kids again!















After the cruise our last stop was Sorrento, Italy. It was a great little town where we had an amazing view! It was the total opposite of Rome, quiet and quaint. From there we took a boat trip to Capri, Italy which was wonderful as well. For the overall trip these two days were the best. Jamie and I decided that these two spots were a must for vacation again. The people were so polite and the scenic views were gorgeous! So, I leave you with my absolute favorite photos from the trip. The one on the left was taken after we arrived back in Sorrento from our trip to Capri and the Blue Grotto (an amazing experience but they rush you in and out of there like cattle). The sunset was so pretty and the view was amazing! The next photo was taken from our balcony at the hotel. You almost can't tell where the sea ends and the sky begins.

We hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the blog. Our sea shipment was delivered yesterday and the girls come home on Sunday. After this weekend hopefully it will truly start to feel like home. Jamie and I have been taking some funny photos around town that we will share with you next time. Until then, everyone take care and we hope that everyone in Houston does well during the storm!