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Yvonnes European Cruise Blog
Wish You Were There!! 
Hi All
 
You all know that we are here to help you plan your vacation and help to make magical memories. Well, this time it was my turn to go on vacation and be the tourist and as many of you share your experiences with me, I thought it only fair to share mine with you.
You may know that I come from England, and for many years my vacation choice was Florida, three times a year actually.
 
 
I loved Florida so much I eventually moved here 10 years ago, so I am in one of the best places in the world all the time now. But I do need a vacation still, so where do you go on vacation when you live in the vacation capital of the world? 
I have family in the UK and this year was my parents 50th wedding anniversary and they asked us to join them on a cruise. Well those of you who know me, know too well that I didn't have to have my arm twisted very much. They chose a European cruise . We had a great time and I would like to share my trip with you.  
My husband, John actually sent a daily email to family and friends, entitled " Picture of the day" and they all enjoyed it so much, they looked forward to the funny daily picture or two.
The cruise itinerary included Malta, which is actually where I was born, although I only lived there until I was 18 months and have never been back since, so this was a fantastic experience to go there with my parents so that they could show me where I was born and where we lived.
I hope you enjoy the following and please, keep on sending  your vacation pictures to us at Loyalty, we love to hear about them.
 
 
 
Yvonne 
 
P.S.  dont forget that we at Loyalty can make your cruise dream come true as well as your Florida vacation. We offer cruises from anywhere to anywhere. I booked my cruise with www.loyaltycruises.com
 
 
ITINERARY
 
The trip was for 14 days, the first day is travelling to the UK, then we spent 4 days in England with my family before going on the cruise which started in Barcelona, Spain.
Then to Malta, Naples, Rome and  Pisa in  Italy, Cannes in France, then back to Barcelona, then back to the UK for our flight back to Florida.
 
4 Days in ENGLAND 
 Our first few days were spent with family in the evenings and I like to take my husband John to different places in England and although he has been to the UK before, he still sees things that amaze him.  This time we went to an area called The Cotswolds, which is a really quaint area  made up of buildings that are very English mostly built out of stone from the area,  called Cotswold stone. You will see here thatched roof homes and really old cottages too. This was a crooked house that we came across and also pictures of a model village in the Cotswolds.
 
 crooked housemodelvillage2
The night before leaving for our cruise was our family dinner to celebrate my parents Golden Wedding Anniversary. ( How do you do 50 years?) Congratulations
momdad momdad50
Cruise Day 1
 
shipWe chose a cruise with NCL, who we  have sailed with before.We had a balcony room which was so nice to wake up to and drink coffee on the balcony each day in a different port.
 
 
 
sleep I was still jetlagged and very tired.
 
 
 
formal1Cruise Days 2 and 3
 
Our second day was a day at sea. Generally on most cruises there is a formal night, where if you want to you can dress up to have your picture taken with the Captain. We chose to dress up, I dont get to do that very often in Florida..
 
The following day was at Malta.
 
 
Here is the hospital where I was born, it used to be a Royal Naval Hhospitalospital it is now a college. ( Would you believe the only Property Management College in the World)
 
 
 
 
 
 hosp
 
 
 
 
 
 
malta
Three hundred days of sunshine, crystal clear Mediterranean waters, seven thousand years of history, thriving local traditions, a vibrant nightlife and laid-back rural villages - Welcome to Malta!
Malta is actually an archipelago of three islands - Malta (the commercial and cultural center), Gozo (its more rural sister) and Comino (which is largely uninhabited). Spread over only 316 square kilometers, getting around the many attractions the Maltese islands have to offer couldn't be easier especially if renting a car during your stay. This traveller friendly country is made even more accessible thanks to the bilingual (Maltese and English) nature of the vast majority of its 400,000 inhabitants. It is difficult to comprehend how much is packed in this smallest of the European Union member states. 
 
Malta was amazing!!!

 
 
 
 
ITALY                                      Days 3,4 and 5 
 
We visited three ports in Italy.
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
DAY 1    Naples
 
 
The day started by sailing into the Bay of Naples while the sun rose over Mt. Vesuvius....and turned into an incredible day of discovery.  We discovered the beauty of Sorrento, Positano and the  Amalfi Coast....we discovered amazing food in a cafe high in the cliffs above the Med....we discovered amazing destruction and death in Pompeii...Here we hired a private tour guide for the day, who was fantastic. He took us to places we would have never found, he drove high up into the mountains.
 
 
"Naples, Napoli in Italian, is the third most-populated city in Italy and the biggest city in Southern Italy. Its name comes from the Greek Neapolis meaning new city. Its close proximity to many interesting sites, such as Pompeii and the Bay of Naples, makes it a good base for exploring the area. Naples is a lively and vibrant city, full of wonderful historical and artistic treasures and narrow, winding streets with small shops, making it worth at least a few days visit." .
 
 
 Pompeii
 
 
Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompeii. Along with Herculaneum, its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in AD 79.
The volcano collapsed higher roof-lines and buried Pompeii under 60 feet of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1,700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. 
 
This is a petrified body excavated from the ruins. (hope you are looking at the correct picture)


 pompeipomp
 
 
 
DAY 2       Rome
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 You have to stop every now and then for a Cappuccino !!!
 
cappacuno
 
rome
 
The Colosseum
 
 
The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre,  is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD[1] under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD , with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81-96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name
 
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators,the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine.
It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined due to damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession around the various levels of the amphitheatre.

 
 My sister and I threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain
 
The water at the bottom of the fountain represents the sea. Legend has it you will return to Rome if you throw a coin into the water. You should toss it over your shoulder with your back to the fountain.

 
 
 
 trevi
 
 
and of course we visited the Sistine Chapel, (No photos allowed)   and the Vatican too.
 
____________________________________________________________________-
 
 
 Day 3 Pisa and Florence
 
 We actually climbed the the nearly 300 steps to the top....   then it was off to Florence where we saw Michealangelo's David....and walked the streets of Florence in search of the perfect Gelato and Pizza......
 
 The Leaning Tower of Pisa  is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa. It is situated behind the Cathedral and is the third oldest structure in Pisa's Cathedral Square  after the Cathedral and the Baptistry.
Although intended to stand vertically, the tower began leaning to the southeast soon after the onset of construction in 1173 due to a poorly laid foundation and loose substrate that has allowed the foundation to shift direction. The tower presently leans to the southwest.
The height of the tower is 55.86 m (183.27 ft) from the ground on the lowest side and 56.70 m (186.02 ft) on the highest side. The width of the walls at the base is 4.09 m (13.42 ft) and at the top 2.48 m (8.14 ft). Its weight is estimated at 14,500 metric tons (16,000 short tons). The tower has 296 or 294 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps on the north-facing staircase. Prior to restoration work performed between 1990 and 2001, the tower leaned at an angle of 5.5 degrees,but the tower now leans at about 3.99 degrees. This means that the top of the tower is 3.9 metres (12 ft 10 in) from where it would stand if the tower were perfectly vertical.
 
 pisa
 
Cannes, France
 
This was a quick stop, however we met a few stars hanging around since the last film festival.
 brad
Cannes (French pronunciation: [kan],  France, is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. The population was 70,400 as of the 2007 census. Cannes is the home of numerous luxurious houses and mansions as well as many high-end gated communities. The city is also famous for its various luxury shops, fancy restaurants, and prestigious hotels.
First and Last stop   Barcelona
 
 
Barcelona was a very interesting place, lots to see and do. The most amazing sight
was  
 
 La Sagrada Familiafamil
La Sagrada Familia is truly awe-inspiring . The life's work of Barcelona's favourite son, Antoni Gaud�, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaud� died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, with four more towers, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. Some say the shell should have been left as a monument to the architect, but today's chief architect, Jordi Bonet, argues that the task is a sacred one, as it's a church intended to atone for sin and appeal to God's mercy on Catalunya. 
 
 
 
I hope you enjoyed my vacation. Now its time for me to enjoy yours. I love to hear about your vacation, even if its not in Florida. Send me pictures of where you stay, how it compares to your home when you stay with us here in Florida, and of course send us your Florida/Disney pictures.
 
And if you want to go on a cruise, let us help with that. We are part of Cruises Inc one of the largest cruise companies so prices are very competitive. We can even get your repeat cruise guest discounts.
 
 
Until next time
 
 
Yvonne
 
Owner Loyalty Inc
 
Loyalty Vacation Homes
1577 oak hill trail
kissimmee, Florida 34747