Lessons learned & future travel

So here are a few things I learned while I was away:
1- Sea sickness wrist bands don't do anything but make you look like you are going to play tennis
2-Airplane seat with extra leg room=arm rests that don't move. Flight that isn't full=other people lie down to sleep. Tammy + extra leg room=no sleep=contortionist routine.
3- Getting lost can be fun.
4- Getting lost and asking strange man for directions in bad italian can lead to marriage proposal and possible kidnapping. Not fun.
5- Pay toilet in Amsterdam = toilet paper. Free toilet in Barcelona= no toilet paper.
6- Coffee in Spain- heaven. Coffee in Italy- heaven. Coffee at JFK airport...well...

So, I'm back home and settled back into work but I still plan on having Travel Tammy adventures. There is no stopping me now!
Next stop....Key West! Check back in Late September for sunburn remedies,
pics of key lime pie & bikers (perhaps together) and my attempt to steal (and smuggle home without my husband noticing) a Hemingway cat.

Last pics of Rome

The coldest water. public water fountain.

For Steph- A drawing of Keats from that was in the house where he died near the Spanish Steps

Favorite church (near Keat's house)

Mosaic-thought of you, Morgan

Rome for my friend Stephanie

I went on a little adventure to take these pictures for my friend Steph. Here you go Steph!

A statue for Byron in the park. There was a pigeon on his head but I politely asked him to move for this photo

The pyramid near the cemetary

Keat's grave

Keats and his friend Severn

Cemetary guard cat-on the job!

Shelley

Rome

I have never walked so much in my life. I wanted to see as much as I could. So I walked all day everyday with short breaks for pasta, water (it was hot) and the occasional espresso.
I had more time to take pictures at this point, so be prepared. Take a bathroom break and grab your own espresso.

Beware of the resturant at the top of the steps. 3 Euro for stale bread. No tip for you!

Trevi fountain

Mary watching over

View from Trinti de Monti

Pantheon

On the corner of a building down a narrow street. A little piece of Ancient Rome

Spain

I was so happy to see the port of Barcelona. On the way we saw the coast of Africa and the Rock of Gibralter.

We woke up early to see the Rock. Armando was very excited.

Here it is! time for coffee.

Barcelona! Near the port.

In the Gothic Quarter

Goodnight and Goodbye to Barcelona

Out to sea. God help me

So we went out to sea to show members of the press the ship and then we came back in and went out for the actual cruise. Smooth sailing? Ah, no, not really. This pic is when we were on the Elbe river. It was nice. People were swimming in it. It was still about 60 degrees out. And then we went out to sea...Should you wear sea sickness bands and take dramamine at the same time? Yes, I vote yes.

Eventually we saw the Cliffs of Dover.

Leslie and Armando went to work. Everyone loved their classes and Armando's lectures. Our classroom at sea is on the top deck. Amazing view.

A view from our deck. The sun came out

Next stop Germany

So they finally finished up all the work on the ship and we moved to Hamburg, Germany. Goodbye port, goodbye giant crane.

Ah Hamburg. New architecture, old churches and a farris wheel. Aparently the word for Farris Wheel in German doesn't sound anything like Farris Wheel in English. We figured this out when we got lost and asked for someone to point us toward it. The next step was asking which way the port was. There is more than one and someone kindly directed us toward the wrong one. ops. Lots of walking. Good Cardio.

Sorry, I missed a part of the trip. We went to Gronigen before we left for Hamburg to shop for art supplies. Ours were MIA.
Now back to Hamburg.

Armando-The perfect tour guide!

An old coffee shop that could be accessed by boat. Not ours...small boats...

Amazing architecture.

Expensive internet and a lack of blogging

So you were probably thinking that I was sunning myself by the ship's pool or that I had gotten off the ship in Spain and decided to take up residence. (the notion of driving a tour bus did enter my mind) so here is the real story... My free internet access ran out and the ship's internet was 65 cents a minute. 65 cents may be ok for some but since I was was taught how to type by a highschool football coach, let's just say that this would have been a bad idea. So I'm back and I can type at my usual speed and finally share some pictures with you all. Let's start in the Netherlands at the port...
Pic 1- the ship. Yes, it's massive and was still being worked until we left for Hamburg.

Little town near the port.

Town windmill.

The only place I saw tulips was at the airport but I thought I'd throw this one in.

A view from the ship. It was cold and wet-about 55 degrees. Summer in the Netherlands

Picnic in town with Armando & Leslie