Day 4 :: Plan Fail in Aix En Provence

in Toulon waiting for the next train

Our first cruise port city was Toulon, France.  There isn't much to see there so we went to Aix En Provence.  It was the shortest port stop from 8am-6pm and we had a 1 hr train ride there and back so we got up early to get going.  We ate a quick breakfast at the Windjammer and then went down to the gangway to get off the ship.  My meticulous plans were immediately foiled.  It turns out we were not within walking distance of the Toulon Train station even though the port info guide and the lady in the tourist office right there said so.  According to Mj's GPS it was about 5 miles.  We turned around, headed back to port and ended up having to take a pretty expensive cab ride.  In all the confusion we missed the 9:20 am train so had to wait until 10:20am.  We took the train from Toulon to Aix En Provence TGV station and then took a bus into town to the central Aix En Provence train station.  From there we walked to the town center.  We took the high speed TGV train even though it didn't go direct to Aix En Provence because otherwise we would have had to take the slower trains to Marseille, switch trains and then continue on to Aix En Provence and it would have taken us close to 2 hours to get there.  Once we got to town we saw that we missed the last Petite Train tour around the city that we would have had time for.  Another failed plan.  Instead of doing that we just walked around on our own. 

Bread in France is so good.  It's not called French bread for nothin'

I realize that rain is necessary for the survival of our planet but I pretty much hate it unless I'm at home in my pajamas.  I was bummed out when the rain started but hate it or not, I wasn't going to let it ruin our day.  It was a light rain so at least we could work with it.  Provence is such a charming little town.  Most of the shops were closed because it was Sunday but some of them were still open and there was a street fair going on. Some areas are like a maze.  There are rows of tiny narrow alley ways going every which direction.  I just loved wandering around this little town despite the rain.  There are these amazing little shops filled with bread and pastries so we bought some warm bread along the way.

Cathedral Saint Sauveur is soooo beautiful

Cathedral Saint-Sauveur was closed so we had to wait about 40 minutes to go in but it was well worth the wait.  I seriously almost started crying when I walked in.   My eyes got all teary.  Cameras were not allowed but it was absolutely breathtaking.  I had anticipated seeing these cathedrals for so long and once I got inside the beauty of it far exceeded my expectations.  It was so beautiful and I was just so happy to finally be there and seeing it with my own eyes that I got a little emotional.  I had never seen a building so big and so beautiful in my entire life.  I had never seen an actual confessional outside of television and there was a row of them inside.  It was quiet, cool and dark and there was a live organist playing beautiful music.  You could almost smell the stones that were used to build it and the realization of just how old and how long this building had been standing here was mind boggling. 

On the way back to the train station.  Rain, rain go away.

Waiting for our train back to Toulon

Around 2:30pm  that it was time to make our way back to the train station so we could catch our bus and train and cab back to the ship.  It was funny because I had to go the bathroom really bad even before we started walking to the train station so once we got there I ran into the first bathroom I saw.  Some lady is there telling me "0,50 € "  I was confused so I just turned around and walked out.  It took me a minute to realize that I had to pay to pee!  Another note about European bathrooms.  A lot of them in Europe are either unisex or without much separation between men and women.  For this one it was men to the left, women to the right and shared sinks for hand washing.  I also noticed that not once even in our hotel rooms did I ever encounter a traditional hand toilet flusher.  It was always a button and usually two to be used depending on if it's #1 or #2.  Also, a lot of the public restrooms had a foot control for the faucet.

She's balancing on top of his feet!!

We took the 3:47pm train back to Toulon.  When we got there we ran outside to find a cab.  We cut it a little close but we made it back by 5pm and then went straight to dinner at the Windjammer.  Mj had the bright idea of going to the gym afterwards but I was absolutely exhausted.  I could barely keep my eyes open so I took a nap and he worked out.  Later that night went to our 9pm show Air.  It was a really cool aerial act.  I cannot believe the crazy tricks they were doing with no net. We were back in our rooms by 10pm and then it was time to get ready for bed.

So why didn't I just book a ship shore excursion and call it a day?  First of all, if you can't get around in a foreign country you really have no choice and you need to book one.  I knew that Mj could get us around so I kept going back and forth on it.  My research told me that I should consider a tour for Aix En Provence and Rome.  Aix En Provence because of higher train ticket prices, distance and shorter port day and Rome because of distance and just how big it is.  I was just all decisioned and researched out.  Mj wasn't home to talk it over with and I knew the weather was gonna be iffy.  I just didn't know what to do so I did nothing.  In retrospect, I should have went with my instinct.  At $55 each Aix En Provence was one of the cheapest tours and because we were ported in a different place and couldn't walk to the train station we spent more on our own.   The train tickets were 33 € which translates to $42.50 USD each but with the unexpected cab rides it ended up being more expensive because it was 25 € each way on top of that.  It's my job to save us money and I was mad at myself for dropping the ball on this one, but as a whole we did save a ton of money by NOT doing the tours.

Mj told me a saying that he picked up in the Army, "Your plans are only as good as the day you make them."  Unfortunately, this day was a perfect example of that in so many ways.  That being said, we still had a great day there.  It was a fun adventure getting there and back and I'm glad we went even with all the effort and expense it took to get there.

Next Stop:  Canne and Nice, France

Day 1-3 :: I'm going to Europe!!

Haven't had a hot free meal on a plane in years and it was good + Free Wine

Day 1-2 was basically spent traveling to Europe.  After an anxious night of triple checking my luggage, tying up loose ends around the house and very little sleep I headed to the airport very early on Thursday morning for my 6:30am flight.  I was freaking out because I took the wrong parking garage card for Mj's job where I was planning to park my car and I had to find airport parking at the last minute.  It wasn't until I made it onto my flight on time that I was finally able to relax.  I had a 4 hour flight to Chicago, a short 1 1/2 flight from there to Toronto and then the worst one of all was 8 hours to Barcelona.   Normally I want as few lay overs as possible but with that many hours of flight time the extra lay over was welcome so I could escape and stretch my legs.  I spent the first leg reading magazines and half sleeping.  The 2nd leg was nice and short. The 3rd leg just really sucked.  It's way too long to be sitting upright, cramped, exhausted and unable to move around.  I guess they don't want anyone starving to death so at least they're willing to feed you with no extra charge on International flights.  Eating kept me occupied and I watched two movies.  United has a really good selection of new releases and you have your own screen on the seat in front of you.  It was my first time seeing what Business class looks like.  It's even better then 1st class so instead of being the usual 2nd class I got to be a 3rd class citizen crammed in coach. 

Ick!!!!

I left home on Thursday morning my time and arrived in Barcelona on Friday morning around 8:30am Europe time.  I got my first passport stamp in customs, got my baggage and then waited for Mj to arrive on his flight in from Stuttgart.  He spotted me first and it was soooo good to see him and be together again.  I'd missed him so much.  Of course I felt all ragged and worn out from traveling and I probably didn't look all that cute but oh well.  Our vacation together had finally begun.  It took us a while but we found our hotel shuttle and then checked into Hotel Frontair Congress.  It was in this random sort of industrial area and I knew that but it was close to the airport and had a shuttle.   It was basically a one night pit stop to rest up before the cruise so as long as it was clean it would do.  We both took naps and when we woke up took the hotel shuttle to Placa De Espana which is a central area of the city and then looked for a place to eat.  We actually saw someone get mugged a couple minutes after we got off the shuttle.  The poor guy was yelling "Stop, Stop!!" and sprinting down the street.   The rumors were true.  I crossed my bag over my chest and held it a little closer.  We found a place to eat.  The Tapas on the menu were unlike any Tapas I'd ever seen so I played it safe and ordered Pizza.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't really good either.  I guess that's what I get for ordering pizza in Barcelona.  Mj got the Brave Potatoes (very spicy) and something else.  We made our way back to Placa De Espana and waited for the city bus that would take us back to our hotel.  Thank goodness Mj was able to figure out when we should get off.  I was still sort of in a tired haze so it was pretty much right back to bed.  Day one in Barcelona was not so exciting but that's okay because I knew we'd be back.

The next morning we took the 11:00 am hotel shuttle to Placa De Espana.  From there the plan was to take the metro to the Drassanes metro station, walk to the Columbus Monument and then take the Blue Bus to the port but it was pouring down rain.  Hard.  We hustled out of the shuttle and Mj waived down a cab so we could get out of the rain.  The cruise port was a mad house.  There were wet people running every where and wet luggage all over the place.  We could hardly find anyone to take our bags and when we did she just said to leave it there and someone would get it.  We ran inside to check in.  We got our sea pass cards, made our way onto the ship and this is when it felt like our vacation truly began.  We didn't have access to our room yet but we were able to eat which was just fine because we were starving.  We hit the buffet at Windjammer.

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Our cabin::One of the  most comfy beds I've ever slept in.

Excited to be on ship

After that we explored the ship; Royal Caribbean International Liberty of the Seas.  It's HUGE, like 3,500 people huge and really nice!  It's like it's own little city.  At around 3pm we were able to go to our room.  It's tiny but they do a great job of making sure that there is plenty of lighting and storage.  I had plenty of room for toiletries and there was room for our luggage.  The shower was tiny but even in the bathroom there was plenty of counter space and a little cabinet to put toiletries.  My luggage came first and I started unpacking.  Mj had some illegal alcohol he'd picked up abroad so his was confiscated and delayed.  He didn't get it until well after the emergency drill meeting.  By 5-6 pm I was really tired.  We took a nap and woke up in time for a welcome aboard variety show and then went to dinner at 8:30pm in the formal dining room.  After that we were ready for  bed.  The bed in our cabin was so comfortable and it's pitch black with the lights out so I slept good.  When we woke up the next morning we would be in France.

First Stop:  Aix En Provence, Italy

Area Rugs, Bar Stools and Floating Shelf

7'6" X  9'6"Hand Tufted Alexa Pino Floral Red Rug from Overstock.com

I'm still getting my Vacation posts together so for now I'll show you the new rugs we got before I left for vacation.  The red one for the dining room came in first.  Mj was gone and it's so heavy that I wasn't able to put it down for weeks until my family came down because I couldn't do it by myself.  It is so soft and thick.  It feels like really good quality.  The size was perfect.  All of our chairs fit with room to spare.

5 X 8 Damask Trellis Navy Blue Rug from Rugs USA

The blue one was on back order so it came about a week before I left for vacation.  We don't actually have any Navy Blue decor pieces so we weren't even sure how that would look but we loved the color and pattern.  We'll be adding some Blue to tie in with the rug but even as is it doesn't look out of place at all.  It's 100% wool so it's a bit itchy but I can still sit on it.  After we got the hardwoods our sectional was sliding all over the place but the rug keeps it in place perfectly.  Both were on sale.  The Blue one was $149 and the Red one was $227 and although at first I felt like it was kind of a lot of money for rugs after seeing them I can say it was definitely money well spent.   I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them both.  Sometimes I'm at a loss when it comes to decorating.  I see amazing pics and different pieces that I like and then I look at my house and can't quite figure out how to put it all together.  It's always so hard for me to tell if I'll really like something or just how it will fit into our decor based on the picture but I think we done good. . 

These are the bar height stools I finally picked out in March after the usual obsessing after we raised the counter.  I found them for a decent price at a Bar Stool store.  They were $149 each.  I thought the back of the chair would be higher then the counter.  It's not, but it's the right height and it still looks okay.  It's a perfect red.  Not too bright or too dark and fits in nicely with our color scheme.

These are the floating shelves that Mj finally got around to putting up.  He wasn't totally sold on it but I really wanted them and after they went up he liked them just as much as I did.  Our house has really been a work in progress.  We've been here for two years now and we still have some bare walls and empty shelves.  We still haven't painted any of our bathrooms or spare bedrooms.  They are still builder basic White and who knows when or if that will ever happen!  I hate painting.  We've taken care of the areas that matter most to us though and I like the way it's come together.

Some Post Vacation Confessions

I'm back!!  Did you miss me?  You don't have to answer that.  Thanks so much to Lauren and Janna for your great guest posts and everyone who read or commented on them.  Our vacation was amazing.  A lot did not go to plan but it truly was the European vacation that I've always dreamed of.  It was exciting, fun, beautiful, confusing and so much more.  I can't wait to blog about it and share all of my pictures.  In the meantime, here are some confessions for my first post back.

Snapshot from Amsterdam

I confess that I was a nervous wreck the night before I left.  Something about packing and trying to tie up lose ends just really puts me on edge.  I worry about EVERYTHING and it makes preparing for a trip very stressful.  Once I step out the door I'm fine because by that time what's done is done and I can't do anything about it but until that moment I'm a HOT MESS.

I confess that because I screwed up it cost me $165 bucks in parking fees.  The plan was to park at Mj's job for free and take a cab to the airport.  Six weeks prior when Mj left he told me which one to bring but I forgot and it wasn't until the night before amidst all of my pre trip anxiety that I was texting him to try to remember which one to bring.  I grabbed the wrong parking badge so I couldn't get in the gate and had to use airport parking.  Now that was an expensive mistake I really didn't need right now.  I suck.

Link up with Leslie on Friday's @A Blonde Ambition

I confess that of all of my hours of research and planning for the trip maybe about 60% was useful and helpful.

I confess that I am not one of those freaks of nature who manages to lose weight while on vacation.  As expected I gained but I had so much fun doing it that I don't even care.

I confess that I didn't work out not once while I was gone.  There was one day that I could've and Mj did but I was just too dang tired to bother.  I did work out first thing this morning.  Too little too late but better late then never right?

I confess that I spent a crap ton of money.  It was really fun getting screwed over by the Euro to Dollar conversion that does not work in our favor.   I pulled out 160 Euro's from the ATM and it showed up as $208 USD at my bank.

I confess that I have the most horrible sense of direction on the face of the planet.  I already knew this but going to Europe truly magnified it times 10.  Were it not for Mj I might still be wandering around Paris right now trying to figure out how to get back to our hotel.

I confess that I really didn't miss having my phone all that much.  Okay maybe a little bit.  Most of our hotels had free wi-fi so I did manage to catch up on blogs, post a few things on Facebook and delete some junk mail with my i phone.  It was nice being free from the chains of technology.

I confess that I have a ton of shows to catch up on in my DVR which means many, many hours catching up on the couch.  I have 10 episodes of House Hunters among many others.  Hmm...maybe I really do watch way too much TV.

I confess that 10 cities in 15 days is exhausting!!!  We were vagabonds; always on the move from ship to plane to countless train rides and 4 different hotels but it was so much fun.

I confess that I feel like I don't even know where to start in terms of recaps.  It's kind of daunting just thinking of writing about 15 days of travel.  I guess I'll just start at the beginning and once I get started everything else will follow.

I confess that I wrote this entire blog post standing up while still wearing my sweaty gym clothes and waiting for over 600 vacation photos to load.  I didn't really plan on posting so soon but here it is.  Guess I just can't stay away.

I confess that it's 7:30 pm in Europe right now and I kinda wish I was still there.

Guest Post: An 18 day Cruise

Hey, hey friends!

I'm Janna, and you can find me at Perception Is Everything.

As you all know, our lovely CeCe is off gallivanting in Europe, so I thought I would share about my trip to that beautiful part of the world. I'm hiding in CeCe's luggage, but sssshhh don't tell her.

A few years ago, my grandparents surprised my siblings and I by taking us to Europe for a WHOLE month! I must say, it was one of the best experiences of our lives....

It all began with a NEVER-ENDING flight from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Amsterdam, in The Netherlands in August of 2007, along with loss of sleep from our first major time zone change.

Next stop: NORWAY! 

Probably THE most breathtaking country I have ever been to.

We hopped on a 700 passenger cruise ship in Amsterdam, and it became our home for the next 18 days and three countries ;)

The waterfalls along the way were incredible...

And it just got better from there...

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After Norway and a jaunt into the Arctic Circle, we headed down to The Shetland Islands.  Where they really have those little Shetland ponies, by the way.

And then Scotland!

At the end of the 18 days, we were sad that our seaward journey had come to a close, but at least we still had a few more days to explore Amsterdam!

Our Hotel for the last week:

Die Port Van Cleve Hotel, Dam Square-Amsterdam

How gorgeous, RIGHT?  It was the old Heineken Brewery, until the brewery needed to expand.  It is definitely not a Holiday Inn or anything "Americans" are used to, but that's the charm of it...Over stuffed with furniture and no AC, it might dissuade some from staying here, but for the history, location and charm-we LOVED it!

How cool is this outdoor potty?  These were all over Amsterdam, and I was only sad that they didn't have anything for females.  In case you don't know- you have to pay to use public restrooms over there, so you need to have options like this!

As I mentioned, it was the time of our lives, which is what I'm sure CeCe is having right now!

Most importantly, she gets to be reunited with her MJ!!
We are both Military spouses, so I know just how amazing it is to reunite with our soldiers.
I know that I can't WAIT to hear the romantical stories and fabulous pictures that she will have.

Hurry home girl! Well, I know that you won't and shouldn't, but we MISS you!!

Cece's 2 cents:   Thank you Janna for this great post  I love it!  Those pictures are so beautiful.  What an amazing unforgettable vacation.  That is so cool that you got to do this with your family.  I'll be very interested to see those outdoor potties when we get to Amsterdam.  How random is that?  And yes, I do miss you all too!  Logging into Blogger every morning is such an enjoyable part of my routine but clearly it's nice to be unplugged for a while seeing the world...instead of a computer monitor. 

Guest Post: Places I want to Visit

Hello, Friends! I’m Lauren and I blog over at Choosing Joy! I’m here today to talk to you about some of the places that I most want to travel to, while CeCe is away vacationing in beautiful Europe!  My fiance, Brian, has traveled so much during his life. I, on the other hand, have not. At least, not before we met. After meeting Brian, I have definitely expanded my horizons a bit, and traveled to places I probably never would have otherwise, and it's been an amazing experience. I would love to travel more, and we have plans to visit quite a few more places within the next few years. Here is a list of some of the top places I would most like to visit...

1. Maine

Maine is probably the place I would like to visit the most. Brian's family has gone many times, and I've heard so many good things about this place - including the cuisine. I've never had lobster in my life, but am definitely planning on trying it when Brian and I make a stop here on our honeymoon! Besides this, I'd love to see some of the surrounding states, and Canada, since they are so easy to get to from Maine.

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2. Shenandoah National Park

Earlier this year (during late winter), my fiance and I took a trip to Virginia to spend the weekend at Shenandoah National Park. It was absolutely beautiful, and is the best vacation I've ever been on thus far. I would love to return again during the spring when the trees are in full bloom, and there is more green than brown, and when we can go hiking without freezing. I can only imagine how breathtaking the views would be during the warmer months. Next time we go here, I'd love to see Monticello, since it's fairly close to Skyline Drive, and I've never been there before.

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3. Hawaii

I'm not sure this one really needs any explanation. Hawaii is beautiful. Simple as that. For years, I have wanted to visit Hawaii and travel The Road to Hana. There is so much I want to do in Hawaii, I'm hoping this will be a long vacation! The beaches look so beautiful and peaceful - have you ever seen waters so clear?

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Cece's 2 Cents:  Thanks for the Post Lauren!  I haven't been to Maine or Shenandoah but I have been to Hawaii.  We went to Oahu for our honeymoon and I can honestly say it is as beautiful as that picture.  Actually, pictures really don't do it justice.  What, Europe didn't make the list?  Maybe I can convince you to add it after I get back and post a million recaps and pics about my trip.