It was very nice to be able to unpack fully and into a closet. You can only live out of a suit case for so long before it starts getting to you. We spend the first day on the ship getting settled and familiarized with our surroundings. I took Mia swimming, which can be quite interesting on a boat because the water in the pool moves with the boat creating small waves. This cruise is quite different that the others I have been on. First, I am here only with my family and not my extended family. Second, the purpose for this cruise is to sightsee and so there is a much older crowd on board. For our first stop we went to a little sea side town in France. Once again switching languages from Italian to Spanish to French was very confusing. We walked around and saw our first shopping mall in a month plus. We bought table cloths and crepes and let me just say it was a very French day. They only thing I was missing was an accent. Once we were back on the ship mom and dad raced off to work out and I took Mia to decorate cupcakes.
The next day was a trip to Florence. I woke up and was not feeling well at all. I stayed on board while the rest of my family went and explored Florence. This was rather frustrating. I despise being sick on vacation but it happens to at least one family member every time. There is very little I can say about this day aside from I slept and prayed that I would be better by the next day. Our housekeeper, Jose, couldn’t have been sweeter. He checked on me several times that day and even a few days he would ask me how I was feeling. He just got back from his two months off. These people work so hard! He has children at home that he never gets to see. He sends money home to his children so they can have a better life. He lived on the fourth deck, which is rather rocky, and he takes the time to learn my name and check on me to see if I am feeling alright.
Although I was not better I decided to go into Rome anyway. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea ever but I did it anyway. Dad went on an extensive ten hour tour to see as much of Rome as he possibly could in the one day while the girls took a train into town and went shopping. Mother and I had already seen all of the sights and Mia simply wouldn’t have done it. We didn’t really buy anything but it was a fun thing to do in any case.
Next stop, Naples! Though out my entire time in Italy everyone told me that Naples was a dirty city and you were likely to be robed there. So I was a little skeptical to go there. The four of us got off the boat and walked to a museum where they keep the artifacts of Pompeii and I found that Naples is no dirtier that most of the cities in the US. I didn’t really feel uncomfortable but I always kept my guard up. The Museum held some very cool artifacts that helped me picture day to day life in Pompeii before the eruption. These finds have dramatically helped historians piece together the past. After lunch we headed to Pompeii a second time so that Mia and Dad could see it. I didn’t mind at all because we saw plenty of stuff that I had not seen before and it is just such a cool place. Once back on board mom and dad went to work out and I forced Mia to work on her homework. As a reward we all went swimming and then went to a magic show!
