Touring Rome for Canada Day

Hello eveyone,

I will be a tour escort for a Vatican City and Rome tour tomorrow.

Happy Canada Day everyone.

Breaking the bank at Monte Carlo

Who's bank is supposed to break, mine or the casinos?

Today we were in Villefranche, which is located between Nice, and Monaco in the south of France.

I was escorting my first tour since I started this contract. The tour was Monaco, Monte Carlo, and the Grand Casino.

Monaco is the second smallest country in the world, after The Vatican City. And is home to the worlds richest people. There are no income taxes in Monaco so all the rich people want to live there as a tax dodge. I was told that apartments are the most expensive in the world, at $100,000 per square meter. And you wont even be considered to be allowed to live there unless you make at least 4,000,000 euros per year.

Monaco is an area of the city, as well as its capital. It was the first part that was built upon, and is where the Royal palace is located. As well as the cathedral, and Monaco's Oceanographic Museum & Aquarium, where Jacques Cousteau was director from 1957.

Monte Carlo is a separate area of Monaco, and is where the grand casino is located.

The Grand Casino was built by the same architect as the Paris Opera House, and is very similar in style. The Casino is actually very small, and even the smaller casinos of Vancouver would be larger then this one. But what it lacks in size it makes up for it in over the top style, and very high table limits.

I played only the slot machines, and video poker, and I was up a few euros at one point, but it never lasts, and I didn't make any fortunes this day. I watched some of the high rollers play some roulette and blackjack, and one guy won a big amount of money on roulette and was paid out with those big rectangle chips.

The outside of the casino is where all the really expensive cars are parked, apparently you must pay the valet 50 euros to park you car for you.

We had to park our tour bus down a was in a underground car park. And we walked up along the path that hosts the Monaco Grand Prix, and also the first leg of this years Tour de France, which will start in a few days.

Taking the train to Florence

Today a group of us took the long trip into Florence. By shuttle bus, public bus, and train. It took us 2 hours to get into the city. But we had a good amount of time once we got there.
I still remember my way around the old town after 6 years since I was last there.
We went from the train station to the Duomo, Super busy with tourists and it will only get worse as the summer gets on. I wanted to climb to the top of the Duomo, but unfortunately it was closed until later in the day. I will have to leave that for next time.
After that we went to the City Hall building where the copies of the famous statues are kept, including Michelangelo's David. We didn't have enough time to go into the museums, and see the real ones.After that we went to the Ponto Vecchio, and walked across looking for lunch.

We found a place that was a little way of the main streets.I ordered a seafood pasta, that was very good.Once we were done, there wasn't much time left before we needed to be back at the train station, just enough time for a gelato.The train ride back was good for a quick nap. Then jaming ourselves onto a bus back to where our shuttle bus was wating to take us back to the ship. It was a lot of traveling and I appreciate traveling on a cruise ship so much more. So much effort to get to place to place, when all i do is go to sleep and wake up in a new city.

Lunch in Naples

Today we are in Naples, home of the worlds best pizza.

The pizzas are baked in wood fired ovens, and follow strict guidelines that have them made that same way as over 150 years ago. There are only 2 types of pizza available. Pizza margarita; tomato, olive oil,basil, and mozzarella and pizza marinara; tomato, olive oil, basil.

Large pizza for 4.50 Euros.

We didn't go to the oldest pizzeria in Naples, but it was definitely close, opened in 1870. The inside is basic red and white tile, and just a few tables.

We each ordered a large pizza for ourselves, and within minutes they all had arrived.

I ordered a double mozzarella margarita pizza.

The margarita pizza was invented in 1889, in honour of a visit to Naples by the Queen of Italy, Queen Margarita. It is made to resemble the flag if Italy, red white and green.

Very good lunch, I will have to compare the other top rated pizzerias in Naples next time.

Day In Santorini

Today our ship was in the post of Santorini.

Santorini is a island that has a volcano at its center.3,600 years ago it erupted and destroyed the cities that occupied the island. Now many towns are built right into the cliff side.

A group of us took a taxi to a beach on the outer side of the island. There is a bar with a nice swimming pool that it seems a lot of the staff know about as there were many of us there. The ocean is not too cold but as the summer goes on I'm sure it will get a lot warmer.

For lunch I had Gyros, done the way you can only get in Europe, with the french fries wrapped together with the pita. Very tasty and very cheap, just 2 euros.

I didn't have time to take the standard pictures you always see in Santorini of the white roofs of the buildings on the cliff side, looking down into the center lagoon, but I will have many more times to get them.

here is a sock image for now.

One week in Europe

Sorry for the lack of posts during the first week. I'm settled in and back in the swing of cruising life.

Things are similar to my last ship; the ITV system is basically the same and for the most part is running well. I have had lots of training the last week. Same old stuff that I did last contract, but they want everyone to hear it all again.

So far I have only had time to go into port in Venice. Our ship runs shuttle boats from where we dock and drops us off in St. Marc's Square, right in the best part of Venice. As we got there the front of the Cathedral had a crowd around it and in a few minutes a procession of priests and other associated entourage paraded out and around the square.

We went for dinner in a restaurant nearby, that other crew had been to and recommended. I ordered a pizza, and I wish the cooks at the pizza station on the ship could learn to make them like that. So good, and I love the thin crust.

Our sail away from Venice was amazing, we sailed from the cruise port, and then along the bottom of the city. Right past St. Marc's Square, and all the gondoliers. It was a really cool way to see the lagoon, and parts of the city I have never seen before.

Many people from my last ship are on this one, so I already knew people when I got here.

Today we are at sea sailing to Santorini, Greece. And tomorrow I hope to get some beach time.

This Yacht that was in port as we left Venice called the Maltese Falcon is one if the biggest privetly owned yachts in the world and also one of the most technologically advanced. Using atomated sails and computer aided piloting contols. And its for sale for only $150,000,000. Or you can rent it for only $300,000 per week.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Maltese_Falcon_(yacht)

Check back often for more update, and tell everyone else that im back.

Pittsburg wins game 7

Just watched game seven of the Stanley cup finals.

Hurray for Pittsburgh for winning 2-1.

And hurray for Fox Sports for showing the game in Europe for me.

Season 2: Euro Trip

Hello everyone,

Thank you for joining me for my second contract, and my adventures around the Mediterranean.

I arrived in Athens the other day, and am now aboard the Summit.
This ship is basically the same layout as my old ship the Millennium. But the Summit is a few years newer and it definitely looks it.

We are at sea today and will be in Croatia tomorrow then Venice for 2 nights the day after.

Well I guess that it for now. Check back often for more updates. And tell anyone who is interested that im back and posting again.

Here we go again.

I am just a few days away from starting my second contract working on a cruise ship.

I will be flying to Athens Greece and then joining my ship there the next morning.

This contract will take my through the Mediterranean to some of my favorite places i have been before and some new places I have always wanted to go to.

Check in often and I will take you on a tour around Europe.