~*Lou*~

Mykonos cont. - Pedro the Pelican

View from the ship while anchored at Mykonos - all that blue sea

Mykonos

Map of Katakolon (from guest services on deck 5)

Olympic stadium

This is where the Olympic flame is lit every 4 years

This is the view of Katakolon from the ship - can you see an orange building in the middle of the photo, to the left of the other ship in port? that's where we met the Katakolon Express bus.

Mini golf on deck 15

Soccer on deck 16

View over the front of the ship from deck 11

16 Flavours of gelato at the Mojito Bar on deck 13

Kids menu from MDR

Cabin 11012 on MSC Poesia (internal quad share)

Bari Old Town

Tight fit getting out of Port of Bari

Sail away party

This is the map of Bari - MSC post this at Guest Services on level 5 each day, with photocopies available to pick up and take with you

View of Bari Old Town taken from on board - its not an exciting walk but unless you really can't walk far, you do not need to pay for the shuttle bus

I'm trying to upload photos but Photobucket isn't cooperating tonight. Here is MSC Poesia in Katakolon.

This is 11012 on MSC Poesia - I definitely recommend splitting the lower bed into twin beds to maximise floor space to move around the cabin.

That's the whole trip. I will get to uploading photos in the next few days.

Wednesday 17 May

We started the day with the short walk to the shops under Zurich Hauptbahnhof for rolls, cheese, ham and apples for lunch, then took tram number 6 to the Zurich Zoo. We spent about 5 hours there, saw almost every animal, it was a warm day (got above 25 deg and was sunny all day) and was not flat! Children very much enjoyed it.

Back on the tram back to city centre, then started the walk down Bahnhofstrasse and toward the old town, up to Lindenhof for view over River Limmat, then down back to Bahnhofstrasse - children had an ice cream from a Movenpick cart and I had a cold chocolate milk from Cafe Sprungli with its windows and cabinets of decadent treats.

Continued on down to Lake Zurichsee, where my daughter spotted white swans and ducks.

Back into the Old Town (children complaining about more walking now), and into the Grossmunster. I put children in the first pew I found and told them to sit down, fortunately it was nice and cool in there, I asked the children to start to tell me which colours they could see in the stain glass windows, then my husband said there was a bell tower we could climb. My son asked if it was stone and crumbly, he meant old sunken stone steps, my husband said yes, the children’s faces lit up immediately, and practically bounced all the 187 stone steps up to an excellent view.

There are a lot of fountains in Zurich and they are all free and excellent tasting drinking water, we had been filling our drinks bottles up with them. So now the next game was spot the next fountain, and of course they all look different. One with two seals around the corner from our hotel.

Early dinner at Zeughhauskeller on Bahnhofstrasse then wander back to hotel through another square with another fountain, this square was being used for a mass yoga class in the setting sun! And bit more along the river and of the old town.

Thursday 18 May

Early start for a quick trip to the shops under Zurich Hauptbahnhof for lunch supplies and to board the 7.07am train from Zurich to Chur, passing the lovely scenery of Lake Zurichsee.

Changed at Chur to the Bernina Express, we had a reservation in one of the panoramic carriages. This was a 4 hour scenic trip to Tirano over the Bernina Pass. Highest altitude was at Ospizio Bernina at 2,253m, and we stopped at Alp Grum (altitude 2,091m) briefly for photos. There was plenty of snow and a frozen lake at the higher altitudes. The trip finished with the Brusio Circular (spiral) Viaduct and the train travelling through the streets of Tirano.

At Tirano we changed to a regional Italian train to Milan, passing Lake Como. At Milan we made the final change for the day, to Italy's Frecciarossa (red arrow), and travelled up to 220kph into Venice Santa Lucia Train Station, arriving at 6.40pm. A very nice way to finish 9 train rides in 4 days. (ICE was probably most comfortable and Bernina express the most scenic).

Monday 15 May

Early start for the 8.04am Eurostar train from St Pancras to Brussels (check in is 30 mins before than departure). On board during the journey the children did homework, visited the cafe and ate Bertie Botts Every Flavour Jelly Beans (purchased from the Platform 9 &3/4 shop at Kings Cross on Saturday). We crossed the road outside Brussel Midi station and left our suitcases at the hotel across the road from the station, then took an Intercity train to Bruges.

Walked into town past Minnewater canal, took a canal boat tour, climbed the Belfry (all 366 steps), was at the top of the Belfry when the enormous bell struck 3pm, enjoyed waffles, frites, chocolate, wandering round the pretty streets and along Canals and through squares.

Back to the train station, this time we had a new doubledecker Intercity train back to Brussels, and had dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Tuesday 16 May

8.24am ICE train from Brussels to Cologne - the nicest train we've been on so far, reached speeds of 247kph on our journey, more comfy than Eurostar. Changed at Cologne, popped outside station to look at cathedral while we waited for our connecting train, a EuroCity service to Zurich. Unfortunately the usually super-efficient German train service let us down with a 45 min delay and halfway through the 6 hour trip the air conditioning broke, we changed carriages twice searching for more comfortable seats (with 2 suitcases in tow). And we tried to have a meal in the restaurant car, but all the pasta was sold out (the only things that appealed to the children) so all up it felt a long slog into Zurich. The short section through the Rhine valley was spectacular with lots of castles to see.

Finally arrived in Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main train station) at 5.30pm, found hotel, checked in, had pizza locally, walked across river to check out shops under the train station and back to the hotel to bed.

Sunday 14 May

Happy Australian Mother's Day to me!

We did a 10am London Walk this morning - Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, along Whitehall, past Downing St, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, St James Park, Horse Guards Parade, and the start of changing of the guard. Saw squirrels in St James Park as well as up close with 3 of the 4 pelicans (non native) and black swans (also not native) that live in St James Park. My daughter got to feed mints to two police horses as we walked through Horse Guards Parade.

Sandwich lunch at Covent Garden, then I took the children to The London Transport Museum, which they enjoyed, climbing on and off old buses and tube carriages,then they had an ice cream in Covent Garden plaza, before taking the last tube ride of this trip, back to the hotel. Refunded Oyster card credit.

Dinner at Pizza Express under our hotel. My son watched the Spanish Grand Prix live from his hotel bed!

Saturday 13 May

Today was a much better pace for the children. We took the Tube to South Kensington where we met my cousin & her family. Together we visited the Natural History Museum (unfortunately the main hall was being restored but we could still see the main dinosaur displays and other animals), then a brief visit to the Science Museum. We walked up to Kensington Gardens and all the way to top corner to the Diana Memorial Playground which was huge and fabulous. My cousin had brought a picnic for our lunch, and we all had ice creams, and a bit more play.

We started to walk back through Kensington Gardens, and then said goodbye, before heading toward the Diana Memorial Fountain and the Serpentine and through Hyde Park to Hyde Park corner.

My husband took the tired children back to the hotel by tube for some quiet time(iPad/Tv), while I jumped on a bus to Oxford St to look at Marks and Spencer,and walk through Selfridges before taking a bus back to the hotel.

We walked across to Kings Cross Station to look at the brick wall between platform 4 and 5 where they filmed platform 9 and 3/4 in the first HP movie, then round the corner to the tourist trap platform 9 & 3/4 shop (children each got a keyring for their school bags). Walked as far as the Granery, a new space, mostly bars, just over Regents Canal, in previously disused warehouse/train yard space, fascinating regeneration. Back to a restaurant opposite Kings Cross for dinner.

Friday 12 May

Today my husband headed to Westminster Abbey, so I took the children to Piccadilly Circus where we walked to Waterstones (largest book store in Britain or Europe depending on what you read), and bought them a book each with the pocket money Grandma had generously had given each of them. Then further along Piccadilly to walk through the Burlington Arcade and Piccadilly Arcade, then Fortnum & Mason (bought tea for Grandma and a small treat for each child), then along to Green Park.

Found a park bench in Green Park to sit and eat the treats, then continue down to Buckingham Palace. They were just starting the changing of the guards so we watched some foot soldiers & mounted guards go past, then over and into St James Park. Found birds and squirrels, and admired the view from the bridge back to Buckingham Palace.

My husband joined us, we walked on to Westminster Pier, and to the ferry to Greenwich, my son rated the 40 minute ferry ride down the Thames as one of his highlights.

At Greenwich we visited the Chapel, unfortunately the painted hall was under restoration and we couldn't see anything. Quickly visited the Queens House, then walked up to Royal Observatory for the view back over London. We kept going through Greenwich Park to the deer enclosure, saw more squirrels, then returned through the park down eventually to Greenwich Market - snack of churros & ice cream.

Then we took the DLR back to central London (my son’s face when he realised there was no driver & we were sitting in the very front seats was priceless) & onto the National Portrait Gallery to see some old kings and queens (just like in the Charlie and Lola goes to London book), before taking the tube to the hotel,dinner, and bed. Very footsore! In hindsight crammed too much (on foot, particularly for the children) into one day.

Thursday 11 May

Today we took the tube to the Tower of London. We had a tour with a Yeoman guard, then visited the Crown Jewels and the White Tower. Had some lunch then walked the walls and visited another couple of towers, and the ravens.

Then we went to find the route 15 bus, which is primarily a tourist route from Tower Hill to Trafalgar Square run by Routemasters, including some original RMs. We got off at Monument station and walked up to find Leadenhall Market and the shop front(now an optometrist) used to film the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in the first Harry Potter film (my children are fans of the books).

Onto another bus over London Bridge and walked through Borough Market to find the shop front used where the Knight Bus stopped in the third HP film. And bought some chocolate... for me ... and ice creams for the children. And apple and cucumber for healthy snacks!

Back onto bus 15, this time an original RM! And we sat up top near the front, all the way to Trafalgar Square. We walked up to find Cecil Court, to see the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the HP books, and while I was telling the children about this a passing man pointed out Goodwins Court opposite and advised we explore that too, for its shop windows and gas lights.

Back to Trafalgar Square and onto bus 11 along Whitehall to Big Ben. We watched it strike 5pm, then walked south over Westminster Bridge, along the South Bank to Lambeth B ridge (where the Knight Bus squeezed between two Muggle buses in the third HP movie), then jumped on a bus to Victoria and took the tube back to the hotel for dinner. Very foot sore!

After dinner my husband popped across the road from the hotel to make a quick visit to the British Library (just enough time for a quick visit to the Treasures Room, it closed at 8pm) while I bathed the children.

Wednesday 10 May

We left my brother’s house at 9am, and by 11am we were walking up the steps from the Underground to the foot of Nelson's Column, in the sunshine, after taking the Heathrow Express and two tubes, leaving our bags at the hotel across the road from St Pancras station, and one more tube to Charing Cross.

After the children ran round and tried to climb on the 4 bronze lions, we found the HOHO bus. For some reason the traffic was particularly bad and it took longer than it should for a bus to show, and then took more than two hours to get from Trafalgar Square to Big Ben, via Marble Arch and Victoria, and bypassing Buckingham Palace which the children had been looking forward to (should have taken less than an hour). Children wriggly and not paying any attention to what we were seeing and proclaiming bus to be horrible.

Off the bus at Houses of Parliament, after a frantic search for a toilet for one child(eventually paid 50p to use toilets at Westminster underground station, almost all toilets in London require payment now), somehow in search for lunch that was acceptable to both children, we wound up walking back to Trafalgar Square,and all tempers were frayed.

After food,we walked along The Strand, to pick up the HOHO bus at Aldwych, now there was a better flow of traffic though the City to Tower Hill but we were getting short on time to get back to the London Eye for our 5.15pm booking, eventually jumping off bus at Temple and taking the tube 2 stops to Westminster and across Westminster Bridge under Big Ben to the Eye.

After queuing for and riding the Eye, we took the HOHO bus across Waterloo Bridge to where we had earlier got on at Aldwych, then walked through to Covent Garden tube and took a crowded peak-hour tube back to Kings Cross St Pancras. Checked in to hotel, dinner at Pizza Express downstairs, walked over to St Pancras to walk through shops, then bed.

Children did cope really well with crowds on the street, and tube (noisy and peak hour crowds).

Monday 8 May

Better sleep overnight all round. Day started grey & cold. Drove down to the New Forest and visited Beaulieu Motor Museum.Children enjoyed the cars and also running round the abbey ruins and the kitchen gardens. Then across to Bucklers Hard for a pub lunch on the river in the sun but also cold wind. Saw New Forest wild horses, donkeys and cows on the sides of the road to the children's delight.

After lunch we drove to the New Forest Wildlife Park, where we saw owls, otters, deer,bison, ferrets, harvest mice, polecats, Scottish wildcats, lynx, wallabies, mouflon & wolves. Seeing the otters being fed and viewing snowy owls sitting on eggs were highlights.

Tuesday 9 May

Off to Hampton Court Palace today. We toured the main parts of the building -kitchens, Henry VIII's state apartments, King William III's apartment and the Georgian story (my daughter’s favourite), before lunch with my aunt and uncle in the HCP cafe. After lunch we ran the children around the extensive grounds -the maze, wilderness, rose garden, the great fountain garden, the privy garden,and the pond garden. Quick drive down the road to have a short walk in the Home Park and see some of the 300 deer who live there.

Sunday 7 May

One child was awake at 2.45am, thanks to lovely jet lag, and didn't get back to sleep.The other one slept to 6am and both children felt much brighter than the night before & tummies had settled overnight.

After breakfast we headed for Windsor Castle under grey skies and feeling cold. I had pre-purchased tickets online which was an advantage when we arrived just minutes after the castle opened for the day to find queues for tickets winding down the road while we got to walk right in. Collected free audio guides and explored the castle, starting with noticing the Royal Standard flag flying high above the Round Tower which meant the Queen was in (presumably having a quiet day). Children really liked the garden laid out in the moat round the RoundTower, and seeing the arrow loops & battlements of their first real castle.Through the State Apartments including Queen Mary's Dolls' House, a highlightfor my daughter. As we walked past St. George's Chapel the sun came out &we saw some guardsmen on parade.

Walked round to the main gate & looked down the Long Walk of Great Windsor Park (we would be at the other end of this later in the day). Sandwich lunch in Windsor then we walked down to the Thames River, past the Diamond Jubilee fountain, to find the Queen’s white swans.Children fed swans & ducks, had an ice cream then walked a little further along the river and looked across at Eton.

Back to the car then up to the Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede. This included amazing views of Windsor Castle and across to Heathrow and beyond to the city skyline of London. Then across to Bishopsgate of Great Windsor Park, and a walk up to the bronze horse - the statue of King George III, and more fabulous views of Windsor Castle back along the Long Walk. Quick drink at the Fox and Hound pub outside Bishopsgate.

Grabbed some food for dinner, back to my brother’s house, dinner, shower &bed. One child was asleep by 7.30 after barely finishing dinner - no surprise given he had been awake so early, and we’d done a lot of walking. The other child was asleep before 8.30pm.

Friday 5-Saturday 6 May 2017

After a normal day of work & school, we had dinner at home, then took an Uber to the airport. The check in staff member was surprised how light our bags were - I deliberately packed light to make moving our bags round easier especially on days when we had to change trains or transfer from one place to another (I’m quite prepared to do handwashing so I can pack less clothing) – we checked in with 2 suitcases weighing a total of 19kg.

The children accidentally banged heads in the departure lounge resulting in my daughter having a blood nose – once I mopped her up, calmed her down and changed her shirt, we thought we were ready to board. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 10.55pm however after a delay for engine maintenance, we left at 2.30am. This was a rough start to a very long flight (Melbourne to London via Dubai). The 7yo got a reasonable amount of sleep while the 9yo had very little sleep,however both children unexpectedly suffered from travel sickness. We eventually arrived at Heathrow at 4.30pm Saturday, more than two hours later than scheduled. Customs, bag collection, then out to Arrivals to meet my brother. We headed for his home, near Windsor and close to the airport, had a quick explore& unpacked. He took my husband and my son for a short walk, then one child had a small bowl of cereal for dinner while the other skipped dinner, and after a shower they were both asleep by 8.30pm.

QUEENP - I'll post the first 2 weeks of England & trains across Europe in a couple of days. Also I will get to photos ... soon ... still sorting them out!

CROSEN2 - sorry no MDR menus, we only ate there once and I didn't think to take a picture of the main menu - just the Kids one - which I will post in the next couple of days once I get organised with sorting & downloading!

MRSFITZ - from memory the vaporetto ride from the main train station to P. San Marco was half an hour for no 2 (the express one) and allow 45 mins for no 1, which stops all stations (so to speak).

And this should be the last 3 days.

MSC Poesia 25052017.pdf

MSC Poesia 26052017.pdf

MSC Poesia 27052017.pdf

And this should be the next 3 days.

MSC Poesia 22052017.pdf

MSC Poesia 23052017.pdf

MSC Poesia 24052017.pdf

Hopefully I have attached these files ok - should be the daily program for the first two days.

MSC Poesia 20052017.pdf

MSC Poesia 21052017.pdf

Venice Marco Polo airport is currently being renovated and its messy. Our ship arrived at 9am, we were given 10am disembarkation time, it was 10.30am before we were called and 10.50am before we were off (based on cabin number and if you had a ship transfer booked or not), it was after 12pm before we got to airport (we did walk to People Mover then take local bus from P. Roma to airport, there are faster ways).

Bit more detail in my cruise review here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?t=2506253

Hope that helps

Lou