ollienbertsmum

Not sure about transport as it was over ten yrs ago.    I think we must have used the ship shuttle to the old town then we took public transportation to the beach.  It was in July.    I would recommend  La lonja de la seda - quite special. 

On 7/18/2023 at 10:50 PM, singinalot said:

 

we’ll be there mid-August and I am definitely watching those temps 👀

I was looking through old photos of trips (sorting the files out).  One thing I noticed was that youngest  and I bought a couple of parasols. It made so much difference.  You could just as easily carry an umbrella.  

I have no idea what to advise.  

9 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Good morning.

It is currently 62°F and raining heavily here.

I hope everyone is safe and well and looking forward to having a great day.

 

 

I think right now that is the weather we are all craving.  

3 minutes ago, DaniDanielle said:

Nine years ago today we lost my mom to an awful accident.  She was 91 and in great shape, still driving and going to Atlantic City with us.  She, easily, would have made it to 100😢

So sad for you.

7 hours ago, h20skibum said:

That must be a thing this year (cars and garage doors).  My son was in a rush 3 months ago to load up and take my grandson to camp at school.  He left the rear trunk up on his Tesla X, and crushed the deck lid and garage door that was up at the time.  
 

Garage door is fixed, but he is still waiting on a new deck lid for his Tesla.  That is one expensive part.

ouch

On 7/15/2023 at 3:59 PM, RBCal said:

Is Ajaccio incredibly crowded and the Musee Fesch mobbed during port days?  Private tours are insanely expensive and hoping to DIY.  The hop on hop off 'train' bus looks to be fun but I worry if I hop off I won't be able to hop back on if Ajaccio is mobbed with tourists.

I cannot recall how many ships were in when we used the train back in 2012.  We didn’t  have to worry about not getting back on though.  We took the train that went on a single route along the coastline.  We got off at a Napoleon monument and then at the end stop.  Train gave us a time to explore, get back on the train (same seatS) and then continued the journey.  It was a nice little outing.   Not sure about timings of queues to actually get on,  I am sure that we would not have queued.  

I have read that there is a route that tours the town.  Ajaccio is walkable. 

There are mixed reviews on Trip Advisor - I found a few photos of the trip to give you an idea.  

8 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I have enjoyed photography for a long time.  I also have used Photoshop since the 90s to retouch.  I have been going through old pics which I may overshare.  In 2006 a friend wanted me to retouch some of the photos he took while visiting Cambodia.  Here is one of the originals.

 

I wanted to surprise him by removing all the people from his temple picture.  Back then it was not an easy task but once started I would be determined to get it done.  It took hours to get it right.  Here was the finished product from 2006.

 

I was curious how long it would take me with Photoshop now.  A reminder, a lot is new to me now so if I try this a few months from now it would probably take half the time but I spent about 30 minutes on the original today and this is how it came put.  So fun.

That is amazing.  I love the way you have changed the sky too.  

My only experience of removing objects was when youngest was called to the bar and her boyfriend took photos.  He didn’t notice that besside her was one of those yellow slippery surface warnings that cleaners leave around.  I found a free app that did a bit of a removal job.  Nothing as smart at this.  

11 hours ago, singinalot said:

ok, all, I've been asked by a couple of people whether I'll be doing a trip report from Istanbul, Cappadocia, Rome, Positano & Florence next month.  My questions to you guys are: 1) do people actually want this given that once again it's not a cruise 2) if so, should I do a semi live or a full report at the end like I used to do? 3) do I post from the Turkey port forum on cc?

I love as much as you have time to share.  Vicarious travelling is not quite as good as the real thing, but I enjoy it. 

I was randomly trying to find something on tv to pass the time while i was checking my emails.  I found Joseph’s amazing technicolor dreamcoat (Donny Osmond was Joseph).   It reminded me of why this thread was started.  We used to have free streaming of plays and musicals to keep us entertained. Joseph was one of the shows i watched.   I loved this endeavor, but really such a long time ago.  How far we have come. 
 

I have been through Malaga airport several times this year.  No mention of COVID.  No mention at the Gibraltar Spain border either.    I cannot recall the last time I travelled and COVID was an issue.  Was it 2022?  

First I think I didn’t post properly and then twice.  Sorry.  

7 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I have to agree that swimming in the  Med is a good way to spend a couple of hours on a port day.  For me it is preferable to trying to squeeze into the pool on the ship.  When we used to go in the middle of the summer it never failed to amaze me how families seemed unprepared for the fact that there are beaches in Med ports.    I have seen numerous children from ships who end up bathing in their underwear.  I used to wear my bikini under my day wear when I knew that a swim might be an option, I also always carry one of those very light travel towels in my bag.  I do always run for the shade, but we have never stayed long enough to need an umbrella or beach beds.  

 

What I am trying to say is that I do not think you need to spend a whole day at the beach, in some port stops you could have a lie in,  do a wander around a port and still have time to relax and swim.  

 

Cannes is a place that we have stopped for a dip, we have also had nice swims in Palma, Civitavecchia (although swim shoes to cope with the rocks are needed), Valencia, Ajaccio, Cagliari and Capri.   We could easily have bathed in Sorrento but chose to eat a pizza instead! 

 

The picture below is however in Cannes from our trip mid July 2011.  The weather was not for bathing, we were actually lucky that the tenders were running.   It does show some of the facilities.  These cheaper beds are situated  along La Croisette.  The first beach clubs are supposedly expensive.  We never asked how much.  

 

One of our trips to Cannes was in November.  Obviously not beach weather either but we took a boat trip to Ile St Marguerite.  That would be a place for bathing in the summer.  

I have been on a quest to tidy up my photo album since retiring at the end of last august.  Today I have come across photos from exactly ten years ago.  This is me on the very pebbly beach at Capri while waiting for the ferry to take us back to Naples.  It was hot but a good day.  Capri is beautiful (I know this is the France board, but I thought it was appropriate given the thread). 

On 7/15/2023 at 1:22 AM, tony s said:

Credit card friendly. Mainly Visa or Mastercard not so much Discover or Amex 

I know this is true, but i still always ask if I know the card is my only form of payment.  I always think ‘what if the machine is not working today’.  It has never been the case though! 

On 7/14/2023 at 6:35 PM, KJMommy04 said:

I actually completely agree with you! I am notorious for giving no rest days when we travel, and my kids know this. (Last summer we spent two weeks in the UK and Ireland and I apparently wore everyone out.😆 ) However, I feel like swimming in the Med is an experience they need to have. Perhaps we can do a half-day tour in Cannes and spend a few hours at the beach in the afternoon. Thank you for your input!

I have to agree that swimming in the  Med is a good way to spend a couple of hours on a port day.  For me it is preferable to trying to squeeze into the pool on the ship.  When we used to go in the middle of the summer it never failed to amaze me how families seemed unprepared for the fact that there are beaches in Med ports.    I have seen numerous children from ships who end up bathing in their underwear.  I used to wear my bikini under my day wear when I knew that a swim might be an option, I also always carry one of those very light travel towels in my bag.  I do always run for the shade, but we have never stayed long enough to need an umbrella or beach beds.  

What I am trying to say is that I do not think you need to spend a whole day at the beach, in some port stops you could have a lie in,  do a wander around a port and still have time to relax and swim.  

Cannes is a place that we have stopped for a dip, we have also had nice swims in Palma, Civitavecchia (although swim shoes to cope with the rocks are needed), Valencia, Ajaccio, Cagliari and Capri.   We could easily have bathed in Sorrento but chose to eat a pizza instead! 

The picture below is however in Cannes from our trip mid July 2011.  The weather was not for bathing, we were actually lucky that the tenders were running.   It does show some of the facilities.  These cheaper beds are situated  along La Croisette.  The first beach clubs are supposedly expensive.  We never asked how much.  

One of our trips to Cannes was in November.  Obviously not beach weather either but we took a boat trip to Ile St Marguerite.  That would be a place for bathing in the summer.  

On 7/7/2023 at 5:57 PM, Jenmars23 said:

If I am going to do walk off with a 6am arrival time, what time should I book my car service?

You don’t need to book.  Taxis are plentiful at the cruise port in Barcelona.  I think you could slow yourself down by trying to work out the meeting point.  

If we are trying to get off early, we take snacks to our room the day before.  One person has gone to the buffet to get coffees but this avoids the breakfast queues which  can really slow you down. 

On 7/12/2023 at 4:12 AM, jlovely said:

Nothing worse than the pickpockets all around Italy and Greece. Just be smart, use a crossbody in front of you, don't leave your bag on the back of a chair or on the floor, etc, etc. 

Being smart - so important.  

About ten years ago on the BCN metro system I noted how the local women were sitting with bags held tightly on their laps.  The train was not really that busy, they were clearly just used to it.  

I hope that we all stay safe, but do not let these stories of thieves take away the joy of travelling. 

Your question was “was it worth it”.  I have been into the Basilica a couple of times.  I think going into the Basilica was more impressive than the towers. I reallly remember the former, not got much of a recall of the latter.  Could just be me.  

6 hours ago, edinburgher said:

due to the deadly heatwave (Cerberus) spreading across much of Southern Europe, with a second one (Cheron) due to arrive next week

 

This only a "heads up". More detailed info can be found online included  where, and how to cope with extreme heat situations. 

 

Probably a good idea not to overplan sightseeing days and to keep well hydrated.

I live in the southern med, but we benefit from sea breezes.  Even so the heat at the moment is brutal.  Take your water, take your umbrellas and put your heath first when it comes to planning your day in southern europe.  

4 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

We have nurses, anesthesiologists and plenty of patients 😊

I am a recently retired speech and language pathologist.  Happy to give an opinion when needed.  

5 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Oy, Susan is the 3rd person catching Covid in the last 2 days that I know of...

 

I thought that, finally, this "pest" is a thing of the past 😢

 

Hopefully, Susan got cut some slack, being a virgin and all 😉, and she's getting the milder version 🤞

I have not heard of any positives for some time.  A good reminder that we have to remain vigilant.  I especially worry about visiting my 94 yr old parents (now about 4 times a year and I have to fly there).  They have never been positive because neighbours have been so good with the support for shopping (and they still do, what great neighbours my parents have).  

3 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

Looks lovely.   Happy Birthday to your Vicar

Aww that is so lovely.  My brother in law is a priest and I know how much this sort of event means to him.  

On 7/13/2023 at 7:33 AM, Coralc said:

Try Alaska. When we went to bed at 4:30...it was still light out. ☺️

Same in Norway and the Baltic.  Wonderful places in the summer if you want to get no sleep at all. 

21 hours ago, brookmill18 said:

Since there's been a lot of talk about Celebrity, just wanted to share something we learned about their basic WiFi and iMessages on iPhones (not sure if it applies to Android--it does NOT apply if you have upgraded WiFi). My mom sailed B3B on Edge in Europe in the fall and had nightmare issues with iMessages which was her primary way of keeping in touch. Hate to admit it, but I was really thinking she kept messing it up! We just did our first sailing on Celebrity in June and on day 3 iMessages wouldn't work and it was saying that my apple account didn't recognize the phone number. DH looked at it, we couldn't figure it out and right before I was set to try and spend hours with Apple Support, I remembered there was some sort of iLounge on board so I went to Guest Services to ask if was ever staffed. They said no, but as I started to explain my issue, they asked for my phone, typed away on it, asked me to restart the phone (I did while telling them I tried this a dozen times already) and then they took it back, typed away again and then told me to log back into my Celebrity wifi account and I'd be set! 

 

I asked them what they did and they said I couldn't replicate it because it required staff passwords, but the guy said it happens all the time to people who have the basic WiFi. I told them that they really should post a warning about it because the error messages you receive are related to your apple account--I doubt anyone would think it was Celebrity related. Guest Services said it happens constantly but they can fix it immediately and it rarely happens twice in one cruise. Happened on my husband's phone 2 days later, but never on DS who had the upgraded WiFi. Just really annoying that you could spend hours contacting Apple thinking it's related to your account!

That is good to know if you are going to cruise with Celebrity, but how many times does it happen that there are technical issues on phone/tv whatever and you assume that it is you (or your Mum). Then when it is finally resolved it is nothing to do with you.  The default is always “my fault”.  We should have more confidence.