Day 8: Venice

Day 8 of the trip, we arrived back in Venice around 9:00am. It was a beautiful ship, loads of fun, and the best company anyone could ask for.

Yes, the water really was this color:

A beautiful and gigantic yacht our water taxi buzzed by on our way from the shipyard:

Our hotel for the last night of the vacation, Hotel Castello.

San Marco Square, one last time:

Carlton's got a last-minute plane ticket to buy, and Big Saunders needed to check some work email. I loved this internet cafe. Check out the column! It's authentic.

It's been great, EU, but the Joneses were all in need of some onion rings and a juicy burger!

The Hard Rock: Venice was located at a gondola hot spot!

This monstrous red glass chandelier was made on a small local island to Venice called Murano, where my family (the Lamberths) buys glass every chance we get!

I was bonkers for the interior of this place. I wish I had taken my camera out in the restroom, it was amazing!

Day 7: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Or, as I like to call it, "Dooobrrrrrrovvvvneeeeek!"

We ate breakfast on the very back of the ship, and looked around at the beautiful hills of Croatia.

Once you've walked through the entrance of the walled city and turn a slight left, you have to stop and take this in for a few moments.

Entrance doors to the oldest European pharmacy were ornately decorated with a carving of Jesus draped over the lap of the virgin Mary.

A lovely chandelier light fixture in the entrance halls of the pharmacy:

And just around the corner, there was this. Wow.

More of the pharmacy hallways:

Shadows

A little scrub-scrub to buff and shine the ancient frescoes:

After the pharmacy, we visited a beautiful church.

And to top it all off, the Japs gave us a few laughs with their expressions as they came out of the Croatian restrooms. "I's a hole, onleeee! No seat, jus huuuvah!" Take note here: 4 men in their "line" (but two of them are in the process of leaving the restroom so they shouldn't count), 17 visible women in line before my mom who is at the very bottom left.

Vicki didn't do so well on her one and only try.

Day 6: Corfu

Some pretty apartments with pretty balconies and pretty flowers and pretty shutters.

On our way up to the old fort, I was entranced by the repetition in this beautiful building in the square of their "downtown."

We've made it over to the fort now.

Decorative explosives are pretty and deadly.

Ecce! In pictura est un puella nomine Trisha. Trisha sedet sub arboris.

Just outside the church down hill from the fort:

I think there's something inside that doorway on the right.

And to top off the day, some gyros for the soul.

Day 5: Piraeus (Athens)

The Parthenon wasn't exactly up close and personal when we got out of the train station. But the walk turned out to be a lot shorter than it originally looked. Of course, it was probably about a 3 mile hike, but doesn't this look like about 10 miles away?

We passed by lots of ruins on our gradually inclined walk on the way up. Isn't this beautiful, with the Acropolis way away in the background?

What a taunting little *bleep!* of a sign.

OMG we made it!!! Scott and I were in wonderment. It was so amazing how gigantic these structures were. It was a true DREAM to have seen this place, with our interests, and it was on this day that we earned the nicknames "Pokey 1" and "Pokey 2" from Carlton and the rest of the fam. We couldn't stop staring up at the giant structures, mouths open, cameras clicking, thoughts racing. "It's really THIS BIG???"

These were some of the first stairs we had to actually climb to get up to the Acropolis. Yeah, that entire distance was just a gradual incline, and we were so grateful! How many members of the Lamberth/Jones Family & Friends European Invasion can you spot on the steps? (Haha, if you can find my mom or Carlton, you can tell how annoyed at my Poky-ness they are already!)

I had a very up-close and special meeting with six of the most beautiful women in the world.

Do you think he's tired yet?

I swear, it was like this when we got here!

Day 4 pm: Mykonos

Mykonos, a tiny town on the shore, was quaint and beautiful. We found it easy to enjoy each other's quiet company.

While Carlton and I ordered our first every truly Greek gyro sandwich wraps, Kristen sat for a minute to rest her feet. This cat decided they were friends and sealed the deal with a sweet, fuzzy cuddle in Kristen's lap.

These were the first gyros we had in Greece were from this little hole-in-the-wall (we picked one up whenever we could stand it, and for under 3 euros, who wouldn't?). These were, by far, the very best we had on the entire trip.

Mykonos was lovely and picturesque everywhere we looked.

We watched the sun set behind this curvy church.
After watching the sun set, we found a sweet restaurant tucked behind lots of snug buildings and covered by the canopies of palms. The boys ordered some Ouza, the Greek claim to many hangovers, headaches, and licorice-smelling breath.

Night view of the pretty coastal church from before:

Saying "goodbye" to the port as we sprinted through the rain to the buses which took us back to the ship that night.

Day 4 am: Santorini (Oia and Fira)

We awoke and walked to breakfast earrrrrrrrrrrly. When we stepped out of our cabin, this is what we saw (Carlton approves) :

On the island now, at a viewpoint Carlton and I found away from the cruise crowds. It was simply breathtaking here; don't you agree?

Two squinty-eyed American tourists enjoying the scenery
I think it's a new favorite color of mine:

Gorgeous, huh?

You think the exterior is gorgeous, just wait until you see the inside.

Light a candle for your prayers:

See? I told you the interior was beautiful. And, yes, it's real gold.