The end...

Our last day on the cruise was spent on the ship relaxing and getting ready to head home. A highlight for me was spending some extra time in Barcelona so that we could visit one of my areas from my mission. We headed to Badalona for church the day we got off the ship. I got to introduce my family to Harold...a member that helped us missionaries a lot while we were serving there.
And I got to see Antonia! I couldn't believe how emotional I got when I first saw her...a lot of memories came flooding back!

What a choice experience to return to Badalona, see the church and members that have stayed so strong in the gospel, and share a piece of my mission with my family!

After church we went to Monjuic for a little while and enjoyed the beautiful day.

Eliza's favorite part? Swimming in the hotel pool...finally some real fun!

Day 5...

Day 5 we visited the French Riviera. This is the beach in Nice.
A view of Villafranche...if you look closely you can see our ship in the background.
We walked through the gardens in Monaco, saw the Prince's Palace, and Cathedral where Grace Kelly is buried.

There were HUGE yachts in Monaco's harbor.

In this picture you can actually see three countries...Monaco, France, and Italy in the distance.

A trip to Monaco isn't complete without seeing the Casino in Monte Carlo...James Bond style. We even saw all the fancy cars parked out front.

Eliza's favorite part? The towel monkey hanging in our room...no real animals to see today!

Day 4...

Day 4 we left the ship at the port of Livorno and headed to Florence. We already knew that we loved Florence...especially for it's gelato. We stopped at the Duomo, one of the longest Cathedrals in the world.
Then the beautiful Ponte Vecchio bridge.

And the Church of Santa Croce where Galileo and Michelangelo are both buried.

Just sitting back and enjoying the Italian scenery!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa...still leaning...

...even with assistance!

Eliza's favorite part? Pigeons everywhere...

...being silly at dinner...

...and finding towel swans in our room that night.

Day 3...

Day 3 started at the Vatican City... We can only imagine the thoughts going through that little head! At least she looks relaxed!
The Pope was addressing people in St. Peter's square while we were there so that was closed (I know Andy...you're so jealous.) But we got to see the Sistine Chapel in all it's impressive glory.

Then we headed to Trevi Fountain...Eliza was drunk with excitement!

Like tradition would have it, last time we were here we threw coins over our shoulders so we would be sure to return...and wouldn't you know it, we did!

Since Eliza was the only baby, or child for that matter, on our tours she was never lacking attention. And boy did she milk it for all it was worth! She also made all those moms who left their babies at home very sad and jealous...but we were very happy!

Next up...the Coliseum. No worries my siblings...we got that token picture of the Roman soldier and didn't pay a dime!

All this old stuff is just crazy!

What daddy? Always the history teacher, surely there was deep conversation taking place here.

Eliza's favorite part? The Roman stray cat.

Day 2...

Day 2 began our whirlwind of tours... We started in Naples...a picturesque city with crazy Italian drivers!
We headed to Sorrento and passed Mt. Vesuvius on the way...it was a little hidden by clouds that day but we had better views later on.

The world's best traveler finds her own seat on the bus.

Sorrento...another beautiful Italian city. This picture doesn't even do justice.

Sorrento behind us again.

We walked through the streets of Sorrento, had lunch, and headed to Pompeii.

We were amazed by Pompeii and probably could have spent hours there. It was so interesting!

We just saw a fraction of it but we're VERY impressed!

Eliza's favorite part? The stray cat!

Day 1...

Our first day on the ship we were at sea so we took advantage of the free time and Eliza got to join a play group. She loved the toys and interacting with a few other kids.

The gorgeous sunset that night...and no land in sight!

We dressed up for the formal night that evening. Eliza sure did get a lot of attention in her cute fancy dress...who are we kidding, she got a lot of attention no matter what she was wearing!

Eliza and Grandpa and Grandma all dressed up!

World Travels...

We left for our Mediterranean Cruise on October 1, flew to New York, stayed the night there, and then left for Barcelona the next day. Breaking it up made it a little bit more manageable for Eliza but it still made for some loooong airplane rides!The travels begin...
After arriving in Barclelona, and attempting a quick nap, we forced ourselves to stay awake to try to adjust to the new time by heading to Las Ramblas. It's a busy pedestrian street with lots of shops and street performers.

At a market right off the Ramblas we found my favorite candy! I normally wouldn't buy them this size but it was definitely picture worthy...why we don't have this in the states is beyond me!

Then we headed to the Sagrada Familia. It's a cathedral designed and worked on by Antoni Gaudi...started in 1882 and still not finished. They hope to be finished by 2030...good luck to them!

It's such a crazy building to look at but a definite icon of Barcelona.

Eliza's first gelato...and one of many we had while in Europe! Again...why don't we have this in the states?

We boarded our cruise ship on Sunday and set sail that night!