Mediterranean Cruise: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Getting down to the last few days of the cruise!

On Monday we ported in Dubrovnik. I was the most excited to visit Dubrovnik when I found out that is where they filmed Game of Thrones. We had pre-booked a Game of Thrones tour in the city through Viator.

The boat offered a bus shuttle to the old city area. It was $16 round-trip, per trip.

We went down to the old city a little early before our tour. When we got there it was beautiful out.

We decided to go into the city to check it out.

When our tour started we went to Fort Lovrijenac first. It was up high on the hill, outside of the city gates.

Our tour guide was a local who told us about applying multiple times to be on Game of Thrones and never making it. She also told us all about the history of the city and showed us pictures of where we were and the scenes from the movie.

The architecture was beautiful. I can understand why they choose to shoot the show there.

The city itself has a giant wall around it. In the show that is the wall surrounding King’s Landing.

As we were in the fort it started to rain…then it started to pour.

They had forecasted rain, so I had a poncho with me.

I was ok with the rain. I had to put my camera away, but I wanted to keep going on the tour. Our guide kind of kept us in the fort, hoping it would pass. After about 20 minutes we told her we wanted to see the rest of the tour so we went down into the city.

The city wasn’t the best for rain. Water was literally falling down stairs like a waterfall!

Most of the city are small alleys and stairs. Cars are not allowed inside the walls. Even when they film they have to carry everything in.

We saw where Cersei started her walk of shame.

Then stopped at a few other filming locations.

Then we learned about a famous guy who has a statue and everyone rubs his nose!

After we walked through the city, we headed onto the wall (no not that wall).

The ground was slippery in the city, and the wall was just as bad. Now we had to make sure we didn’t fall over!

In the show they digitally add the Red Keep and the other taller buildings.

As we were on the wall the storm got worse. It started raining really had and then the lightning started.

We decided to get off the wall. Standing on the highest point with metal umbrellas seemed like a bad idea. At this point our tour was over anyway. I had wanted to go around the whole city wall, but once you got off you had to pay to go back up again.

Instead we went and found the Iron Throne replica. If you bought a souvenir the photo on the throne was free. The prices there were crazy though!

At this point we were soaking wet, it was pouring and the food prices were astronomical. We decided to head back to the boat.

Of course about 30 minutes after we got back the rain stopped and the sun was shining.

My original plan was to go to the bar in the side of the wall that I had read about called Bouza Bar. Cheryl and I kept debating if we should pay the $16 again to go back, but in the end decided not to. I wish I had now, but something for me to keep on my bucket list!

That night we had dinner and then went to the piano bar.

Three more days left and I was running low on clothes!!

September Stitch Fix

My Stitch Fix deliveries are now every other month. With all my new expenses I had to cut back, but there was no way I could stop completely!

Molly is such an awesome stylist. This month was a little black and white though…

My first item was this Alford Swiss Dot Blouse. I loved the way it fit. It had a tank top attached inside, but I was obviously going to take that off. I decided for $64 it was pricey, but I really liked it.

This Atta Dress fit really well. I just didn’t like the look of it. I kind of felt like I could only wear it to a funeral or something. I think in another color it would have been perfect. At $58 I decided it was a no.

So first I tried on the Abriella Waffle Knit Cardigan with jeans. I loved that it had a pocket on the side, but not really a traditional pocket. Then I decided to try it on with the Walt Skirt. I liked the skirt, but not the material. It was too clingy and didn’t look good. I decided to keep the cardigan, it was $48, but not the skirt, which was $68.

My last item was this cute Adelade Woven Fold-Over Clutch. I thought it was cute, but clutches are annoying if there is no strap. I hate having to carry something around. At $48 I sent it back.

So this month I kept 2 things and sent back 3. I was picky this month because I didn’t want to spend money on something I didn’t really love.

Want to try Stitch Fix yourself? Fill out a profile here.

Bird in Hand Half Marathon

Lately I have been choosing my runs based on the course and the medal.

After the Philly marathon I realized I hate out and back courses. I don’t want to go one direction and then turn around and do it all over again.

Runner’s World wrote an article about the coolest race medals a few months ago. One of the top races was the Bird in Hand Half Marathon in PA. We thought the race looked cool and it wasn’t too far.

Cheryl and I got up early and headed to the start. We literally parked in a cornfield.

There was also a hot air balloon festival going on in the morning.

The balloons were going up when we got to the start. Once they were in the air they started to disappear. I have not idea where they were going!

The sunrise was really cool. There were farms everywhere.

We stopped at the porta-potties before the line got long.

Each one had an inspirational quote inside. It was such a cool idea.

Then we lined up to start.

There were no corrals. You lined up where you thought you should start. Cheryl and I didn’t really train so we started around the 2:30 pace line.

As the race started it got foggy out. I was pretty glad it was overcast because the sun would have been killer mixed with all the hills.

The local amish volunteered for the race. They handed out water and gatorade. They did not like pictures.

Running past the cornfields was cool. It made for a lot to look at.

The hills were no joke.

At one point we had to run down a dirt farm road.

There was a stop along the road. The girl was saying “Rita’s” and Cheryl said to her she wished it was. We figured they were just using Rita’s cups, but it was Rita’s! Sugary water ice was a great treat.

After that it was just a few miles until the finish.

I think the horse and buggies are so cool!

I couldn’t get over how pretty it was there!

We finished in 2:23, which wasn’t bad for not training. Our medal was the best part.

It’s a horseshoe! A literal horseshoe! The amish donate them to make into medals. They are so cool and so heavy!

I would definitely recommend this run to anyone who likes running in scenery and also is ok with hills.

Vella Shpringa!

Mediterranean Cruise: Corfu, Greece

Sunday took us to Corfu, Greece. I wanted to go on this cruise because it was one of the few that went to Greece. Corfu isn’t the most popular port, but it was nice.

We got off the boat and decided to walk downtown. I kept forgetting walking for me and Cheryl was a lot different than walking for my mom, aunt and uncle.

We saw a pirate ship on the way!

We also went past the new fort.

The old town was a cool area. We were there early so shops were opening up as we were walking around.

We bought some souvenirs and then headed to the old fort.

It was a few ear each to go in, but it had a high hill overlooking the water where we wanted to take pictures.

The hill was a steep climb so my mom and aunt stayed at the cafe in the fort.

The fort was also a prison. It was cool walking around looking at everything.

The walk uphill was slippery. The rocks were slick from all the people that used them. Luckily there were handrails to keep me from falling.

The view was awesome!

We headed back down and had some cold drinks in the cafe. It was hot again. That’s what we get for going on a cruise in the summer.

Then we walked around more. Most of the shops were open now.

I wish I had worn my bathing suit. There were people swimming in the water, but to go back to the boat and come back again would have been silly.

That night the one restaurant turned itself into Le Cirque, a famous NYC restaurant. The food was good and there was an awesome sunset outside.

That night Jeremy took over the main lounge and did a one man show. The fact that Jeremy could play the piano, harmonica and guitar made me realize I wish I could play at least one instrument.

We were starting on our last few days of the cruise!

Mediterranean Cruise: Day at Sea

Saturday was our only day at sea.

I booked a massage on the boat at 8am. I wanted to get one, but I also wanted to relax by the pool all day.

Cheryl went to the pool at 8am too to get chairs. My mom went down a little later. They are always strict about saving chairs, so you have to make sure people are sitting in them.

My massage was ok. The girl was sick and kept sniffling the whole time. After I went to the pool.

My first order of the day was a drink! Mimosa’s were on special.

I eventually switched to pina coladas, margaritas and then finally beer.

We booked the cruise with a drink package. We were allowed 15 drinks per day each. I had barely reached half that each day because most of the time we spent off the boat. My goal for sea day was to reach 15 drinks!

Our first day on the boat, while we were at customer service, we heard someone mention cabanas. We booked the last one for the day at sea.

It was nice because it was a big bed, table and chairs and waiter service. My mom didn’t want to be in the sun all day so this way she was outside and relaxing.

The only problem was the cabanas were by the main pool. The back pool was adults only. This pool allowed kids and they were annoying. They were yelling and jumping and splashing. It wasn’t too relaxing, but I didn’t care as long as I had a drink.

I was out by the pool almost all day. They had bingo in the afternoon so we went to that. Cheryl and my aunt both won! After that I took a nap and then we went to dinner.

That night the cast did a cabaret show in the bigger bar. They were doing show tunes so I wanted to go. Unfortunately they did very obscure show tunes. It was ok, but not great.

After we went to the piano bar (surprise, surprise).

I finally reached 15 drinks at midnight! I was excited andddd slightly drunk, but I did it!

Wonderful Wedding Weekend

This past weekend I headed down to Somers Point, NJ for my friends Henry and Tori’s wedding.

I left around 11. The trip was only an hour and a half. It’s nice living closer to the shore.

I met up with my friends for lunch at a local bar/restaurant and then we went to the hotel to check in. The hotel was conveniently located across the street from the venue.

The ceremony was outdoors, but it was GORGEOUS out. This was the only point where my hair was curly-ish. It fell out quickly :(

Henry and Tori went to Rutgers with my friends from home. We tailgate with them at the games.

I always look at the groom when the bride shows up. Their face is usually priceless.

The ceremony was short and sweet, which is the best wedding.

Cheryl went to Rent the Runway in New York on Friday and got two dresses to “rent”. She wore one and I wore the other.

It’s nice being about to wear a pretty dress, but not have to spend a lot of money on it. I tend to not wear the same dress to weddings either.

When we got to cocktail hour it was a cash bar for a little while since the ceremony ended early. Then when the food came out I felt like people were vultures. Some people stood next to the kitchen door waiting for the servers to bring stuff out!

The colors were red and white, I assume for Rutgers. All the decor was really cute.

The reception was really nice. The food was really good too. I drank wine all night.

I “caught” the bouquet aka it fell on the floor by my feet so it was closest to me. I hate being the center of attention, but it was ok.

After the reception was over we walked back to the hotel. Everyone went to other rooms for an after party, but I was exhausted. I fell asleep in my friends room and when they went to go somewhere else, I went back to go to sleep.

Congratulations Henry and Tori!

Mediterranean Cruise: Taormina, Italy

On Friday we tethered in Taormina, Italy, which is Sicily.

We met up with my aunt and uncle for breakfast, and then headed down to get tether tickets.

I assumed there would be a line to get off the boat, but there wasn’t. We went right to the boats and took seats.

We did not have a plan in Taormina. It is my least favorite way to travel. I always like to know of places to go and things to do. I had assumed we were in Taormina, but we actually had to take a bus there. Instead we decided to walk around a little.

It was not too crowded in Rome because Italy had a week of holiday. Everyone was at the beach!

The beach was PACKED with people. I had also forgotten that most men in Europe wear speedos. It was interesting….

It was also really hot out. We decided to stop of gelato.

It was delicious and refreshing, but the heat was really intense.

We found a cool shop where we bought a lot of hand painted tiles and dishes. Then my aunt wanted to mail some postcards. We went to the post office, but wound up leaving. There were people taking numbers and yelling at each other. The tellers took FOREVER. It was strange.

We tried to get on a hop on-hop off bus, but they only came every hour and we got annoyed waiting.

Then my mom, aunt and uncle wanted to go back to eat lunch and cool off.

After lunch Cheryl and I decided to go back and try to rent an jet-ski.

We went to every shop on the beach. The average price was 60-70 euro for 30 minutes and they only took cash (we had a credit card).

Instead we decided to just got for a dip to cool off.

The beaches in Italy were all rocks, no sand. The water was also really warm, like bath water.

Then we decided to head back to the boat and sit by the pool.

The sunset was really pretty that night.

We went to the piano bar to play trivia. We also drank a lot. I was jealous my aunt and uncle had a dinosaur towel!

I love dinosaurs.

I’m a Slacker

This week has really just flown by. I was so busy I did not post AT ALL.

I am such a slacker.

Let me tell you about what has been going on….

On Wednesday last week I went to Valley Forge with my work running group. Because it has been getting darker out, the sun was setting as we ran. It was BEAUTIFUL! I had to keep stopping to take pictures.

On Friday I left work early to visit our other location near Lancaster. It was perfect because I was going to Lancaster for a half marathon for the weekend!

After my work field trip, which was very educational, I met my sister, mom and aunt in Lancaster. We went to a local restaurant that claimed it was NUMBER 1….but it wasn’t that good.

There are a lot of smorgasbord’s up there. Miller’s was one, but we decided not to do the buffet before a race. I still didn’t eat the best pre-race food, but it was ok.

The next morning we got up early and headed down the road to the race start. There was a hot air balloon festival at the start of the race. The scenery throughout the race was amazing, but I will be doing a longer post on that soon.

The medal was the whole reason we ran the race. It was a legit horseshoe! The local amish donate them. How awesome!?!!

About 20 minutes after we crossed the finish line it started to rain…then it started to pour.

We went to the Intercourse Canning Company and then we went over to Turkey Hill. Indoor activities were a must.

We got tickets over the phone before we left for the Turkey Hill Experience. We made sure to get tickets for the ice cream making class.

The class was really fun! I made a coconut, pretzel, peanut butter ice cream. It was delicious. I will also be doing a blog post about that…one of these days.

After we went back to the hotel. The rain was just so crazy it was hard to do much. Cheryl and I spent some time in the hot tub to relax our muscles. Hot tubs are always recommended after a long run.

For dinner we went to Iron Hill Brewery. We made reservations which was good because it is a popular place!

The food was 10,000 times better then the food from the night before. The beer was delicious and by the end I was so full! I am so glad we went there. If you are near Lancaster definitely check it out!

The next morning we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. The service was SO SLOW, but the food is cheap so it’s hard to complain.

I have to show you at least one picture of the amish on a post about Lancaster, right?

Anyway on my way back to Philly I saw a sign for an antique mall, so of course I stopped.

It was AMAZING. I am so glad I stopped. There was so much pyrex!!! I am definitely going to be going back there because it was only about 40 minutes from my apartment AND it was much more organized then other ones I have been to.

On my way back Cindy texted me about going to the StrEAT festival in Manayunk. I didn’t even go back to my apartment. I stop by her house and we walked down.

It was so crowded! It kept drizzling on and off, but eventually it got sunny out.

We went to the beer garden. It was $10 to try 5 beers. They were small, but I love being able to taste new things and not having to commit to a whole glass.

After we were on the hunt for food. There were food trucks everywhere!

They literally had an outdoor brick oven pizza!

We decided to get some meatball sliders at Mama’s Meatballs. We got to choose three kinds so we got regular, spicy and I got pesto.

They were very delicious.

We went to a bar after and got some beer and listened to live music. It was a great Sunday Funday!

This week has been hectic with work, but very productive. This weekend I have a wedding. I love weddings!

Have a great weekend. Crossing my fingers I have more posts next week. I need to finish my cruise posts!

Project Life 2015 – Weeks 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34

So I fell REALLY far behind on my Project Life pages after the cruise. I am just getting around to finishing them (still working on the actual cruise blog posts) and then I have to catch up with the last few weeks.

I am just going to leave these here…

Flight to Barcelona, Spain!

Barcelona, Spain | Saturday, August 8th

Marseille, France | Sunday, August 9th

Monte Carlo, Monaco | Monday, August 10th

Pisa/Florence, Italy | Tuesday, August 11th

Rome, Italy | Wednesday, August 12th

Naples, Italy | Thursday, August 13th

Sicily, Italy | Friday, August 14th

At Sea | Saturday, August 15th

Corfu, Greece | Sunday, August 16th

Dubrovnik, Croatia | Monday, August 17th

Kotor, Montenegro | Tuesday, August 18th

Venice, Italy | Wednesday, August 19th

Venice, Italy | Thursday, August 20th

August 21st – August 30th

So many pages! Hope you enjoy the snippets of the country blog posts to come!

Have a great weekend!

Mediterranean Cruise: Naples, Italy

On Thursday we docked in Naples, Italy.

On Wednesday, outside the Vatican, my eye started to bother me. It felt like I got something in it, but I washed it out with water and it still hurt.

I have scratched my cornea a few times, so I knew right away what it was, but I was hoping it would go away. I woke up in the middle of the night in severe pain. Cheryl called downstairs, but only the nurse was on duty. She said the doctor would be in at 8am the next morning.

I went to the doctor right at 8am and of course I scratched my cornea. I hate when people touch my eyes. I am not sure why, but it gives me a stomach ache. It just grosses me out, but it was necessary to get eye drops.

After the doctor I decided I wasn’t missing a single second. We headed outside and got on a bus to Pompeii!

I didn’t get an eye patch so instead I wore a giant hat and sunglasses to shield my eyes from the sun.

The bus ride wasn’t too long. When we got there we bought an audio tour outside because we didn’t know you could get them inside.

Inside is only a few dollars more, but I think they are better. The tour we had didn’t follow the numbers at each of the locations so it was hard to figure out what to listen to.

The ruins were pretty amazing, but a lot was under construction. I don’t know if summer is when Italy does their construction?

So not only was it really sunny…it was SO HOT! It was 94 degrees out and there is absolutely no shade in Pompeii.

It’s crazy how much survived the eruption.

A lot of the audio tour we were following told us to go in places and walk around, but we couldn’t because of construction gates. It really made figuring out where we were difficult.

The heat was also really getting to us. We brought water, but found a cafe inside Pompeii where we bought more.

I was determined to find the casts of the people who were found there in ash. I knew there had some be some still there, but I didn’t see anything on the map. I listened ahead to the audio tour and thought I knew where they were, so we went to find them.

On the other side of Pompeii they are doing a lot of construction. They are making it look like Pompeii would have looked before the eruption. I am not sure how I feel about them remodeling a historic site.

The heat was so intense. We had to rest a lot.

After walking for a while I felt like we were the only ones there! I never realized how big Pompeii was. You can see Mt. Vesuvius in the background!

Eventually I found what I was looking for!

We eventually realized the majority of the artifacts are not in Pompeii, they are in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. I guess people were stealing things or ruining them.

This is why we can’t have nice things.

We decided halfway through the day to call it quits. It was just too hot out. I give my mama credit for pushing through. It was extremely hot out and she never quit!

After we got back we went on the boat for a little to cool off and change our shoes. I think sneakers make me hotter. My feet need to breathe!

We decided to explore Naples and have some pizza because why not!

We literally got off the boat and walked to the first pizza place we could find. I was trying to find places with good reviews online, but I had limited internet to use.

We had AMAZING pizza and house wine. Unfortunately my stomach was still off from getting my eyes examined in the morning. I wish I knew how to make that feeling go away.

Since we had a big, late lunch, I didn’t really eat dinner. I still wasn’t feeling well so I went to the room to relax.

I decided to finally watch The Godfather for the first time. I figured I should brush up since we were going to Sicily the next day!