In August 2009,
I wrote about a trip we took with our oldest grandson. We called it our “Grand Adventure” since it included grandparents (my husband and me) and our 13-year-old grandson, along with our friends and their teenage grandson. Two years have passed, and I’m eager to share a second grandparent/grandchild 17-day trip we titled “Paige’s Princess Adventure,” because we were on the Ocean Princess cruise ship and because Paige is truly her grandma and grandpa’s 12-year-old princess!
Once again our goal in traveling globally with our grandchildren is to share the world with them as they mature. We selfishly want to participate in this one-on-one time with each of them as they explore the unique differences and interesting similarities between various countries and their cultures.
We flew overnight to arrive in Rome early in the morning. After a shuttle ride to our central city hotel and a brief rest, we headed out walking into the annals of Roman history. We had purchased advance tickets for the Colosseum and the Forum online, and avoided a wait at the entry gates. We also downloaded free MP3 narrative guides of both landmarks from the website of international travel guru, Rick Steves.
Paige was fascinated by the impressive 2000-year-old ruins, the stories of fighting gladiators, raging wild animals and the echoes of the roaring crowds, as well as the ancient mythology and the brutal historical facts. In fact, she was mesmerized by her surroundings.
Not wanting to waste a minute, we then scurried through a winding mile of narrow cobblestone streets to the famous Trevi Fountain. Of course, we tossed the required coins into the 18th century structure, thus ensuring our eventual return. We dined on traditional spaghetti, crusty bread dipped in olive oil and spices and finished the little feast with the famous Italian gelato. Our “dogs were barking” as we wearily trekked back to our hotel to drop into bed!
Bright and early the next morning, we hailed a cab to the Vatican City, where we met up with our pre-arranged Viator tour group. Over the next four hours, we navigated through the beautiful rooms and gazed at the priceless artworks of the awesome Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. It was my third visit, but each encounter brings more awe and an increased appreciation for the amazing and massive complex.
We all admired and were moved by Michelangelo’s “La Pietà,” depicting the body of Jesus being held by his mother Mary. I must admit, I think Paige was in sensory overload by the end of this intense tour. By this time, she was more enamored with the numerous street vendors just outside the little country’s walls.
Later that afternoon, we boarded our smaller-sized cruise ship, the Ocean Princess, in the Italian port of Civitavecchia. We splurged and booked a mini-suite for the three of us to ensure plenty of room. Of course, everything about the 680-passenger ship was wonderful: the food, the entertainment, the cabin service, the overall ambiance, etc.
Before I share some of our exciting ports of call, I’ll highlight Paige’s unbelievable good luck … at BINGO! As you might know, those bingo sessions on a cruise ship are revered. Masses of cruisers flock to them, each seeking their good fortune as they shout that winning word: “Bingo!” Paige’s cards won TWO daily bingos, and the final day’s drawing for shipboard credit. The bingo host teased her and often called her by name through his microphone. Since she was one of the only children aboard this late May cruise, and because she “cleaned up” in the Bingo arena, it seemed as though everyone onboard knew her name. As we moved throughout the ship over the course of 12days, there were greetings of “Hi Paige” at all times of the day and night.
Our itinerary provided an all encompassing European tour! Paige is a very good student and was given permission to leave her 6th grade classes a week early, since this itinerary is only offered twice in 2011 – the end of May and the middle of September. Several teachers jokingly asked her to take them along in her suitcase. They agreed Paige’s global adventures would easily compensate for the final week of class work.
Pisa and Florence. These cities are in the heart of Tuscany and the birthplace of the Renaissance. Twelve-year-old Paige was quite giggly over the 17-foot marble statue of the biblical David in Florence at the Academia Gallery. She loved the Leaning Tower of Pisa too. She was surprised when our ship’s excursion tour guide loudly warned us about the nearby three young girls with babies who were local gypsies intent on stealing from unsuspecting tourists. Paige was shocked at the afternoon episode involving young street vendors displaying their illegal art prints and the approaching policeman who caused them to grab their wares and hide in nearby doorways.
Cannes, France. We took the local mini-train ride throughout the town and along the La Croisette, the main water front avenue, then posed for pictures on the famous red carpet where the stars attending the annual film festival the week before had stood also. We walked along a local beach where a couple of the female sunbathers were … ahem … very exposed to the sun. If I win the Florida lotto, I think I’ll buy a villa in sun-drenched, scenery-infused Cannes.
Barcelona Spain. It’s so beautiful! We spent the day on the hop-on, hop-off bus, touring the entire city on both the designated red and blue routes. We enjoyed the eclectic architecture, the site of the 1992 Olympics and the blending of the old and new. We are eager to return someday to walk the famous Las Ramblas, seeking bargains, entertainment and local fare.
Gibraltar, United Kingdom. The funicular took us skyward to the top of this well-known rock, but unfortunately it was quite foggy that day, so the view was limited. Paige was terrified of the local Barbary Apes who were jumping on the visitors. One tried to eat the contents of a bottle of sunscreen. It’s their habitat, and they let us know it!
Lisbon, Portugal. What an interesting city. We enjoyed a two-hour bus tour which gave us an overview of the entire seven hills area. Then we got off the bus in the bustling downtown to access a cyber café, eat more gelato (I haven’t even mentioned the copious quantities of creamy gelato we consumed along the way, but you get the picture!), do a little shopping and walk along the waterfront back to our ship. As we left the port, we went under their 1.5-mile-long suspension bridge that used similar plans and the same reddish-orange color as the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge.
Paris, France. This was my fourth visit to my very favorite city in the world. After we docked in LeHavre, France, we took the ship’s three-hour bus transportation through the rolling French countryside into Paris. We had only four hours to rush through the city, then return to our motorcoach for the return ride to our ship.
Paige and her grandpa went to the very top of the Eiffel Tower (all right – I confess. Chicken grandma stayed in the mid-level gift shop to wait!). We visited Notre Dame, ate steaming authentic French onion soup and walked along the Seine past the Louvre. Check out the new movie,
Midnight in Paris, since it’s filled with the sights, sounds and legendary past artisans of this City of Light.
London, England. Once again we took the Viator bus tour throughout the city visiting all the famous landmarks including Big Ben, The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace’s changing of the guard, Westminster Abby and Sir Christopher Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, where grandpa and Paige climbed the 259 narrow stairs up into the Whispering Gallery dome.
We loved the 30-minute ride on the awesome London Eye located along the Thames River and offering the best bird’s eye view in town. The next day we went on a Viator 10-hour motor coach tour that included Windsor Castle, Oxford University and Stonehenge. Each of these history-packed venues is worth a return visit.
London’s Heathrow Airport. All-in-all, “Paige’s Princess Adventure” went smoothly. That was before our departure from Heathrow Airport… ugh. We arrived three hours early and learned there was only one U.S. Airways flight back to the U.S. that day, and it had been cancelled. We were automatically rescheduled for a flight the next day.
Typically this airline proactively alerts their travelers of delays and cancellations, but there was no communication this time. Their rude counter agent waved us off to the American Airlines desk down the corridor. Fortunately we were able to schedule a return flight that would arrive only an hour later than planned. BUT … after the re-ticketing, we turned around to our suitcases that were stacked immediately behind us, and one of our carry-on bags was missing. The announcements over the airport’s intercom intermittently warned of thefts and included a not-so-funny line about immediate disposal of abandoned luggage because it won’t have any valuables left since the clever thieves would have ransacked it anyway.
Aside from that one glitch, we have wonderful memories for a lifetime. And 12-year-old Paige has lots of stories to share of Rome, Florence, Cannes, Barcelona, Gibraltar, Lisbon, Paris and London. Will this visit help guide her into adulthood as she continues her education, plans a career or builds a family?
The bond between grandparents and their grandkids is so special, but traveling together to share new sites and sounds is absolutely the best! For the most part, the generation gap was invisible as we explored Europe to create a long-lasting connection with our Princess Paige!
