Posts Tagged ‘Cruise’

I am taking a cruise next year to the Mediterranean (Barcelona, Rome, Florence/Pisa, Malta and Cannes). ?

Can anyone tell me how the weather is in this area during mid-October?

Some enchanted cruise: hopping around South Pacific

Some enchanted cruise: hopping around South Pacific
We were in Christchurch, the oldest established city in New Zealand, when we boarded a free tram that circles the downtown.

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What To Do And See On A Western Mediterranean Cruise

Planning a Western Mediterranean cruise? Lucky you. While most of your friends are stuck laboring at their 9-5 jobs you’ll be sailing the sunny seas, eating world class food and visiting some of the most fabulous destinations on the planet. In fact, there is so much to see and do, coming up with an itinerary can be quite a challenge. With magical destinations like France, Italy, Spain and Portugal to choose from there are enough options to fill half a dozen vacations. I’ve compiled a list of some of the best of the region to help you plan your Western Mediterranean cruise.

If you’ve always wanted to tour the magnificent French Riviera then a cruise is just about the most perfect way to do so. Take a shore excursion to the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer and see the beauty that inspired the art of Matisse and Picasso. In Marseille you can see the Notre-Dame-de-Guarde. Take a journey to Cannes, the home of the world renowned international film festival. And in Nice the Opera House and Old Town await your pleasure. There is so much to see and do in this region that it will be hard to drag yourself away to see the delights the other countries on your itinerary have to offer.

In sunny Spain Barcelona is the port where you will almost certainly dock. If you have an appreciation of architecture you will be completely blown away by the stunning Gothic architecture of the buildings here. Again, you have the opportunity to see the works of the legendary painter Pablo Picasso in the Museu Picasso, where one of the world’s most extensive collections of his work are showcased. Another popular Spain cruise destination is Mallorca. Spain’s largest island features the massive Palma Cathedral, and if you want to relax for awhile the island offers upwards of 70 magnificent beaches for you to lay back and soak up the sun.

In Portugal the ports of Lisbon and Funchal await. Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city has something for the whole family to enjoy. Explore St. George’s Castle, Jeronimo’s Monastery, or Belem Tower. Ancient curiosities abound in the Gulbenkian Museum. If you have kids you must make time for a visit to the Oceanarium where all manner of marine life from sharks to cute Antarctic penguins can be seen. One of the world’s largest aquariums the Oceanarium stands out against the ancient stonework of the rest of the city, and is one of the most state of the art facilities you’ll see anywhere in the Western Mediterranean.

On Funchal you enjoy a different sort of adventure. Arrange a shore excursion to climb Picos de Barcelos. This peak is 1,200 feet high and offers a magnificent view of all of Funchal. If you don’t want quite that much exertion on your cruise vacation (and who can blame you?) why not make a visit to see Colombo’s Statue in Santa Catarina Park or take a relaxing stroll through the botanical garden of Quinta das Cruzes.

Last, but certainly not least we have Italy. The choices here are too numerous to describe at length. Rome will be at the top of most people’s itinerary with The Colosseum, St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City, the Trevi Fountain and the Arch of Constantine just a few of the major highlights of this historic city. If you’ve been to Rome before why not take a trip to Florence instead? Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and the Uffizi Museum are must-sees in this beautiful city, and if you are this close you shouldn’t forget to take the tour to Pisa where you can see the world famous Leaning Tower of Pisa in all its glory.

Again, these are just a few of the highlights of a Western Mediterranean cruise. A trip through this spectacular region will only whet your appetite and you will find yourself wanting to return again and again to further explore the culture and history of these magnificent ancient cities.

What is weather like on a mediterranean cruise in July?

We are leaving July 15th, traveling from Barcelona, to sicily, to naples, rome, florence, cannes, then back to Barcelona. I was just wondering if the weather in the mediteranean during summer months was actually like summer weather, which is what we are hoping for. Thanks for any responses!

No. 10 Louis Vuitton Traveller Handbag from 2009 Cruise Collection

Since 1997 Marc Jacobs has been appointed as Creative Director of luxury French fashin house, Louis Vuitton. He is famous for collaborating with many popular artists for his Louis Vuitton collections. For instance, in 2001 he worked in conjunction with Stephen Sprouse to turn the Louis Vuitton logo into graffiti. While more recently, he sent models dressed as nurses down the runway in homage to a Richard Prince painting. As to his 2009 cruise collection, Jacobs collaborated with fashion illustrator Tanya Ling who created a series of illustrations of the range, as well as an exclusive striped print. Shown through the soft focus of Ling’s watercolours, Jacobs’s sharp tailoring and unique design greatly illustrate the theme of this collection, bright, feminine and flirty.

Traveller, a part of the Travel Shopper line from the Cruise 2009 collection by Marc Jacobs, is the ultimate 24 hour bag that can easily go from city to beach and even sea soirees. This handbag features cotton canvas, cotton lining as well as calf leather trimmings. The graphic design in the handbag is inspired by archives dating back to the 1920’s. You may wonder what the exact meaning of the graphic is. 101 Champs- Élysées in Paris, 2 Avenue de Suede in Nice, 22 De La Croisette in Cannes, 7-6-1 Ginza in Tokyo, 18 New Bond Street in London and 57th Street in New York are the addresses of Louis Vuitton stores at that time. Golden brass pieces add some vigorous elements into the grey handbag.

Moreover, 20.4″ x 14.1″ x 8.6″ should be the right size for daily use. The inside is very spacious and it has two internal flat pockets and a phone pocket for easy organization. With safe zipper closure and padlock, you need not worry about your precious essentials or significant documents in this handbag. And the removable leather key bell is designed for your keys or some other accessories. Thanks to the long leather straps the bag can be comfortably carried on the shoulder.

Served as homage to the stores in 1920s, the Traveller handbag has had a great vogue after its birth, thus it is reputed to one of the most popular Louis Vuitton handbags in this year.