Day at Sea

Our final day aboard the Seabourn Legend was marked by 12 hours of "a motion in the ocean," according to our Captain. "Refrain from walking on deck and be sure to use hand rails when walking in hallways as sudden movements are anticipated." Ya gotta love the steely resolve of the Norwegians. The majority of the Pond Hoppers made it to trivia and were happy to claim a Seabourn pen as their second-place prize.

Amalfi, Italy

The transfer from tender to ship is mandated to be performed by local union labor. Rough seas made "hopping aboard" the Seabourn a bit of an adventure.

Almalfi, Italy

Almalfi once was the paper captial of Europe. It still maintains a leadership role in the fine paper industry. It has a scenic town square where locals and adventuresome tourists drink from a centuries- old fountain.

Amalfi, Italy

A humid August day and the streets are crowded with people, but that doesn't stop the locals from getting their gossip on. This woman was talking to a friend on the street below.

Day at Sea

The trivia competition heated up with teams recruiting new members who they hoped would help them beat the "upstart" Pond Hoppers led by Ross Leonardy and hapless team member smaus. Points piled up, just not enough, and we fell into second place going into the final round. OMG, these people are insane about their trivia!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Resident Serbs and Croatians have needed strong walls to separate them and their dislike for each another throughout the centuries. This decorative barrier was located inside the medieval City Center. During our two days in Dubrovnik, brush fires raged on the hillside. Croatians accused neighboring Serbs of setting the fires. Firefighting planes dived into the ocean to fill their tanks with water, then dumped it on the flames.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

St. Marija Tower is one of three along the 3-mile long wall that surrounds the Old City and it offers a birds eye view of the harbor. Construction of the stone wall began in the 12th century. Five hundred years later, the 20-foot thick, 80-foot tall wall was completed. We were glad we got an early start on the "wall walk." The pathway was only about 6-feet wide and became nearly impassable when clogged with summer visitors.

Rovinj, Croatia

The local fish market was a pungent adventure this Sunday morning. Locals snapped up the catch of the day: Langoustino, fish and "squid on the hoof," as one of my traveling companions noted.

Rovinj, Croatia

Modern Rovinj was founded in 400 A.D. Built on a high, egg-shaped pennisula the town is filled with twisted cobblestone streets. The Church of St. Euphemia sits atop Old Town. Friendly local cats sit whereever they feel comfortable.

Rovinj, Croatia

Located in southern Europe, Croatia is shaped like a horseshoe. As a geographically challenged gal, I was fascinated to learn that its neighbors are Serbia, Bosina and Hezegovina, and Montenegro. It is located about 60 nautical miles across the Adriatic Sea from Venice, Italy. Cool place! Among the most scenic and friendly ports that we visited.

Venice, Italy

A water taxi tour provided a choppy ride, a queasy stomach and a ringside seat to the ancient city of Venice. The Rialto Bridge is one of the most famous on the Grand Canal.

Venice, Italy

Gondola, Gondola, Gondola! Seriously, the boat guys call this out as you pass as a way to entice you aboard. For a fee, some will sing. Pretty touristy, but a bit of the flavor of this city built of watery streets.

Murano, Italy

OMG! A front-row seat at the glassblowing demo was intense. While I favor a libertarian approach to regulation, I questioned the wisdom of arriving at the end of the master's demonstration of forming molten glass. Murano became the glassblowing center of Italy in the 13th century when high intensity furnaces were banned from Venice.

Split, Croatia

The ruins of Roman Emperor Diocletian's palace is the focus of this vacation mecca on the Dalamation coast. I bested both my Acrophobia and Claustrophobia by squeezing through several steep stone passages on my way to the top of the palace's open air bell tower.

Kotor, Montenegro

A favorite vacation spot of Sophia Loren, Montenegro is now gaining popularity with visitors from all over the world. It has an old world charm and its residents still enjoy living the simple life, a local guide told us.

Kotor, Montenegro

Brushfires raged on the steep hills above this medieval village as our ship slid into the haze. Residents were confident they were safe, however. Must have been the 3-mile long, 50-foot thick, 65-foot city wall that has been in place since the 9th century. If only their commerce was as sturdy. Residents average $300 to $400 in monthly income.