I survived my Costa Cruise!!!.....part 1

Ok, maybe not the best title for an entry, but I got your attention.
Now that we're back safe and sound, it's time to write down all the fun. I wish I could capture the beauty and the smells of the Mediterranean, but I can't. It was the absolute best thing that Hubby planned this all out. What a blessing. Of course, this then left me with no idea of what to expect. Oh yes, I knew which ports and such, but not much beyond that. Usually I am the travel agent, so this was a real treat for me.
The bad part about our first day was the early flight to Nice. As in Nice France! yes that's right...the French Riviera. Woo hoo here I come. But of course all I got to see was the airport, and I have to say it is lovely. It's right on the water. and of course it was sunny and war, Not quite as warm as I was thinking, but this isn't San Diego after all. We got to sit in the sun soaking up the "rays" while we waited for our bus; which would shuttle us off to Savona ( Italy) where we meet the ship. The drive was nice. I reminded me so much of the drive along the Amalfi Coast that I had almost 7 years ago to the day. Windy (as in wine) roads towering above villages, set along the sea edge, was the route we traveled. oh, if commuting to work could be this scenic....A noisy French family forced us to move to the back of the bus, but there we had the best view out the panoramic window. Serendipitous really. The minis we had packed in our carry-ons may have helped with that too.

Note out thinness at the beginning point....

Did I mention it was Easter sunday? Once we got to Savona, almost traffic free, we boarded the Costa Serena ("Home of the Gods") our home for the next week. Does this mean I'm god like? Probably not... we move up to deck 6 where our balconied cabin was, if only to run around a half empty ship. Soon enough it would fill. There was a giant Pasqua egg waiting for us on the bed. What is this egg you ask? Pasqua means Easter in Italian, and they do hollow chocolate eggs, wrapped in bright foil paper. All wrapped up, it's about three times it's real chocolately size. I didn't have the heart to unwrap it for about two days. But I did break down eventually...We were soon on the deck for the mandatory life drill. It's really amazing how many people do NOT take this seriously. Carnival Cruises owns Costa, and with the recent accidents, one would think passengers would be more in tune with this. (Carnival staff was on board later in the week for some routine evaluations).
Let me interject here and say that traveling on or with non - American lines is fun. At least for me. There are differences that make us unique from each other, but can drive you to annoyance if you let them. We're on an Italian vessel. OK. If you aren't familiar with the Italian culture - everything is loud and nothing is serious. While similar to the Mexican "manana" , there is a lot more hand gestures and a higher level of shouting. Italians seem to have an unspoken code that laws and rules don't really apply to them., One elderly Italian walked off spouting loud "who knows what" because he was tired of waiting for the life drill to go through each of the five languages on board. Oh yes, each and every announcement made was given five times, each in a different tongue, English last as there were so few of us on board. Paul, our Australian hospitality guide, was always there with tips and advice on dealing with an issues which arose. None did. but we had a few good laughs at the craziness ( to us) of other cultures.  During the drill, we went underway. I wanted to run to the edge and look and wave, but that really wasn't called for. And me, Mrs "I can feel us move while tied to the pier" had no idea for a few minutes that we had pulled away. Kudos to me (of course as I sit here writing this I can feel the movement in my living room???)
Ah, but it's Easter and they are planing a big meal I hope! We entered the main dining room festooned in Easter decor complete with paper ducks on the table ( dummy us didn't bring a camera), so it's the next best thing...buy the one they sell.

I had the lamb. It's what you do on Easter. And I never turn down lamb! Oddly It wasn't till day three that they discovered we had signed up for the gluten free menu when we booked. It was all okay since we can pick and chose from the menu. Order around the wheat, don't eat the delicious bread or pasta. Since we are only intolerant, not deathly allergic, it wasn't an issue. Let me just say here, that once we were on the gluten free and out evening breads were brought piping hot the table and the amazing GF pasta with all the yummy sauces arrived, we over did it - of course.
Morning brought sunshine and a new port - Civitavecchia, the port of Rome. Okay Rome is over an hour away by bus, but the Romans consider this their Brighton or Coney Island. Most places were closed for the Easter Monday, but this made it great to wander and take photos. We did not sign up for any tours on this trip, as we like to have a nose around by ourselves. There were some ports where one would have been nice. But oh well.

We strolled along the beach and up and down some streets. Then back to the boat, er I mean ship, for cocktails. Oh yes, we bought the all-inclusive drinks package. While we debated this for some time, we finally broke down and got it. THe greatest thing! While not all drinks offers are on it for free, most are, and we've come home with some new recipes. Espresso, coffees and chocolates were also included!!

Costa Dream and Caipiroska

So I'll leave you salivating here...till next time. And yes, there are food photos coming.