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Athens, Greece

Lori Martin

May 17, 2023 – The Explorer of the Seas docks in Athens, Greece. We were ready for a day of adventure. Drake, who has Classics as one of his majors, seemed to be excited about Athens, given it’s rich history. He had spoken to a professor who made a few recommendations on what to visit in Athens. We packed up the backpack with the necessities for the day (sunscreen, water bottles, wet wipes) and headed out.

We located a “Hop on/Hop off” bus and bought our ticket, got on and headed for the Acropolis. We did the basic bus ticket which was about $22 or so per person. We got to see a little bit of Athens as the bus headed toward the Acropolis. Once there we got off the bus, got our tickets, and started walking. It’s so amazing to walk that hill, look around, and think that settlements at this site date back to the 4th Century BCE.

The first photo I took was of the breathtaking Odeon of Herodes Atticus. This majestic structure was built in 161 CE by Herodes Atticus to honor his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was used as a theater and is said to have been able to accommodate up to 5,000 people. In 267 CE, the structure was left in ruins by the Heruli. However, it is still used for cultural events to this day, which is just incredible. I cannot imagine how incredible it is to attend an event there.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus in the photo at the top with different views of the Parthenon below it.

The Parthenon – absolutely stunning. It’s one thing to see places and items in textbooks, videos, or even photos online…but to see them in person is amazing.

The Parthenon was built as a temple to the goddess Athena. Construction on the structure began in 447 BCE. After 9 years the main structure was completed. The next 6 years were spent adding decorative touches and making structural improvements. The Doric-style temple is made of white marble.

Imagine that – a structure that is over 2400 years old, constructed of white marble, and you’re standing next to it, admiring it’s glory and the careful restoration constantly taking place! It was incredible.

Drake and I stopped for a photo at the Parthenon – beautiful wildflowers grow randomly on the grounds of the Acropolis – Drake and Sara on our way to the top – The view from the top was spectacular and a bit mind blowing!
I love this photo that I took of the Parthenon – it was truly a sight to see!

Also located at the Acropolis is The Erechtheum, which is also called the Erechtheion. This temple was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. This breathtaking structure was constructed between 421 and 406 BCE. As you can see in the photo below, the structure contains six female statues, which are placed as supports for the roof. These statues are known as the Caryatids, or Daughters of Athena. It was a gorgeous day, and the Erechtheion was spectacular.

Wandering around you never knew what you’d find. Sara found several gorgeous cats, one of whom was brave enough to get close enough to say “hi”!

Massive “gateways” stand, even through they are no longer attached to the walls that originally defined the boundaries of the fortress.

We saw piles of what seemed to be “like” items. I can only imagine that as they are restoring the various structures, pieces that are found are placed with other “like” pieces in order to hopefully return them to their original structure. It reminded me of doing Lego sets with the kids and we’d start by sorting the pieces into piles of the same color in order to help locate what we needed at each stage of the build!

Another fascinating thing for me was to focus on the cityscape below – the massive city of Athens fans out from all sides of the Acropolis, so packed together you almost forget that you’re looking at thousands of homes, businesses, schools, etc. Again, the photos don’t do it justice and it really is something to experience first hand.

When we left the Acropolis we made our way to the Acropolis Museum. We walked, as it was close by. As I’m often known to do, I got distracted by flowers – a gorgeous azalea bush that had trailed down a wall and was in full bloom. It was so vibrant and striking against the blue sky. The photos below show the “close up” and a view from afar, at the Museum entrance.

As you walk to the Acropolis Museum, you’re walking over a “dig site”. There are panes of glass in the pavement so you can see the excavation below you.

The sign in the photo collage below was interesting to me, as it illustrates how what we do today may survive long past our own lives. Will someone be viewing my blog in 2,000 years as an artifact from the 2020’s? Doubtful, I’m sure!

I don’t have much to say about the Acropolis Museum because I spent the majority of my time in their patio cafe, drinking a cold soda and handling a work emergency. They had wifi and I had not paid for wifi on the ship, as I wanted to focus on the trip and not on my phone. After this situation, I went ahead and got wifi on the ship so that anything work related could be handled before we got to port, at which time I put my phone back into airplane mode and enjoyed the day.

Now, just in case my husband and business partner reads this, please don’t feel bad that I missed out on the Acropolis Museum because I was trying to sort out the situation where you lost your cell phone, asked me to locate it from the Tile app, messaged via Facebook saying not to worry, you had found it – in the parking lot, where you had apparently ran it over with your truck. Now that I’m home, you have been added to our Verizon account and can purchase a phone, accessories, or anything else that you want without me being involved. But, I am glad that the technology exists which makes it possible for me to sit on a patio cafe in Athens, Greece and order you a new cell phone with next day delivery in Illinois. Ha ha – life is CRAZY!

All joking aside, there was some cool stuff in the museum that I saw before I made my way to the cafe to handle the phone issue. We saw some cases with handmade “tools” which were used to make it possible for the Athenians to work smarter, not harder as they built the incredible structures of the Acropolis.

After we were finished there, we leisurely strolled along, figuring we’d find a bus stop eventually. We did a little shopping and then located a bus stop and boarded our bus to head back to the port. It was a lovely day in Athens, and we were able to see some truly incredible sights.

As the Explorer of the Seas left port, we stood on the balcony and admired one last view of the unforgettable Athens.

Plenty of entertainment, activities, food, and drink awaited us on the ship as we set sail for what was my most anticipated port, Mykonos.

Until next time – make every adventure memorable!

Travel

Corfu, Greece

Lori Martin

On May 16th we sailed into the port of Corfu, Greece. A couple things of note about this arrival. One, the weather was complete crap. It was raining like mad. Two, we docked next to another ship. Given our stateroom location, if went onto our balcony it felt like we could toss something to the folks on the other ship (which, to be clear, we did NOT attempt).

Drake and Sara were ready to roll – Drake had a raincoat and Sara is more adventurous than I am, so I told them to have a great day and I was going to leisurely get ready and then see where the day took me. At one point I looked out and it was raining so hard it seemed like it was raining sideways. I was happy I had stayed on ship. I got ready, had a leisurely meal, and then looked out to see that the sky had cleared, the rain had stopped and it was a beautiful and sunny day. I decided I’d grab my bag, foldable backpack (just in case – it easily clips to my crossbody bag) and head into Corfu to explore on my own.

Now, let me be clear – this is NOT in my comfort zone. However, this trip wasn’t either, so it was time to break out of my comfort zone and do somethings that were out of the ordinary for me. I disembarked and walked along the pier to the spot that you went through customs. Once through that I walked and saw a “Hop On-Hop Off” tour bus. I stopped and got the information from a woman at the tent and decided this was a good way to see Corfu given the time I had available. The round trip tour would take approximately one hour (and cost about $20 USD), and given that I felt comfortable with a 2-hour window before I needed to head back, this worked for me. I got on the bus and away we went.

The HO/HO busses usually have earphones and channels with the “tour guide” in different languages. Unfortunately the connection was poor at my seat (and two others I tried) so I didn’t get a lot of the info. I was able, however, to follow along with the map they gave me with my ticket, so I was able to identify where we were and what we were looking at.

Corfu, or Kerkyra, is one of the Ionian Islands off the northwest coast of Greece. Before uniting with Greece in 1864, Corfu was under Venetian, French, and British rule – and Venetian fortresses can be seen towering over the city.

Had I had more time to explore, I would’ve gotten off the bus and checked out the fortress or perhaps had something to eat/drink at one of the waterside cafes. As it was, I was able to enjoy the sights of Corfu from the bus, which was a good option.

The architecture as well as the countryside were beautiful in Corfu. I’m thankful that I decided to venture out on my own and see it closer than from the ship! There were several ships at port that day, so depending on where you port, you may have a long walk to get to the area for tours and busses. By this time of the trip I was starting to get into that more relaxed state that Europeans seem to have, so I enjoyed my leisurely walk to and from the ship. This was a day where my hat with chin strap and sunscreen were both necessary as it was windy and sunny. I like that sunscreen as it’s not too heavy and doesn’t feel greasy, but is also free of oxybenzone & octinoxate. I try to keep the “face and body stick” from doTERRA in my bag to apply to my face as I’m very “fair skinned” and burn easily.

Take your time, enjoy the walk!

I got back to the ship well before the “last call” for boarding, so I went to the room to see if Drake and Sara were back. No sign of them so I sat on the balcony, enjoying the sun and the activity on the ship next to us. Drake and Sara got back and we compared our days in Corfu. They had gotten rained on but they’re young and adventurous, so they had a good time. As Explorer of the Seas started to leave Corfu, the ship next to us got into full-on party mode by the pool – live band and all! It was so funny being right alongside them. I felt like we should break out into Meatloaf’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light” with each ship singing a part (If you’re too young for that reference, sorry!).

Off we went, sailing into the night, headed for our next stop – Athens. What did we do on the ship that evening? I should’ve kept a journal or notes, but honestly I hadn’t planned on enjoying it so much that I’d blog about it – but I can tell you we had as much fun as we wanted, ate great food, enjoyed a few good drinks, and slept well. We didn’t get to a lot of the entertainment offerings on the ship and were never bored, hungry, or thirsty!

One thing I will say – we had three to the room, so we had the beds combined for a King and then the pull out couch. I thought the couch was horrible to sleep on. It was really hard, even when we piled extra blankets on it for some padding. I’m generally not a horribly picky sleeper, but I give the couch in our stateroom zero stars! Thankfully, we were able to rotate sleeping arrangements a bit and everyone slept well.

See you next time – in Athens!

Travel

Boarding and Montenegro

Lori Martin

Mother’s Day – time to board my first cruise! It was an exciting day, but the weather was less than enthused. Oh well – I’m not letting the weather dampen my excitement. We waited on our bus until we were able to get off and queue up directly under tents to keep us out of the drizzle. Royal Caribbean representatives were on hand with umbrellas, which was nice, to help anyone who needed to get luggage and get to the tents.

We made it through easily, which I think is partly due to the fact that we had followed instructions. We had our luggage tags, our documents, and were smiling. These all may have contributed to the speed at which we went through the line, but regardless, we made it through the line quickly and were boarding the Explorer of the Seas.

We headed to our stateroom to check it out. Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised. Three of us were staying in the room and it was much roomier than I had expected – especially the bathroom! I had envisioned a shower that I could barely move around in, but that was not the case. We took a quick photo from our balcony – can you see how excited we are??? — and headed on our way to explore the Explorer of the Seas.

Here’s our view from the Port of Ravenna – I’m sure that it’s absolutely a gorgeous spot on a clear, sunny day. The town (from what I saw as we drove through on the charter bus) seemed really cute and quaint – a place I wouldn’t mind returning to and exploring a bit!

After exploring for a bit (wow – these things are HUGE) and kinda orienting ourselves to the boat (ha ha – we got lost about 2,000 times – thank goodness for the app and maps everywhere) we decided to head to the Main Dining Room, as we had selected 6:00 seating.

First Time Cruiser Alert – when you book a cruise on RC, you’re given the choice between choosing a set time for dining OR “My Time Dining”. We had no idea what the difference was, and felt like picking a time was better, even if it was early. For us – GREAT CHOICE! We could sit at “our table” #230 anytime between 6:00 and 6:30. The folks who did “My Time Dining” were always waiting. We had a table for 4, so if we didn’t show up by 6:30, someone who was waiting on a table for 4 would be seated at our table. But, we noticed that there was always a line at the “My Time Dining” spot and some seemed to wait quite a while.

My impressions of the main dining room were great. You have the same table, and the same servers, the entire cruise. The menu is set, so you choose a starter, entree, and dessert. There are options to “upgrade” to a few options (steak, seafood) but we never did the upgrade simply because all the options were amazing.

Disclaimer – I’m from the midwest, and beef here is like lobster in Maine. The first night Drake and I both ordered the menu NY Strip. I should’ve known better. I liked the steak, but it was more like a piece of beef I’d use for a stir fry or fajitas – it was thin but large. To me a NY Strip is at least 1 1/2″ thick and not as large as theirs. Don’t get me wrong, it was flavorful and tasty, but not what I’d call a NY Strip.

As far as all the other food, amazing. No complaints at all. Our server, his assistant, and the MDR Manager were all wonderful. They updated us on upcoming ports, any news we needed to know, etc. They also made sure we were well taken care of. My personal note on “Formal Night” is do what makes YOU feel comfortable. We skipped MDR for the first Formal Night and hit the Windjammer buffet. Our servers asked us the next night why they missed us. We explained we were not “formal” folks and they said to not worry about that at all. We went into the MDR on the next formal night, straight from coming back from an all day port exploration. We were sweaty, in shorts/tees/sneakers, and had one lady give us the stink eye from her table of elegantly dressed companions. Judge not lady, and enjoy your meal, as we just did!

After dinner we went to our stateroom and our luggage had been delivered so we unpacked a bit and then I decided to enjoy the remaining daylight, so I grabbed my knitting project, my headphones, and my phone with my audiobook and headed to the Solarium. I got a chair and, as you can see – enjoyed the view, my audiobook, and some knitting. It was a great way to relax and try to shake off the normal “hectic” state that I tend to live in!

I like to unpack on a trip (even short ones) so after the sun went down and I couldn’t see out I went back to the stateroom to unpack my things. We booked this cruise last minute, so after I booked it I started reading about cruising “do’s and don’t”. Apparently the first rule is “Don’t book last minute” – whoops. Spoiler alert – we had a great time. Would our price had been better had we booked months earlier – probably, but this was spontaneous and because we had some Delta credit to use or lose, we went for it.

During my “post booking” and “pre boarding” research time, I found some items that seasoned cruisers recommended. Here’s what I bought, what I used, and why they were helpful or not. Remember, if you purchase through the link I’ve provided, as an Amazon Affiliate, I may get a small commission, but I’m not promoting these products to support my family! These are things I’ve actually purchased and used, and I’m being 100% honest with my opinion.

IMO, a “must have” are the magnet hooks. A ship’s walls are metal, so magnet hooks help provide some extra storage. They’re available in a variety of colors and weight limits. We had the 27+lbs hooks and they were adequate for what we used them for. We hung hats, nightshirt, towels, and a scarf/wrap on ours. It was really helpful for the hats – we travel with a lot of hats, so Drake had two hooks and layered his baseball hats on those.

If you’re traveling internationally, you need electrical outlet converters. I bought two of these and used one all the time. Keep in mind that both Drake and Sara had done a study abroad, so they each had their own converter, otherwise both of mine would’ve been needed. A lot of posts indicated a shortage of outlets on the ship, so I had also picked this power strip up, but never took it out of the box, as we had more than enough outlets. But, not all ships are the same, and the box for this is very small, so I have kept it at the bottom of one of my “always goes” travel bags with other items I’ve determined to be “travel necessities” so it’s there if we need it!

I know I said the bathroom and stateroom were more spacious than expected, but there is no exhaust fan in the bathroom. As a kindness to my fellow travelers and in order to not have the room stinky, take this! It’s small enough I was able to keep it in my travel crossbody (see A Few of My Favorite Things) and then leave it in the stateroom bathroom once we were settled.

As a first time cruiser I was nervous about motion sickness. I took some Bonine chewable tablets but never opened those. These behind the ear patches did the trick for both Drake and I when we felt woozy. I will definitely be taking those on our next cruise. I also had Ginger lozenges from doTERRA, which I use normally when my stomach feels icky. I travel with several doTERRA products. My family teases me about it, but whatever! The Breathe, On Guard, and Ginger lozenges were very handy for my trip when something in the air triggered allergies and my nose was running like mad. I also had Oregano oil on hand, as it’s a natural antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal and all around great item. Again, the link above is an affiliate link, so I may receive product credit if you purchase through the link, but I never recommend something I don’t use!

How beautiful and peaceful is THAT?!?!

On May 15 we sailed into Kotor, Montenegro. Being out first port, it was fascinating and beautiful, even though the weather was rainy and gray. We had booked an excursion through RC for this port, so we followed our instructions and proceeded to the “Tender” into Kotor. The “Tender” is a smaller boat that you board from the cruise ship, and it takes you to the dock at port. The ship as a whole was late getting clearance to start tendering passengers, so we got off the tender and were divided for our tour busses. The three of us must’ve been some of the last passengers on our charter, and each had to sit where we could find an empty seat.

The tour itself was fine for a rainy day. The guide was GREAT and very entertaining, especially given the gloominess of the day. The driver had MAD SKILLS. From the bay, Montenegro seems like a small port with a lush mountain behind it. Little did we know, a road, consisting of over 20 “switchbacks” lets residents and visitors explore the mountain and nearby villages.

Geography lesson time! Montenegro, meaning “Black Mountain” borders Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. It was really beautiful, even on the gray, rainy day we visited. If you’d like to learn more about Montenegro, there’s a great BBC profile HERE. I’m no history buff, but the tour was very interesting. Here’s one crazy fact our guide provided that still blows my mind – he has lived in several different countries, yet he has never moved!

Due to it’s remote location and beauty, Montenegro is becoming quite the tourist spot for celebrities. It seems to be a hidden gem on the Adriatic Coast. Because of the weather and time restrictions, our tour was expedited and any stops were “get in, get out, get back on”. We stopped at a small village and had some Montenegrin prosciutto and “black” (red) wine. Then we stopped at a museum for a quick look at some of the royal artifacts from the Montenegrin Royal family, led by King Nicholas I and Queen Milena. They had 12 children, many of whom married royals from other European countries, giving him the nickname the “father-in-law of Europe”. Notably, their daughter Xenia was a trend setter and pioneer in her own right. While many times “betrothed” she never married. In fact, the ending of her engagement to Alexander I of Serbia was so scandalous, diplomatic relations between Serbia and Montenegro were severed. She remained single, learned to drive an automobile, and was said to be “extremely wholesome…with a sunny disposition”. She did charity work and participated in athletic sports. As her father aged, Xenia served as councilor to him, assisting in governmental tasks. When she participated in an anti-Austrian protest, the Austrian government, to whom King Nicholas was indebted to for past favors, Xenia was exiled to France as “punishment” where she lived out her years enjoying life in Paris.

No photos were allowed in the museum, but I’m sure a google search will provide any history buffs with a plethora of information on Montenegro’s Royal family.

A few photos from our tour – and the view as we sailed away from the beautiful Bay of Kotor.

As luck would have it, the skies cleared as we traveled from the museum back to port. Again, it was beautiful in poor weather conditions, so I would not refuse a trip back, especially one that provided a few days to explore the areas beaches and villages, enjoy traditional Montenegrin food and drink, and see more of this beautiful country.

Sailing away for now – but next stop is Corfu, Greece!

Travel

Adventure Awaits!

Lori Martin

On April 22 my 21-year old college student son sent me a text asking “would you possibly want to go on a cruise next month”. I was really busy with work so I told him to come up with an itinerary, including air travel to/from and then let me look at it and I’d see if I could get away.

Long story short, I decided I could get away. Maybe it was more I decided I NEEDED to get away, but whatever – tickets were booked and plans were made. The next few weeks will be filled with information about this trip. First of all, this was our FIRST cruise ever. I pretty much had decided I was NOT a cruise kinda person – but then I also remembered once upon a time I “was not a rollercoaster person” until I actually rode one and realized I loved it.

I’ve decided to take my love of writing and my rekindled love of traveling and combine those to make this blog a good informational spot with my no-nonsense opinion on places, excursions, etc. In doing so, I’ll also be participating in the Amazon affiliate program (more information can be found HERE) so you will see me linking to products – BUT, I do not want this blog to become one big advertisement, so I will only be linking up to products that I have personally used and found helpful. I may receive a commission if you purchase from the link(s) that I provide, but this isn’t my life’s work! I promise I will only link to something I personally use.

Now, back to the cruise. We booked a 7 night Greek Isles cruise leaving out of Venice (Ravenna) with Royal Caribbean. Our ship was the Explorer of the Seas. Once we booked it, I decided I should read up on what to know about cruising a bit.

But first – one thing I ALWAYS take when I travel is a anti-theft crossbody bag that I purchased AGES ago. This thing has been with me for YEARS. This bag was perfect for this trip, because Venice has a LOT of pickpockets, sadly. You’ll read about this in a future post, but I actually caught one IN THE ACT because I got complacent and didn’t zip my bag’s zipper while waiting for gelato. (Really good ice cream will make you lose your mind, clearly). Now, my bag is Travelon brand. Maybe they all have this, but the zippers on mine clip to a little ring, so someone cannot unzip your bag as easily because the zipper is clipped. Had I known how handy this bag was, I’d have probably bought one a bit larger, but mine does the trick for now. I can keep everything safe and secure, and the bag is small enough that I can wear it under a jacket. You can find the line of Travelon bags HERE.

I joined several Facebook groups for Royal Caribbean cruisers, read a bunch of articles online, and watched You Tube videos when I couldn’t sleep. One night about 11 pm I read a post from someone who had realized that their Greek Isles cruise from Venice didn’t actually leave from Venice, but from Ravenna, which was 2-3 hours away.

WHAT??? Oh no. What did our itinerary say? It said “Venice” and then a name in parentheses, but that SURELY was the port name or something, right? It definitely was NOT the name of a city a few hours away from Venice….right? WRONG! Our cruise was leaving from Ravenna, 2-3 hours south of Venice, and I had realized this in the middle of the night. Guess who was not getting good sleep that night? As I read the posts, it became clear that the plan was to call RC the next morning and book transportation from Venice to Ravenna and back. OK – I could breathe again, and it would be ok. Back to reading about the Top Ten Things To NEVER Do When Cruising (number one was ALWAYS “book last minute” which is exactly what we did, so IMO, those lists SUCK – because spoiler alert – we had a GREAT TIME!!!

TIP – If you are cruising from Venice and your itinerary or anything you see says “Venice (Ravenna)” you are NOT cruising out of Venice. Do not panic (been there, done that, it didn’t help). Call Royal Caribbean, explain the situation, and IF you are flying in before cruising day, they’re going to offer to book you on a shuttle bus that goes from Tronchetto (the transportation hub in Venice) to Ravenna. Here’s what you need to know about THAT! (See map below) You can take a water bus (vaparetto) to Piazalle Roma. Get off there and then walk to the People Mover (follow the signs). Take the People Mover to Tronchetto. (the people mover runs between Piazzale Roma, Stazione Maritima, and Tronchetto). Your gut instinct may be to get off at Stazione Maritima, especially when you see all the signs for “Cruise Ship” and such – BUT if your transfer from RC says “Tronchetto”, go to Tronchetto!!! Once you come out of the People Mover you will cross the street to the building where you should see people in vests with “Trumpy Tours” on them. Check in with them and they will line you up.

You’ll get on a bus, they drive you to the port at Ravenna, and you don’t have to worry about a thing. If the bus gets a flat and is running late – they’re not going to leave you. BUT, if you rent a car and it gets a flat and you’re running late, they MIGHT leave you, so why risk it?

People were “salty” that the line at the port in Ravenna was long. We were on the bus for a while – yes. But we were in a line of busses and nobody was moving until one bus unloaded and everyone got off. It was raining, so instead of making passengers stand in the rain, we sat on the bus until we could get to the tent, disembark, get our luggage, and move through the boarding process (mostly) out of the rain.

Now, what is my other “OMG, why would you NOT book transportation through Royal Caribbean” rant? Well, while we were cruising, the beautiful port town of Ravenna was hit with a crazy amount of rain. I believe I read they got an entire year’s worth of rain in 2-3 days, so the port and town were flooded – BADLY. So badly, they could not use the port. Instead of disembarking at Ravenna, we were rerouted to Trieste. This change did not impact us at all, because instead of getting off the boat and boarding a bus to Venice from Ravenna, we just got off the boat and boarded a bus to Venice from Trieste. We were given a schedule, which due to the logistics I figured our 0715 disembarkation time would be delayed, and it was. We were ready to go at 0715, but did not have our “group number” called until about 0800, and we were on the bus at 0820. The biggest issue here, IMO, was people not following instructions. You were to remain on board until your group number was called – and ONLY THEN were you to proceed to the disembarkation deck. We saw a lot of people who were headed down and then staff had to send them back up. This tied up staff, elevators, and time. Relax, follow instructions, and relax. Once on the bus at 0820, we headed for Venice and arrived at Tronchetto at 1035.

We were staying a few extra days in Venice near the Rialto bridge. From Tronchetto we took the People Mover to Piazzale Roma, then got on the #1 to the San Silvestro stop, where we had arranged to meet Marco, our Air BnB host.

Because we were staying a few days, we bought a 3-day ACTV pass (water bus). This enabled us to hop on/hop off and get around the city and other islands quite easily. Just make sure you look at the sign to know where you are and which direction you want to go. Worst case scenario if you get on the wrong one, you have a nice long ride around the Grand Canal if you’re going the long way around! Below is a map for the #2 line. I’ve circled the Piazzale Roma and Tronchetto locations in red. You can take the Vaporetto to P.Roma and then the People Mover is a short walk – with signs marking the way.

In hindsight, I would’ve purchased our ACTV tickets online ahead of time. We stayed one night in Venice before the cruise and then 3 nights after. I didn’t realize it before the cruise, but you can buy a combo ticket for the Vaporetto AND People Mover, which is handy, as the line at the People Mover ticket kiosk was long both times we were there. In the future I’d buy those tickets and have them on my phone to avoid the lines. Also, another tip at the People Mover – the escalators are motion sensitive, so it may look like it’s stopped and you need to haul your luggage up/down the stairs, but they are NOT off! They just need some motion to activate them and off you go!

So – that’s a LOT for the first post about the cruise, but as I said, I am going to be detailed in hopes of helping someone else. Tune in next time for more details once we got ON the ship – but here’s a spoiler – loved it so much we booked an Alaskan cruise for next year after the kids graduate (one college and one high school)!!! The countdown is ON!

If you have specific questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Until next time, live adventurously….

Health & Wellness

Facebook Memories

Lori Martin

I find myself using my Facebook account less often, but one thing I really enjoy is seeing the “Memories” that pop up each day. This week I had a few significant ones that I’d like to discuss.

First of all, three years ago during the COVID “shelter at home” I found a reason to get out of the house to go to a blood drive. I had not donated since I was 18, and I didn’t have a particularly good time at that point in my life, so I had not donated since. But, this time in 2020 was HARD y’all and I needed some human interaction with people other than the ones sheltering in my home with me…so off to the blood drive I went.

Fittingly enough, this week I received my “2 Gallon” pin from the American Red Cross. Not only did I start donating in 2020, but I kept going as I realized that donating blood was NOT a big deal and could really help people. I am O+, so one time the blood drive workers suggested I consider doing a Power Red donation, as O+ is very helpful and in need. Power Red basically takes just the red blood cells and puts the plasma back in, so you’re donating a double amount of red blood cells each time. I have found that any time I am giving blood (be it at a blood drive or for a doctor’s appointment) if I drink a lot of water they can find a good vein easier. Donating blood is SUPER easy and really helps people, so please consider it if you’re not a regular donor!

Another Facebook memory that actually popped up today is the “one year anniversary” of finishing my first 6-weeks following the FASTer Way To Fat Loss nutrition program. Ironically enough, I had basically let my good habits slide but last week I was determined to do ONE workout and to use their app to track my eating.

I’m sure I’m not the ONLY one, but when I track the food I eat, I always eat better! The amazing thing with FWTFL is the amount of food you eat. Seriously – even a year later – it blows my mind that if you’re eating the right balance of food, you need to eat a LOT in order to fuel your body. Last week I did workouts on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. I didn’t follow the workouts by day (as Friday and Sunday are both active recovery) but did total body, upper body, and leg day. I’ve been eating better and tracking what I eat. I feel a LOT better today than I did a week ago.

Honestly, I’m not sure WHY that surprises me. I feel like I’m a fairly intelligent person, but when it comes to my physical and mental health I’m a total ding-dong. Gee, if something makes me feel great and then I stop and feel like crap, it surely has NOTHING to do with the thing I stopped…??? What is wrong with my brain?

Anyway, I’m going to let that go and focus on each day as it comes. I’ve planned out my meals for the next week, made a list, and groceries are being acquired. When I did the first 6-weeks, the weight seemed like it was melting off of me and I wasn’t even doing the workouts. I feel like a newbie again, but this time I’m adding the workouts into my regular routine.

If you’re curious about the FASTer Way To Fat Loss, there are two main components I tell people. One is that you’re not counting calories, but Macronutrients (Carbs, Fat, and Protein). Here’s the thing – turns out your body actually NEEDS carbs, so all that time I spent avoiding bread, pasta, rice, etc….dumb. The other main component of FWTFL is intermittent fasting.

WAIT – don’t go away! As soon as I heard that when I was introduced to the program I was like “Sorry, not gonna work for me…I can’t do that”. Well – turns out I CAN and even when I was “train’s not even NEAR the tracks” off track, I still kept with an IF schedule because I felt so much better when I followed it. The IF period is slowly introduced when you work with a Coach on your initial 6-weeks, and seriously, it’s amazing what a difference it makes.

If you’re interested in giving FWTFL a try, I HIGHLY recommend joining my coach, Jill Lewis. She breaks things down and makes the transition to a healthier lifestyle totally do-able! You can click HERE to join through my referral link (I would NOT recommend it if I did NOT believe in it). Be sure you select Jill Lewis as your coach! There is a special “Midlife Mayhem” round starting on the 24th. My referral link is HERE and again – Jill Lewis is who you select for your coach. FASTer Way has special programs for men, breastfeeding mommas, etc. There is a HUGE group of women over 50 who are taking control of their health and wellness by what they eat. If you’re local and want to join me for a FWTFL workout, let me know and we’ll get together and give one a try!

I’m thankful for the memories that Facebook showed me this week. They remind me that there is ALWAYS something you can do for someone else. Helping others is good for the soul. The FWTFL also reminded me that this amazing feeling I have today is no accident – it’s because I’ve been working AND fueling my body and treating it well.

Have a great week!

Life After Loss

Happy Anniversary

Lori Martin

Today, April 7th, is my parents’ wedding anniversary. They were married in 1951, so this is their 72nd anniversary. My Mom died in 2009, and my Dad passed in October of 2022, so this is the first wedding anniversary that neither of them is here.

I really hope with every fiber of my being, that they are reunited and together today to celebrate their anniversary and all the joys of their lives together. As a parent, I don’t know there’s anything more gratifying than seeing your children (no matter what their age) doing well and being happy. My wish for today is that my parents are together and feeling satisfied that they created a partnership that produced four children, all of whom turned out to be decent humans who are happy and fulfilled.

We all miss them terribly, but there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my parents and the things that they taught me. I am thankful that I had the parents that I had and for the family they created. I am thankful that I had time with my Dad due to cancer that I likely wouldn’t have had otherwise. While it wasn’t always pretty, it was time together than we leaned on one another and slogged through it together. I’m thankful that he hung on after my Mom died. Now I find myself missing him, yet also feeling hopeful and optimistic that they are once again together.

Cheers, Mom and Dad – cheers to your marriage on April 7, 1951 and for all of the things that day set in motion.

Life After Loss, Trauma

Waves

Lori Martin

It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that I love the ocean. I love to hear the waves, watch the waves, and feel them against my skin. I’ve been reading a lot and thinking about life and that’s when it hit me….

Life is just a series of waves…

We all have good times, smooth sailing one might say, when things seem to click and work our way. Then we’ll hit a rough patch, stormy seas perhaps. When you’re in the rough time it seems like you just keep getting knocked down with one bad thing after another. Enough already, right? You’ve had your two or three hard things and it needs to stop. But sometimes it doesn’t…and the hard things keep coming at ya.

One hard thing after another after another.

Damn – I hate it when that happens. Truly. I hate it for myself, I hate it for my family, friends, and even complete strangers. I hate to see people I love suffer hardship.

When the seas of life get rough, just remember that this hard time (like ones in the past) will NOT last forever. Enjoy the good times while they’re there and then hang on, dig in, and ride out the hard times. Remind yourself that the hard times won’t last forever, and even in the hard times there is often good – whether it be the “showing up” of people who care about you, personal growth, or a hard time that forces you into a new space in life (job, home, etc) – you may find the difficulty pushed you into growth that you may have otherwise missed.

Enjoy the good times of your life. Relish them. Laugh as much as possible, create memories, enjoy every single minute. Don’t take those good times for granted. Those good times might make a hard wave of life seem extra difficult, but remember that these waves change – from the good to the bad – and from the bad to the good.

During a hard time I had to sit back and take stock at the reality of MY situation. The reality is, my worst days are likely easier than someone’s best day. I’m very lucky to have the life I have, and find it important and humbling to keep that in mind. Yes, my struggles are still valid and meaningful to me, but when I let myself get too deep into my own head I remind myself that my worst day is better than someone’s best day. I’m not searching for basic needs for myself and my family. I don’t live in a war-torn area and fear for personal safety. Even at my worst, I have it pretty damned good.

Enjoy the good days and learn from the hard ones. As I said in the recent Writing Prompt post, the situations in my life that provided my most significant personal growth have been the HARD situations. Living and learning go hand in hand, so when faced with challenges, look for the lesson or the opportunity that you might not have seen before. It may take time, but personal growth is usually found there…growing under the shit show that your day/week/month has been.

Writing Prompt

Writing Prompt:

Lori Martin

What experiences in life helped you grow the most?

I came here tonight to write about WAVES, but saw the daily writing prompt and decided to hammer out WAVES another day…because this prompt is too good.

The experiences in life that have helped me grow the most have been the HARD ONES!

Every time.

Every damned time.

It’s almost like that saying “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” might have some truth to it.

Hard times (loss of a loved one, personal struggles, business struggles, etc) have all been such learning and growing times for me. Having your life upturned has that effect on a person. Mainly, it gave me perspective – because we all get bogged down in the day-to-day crap and think THAT is what matters. Then something shakes you to your core and you realize the day-to-day crap is just CRAP. The people (and experiences with those people) in your life is what matters WAY more than the stuff we find ourselves focused on. I’ve often heard that “lesson” in that you can drop dead and the people that you love will forever be changed and miss you while work will just replace you with another person. It’s easy to fall into that routine of spending a lot of your focus on your job and miss out on time with the PEOPLE who really matter.

Here’s where I struggle…DURING the hard times, it’s really hard for me to remember that IN that experience will likely come growth and learning. During a hard time I wonder why I’m being punished, what I did to deserve such hardship, or other equally unhelpful thoughts. I need to remember that old advice – everything happens for a reason, and sometimes it’s some time before we know the reason.

That is such simple, true, and relevant advice…and yet in the midst of a hard time I struggle with remembering that perhaps this trouble is leading me to something better. I struggle with remembering that the trouble may help me to grow, to learn, and to gain fresh perspective.

So, if you’re facing a hard time, just remember that many people find personal growth out of that difficulty. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, do what you can every day, and remember that life is constantly changing and evolving, so this hard time will NOT last forever. Reach out to your people. Accept help from others. Do something to help someone else. That’s always helpful to me in situations when I feel helpless – help someone else. There’s some sense of peace and calm from helping another person when you feel like you can’t even help yourself. You’ll be reminded of the qualities that you have that have gotten you this far. You may dig deeper into those and push a bit harder on in the trudge through this hard time.

Life After Loss, Trauma

Schuyler

Lori Martin

A week ago I wrote a post for your birthday. Every tap of the keyboard was a reminder that as we mentally celebrated your birthday – a week later we would memorialize the day you died. I wish I could say that the memories from the day you were born were as strong as the day you died, but as I’ve experienced more and more life I’ve come to understand that trauma often plants a deeper root into our memories than joy. Such is life…

I took my own time last night to remember the events of today in 2009. Each of us has our own recollection and those feel sacred and private. Today I’m going to share my thoughts on time and wishes.

Fourteen years – every year as we add another number to the sum that you have been gone it is both amazing that so much time has gone by and also feels like an eternity since I felt your hug, heard your laugh, or shook my head and rolled my eyes at something you did or said. I suppose there’s a bit of beauty in that, though – because even though 14 years have passed, you’re still such a part of our lives. I think about you every day. Your name often graces a conversation or funny story. Your name and your memories cannot be erased from our history because you aren’t physically present in our days and nights. There’s actually a lot of beauty in that.

Fourteen years has not taken grief away – but it has softened the edges of it. I feel a pang of loss when I see your friends with their children, or look at a family photo and your face is absent, or see the shift in your Dad’s face when someone mentions your name. I feel that pang of loss because I grieve all the stuff that you didn’t get to do beyond the age of 25. I grieve that you didn’t get to attend weddings, graduations, vacations, holidays, or even just a random Saturday night back yard BBQ. The edges of that grief are softer though, so I don’t stay there long – I sit with it for a moment, and then my mind drifts into a space where we all were together and I can hear the laughter, feel the breeze from the river, and smell the grill. Twenty five years wasn’t enough, but it was so much better than nothing at all.

Wishes – I have so many, but for today, just a few. I wish Drake and Avery KNEW you. They “know” you and Drake might even slightly remember you, but neither of them got to really KNOW you. I’ll even lump Logan, Cole, and Brenton in there. It makes me sad that the only way they know you is because of what we tell them, photos we show them, and stories from your friends. I mean, to be honest, you’d have really taught them some raunchy shit, but even just the thought of that makes me smile. I wish you could’ve had that opportunity, and even more – that those kids would’ve had the opportunity to really know you. You’d have been the person they’d confide in – because they would know that you were a safe person, no judgement, and that you’d be honest with them. You’d be the “fun” uncle/cousin but you’d also have been that safe person for them because you would’ve let them know that you had made mistakes and been judged. You would’ve loved them as fiercely as you loved all of us, and nobody has ever been hurt by being loved too much.

I hope that you know how incredibly much you are missed by SO MANY – and how you live on in our memories and hearts. People say “Never Forgotten” but I can assure you that you truly will never be forgotten. Many remember you as the young man from Kewanee who gave his life for his country. Those of us lucky enough to call you family or friend remember you as the person you were, and the person who we will miss forever.

Trauma

Illness in a post-pandemic world

Lori Martin

Last week as I lay in bed one night I felt a feeling I had not felt in a LONG time. I felt a heaviness in my chest…I remembered having that feeling before – when I’d get bronchitis every year. Now, the interesting thing is, it has been since before January 2020 since I’ve had my yearly bronchitis. In fact, my cough would be so severe and last so long (often for months) that at the start of COVID my hubs and I were very concerned what would happen if I were to catch COVID – would my lungs be able to handle it?

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was quite scary. Hearing this virus was so easily transmitted and how it went straight for your lungs concerned me. I had been hospitalized as a child one summer with double pneumonia and I think my lungs probably have some lingering damage from that. Anyway, I was very worried about how my body would react to this mystery virus that was plowing through the world and inundating hospitals. As more and more information came out I found myself vacillating between terrified and relieved, depending on the story.

I got my vaccination as soon as possible, followed up by a booster. As more and more people around me contracted COVID and came through it well, I figured I would be fine if/when I found myself exposed. We had a few close calls, but it wasn’t until August of 2021 that anyone in our immediate household tested positive. I was the primary caregiver for my elderly father when he tested positive and trust me when I tell you that if I didn’t get it from HIM, I wasn’t going to get it at all!

Now let’s pop back to last week when I felt that old familiar heaviness in my chest. I thought it was odd, but it sure did feel like I was getting sick. By the next morning I was sure – I was sick. I had a barking cough and my voice was raspy. I stayed home from work, hoping it would pass through quickly. I’ve been dealing with it for over a week now, with Sunday being the worst of it. Each day I feel much better. And yes, I did take a COVID test because we had some here at home and I was NOT positive.

Here’s the thing, though – do you remember what it was like to be sick BEFORE COVID? I needed some OTC cold meds so on Saturday I went into Kroger. I was wearing a mask to protect people from my germs. I was not chatting anyone up or leisurely shopping. I went in with a mission to get what I needed and get out with minimal contact. One of the items I purchased required a DOB, so even through I had gone to self-checkout (again, to avoid people) the cashier had to come over and enter my DOB into the kiosk.

She was so repulsed by me that I seriously felt like Patient Zero for the next global pandemic. Did COVID freak us out to the point that we cannot handle normal illnesses in our fellow humans?

One of my friends said it best. She said “Remember when we all just went into the office everyday with boxes of Kleenex and bottles of Chloraseptic with our sneezing and coughing because it was ‘just’ a cold?”!!! YES!!! Yes, yes, YES!

Pre-pandemic we were more tolerant of sniffles and sneezes because, well, because they’re germs and we all have them and that’s how our body learns to fight germs off. I feel like the pandemic has made a lot of people fearful.

I get it. People are traumatized. Lots of bad decisions were made during the pandemic, but nobody knew what the hell was going on or how to handle it. And now when we hear a cough or a sneeze we’re Pavlov’ed into a sense of fear. This was my first time encountering that fear as a sick person. I would imagine I’ve expressed that fear to someone in public, perhaps without even being aware that I was doing so.

As for me, I’m finally feeling better and will be going back to the world of the living. I think all traumas make us long for a return to “before”….I wish we could just go back to how it was “before” that happened. My experience Saturday at Kroger reminded me how much the pandemic changed – both good and bad – and gave me a longing for a return to a time that we didn’t hear someone sneeze or cough and find ourselves filled with fear and anxiety for our own safety.