Easter With Patty & Marcie

Happy Easter !!

SEABOURN World Cruise

116 Days

January 4 to May 1st

$52,214

HOLLAND AMERICA World Cruise

130 Days

Dec. 18th to April 28th

$22,499

iphone Maybe?

 

The iphone 5 will be available with T-Mobile !!

 

I think i might get the iphone now!!

10 Years

I woke up this morning thinking ...

wow, I've had this job for 10 years!

10 years.

I'm lucky that I've been employed for 10 years.
I'm lucky that I've had full time income for 10 years.

But I'm just like soo many that has a job that only pay the bills.

But I'm just living paycheck to paycheck.

I see people come by ... and when they say "wow, you're still here!"
I get annoyed and wish I was somewhere else!

Do they wish I was off on another adventure?

This trip to Europe has me thinking .. and what I'm thinking I hope happens sooner rather than later.

The Bourne Legacy

I finally got to watch The Bourne Legacy.  It was an OK movie ... I did wish it was another Matt Damon movie ... but Jeremy Renner was a good lead.

I thought that filming in the Philippines was interesting.

Now ... for the most important item in this movie ... and the only thing that I could think of at this moment is the HOUSE.

The Oliver Bronson House.

Those absolutely beautiful stairs !!! I had to keep pausing the DVD just to look at those stairs!!

If someone asked me if I watched The Bourne Legacy ... I would respond that I LOVE THE
HOUSE THEY BURNED DOWN!

I want to have this IN MY HOUSE !

I'll have to change design and layout of the dream house.

Starbucks Coffee Mugs

I really want to travel the world

I've decided that if I was going to buy something for myself

as a souvenir ... it will be a mug from Starbucks.

My first mug .. PARIS

38 For A Month

I've been 38 for a whole month !!

So far ... the most exciting thing that has happened in my life is the Europe trip.  Rome, Pisa, Venice, Paris.  Those are the only exciting places I've been to in my life.

I feel that I want too much, hope too much, but in reality ... I can't even get something that I need.

I want to travel.  Wouldn't it be wonderful just to travel.

Travel. Read. Write.

Back To Work

It was my first day back at work.

It's hot in California.

I'm still in vacation mode.

I'm suffering from gelato withdrawals.

One more week until my 10th Year Work Anniversary.

What else can I look forward to now that the big adventure is done?

Golden Girls on TV LAND

I come back from a 2-week vacation in Europe and find out that The Golden Girls is now playing in TV LAND!

Yay!!

Farewell Europe!

The Big Adventure is officially over!

We left our Paris hotel at 7:45 am.

We flew out of CDG airport at 11:10 am

The plane that we rode had individual entertainment screens.  So the whole flight I was able to watch THREE MOVIES !!  I'm soo glad ARGO was one of the selections ... excellent movie !

Arrived in Philidelphia at 1:50 pm ~ because my mom had wheel chair assistance ~ we were able to go through customs and baggage claim quickly ~ this time we didn't go to a fancy Japanese restaurant ~ Instead ... I had a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwhich !! 

We left PHL airpot at 4:00 pm ~ slept the whole way !!

Back in Los Angeles !!

Paris Day Three

Prayers At Sacre Cour

Music At Opera House

Books At Shakespeare And Company

Sunset At Arc de Triomphe

Paris Day Two

The Louvre

Mass At Notre Dame Cathedral

Bonjour Paris!

After our train ride in Paris ... we were able to take a 5-passenger cab to the hotel and checkin early.  We spent most of the day unpacking and just relaxing.

There were some Filipino stores near our hotel ... so my sister was able to cook filipino food for us!

We bought a 3-day subway pass.

Then headed out to the Eiffel Tower!!

THELLO Night Train Venice To Paris

After MONTHS of going online finding reviews of the THELLO Night Train ... the night finally arrived for us to take the train from Venice To Paris.

Most of the reviews I saw were a "little" negative ... but this train was something we needed to ride to get to Paris.

It was an experience.

The most important advice I could give is TRAVEL LIGHT.  Unfortunately, we each needed luggage for a two week trip.   Traveling light in winter was not an option.  There is NO LUGGAGE STORAGE in the train .. basically your couchette or sleeper is where you will put your luggages.  You will be going up steps to load your luggage ... and the doorway is narrow.

There were FIVE of us in my family in a 6-couchette.

Water bottles are given to passengers.  See how the bottom seat slants .. whoever sleeps in the bottom needs to be used to not sleeping flat.  I slept on the bottom, and it wasn't comfortable.  OH... and see those head rests??  That is basically going to be something right above your body.  I'm a small person, so it didn't bother me much.

Top bunk has a safety harness.  Most space to get up ... and actually sit up.

There are two overhead racks to put belongings ... one right above window, and one above doorway.

 The ladder can be moved from one side to another.

We basically used the overhead racks for our smaller "carry on" items.  Our luggages were too heavy and big to actually lift up and store on those racks.

Two of our medium...size 24... luggages were able to fit on the floor.  We had to shove it.

Another two we decided to put on one of the bottom "beds" ~ these are larger luggages.  Probably a size 28, another a size 24.  See how those headrests are above the luggage .. imagine your body there instead.

Five ladies and their four luggages !

Here is where it got interesting.  Because we were a family of five booked in a 6-couchette, I didn't think someone else would actually be in the couchette with us ... I thought there could be a SLIGHT possibility ... but who would actually want to book themselves in a room with 5 strangers???  Someone did !!  The Thello attendant had informed us when she took our passports that a woman will be joining us in Milan !!  It would have actually been nice to have the bottom "bed" be used for our luggages.

So the big red luggage was placed behind the ladder ... we moved the other luggage to the far side of my "bed" and I slept curled up.  When the woman boarded in Milan ... sad to say there really wasn't any space avail for her duffle/luggage so she just placed in on the floor right by her bed.

I would recommend using "spinner" luggages" just because they are easier to maneuver.  The hallway is narrow.

So what else do you need to know about this trip??

We brought snacks of  our own ... so we didn't go to the cafe area.
The restrooms weren't that bad ... at least toilet paper didn't run out.
On one of the stops ... a large group boarded ... and they were loud.

Would I travel on this train again??

Maybe.  It only cost us 35 euros each.  If we had to pay more next time, maybe not.  I might try to book a sleeper if traveling with just two people ... if I had to pay more.

I basically didn't have the highest expectations.  With all the "Don't Do It" reviews ... I already thought that "if it's bad...it's bad" ~ It wasn't actually that bad ... the only thing that was a disappointment was the 6th person sharing the couchette with us.  Boarding the train and figuring out how to store the luggages in the couchette was the stressful part ... but when we got things settled we were fine.

Last Day In Venice

Today we spent our last day in Venice shopping.

Ate dinner at the Chinese Restaurant right next to our hotel.

Then took train to Paris.

Venice ... Day Two

Today I finally do what tourists do in Venice.

Ride a gondola !

Sunday Mass At St. Marks Basilica

Dinner at Japanese Restuarant.

Full Day In Venice

I'm really glad I didn't book the "Skip The Line: Walking Tour Of Venice" ... My sister felt sick so she had stayed at our hotel with my mom.

We had a late start to the morning ... but I was able to walk around Venice with my two nieces.

I know understand all the "get lost in Venice" recommendations online.

We did get lost ... and I am sooo in love with Venice.  Such a beautiful ... beautiful place.

Pisa & Venice

Farewell Rome!!

Today we left to visit Pisa for a couple of hours.  Then head over to Venice.

It was a long day.  And the commute wasn't the greatest.

I love and hate trains.  I wish getting luggages in were easier.

Cabs are expensive in Rome & Pisa ... because there was FIVE of us ... we had to take TWO cabs!

On the Inter City train to Pisa

At the Leaning Tower

Regional Train To Florence

Freccengento Train To Venice

Much Needed Wine after a long day of travel and train changes.