This week's answers were the best yet - thanks for the responses.
I think the most valuable answers came from father and son in response to the question about thwarting pick-pocketers. Dad and Ken's Q and A goes like this (Mom/Karen you may wish to skip this section).
Q: What if anything are you doing to thwart pick pockets?
Dad's A: Thinking about just wearing a speedo.
Ken's A: Kick them in their funny place.
Q: What will you be taking off shore with you and how will you be storing it?
Dad's A: Money, can't fit much in a speedo [though].
Ken's A: money in my shorts.
Q: How much money are you bringing into port?
Dad's A: 50 Euros if it fits.
Ken's A: 2 dollars.
My interjection: Looks like someone got short changed.
Ken's interjection: Dad should be able to fit way much more in his speedos.
And not to be outdone Mike too is obsessed with his shorts and will be storing his money in his underwear. Mike takes the prize as he will be storing 300 big ones in his briefs {I swear to god I typed 'big ones' before I realized the double entendre}.
Michael very astutely asked (my spelling must be atrocious) how there are 296 steps in the Leaning Tower to run up while there are 294 steps to walk up. The running or walking is not part of the equation here. But depending what side of the Tower you start at there are a different number of steps. This is thanks to the sandy substrate the tower was built upon. BTW while spewing useless information the Leaning Tower of Pisa is NOT the only tower that leans; many do because of poor substrate.
Over and out. See ya in Provence next.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
15 more days...
Cruising with Cyn
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.
Florence is the third stop on our European adventure.
Breaking News!
The wonderful tour company Rome In Limo is booked for the day we are in Florence. I am looking frantically for a replacement. By now we should know what the can't miss items are in Florence but I will steal from an email Mo sent to me today.
Pisa:
Tower, Duomo, and Baptistery. Main reason to go to Pisa. The Field of Miracles, the medieval wall, and the town itself can all be experienced while we walk or drive.
Florence:
-- square of Michelangelo (Piazzale Michelangelo) is where you can see the famous view of Florence with the Duomo rising above the town.
--'quick drive down into the historical center' (not sure where that is since I thought all of Florence was historical)
--Santa Croce church -- all the most important artists are buried.
-- Drive around the city continues with a visit to the Duomo(cathedral-huge)(open til 3:30 - free), Giotto's Bell Tower (Campanile)(6 Euros - open until 7:30). The Baptistery (bronze doors being the highlight-free and always available to see) is right there too (inside -- 3 Euros open until 7). I would like time to climb the dome of the Duomo or the bell tower.
-- Signoria Palace and the Square -- outside the Uffizi gallery (paintings) -- square is full of statues(copy of David where original used to stand), restaurants, town hall, palace
-- The Old Bridge -- gold and silver market -- can be viewed from near the square -- along the Arno River
-- Pitti Palace -- it's a palace and interesting to see how the royals lived if you want to.
Onto the survey.
See ya over in Florence!
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.
Florence is the third stop on our European adventure.
Breaking News!
The wonderful tour company Rome In Limo is booked for the day we are in Florence. I am looking frantically for a replacement. By now we should know what the can't miss items are in Florence but I will steal from an email Mo sent to me today.
Pisa:
Tower, Duomo, and Baptistery. Main reason to go to Pisa. The Field of Miracles, the medieval wall, and the town itself can all be experienced while we walk or drive.
Florence:
-- square of Michelangelo (Piazzale Michelangelo) is where you can see the famous view of Florence with the Duomo rising above the town.
--'quick drive down into the historical center' (not sure where that is since I thought all of Florence was historical)
--Santa Croce church -- all the most important artists are buried.
-- Drive around the city continues with a visit to the Duomo(cathedral-huge)(open til 3:30 - free), Giotto's Bell Tower (Campanile)(6 Euros - open until 7:30). The Baptistery (bronze doors being the highlight-free and always available to see) is right there too (inside -- 3 Euros open until 7). I would like time to climb the dome of the Duomo or the bell tower.
-- Signoria Palace and the Square -- outside the Uffizi gallery (paintings) -- square is full of statues(copy of David where original used to stand), restaurants, town hall, palace
-- The Old Bridge -- gold and silver market -- can be viewed from near the square -- along the Arno River
-- Pitti Palace -- it's a palace and interesting to see how the royals lived if you want to.
Onto the survey.
See ya over in Florence!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
16 more days...
Let's Review!
Here are some of the highlights of my past blog entries:
170 Days: Carry-On Luggage
Continental will permit one bag plus one personal item per customer to be carried on the aircraft.
The maximum combined linear measurement (L + W + H) of the carry-on bag is 45 inches, up to 14 in x 9 in x 22 in. The maximum weight of the carry-on bag is 40 pounds.
163 Days: Checked Luggage
Continental Airlines will accept up to two pieces of checked baggage with a maximum weight of 50 pounds and a maximum outside dimension of 62 inches. Outside dimension of a bag is equal to the width + height + depth of the bag added together. (The second bag will carry an extra fee).
156 Days: Packing Tips
TSA regulations state that liquid/gel/cream/paste/aerosol toiletries in carry-on bags must be in containers of 3 ounces or less to get through security checkpoints. And all of those containers must fit comfortably in a one quart size, clear plastic, zip-top bag.
Scan your passport, passport photos and paper tickets (if not the e type). Store this (in an email for e.g.) in your web based email account. You can also store the details of your emergency 'lost card' telephone numbers in your web based email account so you know who to contact if your credit card or ATM card is lost or stolen.
Keep any medication and important papers(copies of all your credit cards, ATM card, passport, birth certificate, driver's license, etc) in your carry-on bag. Packing a fresh change of clothes is a good idea.
As an extra precaution, be sure to include identification inside each piece of luggage in case the external tag is lost during your travels. If you know where you will be staying during a longer trip, add your cruise ship information to your identification tags(or use the luggage tags provided by the cruise line). This will allow the airlines to contact you there if your luggage is lost, rather than trying to contact you back at your home address.
135 Days: Credit Cards and ATM
Two weeks ahead of our flight out, contact your credit card company (and ATM / bank) to notify them that you will using your cards in Europe so they don’t put your card on hold. I did this already and it was quick and painless.
128 Days: Passport
Before you leave home, make two copies of your passport identification page. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives and carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport. It's also a good idea to bring along two or three passport photos; these should be identical 2" x 2" photographs taken within the last six months, featuring a front view of your face on a white background. ID such as a birth certificate (showing citizenship), and driver license (proving ID). If your passport is lost or stolen, having these will speed up the replacement process. If you are uncomfortable carrying your birth certificate, take along a copy. Having the original just speeds up the process of getting a new passport.
Record your credit card and ATM card numbers. Also record the contact numbers located on the back of each card.
Once on board the ship, store passports and vital information in the safe in your cabin. Carry a color copy of your passport while on shore excursions. Carry your driver's license too. It is accepted easily as ID.
Write down the name and phone number of the "ship's agent" for the port (which will be printed in each port day's onboard newsletter), and carry it with you. Putting it in your cell phone or other electronic device is a good backup, but put it on a piece of paper, too. You'll need to contact the ship's agent if something bad happens while you're onshore (i.e., you get sick/robbed/miss the ship's departure, etc.)
Thanks for the idea Karen!! My easiest blog to date!
Here are some of the highlights of my past blog entries:
170 Days: Carry-On Luggage
Continental will permit one bag plus one personal item per customer to be carried on the aircraft.
The maximum combined linear measurement (L + W + H) of the carry-on bag is 45 inches, up to 14 in x 9 in x 22 in. The maximum weight of the carry-on bag is 40 pounds.
163 Days: Checked Luggage
Continental Airlines will accept up to two pieces of checked baggage with a maximum weight of 50 pounds and a maximum outside dimension of 62 inches. Outside dimension of a bag is equal to the width + height + depth of the bag added together. (The second bag will carry an extra fee).
156 Days: Packing Tips
TSA regulations state that liquid/gel/cream/paste/aerosol toiletries in carry-on bags must be in containers of 3 ounces or less to get through security checkpoints. And all of those containers must fit comfortably in a one quart size, clear plastic, zip-top bag.
Scan your passport, passport photos and paper tickets (if not the e type). Store this (in an email for e.g.) in your web based email account. You can also store the details of your emergency 'lost card' telephone numbers in your web based email account so you know who to contact if your credit card or ATM card is lost or stolen.
Keep any medication and important papers(copies of all your credit cards, ATM card, passport, birth certificate, driver's license, etc) in your carry-on bag. Packing a fresh change of clothes is a good idea.
As an extra precaution, be sure to include identification inside each piece of luggage in case the external tag is lost during your travels. If you know where you will be staying during a longer trip, add your cruise ship information to your identification tags(or use the luggage tags provided by the cruise line). This will allow the airlines to contact you there if your luggage is lost, rather than trying to contact you back at your home address.
135 Days: Credit Cards and ATM
Two weeks ahead of our flight out, contact your credit card company (and ATM / bank) to notify them that you will using your cards in Europe so they don’t put your card on hold. I did this already and it was quick and painless.
128 Days: Passport
Before you leave home, make two copies of your passport identification page. Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives and carry the other with you in a separate place from your passport. It's also a good idea to bring along two or three passport photos; these should be identical 2" x 2" photographs taken within the last six months, featuring a front view of your face on a white background. ID such as a birth certificate (showing citizenship), and driver license (proving ID). If your passport is lost or stolen, having these will speed up the replacement process. If you are uncomfortable carrying your birth certificate, take along a copy. Having the original just speeds up the process of getting a new passport.
Record your credit card and ATM card numbers. Also record the contact numbers located on the back of each card.
Once on board the ship, store passports and vital information in the safe in your cabin. Carry a color copy of your passport while on shore excursions. Carry your driver's license too. It is accepted easily as ID.
Write down the name and phone number of the "ship's agent" for the port (which will be printed in each port day's onboard newsletter), and carry it with you. Putting it in your cell phone or other electronic device is a good backup, but put it on a piece of paper, too. You'll need to contact the ship's agent if something bad happens while you're onshore (i.e., you get sick/robbed/miss the ship's departure, etc.)
Thanks for the idea Karen!! My easiest blog to date!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
17 more days...
We have a winner! We have a winner! We have a winner!
Mo is going to try to see the most sites in Rome. She (and by default Mike) will be seeing: The Roman Forum, Sistine Chapel, The Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, The Colosseum, Vatican City, St. Peter's Square, Palatine Hill, Capitoline Hill, view from dome of St. Peter's, Circus Maximus, Arch of Constatine and the Arch of Septimus Severus. Followed closely behind Mo is Karen who not only is going to see a large majority of those sites, Karen has said (reading betwee the lines that is) she will be taking Ken and Cindy to the Cat Sanctuary.
Three of us have said we are most looking forward to see the Colosseum (Mike, Mo and Janet). I could have wagered money on what Karen would say she was most interested in seeing -- Trevi Fountain. While I'd like to be hanging with Karen at the fountain, Ken and I are hanging with Dad. To the question, what are you most looking forward to in Rome, Dad answered Wine at Lunch.
On to the first of the two filler questions: who will have nicely manicured nails? Half of us will and half will not. While it is probably very easy to guess, I'll provide the answer. Mom of course will, Karen probably will, and Michael was very smart by getting his done yesterday. Mo said his 'dark eggplant' colored toe nails are to-die-for.
As always we end the survery with an open ended question: anything else to add. Instead of picking a single item, there were three precious answers:
Mo:
Karen:
Dad:
That's all for this edition folks. See ya'll in Rome!
Mo is going to try to see the most sites in Rome. She (and by default Mike) will be seeing: The Roman Forum, Sistine Chapel, The Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, The Colosseum, Vatican City, St. Peter's Square, Palatine Hill, Capitoline Hill, view from dome of St. Peter's, Circus Maximus, Arch of Constatine and the Arch of Septimus Severus. Followed closely behind Mo is Karen who not only is going to see a large majority of those sites, Karen has said (reading betwee the lines that is) she will be taking Ken and Cindy to the Cat Sanctuary.
Three of us have said we are most looking forward to see the Colosseum (Mike, Mo and Janet). I could have wagered money on what Karen would say she was most interested in seeing -- Trevi Fountain. While I'd like to be hanging with Karen at the fountain, Ken and I are hanging with Dad. To the question, what are you most looking forward to in Rome, Dad answered Wine at Lunch.
On to the first of the two filler questions: who will have nicely manicured nails? Half of us will and half will not. While it is probably very easy to guess, I'll provide the answer. Mom of course will, Karen probably will, and Michael was very smart by getting his done yesterday. Mo said his 'dark eggplant' colored toe nails are to-die-for.
As always we end the survery with an open ended question: anything else to add. Instead of picking a single item, there were three precious answers:
Mo:
I want to get one of those tacky photos with a gladiator!
Karen:
Rome is sure to be an action-packed-fun-filled day! This is the one place I hope to buy a remembrance token from our trip...something special and uniquely Italian...maybe a small piece of jewelry - like a silver cross necklace.
Dad:
Best not have too much wine at lunch.
That's all for this edition folks. See ya'll in Rome!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
18 more days...
Cruising with Cyn
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.
Rome (Rome baby!) is the second stop on our European adventure.
There is just an absolutely huge list of things to see in Rome. Explore the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and other wonders of this ancient city. Picture the gladiators and their chariots on an interior tour of the Colosseum. Bask in the glory of Vatican City, with an inside look at St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum and the magnificent Sistine Chapel. See like I said so many really great options in Rome. Ya'll know what Rome has to offer - onto the survey before my head pops off.
See you in Rome!
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.
Rome (Rome baby!) is the second stop on our European adventure.
There is just an absolutely huge list of things to see in Rome. Explore the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain and other wonders of this ancient city. Picture the gladiators and their chariots on an interior tour of the Colosseum. Bask in the glory of Vatican City, with an inside look at St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum and the magnificent Sistine Chapel. See like I said so many really great options in Rome. Ya'll know what Rome has to offer - onto the survey before my head pops off.
See you in Rome!
Monday, May 3, 2010
19 more days...
The Finance Report: Steady, as she goes...
Do you hear that? That's the sound of quiet, which is exactly what the $US was this week... essentially flat. Of course this means that Mo 'Index Card' Lang maintains her comfortable margin over Nana heading into the final weeks of the contest. But something tells me that the duel is not yet over, and Nana is not out of the competition. Stay tuned to find out.
CONTEST UPDATE:
The calm before the storm?
The winner of our contest (Grand Prize = 1 euro!) will be the one with the closest guess on May 21st, 2010.
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THE WEB REPORT:
65 Countries...
We got another one! Whoo-hoo!
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29,136 Views!
Just last week Nana hit 25K views on YouTube, and this week she has topped 29K! It is rumored that at least 1,500 of those hits are coming from a very special fan in West Orange, NJ (yeah Cindy!). However, 'Houston... we have a problem.' Nana's ratings on YouTube have dropped to 3 out of 5 stars, which is sure to have an impact on her future earnings. 30K views by the start of the cruise is no longer much of a question... But how high will Nana go? I will start the bidding at 36,368 views by 5/21/2010. Whoever bets closest will claim a one Euro prize for their efforts. Place your bets!
Also on the topic of YouTube, Pop-pop wanted to know how many views the other videos have received, in order to put this into perspective. They are as follows:
Nana on the Titanic:
29,136 Views!
Just last week Nana hit 25K views on YouTube, and this week she has topped 29K! It is rumored that at least 1,500 of those hits are coming from a very special fan in West Orange, NJ (yeah Cindy!). However, 'Houston... we have a problem.' Nana's ratings on YouTube have dropped to 3 out of 5 stars, which is sure to have an impact on her future earnings. 30K views by the start of the cruise is no longer much of a question... But how high will Nana go? I will start the bidding at 36,368 views by 5/21/2010. Whoever bets closest will claim a one Euro prize for their efforts. Place your bets!
Also on the topic of YouTube, Pop-pop wanted to know how many views the other videos have received, in order to put this into perspective. They are as follows:
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Postcards:
FREE THIS WEEK!
Get 'em while they last!
Our offer remains open to anyone in the world who wants to receive a postcard from the cast of Operation: Poisson Rouge during our European adventure. Please click on the 'contact me' button below, and make your request. There are 3 more postcards requests available.
Postcard #1: One Million Postcards
Postcard #2: Pope Benedict
Postcard #3, #4, #5: Still available
19 MORE DAYS!!!
(Holy crap! 2.5 weeks!)
(Holy crap! 2.5 weeks!)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
20 more days
*****************************************************Volcanic domino effect feared in Iceland
Sun, 02 May 2010 01:56:07 GMT
Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano is still spewing ash as scientists warn the explosions could trigger much greater eruptions from a nearby volcano.
The volcano awoke in April with its first eruption in almost 200 years, driving hundreds of people temporarily from their homes in the area, 120 km (75 miles) east of Iceland's capital, Reykjavik.
A bigger eruption soon followed in mid-April which rattled the global economy by disrupting air traffic across Europe.
Thousands of planes across northern Europe were grounded for almost a week over fears that the silicate ash cloud damage jet engines. This stranded millions of passengers all over the world and inflicted USD 2 billion worth of damage on the international aviation industry.
Iceland itself did not immediately suffer flight cancellations as the winds blew the ash pall east toward Europe. Iceland's international airport stayed open until after the wind shifted direction.
Hot gases from the volcano, which lies beneath a glacier, however, melted the ice and sent torrents of water filled with ash sweeping down the steep slopes of the volcano.
The ongoing minor eruptions is said to pose no threat to air traffic but is feared to set off a much bigger volcano, posing a threat of some magnitude.
Iceland, with a population of 320,000 people, sits on a large volcanic hot spot in the Atlantic's mid-oceanic ridge, and has seen devastating eruptions over the years.
Editors note: The million dollar word in the above article is "could"...yes, Eyjafjallajokull could set off its sister volcano...let's just hope and pray that if it is to erupt, that it holds off for another 5 - 6 weeks, or more. Contrary to Mo's excitement of us possibly being stuck in Europe if the volcano does blow while we are there, I don't think it would be as glamorous and exciting as what she has in mind...sleeping in a foreign airport for days with other stranded travelers is in no way appealing to me - and traveling to the outskirts of Barcelona to find temporary lodging while the "smoke blows over" would be very expensive and stressful...sorry Mo, but I personally hope we DON'T get stuck in a foreign country! (I'm only packing enough underwear for 9 days!)
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Be sure to check out the current weather forecast links on Sundays in addition to the ongoing volcanic activity report to keep you up to date with climate conditions in Europe
Be sure to check out the current weather forecast links on Sundays in addition to the ongoing volcanic activity report to keep you up to date with climate conditions in Europe
Click Here for Barcelona weather forecast and other interesting info!
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