28 more days...

Unfortunately the bad news is there in the results of the survery. There are two people who will not be wearing underwear on the dress up nights.

Perhaps I need a follow-up question for the other days. If anyone wants to know who the possible streakers are I am looking for a bribe.

What are you most looking forward to? Everyone is looking forward to sightseeing (so sightseeing we shall). 4 out of 7 of us are looking forward to stuffing ourselves with food.  Half of us will be people watching while the other half are relaxing.  Wonder if the people watchers will be watch the relaxers - would not think that is too exciting.  One nerd wants to see Italian art and 1 romantic wants to spend time with hubby. 

What is the one thing you will not leave home without? Most of us will not leave home without their significant other but Ken would apparently leave me behind in favor of his pants.  Yes pants. 

Please rate your fluency with the Italian/French langage. We're screwed.  Need I say more? On the average we know a smidge more Italian (thanks for the language lessons Karen) than French but we pretty much rated ourselves as Poor.

Now onto the questions involving excursions... None of us have booked any excursions yet (I hope you are looking at the RC site - they have an updated list of excursions they are offereing with descriptions, prices and sometimes videos [link below].  I recommend doing some research quickly and booking some.)  What type excursions are you more likely to participate in? Cindy, Ken, Mom and Dad (by default I'm adding Karen) are considering particiapating in the excursions offerered by the cruiseline.  Please note if you go off on your own you need to get back before the ship leaves, if you are on a cruise sponsored excursion and you don't get back on time, the ship [supposedly] waits for you.  EVERYONE says that they are open to participating in excursions with the family.  A couple of people said that they would be open to using a hired driver.  I've done some research on this (I looked on the RC site to be precise) and it is a little expensive but could be very cool.  Please note prices on site is not per person but per vehicle. 

Anyone dining in Portofino (on board fancy shmancy reservation only restaraunt for a 20-25 dollar upcharge per person)?  Ken and Cindy hope to book reservations for the second night.  Our [read my] logic is: first night we would like to share in the experience with everyone, dinners on the third night and forward may be filled with stories on what everyone did at the port.  Everyone else by and large said that they Dunno if they are going to Portofino. 

What will you be wearing on the dress up dinner nights?  Based on our answers we will be dressed to the nines.  Michael, I am sorry no baseball caps allowed in the main dining room.  I believe you could be seated in the crew's galley kitchen though. Mo, cool gown huh.  Do tell.  I have some gowns (not sure they fit but I belive they still look good enuf). 

What if anything do you want to add? Everyone but me answered this question with a chorus of 'good job'.  This is not for a compliment, this is for you to share anything I may have missed or if you have a question you want in a subsequent survey.  Freel free to use the comments section at the very end of the blog to compliment me.

Coming next week (actually in a day or two or theree - I better check) a survey on what we plan on doing in Naples our first stop.  As part of the survey is a question specific to the excursions offered by the cruise ship - so you may want to prep. 

29 more days...

Cruising with Cyn
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.

Since November of 2009 the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge blog authors have faithfully brought you the most up to date information, best travel tips, rip-roarously funny content and some of the best art work around. Time to change things around a bit.

We want to hear from you. Cruising with Cyn will be changing things up a bit by providing surveys for your participation. Below is a the first survey which centers around the general cruise experience.

For the first survey I'd like e-a-c-h of us to take it. Subsequent surveys will have the option for "couples" to take the survey or if you want each person of the couple can take the survey.

Boy that sounds confusing! Well it should be easy. Please take the survey below. In a day or two I will post the results. Subsequent survey postings will be specific to a port of call so if you have a question you want to add to the survey -- email me (or put it in the Comments).

30 more days....

Toulon

Toulon is our final port of call.  Originally we were supposed to go to Marseille, but there is a dock workers strike.  Apparently Marsaille is one strike happy place.  Maybe that's where the North Penn school board is from.  Toulon is a city in southern France and a large military harbour on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base.  The military port of Toulon is the major naval center on France's Mediterranean coast, home of the French Navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and her battle group. The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon.  Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment.  If the volcanic ash grounds us, we can all find jobs here. 

The Old Town

The old town of Toulon, the historic center located between the port, the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the Cours Lafayette, is a pedestrian area with narrow streets, small squares and many fountains. Toulon Cathedral is located here. The area is also home of the celebrated Provençal market which takes place every morning on the Cours Lafayette, which features local products. The old town had decayed in the 1980s and 1990s, but recently many of the fountains and squares have been restored, and many new shops have opened.

Cours Lafayette Provençal market

Vendors line up on both sides of the street for blocks selling fruit, cheese, seafood, flowers, vegetables, meat, bread and olive oil. During the weekend (we will be there on Saturday!) it becomes more like a flea market selling clothes, make-up, perfume and other trinkets in addition to the usual food. There are great little shops along the street as well selling houseware and beautiful provencal fabrics in blue, green and yellow.

Fountains

The Old Town of Toulon is known for its fountains, found in many of the small squares, each with a different character. The original system of fountains was built in the late seventeenth century; most were rebuilt in the eighteenth or early nineteenth century, and have recently been restored.

 

 

The Upper Town of Baron Haussmann
The upper town, between the Boulevard de Strasbourg and the railroad station, was built in the mid nineteenth century under Louis Napoleon. The project was begun by Baron Haussmann, who was prefect of the Var in 1849. Improvements to the neighborhood included the Toulon Opera, the place de la Liberté, the Grand Hôtel, the Gardens of Alexander I, the Chalucet Hospital, the palais de Justice, the train station, and the building now occupied by Galeries Lafayette, among others. Haussmann went on to use the same style on a much grander scale in the rebuilding of central Paris

The Harbour and Arsenal

The Toulon harbour is one of the best natural anchorages on the Mediterranean, and one of the largest harbors in Europe. A naval arsenal and shipyard was built in 1599, and a small sheltered harbor, the Veille Darse, was built in 1604-1610 to protect ships from the wind and sea. The shipyard was greatly enlarged by Cardinal Richelieu, who wished to make France into a Mediterranean naval power. Further additions were made by Jean-Baptiste Colbert and Vauban.

The Museum of the French Navy

The Museum of the French Navy (Musée national de la marine) is located on Place Monsenergue, next on the west side of the old port, a short distance from the Hotel de Ville.  It is located today behind what was formerly the monumental gate to the Arsenal of Toulon, built in 1738. The building of the museum, along with the clock tower next to it, is one of the few buildings of the port and arsenal which survived Allied bombardments during World War II. It contains displays tracing the history of Toulon as a port of the French Navy. Highlights include large eighteenth century ship models used to teach seamanship, models of the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle.

Le Mourillon

Le Mourillon is a small seaside neighborhood to the east of Toulon, near the entrance of the harbour. It was once a fishing village, and then became the home of many of the officers of the French fleet. Mourillon has a small fishing port, next to a sixteenth-century fort, Fort Saint Louis, which was reconstructed by Vauban.  In the 1970s the city of Toulon built a series of sheltered sandy beaches in Mourillon, which today are very popular with the Toulonais and with naval families. The Museum of Asian Art is located in a house on the waterfront near Fort St. Louis.

Mount Faron

Mount Faron (584 meters) dominates the city of Toulon. The top can be reached either by a cable car from Toulon, or by a narrow and terrifying road which ascends from the west side and descends on the east side. The road is one of the most challenging stages of the annual Paris-Nice and Tour Méditerranéen bicycle races. At the top of Mount Faron is a memorial dedicated to the 1944 Allied landings in Provence (Operation Dragoon) , and to the liberation of Toulon. The Memorial Museum to the Landings in Provence (Mémorial du débarquement de Provence) is located on the summit of Mount Faron, this small museum, opened in 1964 by President Charles De Gaulle, commemorates the Allied landing in Provence in August 1944 with photos, weapons and models. 

Tour Royale

The Tour Royale (also known as La Grosse Tour) is a fort built in the 16th century to protect the entrance of the Petit Rade, the naval port of Toulon. It was the first fortification of the harbor, built 22 years after Provence became a part of France.  In 1700 the French military engineer Vauban made the fort one of the strong points of his extensive system of fortifications of the Port. He recommended adding another level of cannons, and a new battery at the foot of the tower, and lowering the hills around to give the gunners a clearer view of approaching enemy ships.  The Tour was equipped with forty cannons. The Tour Royale is located at the southernmost point on the east side of the harbor entrance, near the base of the long jetty that now closes the harbor.  Look for it as we enter and leave the harbor.  After the 18th century, the tower was largely used as a prison.  During the Franco-German War of 1870, the gold reserves of France were secretly stored inside the fort.  The Tour Royale is still a military installation and is closed to the public, but the city of Toulon is constructing a park around the fort, and connecting it to the coastal path along the harbor and coastline.

Ile de Porquerolles

One of three islands off of Toulon called the Iles d'Or or golden islands. Porquerolles can be reached by taking about a 40 minute ferry ride provided by several different companies from the port at Toulon. This place is amazing. The ferry ride over is beautiful and then you arrive in a gorgeous marina into the small town. Right off the boat you can walk into the town which has many small restaurants, a small grocery store and lots of fruit stands. Bike rentals are popular.  The only cars are those the locals own.  The Plage d'Argent (beach) is the closest to town, about a twenty minute walk straight through town and then on a dirt path through trees and by a vineyard, a fun relaxing way to approach the beach. Then at the end of the path you begin to see the beach through the trees. The beach is beautiful clear warm water great for lots of swimming. Important:  Our ship leaves at 5pm. If you visit Ile de Porquerolles, make sure you are back in plenty of time!  Check the ferry schedule before heading over!

Next week -- Barcelona -- Yes!  We have time on departure day to see some sights in Barcelona! ( Heck, we may get to see more than we want to if that volcano erupts while we are on the cruise. ) What to do while grounded in Europe -- now that's a problem I wouldn't mind having.

31 more days...

I know you were asking yourselves: "What's happening this week in Italy?".  Presented below are current news stories from Naples, Rome and Florence (minus the Eyjafjallajokull fiasco). 



Naples

Anyone interested in going to Pompeii? Here is a read for you.  Check out this article about how Herculaneum might be a better choice. Herculaneum is the more preserved site for exploring ruins and now with many logistical changes might rate your visit. Herculaneum - The New Pompeii; new face lift for the old archeological site.


Rome

Do you know where the Pope is?  Pope travels to Malta - Update

The 83 year old Pope rummored to be a friend of the Poisson Rouge Blog left Rome for Malta on Saturday to meet with government and political officials.


Florence

From the Florentine: April 16-25 Florence and surrounding area

The most anticipated cultural event of the year is finally here! For 10 days, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs offers free entry to all state-run monuments, museums, archaeological sites, and libraries. The 12th annual Week of Cultural Heritage will also feature conventions, exhibits, guided visits and concerts, making it a truly special occasion for all visitors eager to discover the rich cultural and artistic heritage the region has to offer.

Come back next time to see what's happening in France. 

This special report came gratis of Cindy, who saved the day for Karen who was having technical difficulties.  What a team!!!

32 more days...

Just in case...

Photo Album Insurance!

The news of Eyjafjallajokull erupting got me thinking...  What if this dream of an experience were to be effected.  What would we do? 

We would make the most of it.  In fact, it might be wise to prepare a back-up photo album of sorts, in case of emergency!  And thus, we present to you...

The OPERATION: Poisson Rouge

(back up) Photo Album!

The flight overseas was pleasant and uneventful.

Our capable pilot and stewardess took great care of us.

The boat was a beauty, although a bit smaller than I envisioned it. 

We took the usual boarding photos,

...attended the safety drills,

And even got to meet the Captain and crew!

Time for a swim!

Once unpacked, we headed straight for the pool.  Each of us looked marvelous in our swimming attire!  Ken dared to go European with the speediest of Speedo's.  (He looked great!)

Karen got to show off that cute little bikini she had worked so hard to fit into.

Mike met some wonderful people pool side.

They were like family.

Mo made an old bathing suit look new again,

And the old folks looked as if they had never aged. 

(Cindy also looked smokin' hot, but she was taking the pictures.)

Dinner Time!

It was good that we swam first, because then came the food...

We ate so much...

...that we stained our tongues!

 

 And then came the drink,

 

...and the drink,

...and the drink

...and the drink!

(a story for another blog...)

Activities!

Back on deck, Ken harnessed up to climb the rock wall.

I wish that I had gotten it on camera, but trust me, he made it to the top!

 

  

The night was one to remember!

A bunch of us got on stage with the nice woman that we met poolside and jammed "We're Coming to America!"

 

Not to be outdone, Ken decided to solo, "Miss Mary Mack".  The crowd went wild!!!

But the big surprise?  Karen had decided to reprise her 'Stardusters' days.  Pop-pop, always her biggest fan, had a front row seat.

Later in the evening Nana tortured the slots, which, by-the-way, is how the 2011 cruise came to be funded!

...and Ken and Cindy were able to turn their incredibly generous gift into a money-making venture!

The next day we were off on excursions.

 

We laughed with Queens...

 

We saw historic landmarks...

...and we toured many exotic places.

We even crossed some things off of our bucket list!

Back on board, for 'Formal Night'

 

We did our hair...

 

...and put on our best clothes,

...and together,

...we celebrated,

 

and enjoyed each other's company!

Before we left, Pop-pop checked his email.

Looking back, we were surprised at...

...some of prices in Europe,

...and the local "fashion".

But,we returned tan and happy!

Thank you Cruisemaster Ken and Cruisemistress Cindy for a FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE!!!

32 MORE DAYS!!!