MSC Poesia - 7 night Mediterranean cruise - 20th May 2017 - with 2 children

Friday 12 May

Today my husband headed to Westminster Abbey, so I took the children to Piccadilly Circus where we walked to Waterstones (largest book store in Britain or Europe depending on what you read), and bought them a book each with the pocket money Grandma had generously had given each of them. Then further along Piccadilly to walk through the Burlington Arcade and Piccadilly Arcade, then Fortnum & Mason (bought tea for Grandma and a small treat for each child), then along to Green Park.

Found a park bench in Green Park to sit and eat the treats, then continue down to Buckingham Palace. They were just starting the changing of the guards so we watched some foot soldiers & mounted guards go past, then over and into St James Park. Found birds and squirrels, and admired the view from the bridge back to Buckingham Palace.

My husband joined us, we walked on to Westminster Pier, and to the ferry to Greenwich, my son rated the 40 minute ferry ride down the Thames as one of his highlights.

At Greenwich we visited the Chapel, unfortunately the painted hall was under restoration and we couldn't see anything. Quickly visited the Queens House, then walked up to Royal Observatory for the view back over London. We kept going through Greenwich Park to the deer enclosure, saw more squirrels, then returned through the park down eventually to Greenwich Market - snack of churros & ice cream.

Then we took the DLR back to central London (my son’s face when he realised there was no driver & we were sitting in the very front seats was priceless) & onto the National Portrait Gallery to see some old kings and queens (just like in the Charlie and Lola goes to London book), before taking the tube to the hotel,dinner, and bed. Very footsore! In hindsight crammed too much (on foot, particularly for the children) into one day.

Saturday 13 May

Today was a much better pace for the children. We took the Tube to South Kensington where we met my cousin & her family. Together we visited the Natural History Museum (unfortunately the main hall was being restored but we could still see the main dinosaur displays and other animals), then a brief visit to the Science Museum. We walked up to Kensington Gardens and all the way to top corner to the Diana Memorial Playground which was huge and fabulous. My cousin had brought a picnic for our lunch, and we all had ice creams, and a bit more play.

We started to walk back through Kensington Gardens, and then said goodbye, before heading toward the Diana Memorial Fountain and the Serpentine and through Hyde Park to Hyde Park corner.

My husband took the tired children back to the hotel by tube for some quiet time(iPad/Tv), while I jumped on a bus to Oxford St to look at Marks and Spencer,and walk through Selfridges before taking a bus back to the hotel.

We walked across to Kings Cross Station to look at the brick wall between platform 4 and 5 where they filmed platform 9 and 3/4 in the first HP movie, then round the corner to the tourist trap platform 9 & 3/4 shop (children each got a keyring for their school bags). Walked as far as the Granery, a new space, mostly bars, just over Regents Canal, in previously disused warehouse/train yard space, fascinating regeneration. Back to a restaurant opposite Kings Cross for dinner.

Sunday 14 May

Happy Australian Mother's Day to me!

We did a 10am London Walk this morning - Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, along Whitehall, past Downing St, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, St James Park, Horse Guards Parade, and the start of changing of the guard. Saw squirrels in St James Park as well as up close with 3 of the 4 pelicans (non native) and black swans (also not native) that live in St James Park. My daughter got to feed mints to two police horses as we walked through Horse Guards Parade.

Sandwich lunch at Covent Garden, then I took the children to The London Transport Museum, which they enjoyed, climbing on and off old buses and tube carriages,then they had an ice cream in Covent Garden plaza, before taking the last tube ride of this trip, back to the hotel. Refunded Oyster card credit.

Dinner at Pizza Express under our hotel. My son watched the Spanish Grand Prix live from his hotel bed!

Monday 15 May

Early start for the 8.04am Eurostar train from St Pancras to Brussels (check in is 30 mins before than departure). On board during the journey the children did homework, visited the cafe and ate Bertie Botts Every Flavour Jelly Beans (purchased from the Platform 9 &3/4 shop at Kings Cross on Saturday). We crossed the road outside Brussel Midi station and left our suitcases at the hotel across the road from the station, then took an Intercity train to Bruges.

Walked into town past Minnewater canal, took a canal boat tour, climbed the Belfry (all 366 steps), was at the top of the Belfry when the enormous bell struck 3pm, enjoyed waffles, frites, chocolate, wandering round the pretty streets and along Canals and through squares.

Back to the train station, this time we had a new doubledecker Intercity train back to Brussels, and had dinner in the hotel restaurant.

Tuesday 16 May

8.24am ICE train from Brussels to Cologne - the nicest train we've been on so far, reached speeds of 247kph on our journey, more comfy than Eurostar. Changed at Cologne, popped outside station to look at cathedral while we waited for our connecting train, a EuroCity service to Zurich. Unfortunately the usually super-efficient German train service let us down with a 45 min delay and halfway through the 6 hour trip the air conditioning broke, we changed carriages twice searching for more comfortable seats (with 2 suitcases in tow). And we tried to have a meal in the restaurant car, but all the pasta was sold out (the only things that appealed to the children) so all up it felt a long slog into Zurich. The short section through the Rhine valley was spectacular with lots of castles to see.

Finally arrived in Zurich Hauptbahnhof (main train station) at 5.30pm, found hotel, checked in, had pizza locally, walked across river to check out shops under the train station and back to the hotel to bed.

Wednesday 17 May

We started the day with the short walk to the shops under Zurich Hauptbahnhof for rolls, cheese, ham and apples for lunch, then took tram number 6 to the Zurich Zoo. We spent about 5 hours there, saw almost every animal, it was a warm day (got above 25 deg and was sunny all day) and was not flat! Children very much enjoyed it.

Back on the tram back to city centre, then started the walk down Bahnhofstrasse and toward the old town, up to Lindenhof for view over River Limmat, then down back to Bahnhofstrasse - children had an ice cream from a Movenpick cart and I had a cold chocolate milk from Cafe Sprungli with its windows and cabinets of decadent treats.

Continued on down to Lake Zurichsee, where my daughter spotted white swans and ducks.

Back into the Old Town (children complaining about more walking now), and into the Grossmunster. I put children in the first pew I found and told them to sit down, fortunately it was nice and cool in there, I asked the children to start to tell me which colours they could see in the stain glass windows, then my husband said there was a bell tower we could climb. My son asked if it was stone and crumbly, he meant old sunken stone steps, my husband said yes, the children’s faces lit up immediately, and practically bounced all the 187 stone steps up to an excellent view.

There are a lot of fountains in Zurich and they are all free and excellent tasting drinking water, we had been filling our drinks bottles up with them. So now the next game was spot the next fountain, and of course they all look different. One with two seals around the corner from our hotel.

Early dinner at Zeughhauskeller on Bahnhofstrasse then wander back to hotel through another square with another fountain, this square was being used for a mass yoga class in the setting sun! And bit more along the river and of the old town.

Thursday 18 May

Early start for a quick trip to the shops under Zurich Hauptbahnhof for lunch supplies and to board the 7.07am train from Zurich to Chur, passing the lovely scenery of Lake Zurichsee.

Changed at Chur to the Bernina Express, we had a reservation in one of the panoramic carriages. This was a 4 hour scenic trip to Tirano over the Bernina Pass. Highest altitude was at Ospizio Bernina at 2,253m, and we stopped at Alp Grum (altitude 2,091m) briefly for photos. There was plenty of snow and a frozen lake at the higher altitudes. The trip finished with the Brusio Circular (spiral) Viaduct and the train travelling through the streets of Tirano.

At Tirano we changed to a regional Italian train to Milan, passing Lake Como. At Milan we made the final change for the day, to Italy's Frecciarossa (red arrow), and travelled up to 220kph into Venice Santa Lucia Train Station, arriving at 6.40pm. A very nice way to finish 9 train rides in 4 days. (ICE was probably most comfortable and Bernina express the most scenic).

That's the whole trip. I will get to uploading photos in the next few days.

I'm trying to upload photos but Photobucket isn't cooperating tonight. Here is MSC Poesia in Katakolon.

This is the map of Bari - MSC post this at Guest Services on level 5 each day, with photocopies available to pick up and take with you

View of Bari Old Town taken from on board - its not an exciting walk but unless you really can't walk far, you do not need to pay for the shuttle bus

Bari Old Town

Tight fit getting out of Port of Bari

Sail away party

16 Flavours of gelato at the Mojito Bar on deck 13

Kids menu from MDR

Cabin 11012 on MSC Poesia (internal quad share)

Mini golf on deck 15

Soccer on deck 16

View over the front of the ship from deck 11

Map of Katakolon (from guest services on deck 5)

Olympic stadium

This is where the Olympic flame is lit every 4 years

This is the view of Katakolon from the ship - can you see an orange building in the middle of the photo, to the left of the other ship in port? that's where we met the Katakolon Express bus.

Mykonos

Mykonos cont. - Pedro the Pelican

View from the ship while anchored at Mykonos - all that blue sea

Athens

The Parthenon

Porch of the Caryatids

Odeion of Herodes Atticus

Athens cont.

Panathenaic Stadium

Temple of Hephaestus

Ancent Agora

Sarande

Beachfront

Playground on the beach

Beachfront renovations - different safety standards compared to home

Sarande cont.

Tenders returning to ship

View from the ship, storm on its way and another cruise ship sailing past

Map of Sarande from Guest Services

Thanks so much Lou, I really enjoyed reading your diary and looking at photos! The London stuff was very reminiscent of our last couple of trips and we'd really like to do the train in to Switzerland. You managed to do heaps in the time you had...I guess when we travel to the other side of the world we have to make the most of it!!

Sent from my SM-J200Y using Forums mobile app

MSC's map of Dubrovnik

Sign at the port next to a big line of waiting taxis. In hindsight I wish we'd had the 50 euros cash and could have done the longer trip, then gone to walk the walls.

View from the top of Pile Gate back to where taxis drop you, also buses, lots of tourist services here - walking tours, ATMS, bakeries, pizza, gelato, chemists.

Sign to buy tickets to walk the walls, just inside the Pile Gate

Inside the Pile Gate, you can see the people climbing the steps up to the top of the wall, the actual entrance is just to the left of this photo

Stradum

View from the wall

This is the only other gate to enter the walls - this is one port you want to be tendered, because the tender brings you right here

View from the top

Final day - disembarkation at Venice

Entering the lagoon coming back into Venice

St Marco and entrance to the Grand Canal

Approaching the cruise ship terminal

This was my view sitting at an outside table on deck 13 after we docked, waiting for our disembarkation time slot.

And that is it. Nothing more from me, unless anyone has questions I can help with, or wants photos from the non-cruise part of the trip.

L xx