Off We Go! Spain, France, Italy, Malta

Our flight got changed to a much earlier one with two layovers. I was nervous about a one hour layover at O'Hare but our first two flights both got in early! Yay for small blessings!
Éowyn and ILes mer
Hotel Penninsular

Our hotel for the night is older and not the fanciest, but check out the most amazing inner courtyard I've seen.
Folks are nice, it's clean and quiet, and about 2 min off La Rambla. Near the cruiseLes mer
La Rambla

We got in at 9:00 and have a day to fill before we can sleep! Had the nicest driver from the airport and he'll come back to take us to the airport tomorrow.
We're staying right off of La Rambla. WentLes mer
Basílica de Santa Maria del Mar

We saw this church built by the people before, but this time we went in. I'm so glad we did. It's a stunning example of gothic architecture and so peaceful.
It's so touching that the people thatLes mer
Caganer

Just...read up.
I especially found King Tut's golden contribution amusing.
-----
The caganer is one of Catalonia’s most peculiar and beloved Christmas traditions, offering a cheeky contrast to theLes mer
I Can't Stop Taking Pics of Streets

Willow got a hand painted fan, and almost got a really amazing pair of Alice in Wonderland type shoes.
Cathedral of Santa Eulalia

A little bummed that the antiques market in this plaza is gone now. Still a beautiful church!
-----
The Barcelona Cathedral, officially known as the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia,Les mer
Temple d'August

This is the highest point and one of the oldest points in Barcelona. It gives me chills to actually be able to put my hands on something that Romans were standing on to lecture in the forum at theLes mer
Mercat de Sant Josep - La Boqueria

It was sooooo crowded at dinner that we ended up just shoving through crowds, but I love the hustle and bustle of this place. Had some fresh juice, street tacos, salmon roll, gelato, andLes mer
Embarkation on the MSC World Europa

Embarkation was so simple! One of the bonuses of a European itinterary on MSC is that people embark and disembark at nearly every port - the ship just makes a perpetual circuit (Malta being anLes mer
Heading on the cruise ship

Dinners in the Main Dining Room

You are assigned a time and table to eat in the main dining room included in the base fare. Each night, you have the same waiter who gets to know your preferences. For example, they are bringing DadLes mer
Family Photos

Chocolate Shop on the Ship

Unfortunately this isn't included, but the chocolates look amazing.
I really want to eat one of those holey spheres.
Sunset on the Costa Brava

What a beautiful evening heading north out of Barcelona! It was lovely to see all of the little seaside towns lit up at night.
I think I managed to spot Tossa de Mar where we'll be staying for theLes mer
Exploring the MSC World Europa

This ship is HUGE. Very stable, and the Mediterranean is so smooth right now. If you are prone to seasickness, try a megaship! The Promenade in the center of the ship is so fun - like a little cityLes mer
MSC Photos - Willow's Goth Photo Shoot

We've never done a photo package before but I'm so glad we decided to for this trip. The photographer really loved Willow (obviously) and took a ton of pictures of her.
Bellissima!
MSC Photos - Éowyn's Stitch Dress

This was Éowyn's end of school year present and she was excited to bring it. They got such cute pictures of her.
Refueling the Ship

This was kind of fun to watch. They were directly outside of our window so we ended up closing the curtains.
Ancient Greek City Center

Marseilles is one of the oldest settlements in France. There are ruins left at what used to be the shore, but the city has been built out since then. The natural harbor (protected from the wind) madeLes mer
Marseille Walking Tour

Cathédrale La Major

This cathedral was stunning. So much that it can be seen from the sea. The mosaic floor is completely hand cut and took over 8 years to create.
-----
Cathedral La Major, formally known as MarseilleLes mer
A little bit more of Marseilles, France

The old forts just reopened, and we saw churches that were over 1000 years old!
Our tour guide also filled us in on what to look for if we wanted to buy the famous soap - it should be green as it'sLes mer
Leaving Marseilles

I want to come back here someday and go to all of the islands!
Sunset from the Promenade

I really love this feature on a ship!
There are also promenade balcony cabins which seem pretty cool for someone who maybe doesn't want to be on the ocean *cough*willow*cough* but still wants someLes mer