by Jody | Jun 17, 2016 | incentive trip |
Today, we arrived in the South of France…totally different vibe than Italy. Very laid back, easy going and celebrating the “art of life.”
Today we are heading to Eze….a very quaint medieval town high on a hill and then Nice for lunch.
Our guide wanted us to try local cuisine….it was very good. We did substitute the sardines for marinated pepperoncini. And, I’m not an olive person so I didn’t care for the tapenade. Of course, my carb loving daughter chowed down on the baguette.
Flowers are a very big deal here…..our guide told use to try the ice cream and we couldn’t get plain old chocolate or vanilla! Taryn had rose and I had violet. Made with real flowers, it was very fragrant and delicious.
We could not go to Monaco and Monte Carlo since the Grand Prix was happening and the roads were closed. We went to St Paul de Vence and it was just lovely. Many famous painters lived here because of the amazing light. I can see why……they paid their rent with their paintings to this area has some VERY expensive works of art, that were worth little while the painters were alive, but became priceless after they died.
Tonight, Stampin’ Up! took us to a show called Burn the Floor, very Dancing with the Stars. The performers were awesome. It’s also a bittersweet night for us….Taryn was missing her high school graduation. It was sad to think of all her friends….graduating without her. But, we are on an amazing trip, so we aren’t too very sad.
by Jody | Jun 15, 2016 | incentive trip |
Time to head to Florence today!
our first stop was to see David…..he really is quite impressive! (in more ways than one 😉 )
the The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is pretty amazing! It’s all green/white/pink marble. Just stunning. Our guide, Virgina, was great with the history lesson on this area.
a quick stop to visit Ponte Vecchio and then….lunch!
um yeah…..can’t get enough of this gelato!
we had a little shopping time and visited the leather vendors…..the smell of all that leather…..
a quick overview of Florence. It was just a lovely day…weather wise and we enjoyed Florence very much. So far, Taryn’s favorite place. We could’ve sat at a cafe and people watched all day. But, we’ve got more things to see!
A lovely drive through the Tuscan countryside….seeing all the olives and grapes….I could definitely come back here!
Final stop was Pisa….you know what? It really does lean! We took the obligatory pictures and headed back to the ship!
More gifts! It unzips into a decent size carry all bag! Perfect for France tomorrow!
by Jody | Jun 14, 2016 | incentive trip |
Bongiorno from Roma! A little hitch in our giddyup with meeting our guides, but it went fine after that! We all really enjoyed visiting the Colosseum. Our guide was just amazing. With a strike going on, the Colosseum was fairly dead, so we didn’t have to deal with crowds and hussle/bussle.
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no lack for selfies for T and I! We took one every time we visited a new stop!
we did a walking tour of ancient rome and then grabbed lunch
pizza in naples is thick and chewy crust, pizza in rome was thin and crispy…i loved them both.
Next stop was the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basillica….so the crowds that weren’t at the colosseum…..yeah, they were here. it was a very quick and stressful visit!
thanks to Maneuela….our FANTASTIC guide! If you are ever in Rome, be sure to hire her!
It was an amazing day…back on the ship for dinner and some rest and off to Florence!
looks like someone visited while we were at dinner!
by Jody | Jun 13, 2016 | incentive trip |
And just like that….we went to bed and woke up in Italy! I seriously can NOT believe I was here. I got a little teary when I thought…I am on this trip of a lifetime with my daughter and stampin friends…all because of something so very simple. Stamps, ink and paper. I mean, this is my business and I treat it like a “job.” One of the BEST jobs I have ever had mind you. But, what it all comes down to is you….my frustomers (that’s my mashup of friend-customers) 🙂
I sell stamps. That’s very simple. But, it is SO much more than stamping and card making…what we do really makes a difference. In my life, in your lives or our recipients lives. You mean the world to me…stamps may have brought us together, but we are friends for the long haul! And I can not say thank you enough!
So, on to Italy! We arrived in Naples for our first stop:
We headed to Pompeii first: wow….our tour guide, Sabina was amazing. She explained so much about how the event unraveled…I think our who group was very impressed with what this stop!
pompeii was so preserved by the ash…the original paint is still intact
pompeii was so advanced, they had running water in their homes and even built the roads so the rain water cleaned the streets. these are stepping stones to cross, so the ladies didn’t get their free wet!
mt vesuvius in the background….that sucker started the whole thing!
a groom found frozen in time…his hands in front of his face…praying
a guard dog found trying to chew his chain to free himself from what was to come…
our next stop was sorrento. it was a cute little town and if I ever got to go back….i would totally spend more time here!
were were here long enough to grab lunch and most importantly…gelato!
next stop was positano. it was VERY crowded so we opted for the beautiful view!
We then toured Naples and headed back on the ship
What a great day…we packed a lot of sight seeing into a few hours!
A fun pillow gift from Stampin’ Up! Our new designer tin of cards….I love this one even more than the last year’s!
We also received towel creations from our steward, Carlton!
Tomorrow…we’ll be checking out Rome!
by Jody | Jun 10, 2016 | incentive trip |
Today was our only full day on the ship….we did a little exploring and just enjoyed chilling out. We docked every day and were on the move all day! Fun, but exhausting!
my breakfast partner every day!
I was super glad we had a balcony….it was nice to be able to look out and see sky!
we passed between Corsica and Sardinia today on our way to Italy tomorrow!
the pool/water park are was pretty cool, but it was a tad chilly up there! We choose to camp out on a recliner and enjoy some sun!
tonight, we were treated to our show…whoa! It was pretty amazing, those acrobat/circus performers are super talented…and flexible!
this little treat was on my bed….NICE handbag, Stampin’ Up! ..thank you! And Poodle says thank you too, cuz she snatched it right up!
Good night….see ya in Italy tomorrow!
by Jody | Jun 9, 2016 | incentive trip |
Time to get on our boat! Neither of us had ever been on a cruise before so we are pretty amazed at the size of the ship. Thankfully, no seasick issues for either of us. That made me rest easier!
our home away from home for the next week!
Stampin’ Up! held a welcome party that night…food and drink and 400 demonstrators and their guests!
One of the perks of the incentive trips is Stampin’ Up! pillow gifts! Each night, you get a little something on your bed. This one included tickets to a dinner show for both of us!
Guess we’ll explore the ship in the morning!
