What was high on your list of dream honeymoon destinations? For me (and my friend Liz and her husband Jake), it was a Mediterranean Cruise to see Italy and Greece. But, for Liz and I both…we didn’t get that honeymoon. Jason and I ended up with a fantastic honeymoon in Grand Cayman in the Caribbean. Why Grand Cayman? My parents gifted us a timeshare week and we happened to luck out with a trade-up to Grand Cayman. We had a glorious week in paradise and in retrospect I think it was the perfect place for a honeymoon. So relaxing and lazy. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
And now that I’ve been married for nearly 10 years, I understand just how much Jason hates to take long plane flights and big travel itineraries. I know that he really doesn’t want to see European museums and I’m ok with that. The wonderful trade-off is that he’s more than fine if I go to these far away places without him. I look for opportunities to tag-along when other friends go on vacation, and it’s cheaper because we’re only paying for one person to travel.
So when Liz and Jake booked their dream vacation (a 12-day Mediterranean cruise), I was drooling with jealousy. Luckily, they wanted company and thought that I’d be fun to have along. I got such an unbelievably smoking deal and it made the trip possible! We went in late October for a 12-day cruise with 2 days in Rome and 2 days in Venice on the ends of the trip. The itinerary included the ports of Rome, Naples, Santorini, Rhodes, Mykonos, Ephesus, Athens, Olympia, Corfu, Dubrovnik, and Venice. Liz did a great job of previewing each port and planning our excursions and sight-seeing. It was truly the most amazing trip for us all. I cannot thank them enough for generously including me in their plans. It was the trip of a lifetime.
We saw incredible art by Van Gogh.
We got lost in Rome, but had the most amazing pizza ever.
We got into a car accident in Rome, but luckily weren’t driving.
We got into a (small) ATV accident in Santorini, but this time we were driving.
We rode donkeys up 550 steps of an island cliff.
We bargained for a leather jacket in Rhodes.
We saw incredible ancient ruins everywhere.
We walked Pompeii for hours and it was amazing.
We got a little drunk at an authentic Greek lunch. OOOH-PA!
We fed homeless cats everywhere.
We found private beaches with incredible views.
We ran around the original Olympic track.
We ate delicious food on the boat, like the best fettuccine alfredo ever.
We got denied taking a photo with the Vatican Guards.
We happily got photos with the Turkish Army.
We had a tour of a monastery given by a lady in a mini-skirt and go-go boots.
We splashed through a flooded Piazza San Marco in Venice.
We somehow figured out how to navigate public transit in Venice.
I ran 6 miles in Rome with some of the members of the Italian President’s private security detail. (yes, really!)
As a photographer, I went back and forth about how I would pack for the trip. Would I bring my nice cameras or opt for the portable little point-and-shoot? And which point-and-shoot would I bring (since I have several that I like)? I finally decided to leave the nice cameras and lenses at home. I was concerned about how much I’d actually want to haul around camera gear while seeing all these sights. So, while the final photos are not as spectacular as I’d like to have had…they were so much easier to incorporate into our adventures. My only regret was not bringing the camera with me on my morning runs in Rome. I had no idea that I would meet up with the Italian President’s private security detail, nor that I would end up running 6 miles through Villa Borghese Park with them. It was like running with a bunch of Italian models…and yes, I ran faster that morning than I usually do. Wouldn’t you? Without any more words, here’s some of the unedited point-and-shoot images…
Best trip ever!!!! We had such a good time and you are a most excellent travel buddy. I love the photos you chose, your perspective is so insightful; like including the photos of all the trash in Rome and Naples! Next trip: BALI!!! for another incredible experience.