[insert clever title here]

Well after a successful 3 week cruise we are back in Southampton. It was great to be on American soil and catch up with friends and family. It was also very nice to use my cell phone for once.

Unfortunately I am having some technical difficulties and therefore I won't be posting any pics or videos this time. I will be sure to get things sorted for the next time.

We are now headed off on what will be one of our most extravagant voyages. The "British Isles" cruise will bring us all around the UK as a final send off to the QE2. There are plenty of special events scheduled including lots of firework displays and such for each port.

Lastly this marks the fourth month of being aboard the QE2. A lot has happened in these past months and yet there is still plenty left in the remaining two. So time to get things going again and look for lots of pics and videos the next time I post.

- t

Transatlantic What!?

Well ladies and gents the time has finally come . . . a transatlantic voyage! Yes, that is correct the QE2 will set sail today for New England on what will be our longest cruise yet. A total of 19 days, 8 of which will be in port including an overnight in Quebec City, Canada. However, first comes the transatlantic part. The ship spends 5 complete days at sea crossing the Atlantic and each day is 25 hours long. Every night at 2am our clocks retard one hour so that by the time we get to NY we will be on the correct time. It may sound cool now but that means 23 hour days on the trip back.

We will hit NY on the 16th and work our way up the coast to Rhode Island, Boston, Maine, Canada and Halifax. The next few days are going to be very interesting as the Atlantic can be a bit rough at times. To make things even more fun the navigator on the ship has already issued a heavy weather warning for the first two days at sea. That means hold on tight!

Well time to go. Next stop AMERICA!

- t

Public Service Announcement #1

Reasons not to build your house at the base of a Volcano:

- Lava
- Ash
- Duh!

Well to sum this one up we took a tour to the ancient city of Pompeii. Pompeii and its sister city, Herculaneum were completely buried during the eruption of mount Vesuvius. Herculaneum was covered in lava while hot ash rained down on Pompeii. Today Pompeii is still one of the most active archaeological sites in the world.

Of course when you visit Pompeii everyone wants to see the plaster cast of the dead people. So in order to not disappoint here you go . . .

Just because . . .

Zakynthos, Greece

Athens, Greece

So we were in Athens last week and the number one stop for most tourists is non other than the Acropolis.

A quick taxi ride from the port and a 12 euro entrance fee and you are smack-dab in the middle of ancient Greece. To carefully see all the sights takes a good two hours, which by then you will either be dehydrated from the 95 degree weather or your camera will have run out of space to hold pictures. It is some pretty amazing stuff to see and thats why I have attached the video below of a panorama while at the top of the Acropolis.