Mediterranean trip - Part 1

I Should just stop apologizing for my sparse and overdue blogs because it probably isn't going to get much better.  I'm just not good at regular blogging!

I'm finally going to share some stories and pics of my trip the the Mediterranean at the end of August/beginning of September.

To start off, here's a map of where I went.

I went with my friends Angela, Jane, Holly & Michele.  Because we did a cruise, we were able to cover a lot of ground.  We flew to Rome and boarded the cruise in Civitavecchia, Italy.  It was an 11-day cruise that stopped in the following cities:

• Dubrovnik, Croatia
• Corfu, Greece
• Katakolon, Greece
• Piraeus, Greece
• Santorini, Greece
• Kusadasi, Turkey
• Messina, Sicily

Over the two weeks, and between the 5 girls, we have thousands of pictures, so I'll just share a few to document the trip.  

First though, let me tell you a story:

Our cruise started on Sunday, Aug 26th.  Holly, Michele and Angela flew to Rome a few days early to see the sights there.  Jane and I were flying together a couple of days later.  The two of us were flying stand-by using Jake's Delta employment benefits.  Stand-by can be a bit tricky, so we decided to start trying to get to Rome on Thursday night.  We were able to get a flight to New York on Friday afternoon, hoping to get there and make the Friday night flight to Rome.  It was booked full, so we spent the night in New York.  We took the subway to Brooklyn where we stayed with my good friend, Leanna.  We had a fun evening going out to dinner and just catching up.  Well, Saturday morning we headed back to JFK, but the flights weren't looking so good.  We started to get nervous.  There were 2 flights to Rome on Saturday and we HAD to make one of them to get there in time for the cruise on Sunday.  We were waiting at the gate of the first flight, and it was looking like this flight was going to be full too. At the very last moment, I got assigned a seat, but Jane didn't.  I hesitated taking it because I didn't want to split up, but it seemed like we were going to have to.  Jane had accidentally left her phone at Leanna's house in NY, so while I was frantically gathering my things and walking down the jetway, I gave Jane my phone and charger so that she could keep in touch with Jake to arrange her flight.  I felt SO AWEFUL leaving her!  I'm used to flying stand-by so I know the drill.  But she was there by herself with a distinct possibility of not getting a seat on the next Rome flight, and consequentially not making the cruise.  

For a moment I was so overwhelmed, I actually started to cry a little.  I felt like such a bad friend!  There was a very sweet man sitting next to me who asked if I was OK.  I explained the situation to him and he asked, "What is your friend's name?" "It's Jane," I replied.  Without hesitation he said, "Let's pray for Jane."  And there on the plane with people adjusting in their seats and flight attendants preparing for take-off, he motioned the cross on his forehead, chest and shoulders, then bowed his head and started praying for the windows of heaven to be opened, and for my friend Jane to make a flight to Rome.  I was so humbled!  I found out after that that his name was Father Benjamin and he is a Catholic priest that lives in The Vatican.  He is American and had been home visiting his family in Michigan.  We spent nearly the entire 9 hour flight after that talking about our different doctrines and the life of the Savior.  It was amazing!  

As the flight drew to its close, I started get anxious about the fact that I would be landing in Italy soon.  I didn't bring a computer with me, and was planning on using my phone to pull up maps in Rome to find my way to the sea port.  Since I had given Jane my phone, I was going to get off of that plane with nothing to help me find my way, and I don't speak Italian!  No bueno!  Fr. Benjamin was so kind, and helped me read the train schedules at the airport so I could find what direction I was going.  My flight got in at 6:30am and I didn't have to be at the ship til 2pm, so I had a little time to kill.  I decided to be brave and see if I could catch some of the sights of the city.  So I boarded a train and headed into Rome.  I got off at Vatican city and walked around.  It was just gorgeous!  I went into St.Peter's Basilica and walked around, admiring the historic art and the atmosphere.  Because it was Sunday, I asked if they would be holding Mass.  They said it was starting in just a few minutes, so I found a place to sit and listen.  Little did I know that the Pope was there reading mass that day.  There was a brief moment of realization where it struck me that I was in a foreign country, by myself, sitting in one of the most historic buildings in Italy, listening to the Pope read mass in Latin.  Mind BLOWN!  

It was an unforgettable experience to say the least.  I have to admit, though, I've never felt so alone.  What if I lost my way?  I had no way of contacting anyone.  So after mass, my nerves got the best of me and I found a pay phone and made a [very expensive] phone call home to Jake.  At this point it was the middle of the night in Utah and he didn't answer, so Jake may have gotten a voice mail that came across a bit frantic and pathetic.  I was scared and was hoping to get a little bit of encouragement.  I wanted to tell him that I was there safely and to find out if Jane had made it.  At this point, I had no idea if she had made in on a flight or not.  

So after mass and my visit to the Vatican, I got on another train and traveled about an hour outside of Rome to the port of Civitavecchia.  I can't tell you the relief that I felt when I boarded that ship.  I had made it there by myself on public transportation, with no map and no internet.  Pat on the back for me!  I actually beat the other girls there, so I was able to shower and change out of the clothes I'd been wearing for the last 2 days.  3:00 struck and the other 3 girls showed up together, but no Jane yet.  We were on pins and needles as they started the mandatory safety meeting and called role for all the passengers on the ship.  No Jane yet!  Literally 15 minutes before the ship was to embark, Jane rushed onboard.  She told us that she hadn't made the next Rome flight out of JFK, so Jake sent her to Milan where she had to take a 5-hour train ride down to Rome.  It was a miracle that she made it in time, and I can't help but wonder if the sincere prayer of a Roman Catholic priest and a mormon girl was heard.