Croatia: 10.6.19 – 10.10.19

This port has been the one I was looking forward to the most since I got accepted into Semester at Sea, and it didn’t disappoint.

Day 1: My first day in Dubrovnik, Croatia was spent in my field class for my Interpersonal Communication class. If I have not mentioned it before, this is hands down my favorite class that I am currently taking. The professor that teaches it is such a cool guy and he really does his best to be very accommodating to the different lifestyle of shipboard education. For those of you who don’t know, the old town city of Dubrovnik is surrounded by massive walls. The walls were built during a Croatian war was a defense mechanism and still stand tall today. Our professor had us start the day by sitting right outside the wall and taking 30 minutes of complete silence. This exercise is meant to bring mindful awareness to the surroundings which we were experiencing. We all put our phones down and sat wherever we felt comfortable and just observed. As you could imagine, as a class of 25 plus students, who have not had any cell service, and who just arrived in a new country, this was truly the last thing we wanted to do. At first the silence was hard, but after a while I found a sort of peace in the exercise. I really took the time to look around me at the new city and take in small details I would have never noticed before. After the exercise was complete we walked inside the walls. We spent some time exploring and visiting a couple of churches. The architecture was truly breathtaking and I attached some photos for y’all. For lunch we stopped at a restaurant that had some of the best pasta I have ever tasted. The pasta was handmade and then topped with a slow cooked roast that was marinated with a red wine sauce. The second it touched my tongue I felt like I was back at home. It tasted almost identical to my grandmothers (Katie Dongieux) slow cooked roast. If you have not had the opportunity to experience her roast, I suggest you call her up as soon as possible and beg her for a taste. 🙂 The afternoon was spent exploring the city walls and we needed the day at the beach. My friends and I decided to go for a swim where we took our first dip in the crystal clear waters of Croatia. After my field class I met up with some other friends and grabbed some dinner.

Day 2: The next morning my friend Delainey and I woke up early to check out of our Airbnb and drop our bags off at the luggage storage in town. Turns out that the luggage storage was not open (even though Google said it was) and we had to hurry across town, back to the ship to drop our bags off. We were in such a rush because we had plans to meet up with some other students to go island hopping, and we didn’t want to miss the shuttle that took us to the boat. We ended up getting our cardio in that morning having to sprint back to meet them in time! It all worked out though. Once we got to the boat we grabbed ourself a much needed glass of wine and enjoyed the ride to the first island. I was happy to be on the boat with a lot of Semester at Sea Students that I had never met before. It gave Delainey and I a great opportunity to meet new friends and branch out a little. The day was spent exploring the Elaphiti islands, being kissed by the sun, and sipping a couple glasses of cold white wine. All of the islands were so beautiful! Once the tour was over and we got back to Dubrovnik we headed back to the ship to get our bags and take showers. In the evening we grabbed some dinner in old town and then checked into a new Airbnb that had an amazing view of the ocean.

Day 3: The next day we needed a little extra sleep. Once we got up and moving, Delainey, Maddie, and I walked about 25 min back into old town. We had read about this great street food place in town and we decided since we slept past breakfast we might as well just go for it. The restaurant was a little hole in the wall in the center of town that served mostly seafood. Although I was not too excited to eat seafood for breakfast it turned out to be amazing. The reviews did not lie. We had calamari and oysters. Coming from New Orleans, I was a little nervous about the oysters but they were surprisingly delicious. Following our late lunch, we went for a wine tasting. It was fun to get to taste the wine from around Croatia. My favorite was a wine that the waiter had nicknamed “the breakfast wine”. It was a light, crisp, white wine that came from the center of the country. Yum Yum! After our palates were happy, we explored the old town a little more and got some market shopping done. We ended up running into our friend Tristan who invited us to go cliff jumping. It took us a little while to get to the perfect spot but once we did… it was awesome! I had never gone cliff jumping before and I am pleased to say that my first time was into the crystal blue waters of Croatia!

Day 4: On day four we met up with the new friends we had met on the island hopping boat and decided to go explore another island. The island was called Lokrum. Lokrum is an island in the Adriatic Sea 600 meters from the city of Dubrovnik. It stretches from northwest to southeast and receives regular ferry service from the city. The ferry ride was short and very scenic. A monastery use to operate on the island and and a botanical garden still survives there today. The entire island is inhabited with hundreds of rabbits and peacocks. It seems like a weird combination but it was really magical. There is also a legend that we heard about that if anyone takes something home from the island, even something as small as a rock, will be cursed forever. Lokrum is protected by the government and only is in operation from sun rise to sun down. No one is allowed to stay overnight. Locals say that the people who have tried to stay overnight there don’t live to see the next day. Spooky!!! Aside from the scary stories the island is absolutely beautiful. We spent the day exploring, hiking, and attempting to be friend the adorable rabbits. When we got back to the city we grabbed some dinner at a little sushi place. I know I keep saying the food was delicious, but this too was also….delicious. After dinner we grabbed some drinks with friends at a night club called Revelin. Rumor has it that it is one of the top 100 clubs in the world, and it didn’t disappoint.

Day 5: Our last day in Croatia was bitter sweet. My friends and I spent the day indulging in as much good food as possible, and exploring some more before having to return to the ship. Once we got back on, we took our Fall 2019 Voyage picture on the back of the ship as the sun started to set. You can see the photo on the Semester at Sea instagram and it is beautiful. For dinner we sat on the top deck and watched the Croatian sun set over the sea. Onto Morocco we go!

Bon Voyage,

Christian

10.23.19

Hello friends and family! Its been a while but I am happy to say that my lack of blog updates are due to a large amount of fun, hours of traveling, and late nights trying to catch up on school work. I have not posted about my travels since Poland- since then I have traveled to Portugal, Spain, Croatia, and Morocco. I have been keeping up with my personal journal though which I am pleased to be able to look back on and remember all the details of my travels. Because I have gotten to0 behind I will just give you guys a highlight reel of my travels lately.

Portugal & Spain- (September 26th – October 1st)

Portugal: Portugal was something out of a fairytale. Stop #1: Lisbon. Our ship ported in the town of Lisbon on the morning of September 26th. I spent the day with my Oceanography group on a field class studying the marine life in the area. We visited the Oceanario de Lisboa in the morning and spent the afternoon on the beaches. In the evening I met up with my friends and we hit the town. We made our way to the famous Lisbon “Pink Street” and did a little bar hopping. The Sangria flowed and the night was a blast. The next morning my girl friends and I got on a long bus ride southbound to the city of Lagos. Stop #2: Lagos. Lagos is a coastal city in the Algarve area that is home to crystal clear waters and world famous beaches. If anyone is ever in Lagos make sure to stop by the restaurant called The Green Room for amazing Mexican style food and cocktails. Our time in Lagos was filled with kayaking, sun bathing, wandering the old town, and even a major game of truth or dare played with two older women from Amsterdam. If you want more details on this adventure make sure to ask me when I return to the states. The city was fantastic and it is definitely on my list of places to visit again.

Spain: The next day we packed our bags and got on another bus to Sevilla. Stop #1: Sevilla. The bus ride was a little bit agonizing and we didn’t reach the city until around dinner time. A little restaurant by our Airbnb answered our prayers with Spanish style tapas and cold draft beer. The next day we spent exploring. Our schedule only allowed us one day in Sevilla so we rented electric scooters called “Birds”. This allowed us to see more of the city in a smaller amount of time. It was epic if I do say so myself. The Plaza De Toros was personally my favorite sight to see. Although I am not fond of the bull fighting that takes place inside, the colors of the building and the architecture were mesmerizing. Stop #2: Cadiz. Our next stop was Cadiz, this is where we were to meet back up with our ship. While we were overland traveling from Portugal to Spain the ship moved ports, making it very convenient with our travel plans! The next two days we spent exploring the city and indulging in some of the best food I have ever had. A little restaurant, called La Candela, that we came across was so fantastic that I would come back to Cadiz just to taste it one more time. My friend Delainey and I ate there two times within the two days we were there. HA! After some market shopping, lots of gelato and more exploring it was time to get back on our floating home and hit the next country.

Look out for my next post on Croatia- Love and miss y’all!

Bon Voyage,

Christian

09.25.19

Good morning from the MV World Odyssey! Thankfully the waves this morning seem to have subsided a substantial amount. I woke up in a little bit of a daze from a very strange dream I had. If y’all know me and my family you know that my sister, Bailey, is expecting her first child this November. I had a dream that she delivered that baby in my parents house on the couch when it was just her and I. It was very weird. Also the baby ended up being a girl! If y’all know me again you know that I have my fingers crossed for a boy, yet any healthy baby is good with me. I am so sad that I wont be able to be by my sisters side when she gives birth to her first child but I know that she is gonna do great no matter what! I have already warned all of my friends on the ship that when I get the news she has had the baby I am gonna be a hot mess. Thankfully I have some great friends that are here to help me along. If anyone messes with my sister or that beautiful baby I will get on a plane so fast and come after you so be ready. I might be far away now but trust me I can get there in a jiffy. HEHE!

My first class this morning was Global Studies- we are starting to prepare for our port in Portugal and Spain. We had the economist come in again today and speak to us about the unemployment rates and statistics within these countries. It was very interesting seeing their economies compared to our last country – Poland.

After class I got lunch with some friends and read some more of my book. I am currently reading Girl ,Wash Your Face By: Rachel Hollis. I recommend it to anyone who needs a feel good book. It relates to a lot of situations I face on the ship and its quite an easy read. Those of you who really know me know that I am not a big reader, yet this book has me on a ball and chain.

I hit the jack pot today when I found the hidden movie locker on deck 8 in the student life center. They have an epic array of movies that you can check out at any time. I don’t think a lot of the students have realized this yet so shhhhh. I grabbed the most epic movie for a girls movie night tonight… Magic Mike XXL. Oh yes! Its gonna be a great night!

I would also like to close this blog post out on a more serious note. My mom called me yesterday with some tragic news. She informed me that a good family friend and an amazing member of our community lost his life in the line of duty. Mr. Vince Liberto was not only a great police officer, but a great father, and role model. He never failed to put a smile on my face every time I saw him. My heart goes out to the Liberto family during this tragic time. I have my bible study group praying for his family and friends all the way from Portugal. I am so sorry that I will not be able to attend his service but please know I will be there in spirit. I am sending much love especially to Dominic, the rest of his family, and our community as a whole. This loss is world shattering. May god welcome him with open arms and bring peace to his family.

Bon Voyage,

Christian

09.24.19

I skipped blogging yesterday because I had a fever and was told by the ship doctor to stay in bed. I am feeling much better today! Last night we had a movie playing in the student union called Crazy Rich Asians. It is one of my favorites. ❤ I had seen it a couple of times but my friend Delainey really wanted to go because she had not seen it. Within the first 15 min of the movie Delainey had fallen asleep… typical. The waves started to get really bad last night. We were told that we are suppose to reach up to 15 feet swells. Yikes! Last night we were only at around 5-10 ft and people were getting sick.

This morning when I woke up the waves were even worse. It’s like a crime scene all over the ship. There are people falling everywhere and the ship looks like a bunch of intoxicated people are just trying to walk around. It is kind of funny, until someone gets sick. There are caution cones all over the ship from where people couldn’t make it to the bathroom. Ew. Luckily I snagged some sea sick medicine early and I am feeling okay. It feels like you are on a constant rollercoaster. The doors, drawers, and items are falling everywhere. The captain has also drained the pool and all of the outdoor decks are closed off! Very intense stuff over here.

The rest of my day I just tried not to get thrown up on or fall on my face. I had three classes and got a good amount of homework done. I am really looking forward to porting in Portugal- the weather looks like high 70’s, low 80’s! Heck yes!!!

Bon Voyage,

Christian

09.22.19

Last night I didn’t sleep very well. I think I might have napped too much yesterday trying to catch up on my sleep and over did it! I woke up around 7:15 and went and had some alone time at breakfast. I enjoyed a warm cup of coffee and some oatmeal with a fairytale view of the ocean. After breakfast I decided to hit the gym. It was much needed and I felt so much better after.

I started to get a little sea sick before my class and got sick. Oops! Luckily it was only once and I felt much better after taking some sea sick meds! For lunch I met up with some friends on the top deck. A new girl named Mary joined us and she seems very sweet. She is planning on maybe doing some traveling in the next port with us.

Following lunch I got some homework done and hung out with my friend Delainey. My next class was oceanography and we had a quiz. It was pretty challenging but I ended up doing well. Before my last class of the day my friend Chelsea and I went to the Sauna. The sauna is on the back deck and has an amazing view of the ocean. It was very relaxing and I felt great after. When we got out of the sauna we were both drenched and we discovered they had no towels. Turns out we were suppose to bring our own… oops. We just made a run for it back to our cabin and took a nice shower to freshen up. After dinner some friends came into my room and we all watched a movie. Just another day of ship life!

Bon Voyage,

Christian

09.21.19

This morning I decided to skip breakfast and catch up on some sleep! The overnight train ride sucked up all my energy. The rest of my day was pretty usual. I went to my classes and did homework and laundry. I also hung out with some friends and read some of my book! The energy level on the ship is low after all of our traveling. I think everyone is in need for a “recharge”.

Bon Voyage,

Christian

09.20.19

We woke up in Gdansk and no one had any phone battery. The train we were on all night was old and had no charging outlets. Getting back to the ship with no battery was an interesting journey! Once we reached the ship I put my things down in my room and took a much needed shower. My friends Delainey, Stephanie, Morgan and I wanted to go back out into old town Gdansk for the day before we had to be back on the ship tonight. I took a 30 min power nap in my cabin and then we got an Uber back into old town.

The weather was finally cooperating! The sun was out and I was so happy. 🙂 My interpersonal communication class that I have with Delainey gave us an unusual assignment. We were asked to walk around in any place with no destination. This exercise is suppose to help strengthen your mindlessness. I found it very difficult at first to just wander with no place in mind but after a while it was quite enjoyable. We came across a cute produce market that locals seemed to flock to. After some more walking we found ourselves back by the waterway and we decided to get some lunch. We sat out on the outdoor patio and tried to soak up the sun. Delainey ordered a traditional Polish soup called Zurek. I was hesitant at first but it turned out to be delicious! We were also being attacked by bees. I think they were attracted to the sweet wine that we ordered. I was not having it and had a little bit of a melt down. If y’all know me you know that my biggest fear in life is bees and wasps. After a while they started to leave us alone! Thank sweet baby Jesus!

As we walked by the water after lunch, we saw a Polish man with some birds. We paid him to get some pictures with them and they were probably the highlight of my day. Morgan and I also decided to walk to the big Farris wheel and get a view of old town from the sky. It was beautiful. The girls wanted to get some snacks before we got back onto the ship so we stopped at a little market and stocked up.

Once back on the ship and in my cabin I did some laundry, homework, and started to unpack. Dinner back on the ship was very underwhelming compared to all of the delicious food lately but it did the trick. I just took some sleepy medicine and put on a movie. Its time to get some good sleep!

Bon Voyage,

Christian

09.19.19

This morning we woke up and got ready for Auschwitz. We met at the meeting spot where the bus would take us to the camp, but the bus was 45 min late. Luckily we walked into the little hotel next door to get out of the cold. I am really looking forward to getting some warmer weather in Portugal and Spain.

Once we reached the camp we had a guided tour of Auschwitz 1 and Auschwitz 2. The experience is pretty much what you would expect. Depressing and ground shaking. It is very difficult to think of the suffering these poor people faced.

The bus then drove us back to Krakow after the tour was finished. We grabbed our bags from the Airbnb and headed to the train station. Our train was still a few hours away so we grabbed some dinner at a little Italian restaurant that was nearby. Delainey and I split a truffle pizza and it was delicious. We had some more time to waste so my friend Morgan decided to get her nails done in the mall nearby. They came out really cute and I was kind of kicking myself for not doing mine as well.

Once we got onto our overnight train back to Gdansk we discovered that we were in a 6 person room. We had 5 of us and the other seat was taken by a nice Polish man named Suave. We talked to him for hours. He talked to us about his family and all about the Polish culture. I honestly think it was probably the best hands on cultural experience we could have asked for. He taught us so much and we even got him to teach us a couple of Polish phrases. The restroom on the train was yet again appalling and at night time there were no lights. My friend Morgan had to come to the bathroom with me and use our phone flash light! It was definitely an experience. Ha! After a 10 hour train ride we woke up in Gdansk.

Bon Voyage,

Christian