Updates from Malta and Tunisia

We were thrilled when the boat arrived in Malta. The stone buildings with brightly painted doors and windows were very inviting. The landscape was arid, but there were wonderful colors and decorations. Our boat arrived late in to port and the evening prior, we received a rescheduled time for our tour. We were happy to be postponed from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. We were able to have a leisurely morning on the ship to get ready, eat lunch, and make our way to meet the bus. We had a very nice tour guide and learned about Malta. It's location is 70 miles south of Sicily and it is only 17 by 9 miles in length and width. It has a history of occupations by Romans and others and there a lots of stone walls, watch tours, and castles used to protect itself over the years. Our first stop on the bus was the Blue Grotto, which is a series of caves along the Med. with the most blue water you could imagine. The bus took us most of the distance, then we had to walk down about .25 miles to the boats. The motor boats held about 8 to 10 people. We went in all the caves and our boat driver tried to tell us some info, but he was difficult to understand. The local language is Maltese, but most speak British English, since Malta was a territory until the 1960s. After the boats, we purchased postcards and made our way back up the hill. Oh boy. At the top, we had our Disney "snack" break. We were able to choose a drink and everyone got a trio of bread with tomato and tuna, marinated white beans, and some other unidentifiable dip. We sat overlooking the water. Josh spilled his juice all over - yikes. We sat in the sun to dry off. Then, we were able to walk around in the stores and shop. We bought the kids ice cream cones and enjoyed the scenery. We went back to the bus, which took us to a fishing village. The Disney promo pictures showed this town with brightly colored fishing boats with "eyes" on them as superstition and protection. We walked through the market. The boys wanted the knight figurines. Max wanted the biggest ones, which were about a foot tall. We compromised on the 4 inch knights and walked the entire market and took pictures by the fishing boats. We really enjoyed the scenery and atmosphere in Malta.

Back on the boat, we were right in time for dinner. After dinner, I was exhausted. I went back to the room to rest and Scott took the kids to the magic show. I did two loads of laundry, especially after the OJ spill (and several other spills we have had along the way). Well, turns out Scott was picked from the audience along with several other men for the magic. I TOTALLY MISSED IT. In addition to the levitation thing he tried with several of the guys, the illusionist stole Scott's watch. The kids loved it.

Today was Tunis, Tunisia. We arrived to bands playing and camels waiting for our ship. It was very festive. We had changed our excursion yesterday from just a bus trip to an excursion where we could walk around the town more. We started at the Bardo Museum, which is the museum to display tile work and mosaics. The museum is being rebuilt in a new location, so I would say it was only so/so. There was a Disney activity for the kids to make their own tile mosaic. They did like it, but did not want to be left alone while the parents toured. Scott and I took turns staying with them. The tile mosaic project was pretty cool. After the museum, we went to the market and to look at the main monuments in the area. Since Tunia is an Arabic country, the culture was the least European of all our destinations. Keep in mind Tunisia is in Africa between Nigeria and Libya. I was not very comfortable in the market, but it is good to experience new cultures. I really hate bargaining, so was reluctant to shop. I hate haggling. I just want a fair and reasonable price from the start, then move on. We were able to look at an entire gallery of hand made rugs from silk, cashmere, and burger. Very cool. I did buy a real Pashmina scarf and was able to get the shop owner to include two stuffed camels for the boys. The tour was five hours and did not include a snack break. It was a bit much for everyone. The day was a success, but not my most favorite port. I would give the Bardo Museum and Market tour for families a "B minus." Tomorrow is Naples and we are so excited for pizza and gellato.

Back at the ship, we were able to swim and have lunch. There was a character party at the pool and the staff had games, performances, and activities. The kids love the pools. Dinner tonight is at Animator's Palate. This is our Show Dinner night, which means the staff will perform. This is the restaurant where the walls transform from black and white cartoon pictures to colored images as dinner progresses. Last night, Beauty and the Beast performed at dinner. The beast was really enormous. We also posed with Goofy and his son Max (of course) and Mickey in his sorcerer costume.