Cruisin' the Mediterranean on the MSC Meraviglia

After a year and a half of major changes and getting used to our new lifestyle, the time had come for my husband and I to take a break and enjoy some quality time together. The only time we had ever traveled together was back in March 2017 during our incredible honeymoon at Walt Disney World. Our obvious choice was taking a "second honeymoon" trip to WDW, but we had to postpone it for several reasons. That opened up a new world of travel possibilities for us: Paris, London, Tokyo... However, it was Eduardo's idea to take a cruise, given that his vacation days were nearing and we had to plan everything quickly. I must confess I didn't really sympathize with the idea at first, but after realizing all the planning that had to be done for any of the other trips in the short time we had left, a zero-worries cruise started to sound like the kind of vacation that we needed.

Taking a cruise cuts out most of the intricate planning that any regular trip requires, as they're usually all-inclusive and they offer a wide array of amenities and activities on board. All you have to plan or reserve are the outings at every port of call. The only thing left to do was to match our vacation days with the departure and travel days of a cruise ship that fit into our budget and expectations. Unluckily for us, only a couple of cruises departed within our vacation time frame. But, luckily, one of them was the MSC Meraviglia, a vessel that started operating in the year 2017 and became the fourth largest cruise ship in the world. With a capacity of 4,500 passengers and around 1,500 crew members, 15 ship decks, 12 restaurants, several bars and clubs, an exclusive chocolate shop, a theater with different daily performances, two Cirque Du Soleil at Sea shows, a spa, a sports complex and gym, a TV studio, temperate pools and jacuzzis, two water slides and a Himalayan bridge, and the longest LED dome at sea, the MSC Meraviglia is definitely a monster cruise ship.

The ship's itinerary is comprised by stops at Mediterranean cities: Barcelona (Spain), Marseille (France), Genoa (Italy), Civitavecchia (Italy), Palermo (Italy), Valletta (Malta), and a full day at sea. Apparently, the MSC Meraviglia will be relocated to Miami in fall of the current year, and it will be sailing to Caribbean islands. Honestly, the pictures and videos of the ship were captivating, so we took a shot and got our tickets for this week-long cruise trip. We were very lucky because we purchased the simplest kind of cabin on board, which is usually in the interior of the ship, but we were assigned to an incredibly better cabin that even featured a balcony. You have no idea of how thankful and excited Ed and I were! We also bought a drink package to avoid having to pay for our individual beverages on board. It was really starting to look like the perfect vacation.

I also searched for possible shore excursions at every port of call, but in the end we only chose to reserve one for Rome, since the trip from Civitavecchia to Rome is over an hour long. We'd take maps and prepare a list of landmarks to visit at each city. Well, let's be honest, I was the one in charge of preparing our walking tours, and I think I was able to come up with pretty nice routes that covered almost all of the important monuments. After all those details were covered, we packed our bags, got our documents and set out towards our departure port on February 14, a very nice way to kick off Valentine's Day. We actually had a little fail getting to the port, since Google Maps cheated on us by marking the supposed spot where the cruise ship was. However, when we got there, the ship was about two kilometers away (the port was huge), and we had to walk all the way to the gate carrying our suitcases. Yes, we suffered a little bit, but in the end we laughed about it.

Our first impression was that the ship was humongous! Throughout the trip we saw other cruise ships docked nearby, and the Meraviglia was the biggest one by far. That first day we went straight to our cabin right after embarking, and we fell in love with it. It was comfortable, tidy and really pretty. Our suitcases were later delivered at our door, so we only had to carry our personal belongings to our room. Afterwards, we headed onto the buffet for a quick lunch before attending the mandatory safety presentation at the ship's theater. Later on, we saw the ship sail away from our room's balcony, while someone in an upper deck fed the seagulls from his window. We were moving away from the port and into the horizon with a beautiful sunset as a backdrop. Our dinner time was scheduled for 9:30 P.M., so it left us with some time to explore several of the decks on board. We walked around and tried to understand how to move through the hallways. The ship felt a bit like a labyrinth, but after the first day we actually figured out how everything was connected on each deck.

MSC Meraviglia LED Dome
Since it was Valentine's Day, the lengthy LED dome over the main hallway (called "the promenade") sporadically projected a kiss cam aimed at the passersby. It's really cool because the dome has different light shows and projections throughout each day. Also, every midnight it displays fireworks over a different city. My favorites were "Jurassic Experience" and "World Tour", the first one being about dinosaur extinction, and the second one featuring gorgeous ceilings from famous temples around the world. The LED dome changes its appearance in between showtimes, oftentimes appearing as beautiful stained glass compositions. Given that the weather was still a bit chilly and windy, all the parties in the boat were held at the promenade, taking advantage of the dome and turning the space into a pseudo-disco with amazing light shows. I'm almost certain that these parties are thrown at the pool deck during spring and summer. However, we have to admit that our expectations were a bit crushed when we attended the first party, which seemed more like a dance therapy session than an actual celebration. Seeing all the people lined up repeating the same choreography as the entertainment crew only made us giggle and hang out there just for a while before going to find something else to do. Needless to say, every single one of them (Fluo Party, Flower Glory Party, Gatsby Party, White Party, and Tropical Party) carried out in the exact same fashion. Like the red M&M said in that infamous 2012 Super Bowl commercial: "So it's THAT kind of party!".

By the way, if you want to have unlimited drinks during your whole stay, everyone in your cabin must purchase a drink package. There are many to choose from, with different costs and drink options included in each. You can go for the cheapest ones, which only include some of the non-alcoholic beverages, or for pricier ones that include high-end spirits and even soft serve ice cream. We purchased the "Easy Drink Package", which entitles you unlimited drinks (costing up to 6€ each), thinking that it'd be a good deal and not having to worry about extra costs added to our ship account. Nevertheless, I want to point out that the alcoholic beverage selection for the Easy Package is quite narrow. It only includes draught beer, a few spirits and appetizers, about six wines, and a handful of cocktails. We tried every single one of the cocktails available from this package, and I have to say they were not good. My husband only liked the Moscow Mule, and I simply hated them all. We did find a tasty appetizer called "Breezer" by Bacardi, which came in different fruit flavors and, curiously, we never saw anyone drinking it. We decided to try the zero-alcohol cocktails, which were included in the package and offered a better variety. All I wanted was some delicious and extraordinary drinks, and these non-alcoholic versions of Mojito, Coco Loco, Piña Colada and other cocktails proved to be what I was looking for.

Another aspect I want to discuss is the usefulness (or not) of drink packages. I guess many people (like us) didn't know that you can always get free water, fruit juice, tea and coffee at the buffet while it's open. Since you can basically eat at the buffet every day at breakfast, lunch and dinner, you could perfectly and absolutely do without a drink package. Furthermore, if you visit every city the ship stops in, chances are that you won't even have lunch on board, since you'll likely spend most of the day exploring the city. That means that your "drinking time" on board is fairly reduced each day, unless you choose to stay on the ship 24/7. Plus, most of the bars close at midnight or 1:00 A.M., so even if you do have a drink package, you can't actually order drinks for a few hours at nighttime. After analyzing the cost and menu of the packages, the time spent on board, the available drink service hours and our overall drinking habits, I think that having an all-inclusive drink package was not as useful as we originally thought. We did ask for two or three bottles of water on a daily basis to take on our land trips, but even after adding that to what we drank every day, I believe we didn't cover the whole expense of the drink package. Perhaps next time we'll skip the package and simply have the drinks added to our on-board cruise account, which you can comfortably manage from your room's TV and pay on disembarkation day.

There were many amenities on board that we never used although we did visit and spend some time in them while exploring the ship, such as the gym and sports complex, the arcade and F1 simulators, the spa, the casino, the pools and jacuzzis, the indoor shops, and the specialized restaurants. We actually wanted to get on the water slides and the Himalayan bridge, but we couldn't actually figure out how to get there until the last day of our cruise. They are on the last floor, but the regular entrance to it is reserved for guests with a special badge. I guess we're kind of dumb and didn't realize that there are sideway stairs from one of the upper pool's decks to get to the top deck with the slides. Well, anyway, as I said it was still pretty windy and cold, and the aqua park only operates at certain times when you're most likely out in the port of call. (10:00-12:00 A.M. and 2:00-5:00 P.M.). That means that unless you plan on staying on board at some of the cities, you'll probably only be able to use the water slides and bridge during the full day of navigation.

On board

We did, however, book the Cirque Du Soleil at Sea "Viaggio" show, since it's a unique experience that you can exclusively have at the Meraviglia. There are two shows (Viaggio and Sonor) offered on board, which you must reserve and pay for extra. You can choose between having dinner or a cocktail, and the price is different for both. We just wanted to see the Cirque Du Soleil performance, so we went with the cocktail. By the way, you don't actually get to order the drink you want. They just make four different cocktails and you must pick one up from the entrance table before you sit down. In case you're asking, the drinks were terrible. The show was very sweet and colorful, with classic Cirque Du Soleil goofiness and innocence in their storyline and characters. The theater is not very big, but it was specially adapted to house the props and scenery of both shows. "Viaggio" is the story of an eccentric painter that dozes off into his imagination and interacts with his own paintings in a colorful dream.

"Viaggio" was my favorite from all the shows we attended, mainly because it was very well produced, with beautiful costumes, a lively and original soundtrack, amazing backdrop effects, and a fun performance including acrobatics, juggling and a little comedy. The other shows we went to were: "One Day More", which revisited performances from a few famous Broadway musicals, "Come Il Mare", which portrayed some scenes from the lyric opera La Boheme, "Born to Rock", which combined a selection of world-known rock songs, and "Entertainment Variety", which was a special variety show prepared by the ship's entertainment cast. The best was definitely the rock show, followed by the Broadway musicals mix. I do have to say that the lead female performers completely stole the show from the male singers. Their singing and performance went way beyond! The variety show was fun, but extremely silly. Finally, we dreaded the opera show because it was incredibly slow and boring. Perhaps a better opera choice should replace it.

  Port visits
The last thing I want to share with you is our experience with land trips on every port of call. Every day the ship docked at a city, we woke up, got dressed, had a hearty breakfast and picked up a couple of water bottles to take with us. Getting on and off the boat is very simple: all you have to do is scan you cruise card at the entrance. Some ports have a short security check where you have to go through an x-ray machine before boarding once again, but this takes little to no time. Once out of the ship, we made our way through the city with the help of paper maps (printed by me or available for free at a tourist office) and Google Maps. It's not that hard to plan your own route with points of interest and simply walk to the nearest (and not-so-near) places that you want to visit. I'm going to break down each city, pinpointing the main landmarks we saw and adding a few tips or experiences that could be useful if you ever take the Meraviglia or a similar cruise. The first one is that MSC offers a paid shuttle service to take you to the different city centers. We never used it and never felt like it was necessary, especially because some ports even have a free shuttle service. Something similar happens with the city excursions offered by MSC. You can go online and find lots of options that are cheaper, have better reviews and fit within the cruise's time frames.

MARSEILLE

Once we got off the ship, we walked about 1 km to a free shuttle that took you to La Joliette station. From there, we easily walked to the Major Cathedral and saw it from the inside (free entrance). Then we walked around the Le Panier district until we reached the Vieille Charite cultural center (free entrance to the building, but not to the exposition rooms). After that we kept walking through some steep streets until Preau Des Accoules, a children's museum. We passed by the apparently famous Place de Lenche, which was full of people chit chatting over some coffee and pastries. We reached the St. Laurent Church and crossed a bridge over the main street to Fort St. Jean (free entrance). We explored the fortress and crossed a second bridge that connected it to the MuCem, a very curious structure, although we didn't go inside (paid entrance). We went all the way down to the Port Vieux, which is the oldest part of this French marina. We were planning to walk around the whole port and maybe take a small ferry back to the other side, but we didn't have enough time to do it. So, we just walked half of the Vieux Port until we reached Saint Ferreol Church, and we walked all along the main avenue back to La Joliette. However, we didn't leave without first buying a famous soap from Marseille. People say you have to buy one if you wish to return there someday. If you have time, on the other side of the port you can see the Soap Museum, the Saint Victor Abbey, Fort Saint Nicholas and the Palais du Pharo. You can also visit the famous Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica, but you must take a bus to get there because it sits at the top of a mountain.

GENOA

This was probably our favorite city to walk in. As soon as we got off the ship, we started to see monuments and buildings anywhere we turned. We walked to a nearby bus stop and waited for a bus that left us at Via Cadorna. I should mention that you must purchase your bus ticket prior to getting on the vehicle, and you must do so at a cafe or kiosk. We walked to the Piazza della Vittoria Square and the Arco dei Cadutti arch. We took a closer look at the suburban bus terminal without going inside, and we started to walk on the street XX Settembre (September 20). There were different buildings to see on that street, until we got to Piaza Ferrari Square, where there are no F1 cars, just so you know. We continued towards the Porta Soprana and got a little lost walking back and forth trying to find Christopher Colombus's house. We found it almost right beside the Porta Soprana, but didn't go in because the entrance is not free and it has specific schedules. After, we kept passing through many different churches like Chiesa del Gesu, Diocesan Museum, San Matteo, and some palazzos like the Domenicaccio and Branca Doria, until we reached the Maria Delle Vigne Church (free entrance). From that spot we walked towards the Palazzi dei Rolli, a set of palaces recognized as world heritage by the UNESCO. They're all on Via Garibaldi. We only went inside the Palazzo Tursi. Later on, we went all the way back towards the ship passing by the San Siro Church, the three Lomellini Palazzi, the Annunziata del Vastato Church, the palazzi on Balbi Street, the University of Genoa, the Chiesa de San Vittore, the Palazzo Stefano Balbi, and finally the Villa del Principe. Seriously, this city is one of the most cultural places I've ever been to, and the worst part is that we didn't even visit everything! The distance from the Villa del Principe to the port entrance is really short.

CIVITAVECCHIA - ROME

When we got off the ship there were free shuttles to take us to a tour bus pick-up area. We had pre-booked a trip on a tour bus because Rome is over an hour away from the port of Civitavecchia. That means you'll lose about 2-3 hours only counting the coming and going to and from Rome. In turn, that means your time to explore Rome and the Vatican City is very limited, so doing it on your own could be risky if you don't want to be left behind by the cruise ship (which they do, by the way - the other day I saw a video of a couple who arrived very late and were left behind - the HORROR). It's very simple: it's impossible to explore all of Rome in less than one day, so either you are very picky and meticulous on what you want to see, or you go on a guided tour that guarantees that you'll be at the port on time. We purchased a bus tour with Civitatis, which almost had a five-star review online and it seemed to cover most of the important stuff at Rome. I even consulted with my mom, who has already been in Rome and is a huge fan of the city, and she gave us our seal of approval for the tour. First, the bus drove all the way from Civitavecchia to the Vatican City, while they explained the route we'd be taking, our time frames for visiting what we wanted, and the gathering point for everyone on the tour. The bus left us on the outer bridges that lead to the Vatican City, and we walked towards the entrances of the Piazza Sant Pietro, passing by the Castel de Sant Angelo. We chose to go to the DaVinci Experience Museum (paid entrance), which has replicas of his most famous paintings and interactive machines, and you get an audio guide that explains the history of each item. We didn't even have time to hear all the explanations, so we just picked the ones we cared about the most. It was fun, but being under a strict time frame did not help and we just couldn't enjoy the experience thoroughly. We quickly walked out and passed through security to enter Sant Pietro Square before going back to the bus, at least to take a look at the plaza and the buildings. It was Sunday and Pope Francis came out his balcony at midday to give the Angelo, a short speech the Pope gives every Sunday. We only heard the last bit and were unable to see him because the square was super crowded, but we didn't really mind.

Once we were back at the bus, it took us on a panoramic tour of Rome, while our tour guide explained everything we saw. The bus dropped our group off eventually, and we followed our tour guide through some of Rome's streets. She walked too quickly, so most of us fell behind at least once. We went by the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Circo Massimo, old remains of Roman aqueducts, the Tiber Island, and other monuments. The bus dropped us off and we walked with our guide all the way to the monument of Vittor Emanuele II, the Foro Traiano, the Quirinal Hill and landed on the Fontana de Trevi. We each threw a coin into the fountain, as the tradition says: throwing one coin with your right hand over your left shoulder, with your back turned against the fountain, guarantees that you'll return to Rome. After our shenanigan, we walked to the Montecitorio and the Pantheon (free entrance). We went inside the Pantheon and sat down for a bit before continuing to the Palazzo Madama and Piazza Navona. We actually had the best ice cream we've ever had in our entire lives (and we've had tons of ice cream) at a restaurant called Tre Scalini right next to the Fontana di Quattro Fiumi water fountain on the plaza. Since it was almost time to meet up to leave, we finished walking towards the gathering point. We needed to go to the bathroom, so we asked the tour guide and she pointed us to a nearby Napoleon Museum. The entrance was free, so we discreetly went inside and were very surprised to find a beautiful collection of original antique items related to the Bonaparte family. We were very lucky to go inside completely unplanned and see such a wonderful exhibit, using up the spare minutes we had and being able to go to the restroom as well. We thanked the caretaker and went back to the bus, and back to Civitavecchia.

PALERMO

As soon as we got off the ship, there were plenty of men on horse carriages offering rides around Sicily's main city. I was very tempted to take one, mainly because I've been wanting to go on a horse carriage since we got married and because my mom said she took one when she was at Palermo, but Ed didn't really felt like going for a ride. So, we stuck to the plan and began walking. We went to the Evangelic Valdese Church and the Modern Art Gallery, but we didn't go inside. Then, we reached the Piazza Castelnuovo and the Diocesan Museum, and made our way around the Teatro Massimo. We passed by the Chiesa San Agostino all the way up to the Cathedral of Palermo (free entrance). The inside of the church and its plaza were beautiful. We continued going up to the Palazzo Arcivescovale, the Piazza della Vittoria, Villa Bonanno and the Palazzo dei Normai or Palazzo Reale, and then we started our way down passing by the Palazzo Sclafani, the Bullaro market and the Carmine Maggiore Church. We also walked by and entered the Chiesa del Gesu (free entrance unless you want to walk all the way in). Afterwards, we went to a spot where three churches meet: Chiesa de San Cataldo, Chiesa de Santa Catarina and the Palazzo Pretorio. We turned around towards Piazza Pretoria and its beautiful water fountain, and turned once more into the famous Quattro Canti street corners. Later, we went down to the Piazza Marine and its garden, the Palazzo Mirto, the Palazzo Chiaromonte o Steri, the Teatro Libero and the Museo delle Marionette. We also stopped to get some tasty ice cream before reaching the Santa Maria della Pieta Church, the Palazzo Abatellis and the Chiesa Santa Teresa. Finally, we finished walking all the way to the Orto Botanico and the Zoology Museum, but we didn't enter. We did take a stroll around Via Giulia Gardens before walking around all the coast and the La Cala marina while going back to the ship. As a side note, we noticed that Palermo is kind of dirty and unkept, so that could be a point of improvement for the near future.

LA VALLETTA

You can see from the ship that this city is like a medieval fortress. It's actually quite small and we even had time to go all the way around it. After hopping off board, we walked towards the Upper Barracca Gardens. There's an elevator that takes you straight up to the gardens, but you have to pay an entrance. We chose to go up the stairway (for free), but had to pause to take an occasional breath because it's like a steep 10-floor hike. The Upper Barracca Gardens are especially iconic because every day (at 12:00 midday and 4:00 P.M.) you can see the Saluting Battery firing a canon over the bay. It's free to see from the terrace, or you can pay to see it at the cannon's level. We continued walking to Auberge de Castille, St. Catherine's Church and Auberge de Italy. After, we went to Hastings Gardens and St. Andrew's Bastion while walking around the edge of the city. We arrived at the Teatro Manoel, St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, passed by the Archbishop's Palace, Auberge de Aragon and Auberge de England. By that point, we had reached the other end of the city, which finalizes in Fort St. Elmo (paid entrance). You can walk around the Siege Bell Memorial and the Lower Barracca Gardens for free. We entered the Conference Center, which had a medieval exposition but there was no one in the counter, so we left. We didn't go into Malta Experience (paid entrance), which shows you an audiovisual presentation about Malta. From there, we headed to Casa Rocca Piccola (paid entrance), a beautiful home to the noble de Piro family, but we couldn't take the tour inside because it's scheduled about four times a day and we were right in the middle of the last two. Finally, we crossed Republic Street from one side of the city to the other, walking by Grand Master's Palace, The Great Siege, St. John's Co-Cathedral, the National Library, the Archaeology Museum, St. Francis Church, St. Barbara Church, many street shops, and landing at the Triton Fountain. We then went down some stairs right onto the port.

After this wonderful and well-deserved trip filled with glorious adventures, copious amounts of food, glamorous floating accommodations, fun entertainment and a week of much needed pampering, we arrived home feeling fresh and well-taken care of. But, just as every vacation comes to an end, we had to go back once again to our usual routines. I'm sure we'll be taking another cruise in the future, but right now Disney's our target for our next vacation!

If you've made it this far, congratulations! Thank you for reading about our experience on board the MSC Meraviglia cruise ship and our escapade at different Mediterranean cities. 

Stay tuned for new posts! 

10 things we need to remind ourselves of

How long does it take you to realize that you need a change? And no, this is not the opening line for a self-help seminar or a cheesy infomercial. I really mean it.
Picture this: you've been doing something for a while that doesn't exactly make you happy; maybe it makes you feel numb, or angry, or even depressed. You think life is testing you and greater things will come after. You think it's just something necessary that you can't escape, or perhaps you see it as a transition period. Has this happened to you? Well, how long did it take you to realize that you needed an urgent change?

I've come to realize that the problem with this immensely recurring situation is that we toss and turn, we complain and cry, we make plans and dream... but most of us fail at the most crucial moment: acting. Imagine a movie studio where they're shooting a film. The script is made, the protagonists are chosen, the props and scenery are done and the staff is ready. It's the moment of the truth. The director says "lights", "camera", "action"! But, the main actor doesn't move. He just stands there numb with a blank expression during the entire filming process, while the world keeps spinning and people carry on with their lives around him. A year goes by, the film is premiered and the actor was cut from it because he didn't make a move.


So, there you go. A whole year wasted. I won't be condescending using a softer word, because I do think that a year gone by without anything to feel proud about is clearly a wasted year. I've felt this way before, but I've also come to understand that we must learn to value our efforts, dreams and achievements in a somewhat equal measure. Showing a fantastic performance at something is a win. Having a wonderful idea is also a win. Succeeding in a particular aspect is yet another win. See? Win! Win! Win! Wins everywhere. It's not so hard to feel proud about what you do, but the only way to do this is to understand that you must act. Actions are required for you to feel competent.

I would like to share with you some advice I occasionally give to myself. These are my very own "10 things we need to remind ourselves of":

1. Stop pitying yourself for not achieving your dreams. Start by setting some realistic goals and loosely mapping out possible strategies to get them. Even the smallest goals count!

2. Get yourself on track to reach milestones. Most times it's better to advance little by little whenever you're on your way to reach a goal. This allows you to analyze, strategize, get feedback and make adjustments on the way.

3. Don't rush it, but don't overdue it. Trying to get things done fast and at an inappropriate time usually brings chaos, and leaving things for later without being careful can lead to delaying them forever. If you feel it's the right time, go for it. Sometimes you'll need a little push; that's all.

4. Set priorities and learn to prioritize. It's no secret that time goes by really fast, sometimes even faster than expected. So, be prepared to turn the tides when time is not on your side.

5. Be flexible and expect the unexpected. Hoping for the worst has its benefits because it keeps you aware of possible fiascos along the way, especially because bad things do happen. However, an absolutely negative approach sounds too dark. Get ready to dance between the possibilities.

6. State the facts, even the most obvious, and say things clearly. If you're not honest to yourself, will anyone ever be? It's not about criticizing you as a person, it's about coming clean about what you know, what you must improve and what you must learn.

7. Direct your actions to generate positive changes. Some changes happen out of our reach, but remember that you have control of your actions and decisions. When you have hopes and dreams but don't act accordingly, don't expect the situation to magically change in your favor. If you don't even try...

8. Give yourself room to express your feelings. Life is not always sugar, spice and everything nice. There's a whole spectrum of emotions inside you that will come out on given occasions. Repressing them can only lead to frustration!

9. Compare and scrutinize in a healthy measure. It's all right to compare and contrast things honestly, as long as it doesn't follow a destructive purpose. Otherwise, steer away from it and only take the good things from which you can learn.

10. Change what you must with respect, patience and solid actions. Be mindful when making decisions, weighing benefits and consequences for your personal fulfillment, and acknowledging those involved whom you care about. Please, don't sabotage yourself by trampling everything in your way.

I know "New Year Resolutions" are quite a cliché, hell, I'm one of the first ones to say that every New Year's Eve! But, given that 2019 just started, January is almost gone and I'm still here pondering about life, I decided to be more proactive and work my way through changes. Here I am, writing in my blog, which had remained untouched since June 2018. I've also resumed painting a special picture for our living room, which I paused back in November. I've made my own yearly planner (more on that later, in another post), identified important goals for me (and my family) and tried to have a more normal schedule to help me organize myself better. I'm still having issues with splitting time between tasks adequately, but I've got patience, honesty, motivation and a whole bunch of actions slowly executing one after the other.

Thank you for reading my whole article! I feel great about writing again, so be on the lookout for new posts every now and then. 

My fluffy Disney family makes a splash

It's no secret that I am above being a Disney fan. I grew up surrounded by Disney's dazzling stories, admiring its adventurous characters, reading piles upon piles of their books, watching every single one of their endearing movies, cartoons and short films, dressing up in their sumptuously chic clothes, and of course, playing with mountains of their unique toys and decorations. So, no. I'm no Disney fan. I breathe, feel and live Disney. That said, let's go on with the story.

Throughout the years, and since I have memory, my parents indulged my brother and I with all sorts of incredible toys. We were quite careful with our things, so we actually still have most of them and in wonderful conditions. One of my favorites has always been our marvelous plush collection. Consisting of over a hundred stuffed animals in all shapes and sizes (the biggest being a gigantic stuffed teal teddy bear which I won back at a fair in Canada... but that's another story), our collection includes quite a few recognizable Disney characters, as well as other secondary characters who still hold a special place in my heart.

I believe that I've mentioned before that my husband and I moved into an apartment to start a new life. We had the opportunity to furnish and decorate it from scratch, and among some things that we have here, there is a chiffonier with a glass cabinet as the top part. My husband found and brought home this discarded piece of furniture one day, and we put it against a wall right in front of our dining room. It was the perfect piece to display something delicate and cool, so I thought for a while until I remembered that I'd brought a few of my favorite Disney plushies with me, but they'd been sitting inside a bin since we arrived.

I took them out and quickly assembled them inside the cabinet to see how they looked in it. Plus, I threw in a beautiful Pluto plush toy that we had found at a flea market almost for free. It was perfect. We both liked it so much that we decided to have a plush-cleaning session to get them primped and polished to shine inside our up-cycled display window.

We were both absolutely skeptical about throwing the plush toys inside the washing machine and dryer just to see them come out in chunks, especially after carefully reading the labels on all the plushies stating to "Only spot clean". Also, we had already tried the "baking soda method", which I must assess as completely ridiculous because it does not clean your plush; it merely disinfects it. So, after some really unsuccessful Google research and YouTube exploring, we found a video of an Argentinian dad and his daughter who cleaned a teddy bear with a somewhat different spot cleaning method. They would wet a toothbrush with a bit of water and dab it in powdered detergent, brushing the stuffed animal's skin to remove any spots and, in general, to remove all the dirt and dust. They would then repeat the process a couple of times and leave the toy to air dry.

We decided to give that method a shot, so we gathered our supplies and began our task. We definitely broke a sweat doing it: it's fine if you're going to clean one or two plush toys, but if you're up for a whole bunch, you're going to need a lot of elbow grease. I think we grew muscles that day from all the cleaning that we did, especially because we had a few other new plushies from the same flea market as before. In the end, we left them to air dry, and we were overall satisfied with our work and with how the stuffed toys turned out.

A few more months went by, and I realized that I was feeling the need of Disney-fying out our home a bit more. I thought it would be a nice idea to display my other Disney plush toys, as we feel it gives a cute and warm feeling to our home. My mother was kind enough to sort out the toys from our plush box and send them over to me. I was ecstatic to open the boxes and find my old and precious plushies, but at the same time I thought most of them looked really dirty and had old stains. I mean, some of them are almost my age, and I don't think any had been washed in... well... forever.

This was when it hit us: were we supposed to spot clean each and every one of these plush toys? Clearly, that was a feat beyond question, so instead we chose to analyze other options. That's when I remembered that I had talked about our plush-cleaning session to a few people back then, and both my grandmother and my dear friend Dulce had mentioned that they cleaned plushies running a cycle in their washing machines and hanging them to air dry. Hmmmmm... What to do? Decisions, decisions. My husband and I took a vote and decided to dunk a first batch of Disney critters into our washing machine. As we closed the door, I had nothing in my head more than the lyrics of "Not while I'm around" from the musical Sweeney Todd, which says:

Nothing's gonna harm you

Not while I'm around

We ran a regular cycle with the same amount of detergent and fabric softener that we use to wash our clothes. Even after reading the labels and warnings, I felt pretty confident about washing them with this new technique. After all, I had two reliable testimonies that swore by this method. Once the first lot was done and the toys were out of the water ride, I realized it had been a phenomenal decision. Not only were the plushies complete and tear-free; they were also clean as new and soft as they probably had been many, many years ago. I scattered them over an old towel outside, in our small terrace, as I was terrified to hang them from the clothing line and lose them to a relentless breeze (it had been quite a windy week). My husband approved the process and we merrily proceeded to conduct two more groups of stuffed animals into the splash zone.

I am overjoyed to say that there were no casualties in our operation, and that our fluffy Disney family is glowing. I've also decided to rotate the plushie display on the glass cabinet by themes or films, so that all the toys get their share of the dining room's spotlight. We absolutely recommend washing your plush toys in a regular to gentle cycle in your washing machine. However, you should follow these three very important precautions:

1. If your plush toy is battery-operated, you might want to skip this method, since you are at a high risk of getting its mechanical system damaged.

2. Some plushies are made with more delicate fabrics than others. If it has any frail materials, or if it's quite old and has begun losing chunks of hair or fiber, do not launder.

3. Red-colored fabrics tend to run and stain other fabrics in the washing machine. If your stuffed animal has a suspicious piece of red fabric, or any other suspicious color for that matter, feel free to conduct a test for color running before dunking it in your machine.

The washing machine method was truly a panacea. I hope this enlightens plushie collectors and parents out there who have faced the same dilemma as us, and that they find peace with this solution.

I've completely lost my blog-posting rhythm nowadays, but if you liked this story stay tuned for more coming up! 

March DisneyBound Challenge 2018 outfit summary

It's obvious that this year has been slow for me in terms of blog writing. Only one post in three whole months! However, I must highlight that I've been a little busy planning a new project that you'll likely discover soon enough. But, I really didn't want March to go by unnoticed because of the wonderful experience in which I took part during the last 31 days.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you've probably already noticed that every single day of March I have posted a Disney-inspired outfit portraying a Disney character, item or park. What you may not know is that every year the fabulous Leslie Kay promotes the March DisneyBound Challenge from her well-known @TheDisneybound Instagram account and her DisneyBound Tumblr. Following the hashtag #DisneyBoundChallenge you will find quite a fashionable flood of Disney-inspired ensembles from hundreds of Disney fans from all around the world.

The trick about the DisneyBound Challenge -it is a challenge, after all- is that you must follow a pre-determined theme for each day of the month. This year some of the topics included movies like The Little Mermaid, A Wrinkle in Time, and Cinderella; characters like princes, sidekicks and villains; and even some other themes like rule breakers, 90s styles and park attractions.

According to @TheDisneybound, this year's challenge doubled the amount of Instagram posts using #DisneyboundChallenge, going from less than 14,000 images before the challenge started to an overwhelming post count of almost 29,000. This implies there's a flowing river of Disney-inspired outfits to admire and take inspiration from. What I liked the most about this challenge was seeing all the different styles, combinations and creative views within the Disney community. Everyone comes together, free to use their imagination and express their personality, thanks to a conjoined love and admiration for the happiest place on Earth and everything around it.

In the photos above you can see my 31 bounds for the month. It was so fun to participate in this year's #DisneyboundChallenge, but it was also a daring task to keep up with the challenge every day. I'm also really glad about taking the decision of changing my backdrops after the first four DisneyBounds that I posted. The extra effort of finding locations was really worth it! Feel free to visit my Instagram account @edu_and_joy to check out all my March bounds and some older Disney outfits from past months.

Remember to follow me on social media to get all my new posts! 

Mermaid Monday: Ariel visits the aquarium

Welcome, March! And welcome to my first post of the year! I seriously can't believe how fast time flies. It feels like it was yesterday that I made my last blog post, when in reality it's been three months. Ooops! Lots of things have been going on these months, but today I wanted to share our experience at the Barcelona Aquarium, a place I'd been wanting to visit since we arrived to the city, for a really cool Mermaid Monday (though I know it's actually Thursday).

First of all, no good visit to any aquarium could be complete without a proper Disneybound of an ocean-related character. Honestly, I feel it's very hard to find a comfortable and beautiful outfit with these cold temperatures. I wish I could Disneybound every day of my life, which is already quite a daunting task, but it's even more difficult when you have to wear three or four layers of clothes to protect yourself from the cold. I'm so not feeling like Elsa in winter! But with a bit of planning I was able to choose a nice ensemble to portray Ariel during my trip to the aquarium honoring a lovely Mermaid Monday.

My outfit was simple, but highly recognizable. The beautiful green mermaid dress by Retrolicious, which I got from The Oblong Box Shop, served as a wonderful base to channel Ariel. You can read a detailed review of this dress if you go back a few posts in the blog, or simply click here. Its green scaley pattern perfectly resembles the little mermaid's tail, while the dark purple cardigan tied over it evokes her sea shell top. Everything came together nicely with a pair of tropical-themed flats in a similar color scheme. Those weren't my first shoe option, but given that we had a long walk ahead of us, they started to seem like a pretty good choice. We left our coats and scarves inside a locker at the aquarium's entrance, since the building is completely enclosed and has no outdoor tanks or shows. Here's a little side-by-side:

We had a *splash* at the aquarium, where we got to see dozens of large fish tanks with around 450 different species of marine animals. Fish, eels, sharks, starfish, mantas, jellyfish, and even penguins made their appearances throughout the place. There are special daily "feeding show" schedules, where you can see crew members feeding some of the animals. My absolute favorite part was a long underwater tunnel filled with fish and sharks, which reminded me of the similar tunnels at the Boston Aquarium and Sea World Orlando. However, I must say that larger animals like orcas, walruses, dolphins and others were nowhere to be found. We really expected to see some big mammals, but the only sizable beast we saw was a really hunchbacked bull shark. He is the pride of the Barcelona Aquarium, and you can actually opt to swim with the sharks in that tank... for quite a high price!

Tickets are also a bit overpriced in relation to what you get to see, at least according to us, so it's nice to wait for discounts and offers. We actually got a great coupon with 4€ off each ticket. Savings, savings, come to me! Although it was a fun adventure, I think the Barcelona Aquarium definitely doesn't rank in my top three favorite aquariums. Regardless, it was a wonderful experience and this little Ariel is always glad to visit fishy friends. I truly felt like a mermaid in the ocean for a whole day. Aquariums are one of my go-to places all around the world... I think I'll be going back soon to get a new shark plushie from the aquarium store to add to my collection.

By the way, I was able to identify all the fish species from Finding Nemo swimming in different tanks. I'm guessing that after the movie became so popular, hundreds of aquariums around the world began to place these fish together for Disney fans to discover. You can use my guide "A study on Finding Nemo's aquarium fish" to look for them next time you go to any aquarium! Just follow this link. And speaking of Nemo, have you checked out @TheDisneybound 's new March Disneybound challenge? I will be partaking in this, so stick around my Instagram account to check all the Disney-inspired outfits I post this month. Let's get our Disney on!

Come back later for new posts and cool findings! 

Casablanca: 75th anniversary and timeless fashion inspiration

Today, the three-quarter century anniversary of the film Casablanca is a cinematic celebration around the world, commemorating its world premiere that took place back in November 26, 1942. Becoming one of the most beloved Hollywood classics, this romantic melodrama has transcended generations with its incredible settings, complex characters and fascinating storyline. Personally, this film ranks in my all-time top 5 favorites in no other than place number one.

Casablanca wasn't actually released until January 23rd of the following year. The film was nominated for eight awards at the 1943 Academy Awards, out of which it won three: "Best picture", "Best director" (Michael Curtiz), and "Best adapted screenplay" (Howard Koch & the Epstein brothers). Moreover, in 1998 the American Film Institute selected Casablanca as one of the movies in their "100 years, 100 films" list, featuring 100 of the greatest films of all time, and setting Casablanca in the second spot.

This film's plot perfectly combines action, drama, history and romance, taking us on an exotic voyage to the bewildering city of Casablanca. The characters have amazing personalities that entwine throughout the story, and you have pretty much everything you could expect from a movie: Beautiful scenery and costume design, good guys and bad guys, thrills and excitement, love scenes, scapegoats, a great soundtrack... You name it! The melody of "As time goes by" has been playing in my head all month long just thinking about those 75 years of the world being blessed with this movie.

While Rick Blaine is mysterious and captivating, it's easy to develop a love-hate relationship with his counterpart Ilsa Lund, essentially because of a frustrating feeling for what she did to Rick, and for how she approaches him throughout the film. However, she's still quite a charming woman, with an impeccable taste for fashion. Ingrid Bergman, the Swedish actress who portrays this character, did a wonderful job bringing Ilsa to life, but she was also able to deliver her a sense of elegance and poise. Not only are her outfits delicately chosen; (I'm surprised the film wasn't nominated for "Best costume design"); they are exquisitely flaunted by Bergman's enchanting figure. Below you can find a selection of Ilsa's beautiful wardrobe from several scenes pictured in Casablanca.

Taking her outfits as inspiration, and honoring one of my all-time favorite films, I put together a couple of ensembles to recreate Ilsa's divine and adorable looks. I am wearing a vintage white button-up blouse paired with a dark gray skirt and a black belt. I also added a head scarf, a gray-ish hat and a black trench coat (by Exotik) to complete the look and encompass a broader glance at her style. Also, following the black and white pure aesthetic of Casablanca, the photos were taken with B&W selective color. I've wanted to do a Casablanca homage since a long time ago, so what better moment to do it than today?

If you want to join the celebration of Casablanca's 75th anniversary, remember to tune TCM during November for TV screenings of this timeless film. If you haven't watched Casablanca yet, today's the day! I promise you won't regret it.

Come back later for more posts about fashion, crafts, and other curiosities! 

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice costume

This Halloween was not my typical Halloween. I couldn't decorate my house from top to bottom. I didn't throw or attend a party with my friends. I didn't even really prepare anything special for the occasion. It was quite depressing and discouraging not being able to celebrate my favorite season in a grand fashion, so I decided to at least dress up as a character I'd always wanted to portray: Beetlejuice!

I'm not gonna lie. I'd already started to put together the outfit since August, knowing that most of my clothes and stuff would be out of reach due to us moving away. I'd packed a black and white striped dress for the costume, but when I took it out and put it on last Tuesday (October 31st), I realized it didn't look quite right. The stripes were horizontal which, despite having that B&W striped look, didn't feel so Beetlejuice-y. I remembered packing my self-made B&W striped strapless dress (with vertical stripes), so I quickly searched for it on the package list and took it out of the correct box.

Doing my makeup was so much fun! This was the first time I ever did a full-face makeup, cheers on me! I used white base makeup paint to look paler, different tones of green and brown eyeshadows to depict Beetlejuice's decaying appearance, purple eyeshadows for his notable eye bags, and dark shadows every here and there. Recreating Beetlejuice's looks in a glam style turned out to be a killer idea, paired with a girly dress, a black leather jacket (from Stradivarius) and knee-high boots (from Splash Shoes). Of course, I couldn't leave out wearing a cool green wig to complement the look. I believe this costume was the best idea for a Halloween-saver. What do you guys think?

As a side note, I went for a walk on Halloween evening sporting my eccentric outfit. I think Beetlejuice is a very identifiable character because of his distinctive color scheme and rotting appearance. After all, didn't we all point at Robin Thicke in the VMA's for his "Beetlejuice suit"? But I don't think anyone recognized the character I was channeling! We need to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose and give Beetlejuice some more love!

Rumors have been going on since last year about an upcoming sequel for Beetlejuice, though nothing has been confirmed. Apparently, this past October Mike Vukadinovich was hired to rewrite the script for the film. Both Michael Keaton and Tim Burton have stated a couple of times that they would love to take part on a new Beetlejuice movie. Apart from the animated Beetlejuice series and the now defunct Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue at Universal Studios Orlando, both of which I love, this cult character has remained untouched. I would personally love to see this happen, especially if that means living new adventures with the old, endearing characters. 

Keep yourself updated by following me on social media! 

Haul-oween: Hauls from the past

There's absolutely no doubt that Halloween is my favorite celebration -and I dare call it season- on the planet. I love everything about it: the color palettes mixing orange, green, purple and the classic black & white, the spooky and eerie ambiance, all the ghost and monster stories that come alive, dressing up in creepy costumes, and of course, decorating my home from top to bottom with Halloween ornaments. If it were up to me, I'd have my home Halloween-themed 24/7 and throughout the 365 days of the year.

Given that my love for this October celebration is too broad to measure, it's really hard for me not to melt away at the sight of Halloween decor. I admit it's always been one of my weak points, and I'm  even prone to purchase spooky knick knacks at any time of the year. So, I've decided to make a series of Halloween Haul videos on YouTube to share all the decor that we've gathered and continue to add to our collection. I really hope these videos inspire you and give you some ideas for decorating your home, or simply entertain you if you're not that into decorating.

You can find the first video on the series below, or by following this direct link to YouTube. Enjoy!

Follow me on social media to keep yourself updated on my video tutorials, blog posts, photos, and more! 

Instagram: @edu_and_joy

YouTube: Joy Casas

Pinterest: Joycasas

Twitter: @joycasas

Facebook: Joy's Paradise Cove

Disneybound summary: August & September

New month, new Disneybound summary! I've combined August & September's Disney-inspired outfits into one cool post, showcasing bounds from four different animated films plus one iconic treat. Every single bound has been a new and exciting challenge, where I dare myself to put together the most fashionable and creative combinations. Now, let's talk about each ensemble.

Wendy

Have you noticed how most Disney princesses and some other characters tend to wear pastel colors? I'm completely in love with these color hues, but I scarcely have any pastel garments in my closet. Wendy is a great example of an iconic baby blue base, and I was lucky enough to have this old Zara dress in my closet. To make it a little bit more romantic I added my favorite cream cardigan from Doll Me Up. Finally, I accessorized the outfit with blue ribbons for the waistband and hair, silver star earrings and a thimble necklace... all winks to icons present in the film.

Note to self: sew more clothes in pastel fabrics.

Pongo & Perdita

Seeing as this doggy couple has a similar look between Pongo & Perdita, I decided to create the same aesthetic for both and switch the secondary color from red (Pongo) to blue (Perdita). It was a total win because I had the skirts, ribbons and headbands in both colors, so it felt like the outfits were meant to be. The base is a black & white spotted button-up by Jonathan Z, paired with inherited tennis skirts from Ellesse. I also styled my hair in two high ponytails to simulate dog ears.

Gaston

My, what a guy, that Gaston! This bound came to my mind as soon as I was given the scarlet polo shirt. I've never liked polo shirts, but I knew this one would serve a beautiful purpose for the outfit. Paired with a cropped mustard cardigan tied around the shoulders, and a vintage black skirt with a big silver belt buckle, the appearance it casts is phenomenal. To complete the look, I styled my hair in a high ponytail and a pompadour.

Joy

Joy as Joy. Nothing more to say. Since many years ago I've been dreaming about dying my hair, but I've never decided on finally doing it. That's why I recently purchased some bright-colored wigs to satisfy my whim of having colored locks. Portraying Joy through Disneybound was a perfect opportunity to wear this royal blue wig for the first time. I paired it with a yellow speckled cocktail dress (digitally altered to make it look slightly greener), royal blue eyeshadow and a ball pool ball I just randomly happened to have around my house. Doesn't the glow make the outfit pop?

Strawberry Minnie lollipop

Who says Disneybounding is only about characters? Trying out a new kind of bound was both challenging and thrilling. Truth be told, I'd had that lollipop inside my freezer for about three years, so I decided it was the right moment to experiment with it. This time I wore an old pink striped Zara shirt to recreate the lollipop's swirls, and a pink pencil skirt from French Connection. To top off the ensemble, of course I had to hold the strawberry lollipop itself!

Check out my Instagram account for more Disneybounds and other outfits! 

Wake me up when September ends

September has been a month of big changes and transformations for me, although I haven't yet felt a dramatic whirlwind of difference. The transitions have been slow but steady, with most events being planned ahead of time. I've always thought that planning and getting prepared can go a long way, even when things don't actually go as planned. Anyway, the blog has rarely seen an entry in this period of time, due to the fact that I've been busy as a bee. But now it feels good to be back. Let's hope I can get back to my semi-regular posting schedule!

Hopping onto the "second-quarter" wagon

I would really appreciate skipping this topic, since I've decided I won't be aging anymore, but I do feel the need to talk about something related to growing old. Some people say that age is not a number, and that's absolutely true. I couldn't agree more with Walt Disney's famous quote that reads:

"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional"

Keeping a young spirit can go on forever, no matter how old you get. It all depends on how you live your life and stick to your authenticity. But now that I've surpassed the "first quarter of a lifetime" I've come to understand how adults feel when they see their kids, nephews, grandchildren, and other younglings growing up. You can't really put a finger on how it is that time goes by so fast. After all, once you develop as an adult you'll probably remain pretty much the same during two or three decades... but the truth is that kids can make you feel old. In fact, kids WILL make you feel old, and there's no escaping this. My advice is to let it sink in for a while and accept the circle of life.

Reaching our first year of civil marriage

Again with the thing about time, but seriously though: Does anyone have any secret to make time slow down? It has already been a year since my husband and I exchanged our vows at the local civil registry, and a little over half a year since our memorable wedding day. To this point, we've been together for more than five years, which is basically a fifth of my life. I'm really looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together but, c'mon life, take it easy!

Both the tiny matters and the big things a couple does together will bring forth chances for them to become stronger or drift apart. Being kind, flexible, respectful and loving are some of the most important stepping stones in a relationship. I've only been married for a year, but I've realized that knowing when to yield and when to stay put can make a great difference in any given situation with your couple. It's all about finding balance and complementing each other almost rhythmically... like ice skating. And whenever you lose your stability, working as a team to get back on track and finish your course with grace.

Moving into a different and wonderful city

Last, but not least, moving away from home for any reason can feel frustrating and depressing, but it also opens up a whole new range of possibilities for you. Finding an apartment to rent has been especially annoying, but we've got our hopes up that once we get past this we'll have our own little love nest to start sprouting together properly. I'm thrilled about living in a different continent now, reaching out to fresh perspectives and a new lifestyle. Since I was a little girl I've always felt like I don't really belong in my home country, so switching it out for European ways feels like the fresh start we were desperately in need of.

"Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it".

-Rapunzel (from Tangled)

So here we are with only but our feet on this land, a mix of courage and excitement, and the best of us to give to the world! We've definitely pushed ourselves outside our comfort zone, and it feels good.

I know this post falls out of the ordinary, but after the short moving hiatus it was necessary to publish something more personal.

Stay tuned for new fashion, crafts and sewing articles, videos, tutorials and much more through my blog and social media. Follow me if you don't already!