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✈️🛳️ EUROPEAN SUMMER VACATION: Griswald Style 😂 Have you ever traveled abroad with teens who’d rather be at home hanging with their buds?🥴 Or maybe you remember your parents dragging you on a trip during those all important high school years where going to the mall and grabbing an Orange Julius 🍊 with your friends was all you really wanted to do (before trying on those acid washed jeans 👖 at the Brass Buckle 🤭) Your biggest warm weather plan was laying by the pool 👙 or on one of those reflective shiny mats with the baby oil 🧴 (tinted red with iodine drops of course)…it certainly wasn’t trekking ALL THE WAY to Europe to look at ancient ruins with your parents 😳
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Well, Scooter 🛵 and I thought we would be different, we’re cooler than Gigi + Pops and Norma Jean, right?! 🤦♀️ Turns out, we’re not! AND our teens aren’t different than any other teens in America 🤣 Sis, it was a battle! Kid 3 asked to fly home to his Alpaca 🦙 Boy Band group EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! “Bro-Mom, come on!” Kid 2 was more interested, but still had regrets about the amount of extreme togetherness that only a cruise ship can provide. Let’s put it this way, before the trip she was misty about heading off to college next week, now, she’s ready to go 🏃♀️💨 😆 Here’s a look back at the last 3 months…I mean 11 days (click here)😅
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📍🗺️: Rome 🍝 Positano 🍋 Palermo 🇮🇹 Malta 🇲🇹 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Ephesus 🇹🇷 Santorini 🇬🇷 Athens 🏛️
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Here’s our day-by-day itinerary if you want to follow along (or plan your own adventure!):
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Rome – July 31
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Checked into the gorgeous Hotel Eden Rome (yes, it’s as fancy as it sounds), grabbed McDonald’s at the airport, tossed coins in the Trevi Fountain, climbed the Spanish Steps, and ended the day with pasta heaven at Felice a Testaccio.
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Cruise Day at Sea – August 1
Nothing but ocean views and endless buffet trips. Dinner onboard.
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Positano – August 2
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Coffee with a view at Casa e Bottega, beach time at Rada, lunch at Bar Buca di Bacco, and a wander through postcard-perfect streets before heading back for dinner on the ship.
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Palermo, Sicily – August 3
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Creeped ourselves out in the Catacombs (see them here), ate cannolis at I Segreti del Chiostro, and explored Teatro Massimo, Four Corners, the Fountain of Shame, and the stunning Palermo Cathedral.
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Malta – August 4
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Explored Mdina Dungeons, lunched at Coogi’s Pizzeria Bistrot, strolled through Malta’s streets, made a Starbucks stop, and sushi dinner onboard.
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Days at Sea – August 5–6
Translation: naps, pool time, and eating our weight in dessert!
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Istanbul, Turkey – August 7
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Shopped the Grand Bazaar, had baklava + Turkish coffee at Sark Kahvesi, lunched at Havuzlu Restaurant, and visited the Blue Mosque.
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August 8 – Turkish Food Day
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Gozleme (Turkish flatbread), more baklava, burgers at Saltbae’s place, then back to the ship for brunch and dinner.
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Ephesus, Turkey – August 9
We spent the day exploring the breathtaking Ancient City of Ephesus, one of the best-preserved classical cities in the world. Wandering through marble streets surrounded by centuries of history felt surreal. Our first stop was The House of the Virgin Mary, a peaceful stone chapel tucked into the green hills of Mount Koressos. The quiet setting, the wishing wall covered in prayers, and the trickling holy water fountain made it such a calming, spiritual experience before heading into the heart of Ephesus.
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We ended the day watching traditional Turkish rug-weaving, sipping Starbucks as a little taste of home, and picking up boxes of Turkish delight, the sweetest souvenir before heading back on board for dinner.
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Santorini, Greece – August 10
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Cable cars to Fira, frappes at Ab Fab Santorini, frozen yogurt at Louyo, lunch at La Scala, pastries at Zotos Gelateria, a beach stop, a donkey ride, and one last dinner onboard.
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And just like that, our “totally chill, everyone’s thrilled to be here” European adventure came to an end 😅. Was it perfect? Nope. Did we see some of the most beautiful places on the planet, eat our way through seven countries, and make enough memories to laugh (and maybe cringe) about for years? Absolutely. Travel with teens sure makes for a story worth telling and in the end, we’re so thankful for every unforgettable moment along the way.. ✈️🛳️💕
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