Day 4 – August 9th, 2006

Goodbye Spain, hello France!! At 8:30 a.m. this morning we docked in Marseille, France. It is the third largest port in Europe, the largest in the Mediterranean, and the second largest city in France. With a population of 1.2 million people, it is second only to Paris.

Ok, we’ll stop sounding like our tour guide. After waking up and having a bite of breakfast, we boarded the tour bus for a tour of the city. Our guide, Emaneula (sp?) was great. She was very knowledgeable, telling us all about the sights we saw in the city. We got to stop at various points to get off the bus and look around on our own as well.

We got to the Notre Dame Basilica, high atop a hill overlooking Marseille. From the Basilica you could get an amazing 360 degree panorama of the city. The inside was gorgeous, but we seemed to enjoy the outside views of the city and of the Mediterranean even more.

The bus driver was crazy! He reminded Amy of her family bus driver Shabi from Israel. He made these crazy tight turns up and down narrow, winding streets. We seriously can’t believe how we didn’t hit something. We liked looking at all the tiny cars people drive and how they park them on the side walk, or half hanging off the curb. Bizarre!

The end of the tour let us off for some free time in the old Marseille harbor. From there we could either return to the bus after 45 minutes, or choose to tour around on our own and take a shuttle back to the boat. The tour guide didn’t exactly know where we should wait for the shuttle, when it would come, or how often it would come by. We decided (for once) to be adventurous. We stuck around and decided to eat lunch at the OM restaurant. Apparently this is the “official restaurant” for the Marseille soccer…er…futbol team fans. They did not have an English menu, so we were on our own trying to figure out something to order. We recognized a few words in French, like some colors and such from Amy’s 8 weeks of elementary French in 6th grade. We recognized a few words: poisson – fish (thank you Little Mermaid), andoille- sausage, mozzarella- mozzarella. But from there we were lost. We settled on a salad (so we thought) called “Salade de beignets de mozzarella et speck italien.” We think this will be a salad with mozzarella and Italian dressing. Order it up! We end it with crème brulee and two Coca Colas from a bottle.

Well boy were we wrong about the salad! The crème brulee comes first and was delicious! But the salad was not what we had bargained for. Out comes a plate with a small mixture of greens in dressing. On the side are 4 of what seem to be mozzarella sticks and a bunch of sliced tomatoes. To top off the whole plate was piles of prosciutto. Of course we didn’t know that at first, so Seth had to taste it to confirm. Yep - raw ham. YUCK!

Anyway, we were proud of ourselves for getting through the whole experience on no knowledge of French. We wandered around the city and then got in line for the shuttle back to the boat.

Backing up a moment - while at lunch, Seth makes fun of Amy for wearing her Michigan hat, saying it will only draw us negative attention.

So while in line for the shuttle, someone behind us asks Amy if she went to Michigan. Sure enough, another U of M grad – class of ’00. He and his wife were traveling from Florida. They were a nice Jewish couple who told us all about the synagogue they stumbled upon today in the city. Small world! We failed to mention our ham salad lunch to them.

Upon returning to the boat, we rested for a bit and then hit the pool. The water was FREEZING and lots of kids were diving and splashing, so it didn’t take us long to move to the hot tub - very nice! From there we had a “snack” (a 2 lb. “chicken cheeseburger for Amy and a pizza & burger for Seth, mmm mmm good) at the pool, then made our way to the very back of the boat to watch us disembark. It was neat sitting on lounge chairs off the way back as we pulled away. The view was amazing as the sun glistened off the water and we watched the coast line shrink in the distance.

When Seth felt too warm from the sun (no, it wasn’t 15 minutes later, it was at least 30 minutes in the sun), we went in another hot tub (this one was literally just that – the jets weren’t working and the water was scalding!), played some ping pong and headed back to the room. The balcony was nice and shaded and provided a magnificent view as we sailed along the coast. And freshly equipped this afternoon with a sprinkler system, we felt safe there, too. Just as we were kicking back to relax, we hear this horrible loud noise that sounds like the ship’s alarm. Then it suddenly turns into… what else, but bagpipe music?! (It sorta sounded like the chorus of Celebration…) Where was this coming from? We lean out to see, since it sounds like it’s right above us. There must’ve been 20 other people hanging out of their balconies as well. Sure enough, one deck up a girl is playing her bagpipes! She even had one of the captain’s crewmembers looking out of the steering room with binoculars to see what was going on. Of course, everyone applauded when she finished, so she kept playing! It was so loud! Who in their right mind brings bagpipes onto a cruise?! I mean, honestly, bagpipes?! Seth thought it was somewhat soothing gazing out into the mountainous coastline while listening to the bagpipes. He felt as though he was in the movie “Braveheart,” although we’re really not sure which character he would have been. I don’t think “Braveheart” had many Jewish characters in it.

When our musical interlude ended, we decided it was time for dinner. It was back down to the dining room to check out tonight’s menu and continue our wine bottles from last night. To add to our list of new foods - Seth tried veal and crab, Amy tried asparagus soup. There were mixed reviews among us.

We [Amy] thought we’d take in a show tonight after dinner, so we hit the theater for the “Broadway Revue.” It was so-so [Seth’s note: reviews had it on par with the movie “Love Actually”]. The performance itself was fine, just not necessarily our favorite shows were highlighted. But it wasn’t too long so it was fine…until the host came out at the end and tried his hand at standup comedy. It was truly painful to listen to him for five minutes.

We went out to the casino again, after all, we were big winners! We cashed the coupon Mom and Dad L. got us and gave blackjack another try. Not so successful tonight…we’ll leave it at that.

On to the nightclub, the happening spot on the ship. It’s a little after midnight, you’d think it would be the place everyone wanted to be and be seen. We enter the frigid room to see maybe a dozen old folks lounging and attempting to dance to Shakira. We stick around for one drink (Amy had to convince the bartender to let her have a hot drink since apparently it’s “dangerous” to have in the bustling club), then headed down to the buffet. Seth’s late night food craving had kicked in as usual, but unfortunately there was no pizza tonight to satisfy it. After some salad dressing with a little bit of lettuce mixed in, mashed potatoes and gravy, and French fries (I am not making this up), it was time to head back to the room for the night. The wakeup call is set for 7:00 a.m. - it’s off to Pisa and the Italian beach!

Day 3 (again) – August 8th, 2006

Relieved to have our luggage, we went to the beach at our hotel. The sand was warm on our feet and the water was beautiful. It was lots of fun to hang out and relax. We could’ve done without the plethora of old women sunbathing topless, but otherwise we enjoyed the beach very much.

After checking out of the hotel, showered and in clean clothes, we decide to take in a leisurely lunch before heading to the boat. We dined at a place called Agua - sitting right on the beach. We’re trying to try new things- yes, even us picky eaters are trying to get some local flavor. Seth even tried some of Amy’s shrimp!!!!!

We strolled back along the promenade, and collected our bags to head to the boat. Naturally, two of our bags have been misplaced and the bell desk is unable to locate them. The feeling of nervousness is rising. Luckily, they are able to locate the bags after about a 15 minute search. We’re not sure how the bags got split up, but we’re glad they’re back together again. We vow never to let them out of our sight ever again. We think this is how parents feel with kids. I can’t imagine having this feeling about a human being that you can’t replace – it was bad enough feeling that way about our formal wear and toiletries.
Upon arriving at the boat, it was very very cool. The check-in process went super fast and before we knew it, we were onboard. The ship is incredible. It’s so big and there are so many things to do. We get to our room (praying our bags will find us here) and check out the balcony- very nice. Then we got our next “free” surprise. Debbie and Russ sent us a casino credit and drink package. These were waiting for us in our stateroom. Very cool guys - thanks so much!

Since we didn’t have our bags yet, it was time to explore. We made our way all around the ship, crisscrossing through every deck to take it all in. Amy got turned around a dozen times, not knowing if she was going towards the front or back, but she thinks she’s got it figured out now. There is just an unbelievable amount of stuff to do on this boat - and so much food! While we’re out walking around, the sky starts to get darker and darker and we see lightning and hear thunder. Sure enough, a storm hits. It chilled down a lot and got very windy.

We head back later to unpack before the safety drill. Then it was time for dinner. We like this “anytime dining” option - it keeps the food options and times flexible. After dinner, we went outside to watch the ship disembark. It was beautiful and romantic to sail out over the open waters with the nearly-full moon lighting up the sky and reflecting off the Mediterranean Sea. We went up to the Skywalker’s bar that hangs off the back of the ship to watch as we left. We continued to explore, checking out a string quartet playing in the lobby and a fun band in one of the lounges.

It was time to try our hand in the casino. An hour later, we came out $131 dollars ahead from the blackjack tables! Amy definitely caught the gambling bug. She’s convinced that if we keep up this pace we’ll have the honeymoon paid off in no time!!

After a quick stop at about 1:30 a.m. for some late night snacks at the buffet (Seth is in love with the 24-hour buffet), we decide to try out the hot tub. We get all changed and go down to the pool, only to find out the inside pool is having a “shock treatment” and the outdoor pool is too dangerous due to the 60 knot winds. (anyone know how fast that really is?) Alas, we retire to our room to get some sleep before touring Marseille tomorrow.

Day 3 - August 8th, 2006

WE ARE THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE ALIVE!!! Yeah, yeah, we are newlyweds on our honeymoon, of course we’re happy. But most importantly right now, WE HAVE OUR LUGGAGE! For those of you who tuned in to the last article, you know that as of a few minutes ago, we had our backpacks, and that was it. Yes, we were “backpacking” through Europe – while staying at the Ritz!

Getting to the airport this morning was quite a fiasco! While the concierge seemed SO confident we would have our luggage delivered to us either at the hotel or on the boat, we didn’t want to take our chances. We loaded into a cab again and went back to the airport. After schlepping back and forth between terminals, customs officials who didn’t speak English, and two different baggage claim areas, we found the spot. As we turned around the corner, we saw a bright blue bag making the turn around the carousel. Could it be?! We both sprinted across the room and sure enough- OUR BAGS WERE HERE!!!! We can finally breathe again (and change clothes!).

Well, we learned a few life lessons over the past two days: 1- ALWAYS pack an extra pair of clothes and essential toiletries in your carry-on. 2- Split your clothes among the bags, so if only one is lost, you have a bit of everything on you. And 3- don’t have a 45 minute layover on an international flight!

Ok, we’re going to hit the beach, now that we have our bathing suits! We’ll check in later from the cruise, when hopefully we’ll actually be able to post these.

Days 1-2 – August 6th & 7th, 2006

Day 1 of the honeymoon went by incredibly fast! We think this was due to the long flight and big time change! And since the first two days blended together, we’ll write them that way. After a wonderful brunch (now that Seth’s nerves have calmed down, he can eat again), we go home to finish packing- quickly! Did we forget anything? Sure- Dad B. runs over with some AA batteries and a bag of snacks. Debbie picks us up and we head to the airport. While waiting, we run into Uncle Mike! Turns out he’s on our plane to Philadelphia. He scares us a bit about how big the Philly airport us and how it will be tough to catch our flight to Barcelona after only a 50 minute layover. He mentions we may have to leave the airport to take a taxi to get to our other plane. Yikes! No problem, we think, it’s under control.

So we think….When you have a 50 minute layover for an international flight, and your plane is delayed 40 minutes, it gets you a bit nervous. Will we make the flight? Will our bags make the flight?? We explain to the flight attendant our predicament (and of course that we’re on our honeymoon), and he sounds very confident that there will be no problem getting to our flight. He returns 5 minutes later with a complimentary cocktail card to use on the next flight, a preemptive apology in case something goes wrong! We are not feeling as confident anymore.

We land in Philadelphia- man is that airport big! We’re in Terminal F and we need to get to terminal A. We board the shuttle for the ten minute drive across the runway to our terminal and then sprint (well, as much as we can sprint) to our gate which feels like a mile away. They are making last minute calls over the loud speaker for our flight - YIKES! We make it just in time! Again, we tell them we’re on our honeymoon. First class upgrade?! No, not so good – only if we want to shell out $500 per seat, what a deal. But we did get free movie headsets and wine. Add it to the list of freebies- we’ll take what we can get!

While on the plane, our plan worked. We thought that reserving the outer two seats in a three seat row would deter anyone from booking the middle seat (especially if they knew it was us they’d have to sit between!). We lucked out. Amy got to sprawl out and sleep on the plane. Sorry Seth! On the plus side, Seth did get to enjoy watching “Shaggy Dog” in its entirety.

We make it to Barcelona successfully. Well, almost. We get to baggage claim and wait for our bags. And wait, and wait , and wait. An hour later they turn off the conveyor belt when all the bags are gone and here’s the two of us morons still standing there empty handed. Apparently we were able to survive the short layover, but our bags were not. After standing in line a long time at the lost luggage counter, we find out 3 of our 4 bags are scheduled to go out tomorrow on the morning flight here. The other 1 they have no record of. Will they be delivered to the hotel? To the boat?? No, they said the best bet was to come back to the airport in the morning. Sure, easy enough…

So we go to check into our Ritz hotel (Hotels Arts Barcelona), and spend the day in our plane clothes (keep in mind we slept in these clothes on the plane, too). We ask the concierge what the best way is to see the whole city in 1 day. We wonder how the concierge in a Cleveland hotel would answer this question. She heads us towards a tour bus. It worked out wonderfully! It was an all day pass to get on and off this tour bus that went all around the city to all the major sights. We rode for a while, taking in the sights, and stopped periodically to see places.

We checked out the Sagrada Familia, what everyone says is the “must see” while in Barcelona. It was very very cool! We could’ve done without the hour and a half long line to go up the tower, and the guy in line behind us who puked in his hands, then stayed in line and went up with us. Oh yeah, and the guy who empties the trash cans just reaches into the trash cans barehanded. That wasn’t gross at all. But otherwise, it was breathtaking!

We stopped in the city and did our best to order food in Spanish restaurants. Finally, exhausted and wiped out by the sun and ordeals of the day and weekend, we head back to the hotel around 6:30 to go to our room.

Awaiting us was…another bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. AWESOME! The hotel room was magnificient. We have never in our lives seen such fanciness! Seth especially enjoyed the buttons next to the bed for all the lighting options, maid service, and privacy request. Fancy, fancy place. We enjoyed it for a while, before falling asleep at 7:30. Seth woke up at 1:30, ready to go out, only to find out that La Rambla was all closed up on Monday nights. We tried! Back to bed…

Day 0 – August 5, 2006

Well, today’s the day. There’s a strange mix of emotions between excitement for what’s to come, and anxiety of what the heck we’re going to talk about once this is behind us. It feels as though the last year and a half was been in anticipation of today. We’re not really sure what to expect out of today, other than we’re sure it’ll be a dream. Everything seems to be lining up perfectly for this magical day. We’ve lucked out and received a beautiful day weather-wise (1 out of 5 that we get in Cleveland all year).

After what seems like days of nervous waiting, Seth gets to see Amy for the first time in her wedding dress. He thinks she looks breathtaking. They get to share this moment alone. There are no words to describe this moment. Although somehow we just wrote a paragraph on it – go figure.

The ceremony goes off w/o a hitch. Well, for the most part. It wouldn’t have been such a memorable wedding if not for a few fun moments:

-- The easiest (yet most important) part of the Jewish wedding – the signing of the ketubah. This makes the marriage legally binding by Jewish law. From hereon out, the rest is really just show (but hey, it sure is one heck of a show!). The witnesses sign the document indicating that we are indeed getting married. Amy signs the document, indicating she thinks she knows what she’s getting into. And then Seth, well, Seth decides to try to break the serious mood of this momentous occasion by cracking a joke about the pen running out of ink. Not to lose any irony at the time, Seth then unsuccessfully tries to sign the document except, as “luck” would have it, the pen really is out of ink. Looks like the wedding and marriage is off, right? Nope, never fear, we were smart enough to get a bank up pen for just such an emergency. As Seth starts to use the backup pen, he realizes that one doesn’t work either. After stenciling his name on the ketubah in deliberate block letters, we are now married. On with the show!

-- While walking down the aisle, “stop stepping on my dress!!” may have been heard, as Amy’s dad slowed his pace a few steps behind Amy. From the viewpoint of the rest of the room, all that could be seen was the normally graceful Amy stumbling down the aisle towards the groom.

-- The havdallah ceremony was beautiful. All the wedding party and parents go up to the bema as we wait to be called up by Rabbi Rosie and Cantor Cathy. At that point, we hear Grandpa B. sitting behind us comment “I can’t see anything with these two people standing right in front of me!” The both of us turn around and give him a smile; he’s always got a good joke, no matter where he is. We tried not to be overly serious about the ceremony – Grandpa B. certainly helped with this. Another helpful non-serious moment was while drinking the wine on the bema. While holding the kiddush cup of wine, Seth notices a fly was bathing in it. He decides it’s not worth sticking his finger into the kiddush cup to try to remove the dead fly. Instead, he gives Amy a quick warning when it comes time to take a drink that she should avoid the fly in the wine. After taking a quick sip, Amy jokingly says, “don’t worry, I took care of it.” Except after looking into the cup, Seth notices that she did in fact drink up the fly. Yum! He’s really looking forward to the first kiss now…

-- After breaking the glass on his FIRST TRY (phew!), Seth is so relieved he almost forgets to give Amy the first kiss. Thank you Rabbi Rosie for the reminder! We begin walking down the aisle quickly. Apparently we’re exiting too quickly, because we are told to slow down. We then notice our parents lapping us by in the other aisle.

On to the reception!

We drive over to Oakwood with Russ right on our tail (how did he catch up to us so quickly?!) to fulfill his “guard duties” for the yichud. We arrive at Oakwood at enjoy our yichud (and a few mini-hot dogs and heart-shaped grilled cheeses. Seth is in heaven right now). The reception is a blast. We talk to as many people as we possibly can. The Kleins tell us about someone they knew who got shot and killed on a cruise. Great story. We’re also planning on watching Titanic and the Poseidon Adventure before boarding our honeymoon cruise. The cocktail hour goes by way too quickly, even with Marilyn helping us move around to see as many people as we can. By the way, the appetizers are great. Absolutely fantastic. Just as Amy has been picturing her wedding dress since she was a little girl, Seth has been picturing the appetizers. Both were perfect. The salads come and Dad L. knocks over his glass at Amy. Luckily Amy and her dress avoid it, but he now has a salad floating in a pool of water. Check out the wedding pictures, there’s one in there of it. It wouldn’t be a Brodsky/Libman wedding without something getting spilled. Later on Dad L. will also drop a fork towards Amy’s dress. We’re all pretty sure Amy’s dress isn’t getting out of here alive. Speeches are great – personal, humorous, touching, warm (although Dad L. may have a few additional comments about Debbie’s speech claiming that “Seth brings to the family someone who’s actually funny, not just thinks he is.” She still denies to have been referring to Dad L. with this comment.). We survive the hora (a.k.a., Chair Tossing Event) and Seth gets dizzy from the quick spinning round and round with Cousin David; he’s glad he hasn’t been drinking, otherwise that may have been the end of the night for him. We “dance” the night away.

After a lot of dancing, a lot of pictures, and a great time, we head out at the end of the night in a car FULL OF presents. What a wedding! We head back to the hotel to find that they gave us a complimentary suite, with a bottle of champagne and some chocolate covered strawberries. Thus starts the free stuff we hope continues when we tell everyon we’re on our honeymoon! WE’RE MARRIED! As Amy says, “can you believe us two kids are married?!?!”

On to the honeymoon (after polishing off some leftover chicken fingers sitting in the hotel fridge)…