Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Travel to Ravenna

Other than the benefit of seeing Venice for a day, the other reason we got to Italy early was to ensure we had a buffer in case anything went wrong with our flight. Turns out getting to the country of departure a day early isn't quite good enough. Our day started like any travel transition day. We woke up early and clickety clacked our suit cases to the train station. It wasn't obvious based on everything we saw the day before but there is a full train station in Venice and we saw just how many people who work there commute to work. We saw hundreds of people walking the opposite direction of us and realized it was likely workers coming for the day.

The plan for the day was to take a local train to the main train station and then it was two trains to our departure city of Ravenna. The first step went very smoothly. Only $1.50 Euro per person and it looked like a brand new train. We had booked tickets and seats for the next leg and got on with no issues. Things started to go a bit haywire when we were delayed by 20 minutes, which was just enough to miss our next train. We were literally about 30 seconds from getting on with several other travelers. Italy trains might not get there on time but they certainly did insist on leaving on time. Luckily the tickets were good still since it wasn't reserved seats.

Our original check in time for the ship was 1:00p and we weren't supposed to show up early but we could show up late. Not too late of course but we figure we had until about 4:00p based on the options for our check in. We arrived in Ravenna around 1:00p and we had another 13km to get to the dock. Our first incorrect assumption was that we could take a local bus. Seemed like a good idea but it was only every 30 minutes and when it finally showed up, it was full. This is when the panic started to creep in. We waited for a few more minutes and spoke with some fellow travelers about a 6 person Uber but we ultimately decided going back to the station for a taxi would work best.

There was no time for pictures at this point so here is a picture of the quaint town we were in while we waited for the bus. We got back to the taxi line and it was about the same length as when we last saw it which I initially thought was good but it turns out there are only 20 taxis in town and we were only getting about 1 every 5 minutes. Carter attempted our own Uber but it never got a driver. We negotiated a shared cab with another traveler, more for her benefit since she was on her own but we needed the karma. The family checked out a hotel shuttle and we even independently considered strapping our suitcases to our backs and biking.

By this time we had about 90 minutes to get to the ship. Fortunately it was at this time that the taxi frequency picked up. We only had a 4 person option so we had to abandon our travel friend. Probably for her own good from a safety perspective. Our driver got us there quick but Kerry says we almost died about a half dozen times. I noticed the bus that almost hit us and the curb we jumped. The check in process was not very enjoyable. There was a bit of air conditioning but it was a very long line up and I'm not sure it was because of the timing but we had to bring our bags through the process though they did take our big suitcase for us.

Our ship is the Norwegian Cruise Lines Viva and our room is built for two but still okay for four. We have a balcony and a king sized bed but the second bed is just a pull out. The bathroom is bigger than I expected. My first complaint about NCL was the lack of warning about getting to the port. My second is the safety check in. We went on a Disney Cruise 14 years ago and the safety check was with a group by the lifeboats and we had to listen. Here we literally just had to tap our cards on a guys phone. We do have access to a safety video on the TV and when we first checked in online.

We were fully onboard by about 4:00p and after we did our 'safety check in' we went for dinner at the buffet. It's a hectic space but I like that I can just quickly pick what I want, though I think the family wants us to do a sit down dinner each evening. We explored the ship a bit more including the other dining options, the gym, the pool and made our way to the back of the ship where the sun set behind us. Looking forward to our first destination in Croatia. 

Schwab Family Cruise 2026 - Venice

Carter graduates from Grade 12 so he got to pick our trip destination this year and he wanted to go to Greece. We liked the idea but there are a lot of islands so we decided a cruise was our best bet for seeing as much as possible. Our plane left Vancouver on time but we ran into a bit of trouble in Toronto. We had conflicting reports of over heated baggage handlers, local storms and waiting for refueling that resulted in a 2 1/2 hour delay. The worst part was that they put us on an hour before we took off turning an 8 hour flight into a 9 hour flight. When we got to Venice we used stairs to get off. I don't think I've done that on such a big plane.

We weren't quite sure what to expect when we got to Italy, as there is a new Entry Exit System (EES) rolling out for the European Union. Turns out it was very easy. Regular line up, picture and finger prints and we were in. We didn't even have to speak to a customs agent. Once we were through, the easiest way to get to Venice of course was by water taxi. We opted for the one that acted like a local bus but Carter was curious if we could take one of the private boats. I suspect it's like getting a limo where after so many people it's cheaper. Something to consider if we come back.

The water taxi stops in Venice tend to be permanently parked barges in the canals and the water was a bit choppy so I had terrible images of ending up in the water with my suitcase but we managed to get off okay. It was about a 15 minute walk to our hotel where someone immediately helped us with our bags and helped us to check in. The staff helped us get checked into the Venice tourism system so we didn't have to pay the tourist fee. Our room wasn't quite ready so they let us sit in the lobby eating free biscuits and they made cappuccinos for anyone that wanted one. 

While we waited, I went and found my brother in a local cafe. He happens to be here to see La Biennale di Venezia which is apparently a big art show. After we were able to formally checked in we wandered around until we found the important things like a candy shop for me and a McDonald's for Carter. It was around this time that I finally realized that there are effectively no wheels in Venice. No cars, no scooters, no bikes, no motorbikes. They don't even do very many deliveries by cart during the day. it's no wonder the one thing that I had heard irritates them is the clickety clack of tourist suitcases.

Unlike other places I've been to Europe that are old, much of Venice appears to have remained virtually unchanged for centuries. As we were looking out over the tourists from the main bridge over the main canal I couldn't help but think that other than the clothing, cell phones, and a few motor boats many places we looked at probably looked the same 100's of years ago.  We had met up with Jordan again and had dinner by the canal though in hindsight perhaps if we had gone for dinner at a restaurant on one of the smaller canals maybe it would have been a bit cheaper. Still a fun experience.

FIFA World Cup - Canada vs Switzerland

After the excitement of the first Canada game in Vancouver I decided I would attempt to replicate that feeling by trying to attend the second Canada game. This game was at noon so I had to cut out of work during the day but my meetings allowed it and I'm sure I'll make up the time. This time I decided I would attempt to find the Canada March to the Match. After a bit of research I realized it was different than the New Zealand game and I was a bit disappointed at how it was organized. It started only a few blocks away from Science World so it was less of a march and more of a group gathering. 

I think if they had started at Jack Poole Plaza it would have been more of a formal march and having all those fans walking down Georgia Street would have been an amazing sight. After the 'gathering' I headed towards Jack Poole Plaza again. Due to security fences I got to walk around False Creek by the Plaza of Nations and through Yaletown. This is another wonderful area of Vancouver that would be a great place to retire though I wouldn't be able to have a shop so maybe not. The game didn't go as well for Canada losing 2-1 to Switzerland but we still made it to the knockout round for the first time ever. Go Canada!

Father's Day

To start the day I was on a mission. Facebook will often post pictures asking you if you have a 'Now and Then' version of a picture. They usually post it the day before the actual memory appears on your timeline. This year it happened to be a picture of Callie and Carter sitting on a bus stop bench in Vancouver and I knew there was a game for the FIFA world cup so I convinced them to go downtown to take in the atmosphere. Secretly though I knew which bus stop it was and the plan was to get them to take the same photo. My plan worked to perfection. At first I though maybe the bench was smaller but then I realized it was just the relative size of the two of them that made it look that way. It's also possible it was a slightly different bus stop but the impact was the same. 12 years of growth between pictures.

The FIFA world cup was of course another good reason to go downtown. I had been down a few days earlier and knew the atmosphere was great. Similar to the Olympics there was initially a lot of hesitation but once the event started and the weather was nice Vancouverites came out to take it all in. Science World was dressed up as a Soccer ball and Granville street was closed to traffic so that there was more street seating for the restaurants. Despite it not being a Canada game day, it was still very busy. At times it was difficult to walk down Granville street. I'm hoping they close it more regularly for events like this.

At one point we made our way over to Gas Town because I was. under the impression that was where the 'March to the Match' started which was sort of true for some teams and happened to be true for the New Zealand team. It started outside of the Blarney Stone pub and we got there just as it was leaving. Despite not being actual fans, it was still fun to see the hardcore football fans from New Zealand with their chants and smoke. This was a great Father's Day!

 

FIFA World Cup - Canada vs Qatar

Tickets to the FIFA World Cup in Vancouver were out of my price range at $500 being the lowest we saw. Paying $2,000 for the family was out of the question. Having said that I was still interested to see why there was so much fuss. My initial thought was that it was really just a game at BC Place every few days, so why did they have to virtually shut down the city? Once I arrived downtown I figured out what was going on. It was not just the people who had tickets, entire fan bases from Vancouver and likely people flying in without tickets made for an incredibly big event. The game started at 3:00p so I left work a bit early and made my way to Jack Poole Plaza. 

The plaza was where the 2010 olympic flame was still located and they had a FIFA fan zone set up. I think it was one of the broadcasters who had a desk and screens where you could watch the game. Canada won 6-0 and I watched the first half from the plaza. Once I realized it was going to be a fairly easy win for them, I decided to make my way to Granville to see that fan zone. I was amazed how may people didn't even know Canada was playing but were still taking in the atmosphere. At one point I couldn't get any further down the street. I then headed to Science World to check that fan zone before heading home. Go Canada!

Barnston Island Bike Trip

I usually try to make the trip to Barnston Island a few times per year. It's 7.5km there, 10 on the island and then 7.5 back so it's a nice ride. There is a ferry to get you to the island and it's all flat so it's an easy ride. I missed last year because I was saving it to go with Jeremy but then I was sick so we couldn't go and I never got out again. This year we managed to get out and the weather was perfect for it. He was early in the biking season and I had a bit of a knee issue so we drove there and just did the island but it was still a good ride. If you are in the lower mainland and especially if you have young kids you re teaching to ride it's a great destination. 

Carter's Graduation from Highschool

After 16 years we officially don't have any kids in public school. Carter has graduated from high school and has successfully made it into the Engineering program at UBC. This program is one of the hardest to get into in BC with a high average percentage of the more complex classes. Carter had already been accepted into Douglas and BCIT and despite tight deadlines for accepting those acceptances, he purposely held out for the UBC acceptance. They accept through various rounds and it was the second to last one where he got the word. He starts in September and will be living on campus.

The graduation process includes a few key events such as the Dry Grad which Kerry worked on all year as co-chair followed by the graduation ceremony at the Bell Centre. The ceremony consists of a few speeches followed by a few hours of kids walking across the stage. Some of the speeches were from scratch but I think the valedictorian used AI for his. It was the classic one with the number of seasons in their lives so far and the number remaining. It sounded good but would have been more memorable if it had a more personal touch. Par for the course now that AI is dominating our society.