The Mediterranean

In April I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel with a film crew to the Mediterranean working as a production assistant on board a cruise ship. We were set to travel to several countries and collect footage in various scenic locations.

Barcelona

The trip kicked off with a flight from Seattle to JFK and then to Barcelona. This beautiful city was the first stop on the itinerary and I was surprised by how much I fell in love with it.

This city was full of life - music playing on every street, murals lining the walls, people laughing, chatting and walking everywhere. The smells of delicious pastries and grilled meats wafted out of restaurants and city squares bustled with children and passerby.

The food here was one of my favorite features of the city. We tried delicious croissants, espresso, candy, gelato, cocktails and plates of seafood, pasta and meat. The locations of the restaurants themselves were impressive too - one place descended into a stone walled floor below ground, the other was a rooftop dining terrace with beautiful sunshine.

My favorite part of this trip was getting to see the Barcelona Cathedral from the roof - this was such an amazing 360 view of the city!

France

The first full day on board the ship we sailed to Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer in France. We spent the majority of the day filming on board but were lucky enough to enjoy dinner and wander around the town on land in the evening.

Villefranche-sur-Mer was a truly beautiful town. The fresh seafood was absolutely delicious, the colorful buildings were gorgeous and the lights reflecting on the water by the seaside in the dim evening light were so picturesque.

Tunisia

We spent our off day exploring several nearby coastal cities in Tunisia - Carthage, La Goulette and Sidi Bou Said.

The weather here was unbearably hot. We escaped the shade by wandering through one of the maze-like souk markets. The winding halls were filled with oils, spices, incense, clothes, jewelry and ornate silver and gold platters.

Sidi Bou Said was an absolutely stunning area perched above the sea with beautiful buildings and views of the ocean. The blue and white buildings reminded me so much of Santorini and there were even little stray cats everywhere, just like in Greece.

After a delicious lunch of lamb and cous cous we all took a short walk up through the town to a lookout point with sweeping views of the town and crystal blue ocean.

My highlight of the day was paying $10 for a camel ride before we boarded the ship! Another thing I got to check off my bucket list.

Palermo

The next stop on the trip was Palermo, a town in southern Italy that I really want to go back and explore further. I was only able to walk around and see the city for a few hours before I had to return to the ship.

The architecture here was stunning, there were so many ornate, old buildings, churches, museums and more.

Capri

This was the highlight of the trip for me. Capri felt like a dream - being so high above the glittering sea below, surrounded by gardens and towering trees.

We started our day in Capri by taking a ferry from the main land to the island then boarded a bus which took us up the mountain. We captured some shots from above, the mountains and ocean in the distance provided the perfect backdrop.

We traveled to the other side of the island to capture some more footage. The Augustus Gardens were lovely, being atop a cliffside surrounded with the impressive landscape and people wandering among the trees and flowers felt straight out of a movie.

The whole crew took this selfie on a filming break while atop the mountain.

Rome

The final stop on our trip was Rome. I absolutely adore this city and had just visited for the first time a month before in March. It felt so serendipitous to be back so soon, seeing all the same beautiful sights I love.

We left the ship one last time and took a bus to Rome before checking into our Airbnb. Last time I was in Rome I didn't get a chance to go into the Colosseum, I only saw it from the outside. We all headed that way and enjoyed the afternoon exploring inside the stunning structure and the nearby Forum.

Afterwards we wandered through the city, stopping for a delicious lunch.

Later that night we went out for dinner, got drinks and strolled along the river. It was beautiful to see the lights reflecting off the water and listening to the nearby music and laughter of people walking through the city. Pictured here is the Castel Sant'Angelo.

The next morning I went for a walk and enjoyed a croissant and cappuccino at one of my favorite spots in Rome - a little bookstore/coffee shop along the river called Biblio Bar. It’s located just to the right of the Castel Sant’Angelo.

That evening I went to meet my best friend Tasina for an early dinner. I stayed with her when I visited Rome in March and was thrilled to be able to see her again and catch up on life.

The next morning we had an early flight back to Seattle. I was exhausted from the whirlwind of the trip, we visited so many different cities in just 12 days! I was extraordinarily grateful for the chance to see so many beautiful places, catch up with old friends and make new ones!

Published 5.4.23