12-Day ~ Mediterranean Knitting Cruise (Sept 2015)

12-Day Mediterranean Knitting Cruise w/ Chris Bylsma

Join us on this Mediterranean knitting cruise beginning in fabulous Barcelona and you’ll be entertained and inspired all the way to Venice.  Barcelona is a coastal city boasting fresh seafood, interesting markets, a vibrant street scene and many major works of art by the famous architect, Antoni Gaudí.  This colorful city is a great place to embark on your Mediterranean adventure.

Set sail from Spain to popular ports in France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Croatia and Montenegro before ending in Venice with an overnight in port allowing time to explore Venice using the ship as your hotel.  You’ll end your adventure on a high note in Venice, where the fine art of color and textile has been refined over the centuries.  Explore all the little nooks and crannies of Venice to shop for memorable souvenirs and see the top attractions with new friends. 

Onboard knitting will be a collection of knitting morsels, or tapas, in keeping with our itinerary. Each class will offer techniques and information to make your knitting more enjoyable and empowering.  Classes onboard will include using dropped stitches, finishing, edges, creating your own closures and buttons, steeking and set-in sleeves.   As a bonus to the scheduled classes participants will be encouraged to choose one of Chris’ signature designs from her website, complimentary to those taking classes, as a knit-along during the cruise.

2015 Mediterranean Knitting Cruise Highlights

• In Barcelona enjoy Las Ramblas, a boulevard full of street performers, cafes, and outdoor shopping which includes anything from live animals to art. To stroll Las Ramblas is an experience in itself
• Explore the main market in Barcelona, La Boqueria, where you will find all kinds of culinary marvels, hand-made sweets and other goodies to entice your senses
• Shop for yarn at Barcelona's most popular yarn shop and visit the astoundingly beautiful Gothic Quarter with even more great little shops full of treasures
• Enjoy the lovely gardens and harbor in Monte Carlo while taking in such popular sights as the Casino and the Musee Oceanographique de Monaco sitting atop the bluff overlooking the sea
• Savor Florence, once the center of European art, where you can visit the famed Gothic style cathedral, the Duomo, and take in great Renaissance art at the Ufizi where you can gaze up at Michelangelo's 'David'
• Visit Rome, the Eternal City, with its many sights and culinary delights  
• Take a romantic stroll in Naples, Southern Italy’s open air museum with its beautiful statues and monuments set along the seaside
• In Touramina, feel the magical atmosphere as you take in the two absolutely stunning bays below, and Mount Etna, Europe’s highest active volcano, above 
• Visit Kérkyra’s old quarter on the Greek island of Corfu with its pastel-hued dwellings, turquoise waters and peaceful squares
• Slide your feet along the smooth cobbled streets of Dubrovnik or walk the wall taking in stunning sea views with many photographic opportunities
• Visit Montenegro.  Once a playground for the rich and famous, this pocket-sized country, formerly part of Yugoslavia, offers visitors a wealth of activities from exploring winding cobbled streets in medieval old town and dining on fresh seafood, to hiking rugged trails and enjoying views of the spectacular coastline
• Take in the ambiance of Venice with its canals, bridges and the grandness of St. Mark’s Basilica while trying to resist the temptation of having yet another amazingly delicious gelato