Last Day

We made some quick plans, a few last minute changes and set out on our last day in Rome. A taxi took us to Piazza Navona. The ancient site of Domitian’s Arena is now a huge oblong plaza with three great fountains [one, the Four Rivers, by Bernini]. Opposite The Four Rivers is The Church of St. Agnes by Bernini’s great rival, Borromini. At the north end are the remains of the stadium protected by walls and gates right out of a Nazi propaganda film. You could wander this place for days and see something new at every glance but we had a plan. We were having coffee at Sant Eustachio’s. It’s just off the Piazza but not easy to find. Several other destinations just off the Piazza were equally elusive. The Café is across from the church that gives it its name. The church is small but distinguished by the Elk Head at the top with a cross growing from its antler’s. Several of you had recommended this café as the best coffee in Rome and several Romans and many other chance encounters confirmed that reputation. I have not had a bad coffee in Italy [there are no Starbuck’s as they haven’t a chance] but I must say, in my limited experience but supreme devotion to the beverage, I have not tasted better. Of course, it is always an espresso, plain and simple.
Our next search was for St. Agostino’s church, which contains a Raphael and a Caravaggio. We were getting hungry and got sidetracked by a sign that read [in Italian] Beer, Pizza and Air Conditioning. Domiciano’s is on an alley mid-way on the Piazza. It had all the earmarks of a place to avoid. Large, with red and white tablecloths, menus in English and displays of the food warned “tourist restaurant.” Wrong! This place was a delight. Our waiter was out of an old movie; silver haired and strikingly handsome in a black suit, black bow tie and cummerbund he joked with us, treated us as if we were his most important guests of the day and served us a remarkably good meal. The pizza dominates the menu but there is plenty of pasta, insalata, and of course, big steins of cold Peroni Beer. They must have a special relationship with the brewery as memorabilia covered the walls including a photomural of the original brewery building.
Somewhat disoriented we headed in the wrong direction and stumbled on The Museum of Rome dedicated to the history of the City from the Middle Ages to the Twentieth Century. In our last attempt to find Sant’Agostino’s we literally stumbled on it down another hidden alley and completely out of view of the main thoroughfares. Its unassuming façade hides a lovely interior. I found the Caravaggio [Madonna dei Pellegrini] but not the Raphael. Every nook and cranny is covered with sculpture and paintings and it was dark and hot. We hopped in a taxi and returned to our hotel for a “toes-up.”
We made reservations for dinner at 8 at the Taverna de Mercanti in Trastevere. Our concierge had recommended it as a nice restaurant with good pasta etc. We brought along the last and best of our wine a 2004 Lambert Bridge Cross Creek Cuvee. Our taxi dropped us in a small, charming piazza with two competing open-air eateries. We entered ours and were immediately informed that we could not drink our wine. It was against the law. This may be true as we asked other restaurants after our meal and got the same story. Our second disappointment was no pasta. The menu featured a lot of pizza, crostini, steak, lamb etc. but no pasta. We settled for two pizzas and to salads both excellent. But our last evening had lost some of its luster. The restaurant was picture perfect with two outdoor levels of seating and some indoor. Flaming torches lit the vine and flower-covered walls. The English-speaking proprietor was polite if a bit condescending about our knowledge of wine law in Italy. The staff as a whole was a bit precious but the place was very popular and if you were hungry, the steaks, chops and fowl looked plentiful and delicious.
I wanted a photo of Big Mama’s, a blues club not far from the Piazza de Mercanti and we found it after a short search. We grabbed a taxi to Piazza de Trevi to catch the fountain at night. It was jammed, mostly with young couples, but beautiful in the soft warm light. I had trouble picturing Anita Eckberg frolicking in this crowd. We walked a bit more, snapped a few more pictures and taxied back. Our grand adventure is over. See you all at The Bean tomorrow.

Florence Part II

According to Unesco, more than 60% of the world’s most important works of art are found in Italy… half of these are in Florence. I think I may be coming down with Stendahl Syndrome.
Aside from the galleries we saw quite a bit of Florence in a single day. Claudio took us to several of his favorite spots. San Miniato al Monte is a small 1000-year-old basilica on Monte alle Croci directly across the river from Santa Croce. At the base of Monte al Croce is Porta San Niccolo, one of the few remaining 14th century gateways in the old wall. Half way up the Monte we stopped at Piazzale Michelangelo, a vast plaza with a stone and bronze monument to Mr. Buonarroti in the center. Around the monument are 4 bronze copies of Michelangelo’s funerary figures Night, Day, Dawn and Dusk from the Medici Mausoleum. Atop these stands a bronze David looking out over the city he has come to symbolize. From this plaza you can see up the Arno and at least 7 of it’s bridges or across at the miraculous city. Everything is visible. It gives you a great overview of the city and a great place for you to plan your attack.
As we continued up we passed San Salvatore al Monte a peach colored Franciscan church. At the top is San Miniato. It is covered in green and white marble and commands one of the best views of Florence imaginable. Just over the terrace wall is a strange cemetery of crypts, mausoleums and graves including that of Carlo Collodi, the creator of Pinocchio.
On the way back to the city center we could see the wealth of the Medicis, their offices, palaces and private passages which today are open to the public, an idea that would have caused a few seizures in those 16th Century aristocrats.
To quote a dear friend “I may never get over this.”

Florence

Firenze
A taxi picked us up at 6:15AM and we were at the Roma Termini by 6:30. We found our train easily and boarded. First Class included spacious seats, folding tables, electrical outlets and free Wi-Fi. We raced through the countryside and were reminded of how beautiful Sonoma County is. We arrived at Santa Maria Novella in 90 minutes. Claudio was waiting. A cheerful and engaging gentleman of maybe 50 years he enthusiastically led us to his car promises of the delights ahead. The Mercedes minivan was comfortable [it sat 8] and well appointed. The air-conditioning was the best we’ve experienced yet and I always had the impression that Mercedes had the worst. Live and learn.
The first order of business was to rearrange our itinerary a bit. He had reserved access to the Accademia first, at 9, then the Uffizi, at 11 and the Pitti Palace at 3PM. He called the Villa San Michele and moved our Lunch up to 1 instead of 2. With a quick spin around the city we were standing in front of the Accademia. As we entered I started move as if I was being pulled along. I looked behind me to see that the others were still there but I did not slow down. Turning to the left as we went through the ticket gate were 6 giant pieces of rough stone. Struggling within were torsos of muscular flesh and course suggestions of tortured faces. Michelangelo’s “unfinished” slaves lined the long corridor leading to DAVID! In between each statue were large Robert Mapplethorpe photographs of muscular nudes in contracted poses contrasting with expansive gestures of the slaves wrestling for freedom from their marble prisons. I started snapping away [without flash] until I heard a strident voice yell “No Photos!” Damn! I hadn’t even reached David. As most of you have already seen this miracle of sculpture you know how large it is. Well it is even larger in my eyes.
I remember many years ago [1972?] when I was visiting my brother in Santa Rosa [I was still in the military] he handed me the Sunday paper as I entered the kitchen for breakfast. The headlines showed a hirsute madman looking every bit like one of Manson’s Family. In an accompanying panel there was Michelangelo’s Pieta. This nut job had smashed the most important sculpture in the world. I was sick to my stomach and my eyes filled with tears. This perfect work created by a 24 year-old genius was defaced as a political statement.
Well, David is well protected [the Pieta is also; it is in a plastic room some 20 feet from the nearest viewer] but you are able to walk all around it and examine every aspect. The huge oversized hand cradling the deadly stone looks so real and relaxed as if to suggest he is about to drop the projectile. His feet with their long toes at eye level seem to big for the figure until you step back and grasp the subtle balance Michelangelo achieved with the understanding that this figure would be viewed most often from below but also often enough from a distance. It is so impressive a creation that I wonder about sculptural endeavors in its wake.
I cannot remember what else we saw at the Accademia; it is all a blur.
At the Uffizi I was following Jim as we entered a large gallery featuring Botticellis… not just any Botticellis but the Birth of Venus and La Primavera. There they were, right there on the walls in front of me. As my eyes moved from one to the other I noticed a young man looking at me with concern, I looked at Jim next to me and then back at the man. I was crying! I could no longer hold it in as I am now trying to do with no one here to even see me weeping. What had taken me so long to come here?
These paintings and sculptures had maintained front offices in my mind since I was 7 years old and discovered the Art section at the public library. We didn’t have books at home. Indeed, I made it through high school having read the bare minimum often resorting to “Clift’s notes” and “Classics Illustrated.” I did not really understand reading until I was well into my 30s. But the Art books I read thoroughly, every chance I had. By the time I was ready [?] for a higher education I chose Art History. I flunked out a short time later because we were supposed to learn other stuff, too. Math, Literature, Science and other required basic courses did me in. Uncle Sam saw to it that I was not without focus for very long.
For the next 40 years I avoided Europe. I felt more akin to the 3rd World. I now know that was a mistake. Had I experienced at 20 what I had experienced yesterday might have changed my life completely. I am gob smacked, weak-kneed, and trembling in the grandeur and art of this remarkable repository of beauty. Thank you, Jim & Dotty; I don’t think there is time enough left in my life to show you the proper appreciation for your extraordinary and insightful generosity.
I fell like I am the last person I know who has not seen these things and writing about their beauty and worth is preaching to the choir. But I will write anyway. I promised.
The Uffizi is dazzling in its size and scope. These “offices” contain so much that it would take weeks to properly appreciate their offerings. All the superstars, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Rafaello, Del Sarto, Caravaggio, are here. The galleries them selves are works of art. But wait, we have the Pitti Palace to see.
This was a completely different “gallery” experience. The first thing you notice is the room as all the galleries are rooms of a palace. The art and sculpture are merely decorations. One enters a receptions area 8 sculpted fawns clinging to the ornate ceiling supporting the largest chandelier I have ever scene. Huge velvet curtains adorn the windows and doorways. Elaborate rugs cover every inch of floor and candelabra light every nook. And there on the wall in a simple gilt frame hung there because it filled that space is the most beautiful Raphael Madonna and Child [Madonna del Granduca] you could imagine. No museum highlight, no special room, no velvet cordon; it just hangs there on the wall. Oh, yeah, there are probably another ½ dozen Raphaels there as well as Del Sarto and Perugino.
This post is only part 1 of Florence so stay tuned.

Taormina

Taormina is not the only reason to go to Messina but it is the biggest reason. Very much like St. Paul it is perched over the Mediterranean with spectacular views. And like St. Paul it is a village of shops and galleries with inviting side streets. But Taormina has an ancient amphitheatre which functions to this day.
We took what seemed to be a pretty straightforward HAL Excursion called “Taormina On You Own.” It was a bus ride to the town and a bus ride home. The bus ride took almost an hour arriving at our destination at 9:45AM. We were then told we would be leaving at 11:45AM. This is what is called a 4-hour excursion. If we ran we might have been able to see the amphitheatre… for about 15 minutes. As it was, the humidity was debilitating and we were in no mood to run. We walked slowly through the city to the amphitheatre and back. We boarded our bus and headed back to the ship. We must pack and have our bags outside our doors by 1AM.

boring

A day a sea is pretty boring. You can play various games, eat, watch a movie, eat, go to a show, eat, shop, read, shop, eat, shop… We received our instructions about disembarking. We are settling our accounts. We are pre-packing [actually, Craig is completely packed] and getting in the mindset that the cruise is almost over. Messina is our next destination; we will spend the day in Taormina. The following morning we are back in Rome. Goodnight all.

Athens

We slipped into Athens [Piraeus] before I woke. It is the third [?] largest port on the Med. All that was visible to me was room for maybe four cruise ships, lots o’ yachts and some ferries. It is actually a complex port with small peninsulas separating small bays. Dionysus [“call me Dennis”] met us at the gate and led us to his car, a late model, black 6-door Mercedes. Dennis is tall, blonde and handsome. He is dressed in a pinstriped suit and light blue open-collared shirt and he is sporting stylish black sunglasses. Instantly, he takes over. We briefly discuss what we hope to see and we tell him we plan to forego visiting the Acropolis. He is appalled; “you cannot visit Athens and not see the Acropolis.” So, we head there immediately to avoid the crowds and heat.
He drives us up to the ticket entrance as no one is on the road yet. He says it is impossible to do this after 9AM. Craig and I head in. Dotty and Jim will spend the time at a café across from the site. I was surprised by the ease of the climb. The marble roads are slippery but with the proper shoes there is little danger of falling. The steps are uniform and there are new wooden ramps and stairs taking you to the top. We were there in minutes. What a mistake it would have been to miss it. The most striking revelation is the view. 360 degrees of Athens must have validated the ancients’ pilgrimages to the temples that grace this incredible rock. Leaning over the side one can take in the bustle of the agora, view the temple of Zeus and find all the places you will visit [or not-visit, in the case of the New Acropolis Museum]. I had recently seen a documentary on the restoration of the Parthenon and they are going “gangbusters.” They are not rebuilding it so much as completing certain areas so as to enhance the scope and beauty of it. As you will see from several of the photos, the new marble, from the quarry used for the original structure, is stark white while the aged fragments are a soft gold. The reconstructed columns illustrate the repairs best, but there is one lintel that has only a small piece of the gold fitted into its face. This new piece of marble [costing about $1,000,000] will soon be hoisted into place over two completed columns. The fitting of the piece is done with computer imaging and mechanical as well as manual chiseling. The effect is like an archeologists reconstructive drawing but this is a fully realized reconstruction of “Monumental” proportions.
We walked back down and met Dotty & Jim at the café. It’s a lovely place with marble everywhere, all of it from the quarry that built the Acropolis. We paused for refreshments and then went on a quick drive through the city with Dennis providing a rapid-fire commentary of the high points of Greek culture, history and politics. The Greeks don’t like the Turks. And based on comments from Mel yesterday, the feeling is mutual.
Our original schedule involved lunch at the Grand Bretagne Hotel roof garden. Dennis suggested that we stop by to see if we could change the reservation as our 1:30PM time would severely limit what we might see. He suggested that we would spend at least 2 hours there. Well, we could not change the time so I canceled and Dennis promised us a good Greek lunch elsewhere. “ The Grand Bretagne does not serve Greek food.”
Our lunch was in another part of town in an unassuming bistro that looked a little like a cafeteria. Dennis did the talking and we were seated and served. First there was a typical Greek salad with sliced tomatoes, onions, olives green bell peppers and a big block of feta on top. Then came a dish of fluffy rice with a big chunk of lamb falling off the bone. This was followed by a dish of large beans with a stuffed tomato. A Greek version of lasagna came next followed by lamb meatballs and wonderfully tasty broiled potatoes. As an all-around sauce we were served a big, cool dish of cucumber-flavored yogurt. The price came to 72 Euros and was well worth it. I am sure the price was even inflated as we were “wealthy” tourists and would not know the difference. I did not get the name of the restaurant but will and I recommend it highly. The staff does not speak English but the food is all on display and you can point and choose to your heart’s content.
Our next stop was to be the National Archeological Museum but they were closed for lunch. We drove to the Benaki Museum.
This private collection housed in the Benaki Family’s converted mansion is exquisite. It is not a “Greek” collection but an international one. It offers artifacts from the Neolithic to Contemporary. The ancient jewelry collections could rival any museum in the world. There are reconstructed rooms, costume vignettes, an extensive fabric and needlework collection and some of the most elaborate liturgical artifacts I have ever seen. This museum is in the real sense of the word, a gem!
We were all quite spent after the Benaki so with one last “tour” of the city Dennis brought us back to the ship. I think I slept for 12 hours.
We are at sea right now headed to Messina, Sicily. We should arrive there around 8AM tomorrow.

Ephesus

It seems I’m waking earlier each morning; it is about 4AM and there is simply nothing to do but wait. I guess I could start repacking; there are only 3 more ports and then disembarking in Rome. I look forward to more time there, and Florence. Today is Ephesus.
I will report today in reverse. We just now finished celebrating Jim & Dotty’s Anniversary and I want to thank all of you who participated. They were so moved. Check out the photos. We had cocktails in the Ocean Bar on board with our favorite cocktail waiter, Manny who has been making little origami for us. Tonight’s was a big origami, a peacock, with an anniversary greeting. We then went to the Pinnacle Grill for a special meal. And special it was! After dessert we were about to leave when the waiter stopped us with a chocolate mouse cake compliments of the house. Manny was responsible. Jim and Dotty opened all the cards. Now it’s off to bed.
I am uploading the photos while I am writing this. Forgive me on the Ephesus section, as I do not have the time or energy to caption them. There were so many and that will give you an idea of how extraordinary the site of Ephesus is.
Our guide, Emel [or Mel for short] is a 20-something beauty from central Turkey. Her English was very good and she was well informed and instructive about everything we saw. Our driver was Abdullah and he spoke very little English but drove our Volkswagen mini-van with great care and comfort. Mel led us into the site with historical and geographic background information. Her expertise and sense of humor kept our attention. She was also lovely to look at. Ephesus is one of the largest outdoor ancient “museum” sites in the world. A quick comprehensive examination takes about 2 hours. The most extraordinary feature is the terrace [or slope] houses, which are only recently open to the public. The site is enclosed in a canopied building to protect the incredible discoveries. Rather than detail the content of this site I will let the photographs tell the story. I will fill in details later. If the terrace houses are not enough to impress, we were next introduced to the Celsus Library. This is one of the most spectacularly restored facades of the ancient world. We then visited the second amphitheatre of the site. Our tour ended with a leisurely stroll down a tree-lined alley to our driver.
We had a lovely Turkish lunch [included in the price of the tour which was only $80.00 each] and then visited the nonexistent temple of Artemis one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World.
I am about to pass out so I will close and write more tomorrow.

Santorini

I wish I had a good atlas of Greece right now. We are cruising just off shore and the islands and mountains are very lovely. I just wish I knew what I was looking at. My best guess is we are about parallel with the top of the Messinia in the Gulf of Kyparissia, perhaps a little closer to Pylos. I can see a castle on a promontory and a large Cruise ship leaving the area.
Do we care? It is 5AM; I am restless waiting for the sunrise. I want Santorini and I want it now.
6:30 AM and I am on the prow of the ship as we head into Santorini. The winds are strong across the bow and I am photographing the dramatic black islands as we near the gap between Thirassia and Aspronisi. As we pass into the Caldera the wind subsides almost instantly and the world is silent. We circle to the south of the two Kamenis and head for Fira Scala the old port below the city of Fira. We will be tendered here and those on bus excursions will go to the newer Athinios, which actually has a road. We have the choice of walking or riding donkeys up the zigzagging steps [600 or so] to the top or taking the new Funicular [Gondola style cable car] straight to the top. The fare is 4Euros for the donkey or the cable car. Walking is free. We opt for the funicular and jump in to the small pods; each holds four comfortably or six in a squeeze. What a wonderful ride. The cobalt blue water spreads out below and the first homes of Fira appear almost instantly at the sides. The ride takes 3-4 minutes. When you leave the cable car building you are in the thick of Fira and it’s shopping hoards. Mind you, we are the only ship there today, yesterday there were 4; on Tuesdays there are 9 or 10. The streets were packed with tourists. They are not all from our ship, indeed half our ship are on excursions to other parts of the Island, but it is hard to imagine this tiny town of crowded alleys and cobble-stoned steps accommodating another let alone 8 more cruise ships.
The bus station was a short walk south on the main road. There was quite a crowd there at 10:30AM; I would advise going as early as possible. The buses are new and well air-conditioned but we were literally squeezed in with people standing in the aisles and doorways. It wasn’t as unpleasant as it sounds but if you need to sit you may be out of luck. The fare to Oia is only 1.40 Euros and the trip is about 20 minutes. The road is quite winding and is barely two lanes. It can be hair-raising if you don’t like heights and speed. We passed through two smaller villages before we reached Oia. It is perched on the northwest tip of the crescent that is the Island. It is a delight. Around every corner is a new and dramatic vista. Shops and restaurants line the streets. Every café has a spectacular view. The people are very friendly and most of the shopkeepers and service people speak English. It is a “must visit” destination. We had very nice, comfortable weather and none of us got tired at all. The return ride at 2PM was lighter with a few empty seats.
We shopped for a few for hours in Fira with a stop for pizza and beer. One could spend a lot of money here. One could also spend a lot of time here as well. I could see a minimum or 4 days to check it out completely but a week would be ideal. They do have an international airport and regular ferry service from many other islands and Athens [that takes 10-15 hours].
We all found the experience one of out favorites. I think the photographs on my MobileMe Gallery should validate that.

Katakolon

Katakolon has lost some of its luster as nearby Patra gained maritime importance. It still has a deep-water port capable of servicing 3 or 4 liners in port and several anchored offshore. A two-minute walk has you in town, which consists of one “shopping” street with several side alleys of cafes and such. At the other end of the street is a small park. There are several horse drawn carts the will take tourists on short [15-20 minutes] runs up to the end of town and the beach and back. After days of prodding our new Australian friends Murray and Lynn snapped a picture of me petting the horse. Believe it or not that is the first time I have touched a horse. Weird, huh? I bought a couple of nice wallets in town. They have nice handcrafted leather goods at very reasonable prices. And they have jewelry stores. Is this an aberration of the tourist trade or do then Greeks really like jewelry? Again, the designs are very ethnic and creative, the workmanship is lovely and the prices [I am not a jewelry purchaser, mind you] seem very affordable. We are all scheduled for extravagant spa treatments today [my first ever] and we depart the port of Katakolon around 3PM. We are headed for Santorini…Oh! Frabjous Joy!
I just got back from my first ever spa treatment. The initial impression was of confusion and apprehension. The young Japanese woman who led me about had less than a rudimentary understanding of English so I did not have any idea where I was supposed to be or when. There is a grand whirlpool bath, which I later found out one is expected to spend about an hour there and you will be called for your treatment. The odd part is that there are signs in the whirlpool room suggesting that you limit your time to 15 minutes. It was quite warm [I prefer warmer] and equipped with a steel tube bench at one end with jets from the sides and bottom. In the center was a steel cylinder with a gap to allow entry. Much more forceful jets abound within. There are lounges all about but I went exploring, as is my want. I came upon a Star Trek set with formed lounges of tile mosaic in shades of blue. There were Japanese-style wooden neck rests with rolled towels for cushioning. The room was quite cool but the beds were heated. There was also a steam room and showers with pore-slamming cold water. I spent a few minutes there and then continued my quest. The next room was equipped with cushioned lounges and a kitchenette offering teas, fruit and other stuff. Ashley finally arrived to take me to our private chamber. I disrobed and reclined on the massage table with my strategically placed towel. The first part of the treatment was an exfoliating using a cactus product; I didn’t quite get the name. I was then subjected to a head and neck massage with manly products so that I wouldn’t leave the spa smelling of “girlie” things according to my Wales-born masseuse. She then applied a masque and proceeded to the other end. I was treated to a foot and ankle massage. She then returned to my head, removed the mask, applied some other manly products and pronounced the session over. It was not unpleasant and I truly appreciate the gesture and gift [from that lovely Walters couple] but I can’t say it is something I would likely seek out. I guess it’s more a “girlie” thing.
I don’t know what were up to this evening; the show looks less than exciting [a comedian] but we will have a lovely dinner as we have had every evening so far. We are now in the Aegean Sea.

Corfu

There is a narrow passageway, the Kerkyra Straits, between Corfu and Albania; it opens into Ormos Gouvian and due south on the tip of crook in the island lies Corfu Town. As we approached the port at about 7AM [we advanced 1 hour at 2AM] the first sight was another Holland-America ship, The Oosterdam. Several giant ferries and smaller ships were occupying all the piers so it looks like we’ll be tendering into port as we did in Monaco. The surrounds look very much like Croatia. There are forests, red roofs in tree-lined neighborhoods, an old Byzantine fort, the occasional church tower and lots and lots of villas. We are going to be OOO [on our own] today.
We set out on foot after being deposited at the “new” port. We walked along the waterfront through the most intense humidity I have ever encountered. It was saturating and debilitating. We stopped at a small café for fruit drinks. There is a line called Pago, which is not unlike our Odwalla. They offer about 30 flavor choices. We continued along the waterfront to the Byzantine Museum, which is housed in the 15th Century church of Our Lady of Antivouniotissa. The collection features icons, paintings and artifacts dating back to the 13th Century. The church is at the top of three flights of marble steps that start at the curb of a one-lane road that hugs the high sea wall above the “old” port. We continued walking along the sea front as the air grew less humid heading for the Palace of the Saints George and Michael. It was the British lord High Commissioner’s residence in the late 19th century. It contains a 10,000-piece collection of Asian Art from ancient Indian bronzes to Japanese Ukiyo-e. Out the front past the fountain are the old cricket grounds and the Spianada, a great park with scores of cafes and shops. The side streets extended into the center of town and were packed with shoppers. We discovered later that there were 5 full-size cruise ships in port. Still, the temperature and humidity became more tolerable and we continued to explore this bustling city. There were as many fine jewelry stores as any other vender and each offered unique and beautiful creations. They seemed to be doing a great business.
We walked west into the center of town and caught a taxi back to the ship [10 Euros].

Dubrovnik

It would be difficult to name a more beautiful and inviting coastline than the one that greeted us this morning. Small wooded islands some with the occasional lighthouse or red tile roof, crowded the entrance to Uvala Gruz slowly revealing the towns and cities hidden deep within. Uvala Bay separates the peninsula, Lapad and the mainland Babin Kuk. A modern new bridge, Most Dr. Franja Tudmana, towers over this tiny harbor. This monument to the country’s first president has a single concrete tower supporting the roadbed north. As the harbor narrowed we sidled up to the pier to disembark.
We took a shuttle to the old walled city. Craig and I got tickets to walk the wall and Jim and Dotty went shopping and exploring the Placa-Stradun. It was already very hot and about half way around we headed back down into the city streets. The wall is an absolutely spectacular way to see the city and the surrounding turquoise water and green and rocky islands. There are several sections of the wall, which require a pretty steep climb up uneven stone steps but once you catch your breath you lose it again to the beauty of this storybook setting. People live here. Laundry hangs in the windows and on the balconies. People swim off the rocky edge of the fortifications. Little drink stands and the occasional taverna make the walk quite comfortable. The remnants of the 1991-92 war are easily visible from the wall. There are still crumbling shells of bombed out homes and the tile roofs show the contrast of old and new as the red brick plates take decades to conform to the old colors.
The shops and restaurants along the Placa confirm earlier impressions that Dubrovnik is a first class playground for the rich and famous. Some of the restaurants are as expensive as anything we’ve encountered in Italy, France or Spain. The local handicrafts [lace, embroidery, neck ties and of course, jewelry] are reasonable but not cheap. There is a yacht harbor out side the south gate and villas cover the surrounding hillsides. Most of the shopkeepers speak enough English to make spending money effortless. They also take Euros even though they are not yet part of the Union.
Dubrovnik seems to be quite socially progressive, very clean, well run and tolerant of alternative lifestyles with hippies, gays, euro-trash and the aforementioned well healed all either oblivious of the rest or happy to rub shoulders whomever they encounter. I could live here… if I was Warren Buffet.

At Sea, Aeolian to Adriatic

Civitavecchia is the port of Rome, the new one. It does not have much to offer so we are not going ashore today. Besides, I am moving. Jimmy has worked his magic and obtained for me an upgrade to a Verandah Suite. I will be moving to another deck but that seems OK now that we are all familiar with the ship. So today is moving day and catching up day as the last two were quite exhausting.
I have a verandah! I woke this morning to Stromboli as the sun was rising. This active volcano, the northeastern most island in the Aeolian archipelago, is a perfect cone, sitting in the ocean, and made only more impressive by the small rocky islands all around it. It erupts about 4 times every hour.
This will be a pretty scenic day at sea as we will also pass through the Straights of Messina and on around the toe of Italy.
No sooner said than done, we passed through the aforementioned straights. It is quite a narrow passage and requires a local pilot to get through. The northeastern “corner” of Sicily is the first thing you see. Sandy beaches, hotels and yacht harbors line the shore. At the very tip is a great red & white tower; on the opposite shore is a corresponding twin perched higher on the rockier coast. I could not see any cables but they did have “T” tops, which looked like they should support cables. I’ll check on the way back as the sun won’t be quite so bright. As we rounded the point Messina came into view. We will be docking there on the 26th after a day at sea. We will go to Taormina for a short visit and return for a 2PM departure, the shortest day we have in any port. As we cruised along the passage, Sicily faded from view but not before allowing a hazy view of Mt. Etna.
On the port side we are hugging the coast of the toe of Italy’s boot. It looks dry and sparsely vegetated. There are, however, continuous beaches, yacht harbors and resort towns on the coast.
BTW I just updated the pictures on the gallery with edits and cleanups etc.
We are going to try to call the Bench this morning [CA time] around 9AM. It’s Tuesday, I think, so we’ll try Clare’s phone as she always has it. You will know if we succeed by the time you read this. If it does not work we will try Friday in Katakolon, Greece.

Herculaneum & Pompeii

Napoli
5AM and a string of lights appear on the horizon. It is not yet dawn but it is Napoli. We have another private driver today to take us to Herculaneum and Pompeii. We will try to see the National Archeological Museum on our return.
Our driver, Vito, met us at the port with a new Volkswagen minivan. It was roomier than the Mercedes we were in yesterday. It could accommodate 7, maybe even 8, passengers. We headed to Herculaneum at 8AM arriving there in about ½ hour. We purchased “combo” tickets that are good for both Herculaneum and Pompeii, and are good for 3 days. It was only a savings of 2 Euro but it is a deal if you are there for more than a day.
Herculaneum is a relatively compact site laid out in a classic grid. There are three main East-West roads and lots of smaller North-South alleys. Each structure is numbered and some have specific designations, which are covered in the guidebook. You are given a little book and a map upon entering. Herculaneum, unlike Pompeii, was not crushed under tons of volcanic ash. Indeed many of the roofs are still intact and even the wooden supports are still functioning. Very little organic matter survived Pompeii. Much of what was found at Herculaneum and Pompeii now resides in the National Archeological Museum in Naples. There remain some paintings, furnishings and mosaics but anything of great importance or delicacy was moved to the museum. Many of the houses [this was a seaside resort for the wealthy] still have lavishly painted walls, ornate mosaic floors, marble columns and water features. There are plenty of fountains, “fast food” outlets, baths and public spaces but it was a small community of maybe 2000 inhabitants. The roads are not scarred with wagon or chariot tracts like at Pompeii. It seems more a leisurely community of walkers. Archeologists believe that those who died in Herculaneum were fleeing the pyroclastic [sic?] cloud and gases that overtook them as they fled to the sea. There are new digs [specifically the House of Papyrus] that are producing extraordinary artifacts, which are going on display at the National Museum.
Pompeii is the other side of the coin. It was a very large city. The North-South [main] roads are over a mile long. The population at the time of the eruption was about 18,000. The cataclysm was spread over 3 days in late August. At the onset, most of the inhabitants fled the city successfully. On the second day, many returned thinking that the worst was over. Those 5000 or so were the victims of the tons of ash that buried the city when the top blew off the mountain. What remains of Pompeii are the stone and brick structures, the roads, the temples and the Forum. The scale dwarfs Herculaneum. One is constantly dazzled by the size, beauty and importance of the city as it is revealed. It was a bustling metropolis attached to a nearby port [now some 2 miles away with new structures built on the effluvia from the volcano]. The presence of brothels and roadside food venders testifies to the transience of the population. Sailors, merchants and tradesmen stopped off temporarily in Pompeii and fed the international and cosmopolitan sophistication that was its reputation. The wealthy built enormous homes there. The municipal authorities built grander public buildings and infrastructure. There was a new temple dedicated to Venus being built at the time of the eruption. It was a prosperous destination cut short in an instant and it lay buried for centuries with only legends keeping its existence alive.
The photos will show many interiors at both locations but the real treasures are in the National Museum, a great pink building in the center of Naples. As we entered we encountered some of the most aggressive guides yet. One woman told us that if we didn’t hire her we would get lost, find no instruction inside, nothing would be labeled and we would have a terrible time. She was so wrong. The Museum is vast and filled with antiquities as well as some contemporary exhibits and some late Renaissance and later paintings. The sculptures are the most remarkable ranging from the giant Farnese Hercules [one of my favorites] to even larger gods, goddesses, emperors, and groups. The fertility goddess discovered at Ephesus is also present. And then, of course, there is the “secret collection,” so secret that you have to read a sign saying so as you enter. Phalluses protrude from every corner, erotic “menu” paintings from the brothels of Pompeii line the galleries Priapuses [sic?], satyrs and to put it simply, walking, flying and performing penises occupy the glass cases in each gallery. What a refreshing society it must have been 2000 years ago in Italy when nudity and sexuality was celebrated rather than demonized.
After a full 6 hours we were exhausted and asked to return to the ship. We still had 2 hours left on our contract but the 260 Euros was already well spent. Vito also told us that if we returned, we should contact him, as he would be able to offer us a deal on the same type of tour. He was offering to do it outside of his company. This is apparently a common practice.
We took in the evening show, had a lovely dinner and crashed.

Palermo

Today was exceptional. We ate a light breakfast and left the ship at about 8:45AM. Arriving at Palermo at sunrise one approaches from the west fixing on Monte Pellegrino and Cap Gallo. The landscape is stark, rocky hillsides encircling an enormous, sprawling city. The hillsides were once covered in lemon, orange and lime groves glowing golden in the summer sun. Conch D’Or [Golden Conch] became the nickname for the area. We were one of 4 ships in port [the Costa Pacifica has been shadowing us all the way] and that usually means large crowds. Our driver, Gianni, headed out of town to Monreale first as the church closes in the afternoon. Jimmy and Craig were blown away, declaring the interior of the Duomo to be more impressive than the Sistine Chapel. This 12th Century church was completed in only 10 years and the mosaic interior [they cover over 80% of the surface of the Apse and side altars] achieved international renown as soon as it was completed. The preponderance of gold tile lends the entire church a glow that requires little light to appreciate the remarkable achievement of these Norman artisans. The photographs do suffer [forgive us our artistic trespasses] for the lack of light. We wandered through Monreale taking in the panoramic views of Palermo below. We slowly descended into the old Norman quarter of Palermo to visit the palace and churches of that section. The Cathedral is an incredible structure on the outside but is a letdown inside… anything would be after Monreale. The Piazza Bellini nearby is the sight of the Fountain of Shame that so outraged the sensitivities of the local clergy and nuns that efforts were made to disguise the nudity of the figures represented. Cooler heads prevailed and the lusty nakedness of the gods, nymphs and satyrs are as nature intended. The Piazza is surrounded by unusual churches and is a short walk to one of the most wonderful intersections in all of Sicily. The Quattro Canti [four corners] has three story monuments on each corner. Statues depicting the four seasons [on the ground level], great rulers [on the middle level] and saints [on the third level] adorn each corner. Elaborate candelabra-like streetlights enhance the décor. Look down any of the four directions and you are overwhelmed with beautiful renaissance style structures with ornate ironwork and hundreds of storefronts selling high fashion to the well healed. We continued or tour through the city and headed up Monte Pellegrino to the sanctuary of Santa Rosalia, the patron saint of Palermo. Pilgrims walk barefoot up this great stone cone once a year on the 14th of July, Rosalia’s Feast Day. Heading down the other side we came upon the Beverly Hills / Palm Dessert / Boca Raton / Newport RI of Sicily. Mondello is a beach community of clear turquoise water, sandy beaches and extravagant villas. We saw it from the cliffs high above. We then headed back into the city and finally our ship. The 4-hour excursion in a comfortable new Mercedes van was 260 Euros. It was well worth the price.

Tunis & Carthage

About 7AM we backed into our berth in La Goulette, the exotic birthplace of Claudia Cardinale. It is a prettier than average port city with lots of attractive cafes and restaurants as well as souvenir shops and quaint neighborhoods. We were on a HAL Excursion to see Carthage and the city of Sidi Bou Said. We left port at 9:15 and were at Carthage in 15-20 minutes. The temperature was approaching 100 already and the humidity was high. We stopped at the first of two separate and distinct archeological sites in a very upscale section of Carthage. Until Unesco named it a World Heritage Site there was uncontrolled development there and even the fabulous Governor’s mansion was built on top of promising archeological treasures. This site consists mainly of the remains of a vast public baths and the area is strewn with column fragments and architectural details. Corinthian capitals are everywhere. The site is on the Mediterranean and the baths once sported the largest saltwater pool in its time.
The next stop was Sidi Bou Said a beautiful little cliff-top town of white homes with “celestial” blue doors and windows. This lovely combination is not a design decision so much as a practical environmental application. The white paint reflects the heat, of course, but the blue doors repel insects. Decorative DEET. There is a lovely little park as you enter town. It was financed by Monaco’s young prince as a “sister city” gesture. Outside the perched town is a much larger park developed by the president of Tunisia. It has lovely walks, children’s attractions, benches and water features.
We then returned to Carthage, to Byrsa Hill and the site of the old Forum. This site is much more developed and displays statuary and mosaics. There are more shaded areas and a museum in a deconsecrated French church [St. Luis’]. Even with the extraordinary heat it was much more comfortable to explore.
We returned to the ship through a gigantic “housing development.” Small but stylish homes were being built on the flat land surrounding the port. Tunisia, at least Tunis, shows great potential as a lovely and exotic tourist attraction. Tomorrow, Palermo.

Mallorca...Pass

We did not leave the ship yesterday and today is a day at sea; it’s a bit boring but we all got a good rest after Barcelona. Palma de Mallorca is a beautiful port with its Cathedral dominating the waterfront. Hundreds of yachts crowd into dozens of marinas all along the edge of the harbor. It is obvious why the Balearics are a playground for the rich.
We attended a performance by a faux Neil Diamond last night. Strictly cruise caliber but these guys are pretty brave to perform in front of luke warm audiences. I’ll give them that much credit. We had a lovely dinner afterward and retired early.
Today we spent some time at the pool, on the Internet, eating and I think we will attend the “Broadway” presentation this evening. Tomorrow is Tunis and Carthage.

Barcelona

Barcelona
Last night was our first of six “formal” dining experiences. We got dressed up [Tie & Jacket is accepted as “formal” now] and had dinner with a couple from Perth, Australia. Murray and Lynn have a horse ranch and stud facility there. Lynn’s Arabian Palomino is one of the most beautiful horses I’ve seen with a white, silky tail to the ground. Of interest to at least two of you, they also have a Shelty… pictures to follow. The food on the ship is exceptional. I am most taken by their cold soups. We had cold Rhubarb a couple of days ago and last night it was cold sour cherry. I followed that up with Beef Wellington while the rest of the table went for the lobster. I can’t believe I didn’t dine like this on the last cruise… of course I didn’t have appropriate pants.
We left the ship at 9AM and took the T3 bus to the Placa Portal de la Pau at the foot of Les [or Las] Ramblas. The plural of the word applies as every block or so it is considered a different “rambla” [from the Arabic for a dry river bed]. There are 5, maybe 6 different monikers. Barcelona is truly a walking city. It seemed that in just a few minutes we were at the Placa de Catalunya at the top of the Ramblas [1.2 miles]. For all practical purposes the shops were closed. They get a very late start here, as they stay open very late. Few restaurants open before 8PM. Victor Hugo and Garcia Lorca both sang the praises of La Rambla. The architecture is varied with highlights like the Casa Bruno Quadros by Josep Vilaseca near the Placa de la Boqueria. This Art Nouveau / Moderisme confection draws from the popular Japonisme influence with crests, geishas, parasols and Ukiyo e images. A great blue dragon protrudes from over the door and it hovers over an umbrella escaping from a Rene Magritte painting. WE walked one more block east to Placa d’Urquihaona for a sit-down. We then walked down Carrer de Trafalgar to the Modernisme Arc de Triomf, a red brick Modernisme monument decorated with bats, angels and allegorical figures. Southeast toward the sea we came to the City Park, which houses a Zoo, Modern Art Museum and geological and zoological museums. We walked SW to the 14th Century Cathedral of Barcelona. It is undergoing a facelift and the area was quite crowded. We then grabbed a cab to the “other” cathedral. I must say I was disappointed with La Sagrada Familia. It’s not as big and imposing as I had hoped. It is still absolutely magnificent in design and execution. The crowds were overbearing and we headed for the Bus Touristic. This is a great way to see the city. The lower level is enclosed and air-conditioned. The upper deck is open. The seats are as bad as Coach on United Airlines. They do provide an excellent recorded tour with free earbuds. How do people keep them in their ears? I’m deformed. They will not stay in there. If you wish to see and photograph everything go up top. Many of the seats below have limited visibility especially if you sit tall. The windows are also partially covered with that pointillistic screen advertising so photos suffer. There are long lines at the big tourist draws but everywhere else the on and off feature was great.
We rode up into L’Eixample and the West then down through Montjuic and back to the port. We saw the old Exposition site and the Olympic Stadium as well as the new Barca Stadium, Calatrava’s Radio Tower and the funicular [tram] that provides bird’s eye views of the mountain and port. We hoped back on the T3 and were back on the ship by 5PM. Craig and I went out later for a few hours using our “all-day” pass to take the green line out to the Forum and Diagonal del Mar, a 3-story shopping mall that sprawls over a couple of city blocks. We returned to the ship by 10:30PM and we were underway by 11PM.

Some Changes I’ve Noticed.

I fear that the financial crisis coupled with the autocratic nature of bean-counting has severely affected the quality of luxury cruising. Holland-America has always had a good reputation for service, comfort and efficiency. I have seen all of this deteriorate since my last cruise 15 months ago. The staff seems less trained in protocol and decorum. If I inquired about a difficulty 15 months ago, the response was “It will be taken care of immediately.” It usually was. Now the response is “I’m sorry, there has been a computer problem we cannot control” or else it is suggested that the passenger may be in error. Even if the passenger might be in error, isn’t it better simply to try to correct the problem first? You would never hear a representative say “I’m sorry but your party is not in our computer, especially after having been presented with the entire HAL boarding package, personalized ticket books and “Signature early boarding passes” in each of our names. One would think that regardless of your faith in the computer it is very likely that we are legitimate passengers and our documentation should be sufficient to board. Our prepaid HAL Excursions were also lost and we were asked to provide proof that we had purchased them. The credit card information we had supplied for each stateroom was also lost.
After our boarding debacle and subsequent “glitches” [HAL’s word] over the next two days we inquired about some type of compensation. We weren’t looking for a free cruise just some expression to let us know that they understood what we had encountered and how it affected our attitude toward the Holland-America Line. Their expression was a small dish of candies in Saran Wrap.
Some changes I have noticed are also worth mentioning. In the Lido dining room one can avoid the formality of a fancy restaurant for a casual “cafeteria” setting. The choice of food is good and set up in stations one can move through or skip according to appetite. They have decided to do away with trays. Unless you are gifted with more than tow arms like an exotic deity you must fill your salad plate, take it to your table, fill you entree plate, take it to the table, select your beverages, take them to the table, select your dessert, take it to the table and select your bread and starters and take them to the table. You do work up a good appetite but, really! Not new but also quite annoying is that carbonated beverages cost extra. You can by a “soda” card [20 for $18.00] but it is only good on glasses of soda, usually ¾-filled with ice. A whole can of Coke costs the same as the Frigo-Bar. They don’t sell enough alcohol that they need to supplement the coffers with high fructose corn syrup? I remember on the Rotterdam that the dessert display was the first thing you saw when you entered the Lido Restaurant. It is now delegated a to a small refrigerated case by the ice cream machines [which are often on the fritz].
There are no more coin-op laundry facilities. You can wash your stuff in the sink or use their service. Socks, undershorts or panties are $2.00 a pair. Shirts and blouses are $3.50; slacks $4.00. Is this high? I have not used a laundry service before but it seems high. They do have package options but they don’t include dry-cleaning or express service. On the plus side, their robes [quite comfortable and available in many sizes [even mine] are only $49.00 if you would like to purchase one.
Lastly, I fear that HAL is now marketing to the Families-with-Out-of-Control- Kids demographic. It used to be a line that you could be fairly certain would not be over-run by undisciplined children running roughshod in the dining rooms, hallways, library and stairwells. It’s beginning to resemble a Disney or Carnival Caribbean cruise. We are now docked in Barcelona and I am looking out the window at Montjuic. A wonderful day is in store.

Saint Paul de Vence

After waking at 5AM and looking to the BowCam for any sight of land I showered and grabbed the camera and computer and headed for cyberland to wait for the sun to come up. About 6:15 the sky behind the ship was a rich pink and lights were appearing off the port side. There is a new pier in Monte Carlo but they were setting up a fireworks barge and we had to drop anchor off shore. A flotilla of tenders carried everyone to shore where we contracted with a taxi to take us to Saint Paul de Vence. We had originally planned a HAL excursion but found out it would be returning to the ship at 12 or 12:30PM and our reservation at L’Colombe D’Or was for noon. Gerard Fontaine picked us up at the pier within 5 minutes of calling him. He was driving a new Mercedes crossover that I had not seen before. It was very comfortable and got us to St. Paul in under an hour. I took his number to call him when we wanted to return. The drive was charming and picaresque but hardly prepared us for the beauty of St. Paul. We passed a small dirt plaza where older gentlemen were playing petanque. We watched for a while then headed into the village. We walked up through an ancient gate to an artistically cobbled road that was wide enough for small car but certainly nothing larger. Most of the shops were galleries of modern art and most of it wasn’t very sophisticated. Picasso, Leger, Miro and Chagall must be turning over in their graves at what now passes for fine art. But nothing could sully the beauty of this place. The first thing Dotty said when we started to climb into the village was “I could live here.” It must be a sentiment that gets echoed in these corridors 100s of times a day. After an hour of sightseeing and people watching we headed to the restaurant. We were seated under a lime tree with a view down the valley. The menus were huge Chagall-esque affairs with everything a bright crayola French. We ordered the fresh crudités and the hors d'oeuvre. What arrived at the table was a basket of fresh produce [radishes, celery, beets, zucchini, etc.]; it was accompanied by a terrine of pate, olives, bread, anchovy sauce and hard-boiled eggs. It was enough food for 8. The hors d'oeuvre consisted on 14 ramekins filled with the most incredible and varied treats. We had deep fried anchovies, red cabbage “slaw,” Sautéed mushrooms, blood sausage, marinated fish, stewed fish, saffron rice with peas, corn and bell pepper, huge white beans, garbanzos, lightly oiled and grilled sun-dried tomatoes, green cabbage “slaw,” Tiny stuffed and baked zucchini, lentils, and I guess one more I can’t remember. I had a wonderful sole with a dijonaise, Jim & Dotty both had steaks, Craig Had shrimp and an enormous mixed green salad that must have had 3 sliced tomatoes… not 3 slices but 3 tomatoes, sliced. We washed it down with the house Rose that was perfection. We called another cabbie, Daniel, one of 2 in St. P dV and rode back to the ship. BTW, one never asks for a cab in Italy, France or Monaco. They don’t seem to know the word. It is taxi and only taxi. The fare is pretty steep on the Cote d’Azur… 120 Euros each way. The standard fare listed at the port to go to St.PdV was 130 Euros. Tomorrow is a restful day at sea.

Lucca

Monte Carlo, the most densely populated city in the world at 42,000psm, lies just off the bow. It’s 6:20AM and I can’t figure out why people are still in bed. Yesterday morning we met our driver at 9AM and headed out of Livorno. Tony is 28, boyishly handsome and speaks “4 languages… well actually 5 if you count Rumanian” which is his native tongue. As a high school student he started learning German, English, French and Italian. He moved to Rome and after awhile started driving for one of the larger agencies that cover shore excursions and private tours. We drove through the Tuscan landscape with it’s “umbrella” pines and varied agriculture. With the backdrop of the Apennines we entered the “new” city of Lucca. It was a bit of a surprise as I pictured the old city to be perched above the valley. There is a lot of sprawl and it looks like any other city… until you get to the walls. Old Lucca has very limited motor traffic so we were able to stroll the streets with little threat of being run down, a refreshing departure for our 4 days in Rome. The ancient city is quite small and we managed to circumnavigate it in about 2.5 hours. Narrow, cobbled streets connect piazzas about every 2 blocks. Each piazza has at least one church; many have 2 and even 3. Piazza Napoleone is the largest and offers a grove of shady trees at its center. A short walk north brought us to Piazza San Michele, larger and more impressive than Il Duomo [San Martino] but very similar in style and décor. The white marble façade is accented with tiers of multicolored marble columns. Each column or at least each flanking pair of columns were carved, twisted or inlaid with various contrasting marble. San Michele has a bell tower like San Martino but it is completely covered in white marble; San Martino’s, only the top. San Salvatore was the next piazza over then we headed east to L’Anfiteatro, a grand circular piazza surrounded by 3, 4 and 5 story buildings squeezed together and painted a soft yellow to a rich butter color. Several arches provided access and egress. We then came upon the Torre Guigni with it’s oak trees [one is over 150 years old] growing like a wild head of hair at the very top. My companions declined the opportunity to climb its 230 steps and I graciously accepted that decision. We then headed to the botanical gardens for a quiet sit-down. Tony picked us up and we headed to lunch. THEY DON’T SERVE PIZZA UNTIL THE EVENING! What kind of world is this? Our approach to Pisa took us down a tree-lined avenue that was also line with a variety of genus prostitutiensis. They all looked of the female persuasion but we learned from our guide that they were at least half “half.” About every 100m or so there would be one sitting in a chair [lawn chair, office chair, stool, you name it] offering the passers-by their wares. Pisa was a quick stop. We were let off next to the tower, did our photo thing, wandered for another 30 minutes, returned to our car and headed back to the ship. Tomorrow, Monte Carlo and Saint Paul de Vence.

The Vatican

Maria met us at our hotel at 1:45PM and we walked to the Vatican. The entrance, not 5 minutes from our hotel is through a massive ancient wall. Once inside, it’s the 21st Century. We visited the garden briefly and then entered the carriage house. This new addition to the Vatican Museums contains Pope-mobiles, limousines, Jeeps, carriages, wagons and those ornate enclosed chairs carried on the shoulders of slaves. I forget the name. Many of the carriages [probably 30 in total] are no less impressive that the royal carriages we see used for state pomp in England. We then headed to the painting galleries; the Vatican’s only Caravaggio is there. After a feast of Giotto, Fra Angelico, Fra Lippi, an un-finished Da Vinci, and the magnificent Caravaggio we entered the sculpture galleries. One of the galleries is the Hall of 1000 Heads and contains centuries of hairstyles and nose jobs. After touring the galleries we entered the basilica. The Pieta, even deep inside an impenetrable plexi-glass chamber is the most amazing sculpture I have ever seen. And he did it when he was 23 years old. The apse of St. Peter’s is impressive. Bernini’s towering canopy beneath the dome, the ornate altars at every turn, the gold leaf everywhere and the incredible stone floor testify to the power the Vatican hold over so many. We then went outside to the piazza. Maria told us that during the election of a new Pope the Piazza overflows down the Via to the Castel Sant’Angelo, similar to the spectacle of Obama’s inaugeration. We left Maria at the Vatican and walked down to the river to take a boat tour of the Tiber. After that we headed back to Prati and the restaurant we ate at the night before.

Embarkation Day

It’s 8AM and Craig and I are repacked and ready to go. I am up-loading yesterday’s photos to the on-line Gallery. There were so many I did not edit very carefully and there will be many that should not see the light of day but... They have been uploading for almost an hour now. It is almost entirely of the Vatican but we have some of a river [Tiber] cruise and a couple of “people pictures.” Perhaps on a lazy day at sea I will get around to editing. Off to Civitavecchia. I was going to write about the Vatican visit but circumstances have changed I should get this negative item off so I can get back on to the pleasantries.
We arrived at the pier at 11:30AM, our bags were carted off to the ship and we got in line to board. We had with us our fancy blue silk jacquard Holland-America packages, our “Signature” easy-boarding/on-line check-in forms, passports etc. We sidled up to the desk and were greeted with “I’m sorry, you are not booked on the cruise. Stifling the urge to pull the attendant across the table and clean his clock, I told him how ridiculous that was given what I had shown him. He backed off with “Well, you are not in the computer.” After a while and several consulting dimwits they decided that they must be wrong and provided us with room keys and access to the ship. Once aboard we discovered that our staterooms were not ready. This is not unusual as they, just hours before, were occupied by cruisers disembarking in Rome. We retired to the lido Deck for lunch and drinks. It was announced that our rooms were ready and we headed down. The keys did not work. Indeed half the keys in our section didn’t. I went down to the main deck and got replacement keys. They worked. Our luggage arrived and we started to unpack. We had our lifeboat drill [nothing has changed since the last account of this “separate-the-worthless-jerks-from-the-good-people” exercise] and made mental note of passengers to avoid. While we were resting before dinner I waltzed indignantly down to the front office to complain, inquire and follow up. We were still “phantom” guests. Our credit cards were screwed up, they had no record of the three excursions we had booked and they could not offer any explanation other than they had two computer up-grades, recently… really? Upgrades? Our situation was shared with 22 others.
We had a lovely dinner! Appetizers included assorted crostini and seafood ceviche. We had a cold rhubarb soup spiced up with a touch of cinnamon. It was praised ‘round the table. My entrée was a “basa filet” with asparagus and brown rice; Jim and Dotty had prime rib and Craig had salmon. It was all as good as it gets. Things have turned for the good. Dessert was Sherry Trifle, Berry Dream [a custard and mixed berry tart] and a chocolate[!] pudding. There were about a half dozen other offerings but we settled on these. With dinner we tried the bottle of Swiss wine we had received in Zurich and it stood up admirably. We took in the stage show on the way back to our rooms. It turned out to be a short, silly “get-acquainted” variety show with embarrassing audience participation games. Just before going to sleep I signed up for Internet access and will post this as soon as I get a good signal. We are in Livorno about to go to Lucca and Pisa.

6 August, 4AM

4AM checking in… My room is on the front of the hotel and a pretty busy street. The window is double paned and shuts out the noise quite well. I have it open now and can listen to the neighborhood getting its first morning stretch. The only traffic are trucks, which are surprisingly less annoying noise than the scooters later in the day. The sheer number is amazing. From my window I can count over 75 parked scooters. That is within a city block. Today we will walk to the Vatican for our tour with Maria at 2PM. We took a taxi back from the Pantheon last night and drove in front of St. Peter’s. It’s an impressive space but strangely smaller than I imagined. BTW, the Taxi was only 6,90 Euros, which surprised me. I was expecting 30 or even 40 from some of the info that’s been provided. It’s the same the world over; taxi drivers easily and often rip off tourists. We took a much shorter ride [half the distance] and were charged 8 Euros by a driver who feigned ignorance of English but knew enough to tell us his meter was broken. I wonder if there is an international organization for taxi drivers who might address this phenomenon. Will check it out when I have absolutely nothing else to do. My new mantra.

Five August

It’s 7:30AM at Il Gattopardo and no one is up yet. I guess alarm clocks don’t work when you are on vacation. We have our guide coming at 9AM to give us a comprehensive tour of the city. We will be taking taxis between sites as Maria says that is the most convenient and least expensive aside from renting a car. You won’t find me driving in this city any time soon. I am very confident of my skills as a driver but I lack the daredevil bravado required for this environment. One needs plenty of that to be a pedestrian. Maria arrived on time and we were off on the Metro. We took the A [Red] line across the Tiber to the Termini station and switched to the B [Blue] line and exited at the Coliseum. Our first stop was the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains. It is one of Rome’s oldest built in 440 and it houses Michelangelo’s incredible Moses. Also on view in a little glass box is the oldest version of the magician’s “two-chain-lengths-into-one” trick. It is said that the chains that bound St. Peter in Jerusalem were brought to Rome as a gift and placed with the chains that held him in prison here. They fused into one length with not so much as a “nothing up my sleeve.” Historically they have miraculous powers and a huge painting [c.1700] shows one such casting out of demons adorns the ceiling of the nave. We then walked down the hill to the Forum. This place is archeology heaven. Indeed Rome is. The ongoing excavations are revealing more and more of the cities 3500-year history. Imagine, only 2500 years after God created all this, Bronze Age visionaries established the real estate possibilities of this belly button of the world. In various parts of this “dig” one can see back through the ages and the seven or so layers that have been uncovered. Even today when a municipal project is started any digging is supervised to preserve what ever might be turned up. Something usually does turn up. Today we saw the torso of a horse, actually the main body of an equestrian statue that was unearthed at the base of the Coliseum as it was being cleaned up for a celebration. Archeologists are quite sure they will find the remainder of the statue and establish its personage and/or origins. They have also found one of its hooves. It is on display in the Coliseum. We had purchased tickets at the entrance of the Forum, which was a good idea as the ticket includes admission to the Coliseum. We approached the entrance, which was jammed with tourists waiting in line to buy their admission. We waltzed along side of them and into the great arena with out a moments wait. Nice job, Maria. BTW, Maria is a wonderful guide, one of about 1000 in Rome who are authorized/licensed to show you around. She lives not far from our hotel and knows our neighborhood quite well. She told us we could not have made a better choice for dinner last night. After walking for another hour or so we decided to call it quits for the tour and return to Prati and a lie down. That was about 2PM. It’s now 5:10 and I am craving Pizza! I will see if I can rouse the rest of the group and scout out a good brick oven.

Correction

My computer is still on your time so my posts are all dated 10 hours earlier than I actually posted them here. I will try to readjust the calendar when I have absolutely nothing else to do!

Wednesday in Roma

So far, so great!
In 1989 Angelo Croce bought and old one-room tavern near the corner of Via G. Bettolo and Via S. Saint Bon. It was originally a post WWI hangout serving basic lunches and dinners as well as wine and spirits. Angelo expanded it to take up the corner storefronts and christened it Osteria dell’Angelo. An osteria is a neighborhood bar-restaurant, which in large cities caters primarily to locals. Today he operates this family restaurant with his son Carrado and daughter Marta. We had reservations for 8:30 [20:30 for the international set] and were seated at the last out-door table. The pranzo menu was Presso fisso for 25 Euros “se magna o non se magna.” Coffee and beverages are extra. The antipasto consisted of oiled toast, mini salamis, beans and a subtle spread that could have been composed of tuna, white beans, hummus, etc.; we could not figure it out. We will ask next time we go and we will go again. The pasta course offered 4 choices with two rigatoni, one spaghetti and one fettuccine. This was followed by a choice of meatball, rabbit, ox-tail and at least one other. Insalata included mixed greens, bean salad and some others. The dessert was a little, hard doughnut flavored with pistachio and amaretto. We had the house red which was served chilled but warmed up in the warm Roman night air. It was a nice low alcohol, dry, fruit-forward delight at 8 Euros a litre. As usual the Walters charmed the pants off the proprietors and we were comped a ½ litre of their dessert red. Carrado [the son] described it a sweet but I detected only the slightest hint of sweetness. It was perfect with the little cookies/doughnuts. We were the only tourists there and it seemed that everyone, even the passers-by, new and loved Angelo and his family. We were treated at least as well as the regulars. Our tab was 116 Euros which included 1½ litres of wine, 3 bottles of water and two espressos. Everyone has been telling me about the quality of coffee in Roma and I agree! It is as if I have been drinking a cheap imitation for the last 45 years. It’s 11PM and we just got home [oops; I mean back to our hotel]. We started the day [?] at about 2:30PM with a walk to Hadrian’s Tomb, AKA Castel Sant’Angelo. We walked along the Tiber to the Palazzo di Giustizia which is a pompously ornate “hall of justice” that virtually everyone scorns. It was built between 1889 and 1910 to “right the injustices of Papal rule, and the best insult I have heard is that it may collapse under it’s own weight. We had lunch at Dal Toscano, a popular Tuscan eatery near our hotel. I thought it was fine particularly as the pasta is served al dente as I remember al dent from growing up amidst Italians in Connecticut. I can’t think of anywhere that they do real al dente in Healdsburg other than the old Felix and Louie’s and I always heard complaints that they served their pasta undercooked. I am full [fat?] and happy… and ready for bed. I will get some photos up on line soon.

Refinements and...

My first espresso, and the absence of my companions propel me to return to my beloved computer. I will continue with my qualifying follow-ups and fill ins. The flight to Frankfurt from Chicago was in a 777 [2-2-2] in Business Class. The food was forgettable and even more so by the frequent ingestion of alcoholic beverages. Mikey can drink this month and the champagne flowed freely. The movies offered on this flight, indeed the entire entertainment package, made me realize how little I know of the “real” world. You could not pay me to watch these movies and the television/in-flight network selections [has this been going on for some time?] were.., old? From prime-time in some parallel universe? Meant to put you to sleep? Well, my noise-canceling headphones were a good investment and the intermittent lumbar massage control on the seat provided enough comfort to get me through the long haul. The Swiss Air to Zurich was a small Avro RJ85/100 with no discernible division between First, Business and Coach. The flight attendant merely offered food and beverage to the first three rows and returned to the galley. The flight was only 45 minutes. Landing in Zurich at the onset of a light rain colored the landscape in rich dark hues. It was lushly wooded with breaths of condensing moisture lifting from the trees. The land was sparsely cultivated and the towns were all small with perfect red rooftops and tight uniform streets and intersections. It all looked so perfect that the aerial introduction sufficed. Is there an underbelly in Switzerland? Do the cities have slums? Are there any homeless? My first encounter with this land of Watches and Chocolate revealed only what a good PR firm would want revealed. Zurich to Rome was on an Air Bus 320 [3-3] and I have already told you about that delightful experience. On the ride to the hotel in Roma I saw a lot of Aixams. They are so like the Smart car you would not tell them apart. The name suggests someone came up with Maxia but that sounded too much like a Japanese model so “let’s spell it backwards. There are probably as many motor scooters as there are cars and one cannot watch the young couples “scooting” about without conjuring up visions of “Roman Holiday” and Audrey Hepburn in a starched white blouse and black capris. BTW, check out the trailer for Pedro Almodovar’s new film [Broken Embraces?] for a glimpse of his affection for Penelope Cruz and his claim that she embodies the essence of Ms. Hepburn. You will be blown away! Ciao, amici.