This 14-day cruise went from east (Athens) to west (Barcelona) and then returned to Rome, visiting five countries and stopping at ten ports of call in total.
Santorini's famous blue domed white house scenery looked as stunning as when I last visited it nine years ago, but the seafood tasted even more delicious this time.
Two island cities I visited for the first time were pleasant surprises for me: Corfu off the western coast of Greece had a busy old town district by a peaceful, genteel seaside resort; Ibiza off the eastern coast of Spain was a beautiful bay surrounded by slopey but easy walking shops and residences and a fortress dating back to the Carthage era.
Two island cities I visited for the first time were pleasant surprises for me: Corfu off the western coast of Greece had a busy old town district by a peaceful, genteel seaside resort; Ibiza off the eastern coast of Spain was a beautiful bay surrounded by slopey but easy walking shops and residences and a fortress dating back to the Carthage era.
I experienced two audio entertainments in the city of Messina, Sicily: 1) The astronomical clock that featured lion roar, rooster crow, and salutation to the Madonna at twelve noon everyday, 2) A local tour guide sang a snippet of Italian opera at a gallery (shopping center) to demonstrate the place was built with great acoustic design in mind.
The Basilica de la Sagrada Família, the world's tallest church in Barcelona that started construction in 1882, finally finished its central high tower this past February that I climbed up to take a grand view of the city below.
The Basilica de la Sagrada Família, the world's tallest church in Barcelona that started construction in 1882, finally finished its central high tower this past February that I climbed up to take a grand view of the city below.
Not as panoramic, though, as the one taken from the top of the Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille that included some off-shore island where Château d'If, the dark prison where the protagonist in Alexandre Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo was framed and imprisoned.
Ajaccio is the capital city of Corsica, Napoleon's hometown. I visited his lonely monument up a little hill, while downtown the house where he was born, now a converted museum, was so lined up with tourists I decided not to bother.
Genoa was a maritime city-state power in northwestern Italy from the 11th to the 18th century. I visited the maritime museum (the largest one in the Mediterranean) that showed light, fast, and versatile galleys they built for warfare, transport, and trade.
Their merchants provided loans to the King of Spain to fund massive military expenditures. They would then wait at Spanish ports for the silver-laden ships returning from South America, immediately open the chests upon arrival to collect the King's debt in full, and use fast galleys to transport the silver back to Genoa, where local nobles would lend it out to other European royal families.
The Cinque Terre consisted of five small coastal towns in northwestern Italy, featuring beautiful cliffside trails, sandy beaches, fishing harbors, and delicious "fritto misto", fried small fish and shrimp wrapped in paper roll.
The Cinque Terre consisted of five small coastal towns in northwestern Italy, featuring beautiful cliffside trails, sandy beaches, fishing harbors, and delicious "fritto misto", fried small fish and shrimp wrapped in paper roll.
A Mid-Autumn full moon over the Mediterranean brings a perfect end to the journey.
This cruise was a reunion event for the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1976 of Taipei First Girls' High School, my wife's alma mater. A dedicated group of capable and passionate young sexagenarian ladies had put their heart and mind on its planning for over two years. Myriad of pre-trip notes, links and videos and zoom meetings, three on-board "variety shows" and two topical speeches, along with daily dining with my wife's old-time classmates and their tag-alongs like myself that I came to know and enjoy made this one a uniquely memorable cruise I've ever had!
This cruise was a reunion event for the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1976 of Taipei First Girls' High School, my wife's alma mater. A dedicated group of capable and passionate young sexagenarian ladies had put their heart and mind on its planning for over two years. Myriad of pre-trip notes, links and videos and zoom meetings, three on-board "variety shows" and two topical speeches, along with daily dining with my wife's old-time classmates and their tag-alongs like myself that I came to know and enjoy made this one a uniquely memorable cruise I've ever had!
