Eternal Rome

We took a bus tour “Eternal Rome” which included four of Rome’s most famous landmarks:  Trevi fountain, the Roman Forum, the Colisseum, and St. Peter’s. 

The ship docked in Civitavecchia (Latin for “old city”).  Unlike previous ports where we were by ourselves, this time there were three other cruise ships.  That should have been a clue for what the day would be like.

Traffic was bumper to bumper once we got off the autostrada.   Bus traffic in Rome is limited to certain areas, so we got dropped off and walked to the other sites.   Luckily, this was the best weather we had in Italy, so walking was pleasant – although everyone had to pay “atenzione” to autos, scooters, and trucks going down streets that seemed barely wider than sidewalks.

There was a threat of a march by students opposing the current Italian government, so the police and Caribineri were all over… helicopters overhead, and water canons & armored personnel vehicles at the ready.

We saw the Italian tomb of the unknown soldiers at the base of the Victor Emmanuel Monument – a large white structure referred to by locals as “the wedding cake.”

church inside Roman columns

From street level we went down into the Forum and wandered through remnants of large temples and public buildings.  Since Romans tended to tear down and build on top of existing structures … or to recycle materials to build new ones, much of the area requires you to use a great deal of imagination to “see” what once stood there.

Our tour took us inside the Colisseum – something we were both looking forward to doing.  It is impressive.    Trivia for the day:  the term arena comes from the fact that sand covered the floor of the Colisseum – sand in Latin was arenas.

We lunched in an underground restaurant nearby, then walked back to an area where we could pick up the bus to go to the Vatican.  Due to a Wednesday morning papal audience, all tour groups were in the afternoon.  It gives new meaning to the word crowded… and pushy.  

Alesandro, our guide

Imagine trying to look at beautiful artwork with people stepping in front of you, elbowing you out of the way, and being downright rude.  Not fun!  

And to top it off, the place we were to meet up with our guide was the same sidewalk where Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises and Oceana Cruises told their groups to meet.  Chaos, Italian style.  

Tuscany

From the port of Livorno, we headed off to Tuscany.  We visited the walled city of Lucca, a medieval trading center that was the only city in Tuscany not controlled by Florence’s Medici family.  Once home to the silk trade, Lucca now focuses on leather, olive oil, banking and tourism.   It’s home to more than 100 churches and has a palace built by Napoleon’s sister.  It was also the birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini.

The highlight was seeing the Tintoretto painting, The Last Supper in the Duomo (cathedral).  Unlike the more famous one by Da Vinci, this painting is vertical, and it has a perspective that makes it unique.  No matter where you stand, the table appears to be aligned with your view.  They do not allow photos of it, and I’m not sure any photos would truly do justice to the artwork.

After lunch and shopping in Lucca, it was off to Pisa and the “Field of Miracles” – the Duomo, baptistry and, of course, the Leaning Tower.   The guide explained that the baptistry originally had no roof… the church only wanted the pure rainwater used for baptisms.  Thundershowers plagued us all afternoon -- Scott decided we should all feel pretty holy!  The Duomo was a mix of gothic and Moorish architecture and Carrera marble from the nearby Apenine Alps quarries that have produced some of the most famous statues in the world.

Years ago Scott had been in Livorno aboard the Detroit.  While he was ashore, a hurricane threatened and the ship left.  Scott and the others spent 5 days at an Army base waiting for the ship to come back.  On our way back to the port from Pisa, we went right past the base.  Small world!

Monaco

We started the day off right – with cappuccino made in our suite.  Scott is in coffee heaven!

It’s supposed to be the sunny Riviera… but somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature.  We arrived in Monte Carlo to grey skies and intermittent showers.   We moored at the edge of a large yacht basin in front of the Casino and Hotel d’Paris.  We tromped around in the rain a bit, and wound our way up the hill to the Casino.  A step inside to say we had been there was all we managed.  (They allow visitors, but we weren’t formally dressed – the prerequisite for getting into the main casino.)

The day finished with the Captain’s cocktail party in the courtyard – a private area on deck 14 shared by the courtyard and garden villas.  We met some of the other guests staying in penthouse suites and chatted with some of the ship’s officers while enjoying champagne and hors d’oeuvres!

Sailing

We arrived at the ship at noon, and were one of the lucky few whose cabins were ready on arrival.  We explored our new “digs” and declared them seaworthy.

Scott was happy to find a fully stocked bar and our own cappuccino machine.

We also had a bottle of champagne and Belgian chocolates waiting for us courtesy of the Captain… along with invitations to two special VIP parties.  Our travel agent had also sent a bottle of merlot, so we were in good shape.

 

We enjoyed lunch in the private dining room reserved for suite guests, then relaxed in the room. 

We sailed just before sunset.  The Spanish had a unique way of handling lines… with a pick up truck!

Off we go…

 Into the sunset.

Montjuic

view of Barcelona, with La Sagrada Familia cathedral 

We headed off on the metro to the neighborhood of Poble Sec, then climbed Montjuic Hill to get sweeping views of the city.  

The real goal was to reach Castell Monjuic, the fort atop the hill.  

view of the port from Castell Montjuic

When Scott visited Barcelona in 1976, he had reached the entrance to the fort, but didn’t get to go in.  (Then the fort was in the hands of Francisco Franco and not open to the public.  He was using it to house political prisoners and to hold military courts martial to get rid of enemies.)  Scott remembered the fort because one of the sailors stole the tri-cornered hat off a member of the Guardia Civil (the VERY serious police) outside the fort.  Not a smart move… La Guardia simply drove down the hill and waited for the sailor to show up at fleet landing trying to get back to his ship.

We explored the fort and the gardens, then walked back to the B&B stopping briefly at the most famous of the city’s many open-air markets.  La Boqueria is located just off the pedestrian boulevard called La Rambla which runs from the port area to Plaza Catalunya.  It’s a mix of meat, seafood, and vegetable stands, with restaurants thrown in… and wall to wall people!  Iberian hams were hung everywhere… still on the hoof!

Check out the mushrooms, Jill!

After a little siesta to recover from the hike up and down the hill, we finished off the day with dinner at FISHOP, a seafood restaurant where you pick your fish from the display and they grill it to order. 

Birthday Dinner

The guys at our B&B made reservations for us at Moncho’s Costa Gallego, a seafood restaurant located nearby on Passeig de Gracia, one of Barcelona’s trendy streets.   The sidewalks were crowded as we walked over… people were just finishing their days, the stores were still open, and it was a warm night.  Many of the restaurants had sidewalk tables out.

We dined “early” (9 pm)… enjoying a bottle of Cava (Spanish champagne) and a seafood paella. 

On the way back I got a picture Casa Battlo, one of the works of Barcelona’s most famous architect, Antonini Gaudi.   There were still lots of people on the streets at 11 pm.

The Trip Begins

After much anticipation and packing we are finally on our way. 

As you can see, "Business Elite" class on Delta has its perks... individual TV screens (but Scott´s didn´t work right), full size pillows, comforters, a goodie bag including slippers, eyeshade and beauty products.  We had a 4 course dinner including a seared ahi appetizer, crema de lechuga (cream of lettuce) soup, beef filet with Bernaise sauce and caramel tiramisu.  They were pouring a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Souverain merlot.  It´s a tough job, but somebody´s got to do it!





Found our B&B easily ... and immediately checked out the accommodations.  One of the guys who works there spent 15 years in New York working for AOL... small world, huh!

Barcino 147 gets the OK!

Ventured out this afternoon to try and retrace some of Scott´s steps from his last visit to Barcelona.  We wandered down the famous boulevard "Las Ramblas" to the Columbus statue at the port.  The port has changed significantly (a lot of construction was done prior to the 1992 Olympics), but we think we found the old fleet landing he remembered.  It was a gorgeous day (mid 70s), but the crowds and the jet lag from two nights of sleeping (make that not sleeping well) on planes caught up with us, so we came back for a siesta.  (A highly civilized way to face a big night on the town... nap away the afternoon!)

We´re off to a birthday dinner this evening at Moncho´s ... a seafood restaurant recommended by the owner of the B&B.  More to come...