Month: May 2017

By the time I woke up on Thursday morning, we were already docked. My trip was over. What was left was for me to wait my turn to get off the ship, get on the bus and get to the airport. There was no reason to try to get off early because my bus was at a certain time and was pre-arranged. All I had to do was get my luggage that had been off-loaded for me and get on the bus.  Luggage was arranged in groups and everyone had been given a group number. I went to that area, found my luggage and got on the bus.

The bus was not crowded but the ride was about an hour and one-half. After leaving the port area, there was one major thing that could be seen from the bus as we headed out of Civitavecchia, Forte Michelangelo . The same

Michelangelo, the artist who painted the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, designed a fortress to protect Civitavecchia from pirates. It was built in 1537 to protect the harbor.

As we traveled, there was the opportunity to see the countryside including several farms and small villages. It was so serene and beautiful. I kept thinking of how nice it would be to come back to visit some of the cities and towns in Italy and France again. I had already decided to put Barcelona and Sagrada Família on my bucket list, especially since the major portion of the church is to be finished in 2026, the 100^th anniversary of Antonio Gaudi’s death. That is only about ten years away.

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We arrived at the airport with TOO much time to spare. It was rainy and the airport was packed. There were long lines at the Alitalia counter because planes from the previous day, going to the U.S. and particularly Boston, had been cancelled. There were plenty of upset and angry people. Eventually, I got through the line and through the security check with only about three hours left until departure.

I ate, I daydreamed and looked out the window to see an Aeroflot plane. (That is

the Russian national airline). I people watched. I saw something else quite fascinating because my departure gate was near the departure gate for Saudia Airline. There were many Middle Eastern women, assumedly Muslim, dressed in traditional hijabs, some with faces nearly covered to faces uncovered but heads covered. Several of the men with these women, mostly younger men in the 20’s and 30’s, were dressed like they were from the inner cities of Chicago, L.A. or New York. Many were wearing shorts that were sagging at the butt or jeans that were hanging. They were wearing Nike, Reebok or Adidas sneakers and baseball caps backwards or cocked to the side. I was simply amazed. The so-called urban, hip-hop look has even penetrated the supposedly conservative Muslim culture. I was in Rome, Italy and these guys, with women in hijabs, were waiting to board Saudia Airline. I had to smile and chuckle. I also felt a little sad and angry that these guys felt the freedom to dress that way but their wives, sisters and mothers had to be covered up or risk being stoned or burned alive if they dressed in the female version of their guys.

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Well the rest of the trip home was pretty boring. We boarded and shortly afterward, dinner was served. There was a salad with little tiny bottles of salad dressing. There was an entrée with vegetable and a dessert. The flatware was metal and not plastic. Soft drinks and water were complimentary. Because I was fortunate enough to be in premium economy, (better than economy or coach, not as expensive as business class and way cheaper than first class), I was in a comfortable seat, (three seats across in the middle section instead of four) with plenty of leg room (6 to 7 inches more than economy leg room) with my pillow and blankey. I was able to check TWO pieces of luggage without additional expense with priority check in and boarding. All seats had television but I had a few more selections than regular economy. With the exception of Delta, no American airlines, (not American Airlines) have premium economy. The foreign airlines do. I truly recommend it. After an eight hour non-stop flight, I arrived in Boston.

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This was only my second cruise and my first trip to Europe. First the cruise.

I think a cruise is a pretty efficient way to travel. Though the average cabin is not very large, one gets the equivalent of a 4-star room I would say. I had a king sized bed, desk area, small sofa, flat panel television on the wall, mini-fridge, nice bathroom with shower and a balcony with two chairs and table overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. There were two built-in closets for clothing, one with a safe. There was also drawer space for other things. Meals are included so with dinner I could have as many desserts as I wanted. Soda, bottled water and alcohol are NOT included. Once on the ship, I did not have to move my things and I got to sleep in the same bed every night for seven nights though one day I awoke in Naples and able to travel to Sorrento and Amalfi. Another day I was on the island of Mallorca, in a different country, able to explore the town of Palma. The next day I was on the Spanish mainland exploring Barcelona. The following day, I arrived in Marseille and traveling to Aix. My hotel followed me.  Entertainment included two Broadway-type shows, two ice shows and a water show. There was a magician, a comedian, night club music and dancing. There was Latin music and dancing and a Jazz group. There were pools, waterslides and giant sliding board. There were karaoke and trivia contests. There were movies, an arcade and all the soft ice cream/frozen yogurt you could possibly eat from 11AM to 9PM. In addition to meals, I could have all the pizza I could eat from 11AM until 2AM. Room service was free except after midnight when it cost about $2. The shore excursions did cost extra but the tour guides were worth it. Sorrento/Amalfi had lunch included as did Aix.  All in all, it is worth to NOT have to move my stuff several times in one week.

Europe was amazing. While in Rome, a private tour guide was able to get me into the Vatican one hour earlier than the general public. European history is so much older than the American history that we know about. The tour guide told me that new is anything after 1600. The walls around the Vatican were built in the 800’s. The Pantheon in Rome was built in 125 A.D.  Columbus discovered the islands in the Caribbean in 1492. The Spanish began some early colonization of America in the 1500’s. The British began permanent colonization of America in the 1600’s after the failed attempt at Roanoke in the late 1500’s. The architecture, the sculptures, the mosaics, the paintings in Europe is simply incredible.

In closing for this trip, I recommend without reservation visiting southern Europe and the Mediterranean. I also recommend the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas, now plying the waters of the Caribbean.

 

the-wandering-doc

                                         NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST

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Today is Wednesday, the 7^th day of the cruise. Unfortunately we were still in port at Marseille, on the ship. We were to have traveled to La Spezia last evening and should have had the opportunity to travel to Florence today. We were still there because of the accident the day before, injuring four crew people and killing one. So sad because a family has lost someone that was trying to support the family financially. Also, they will not have that person in their lives forever.

For the passengers, we will miss an opportunity to see La Spezia and Florence. That is nothing compared to losing someone. Today will be like a day at sea but actually in port, a least until the ship is released and it is still unclear when that was to be. There was still a full slate of activities that would have been going on whether we had traveled or not, except for the shore excursions.

I attempted to go to breakfast at the Windjammer at 9:30AM. Not. Everyone was there. There was no place to sit so I grabbed a couple of things and went out onto the deck. I ended up sitting in a covered area because it was cloudy. After breakfast, I decided to just stroll around the ship to see if there were things that I had missed. After walking around a bit, I decided to go back to my cabin to check on the activities schedule. There were plenty of activities on the ship. There was always Flow rider or the climbing wall, neither of which I had done on the ship. I had done wall climbing before and was considering it. I also had not done the Ultimate Abyss slide or the Perfect Storm waterslides. Morning special activities included two trivia contests, a Sudoku challenge and a Zumba class. Afternoon activities included a puzzle challenge, the movie Frozen on deck 14 and Star Wars – The Force Awakens in 3-D in the Royal Theater. There was also a family karaoke, The Lego Movie, a scavenger hunt, 90’s dance class, Beatles trivia and an adult football tournament. There were several other activities but I opted for The Force Awakens.

Unfortunately there was no popcorn but I had my large cup of soda and a very comfy seat. At about 2PM, about half way through the movie, they announced that the ship had been released and would head directly back to Civitavecchia with an expected arrival time of 7AM, Thursday morning, just in time. Well it was good to know that we would be getting back because I am sure that most people getting off in Civitavecchia had flights scheduled by Thursday afternoon at the latest. I was going to be all right because my flight from Rome was not until 3PM and the bus would take me directly to the airport. After the movie, I decided to take a nap before dinner.

By 6PM, the dinner line was long. I also found out that somehow my dinner reservation had not been made as I had requested and I did not want to wait in line. I decided to wait an hour and return for dinner. During that time, I decided to look into some future cruises. I knew that the ship would be moving to the Caribbean late October-early November. I thought that it would be fun to try the same ship on a different itinerary, in a different ocean. I also wanted my sister and her husband to give cruising a try, especially since my sister had chickened out on this voyage. Additionally, future cruises scheduled during a cruise were given a 30% discount and $100 per cabin on-board credit with a $100 per cabin deposit. I saw no downside. At worst, we cancelled and I would get the deposit back. At best, we get a good discount and go on a cruise. They have lots of specials and sales but this way, I did not have to keep looking for a sale.

After making the reservations, I decided to give dinner another try. No luck at 7 or even 8:00. At that point, I decided to grab pizza and pack. The evening and night was packed with activities including an ice show, a couple of movies, and music and dance parties until late. Night club at The Attic did not start until 11PM, as did Caribbean music on deck 5 and Latin music and dancing at Bolero’s. It was the last night of the cruise for many and there was no shortage of things to do on the last night. I decided to just relax and get prepared for a long day of travel.

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The cruise had been quite enjoyable. There was tons of stuff to do. On the cruise, I had been to Naples, Mallorca, Barcelona and Marseille with excursions to Sorrento, Amalfi, Palma on Mallorca and Aix-en-Provence. I was a little disappointed that we did not make it to La Spezia and Florence but the cruise line refunded the excursion fees and compensated us for not getting to La Spezia. All in all, the cruise and the crew had done a great job to entertain and take care of passengers. I was satisfied enough to book another cruise before getting off the boat. Royal Caribbean also owns Celebrity and Azamara Cruise lines. I hope to try Celebrity one of these days.

Tomorrow morning, we will be back in port.

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the-wandering-doc

Not all who wander are lost

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I am very excited and sad. This is already Tuesday, the sixth day of my cruise. In two days, I will back in Civitavecchia and heading back home. It has been an amazing trip so far. I have been on this incredible ship. I have finally made it to Europe and seeing the Mediterranean. I have been to Italy and Spain and today, I will see a tiny bit of France.

I have wanted to see France since I was 8 years old, back in the summer of 1969. That summer, I had gone to summer school and began learning French from a little older French lady. After that summer, I would see her again as my high school French teacher. Because she had immigrated to the U.S. as an adult, she spent as much time teaching about French culture as she did the language. Today, finally, after 47 years, I have arrived in France. Today the ship has docked in Marseille. Again, I have signed up for a shore excursion that goes to Aix-en-Provence and then back to Marseille.

On the bus, we headed out directly to the highway, heading to Aix. As we arrived into the center of Aix, at Place de la Rotonde, one cannot help but notice the incredible fountain, Fontaine de la Rotonde, built in the 1860’s. Another amazing

fountain. After the bus dropped us off, we began to walk through the town. It was a bright, warm, sunny day.

Aix-en-Provence

Aix is a beautiful little town of about 143,000, but seems much smaller and quaint. It is 19 miles north of Marseille. Aix is accessible by highway, bus and train. It was founded by the Romans in 123 B.C. The region of Provence, including Aix, became part of France in 1487. The first stop in Aix was the Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur.

Cathédrale Saint-Sauveur was built in the 12^th century. The main entryway has

beautiful carvings and statues with dark red doors. We entered the cathedral through a side door and came to the baptistery that was actually brought to the site from a 6^th century Christian church.

The main sanctuary of the church hosts what appears to be two large organs,

opposite each other. Actually one is an organ and the other is a false organ chest installed for symmetry. The organ was installed in 1750. The pulpit is beautifully carved dark wood. The alter area is adorn with pieces that appear to be more modern. There is lots of natural light from the five very large stained

glass windows. Like many other cathedrals, there are small side chapels with incredible carved statues. Like the cathedral in Mallorca, decoration is in the form of statues, carvings and paintings as opposed to frescos on the walls and ceilings.

 

After the cathedral, we walked through the streets of Aix, passing Musee du Vieil Aix (Museum of old Aix) which is housed is what was previously a private residence/mansion. Unfortunately, not enough time to visit. The streets were clean and most of the very old buildings, at least in the areas that we visited, appeared to be in good condition. There were many shops and restaurants. We walked until we came to the Hotel de Ville (town hall) that was diagonally from the town bibliotheque (library). It

happened that it was Tuesday and Tuesdays are market day in Aix and part of it takes place in the large square in front of the town hall and library.

This too was wonderful. There were many local vendors with fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, fresh flowers, cheeses, baked goods, fresh honey and locally made soaps, amongst the plethora of items. Vendors were friendly and helpful, allowing possible customers to try the wares. Other storefronts around the square included a boulangerie/patisserie (bakery). Being that this was my first trip to France, I had to try baked goods from a real French bakery. Everything in the shop looked marvelous. I settled on crème caramel (flan). It was very good. I would have liked to have bought croissants, fruit tartes and cakes but there were limits on what I could carry and I wanted to pick up a few gifts. This area of France is known for producing fragrances, especially lavender.

We moved onward to the Cours Mirabeau. This is a very wide boulevard with very wide sidewalks on each side. There are some private residences mixed in with shops and restaurants. Again it was market day and the sidewalks were packed with vendors selling clothing, leather goods, art, crafts, household items, to name a few things. After getting our bearings, we actually had a little free time to wander and shop before lunch. During our travels through town, we had passed a little shop, 1802 Le Chatelard—Senteurs de Provence, a fragrance shop, at 16 Rue Maréchal Foch, in Aix. They kind of specialize in lavender but have many scents. They sell essential oils, sprays, soaps, scented candles and other similar products. I decided to get a few gifts for my mother, sister and a few friends. The selection was quite large but I opted for lavender oil, lavender scented soap and five other different scented soaps. All are heavenly and will be enjoyed by those lucky enough to receive them as Christmas gifts.

Lunch was as a group at Bastide du Cours at 45-47 Cours Mirabeau, included with the excursion. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor dining. Outdoor

dining is shaded from the sun with mist-ers to keep you cool while you enjoy lunch and dessert while watching the people go by on Cours Mirabeau. It was a bright, sunny day with temperature in the high 70’s and a market day so people, residents and tourists, were out in force. Lunch was not exquisite, fine dining but was very good and filling, followed by a very good dessert and coffee. It is a café that I would eat at again without hesitation.

After lunch, we had more time to roam but were to meet up at the Apple Store

(yes, one of those freestanding modern glass stores) at the Place de la Rotonde. I wandered, taking in the shops and architecture. As I approached the meeting area from the opposite direction, I happened upon a park that had a

statue of Paul Cézanne, the artist. It turns out that he was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1839 and died there in 1906. I arrived at the Apple Store and sat out front, apparently losing track of time as people watched, enjoying the weather and sites. Suddenly a slightly flustered woman came up behind saying, “there you are, let’s go”. Turns out it was our tour guide and our bus had parked around the corner where I could not see it. Everyone managed to get there and on the bus, except me. I guess someone was watching over me otherwise I would now be “living” in Aix. Maybe not such a bad thing.

 

BACK TO MARSEILLE

We arrived back in Marseille and as we were coming off the highway, we could

see where many immigrants/refugees were living under and near the bridges, in makeshift camps. Not a pretty site but probably was better and safer than where at least some of them had come from.

Marseille is the second largest city in France with a population of 850,000. Marseille was the first Greek settlement in France dating back to about 600 BC. There were previous settlements in the area dating back to about 6000 BC (recently found during excavation near the railroad station) as well as the Cosquer Cave drawings (dating back to at least 19,000 BC) that indicate an even earlier settlement. Marseille was a major trading port in the 4^th century BC. Like many of the old Mediterranean cities and territories, control over Marseille changed many times. Marseille became part of Provence in 1481 and shortly after, united with France as did the rest of Provence. During World War II, Marseille was occupied by Nazi Germany from November 1942 until August 1944. It was liberated by French forces with limited support from the Americans.

The first stop in Marseille was the Old Port (le Vieux-Port) of Marseille. Around the marina are lots of wonderful old buildings including l’hôtel de ville de

Marseille (the city hall, built from 1653 to 1673) with stores and cafés (even a McDonald’s with outdoor seating), another beautiful church (Saint-Ferréol les Augustins) and the Grand Hôtel Beauvau (a hotel in a historic building, renovated in

2016). The marina is loaded with yachts and boats. There is a very large ferris wheel to ride (no time for this) and an incredible view of our last stop for the day—Notre Dame de la Garde. This cathedral is high on a hill overlooking the Old Port. The Old Port area is a great place to walk, people watch and of course, eat

at an outdoor café. It is reported that the sunsets are a must-see from the Old Port. Unfortunately, we would be back on the ship and heading toward La Spezia, Italy before the sunset that day.

As we traveled up the significantly steep hill/small mountain, to Notre Dame de la Garde, we passed through many wonderful neighborhoods before arriving at our destination. On the last portion of the drive, just before pulling onto the grounds of the cathedral, there was a World War II German tank at the roadside that had been there since the war.

Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde is just beautiful with a large area of surrounding grounds. It does NOT have city and neighborhoods wedged right up against it. It almost appears to be more monastery-like. The building is sand colored with dark green striping that is very appealing. There are a large number of steep steps leading up from the arrival points and parking areas to get up to the actual buildings but it was well worth it. The present basilica was built between 1853 and 1864 on the foundation of a 16^th century fort.

Around the base of the actual buildings is a plaza with incredible 360˚ views of Marseille. These views include the soccer stadium (Stade Velodrome), the

mountains, the city of Marseille, as well as the port (both the old port and the new port). At the entrance to the old port, one can see Fort Saint-Jean on the right and Fort Saint-Nicolas on the left. Outside the old port, in the Bay of Marseille is the Château d’If on the Island of If. It was built as a fortress built between

1524 and 1531. It was later used as a prison for political and religious prisoners.

On one exterior wall one can see contact damage that turns out to be from some type of gunfire directed at the cathedral during the occupation of Marseille during the second world war. A sign high on the wall noted that it occurred during the battle for the liberation of the town from August 15 to 25, 1944. That also explained the tank, to some degree, that was road side as we entered the grounds. It was left as a reminder of the siege that included the church. The tank seen at the entrance of the grounds was part of the battle at Notre Dame.

The cathedral consists of a crypt, an upper church and bell tower. High atop

the bell tower is a 37 foot tall golden sculpture of the Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus (Madonna and Child) with four angels heralding the birth of Christ with their trumpets. The

outdoor plaza has a sculpture titled Passion of Christ. There is also a sculpture of Christ on the cross.

The interior of the upper church is white and red marble in a striped pattern. The decoration is carved marble, statues and incredibly detailed mosaics on the ceilings and domes. Mosaic tile also decorates the floor of the upper church.

The alter area has a silver sculpture of the Virgin Mary and Child with an incredible half-dome with an intricate mosaic decoration. There are six side chapels devoted to six saints including Mary Magdelene and Saint Peter.

If one is in Marseille, Notre Dame de la Garde is a must.

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BACK AT THE SHIP

On arrival back on the ship, there was time for a little rest before dinner. During that time, there was a ship-wide announcement. Apparently during the day while in port, the ship’s crew had a life boat drill. Unfortunately four crew members were injured and had to be taken to a local hospital. Also one crew member died. Very unpleasant for crew and travelers alike. Crew members are on the ship usually for six to nine to twelve months at a time, away from their families, working long hours, to support their families. Additionally, because it happened while docked in Marseille, local authorities were required to investigate the accident so we would not be leaving to head to La Spezia and Florence that night. It was unclear how long the investigation would last and we would be on the ship in Marseille until at least the next morning (Wednesday). That night things seemed a bit subdued on the ship.

Dinner was again with Edmund and Lizette. My appetizer was goat cheese and tomato tart, another winner. I selected roasted lamb chops with beans and mashed potatoes as my entrée with a glass of white zinfandel to wash it down. Dessert was a dark chocolate brownie with toasted marshmallow and vanilla ice cream. Such a relaxing time with great service.

After dinner, I decided to go for it. Comedian Tony Marrese was in the Royal Theater that night. He was quite funny. It was more adult oriented than the magician but was reasonable for older teens. After his show, the Fine Line Aqua Show was on my list. The show had already started but I did get to see the tight rope walker and the high dive from about 55 feet above pool. The singing, dancing and swimming portion of the show was good too. I wish I had been there to see the whole show. Next time.

After the comedian and water show, I headed down to Jazz on Four for a little Swing Time Quartet and some wine. A very enjoyable and mellow way to end the evening.

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the-wandering-doc

                        Not all who wander are lost

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