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 100th 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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