Our cruise is rapidly coming to an end. We visited Bari, Italy Wednesday and Kotor, Montenegro Thursday. Both are walled cities with their defensive walls intact. Both were interesting. Bari has the Stromboli volcano, which spits small amounts of lava several times a day. Two nearby villages simply ignore it. Here’s a pic.
A very good walking tour gave me more information about Montenegro. After Tito died, Yugoslavia broke up into six nations. Montenegro gained their independence in 2006, making it the newest and one of the smallest countries in Europe. A severe earthquake in 1979 is the did significant damage to the old town. The exteriors of the buildings have been repaired, but for many buildings, only the ground floor is useable. The don’t have the money to restore all of the old town.
Today is a sea day. Tomorrow we disembark and head for the airport in Athens. We are warned to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before flight. It seems that faulty automation has created long lines. Wish us luck!
We stopped at Corsica yesterday. Napolean was born on this island. Danita and I took the tourist train ride across the island. We had an earlier encounter with the Bonapartes. Napolean’s cousin moved to the US in the 18th century. He built his estate house off of Harford Rd, just a little south than our house in Kingsville. We were looking for a place to build our house. Bonaparte’s original house was still there, but and been abandoned long ago. One of the lots had a junky house trailer. The land was in a depression. It looked to me like an occasional flood might be an issue. Altogether, it was a lousy piece of property. We did well to hold out for something better.
Today we are in Civitavecchia, Italy. If you want visit Rome while on a crise, Civitavecchia is the jumping off port. It is neither easy or cheap. The transport to Rome is over an hour. Tour prices are through the roof. There are about 6 cruise ships all providing tourists to crowd around the famous roman sites. A huge portion of the passengers on our ship we to Rome. Just loading the buses took over an hour. Fortunately, Danita and I had a wonderful trip not long ago that included several days in Rome with Rick and Suzy. We had plenty of opportunity to study everything offered on the lunch buffet. The ship leaves port at 4:30, so everybody should be back for dinner.
Tomorrow is another sea day. I hope all are doing well.
We had two days in Barcelona. We dedicated Thursday to Gaudi and Friday to the old town.
Our first stop was Gaudi’s basilica, “Sagrada Familia” or “Holy Family”. Construction started in the 19th century. Now almost all of the construction is finished. We saw the church under construction when we were in Barcelona years ago. The difference is astonishing. It is billed as the tallest church in the world. That doesn’t do justice. Imagine standing on the floor, looking up, and seeing the ceiling more than 500 feet above. I have never experienced a church this large and open. On a sunny day, huge expanses of stained-glass windows bathe the interior with colored light. Here’s a picture you might not see on the web.
Our other stop Thursday was Guell Park. Gaudi intended this to be an exclusive community for the rich English. It included every comfort for the 18th century gentleman. Unfortunately, it was at the top of a hill that was too steep for horse buggies. It struggled to attract buyers and was finally killed off by WW I. Today it is a famous and well-loved park.
Friday we went to the original core of the city. We visited the cathedral, which is undergoing some critically important repairs. Here’s a pic from the roof of a mischievous monkey threatening to spit on Danita .
Then we visited the archeology museum to see ruins of the original city, with walls dating back to 500 BC. Here’s Danita discovering the 2500 year-old, church-owned, winery
We wanted to visit La Rambla, but our energy had been entirely drained by two days of walking in 90 degree heat. That’s too bad, because La Rambla is still an amazing place to visit.
Today we are enjoying a relaxing sea day. I hope this finds everybody doing well.
Last night was the big event. There were two shows – the eclipse and the people who wanted to see it. Holland America offered several talks about the eclipse. By far the most popular was offered by astrophysicist Dr. Adam Burgasser. He offered simple explanations to complex topics and did so with a solid dose of good humor. His first talk a few days ago was very well received. The auditorium was filled. His second talk was yesterday. Word of mouth brought a huge crowd. Every last theater seat was taken. Those who arrived on time found themselves standing in the aisle, packed shoulder to shoulder. When the sun is in total eclipse we can see the corona. There are several interesting features such as the ring of fire, devil’s horns, and others.
The captain did what he could to offer the best views to the most passengers. Word went out. Those on the starboard side would be able to watch the eclipse from their balconies. We are on the port side so we listened carefully to learn where we could get the best views. Half the way through Dr. Burgasser’s presentation, the crew announced the captain had changed his mind. Those on the port side could watch from their balconies. Good for us! (On a ship, there are only two rules. Rule 1: The captain is right. Rule 2: If the captain is wrong, refer to rule 1.)
The eclipse would start about 6:30 PM. We would get 90 seconds of totality. At 6:00 Danita and I scouted the public viewing area on deck 10. People were lined up almost shoulder to shoulder. They were equipped with anything from a pair of cardboard eclipse sunglasses to a tripod holding an elaborate sophisticated camera. The very best viewing was on deck 11, which was reserved for an amateur photographer group that had booked a block of rooms.
— A plentitude of passengers
Danita and I decided to watch from our balcony where we could enjoy the comfort of our deck chairs. This being our third eclipse, I had finally learned that I could not get an amazing picture with a smart phone camera. We would just relax and enjoy the experience.
The eclipse started promptly on time. Viewing conditions were good. The weather was hot and dry. We watched while the sun was slowly blocked by the moon’s shadow. As we approached 90% coverage, the temperature dropped. The breeze picked up. Our world approached twilight. Just before totality, a cloud covered the sun. The cloud stayed for the entire totality and left as the sun started coming back. We never saw the corona, the ring of fire, the devel’s horns, or any of the other intricate features Dr. Burgasser prepared us for.
As one passenger observed at breakfast this morning, “going fishing” and “catching fish” are not the same thing. Danita and I felt a little letdown, but overall we had a great time. Some other passengers had a harder time. (Including Dr. Burgasser). The next eclipse will also be in southern Spain. Totality will be 6 minutes – an incredibility long time. It’s for sure that Danita and I won’t be around to see it. We have other plans for our summer sojourn next year.
We docked in Lisbon last Sunday. We had already visited Lisbon, but we hadn’t seen the Penna Palace, so we got a Viator tour. The difference in the quality of the tour was astounding. When we were in Tangier, we took a Holland America tour with about 50 people in our bus. The guide pointed to something in a museum and said “This is old.” Literally. The Viator tour had 7 people. The guide knew everything. Even with a great guide, I missed the symbology of the decorations. Here’s a picture of the main gate. The decorations bring out the best of Christianity and Muslims. Here’s the pic. Decide for yourself if you see the symbology.
The other port we stopped at was Alicante, which we also visited on August 4. We decided to visit the archeology museum. The museum is very modern and slick. The explanatory text is available in two languages, neither of which is English. They had a temporary exhibit which was available in English, about pre-Columbian native Americans. The message was clear. Native people = good, White people = bad. We had a good time anyway.
Today, the height of the cruise, is another sea day. Today we get to see the solar eclipse. Viewing conditions should be good. Depending on the local winds, there’s an excellent chance that we will be able to view the eclipse from our balcony.
Our ship docked in Tangier. Our Viator tour was cancelled at the last minute, so we used one of the Holland America tours to visit Tetouan, about an hour bus ride away from Tangier. The walled part of town is a World Heritage site. We spent plenty of time walking on very narrow streets. Our guide said it is impossible for cars to drive downtown. Everything must be brough in by horse or donkey. Our guide should know since he lives there, however … I didn’t see any evidence of horse or donkey effluent, but I did see a few of these.
I was surprised by how square the buildings are in Tangier. It’s typical to see two cubes, one stacked above the other. Often the upper level is somewhat larger than the ground floor. I dub it the “small and tall” look. There are few buildings with curved surfaces. Flat roofs accentuate the look. We saw plenty of mosques. In the west, if there is a tall tower or chimney it will usually be circular. All the mosques I saw had tall towers that were square (with four sides). I was also surprised by how vibrant the city is. Often walled cities end up being turned into endless tourist trap stores. Tetouan is filled with micro businesses selling food, building supplies, toys, restaurants, and anything else the people living in the area might need. You would have to look closely to find a tourist coffee cup or refrigerator magnet.
Tomorrow is a sea day. Hopefully it will be completely inconsequential. I hope this finds everyone doing well.
Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, so of course there is a Picasso museum. I never knew this, but when Danita was young, she had a Picasso book. She spent so much time looking at it that she literally wore the book out. We weren’t planning on buying anything on this trip, but I couldn’t resist getting my lovely wife a new Picasso book. I learned that Picasso worked with a wide variety of media. Here is a vase, purposely broken by the great man himself. The great surprise (for us) is that the museum was built on top of history that stretches back to the 6th century BC. When they built the art museum building, they preserved ancient walls, artifacts and such in the basement of the building. It was quite interesting.
— Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth. – Pablo Picasso
After a delicious lunch, we visited the bull ring. The bull fights start in a couple of weeks. Workers were cleaning, painting, and generally getting things ready. Here’s a picture of the matador’s chapel.
— Before entering the ring say a prayer, just in case.
Our first stop was Ibiza. This island is known for it’s beaches and bars. There being nothing of interest for us, we used this as a relaxing “do nothing” day.
Today we stopped in Alicante. We took a 45 minute bus ride to Castello. We saw churches and castles. The most interesting thing that happened occurred in the wee hours of the pre-dawn day. Our ship encountered a boat holding 13 people that was declaring an emergency distress. We hung around until the Spanish authorities could take over. We got into port late so we are leaving late. Those people who like to drink cheap alcohol will be able to visit local bars until 10:30 tonight.
The even more interesting event is this evening’s dinner. This is a formal night. That means we can get escargot for our appetizer. It’s a bread dipper’s dream. Lots of garlic butter. Yummmmm!
… You can order an espresso, sit at an outdoor table, and make up stories about people you seepassing by.
… You can visit an intriguing museum, such as the museum of musical instruments. Listen to the audio guide. Admire some very old and some not-so-old examples of music making.
… Stop at a corner sandwich shop. Your sandwich will have an interesting and tasty mix of textures and flavors. Miles ahead of Jersey Mike’s.
Have a wonderful hotel breakfast. Bite into a powdered sugar coated croissant and find it has a chocolate cream filled center.
… Board the cruise ship. Let the taxi driver worry about how to get around all the closed roads and detours.
I don’t usually write about the future, but this week it’s too good to keep.
Our condo decided that our balconies need significant attention. The crews are doing two hoses at a time. We are the second house. They started out full of vim and vigor early Thursday morning. The hope was that the work would take one day. The crew supervisor told me it would be at least a day and a half. So far, after two days of work, our balcony is still not done. It’s safe to say our balcony should be done sometime Monday. Fortunately we have the key to Mark’s car. We moved it well out of the construction zone.
Tonight we have a neighborhood concert plus snacks. The musical duo comes with great reviews. We’re looking forward to it. If this follows the precedents of earlier events we have had, the snacks will be substantial enough to provide our dinner.
Moving ahead to Thursday, Charlestown (where Mom lives) is having a hamburger cookout luncheon. Both Danita and I plan to enjoy the cookout with Mom.
The very next day Danita and I will get on the airplane and fly to Chicago, then switch planes to go to Barcelona. We’ll wonder around Barcelona for a couple of days, then get on the cruise ship. We’ll have three weeks of cruising. With free laundry! Woo hoo!
So … altogether it’s a lot of excitement. The best thing is that we were home when the crew was working on our house. The crew is pretty good. The say it is OK to leave a car in the driveway. But I felt better getting our cars far away from any potential drops.
