Cadiz Saturday 23rd May

Cortes statue 1812

Behind Cortes statue

Jacarandas behind the lock sculpture

The cathedral

The 5 metre tall monstrose

Ronalda's ecco huomo

The buskers near our table

A lovely spot for lunch ( and a birthday party)

One of the long and narrow streets in the shopping district

Many buildings have beautiful tiled foyers behind heavy studded wooden doors

Cadiz occupies a small peninsula in Spain with the Atlantic on three sides.  It was a fortified city and the old section is quite small and compact.  Its most striking feature is the incredibly long and narrow cobbled streets full of high street stores and what seemed like a disproportionate number of pharmacies.  Oh, and and there are lots of pubs too. 

There are four recommended strolls the visitor can take during the day  The longest follows the fortifications and the shortest takes in the political history of the area.  We ended up doing parts of the other two: the historical and the shippers' route, but weren't overly worried if we deviated from our leisurely and pleasantly shady walk.

Our first stop was the statue to Cortes which was erected in 1812.  It's a magnificent white stone statue, almost as elaborate at the back as it is from the front - but it's hard to feel any pleasure in it when you consider the havoc he and his men wreaked in South America.

There are other more modern statues near the port.  The most interesting one was a massive open padlock, with the hasp in the shape of a nib.

Our next stop was Cadiz Cathedral, which has an elegant white stone facade and two bell towers.   They hold multiple bells which give a carillon like chime on the hour.  It may have cost us 5Euro each to go in but the entry price included the audio guide and gave a lot of background information, so we didn't begrudge it.  Besides it was lovely and cool inside.  The floors are ornately mosaic'd marble and the ceilings have elaborate carvings.  There are nets suspended below some of these ceiling sculptures and fragments of 'stuff' have been caught in them- no doubt saving people from injury.

Inside we saw: the gorgeous religious statues, unusually carved by a female sculptor named Ronalda in the 1600s, the solid silver Monstrose (sp) - all 5 metres of it, and the crypt where the mummified remains of St Victoria are preserved under a wax mask, and the tomb of famous Spanish composer de Falla lies.

We stopped for a beer and would have liked to stay for tapas, but the absence of an English menu made it too hard.  So we wandered across the plaza to another bar (which did have a menu we could read) but chose the daily special anyway: a delightful lunch of freshly grilled fish and salad - and another beer.   With perfect timing, a busker arrived and played classical guitar music while we ate our bread with olive oil and vinegar.

We saw countless families promenading through the plaza during the Saturday afternoon and its very clear how important family is in Spain.  I indulged in a little people watching of the children's birthday party being held a few tables over.    I'm sure it involved at least 5 generations of the family all dressed up in their finery and I watched cousins playing with each other (except the older ones who were too busy on their phones), glamorously dressed mamas and aunts and proud papas wearing polo neck shirts and taking photos of anything that moved.

We continued our leisurely exploration of the town after lunch, admiring the narrow laneways and the beautiful tiled entrances behind heavy wooden studded doors. 

We left Cadiz harbour at 7pm and are currently going back through the straits of Gibraltar in order to re-enter the Mediterranean.  Captain Jose estimates we will pass Gibraltar at around 11:30pm.
I spent the early part of the evening watching the floor show put on by the ship's entertainment staff, some of whom we know quite well from their hosting duties in the trivia quizzes over the last month.  I admit to feeling like a proud aunt as these talented 20 somethings sang and danced their hearts out us.  They have given us four different shows (doing an early and a late show each time).

Tangiers Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd May

Gibraltar

Cap Spartels

Inside the American Legate

A quiet day in the little souk

Inside the souk

Tea and pastries overlooking the bay

Other than finally getting a chance to recharge our batteries for two days, which was really necessary, the highlight of our sea days was seeing Gibraltar from the deck in glorious sunshine.  The wedge shaped rock of Gibraltar was partially obscured by a layer of cloud - the only cloud in the vicinity by the way - and looked like a layer of meringue, but it was possible to make out some structures such as a mosque and the light house from our position.

Another highpoint for me was to hear the captain talk about our ship - and seeing photos illustrating how the bridge is laid out and the engine rooms, laundry and the galleys operate.    It is a beautifully run operation and things simply happen with a minimum of fuss. Coincidentally Captain Jose was involved in the building of this ship - and seven others like it over three years - in St Nazaire, France 14 years ago. The Quest will be going into routine dry dock in Sept this year due to its age and will undergo a refurbishment not only in the engines but in the public spaces and the suites too.  This will only take about two weeks, which is an impressive turnaround.

When asked about the future of boats like the Quest and the Journey in a market flooded with super cruisers that can carry thousands of passengers, he expressed confidence that there is a growing market for the smaller ships, their intimacy and access to smaller ports.

We arrived in Tangiers, Morocco in the late afternoon on Thursday but as it was very windy outside, opted to wait until morning to visit the city.  The captain had also decided that we would remain on ship's time for our stay here.  Technically we should have set back our watches to GMT for one night only - but it hardly seemed worth it, when our next port in Spain is on Central European time
It was quite a hike from the ship to the buses (about 1km) but once aboard our guide showed us some of the sections of towns representing different countries.  At one time Tangiers was jointly controlled by 8 different countries.  It is now part of Morocco.

We went up to Cape Spartels to see where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean.  After that we visited the labyrinthine alleys of the small souk or petit soci.  If we thought the Greek and Turkish vendors were pushy, they've nothing on the ones we encountered here.  They follow you, stand in the middle of the path so you have to acknowledge them in some way - and don't take no for an answer.  As our guide reminded us,  today is the holy day so many stalls were shut and things were quiet!

Being prepared to walk away allowed me to make some good buys ( I  think I did anyway) of leather, copper and pottery and Vaughan is now the proud owner of a red fez.   We finished our tour visiting the American Legate office ( like an embassy) and a cafe where we were given some peppermint tea (delish) and some Moroccan pastries.I saw a photo of Humphrey Bogart in the foyer from when he was in town for the filming of Casablanca back in the 40s.

Our bus took us right back to the ship - and we could hear some lively music coming from onboard.  The ship's band was on deck playing jazz for us as we boarded.  I think this and the tea and pastries were the highlight of the morning for me.

With everyone arriving back on board for our lunchtime departure, it meant that lunch was a very crowded affair.  Our table was in full sun and copping wind from all angles so we didn't linger.  Besides,  there were three (yes three) trivia events to attend this afternoon before we reach Cadiz this evening.

Corsica Tuesday 19th May

View from our ship at berth in Calvi

Mountain villages in the Balagna region

Best grapefruit juice here - ever

Gorgeous views over the flat plains to the east

Back in Calvi

Calvi, Corsica
Our very clever captain - with the help of an obliging pilot and perfect weather conditions - was able to berth alongside the pier this morning instead of lying at anchor in the harbour.  This meant that we were only minutes from the town and didn't have to rely on tender boats to come and go.
Calvi is a stunning looking port and our guided tour this morning took us to some of the most picturesque villages in the Balagna region.
Our guide, Isabella, gave us information about just about every aspect of Corsican history, geography, daily life, primary industry, culture and education while giving us plenty of opportunities to take photos as we negotiated hairpin turns up and down the mountains that are barely wide enough for vehicles to pass.  There were several heart stopping moments when I wasn't sure whether we still had all four wheels in contact with the ground any more.
We also had a very welcome stop to sample the local citrus drinks. Vaughan declared his grapefruit juice as the best he's ever tasted.  My lemon juice packed a huge pucker until I added a little water.
The Corsicans have had a turbulent history - with efforts to achieve independence going back hundreds of years.  They have been subjugated by the Genoese, the French and even the British for a short while.  They are currently still under French control - but there is a degree of autonomy nowadays.  There is still a movement towards true independence but the last election saw the people voting to remain part of France.
In the early days of French rule - in the late 1700s, the Corsican language was banned,  the university was closed down and goods produced on the island were severely taxed.  It has taken a long time for this to be corrected, but now schools are bilingual, the university was reinstated and tourists are very welcome.
They are also very proud of their pristine environment, having very strict rules about coastal protection and preserving the maquis (sp): vast tracts of wildflowers found on the mountain sides that have medicinal properties.
Not only is Corsica the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, but Christopher Columbus is also widely believed to have been born in Calvi. (We have seen his tomb in Seville, Spain).
Corsica is an island of extremes and reminds me a little of Tasmania.  Everything is in such close reach.  It has snowfields and beaches only minutes apart, and mountain ranges and wetlands.  (Malaria was a problem here for centuries.) Right now it is very green too.
There is surprisingly little fishing considering its island status (coastal industries never prospered due to raids from pirates) but shepherding prospered in the mountains.  Foods associated with Corsica include the typical Mediterranean fare of lemons and other citrus fruits, olives and wine, but they use a lot of lamb, veal, goat (at Christmas), cured meats and wild boar too.  Corsica is largely self sufficient with fruit and vegetables except in the tourist season when their population balloons way past its usual 350k.
If it were not for the terrifying hairpin bends in the hills, I think I would be happy to hire a car and spend a week or more here. 
Our bus was the last group back at the dock and once we were aboard, we set sail for our next port, Tangiers in Morocco.  We will have nearly two days at sea.  We won't have time to be bored with Trivia quizzes, destination lectures and other entertainment arranged through the day.

Cinque Terre Monday 18th May

Riomaggiore

The fishing boats up the main street of Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Riomaggiore

Manarola from the ferry

Vernazza

Vernazza

Monterosso

Our ferry and its wheeled gang plank... a bit ricketty at times

There may be five villages in the Cinque Terre, but we knew we had no chance of visiting them all as soon as we hopped on the ferry bound for Riomaggiore at around 10am.  The ferry was absolutely packed.   Most guidebooks tell you to not even try to visit all five villages in one day, so we were satisfied with a flying visit to three:  Riomaggiore, Vernazza and Monterosso.

Corniglia was off the table straight away because it can't be accessed from the sea and we opted to miss Manarola because the coast walk, the Via D'Amor between it and Riomaggiore had been closed due to rock slides.

The first village, Riomaggiore, looked amazing from the sea.  The first glimpses from the water were stunning and once off the ferry we could see the colourful fishing boats literally parked up the main street after the night's fishing.  Anchovies are fished in these waters and are served with lemon juice.

We went onto Vernazza after an hour or so.  Vernazza is beautiful in its own right, having its own sheltered harbour and beach and two towers overlooking the port entrance.

There is a two hour break in the ferry service over lunch time so we settled into the Blue Marlin Restaurant in Vernazza for a quiet beer and some lunch.
I had a bowl of Trofie (a short pasta) with pesto sauce and  Vaughan chose a filled roll and took advantage of the free wi fi.   The cafe seems to be quite an art hangout.  The walls were covered with modern art posters, Italian folk music played and bookshelves on the walls were full of Italian literature.  It was no hardship to spend an hour in there out of the midday sun.

My only gripe about the whole day happened here in Vernazza.  A castle lookout point is advertised at the foot of a gazillion steps - and it wasn't until I reached the top that I learned there is an entry charge.  I was only carrying my camera at this stage, having divested myself of my backpack (and hence, my wallet) and I was seriously unimpressed by their failure to disclose the fee at the start - and returned to the bottom without a photo, and feeling most put out.

I cheered up somewhat in Monterosso after some very welcome gelati.  Then, when it was time to leave at around four, we managed to fluke our way onto the only express ferry running, which returned us to our base in about half the time AND we were lucky enough to see a dolphin at play between Riomaggiore and Portovenere.

I'll leave this entry with some photos of arguably the prettiest collection of villages anywhere.

Pisa and Florence. Sunday 17th May

Field of Miracles, Pisa. The Baptistry is at the front

Inside the baptistry, before the Shout

The shout as recorded in Pisa Baptistry

The Duomo, Florence with its famous dome

Rape of the Sabine women, currently in the Loggia ( soon destined for inside a museum)

Viewing the Ponte Vecchio from the river Arno. The Vasari corridor runs along the top

Centre point on the Ponte Vecchio with fountain and shop

Michelangelo's tomb in Santa Croce churcch

Heavily scuffed and worn tomb on the floor inside the Santa Croce church

Pisa and Florence. Yet again we are in a major port on a weekend. This brings the total to four over the course of the cruise so far: Athens, Venice, Rome and Florence. We wonder if things would have been less crowded if it had been a weekday, but I suspect we are heading into peak tourist season and the crowds are going to be large wherever we go now. I find myself fondly recalling the smaller, more picturesque ports such as Kotor, Korkula and Rhodes where the crowds were not so crazy. It's actually quite tiring to keep track of: your location - even with a map, your valuables, knowing that bigger cities have pickpockets galore, the traffic's direction (looking left or right when crossing roads) and whether to dodge around the mob of tourists or try to weave your way through it. Then there are the hazards of: avoiding hawkers and ensuring you have enough to drink vs being able to find a loo when you need one.

Today's semi-guided tour to Pisa and Florence was supposed to be hosted by a guide, who would handle our bus transfers between the ship and the two cities, then issue us with smart phone guides and say 'See ya later!' Well Cinzia mustn't have gotten that memo, because she briefed us so thoroughly and well that we didn't actually need to use the smart devices at all. She was an absolute treasure, being passionate about her subject and having a particularly soft spot for Australians, because her parents, who had immigrated from Italy to Melbourne in the 50s returned to Tuscany when she was 14. I asked her why her parents wanted to go back and she told me she didn't really know, that her father had been a successful restauranteur in Melbourne - setting up Australia's very first pizza restaurant, in Carlton. In Lygon St. Apparently I was talking to the actual daughter of the man who established Toto's Pizzas! I have very fond memories of late nights at Toto's, Papa Gino's and The Twins (for souvlaki) when I was a student in Parkville back in the 70s. Cinzia told me that her father would still have been there then. It really is a small world, isn't it?

We spent the first hour of our excursion in Pisa's Field of Miracles. Our ticket entitled us to visit the Baptistry and the Cathedral, but we only had time to visit the former due to the queues. I videoed the 'Shout' that occurs right on the half hour to illustrate the superb acoustics of the coned roof, and I will post a link when I have access to enough bandwidth. This is the second time I've heard the 'Shout' live and today's 'performance' was far longer and more intricate than the first. While I was videoing from the upper gallery however, I could hear someone standing nearby rattling off stills. Hmm, how does someone photograph an echo?

After walking back to our bus, trying to keep out of the strong, midday sun, we continued on to Florence, arriving soon after a 10k charity race had finished in the city. We could tell it was over because all the competitors were gone but their rubbish remained, including drifts of purple and white tissue paper swirling in the gutters in front of the posh hotels. Nice.... We ate as a group in a restaurant then went our separate ways for about three and half hours.

The queues for the Duomo and Santa Croce churches were both horrendous, so we confined ourselves to photographing the exterior of the Duomo, which is still fairly spectacular- even if it is undergoing restoration. Then we admired the statues in the Loggia near the Uffizzi, (where there was some kind of childrens's pageant ) to see the copy of David and the Rape of the Sabine women. We then walked over the Ponte Vecchio to check out the gold stores, then found another Hard Rock Cafe for Vaughan's pin collector friend at work. The queue for Santa Croce was more manageable at around 4pm so I went inside on my own to admire the elaborate memorials to Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli high on the walls, and the other smaller tombs with high relief carved figures worn down over the centuries lying dotted around the floor. I suspect I dropped some money while I was inside the church. I can only hope it went to a good cause.

After we met up with Cinzia, she took us in the bus up into the hills overlooking the city to show us some of the magnificent houses, gardens, and views back over the city. I've decided that Florence is a beautiful city but one best admired from a distance at this time of year.

We dozed most of the way back to the ship at Livorno and I find myself looking forward to our next sea day.

A half day in Rome - Sat,16th May

Entrance to the Colosseum: Titus' gate. Amazing relief carvings

Colosseum

Trevi Fountain - under repair

The forum: the site of a Breast cancer event all weekend

Busy time at St Peter's Square

This is the vessel to which our cab mates were returning. It left - all lit up like that- a few hours later

We were docked in Rome's main port, Civitavecchia for the day today - Civitavecchia, which means 'the old city' is a one and bit hour train ride away from Rome's Termini station.  We had to ask ourselves whether it was worthwhile to try to visit such an historical city for only half a day?  How could we even start to do justice to it?  (I'd had a short visit there five years ago - and even that had gone nowhere near doing the job).
In short, we couldn't,  but that didn't mean we shouldn't go into Rome either.  We just had to set our sights a little lower.

Our downfall was that we underestimated how LONG everything was going to take.  When you go on an organised shore excursion, it's a door to door service with little wasted time.  When you're on your own - well you're on your own!

We left the ship shortly after nine - and didn't reach Roma Termini until after 11:30am.  That was after we waited for a shuttle bus to take us off the port precinct, walked from the port to the rail station across town, then waited for our train, which was running late.
The journey itself wasn't an express, so we stopped at every station- extending our journey by a good twenty minutes.  The trains on this line come into the station at the unfashionable end, so we had to hike a long way to reach the main entrance, where all the Hop On Hop Off buses start.  So far, we'd been on the go for nearly three hours and had very little to show for it.

Once we found a HOHO bus, we planned to pick one landmark on the route and visit that in depth.  We'd agreed that the Colosseum should fit the bill nicely but we were aghast at the length of the Saturday queues for the inside tour.   Vaughan was all for staying on the bus and completing the HOHO circuit, but I persuaded him to get off so we could at least view the exterior of the building.  I'm pleased to say it was worth it.

We stopped for a toilet and meal break and found a pizzeria with arguably the best view in Rome, overlooking the Colosseum.  I wish the pizza itself had been nicer ( it was very oily) but it was a memorable meal, if only for the its location.

We pressed on with the HOHO bus, only getting off a few more times so we could grab an exterior shot of the Vatican,  popped into the Hard Rock Cafe to buy a pin (and checked out the posh (quiet) end of town in the Via Veneta while we were there,) then tracked down the Trevi Fountain - which is currently under repair.   Not that that slowed the crowds at all. A perspex viewing platform has been built across the fountain which allows people to examine the fountain's figures in more detail, but even with the fountain not working the queues were ridiculously long.  We decided against it, because we had to trek back a way to the bus stop, wait for the bus, sit for a while before it took us back to Roma Termini, where we had to wait another hour for our train back to Civitiavecchia.

It was getting dark as we arrived at the station. (Sunset was at around 8:15).  Rather than walk back to the dock in the dark, we opted to share a large taxi with another couple also heading for the port (but for a different ship), and the taxi driver was able to take us right up to the gangway.  Finaly - no waiting.
The gangway staff looked very lonely waiting outside the ship for stragglers like us, but they greeted us very cheerfully - all things considered - and told us there were only two more people due back.    I think that's the latest I've ever been back on board before sailing - this cruise anyway.   Not that the ship was due to leave for another few hours - but still.

They staff scanned us both and our bags as we boarded.  As usual, Vaughan's braces set off the metal detectors and they scanned him manually. It's become a running joke for them as Mr 'Vorgan' assumes the position.

I've decided today was a funny kind of day, really.
On the one hand we saw the outsides of some of the most iconic buildings in the world, but due to awful crowd sizes, only managed to see two train station from the inside.
We learned a bit about road rules and street manners as applied in Rome.  Basically there aren't many.  No that's not quite right.  Cars will stop at zebra crossings if you step out onto one,  but pedestrians hardly every stop at Don't Walk signs.  Cars park wherever there is a spot -even on a corner and motor cyclists create an imaginary third lane whenever they like.
Throughout this trip we've been regularly accosted by hawkers trying to sell us selfie sticks, genuine fake Rolex watches and other assorted junk.  It gets really old, really fast.   Today they were so aggressive I had to take to wearing my sunglasses, even while it was cloudy, avoiding all eye contact and walking REALLY fast.  That wasn't always enough and I finally snapped today, thrusting my non-smart phone camera back at the hawker and demanding 'Do I LOOK like I want one of those?'

Highpoint of the day? Finding the hotel just down from the Vatican that I stayed in in Rome in 2010.  It was so close to St Peters, it was impossible to miss.

Day two, Sorrento. Friday 15th May

Mathilde kept us on our toes.

Stepping stones - and stones worn down by wheel rims

Mosaic

A plaster cast of one of the inhabitants of Pompeii

At least they knew where to go

An example of Pompeii rebuilding its walls following the earthquake

Early cats eyes

The juices are wonderfully refreshing

We had a mixed day today.  At first the weather was bright and sunny and tours went ahead without problems, but by midday we had high winds tossing trees around and whipping up the seas which prevented the ship's tenders from operating safely.
The captain was able to reposition the ship so that the tenders could resume their shuttle service, but not before we and another 100 passengers sat cooling our heels in the tender for up to two hours, waiting for permission to return to the ship.  Some of the  Guest Relations staff, who were also ashore with us, went to a local pizzeria and brought back enough pizza for everyone on board the tender to have at least a slice each.  It was a thoughtful gesture - and well received by the now very hungry passengers.
Frankly, once we were back onboard, we weren't prepared to risk venturing out again, especially as the local  Port Agent had been similarly stuck on board the ship and was worried she might not get home.  She advised us that in very rough weather, the Capri ferries don't operate at all - and that the Blue Grotto boat rides would certainly be a bust in this weather.  Unfortunately it looks like visiting Capri will have to wait for another time.
I was struck by how accepting of the inconvenience most of our fellow passengers were.  The Captain even made a short announcement to that effect once we were all back on board.  I suspect that not all nationalities are quite so easy going.  Ahh, it made me proud to be an Aussie.
Even though we only managed to visit Pompeii today, I was glad we made it.  My last visit five years ago had been marred by a poor tour guide and I'd been left very disappointed.  If I'd been in any doubt about the difference a good guide makes to a tour, I'm not any more.  Mathilde - all four foot nine of her,  or in her own words, 'the guide you can hear but not see', was entertaining, informative, organised and engaging.  Basically everything you want in a guide.
She made me feel I'd been to a completely different Pompeii than the one I visited last time.  She took us to sections I didn't see last time, pointed out interesting snippets the other guide ignored, and gave us background information that made it all hang together.
Then, on the way home, she serenaded us all, 'Mathilde's family' beautifully with the song 'Return to Sorrento'!

Now here are some facts about Pompeii I learned today.
1 Streets had built in stepping stones at intersections to keep people's feet dry.  If the street only had three stepping stones, it was a one way street - as there are not enough gaps between the stones for two vehicles' wheels to pass.  If the road had 4 or 5 stones, it was a dual carriageway.  Ruts from the chariot wheels had been gouged into the gaps over time.
2 You could tell which were the houses and which were the shops in the main streets because the shops had grooves in stone for sliding doors, while the houses did not.
3 One of the ( 25 )  brothels has been partially rebuilt.   The sexually explicit frescoes on the wall in the entrance were used as a pictorial menu.  There was a short hand signposting for the brothels with  carved 'cock and balls'  on walls or the road 'pointing the way', as it were.
4 We saw was were essentially prototype  Cats Eyes markers made from marble chips on the black basalt paving stones in one street.
5They had modern plumbing and early functional refrigeration in Pompeii.   We saw original lead pipes used for heating floors and for bathing.  Ancient Romans understood the value of refrigeration and would keep hailstones in amphora in caves to help keep food fresher for longer.
6At the time of the volcanic eruption in 79AD  Pompeii had almost finished a period of rebuilding from a destructive earthquake in 62 AD.  Some of this rebuilding was apparent in the ruins. 
8 Graffiti was as common back then as it is now - and has given archeologists quite an insight  to daily life there
9 Pompeii was a sea resort town t at the time of the eruption.  The sea is now at least a kilometre away and Vesuvius is about three times smaller than it was then.  The residents of Pompeii died of asphyxiation and their remains were were covered in ten metres of ash within two days and lay virtually undisturbed for nearly 1700 years.  The first structures to be  officially excavated were the amphitheatre, whose oval shape was still apparent in the local topography - and the tops of columns poking out of the volcanic soil.  Pottery shards etc had been pulled out of the soil by farmers for generations.   The early excavations were very crude and likely did more damage than good.  Many treasures were lost overseas to the French.
8 All of the soil around Vesuvius is wonderfully fertile.  If the massive lemons we saw  today are any guide, it must be pretty good stuff.

Tomorrow we arrive in Civitavecchia (old town), which is the industrial port for Rome.  We plan to head into Rome by train and spend some time on our own.