We had a minor flight schedule problem but all worked out and after our jet lag nap we were ready to explore Barcelona.
Carol went to the balcony to see that the street noise was a parade forming as a Catalan protest against Spain.
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Spain - France - Italy - Malta, Cruise 2002 Jane, Kate, Tom, Carol & Jerry |
These are monster web pages, best with
a high speed connection.
Mt. Etna Tour |
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We had a minor flight schedule problem but all worked out and after our jet lag nap we were ready to explore Barcelona. Carol went to the balcony to see that the street noise was a parade forming as a Catalan protest against Spain.
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| Our top floor room in Hotel Colon was directly across the plaza from the Cathedral. |  |
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One of the first necessities while traveling is to seek out the local refreshment. |
| It doesn't take a genius to figure out what the next priority is. Soon Jane and Carol were surveying the goods at the Thursday Antique Market. |  |
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Out on the street, we saw scooters everywhere. I counted 38 in this view. The scooter drivers showed no fear driving between lanes and weaving in and out. Parking them on the sidewalk is also a great convenience as parking a car was a major problem. |
| One evening we enjoyed the lights of the cathedral after a wedding. |  |
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On board the cruise ship preparing to leave the Barcelona harbor. |
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Our ship (farthest one) anchored out and used its tenders to ferry us to the town of Villefranche.
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Kate & Tom enjoying a stroll down the little streets. |
| Walking along the harbor in Villefranche. |  |
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Looks like you could enjoy a month here with an apartment and a little sailboat. |
| Kate, Tom, Carol & I took a cab to the neighboring village of Beaulieu and toured the the mansion of Kerylos built as a copy of a wealthy Greek villa. |  |
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April 28 and Kate is celebrating her birthday!
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The next morning the ship arrived in Livorno. Tom, Kate, Carol & I hired a taxi to Florence. |  |
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The Duomo was on my list of places to tour. This is an amazing structure that is even more remarkable in that it was completed in 1436! Click if you are interested in its details. |
| The upper areas of the Duomo ceiling were painted with religious scenes. |  |
| The lower areas were painted with considerably less happy scenes. |  |
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Tom and I decided to climb the 463 steps to the lookout balcony at the top. The 6 Euro workout was cheaper than any gym. First we were in a normal stairway then connected by lateral corridors, it turned into a very narrow spiral staircase then finally this curved stairway as we moved out over the top of the dome. |
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We weren't fast but we did make it as these photos attest. |
| The cathedral bell-tower known as the "Campanile di Giotto", the most striking feature of any view of the city. Giotto, the famous painter and architect designed the tower, although at his death in 1337 only the lowest part was complete. Work was continued under Andrea Pisano (c. 1290-1349) and Francesco Talenti (active 1325-1369) who completed the structure repeating the decoration of marble relieved by windows; the traditional pointed finial was never added. |  |
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Back at street level, Kate and Carol had noticed this beggar. The illusion of his plight is spoiled when you notice that he is talking on his cell phone. Kate swears he was saying "sell, sell" to his broker! Click picture for more detail. |
| The two banks of the Arno are linked by a number of bridges, of which only one, the Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, spanning the river at its narrowest point, survived the war. Hitler fell so in love with the kitsch conglomeration of jewelry stores lining its sides that the Luftwaffe was ordered to spare it for posterity. It is called the Old Bridge to distinguish it from the Ponte alla Carraia, which was "new" (in 1220), although the present structure of the Ponte Vecchio dates from 1345. Goldsmiths and jewelers have plied their trades on the bridge since the 16th century, in stores that were once a bazaar for butchers, hosiers, greengrocers, and blacksmiths. |  Notice the two scullers under the bridge. |
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As usual, all this sight seeing gave us an appetite. This outdoor cafe is in the plaza of Uffizi. |
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What's wrong with this picture? Characteristics of the Tower - The height of the building from the foundations to the belfry is c.
60m |
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The tower was closed in January 1990 because of fears that it might topple over. It was reopened to the public Dec. 16, 2001 Five great bronze bells at the top of the tower pealed in celebration and guards in Renaissance costume took up position at its base. But the event was kept low-key in honour of two other towers, more than 600 years its junior, destroyed in Manhattan on 11 September. 'The tower's lean has been halted and we believe it will stay put for a long time,' Pacini said. 'Its safety has been guaranteed for the next two centuries, and now that we have discovered the correct treatment we can always intervene again.' The £17 million restoration project involved several experimental techniques, including the installation of 800 tonnes of lead counterweights on the side opposite the lean. The final key to success was an excavation technique promoted by John Burland, a professor of soil mechanics at Imperial College London. Under his supervision more than 50,000 cubic metres of earth were removed from the side of the tower opposite the tilt. |
| Here we are celebrating how happy we are that the Leaning Tower of Pisa has been saved, our ship is not sinking and we can still fit into our clothes :-) |  |
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Rome ruins. Click for a larger view. |
| Forum ruins |  |
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Coliseum ruins from 72 A.D. Once capable of seating 50,000. |
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The cousins While in Rome, we had the good fortune to rendezvous with Ann who is working in the American Embassy. |
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Ann arranged lunch for us at a wonderful restaurant. |
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Following lunch we visited the Trevi Fountains. The beauty of the fountains has been known to spark amour.
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Barcelona had swarms of scooters but Rome seems to have miniature cars. Sort of looks like you would open the door and pull it up around your hips :-) |
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Anna and Pier Bargellini met us in Naples. Our ship and Vesuvius are visible in the background. |
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Anna and Jane were happy to see each other after so many years. |
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The newlys are happy too.
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Tom, Kate, Jane, Pier, Anna, Carol and I traveled in two taxis to tour the ruins of Pompeii. Vesuvius visible in the background, erupted in 79 A.D. to bury both Pompeii and Herculaneum. |
| Excavations have taken place and Pompeii is the best preserved specimen of an ancient Roman town in existence. |  |
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 The millers shop. Grain is poured into the hopper, a square beam inserted in the side of the grinder and the top is rotated like a giant pepper grinder. |
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| Corpses encased in hot ash were burned away leaving a cavity that has been filled with plaster to show the human form. |  |
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| Leaving the dead in peace, we continue to celebrate life. Pier and Anna took us to a wonderful restaurant. |  |
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After a wonderful time with old friends, it is time to leave Naples. Mount Vesuvius completely dominates the Naples skyline. It is the only active volcano on the mainland of Europe. The last eruption was 1944. |
Approaching Valletta, Malta
Click for larger image
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Valletta was a short stop and our only partly rainy day. View from Kate and Tom's balcony on the Splendour of the Seas. |
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Our last port of call before returning to Barcelona was Messina on the island of Sicily. Jane, Carol, Kate and Tom visited this church while I toured Mt. Etna. Click for the page of my adventures. |
 Carol supervising the studs and the tux shirt. |
 Ship sexy legs contest and other foolishness. |
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On our way back to Barcelona. Happy the volcano didn't get me, ship still floating, clothes not fitting quite as well :-( |
| Silvia, Kate's friend living in Barcelona, took us all out
for chocolate and churros. The chocolate was most unusual, more the consistency of chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream. |
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Javier, Daniel and Paquita Sanz took Jane, Carol and me on a sightseeing tour. Javier was a high school exchange student that had stayed with us in Albuquerque part of one year. |
| Sagrada Familia, the most frequently visited building in Barcelona. This was one of Antoni Gaudi's major works. He was sleeping on a mattress inside as he worked until killed in 1926 by a car while crossing the street. Construction continues as funding by donation permits. Click picture for a larger image. |  |
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Paquita took Carol and me to a wonderful market on La Rambla. |
| Daniel was a wonderful host, driving us all over Barcelona. Here we are at the Castle Montjuic. |  |
Lunch in a Barri Gotic restaurant. Salad, chicken and squid entrees, desert,
wine, coffee and a liter of bottled water came to 17 Euros (about $17) total
for the both of us. No wonder people are retiring to Barcelona.
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Our last dinner in the Sanz's lovely home before flying back to Albuquerque. Paquita, Daniel, Javier, Nuria, Carol & Jerry All in all, a fantastic trip! |
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Home again! Fernando kept the home and dogs safe while we were away. Carol, Jerry, Fernando, Brian and the dogs. |
