Venice - Part 1

We left Florence @ 3:30 on Wednesday to take the train to Venice. I was looking forward to seeing the Tuscan countryside. unfortunately except for rare seconds, the train wen through tunnels for about the first 45 minutes! We chose our hotel to be close to the train station & they have built a new bridge across the Grand Canal to get there easily. Well if you are walking, easy...not easy with luggage as 51 steps up and 52 steps down. You would have thought that they would have built a ramp on the side but no! A luggage porter approached us and asked to take our luggage. We decided it was well worth the price to save our backs.

Venice is amazing! It is a made up of 117 small islands with 100 canals measuring around 25 miles &  approximately 400 bridges.the palaces built on the Grand Canal are protected from any changes by law. One guidebook said that many are now vacant & others have grand chandeliers above mossy, empty ground floors. The buildings are built on 15' pine piling a onto a bed of clay. Venice, while one of few Italian cities not influenced by the Roman Empire, was the result of the fall of Rome. The inhabitants of the mainland escaped to the islands to evade the invading barbarians. It was a major trading port between the east and west. In 1450 it had more citizens than Paris.

On Thursday we bought a 2 day pass for the water buses (Vaporetti), the best value in town. We started with a ride on the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco to get our bearings. We were happy to see that it wasn't flooded. The last time we were here, there were elevated walkways & major flooding! Because of the flooding, you couldn't enter the Basilica. The line was short for Basilica do San Marco so we decided to take the tour.

You first climb a steep set of stairs to go to the museum. There are two balconies, one inside for overlooking the interior of the church. The other, the Loggia overlooks Piazza San Marco. There are copies of bronze horses. The real bronze horses are inside and have an interesting history. They were
made during the reign of Alexander the Great. Nero took them to Rome then Constantine took to his
new capital of Constantinople. Venetians stole them for the Basicilica. Napoleon stole them in 1797 for his triumphal arch at the Louvre. The French did return them in 1815. I'm not sure if this is "have horse, will travel" story or so much for one of the Ten Commandments! Thy shall not steal was not a lesson followed for the Basilica. You can see examples of the mosaics close up in the museum as well as needlepoint tapestries & ancient music sheets that were approximately 18 x 30".

Rick Steves describes the Basilica as "Early Ransack"!  It started back in the 13th century when 2 merchants stole the bones of St. Mark to rescue them from Moslem occupied Alexandria & brought them back to Venice. The first church burned down in 976. The current structure was started in the 11th century with materials looted from the Venetian Empire. Venetians would rent ships to the
Crusaders in exchange for money & looted booty.

The most amazing part of this structure are the mosaics which were used as teaching aids to the illiterate masses. There are 43,000 sq ft of mosaics! It was still cloudy when we entered. The sun came out & it looked like someone had turned a spotlight on! The mosaics just gleamed! The Golden Alterpiece has 80 enamels set in gold decorated with rubies, emeralds, pearls, amethysts & topaz.

Florence Day 2

It was cool & very windy! After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the Vaporetti water buses to start our tour of the Grand Canal. Venice is made up of 117 small islands separated by 100 canals & 400 bridges! There are 25 miles of canals which serve as drains into the Grand Canal. Technically there are only 3 canals & the other canal as are considered rivers. While so much of what we have send recently has a a Roman past, Venice does not but was created in part by the fall of the Roman Empire. Inhabitants from the mainland moved to the islands to escape the invading barbarians.

We saw police,  ambulance & fire engine boats in action! It was a busy day on the Grand Canal. Our first stop was Piazza San Marco. The line was short for the Bascilica so decided to tour it. You climb up a steep staircase to go to the museum & the Loggia dei Cavelli. The Loggia is a balcony overlooking Piazza San Marco. There are wonderful views!

It seems that a lot that is in St. Marks was stolen....so much for the Ten Commandments! St. Mark's body was stolen around 700 AD (2 Venician merchants "rescued" the bones) in Moslem occupied Alexandria. The first structure burned down in 976 & current structure was started in the 11th century. One guidebook refers to the building style as "Early Ransack" as much of the building materials were looted from buildings in the Venetian empire! The Venetians stole 4 bronze & gold horses from fellow Christians during the looting of Constantinople. Napoleon stole them next & took to Paris but the French did return them.  The mosaics were the part that I appreciated the most. When we entered the Bascillica it was still cloudy outside so dark inside. The sun came out & all of sudden it looked like someone had turned a spotlight on the gold mosaics making them gleam!

We walked around the Piazza & it wasn't flooded! The last time we were here we had to walk on
raised ramps. Susan & I had bought paintings on the waterfront & wanted to see if we could find him
again. He was in Germany but his father was there. He was grumpy until he realized that I wasn't try to take pictures but show him pictures of his work that we had bought the last time...& that we were from NC. A gallery in Asheville displays his works & he visits every year. Wonder what his paintings sell for there?

Later on in the afternoon we decided to get "lost". It is a fun way to walk the back streets & bridges of Venice. Fred also learned that he loves fried fish, it is a different experience in Italy than at the beach! Our fried fish included shrimp, calamari, sardines & crayfish! We took the water bus back to our hotel & it was pretty to see all the lights on the Grand Canal. One guidebook said "that many of the palaces facing the Grand Canal have chandeliered elegance above mossy, empty ground floors" since laws prohibit any changes to these buildings.

Florence

I will cover the details of our departure from the ship & train ride to
Florence in another post. Long story!

Our hotel in Florence is about 1 1/2 blocks from the train station in one direction & the Duomo in the other direction. We had a small balcony overlooking the Duomo & deMedici chapel. Beautiful view! There were at least 7 gelato shops within a block of our hotel.

On Tuesday we went to Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangeo's David. For some reason, it had a bigger impact on me this time than the first time. We went next to tour the Duomo & Baptistry. We walked over Pont Vecchio (bridge filled with jewelry shops on both sides). Took pictures from the river overlooking the town & also Pitti Palace. After a hot lunch to warm us up, we went to the Leonardo DiVinci museum. It is incredible that so many things he drew/designed happened in the future....military tanks, escalators, parachutes, winged machines that could fly. There was a movie about his life & many reproductions of things he designed

On Wednesday morning we went to the deMedici Chapel. It is undergoing restoration but is still amazing! There are at least 7 statutes by Michaelangelo in one room! The granite/marble floors & walls in the main chapel were amazing.

Afterwards we walked through the market and enjoyed a Panini for lunch. We caught a train to Venice around 3:30. It was interesting as probably the first 45 minutes was in various tunnels going through mountains. I was hoping we would see some of the Tuscan countryside.

We knew were one bridge away from the train station....but what a bridge! Was built since we last visited.  We were starting to carry our luggage across the bridge & a porter asked to help. As there were 52 steps going up & 51 going down, it was definitely worth his fee.  We are staying at a hotel near the train station & on the Grand Canal if I stick my head out far enough, I can get some great pictures of Venice.

Volterra and San Gimignano

Our first stop on Sunday was Volterra. While it wasn't raining, we saw a lot of flooding. Viltare dates to the 9th century BC. It is most noted for alabaster urns & other products. We went to a workshop for alabaster items & got to see the craftsman make a small urn. The village has the oldest Gothic town hall (Piazzo del Priori) in Tuscany, built between 1208 & 1257. There are still remnants of the medieval town walls. From the ramparts you can see the remains of  the a Roman theater & baths. They date to the first century & are suppose to be among the best preserved in Italy.

Our second stop was at a Tuscan "rustic farmhouse" for lunch. While that was the description, it turned out to be a wine tasting with lunch & a few wine drinking lessons along the way. Delicious wine & food delivered with amusing stories & wine lessons from one of the owner's grandsons. The winery has been in the family for over 300 years. We had tradition Tuscan vegetable & bread soup followed  by the best lasagna ever. They are to send the recipes to me...we will see if I get his great grandmama's recipes. Had a very interesting dessert of dipping a special biscotti in wine! We were all ready for naps but instead we headed to our next stop, San Gimignano also known as Medieval Manhattan.

As it was a holiday weekend (Liberation Day for WWII), the crowds were overtaking the town. San Gimignano is Tuscany's best preserved medieval town. The walled town once had more than 70 towers as part of its defense system (there are only 13 now). The towers were built in the 12th & 13th centuries when the town was on the main pilgrim route from northern Europe to Rome. The plague if 1348  led to its decline but aided in its preservation. The kitchens were on the top floor.  We walked up the main street to the square to take pictures. Rain was threatening so we made our way back to meeting point. Wish I could say we made before the deluge but no such luck. Everyone slept on our way back to the ship & the chore of finishing up packing.

Cruise statistics, interesting facts & train

Nice, Eze, Monoco & Monte Carlo

We had a fantastic guide for this busy day trip! The ship was docked in the harbor of Villefranche-sur-Merrill &we were tendered in. The first stop started was Nice with a tour of the waterfront & the a tour old Vieux Ville. One interesting fact we learned was that when the glamorous waterfront hotels were built, the best rooms looked in toward the city & not facing the water! It was market day & we visited the flower market.

Our next stop was Eze. It is a little village perched on top of a mountain that dates from Roman times. There are speculative views.   No cars are allowed as the medieval lanes are very small and carved into the mount side. A 14th century gate guards the village but doesn't stop the hundreds of people that visit each day. There were beautiful flowers everywhere. You did have to be very careful because the "road" of cobblestones were steep & slippery.

I always thought Princess Grace of Monaco was enchanting & always wanted to see the little kingdom she helped preside over. We took a walking tour in both Monte Carlo & Monaco. Preparations were being made for the Gran Prix. It takes 3 months to put up the grandstands & protective railings & 15 days to take down. We saw lots of fancy cars including an old Rolls Royce Silver Cloud that did decide not to run us down.

While we saw the Grand Casino of James Bond fame, we decided to save our 10 Euros & not go in as tourists! The Casino was started in 1856 by Charles III to save himself from bankruptcy. It was so successful that by 1870 he was able to abolish taxation on his people. It is illegal for Monaco citizens to gamble. When you enter they take your passport. They will let you gamble without one but if you win, you have 6 months to show your passport to collect your winnings. So I guess the James Bond movies aren't too accurate!

We did see one mansion that a Russian Oligart put a contract on for $550,000,000 that had a 10% penalty clause....and he walked away from! Ouch!!!! It is a definitely an area for the rich & famous!!!

Barcelona & Montserrat

Our excursion the first day was a bus tour of Barcelona & then we went to Montserrat, home of the Black Madonna & the St. Benedictine Monastery.  It was pouring down rain. They say it only rains 60 days a year in Barcelona....& we think that most of it is in April! It was foggy as we started up the narrow curvy mountain road. The fog lifted a little and then got worse as we were going into the Bascilica. The boys choir sings twice a day when the boarding school is in session & we were fortunate to get to see them. There has been a boy's choir at the monastery since 1223.

The Black Madonna is the patron saint of Catalonia. The legend is that the Madonna was carved from wood & brought to Spain in the 700's. Today it serves as a shrine for Catalonia.

We had a delicious typical  Catalonian lunch of pasta, chicken, cake accompanied by wine from the monatary. By the time lunch was over, the fog had lifted & the sun was starting to come out. We had a beautiful drive through the mountains on our way back to Barcelona. We continued  our tour and finished with a walk on Las Rambles known for its shops & restaurants.

For our second day in Barcelona, we decided to take the Red Bus hop on hop off tours. It was a great way to get a bird's eye view of the city....although you had to be careful of the tree branches & leaves on occasion. We decided to only "hop off" at the  Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) Church designed by Antonio Gaudi. There was a 5 hour wait to go inside but it was interesting to see the outside. The structure was started in 1883 & is still under construction.

Barcelona is the capital of the Catalunya. It has its own language, history & culture separate from that
 of Spain. The language is a mix of Provençal French & Castilian Spanish.

Cartegena

Cartagena is a great walking....and climbing city! It dates back to 223 BC when the original settlement was captured by the Carthaginians. The Romans developed the town although much of the Roman town was built upon by Moors. The Moors then left for Almeria & the Christians left for Murcia. There is 6,000 spectator Roman theatre that wasn't "discovered" until 1987. There is an interesting museum attached with artifacts found during excavation.

There is also a Roman Forum & remnants of original Roman residences. We visited one of the houses where you can see the remains of the wall decorations and flooring. At the time it was built in 1st century AD, the city was known as Carthafo Novo.

The climbing refers to the Fort Concepcion which is now a public garden. It is high on a hilltop overlooking the harbor. Originally built  in the 13th century by King Alfonso X who was also known as "El Sabio" (the wise). The elevator was busy with tour groups so we walked the ramps & steps to the top. From the fort, you can see the Plaza de Toros which is undergoing renovation. It was originally built in the 1850's on the foundation of a Roman gladiator arena.

 Today the harbor serves as a major naval station & there were a  number of Spainish naval vessels in port.

Malaga, Spain

Malaga is located in the Costa del Sol in the southern part of Spain on the Mediterrean Sea. While it is known for some of Europe's most impressive beaches, there were very few people on the beach today as cool & overcast. While rain threatened most of the day, we lucked out and didn't see any.

The major attractions in Malaga are the Moorish palaces of  Alcabaza & Gibralfaro plus the Malaga Cathedral.  Malaga was an important trading post for Roman trade with Byzantium until it fell to the Moors in 711& was their main port serving Granada. It was recaptured by the Christians in 1487.

The Malaga Cathedral was started in 1528 but was interrupted in 1680 by an earthquake. The nickname is La Manquita which means the one-armed one due to the second towe being being abandoned in 1765. There is an American "connection" for the reason there is only one tower. Supposedly the bishop at the time siphoned off funds to aid the American a Revolution.

We had an international lunch at the Berlin Cafe, eating Spanish ham in an Italian panini, English tea in Swedish Ikea mugs & fresh squeezed Valencia orange juice. Eating outside, there was a wall shrine on the building across from us. We learned that the reason for all the wall shrines you see. During the Plague, people were afraid to leave their homes to go to church. This way they could look at a window & say their prayers to the shrine.

Back to the Future (& other technical difficulties)

I have been having trouble uploading pictures to Google so I can share with you. Fred thought today it might be because the iPad was still on USA time & couldn't save what happened in "future time". I can get photos to load to iCloud photo sharing. So for the time being I will put comments up in the blog & if you want to see pictures, email me at melindashack@gmail.com & I will send you an invitation to the photo album.

Melinda

Ps we are in Barcelona today....."when it rains in Spain it is mainly in the plains" is not true today!

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands

It was a beautiful day in Tenerife. Initially was cool but quickly warmed up during on walk on the harbor front. Tenerife is the largest of the Canary Islands at approximately 800 square miles. The highest mountain in Spain is located here. El Pico del Teide is 12,200 feet.

Santa Cruz has around 220,000 residents. The housing is built going up the hillsides. There is a wonderful waterfront promenade that goes past the various points of interest including the opera house. One interesting feature is the permanent exercise equipment along the way.

Since it was Sunday, all the shops were closed. The big excitement in town was the Tenerife Santa Cruz Extreme. There were several different length races. They had a big screen set up that showed the runners.....going up the side of the mountain on trails. Not your typical marathon or 5k race!
And while we didn't run the race, we did walk over 15,000 steps today.

  ,

Pictures as we were arriving in Tenerife

Finish

Line 

for the Extreme Marathon

Hard 

to 

see 

as photo shot of 

big screen, but these are the runners on the mountain side

 Some of the buildings in Santa Cruze

Street art

Opera House

Fred said

this was the Rock n' Roll Hall of fame. There are a lot of different faces of artists painted on rocks.

 Street tiles celebrating the famous carnivals held here each year.

They have neat exercise equipment

 all along the waterfront.

Our sunset tonight as set sail for Spain. We lose another hour tonight. Tomorrow is a sea day before we get to Malaga.

Only 700 nautical miles to go....

Sunrise

Today's lecture was on the history & culture of the Canary Islands (which we will visit on Sunday). Also saw a presentation on entertaining at the White House & cruising in Australia & New Zealand.

The show tonight was by Tony Tillman, a great singer & dancer ( think SammyDavis & Ben Vereen). And the show went on even though he lost a tooth after he hit it with the microphone! The write up in the Celebrity TODAY newsletter said "five minutes into a Tony Tillman performance know why the words"High Energy Vegas Performer" was invented.....and that was about when he lost his tooth!

We lose another hour tonight so we will be 5 hours behind Davidson time.  Definitely easier losing one hour at a time but naps are wonderful!

The temperatures are getting warmer as we get closer to the equator. It was almost hit this afternoon when we went for our walk.

It will be interesting to see how our "land legs" do on Sunday after 7 days at sea!

Qsine

Last night was an interesting adventure of eating "creative" tapas. The menu is on an iPad....complete with videos.

You click an icon to discover what goodie you want to try. Sometimes there was a video.

Here are some pictures of the food.

The menu for dessert was just as fun....and the dessert course even has a dessert!

Gary & the 

silver bullet

Chocolate tombstone

Abraham

 serving us dessert after dessert, mini crime brûlée so & chocolate covered strawberries.