Part 4 - Florence, Rome and home

On Monday we enjoyed another lazy day at sea, our last before reaching Florence, the most populace city in Tuscany. During the trip north Captain D'Aita sailed past the island of Stromboli in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily. The active volcano on the island has been erupting for over two thousand years and as we sail past it the smokes plumes are very evident. Can you imagine living at the base of the beast? Hundreds of folks do and apparently are unfazed by their proximity to potential danger.

The next morning we reached Livorno, the port city of Florence. Located on the Arno River, Florence is truly a renaissance city. The day we arrived it was raining, the first day of inclement weather we had experienced. We joined our friends and took the train from the port to the centre of the city. The best-known site and crowning architectural jewel of Florence is the domed cathedral of the city, Santa Marie del Fiore, known as The Duomo. The magnificent dome was built by Brunelleschi. We marveled at the beauty of the cathedral and its magnificent dome; The dome, 600 years after its completion, is still the largest dome built in brick and mortar in the world.

Our next stop was a quick walk down the Ponte Vecchio Bridge over the river. Along the bridge are dozen of shops filled with expensive and glittering gold necklaces, rings and chains. This is not to place for bargain shopping, but fun to window shop. A few blocks away lies the Uffizi Museum, our destination. I had made reservations online before we left home to avoid what can be a several hour wait. Our reservations were for one o'clock and we arrived a few minutes early. The museum is located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria. The plaza displays a wonderful collection of statuary include one that bears a striking resemblance to me (see photo). I wondered whether or not I was the model for Michelangelo's David, in my past life...well, who knows.

Open to the public since 1765, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world and we were looking forward to seeing its treasures. As we walked through the various rooms of the gallery we gazed at the art work of Botticelli; da Vinci (The Annunciation); Durer; Michelangelo; Raphael; Titian and Caravaggio's Bacchus. Of course, the gallery houses thousands of other masterpieces from artists that for me were unrecognizable, but no less impressive. It was a educational and awe-inspiring visit. Later that afternoon we took the train back to the port of Livorno, where Freedom awaited to take us back to the beginning: Rome and an overnight stay.

We arrived at the port of Civitavecchia, which is about an hour train ride to Rome early in the morning. We met our new friends, the Rowlands, early in the morning and joined them for the train ride to the city. Our destination today was to be the Borghese Park and the Borghese Gallery. We took the metro to the Spanish Steps and walked a couple of miles through the park until we reached the Villa Borghese Pinciana, originally the home of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. This impressive collection of sculptures includes the beautiful Apollo and Daphne and David completed in the 1600's by Bernini. Each room in the gallery has a centerpiece of magnificent works of art. The visit to the Borghese Gallery was well worth the time and is a place that few American tourists visit.

Our next stop were places where every American visiting Rome stops and of course, photographs. The 138 Spanish Steps began at the Piazza de Spagna and end at the Trinita dei Monti, an impressive church built by the Bourbons of France. The Steps are always occupied by students eating lunch (forbidden!) and smoking cigarettes (still a very popular habit in Europe). After leaving the Steps we walked the several blocks to our final stop, the Trevi Fountain. One of the largest of the Baroque fountains in Rome, its central appeal is the magnificent sculpture surrounding the fountain. Taming of the waters is the theme of the gigantic scheme that tumbles forward, mixing water and rockwork, and filling the small square. Tritons guide Oceanus' shell chariot, taming seahorses. In the center is superimposed a robustly modelled arch. In the center are free-standing columns for maximal light-and-shade. In the niches flanking Oceanus, Abundance spills water from her urn and Salubrity holds a cup from which a snake drinks. the bas reliefs illustrate the Roman origin of the aqueducts. Shirley tossed the obligatory coin into the fountain signifying that she will once again return to Rome. If you cannot make it to the Trevi Fountain in Rome there is a scaled-down replica of the Trevi Fountain at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. As for us, it was back to Freedom and our last evening in cabin 8249.

We were aware that this was to be our last night aboard ship and that our journey had taken us to places far and wide that we had only imagined visiting. We passed on the dining room after a very long day and grabbed a quick bite at the Lido buffet and made a quick pass through the shops and venues on board before retiring for the night. Tomorrow we would once again board the train to Rome for our eventual trip to Fumicino Airport. It has been an exhausting and yet, exhilerating trip. Our plane that evening takes us to Paris, the City of Lights, but unfortunately our stay in just overnight and so we will not have time to visit the grand city.....at least not this time. Our heads are full of memories of both exciting and frustrating moments during our twelve day trip through the Eastern Mediterreanean. It was a good trip.

Part 3 - Greece

The Freedom set sail from Istanbul at eight o'clock that evening and after an exhausting day seeing anything and everything in this marvelous city it was to be an early night for us. Tomorrow is another sea day and we are looking forward to doing absolutely nothing! Friday is Halloween so the staff of Freedom is set to celebrate the holiday with a variety of activities centered around witches and goblins (and by the way, I have encountered quite a few of these during our cruise!). For the most part, we read, ate and lounged looking forward to our next port - Athens.

Today is Saturday, the first of November and our seventh day aboard Freedom. The ship docked at Piraeus, the port of Athens. We met up with our friends from West Virginia and together we grabbed a taxi for the short ride to the Acropolis. When we arrived Shirley and I took off on our own at a fast pace - there was lots to see in a day. Our first stop was of course, the Parthenon, the city on the edge. The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the fifth century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens. We spent a leisurely hour or so walking over the ancient ruins and viewing the panoramic sight of the city of Athens. You can see the Plaka, the main shopping center, beneath you, the ruins of the giant Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Olympic stadium nestled in a pine covered hill, an island of green in a sea of concrete. We decided to walk down the hill to explore what appeared to be a nearly pristine temple a mile of so away.

We walked through the agora, the main square, filled with remnants of old Athens and partially restored stone pieces. Soon we came upon a small temple known as the Thission named for Theseus because his exploits were shown on the frieze, it is now believed that it was actually a temple to Hephaestos and Athena. Near the temple was a small museum filled with artifacts and fantastic statuary. The museum also housed numerous grand tomb markers and perfectly preserved pottery pieces. On the grounds of the museum is Kerameikos the ancient cemetery of Athens. Many prominent Greek citizens are buried here. The best part of our brief side trip was that all of the crowds were at the Acropolis and we were essentially left alone to explore at our leisure.

A short walk from the museum and we were at the Plaka, Athens most well known shopping center. We wandered the endless blocks of merchants peddling everything from scarves to devices that make stuffed grape leaves or hollow out a zucchini. It was all too overwhelming and besides which, it was time to head back to Freedom.

On Sunday morning, the Freedom set anchor at the seaside village of Katakolon. Katakolon is situated on a peninsula and overlooks the Ionian Sea. The town is really of little significance other than it is located about an hour from Olympia, the site of the original olympic games. The olympic torch is lit here and transported to the selected city. I had decided that I had seen enough ruins and stone remnants, so Shirley ventured out alone to see the olympic village. She boarded a ship sponsored tour while I wandered around the small village centered around three streets filled with tourist laden goods. Later that afternoon Shirley returned telling me that I had truly missed the highlight of the cruise. As I viewed the dozens of photographs she had taken, I was not disappointed. The columns, the structures, the sargophagi and other ruins in various states of restoration were similar to those at Pompeii and Ephesus - I'm not certain I could really distinquish them. Ah, the Temple of Zeus.

Part 2 - Turkey

Monday, October 27th, was a lazy day at sea as the Freedom made its way to the beautiful coastal town of Marmaris. We explored the ship; spent time in the fitness center trying to recover from far too much gluttony; visited the library; sat out on the deck and took a brief nap. It was a full day, but very relaxing. That evening we dressed for dinner in our formal evening attire, which in our case meant a sports coat, tie and slacks and a nice pants suit for Shirley. Formal nights on a cruise ship have evolved from tux and tails and sequined gowns to a much more casual look. As a matter of fact, we've become a much more casual society. Who remembers the last time they saw someone flying on an airplane in a suit or nice dress? Still there are those who choose these opportunities to dress up and many others who are satisfied with suits and ties and attractive dresses. Some, of course, pay no attention whatsoever to proper decorum and wear short sleeve shirts. There's always some, right? It's actually refreshing to see men and women dressed to the nines waiting for their photographs to be taken.

Mid-morning we arrived at the port of Marmaris and spent the afternoon in this bustling tourist resort in southwest Turkey. The weather was mild and sunny and we enjoyed a leisurely walk through the streets of the village. Marmaris has a population of about twenty thousand people, but since the 1980's construction boom, the tourist business has rapidly expanded and is not uncommon for the population to explode to 300,000 or more during the busy toursit season. It was a brief, but enjoyable day in Marmaris and we headed back to Freedom at five o'clock for the scheduled six p.m. departure.

The next day, Wednesday, we arrived early in the morning at the port of Izmir, known as The Pearl of the Aegean. Called Smyrna by the Greeks, Izmir is the third largest city in Turkey with a population of over two and a half million people. The primary tourist attraction near Izmir is the ancient city of Ephesus and this is where we headed. Ephesus is in many ways even more impressive then Pompeii, though not nearly as well known. Many of the structures such as the Gate of Augustus; the Temple of Hadrian; the Theatre and the Roman Celsus Library are virtually intact. In fact, Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins East of the Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15% has been excavated. It was a wonderful day, the weather was perfect and the sites magnificent. There were of course thousands of visitors which detracted to some degree from the majesty surrounding us. However, we managed to wind our way through the throngs and enjoyed our day at Ephesus. The Freedom sails today for Istanbul at four o'clock so we off we go.

Istanbul, the third largest city in the world was once known as the Byzantium Empire and later as Constantinople. It is located on the Bosphorus Strait and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn, in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the European and on the Asian side of the Bosphorus, and is the only metropolis in the world which is situated on two continents. We grabbed a bus at the port and made our way to the three primary sites that we had decided to tour. First on our list was the Hagia Sophia: Originally a church, later a mosque, now a museum, was the largest ever cathedral building in the world for a thousand years. We entered the church and marveled at the imposing dome and the beautiful marble flooring and the mosaics throughout the chapel that have been restored. Restorers have attempted to balance both the Muslim and Christian art work.

We quickly walked to our next venue, the Blue Mosque, the national mosque of Turkey and is so named due to the blue tiles that adorn the walls of the interior. We took off our shoes at the door and quietly walked through the mosque noting the faithful at prayer. The cascading domes and the six minarets surrounding the mosque dominate the skyline of the city. The call to prayer can be heard throughout the city five times a day. There are almost three thousand mosques in Istanbul so their presence is certainly noted. In any event, it was a very interesting stop.

Our next stop was at the Topkapi Palace, home to the original sultan and the center of the Ottoman Empire for four centuries. Topkapı Palace was the center of the Ottoman Empire for more than four centuries. The sultan, the political and religious head of the Muslims, and his harem lived here, business conducted, the head of the Ottoman bureaucracy trained, and the elite corps of the sultan, the Janissaries, accommodated. Sultan Mehmet II, conquerer of Constantinople, spurned the old palace of the Byzantine emperors; just a few years after his victory, Topkapı Palace was built. The palace is located on tip of the peninsula, where Constantinople had been built, buffeted on one side by the Sea of Marmara and on the other by the Golden Horn. At time more than 5,000 people lived at the palace. We worked our way through the many rooms that house the beautiful dresses, rare weapons, and precious treasures of the Ottoman empire. We marveled at the festive clothes, famous swords of the sultans and treasures like jeweled panaches, the famous Topkapı dagger, and the 86-carat spoon diamond. Across the plaza is a large garden, where several pavilions served the rest and relaxation of the Sultans. There is also a cafe with a wonderful view of the entry into the Bosporus, the quarters of the Genovian and the Asian part of İstanbul.

Just enough time left for a quick stop at the Covered Bazaar, one of the largest covered markets in the world. There are more than 4,000 shops selling everything from jewelry, pottery, spice to carpet. Construction on the bazaar began in 1464 and it was restored in 1894 after an earthquake. Needless to say, with over a quarter of a million visitors each day, our stay was brief. What a sight!

Part 1 - Rome & Naples

We left Salt Lake City on October 22nd at ten o'clock in the morning on Delta with an intermediate stop in Cincinnatti. Destination: Rome, Italy, for the first day of a fourteen day travel cruise through the eastern Mediterreanean Sea. We arrived at Rome's Fumincino Airport the next day at about eleven in the morning. We picked up our bags and headed for the train that would take us to Rome's central train station and then on to the Metro for a short ride to the Domina Hotel on the outskirts of the city. The Domina is a very nice, western-style hotel with all of the expected amenities. We checked in and freshened up in our room before heading to dinner at a nearby restaurant. The Girasole on Via Appia Nuova was just a few blocks from the hotel and we enjoyed a sumptuous meal of ravioli and pizza marinara. Pizza in Rome is generally served on a thin crust and is very tasty. After dinner we walked back to the hotel and turned in early anticipating a full day. The next day, Friday, we set off to explore Rome and revisit some of the many sites that we had quickly toured during our last visit to the city. The hotel shuttle took us to the nearest Metro and we boarded the "A" line to the central station where we transferred to the "B" line which would take us to St. Peter's Square (there are only two lines on the Rome Metro). We arrived fairly early in the morning and the crowds were just beginning to appear. I noticed the Vatican post office in the square and sent some postcards back home. Vatican City does a thriving business in postage stamps, it is a major enterprise.

We wondered around the square for the next couple of hours taking photographs of the Basilica and other buildings, as well as, the Swiss Guard, the protectors of the Pope. We decided to walk from the square to the Colliseum along the banks of the Tiber River. We didn't realize how far we would have to walk, our map distorted the actual distance, and so after what seemed like several miles and numerous inquiries from passerbys, we arrived at the Colliseum. We purchased tickets and entered the magnificent structure. After roaming the various levels and corridors for an hour or so, we decided to grab a bite to eat at cafe across the street from the Colliseum. After a $30.00 lunch comprised of a cheese pizza and two cokes, we decided to walk to the Villa Borghese, Rome's Central Park. We made reservations to visit the Borghese Gallery on the day the ship returned to Rome. After a long day roaming the streets of Rome, we returned to the Metro and our hotel.

The next morning, the day of our departure for the Carnival Freedom and twelve glorious days on the Meditereanean Sea, we prepared to leave. Our plans were to spend the day in Rome since the ship wasn't departing until late that evening. We would take the shuttle, jump on the Metro, spend the day in Rome and then catch the afternoon train to Civitavecchia, the port of Rome. Ahh, the best laid plans. Unfortunately, a completely unexpected occurence changed our direction that day. I had jumped in the shower that morning and as I was getting out of the bathtub/shower, I slipped on a very slippery tub and catapulted straight in the air landing on the marble floor. I actually landed square on my lower back and right arm. The noise of the fall was deafening and Shirley rushed into the bathroom only to discover me laying on the floor in agonizing pain. My first thoughts were that I had managed to seriously injure myself and I wasn't certain whether I would be able to stand up or even move. Shirley suggested calling for help, but despite my tortuous pain, I envisioned people rushing to the room and seeing me laying on the floor buck-naked and quite honestly, I decided to suffer the pain rather than the indignities. After an interminable period of time, Shirley helped me get up and move to the bed where I lay in utter pain for most of the morning.

In order to get to the ship, we were going to have to take the hotel shuttle to the Metro; take the Metro to the train station; board the train for the hour and half trip to Civitavecchia and do all of this hauling a ton of luggage. I struggled to get dressed while at the same time trying to think of an alternative to what seemed an impossible journey. I hobbled down to the front desk and the clerk informed me that they could provide transportation to the port for the mere sum of $200.00. The next best alternative appeared to be taking a cab to the Rome train station thereby avoiding the long and painful Metro ride. So, we hailed a cab and took the $25.00 ride to the station and after arriving I managed to pull my luggage the several thousand yards to the gate where a most welcome bench was awaiting. A few minutes later another couple arrived who were also planning to take the train to the port. Vern from Jacksonville, Florida was a patron saint at that moment since he gladly hoisted our bags onto the train when it arrived. My wrenched back continued to cause me untold pain, but at least, we were heading in the right direction and the ship's doctor would be waiting.

We arrived at the port around three in the afternoon and shared a short cab ride with Vern and his girlfriend, Ella to the pier. The check-in process was very simple and within minutes we were in cabin 8249 and the comfortable bed that I immediately found. I slept fitfully that night unable to turn over and any attempt at getting up from the bed resulted in unbearable pain. We woke up early the next morning as the ship found its mooring in Naples. I decided that I would visit the ship's doctor before we left for a day at Pompeii, our planned tour. The doctor determined, as I suspected, that there was no major damage, but rather, a very severe bruising of the muscles. He prescribed some pain pills and a muscle relaxant and I returned to the cabin.

We left the ship and feeling some relieved, I found a kiosk that sold train tickets to Pompeii and off we went to the famous ruined and partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples and Caserta in the Italian region of Campania. Along with Herculanean its sister city, Pompeii was destroyed, and completely buried, during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days in AD 79. We spent several hours that day walking the streeets of Pompeii and envisioning what life would have been like on that fateful day in AD 79. It was an awesome sight and well worth enduring my lingering back pain. After we left Pompeii we took a brief visit to the Naples Archaelogical Museum which houses many of the artifact uncovered at Pompeii. A long day again and we returned to safe haven of our ship. Naples is a dangerous city, suffering an extremely high unemployment rate and an even higher crime rate. There was no reason for us to linger.