Barcelona is a clear winner as far as I am concerned. The city deserves a trip by itself. We saw only a small part of it, but what I saw, I liked. And what I only saw from a moving car, I also liked. 

Betty had arranged for a private guide in Barcelona for our group of six. We were met port side by Montserrat, our guide for the day. She told us that she had been named for the mountain range that frames Barcelona on the north.

She started our tour with a quick trip to the top of Montjuïc, literally the hill of the Jews. Montjuïc rises above the harbor and affords a panoramic overview of Barcelona. Our guide pointed to our ship anchored in the harbor and then shifted our attention to the relative locations of the main attractions of Barcelona.

Catedral de la Santa Creu (Cathedral of the Holy Cross) 

The Cathedral is one of the two attractions in Barcelona that we were able to fit into this quick trip. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. In addition to its unique, filigree spire the Cathedral sports an unusual menagerie of gargoyles – unicorns and elephants. 

Not to be outdone by the gargoyles of the Cathedral other buildings in the nearby alleyways of this medieval section of Barcelona stepped up their game, as well.

Look closely at not only the gargoyles, but the smaller heads upon which the gargoyles rest. The detail is amazing.

La Sagrada Familia (The Church of the Holy Family)

The cornerstone of La Sagrada Familia was laid in 1882. 137 years later it is only 70% complete. But there are ambitious plans to complete the church by 2026

The design of the church owes its eclectic style to Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926). The man apparently never saw a straight line that he liked. Keith wondered how he recorded his designs or conveyed his plans to the craftsmen who were charged with building it. Traditional architecture and drafting involves straight lines. Gaudi’s architecture is described as organic taking its cues from natural world. His original design calls for a total of 18 spires, representing the 12 apostles, the Virgin Mary, the 4 evangelists and, the tallest of all, Jesus Christ. There will be three façades. On the east the Nativity façade representing the arrival of Christ and new beginnings. On the west is the Passion façade representing the passion of Christ from Judas’ betrayal with a kiss to the crucifixion. The third façade, which is still under construction, will represent the glory of God.

Gaudi was heavily into nature. The bronze entry doors at the Nativity façade are covered in leaves. Moving about among the leaves are frogs, lizards, birds and various insects. Betty managed to find a honey bee for me. It was near the bottom of one of the door symbolizing the primacy of pollinating insects in building the natural world. (From the gospel according to John, the Beekeeper.)

Inside the church the nature theme is taken to new heights – literally. The columns that support the towering spires branch out like trees as they rise to the ceiling. Flowers adorn the ceiling. The stained glass in the east windows transition from blue to green to represent the morning light. While on the west wall the stained glass originally casts a bright yellow light that transitions in to the softer oranges and reds of sunset. Every element of La Sagrada Familia has been considered and reconsidered to reflect  Gaudi’s natural sensibilities and to symbolize his devout Catholic faith. 

In 2015, Pope Francis referred to Gaudi and “God’s Architect” giving hope to supporters of Gaudi’s sainthood that canonization would be fast-tracked. I assume that one of Gaudi’s miracles (it takes 3 to be granted sainthood) is that they have managed to build this church with private donations rather than funds from the Catholic Church.

A couple of things to note in the gallery images above. Although Gaudi was long dead when the statues for the Passion façade were commissioned, his notes were available. While the Nativity façade relies on soft, organic, natural forms to represent the newness of life and the promise of eternal life with the birth of Christ, the Passion façade depicting the death of Christ is portrayed in all of death’s harshness – stark, chiseled, angular forms. You can see that in the representation of the human form. 

Each row, column and diagonal of the numeric matrix adjacent to Judas’ betrayal of Christ sums to 33. The generally accepted age of Christ at the time of his death.

Zoom in to the top of the towers in the photo with the construction cranes. You will see drop-protection scaffolding. I assume that this keeps construction workers from accidentally falling to the ground while also protecting completed work from damage from falling tools. I suspect that dropping into the safety net would be enough to stop my heart. I wouldn’t need to hit the ground. 

Dan Brown, of The Da Vinci Code fame, recently released his latest thriller, Origin. Much of the novel takes place in Barcelona. In fact, much of the novel takes place in La Sagrada Familia. There is a scene in the novel where he describes a life and death struggle between the good guys and the bad guys that takes place on a narrow, steep, spiral staircase in La Sagrada Familia. The staircase is shown in the gallery above. It was NOT open to visitors.

Inside the church, over the altar, is a crucifix the looks like it is descending from a parachute ringed by small Chinese lanterns. I asked Montserrat about the meaning. She shrugged her shoulders and said, “It’s a crucifix.” No further explanation was offered. So when La Sagrada Familia is completed in 2026 (the 100th anniversary of Ant0ni Gaudi’s death)  I will have to return to Barcelona and ask again. Maybe by then someone will have discovered the answer to my question among Gaudi’s notes.

 

This is the morning that greeted us in Marseille. I was fighting a head cold. The forecast called for rain. As a rule, I’m not fond of big cities. Marseille is the second largest city in France.  All things considered, I decided to take a vacation day from our vacation and skip the shore excursion. I wanted to rest up to assure that I was functional for our next port – Barcelona.

Betty joined Keith and Joanne on their excursion into Marseille. Fortunately, for internet followers of this journey, Keith and Betty took their cameras. Otherwise . . . text only. Ugh! Your time would be better spent reading a novel. That’s probably true anyway.

After their Viking tour they decided to wander through old Marseille. At lunch they ordered Rosé Vin Gris the traditional wine of the region. This is not your Aunt Maud’s Rosé from upstate New York. This is a real wine. A subtle, faintly tinted “white” that has been produced in Provence for 2,600 years. 

Beyond Rosé Vin Gris Marseille is also famous for its production of Savon de Marseille. This soap is said to be the sole reason that France is the home of the world’s most beautiful women – think Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and, I’m sure, some French hotties born in the last 30 years. The soap is made with a minimum of 72% olive oil. If you research it online you will find that it is a miracle product. It beautifies your face. It washes your dishes. It cleans your fruits and vegetables. It is a natural insecticide. It helps your children be above average. It makes your jokes funny. Etc, etc, etc. There is nothing that this soap can’t improve.

Good enough! Betty bought some. Bart and Vonnie bought some. Every tourist on the Viking Star bought some. Who knows what dream each of them was pursuing with their purchase? They will all sleep well tonight.

 

Before heading off to Europe, Keith scoured the internet for travel tips. Many of travel sites suggested using a body pouch to keep your passport and your money close. This pouch is strapped around your waist inside of your clothing making it all but impossible for pickpockets to access. Keith took no chances. Even his walking around money was secure at all times. Obviously this necessitated an awkward striptease tease in restaurants and souvenir shops, but I can report with confidence that the pickpockets of Italy, Croatia, Greece, France and Spain were successfully thwarted. Whew!

 

When we returned to the ship after our excursion to Pisa the Captain announced that we would be unable to dock at our next planned destination, the Principality of Monaco. High winds would prevent our entry into the harbor. He indicated that we would instead sail further up the coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer which has one of the deepest ports in the Mediterranean. However, since Villefranche-sur-Mer (a municipality of 5,000 people) lacks the port facilities to handle ships, the Viking Star would have to anchor in the harbor and passengers would be shuttled to shore via tender boats. 

Villefranche was established as a “free port” in the 13th century and remained so into the 18th century. It was a tax free haven for 500 years. Think of it as the original “duty free” shop. Apparently, the fabulously wealthy mega-billionaires of today still consider it to be so. Villefranche is home to the most expensive residence in the world, Villa Léopolda, which was once the residence of King Leopold II of Belgium. More recently its owners have included Paul Allen (the silent partner of Bill Gates). Our tour guide rattled off a lengthy who’s who of international celebrities who have homes in Villefranche. 

The town itself is a quaint, kind of ramshackle medieval village. La Citadelle is a 16th century fort that overlooks the harbor. It is open and free to the public.  Since cruise ships don’t regularly visit I suspect no one has yet considered that the citadel might be “entrance fee worthy.”

The citadel’s watch towers sport colorful tile roofs that our guide told us were typical of the area. We didn’t see any similarly roofed houses or buildings, so I’m not sure what area she was referring to. She lives in Nice. I think Nice has nice roofs. (Sorry, it was too bad to pass up.)

We wandered around inside the citadel until we found a garden on the lower level. Since it was Easter Monday, a holiday in France, there was garden party of some sort for the children of Villefranche. Faces were being painted, games were being played, all very festive. Betty wanted to take pictures, but understood that two American tourists snapping pictures of French children at play would be creepy. So we went off to explore on our own.

 

Today the Viking Star brought us to the port city of Livorno. Livorno is primarily a commercial port, but it serves as a gateway port for Tuscany, Florence and Pisa. We chose to head to Pisa hoping to avoid the crowds of Florence. I think we made a good choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So let’s get right to it. Everyone goes to Pisa to see the leaning tower. It does, in fact, have a significant off-kilter list. Lesser known facts: 1) there are over 280 steps to the top, 2) if you start up the staircase to the top, you have to go all the way because the downward staircase can only be accessed from the top, and 3) as you proceed up the stairs, the lean of the tower messes with your balance and footing on the stairs. For all of these reasons, plus my acrophobia I chose not to take in the view from the top of the tower.

Only 40 people are allowed at the top at a time. Notice that they tended to cluster along the high side. Too easy to topple off of the low side, perhaps?

Inside the protective walls of the Piazza dei Miracoli there are 3 structures – the cathedral, the baptistry, and the bell tower. Typically these 3 components are encompassed in a single building. Had they attached the bell tower in Pisa to the cathedral it may have had sufficient foundational support to keep it from leaning. Live and learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The baptistery itself monumental – the largest in Italy. They must have been baptizing a lot of souls back in the 14th century when it was completed. Originally the baptistry dome was open to the sky without the cupola. The baptismal font lies directly below the cupola and would fill with rain water. The floors of the baptistry slope slightly from the center toward the outer walls where there are drains to carry excess rain water into a cistern. There are drain spouts extending from the circumference of the dome that direct the water away from the walls and into a collection system on the ground that rings the baptistry. That water also flows into the cistern. Very ingenious for the architect of the 12th century that designed the building. It took over 200 years to complete it.

An Overview of Piazza dei Miracoli

Pisa was really the first opportunity that we had to simply wander about to get a flavor of the city. Because it was Easter the crowds were probably larger than normal, but we walked the streets and stopped for gelato. But before we departed the Piazza dei Miracoli Betty had to see if she, too, was strong enough to straighten out the Tower of Pisa.

One of the things that I enjoy most about Italy are the differences in scale between the monuments, the cathedrals, the fountains, the plazas and the transportation options. Small scooters, bicycles, surrey bikes and pedestrians are all tolerated. Cars are generally small – Fiats and Smart Cars easily (and daringly) maneuver around tourist busses and large limo vans.

 

 Street Scenes from Pisa

 

Update

I forgot to include one of the coolest parts of our walk through Pisa. This lamb. Its wool is made of pasta. There was a greeter standing nearby. When a small dog would pass by (BTW – they are all small dogs in Italy) she would nonchalantly nudge the lamb toward the dog with her foot. Small dogs, being small dogs, would erupt into a barking frenzy, lunging toward the lamb. The dog walkers were appropriately mortified at the behavior of their out-of-control pooches.  Meanwhile the osteria lady attracted a great deal of attention to the specials of the day – which I assume must have included a pasta dish with lamb.

 

 

 

 

The word “holiday” is derived from “holy day.” Our visit to Rome was on the day before Easter, traditionally known as Holy Saturday. A great time to visit Rome if you are a devout Catholic, not so great if you are merely a tourist. The city was jammed with visitors of all Christian faiths and all tourist persuasions.

The cruise ship docked at the port city of Civitavecchia where we met our driver/guide, Luca. Luca was amazing. Sicilian by birth, Roman by choice. He was educated as a mechanical engineer and spent 10 years in Australia helping to design the port of Brisbane. During his time in Australia he learned to speak flawless English with a strong Aussie accent. We initially assumed that he was an Australian expat.

During the 45 minute drive from the port to Rome Luca discussed Italian politics, American politics, olives groves, olive and grape harvesting, ancient Rome, the various celebrities that he had served as driver and tour guide for, and his scary, Mafia-busting father-in-law who has been shot in the head multiple times. It was an entertaining ride.

Our first stop in Rome was an overlook above the Colosseum. It seemed to be a location known only to Luca as there were no other tourists around. Luca explained the history of the Colosseum and noted that the differences between the restored sections and the original sections was a deliberate choice. The archeologists wanted to make sure that visitors hundreds of years from now would be able to clearly identify the restoration work as distinct from the original. You can see the restored section on the left side of the picture above.

If you look closely you will also see a staircase in the restored section that appears to descend into nothingness. Luca explained that the Colosseum was built as three concentric rings. The stairs would have originally landed on a mezzanine between the second and third rings. The wall of the third, outermost ring can be seen at the far right of the second picture.

Our next stop was the Pantheon. Betty’s favorite. Luca pointed out that Betty is not alone. The Pantheon is the most visited site in Rome. The construction of the Pantheon remains an engineering mystery. It has not been replicated. There are no records of how it was constructed. According to Luca there are 2 theories. The first seems logistically improbable given the date of its construction, about 120 AD. The second, more plausible, theory is that it was a gift to Rome by an extraterrestrial alien race.

From the Pantheon we headed off to the Vatican where Luca introduced us to his colleague, Nadia. Nadia is a certified Vatican guide. Fortunately for us (not so much for her) she had recently broken her foot. She sported an orthopedic walking boot which limited her mobility. As a result she knew all of the shortcuts, elevators, handicapped entrances, bathrooms, etc. 

Since it was Easter weekend, the Vatican was literally filled wall-to-wall, shoulder-to-shoulder with visitors. Nadia was undeterred. She parted the crowds for us to pass with Joanne’s wheelchair like Moses at the Red Sea – simply waving the back of her hand to shoo the masses from our path. We passed through Vatican Museum on our way to the Sistine Chapel through a gallery filled with priceless gifts received by various popes through the ages, the Gallery of Maps, and the Tapestry Gallery all in record time. Nadia pointed out significant pieces in each gallery as we went. She cautioned us against spending too much time looking at any item. “If you take 30 seconds looking at each item in the museum it will take you two and a half years moving 24/7.” In other words, the pope has a lot of stuff.

We spent about 15 minutes in the Sistine Chapel marveling at the physical strength that would have been required of Michelangelo to paint it while lying on his back. As we left the chapel a museum guard motioned to Nadia that we should proceed to the exit rather than to St. Peter’s Basilica. Access to the Basilica was limited during our visit because it was Holy Friday. Nadia nodded at him, smiled politely and totally ignored him. We headed for the Basilica down a flight of stairs that required Joanne to walk close to Nadia as she engaged her soon to be patented, “get out of our way” wave.

St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world. Like the Pantheon it is impossible to capture its grandeur and enormity photographically. 

Nadia delivered us back into the hands of Luca who was waiting with the van just outside of St. Peter’s Square. Luca had arranged lunch for us at a nearby restaurant where he clearly had a close relationship with the staff. He walked us in, introduced us to our waiter, and told us that he had instructed the waiter to simply feed us. No need for a menu. No need for a translator. A little of this, a little of that so that we could get a taste of Rome. He had even asked the staff to serve us a small pizza because Keith had mentioned that he had yet to have an Italian pizza in Italy. Luca told us that he would stay with the van while we ate to make sure that it didn’t get towed (parking is a nightmare in Rome), but he checked back from time to time to see if there was anything we needed. We had a relaxing 5+ course lunch topped off with dessert and a traditional limoncello digestive. Perfecto!

When we originally booked this trip it didn’t occur to us that we’d be in Rome on Holy Saturday and in Pisa on Easter Sunday. But clearly our Viking crew was aware of the holiday timing. When we got back to the ship after our tour of Rome and the Vatican this is what we found in our stateroom – compliments of our cabin crew. 

And then tonight, Easter Sunday, the dining crew entertained us with a Chocolate Extravaganza! After affording the passengers a brief photo op they opened the chocolate flood gates. I hope there is enough insulin on the ship to treat everyone.

 

Rather than heading to Pompeii with the rest of the Viking tourists we opted for a private tour of Herculaneum. Herculaneum is a smaller site and more easily accessible for Joanne.

The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD destroyed both Pompeii and Herculaneum. While the devastation caused by the eruption was virtually without warning for the residents of Pompeii many of the residents of Herculaneum managed to flee the city as the ash started falling. It fell over several days after being blasted into the stratosphere by the force of the eruption allowing the residents of Herculaneum to move to safety. Ultimately some 50 to 60 feet of ash and hot gas buried the city.

Archeologists estimate that less than a fourth of Herculaneum has been excavated. The remainder lies under Ercolano, the city built over the top of Herculaneum. Excavation of the remaining sections of Herculaneum would destroy the neighborhoods above.

Because the pyroclastic ash and hot gasses fell over several days the destruction of Herculaneum was more gradual than the destruction of Pompeii where molten rock bombarded the city. So while portions of Pompeii burned many of the treasures of Herculaneum were buried in ash and thus preserved. Excavation revealed many frescoes and mosaics in excellent condition.

This is the money shot in Corfu. We traveled 20+ minutes in an oversized bus up narrow, congested, mountain roads, to a restaurant-laden overlook filled with 10-15 similar buses. The buses were parked three across and all but blocked the thoroughfare. Meanwhile industrial-sized trucks and everyday traffic tried to wend their way through the vehicular melee without hitting the tourists who wandered along the roadway, oblivious to danger. The American way. All for this once-in-a-lifetime photographic “opportunity.” That is Corfu in a nutshell! Emphasis on the nuts. Why bother?! 

Back in the heart of the old town (which is within walking distance of the port) there are many, many shops catering to the tourist hoards. There is also the Old Fortress (Fortezza Vecchia) which most of the cruise ship tourists avoided. Bart, Vonnie, Betty and I decided to visit the fort rather than wandering aimlessly through the old town. 

Fortunately, we were well rewarded for our effort. Our goal was the small lighthouse at the top of the fort. We had seen it earlier from sea level. The 200 year old lighthouse is a new addition to the fort, which dates back to the 5th century. While not spectacular in and of itself the lighthouse encourages visitors to climb to the top of the fort. From the top the views are spectacular. The city center of Corfu, the moat surrounding the fort, and the port of Corfu all easily visible from above. We could see the Viking Star and her sister ship, the Viking Jupiter, moored side-by-side in the port. 

After climbing to the lighthouse, we relaxed for a bit and had drinks at an outdoor osteria just below the summit. Bart, Vonnie and I decided to walk back to the ship. Betty opted for the shuttle. 

Our second day brought us to the port city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, or as it is better known in the parlance of Game of Thrones, King’s Landing. Once again GoT notoriety has had a substantial impact on tourism in Croatia. According to our guide special GoT tours are quite popular with the tourists now – many of whom visit Dubrovnik for that reason alone. Our Viking tour guide pointed out a few of the most notable sites including the Red Keep and the “walk of shame.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to return to Dubrovnik for a longer visit. Much of the city exists inside the old city walls. There are many quiet, out of the way corners to explore. There are steep stairway streets that rise from the plaza level of the old city four and even five levels. It is as if the plaza level was the stage of an amphitheater while the residential and commercial areas ascend to the top of the town walls. The walls themselves are as much as 18 feet thick on the land side – less so on the port side. Impenetrable to the slings and arrows of the barbarians of the Middle Ages. Dubrovnik is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

There is a walkway atop the city walls. The entire circuit is over a mile in length and involves some 700 stairs. We did not rise to that challenge although I hope to do so some day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were treated to lunch in the city center by Keith and Joanne. I had the Croatian national dish of black risotto with cuttle fish accompanied by a local beer. The risotto is blackened with squid ink. It was quite tasty.

The Animals of Dubrovnik

These 2 photos are for my siblings. Dave, who patiently and spectacularly photographs birds, will not be impressed by my photo of the pigeons of Dubrovnik. But I don’t have his patience or skill. As our tour progressed, hundreds of pigeons suddenly and frantically took flight in response to the shrill scream of some passing falcon or hawk. I heard the scream, looked skyward and fired off a couple of shots. The blue sky is spectacular. The birds – not so much. The pigeons circled the square 5 or 6 times before re-settling on the roofs of the square.

The cats of Dubrovnik are for Anne. Like the cat of Venice, these two were completely oblivious to the entreaties of the passing tourist hoards. I need to start traveling with a can of tuna to see if I can coax a better response from my feline subjects.

I have been playing “post catch up” today. This is our only full day at sea. No ports of call. Tonight around 10:00p (4:00p EDT US) we will pass through the Strait of Messina – the narrow gap between the tip of the boot of Italy and island of Sicily. The distance between the two shores is less than 2 miles. Again our ship will be attached to a guide boat to help us navigate the channel between Sicily and Italy.

I have been blogging today from the Explorer’s Lounge at the front go the ship and on our veranda while watching the open sea. Right now the coastline at the bottom of the boot of Italy (location noted on map above) is visible. The ship’s captain, Martin Birkeland, announced this morning that Mount Stromboli would be visible (possibly showing signs of activity) after we pass through the Strait of Messina. Given the distance (15-20 miles), I think a visual sighting would only be possible with an eruption. A small flash of fire and brimstone would be exciting, but no more than that. Please! Our stateroom faces the Italian side of the strait and Mount Stromboli is on the Sicilian side. So we’ll have to watch from the deck. 

Update 9:24pm – 3:24 EDT-US

OK, I admit I was a skeptic. The captain set course for Mount Stromboli and we passed within a mile or two of the volcano. And the view of the volcano was on our side of the ship. As promised, Stromboli delivered. I missed a larger eruption. That’s what skepticism will do for you. Never ready when you need to be. But I managed to catch a small flare up. The almost full moon helped define the outlines of the volcano. If you dial in, you can even glimpse Venus between the moon and the mountain. All visible from our stateroom veranda. Can Betty plan a trip or what!

We sailed all night from Venice to Split, Croatia. We woke to this view of Split off of our veranda. The tower on the right is part of Diocletian’s Palace. Diocletian was the Roman emperor from 284 to 305. He was born in Dalmatia (now Croatia). The palace here in Split was his retirement home. The palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site – one of several that we will visit during this cruise.

More recently Diocletian’s Palace served as one of the filming sites for Game of Thrones (GoT). For fans of GoT, the subterranean level of the palace is where Daenerys Targaryen trained her dragons. The citizens of Split will be forever grateful for the notoriety and tourism generated by GoT. I doubt that Split would have been include on Viking’s cruise agenda without the cachet of GoT. We thought it was especially appropriate that when we return to the states the final season of GoT will be available.

Split also afforded us our first experience with Viking’s port excursions. In each port Viking offers a free included excursions and multiple optional excursions (read “additional fee required”). In Split we opted for the included tour. Our tour was led by a local school teacher who tried to herd 32 tourists of varying levels of interest in Split’s 1700 year history without losing them to Daenerys’ dragons. The GoT connection was clearly on the minds of most participants. 

Old Town Split exists inside the walls of the palace. Many of the rooms of the palace are now occupied by residents of Split who lack the financial resources to live elsewhere. As you can see from the photos, living inside the palace walls presents an almost insurmountable challenge for those with limited mobility. However with assistance from Keith and others, Joanne managed to see most of the palace despite the many steps and uneven surfaces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scenic Split

As we approached the port in the water taxi we got our first view of the Viking Star through the water spotted windows of the taxi. This picture gives a sense of the relative size of the cruise ship compared to the water taxi in the foreground. 

We made our way toward the departure terminal, but not before stopping to take a group picture at the rear of the ship. Viking is very organized. Staff were stationed at every point to direct the way forward as we made our way through Italian departure procedures. 

We finally made our way to the ship where we were greeted on board with glasses of champagne. 

 

 

After we settled into our stateroom we took a tour through the ship to learn our way around. There are 6 restaurants and more bars than I can count. We are never more than a few steps away from food and drink. And of course there is always room service. Finally, at 5:00p we officially set sail departing Venice via the Giudecca Canal.  A Venetian guide boat assured that our ship stayed its course while our captain navigated the canal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the advantages of the Palazzo Abadessa was the beautiful courtyard garden. You can visit a previous post from our 2015 visit to Venice to see more about The Gardens of Venice. Gardens in Venice are rare and often secreted away behind gated palazzo walls. It was a real treat to have our own secret garden at the Palazzo.

We did not leave Venice without a stroll down the Strada Nuova which is typically jammed with tourists. A few souvenirs here and there, a little coffee, a little cicchetti and then we were off via water taxi to join our cruise. 

This charming dog, gracing the entrance to the Palazzo Abadessa, proudly and succinctly expresses the perspective of many Venetians. Everything is good, until you start thinking. Or in the even more succinct parlance of Bob Marley “Don’t worry, be happy.” The perfect mantra for the casual traveler.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of walking through Venice is the likelihood that you will happen upon some whimsically adorned door, wall, balustrade, etc. The Venetians fill even the smallest, most out-of-the-way places with beauty.

As we walked the narrow walkways we kept our eyes open for unique treasures that Venice offers visitors who wander off of the tourist beaten paths. These walkways are veritable urban canyons, often less than 6 feet wide, that weave through buildings rising 3 to 5 stories on either side. 

While the trip from the U.S. to Venice went smoothly for Betty and me, Keith and Joanne’s trip was more eventful. When their plane arrived in London from Dallas no gates were available. That delay led to a missed flight from London to Venice. While they waited for the next flight to Venice they made the best use of their extra 8 hours at Heathrow. 

Keith was especially impressed with the amenities of the Priority Lounge. Free food and free alcohol make many travel problems seem small. Meanwhile, in Venice, Betty coordinated with Lucca, our host at Palazzo Abadessa, to make sure that when Keith and Joanne arrived at 11:30pm they would not have to negotiate an unfamiliar city while jet-lagged. 

They were greeted as they got off the plane by a gentleman holding an iPad with their names and a Welcome to Venice message. He helped them with their luggage into a black Mercedes which whisked them off to Piazzale Roma. Piazzale Roma is the closest point to Venice accessible by land. From there they were personally escorted to a polished mahogany water taxi for the trip into Venice. Because it was low tide at the time of their arrival it was not possible to deliver them directly to the Palazzo’s water gate. Instead they were offloaded at one of the public docks where they were met by staff from the Palazzo who ushered them through the dark walkways of Venice to the Palazzo. By 12:45am they were settled and ready for a thorough night’s sleep.

Despite their long, jet-lagged day Keith and Joanne were up and ready to go early. We were met by Sabrina, our tour guide for the morning at 10:00. Sabrina’s assigned task was to show us Venice with as few bridges as possible. She did a remarkable job, ending our tour around 1:30 with a water taxi tour of the significant sights along the Grand Canal.

The room that we are staying in at the Pallazzo Abadessa has a unique feature. It is a well that dates back to 1511. Yes, a water well! In fact our host warned us that we should avoid falling into the well. Duly noted! But it didn’t stop me from pulling back the brocade doily and peering down into the well. Of course, I first had to move aside the complementary bottle of Prosecco and the ancient key to the door. The palazzo itself, while not quite as old as the well, dates from late 1500’s.

The Viking Mediterranean Cruise begins in Venice and ends 14 days later in Barcelona. We fell in love with Venice in 2015 and wanted to re-visit the city. So we’ll spend a few days in Venice before joining the cruise.

All told we will visit 6 countries. Obviously we will only get a small taste of any of the host countries, but we’re hoping to get a sense of what cities and countries we might like to consider for longer visits. I am particularly looking forward to Barcelona and Dubrovnik.

Date	Port	Activity
4/11	Venice, Italy	Arrive around noon. Settle in to hotel Palazzo Abadessa.
4/12	Venice, Italy	10:00 to 1:00 Privately arranged tour.
4/13	Venice, Italy	Board ship around noon. Meet up with Bart and Vonnie. Ship in port overnight.
4/14	Venice, Italy	Morning – Tour Venice on our own. Ship departs at 3:00 pm.
4/15	Split, Croatia	10:45 to 12:45 – Viking sponsored tour.
4/16	Dubrovnik, Croatia	9:45 to 1:15 – Viking sponsored tour. Ship departs 5:30 pm
4/17	Corfu, Greece	10:30 to 1:30 – Viking sponsored tour. Ship departs 10:30 pm.
4/18	No port of call	Leisurely day at sea. Drinks, food, camaraderie, blogging.
4/19	Naples, Italy	9:00 to Noon – Privately arranged tour of Herculaneum. 1:15 to 4:45 – Viking sponsored tour.Ship departs 5:30 pm.
4/20	Rome, Italy	8:00 to 5:00 – Privately arranged tour of Vatican & Rome. Ship departs 11:00 pm.
4/21	Florence/Pisa, Italy	10:00 to 2:00 – Viking sponsored tour of Pisa. Ship departs 8:00 pm.
4/22	Monte-Carlo, Monaco	9:45 to 12:45 – Viking sponsored tour. Ship departs 8:30 pm.
4/23	Marseille, France	9:45 to 12:45 – Viking sponsored tour. Ship departs 6:00 pm.
4/24	Barcelona, Spain	Privately arranged tour of city highlights and Gaudi architecture. Ship in port overnight.
4/25	Barcelona, Spain	Disembark at 4:00 am to make 7:00 am flight home.