Barcelona, Spain

November 15, 2009

After breakfast, we headed off to Parc Guell, again. We took the metro to a different stop, and then found the bus stop. We waited for what seemed like forever, and many buses later, the right bus finally arrived!

Antoni Gaudi originally built this park to be a residence housing project. It failed. Now it's a public park.

At the front entrance are two "gingerbread" gate houses. One has a bookstore and the other is the Center for Interpretation of Parc Guell.

The grand stairway has a ceramic dragon fountain.

The "Hall of 100 Columns" was designed to be the produce market for the housing community.

At the top of the stairs is the terrace, with colorful benches that are ergonomically designed to fit your body. There is a great view of Barcelona from this terrace, including the Sagrada Familia.

Antoni Gaudi lived here for 20 years, until his father died. The house is now a museum.

After Parc Guell, we took the metro to the Picasso museum. While riding the metro, I caught a woman unzipping my mother's purse. I reached out to take her hand off of the zipper, and she walked away like nothing had happened.

The Picasso museum was fascinating. Pablo Picasso lived in Barcelona from the ages of 14 to 21. This museum has the best collection of his early works anywhere.

We then did a walking tour of the Barri Gotic. At Mont Taber there is a courtyard where you can see a surviving corner of the Temple Roma d'August.

Our last stop for the evening was at Granja La Pallaresa, a xocolateria just off of the Ramblas. We had churros con chocolate. Freshly fried churros, rolled in sugar served with a cup of pudding-thick hot chocolate. Yummy!

This was our last night in Barcelona and Europe.

What a whirlwind trip of the Mediterranean! I hope to return to many of these cities someday!

Barcelona, Spain

November 14, 2009

We arrived in Barcelona this morning. After disembarking, we took a taxi to our hotel, the Hotel Continental Barcelona on the Ramblas.

We had a balcony room overlooking the Ramblas. It was 105 euros per night. I chose this hotel because of its proximity to the metro, the Ramblas and for the all day fruit, vegetable, breads and beverage buffet. The beverages were Pepsi soft drinks, orange flavored drinks, milk, beer and wine.

After checking in, we were off to see Barcelona. We went to the metro station and tried to buy tickets from the automated machines. It wouldn't take our euro bill, credit card or debit card. We didn't see anyone in the ticket booth, so we went in search of an ATM. I thought that the reason it wouldn't take my 50 euro bill was because it was too large. I was able to get two 20 euro bills and tried those in the machine. Still no luck.

We decided to walk along the Ramblas and while doing so, we found a tourist information booth. We were able to buy 2 day transportation passes there. These worked on the metro, the funicular and the buses.

We took the metro to Passeig de Gracia. Locals nicknamed the block between Consell de Cent and Arago the "Block of Discord" because the buildings look like they are trying to outdo each other.


The most famous building is Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batllo. He based his design on the legend of St. Jordi (George) slaying the dragon. The roof is the dragon's back complete with scales, bones in the bottom windows (dragon's mouth), and the sword of St. George (the chimney).

Then we took the metro to Gaudi's Sagrada Familia (Holy Family Church). He started this church in 1883. The building is funded by private donations and entry fees.

After Sagrada Familia, we took the metro to a stop where we boarded a bus to go to Parc Guell. We started to worry that we were on the wrong bus after a long ride, so we got off and took the metro back to our hotel to get our bearings and to take a break.

After a short "siesta," we headed off on the metro to Montjuic and the Joan Miro museum. I am the art specialist at an elementary school and we studied his "People and Dog in the Sun" painting. I was very interested in seeing more of his art work.

We rented the audioguides to help us understand his artwork. We weren't allowed to take photographs inside the museum, but we could outside where there were several Miro sculptures. A very interesting artist! We ate lunch at the museum cafe.

After returning to our hotel, we walked the entire length of the Ramblas. It was Saturday evening and lots of activity. People dressed as statues and in costumes, dancing, and other acts to earn money from passersby.

We had an evening snack in our hotel. Then spent the rest of the evening sitting on our balcony and watching the entertainment and people on the Ramblas.

Rome, Italy

November 12, 2009

We arrived in Civitavecchia, Italy about 7:00am this morning. This is where the ship has to dock for Rome. The port has a shuttle bus that you have to take from your ship to the port entrance. From there, you turn right and walk about 10 minutes to the train station (on the opposite side of the street).

We ended up buying BIRG tickets for 9 euros. It was a 5 zone ticket, which allowed us to use it on the train to and from Rome, the Rome metro, as well as the buses.

By car, or tour bus, it takes about 1 1/2 hours to reach Rome from Civitavecchia. By train, about 1 hour, depending on how many stops it makes.

There is so much to see and do in Rome, and only one day, what do you do? Since I've never been to Rome before, I decided that my top three sights were: Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and the Pantheon.

We purchased tickets for the Vatican museum online, which saved us from having to wait in line. You buy the tickets by date and time. Our time was 10:00am.

We took the train to Termini station and then transferred to the metro. Our guidebook said to get out at the Cipro stop. The metro map said to get out at the Ottaviano stop. We followed the guidebook.

There were signs pointing the way to the Vatican museum, but we got lost at some point. We eventually found the entrance.

The Vatican museum is huge. We decided to follow the signs to the Sistine chapel and see the art that was displayed along the way. We saw the Gallery of the Candelabra (classical sculpture), the Gallery of Tapestries, Gallery of Maps, the Raphael rooms, the Modern Religous Art collection, and then, the Sistine Chapel.

I couldn't believe that I was actually in the Sistine Chapel. We found a spot on the bench by the Last Judgment. The room was packed with lots of tourists. I read the information from the guidebook and looked at each painting. It was overwhelming.

When it was finally time to go, we headed towards the secret exit. We waited until a small group of people used it and we followed them. There was a long staircase and a security guard at the bottom in a glass booth. The other people started down the stairs and then stopped. We continued slowly down, wondering what was going to happen when we reached the guard. Just before we reached the bottom of the staircase, he got a phone call. The exit was to the left. Just as we reached the door to leave I heard a click. I thought, "Oh no, we're locked in! We're in trouble!" I reached my hand out to the door handle and tried it. It opened! The guard had unlocked the door for us!

This secret exit takes you directly into St. Peter's Basilica. We avoided a long walk back to the entrance of the Vatican Museum, another long walk to St. Peter's, and the long security check lines for the Basilica.


Another "wow" moment, standing inside St. Peter's Basilica. I've been inside several cathedrals throughout France and Italy, but none of them compare to this one! The dome itself is 430 feet from the floor of the cathedral to the top of the lantern. The baldacchino (bronze canopy) is about seven-stories tall.


Michelangelo's Pieta statue of Mary holding the dead body of Christ was an impressive sight as well. It was behind a shield of bulletproof glass.


We went outside the basilica to St. Peter's Square. We were tired from so much walking, so we sat in the shade of the colonnade and had a snack.

On the way to the Pantheon, we stopped at the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain.


The Pantheon was also a very impressive sight, outside and in!


After visiting the Pantheon, we walked to Piazza Navona. We saw Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers.

Then it was time for a gelato break. I had Nutella gelato, yummy! We then decided to take the metro to the Colosseum. We got lost along the way and ended up at Piazza del Popolo.

I thought, "I feel like I'm on an 'Angels and Demons' tour!" We finally found a metro station to go to the Colosseum.


I was surprised at the modern sculptures around the Colosseum. We didn't go inside the Colosseum because we were getting short on time. We could see the Roman Forum in the distance, and the Arch of Constantine.


At this point, I was really tired from the walking and sightseeing. It was also getting close to 4:00pm and we needed to be back on the ship by 7:30pm. We took the metro back to Termini train station, and then a train to Civitavecchia.

What a day! So much to see and so little time! I would like to return to Rome someday and hopefully spend more than one day there.

Naples/Pompeii, Italy

Nov. 11, 2009

We walked to the Circumvesuviana Train station to go to Pompeii. The stop for Pompeii is the Pompeii Scavi stop.

The tickets for Pompeii were 11 euros each.

Pompeii was founded in 600 BC and was a Roman trading center. At its peak, there were 20,000 citizens, more than 40 bakeries, 30 brothels, and 130 bars, hotels and restaurants.

On August 24, 79 AD, the city was covered under 30 feet of hot volcanic ash. Pompeii was discovered in the 1600s and excavations began in 1748.

The Forum (Foro) was Pompeii's commercial, religious, and political center. It is the most ruined part of Pompeii.

Forum

The Muleteer Plaster Cast

Crouched up, trying to protect his face with his hands. He was found next to the skeleton of his mule, under the portico of the Large Palaestra.

Muleteer

Via dell'Abbondanza fountain

Porta Nocera

Porta Nocera dates from the 4th century BC and stands at the beginning of the road leading to the city of the same name.

House of Trebius Valens

Fresco from Pompeii home

Fresco from Pompeii home

These were just a few of the places we saw. Pompeii is a huge place, and it's still being excavated. We spent about three hours there and still didn't see everything!

Sorrento

We then got back on the Circumvesuviana train and went to the end of the line, Sorrento. We spent about an hour there, just relaxing and enjoying the view of the Bay of Naples.

Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius

We wanted to get back to the ship before dark, so we took the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples. We got off at the wrong station, and were lost in the city for awhile. We had to return to the station and try again. After a few wrong turns, we finally made it back safely!

Venice, Italy

Nov. 9, 2009

We had about half a day in Venice today. We took the vaporetto to San Giorgio Maggiore. The church was designed by Andrea Palladio. Inside the church is Last Supper and Manna from Heaven by Tintoretto, Nativity and Adoration of the Shepherds by Jacopo Bassano, Crucifix by Filippo Brunelleschi, St. Benedict and Other Saints and The Stoning of St. Stephen by Domenico Tintoretto.

We then took the elevator to the top of the bell tower and took photos. It was a great view of Venice. Because of the rain both days, these are the only photos I have of Venice.

Venice, Italy

Nov. 8, 2009

We arrived in Venice at 10:00am this morning. We were eating breakfast in the Garden Cafe as the ship sailed into Venice. I've been to Venice before, but watching it go by from Deck 12 of the ship was something I'll never forget.

The ship docked at Stazione Marittima. There was supposed to be a free shuttle bus to Piazzele Roma, but were told it wasn't running that day. We had to walk about 10 minutes to get to the Vaporetto stop at Pizzale Roma. We bought 24 hour vaporetto passes for 16 euros each. A single ride is 6.50 euro. The vaporetto system was easy to figure out.

It was raining, so we first did a Grand Canal cruise on the slow vaporetto to St. Mark's Square. We got out at St. Mark's and walked around a little bit. It was really cold and wet. It was Sunday afternoon and a lot of places were closed. We decided to get some lunch and hopefully dry off and warm up.

After lunch we took the vaporetto to St. Toma and went to Frari Church. It was built by the Franciscan order about 1250.

Frari Church has The Assumption of Mary by Titian, a wooden statue of John the Baptist by Donatello, Madonna and Child with Saints and Angels by Giovanni Bellini, Madonna and Child with Doge Francesco Dandolo by Paolo Veneziano, Madonna of Ca' Pesaro by Titian, the Tomb of Titian, and the Canova Monument.

Then we went to Scuola Grande di San Rocco containing "Tintoretto's Sistine Chapel." It was a very impressive collection of paintings.

It was still raining, we were wet and tired, so we went back to the ship for the evening.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Nov. 7, 2009

The city gate was two miles away from the ship's port. They had arranged for buses to pick up and drop off at the Pile Gate, for a fee of course.

It was raining this morning, so we went inside the cathedral (Katedrala) to wait out the rain. The first cathedral was built in the 12th century by King Richard the Lionhearted of England. He was shipwrecked on Lokrum Island on his way home from the Third Crusade. He promised God that if he survived, he would build a church on the site where he landed. However, the city requested that he build it in Dubrovnik. It was the finest Romanesque church in the area before it was destroyed by an earthquake in 1667. The cathedral was rebuilt in the 18th century.

By the time we were finished in the cathedral, it had stopped raining. We bought our tickets for the walls. It was 50 kunas ($10) to walk the walls. We entered at the Minceta Tower, just inside the Pile Gate. We spent a couple of hours strolling the walls, enjoying the scenery, and taking pictures. The walls are as old as the city. When the Ottoman navy became a threat in the 15th century, the walls were fortified.

I have over a hundred pictures that I took while walking the walls. These are just a few of them!


After walking the walls, we went to the Dominican Monastery Museum (Dominikanski Samostan-Muzej). This was the church for the wealthy people. One of the rooms contains paintings from the Dubrovnik School of Painting of the 1500's. Many of the paintings from this time were destroyed during the earthquake of 1667. One of the surviving artworks is the triptych by Nikola Bozidarovic of St. Blaise holding a model of 16th century Dubrovnik. In another room is a painting by Titian of St. Blaise, Mary Magdalene, and the donor.


Dubrovnik is a very beautiful city. By the time we were ready to leave, another ship had arrived and the town was becoming very crowded.

Athens, Greece

Nov. 5, 2009

We arrived in Piraeus this morning. We walked to the metro station, which was about 20 minutes away. We got off the metro at the Akropoli stop and walked to the new Acropolis museum.

There was a lot to see at the museum, including a video about the history of the Parthenon. The museum contains some of the original pediment statues, metopes and frieze panels from the Parthenon. The original frieze that surrounded the temple measures 525 feet. The New Acropolis Museum has only 32 feet of the original frieze. The rest is in the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, Copenhagen, and some is missing or lost.

Four of the six original caryatid statues from the Erechtheion are also in the New Acropolis Museum.

We then made our way up the hill to the Acropolis. The Acropolis ticket was 12 euros and included admission to the Acropolis, Ancient Agora, Roman Forum, Keramikos Cemetery, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Theater of Dionysus.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

Theater of Dionysus

After buying our ticket, we climbed up the Acropolis hill.

Acropolis (view from ancient agora)

At the top of the hill is the Propylaea, the stately entrance gate to the Acropolis. It was built from 437-432 BC, just after the Parthenon was finished. It is U-shaped with six doric columns that make up a large central hallway. It was a miniature parthenon with a triangular pediment topping the columns. It originally contained statues and was painted in bright colors. The left wing of the Propylaea contained artwork and was used to house visiting dignitaries.

Propylaea

The Parthenon was built from about 450-440 BC to the goddess Athena.

Parthenon

The story is that a new city was going to be created, so there was a contest to see which god or goddess was going to be in charge of it. Poseidon, god of the sea, and Athena, goddess of wisdom, had to prepare a gift for the people of the new city. Whoever had the best gift would be awarded the city.

Poseidon presented his gift first. With one wave of his hand he created a thundering earthquake. The earth split at his feet and out of the crack rose a salt spring. "I have created a body of water for the people. I will make sure they are powerful on water and have a mighty navy. They will defeat anyone who attacks them with ships."

Meanwhile, Athena is digging in the ground and planting an olive tree. The gods laugh. What kind of a gift is a tree? "This is no ordinary tree. It is an olive tree. It will produce flavorful olives that will benefit the people of the new city. They can use it as food for themselves. The can press the olives into oil to add flavor to their food. They can use the oil to light their lamps. They can trade olives and oil for money or the goods of other peoples across the sea. The people will be able to feed and support themselves for years to come.

The judges were surprised by Athena's gift. "This gift shows how very wise you are. Might on the seas is unimportant if the people are starving. We award the new city to Athena."

Athena called the new city "Athens" after herself. They built a temple, the Parthenon, in her honor.

This contest is depicted in the relief sculptures on the Parthenon.

Pheidias, the great sculptor, sculpted an enormous statue of Athena that was to be placed in the Parthenon. It stood on a twelve-foot base, was made of wood, and overlaid with gold and ivory. The statue was 39 feet tall and cost more than the Parthenon. Unfortunately, this statue has been lost or destroyed.


The Erechtheion was built about 421-406 BC.

Erechtheion

The Porch of the Caryatids has a balcony with six women functioning as columns that support the roof. This was the first time that the Greeks combined architectural elements and sculpture. They are called Caryatids because they were supposedly modeled after the women from Karyai (near Sparta in the Peloponnese). The Karyai women were famous for their upright posture and noble character.

Porch of the Caryatids

After visiting the Acropolis, we followed the road past Mars Hill and made our way to the ancient agora. We first stopped at the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Church of the Holy Apostles

It was built about 1000 AD. It commemorates St. Paul and his teaching in the Agora. The inside is decorated with 18th century Byzantine-style frescoes.

Jesus as Pantocreator (dome)

After visiting the church, we walked to the Temple of Hephaistos.

Temple of Hephaistos, Ancient Agora

This is one of the best-preserved temples. It was built between 449-415 BC and is half the size of the Parthenon.

Temple of Hephaistos, Ancient Agora

We also visited the Agora Museum, which is housed in the Stoa of Attalos.

By the time we returned to our ship, we were very tired from all the walking we did today!