Seville, Spain

We continued our travels in Spain, this time stopping at the port of Cadiz. Our excursion took us to Seville for a tour of the palaces – a worthy way to spend mum's birthday! The drive into Seville was lovely and the city was covered in beautiful flowering shrubs and trees. Most impressive were the jacaranda trees which lined many streets and were magnificent with their gorgeous purple blooms. Our guide told us that they'd been having miserable weather but we got lucky yet again and the sun was shining brightly for our walking tour. We left the bus and traveled a short distance to the Casa de Pilatos, an Andalusian palace that was completed in 1540 and is said to be a copy of the Palace of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem. The owner, a 92 year old countess, still lives in a set of rooms upstairs. Once inside we entered a large courtyard with a fountain in the middle and surrounded by statues and busts of Spanish kings and Roman emperors. The many rooms in the palace have fine frescoes, paintings and beautiful ceramic tile, and we took a walk through two very peaceful and lovely gardens in full bloom. Our next stop on the tour was at the Lebrija Palace and to get there we had to traverse many narrow streets, past stores and cafes, dodging traffic of both the vehicular and pedestrian variety. There were so many beautiful and colourful buildings to look at – the architecture in Seville is wonderful! About 100 years ago the Countess of Lebrija decided to restore her family's mansion and redecorated the palace with mosaics and other archaeological items that were found in the ruins of the Roman town Italica. Nearly every room in the palace had these wonderful mosaics on the floor, and the many rooms were jammed full of various treasures. Quite a sight to behold! We next made our way to the the old Jewish area of Seville where we had lunch tapas style at one of the many restaurants in the area – delicious! Once everybody was completely stuffed our group slowly made its way back to the bus and we drove to the Plaza de Espana which was built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. The square is crossed by a water canal and the walls of the Plaza have lovely tiled alcoves, each representing a different province of Spain. Mum was done in by this point and stayed on the bus, but despite a less than attractive exterior, the interior of the plaza was well worth the extra steps!

Barcelona, Spain

Rather than spending the day touring Barcelona, we decided to head off to the mountains for a visit to the Montserrat Monastery. Founded in the 11^th century by the Benedictine monks, it has been an important religious site for pilgrims down through the ages. Our bus driver stopped at the base of the mountain so that we could get our first view of the monastery clinging to the cliffside far above our heads. If you look closely at the first picture, you will be able to see it high on the mountainside. Unlike early pilgrims who had to walk up the steep slopes to reach their goal, we were able to drive up on a narrow, winding roadway which was not for the faint of heart! Unfortunately the monastery has become quite commercialized. Our first close up views were of large parking lots, a three story restaurant, gift shops and stalls of people selling cheeses, honey, herbs and baked goods. Once we passed the commercial area however, we were able to imagine that we had taken a step back in time to a period when the monks were able to dedicate themselves to a peaceful life of prayer, work and welcoming pilgrims. Our guide told us that Montserrat is also home to the Escolans – the oldest boys' choir in Europe. We enjoyed strolling past tall dormitories, up narrow stone passageways and across a wide statue-filled courtyard to the church itself. Once inside we were awestruck by the vibrant stained glass windows, graceful archways, beautiful religious paintings and mosaics. In the background we could hear organ music playing as we climbed the narrow winding stone stairway to view the statue of the Black Madonna who was the main object of worship for the pilgrims to this monastery. After visiting a small prayer chapel we made our way back down to the bus, enjoying the panoramic views and interesting rock formations along the way. The monastery is accessible by car, bike, tram, funicular and of course on foot, so if you ever find yourself in Barcelona this side trip is well worth the visit!

Marseille, France

After saying farewell to Italy for the final time on this trip, our next port of call was Marseille, France. Mum came down with a fever and sore throat courtesy of our rain-drenched trip on the open-top bus in Rome. As she was really looking forward to our tour in the next port of call and because she had been to Marseille before she opted to remain on the ship to try and recover quickly. This left me to set off on our tour by myself which I must admit was okay after more than 4 months of constant togetherness! The traffic in Marseille was horrendous and we spent much of our tour at a stand-still. The city is very pretty though and it was interesting just to watch the passing scene. From across the harbour we could see the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica perched high on the hill and we slowly made our way in that direction. When we arrived we were told it was 120 steps to the basilica, but it actually turned out to be 240 – somebody needs to learn how to count! Still, it was worth every step as the basilica was quite spectacular and there was a 360 degree view of the city below and out over the famous Chateau d'If, the setting for Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo. After being given ample time to wander on our own it was back down the stairs and onto the bus where we slowly made our way back to the old port, passing the beautiful Palais Longchamp along the way. Once back at the old port we were given 30 minutes to shop for souvenirs. I took a little walk up to the opera house and poked around some of the side streets while enjoying the lovely weather. It's a shame the traffic prevented us from seeing a little more of the city, but it was a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours!

Santa Margherita, Italy

May 19^th we started cruise number two. We were checked out of the hotel in Civitavecchia by just after 11:00 and were booked on the noon shuttle to the port. The shuttle was running about 30 minutes behind which was fine, still plenty of time to get to the ship. 12:30 arrived and there were 8 of us for the shuttle with a ton of luggage. It was like playing Tetris trying to get all of the bags loaded! Finally they were all crammed in and we set off. For some reason the tiny side street next to the hotel was busy, busy, busy. It took us several lights to make the turn onto the main road, and almost immediately the shuttle got a flat tire! So there we were, sitting on the side of the street outside one of the local schools while all the kids are pouring out of the building heading home for the day. The driver kept telling us that the other shuttle was on its way and would be there soon. It must have been 45 minutes before the second shuttle showed up, and then all of the luggage had to be reloaded onto the new van. Thankfully the rest of the trip to the ship was uneventful! We got our new cruise cards quickly enough and then boarded the ship. Everything is so shiny and new compared to our other ship, and it is so much bigger! The Eurodam is less than two years old so it hasn't had time to get that used feeling yet. Our room has almost exactly the same layout as our other room, except it is a bit bigger – there's even room for a bathtub in the washroom! Time will tell if bigger is actually better, although I can already say that the food is better and there's a movie theatre on board so that makes me happy!

The next day we had our first port of call – Santa Margherita, Italy. We had to tender to shore to catch our bus to Cogorno where we walked up to the beautiful Basilica di San Salvatore dei Fieschi which dates back to the 13^th Century. We sat outside in the courtyard while our guide related the history of the Basilica and it was so quiet and peaceful. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing and the air was nice and cool. We were then given the chance to go inside where cross-shaped openings help illuminate the church. For once we were the only people around, and that made the stop all the more enjoyable! We strolled back to the bus and made the short drive to the fishing village of Sestri Levante which lies between the Bay of Silence and the Bay of Fables (so named after Hans Christian Andersen). After a brief tour through the cobblestone streets to the Bay of Fables we were set loose to wander and shop. Mum and I had a look around before buying pistachio and chocolate gelato (for what is a trip to Italy without gelato?) and taking a walk along the seaside. All in all it was a nice low-key way to begin this leg of our trip. We finished off the day by taking in a movie in the Eurodam's super-comfy theatre!

Rome & Civitavecchia, Italy

And just like that, 108 days on Pacific Princess came to an end. We arrived at the port of Civitavecchia early on the morning of May 15^th and appropriately enough we were met with rain. By 6:40 am mum and I had cleaned everything out of our cabin, said goodbye to our room steward Arnold, and were seated in the Cabaret Lounge for the last time as we awaited our turn to disembark for the transfer to Rome. An hour later we were settled on the bus with a small group of hearty souls who decided to take the very last tour of our voyage. The ride to Rome took about 90 minutes and before I knew it we were standing in an enormous line outside the walls of Vatican City. Apparently a power outage had closed the place down the day before and all of Friday's tours had been postponed to Saturday making it even crazier there than usual. As we waited the clouds opened up again and we were caught in a torrential downpour. The many men rushing around selling umbrellas were doing a brisk business but mum and I decided to tough it our in our ball caps and raincoats. Turns out my “raincoat” is of no use at all, and by the time we finally got indoors I was completely drenched! Nothing like wandering around the Vatican Museum in a wet shirt, carrying a wet jacket. Of course everyone is there to see the Sistine Chapel, but to get to that point you must first traverse a seemingly never-ending series of hallways and staircases jammed with paintings, statues and tapestries. There were some very interesting and beautiful pieces to be seen, but alas the crush of people meant that you had to just keep moving forward at a steady pace, taking quick looks left, right and at the ceiling when you could and trying not to lose the tour guide. Finally we arrived at the Sistine Chapel and the blessed silence that was to be found within. It was as beautiful as I remember it from way back in 1992 and mum was suitably impressed, although she felt that some of the artwork in other parts of the Museum was just as lovely. After 15 minutes to take it all in we were on the move again, back downstairs to eventually emerge beside the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica. After a brief tour inside and a stop in front of Michelangelo's Pieta it was out into the rain for a visit at one of the gift shops where you could purchase rosaries blessed by the Pope. At this point we had been touring for hours and were all drenched and exhausted from our early start. We found our way back to the tour bus and were eventually dropped at on of the train stations where we were miraculously able to find a taxi that could take all of our luggage! A brief ride took us to our hotel in central Rome and we happily checked in and collapsed in our room, emerging only for a quick dinner at the restaurant next door. I miss Princess already!

Sunday we decided to find one of the open-top bus tours of Rome and take a ride around the city to get our bearings. We set off in the direction of what we thought was the train station, but quickly found ourselves way off course. Happily the detour took us past some lovely places we otherwise would have not seen, including the Four Fountains intersection and the lovely Quirinale Park and Square. After about 30 minutes we finally figured out where we were, and a short walk later we found ourselves at the Trevi Fountain, one of my must-see stops as I had missed it the last time I was in Rome. I had always pictured it out in the open, not tucked away in a little square, but it was a beautiful sight to behold. Shortly thereafter we finally found a stop for the open-top bus and soon we were ensconced at the back of the bus on the upper level, soaking up the sun and taking in the sights. This is why I love Rome – everywhere you look there are gorgeous buildings and churches, ruins and fountains. There is just so much to see! We decided to adopt a “look but don't touch” approach for our first full day on our own, and ultimately that turned out to be a mistake. Monday we got caught on top of the bus in another downpour as we were heading for Bocca della Verita (the Mouth of Truth) and had to head back to the hotel where we had stupidly left our umbrella so we could change and retrieve said umbrella. The sky had cleared by the time we made it back to the hotel, but not 10 minutes later it was pouring again, and this lasted for the rest of the day. Tuesday we awoke to find a glorious sunny day with not a cloud in the sky, but alas we were scheduled to depart Rome and head back to the port. Our bus tickets were still good so we foolishly decided to take one last spin around the city. We were questioning our decision when we found ourselves stuck in traffic near St. Peter's, and only just made it back to the hotel before our taxi arrived to take us to Civitavecchia. What a wild ride that was! Our taxi driver was a little bit crazy. Out on the open road he kept saying he needed to shoot somebody today. He proceeded to pull out a shotgun shell from his belongings, which he gleefully showed us. We hurtled down the highway reaching speeds of 170 km/hr in a 90 zone. 170! It's a good thing mum couldn't see exactly how fast he was going because she would have freaked! We made it to Civitavecchia in record time, and eventually managed to find our hotel tucked away on a side street. What an adventure!

Positano & Pompeii, Italy

Our first stop in Italy was at the port of Sorrento where we were tendered to shore before being transferred to a mini-bus for a hair-raising ride up the narrow streets to the top of the hill and then transferred to our slightly larger air-conditioned bus. The sun was shining brightly as we headed off along the stunning Amalfi Coast toward the town of Positano. Our driver was incredible, managing to keep us alive as we hugged the cliffside on the twisting road! The view was fantastic, and before long we could see Positano in the distance, spilling down the hillside toward the sea. Mum and I have wanted to go to Positano ever since we saw the movie “Only You”, so another dream realized! Our driver took us as far into town as he could and then we were set loose to explore the picturesque streets with their small shops and street vendors. After a blissful hour of browsing and soaking up the sun we were off along the coast again. It truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. After traversing the many switchbacks on a long climb up the hillside we arrived at the hotel where we were to lunch. Seated on a verandah overlooking the sea we were plied with delicious Italian dishes and wine, and left to enjoy the cool breeze and the magnificent view. Our final stop of the day was at Pompeii where we walked the cobblestone streets and toured the amphitheatre and several of the buildings (including the brothel and its naughty paintings, which only men were allowed to view during mum's last visit 40 years ago!) with Mount Vesuvius looming in the distance. What an incredible archeological site, although mum says much has changed since she was last there in 1971 – way more touristy, and less freedom to roam at will!

Suez Canal & Athens, Greece

Since we have fallen behind on the blog and will be in port most days from now on, we're going to keep our entries short and sweet! We'll try to let the pictures speak for themselves without too many embellishments from us.

May 10^th we traversed the Suez Canal. The scenery was quite different from our trip through the Panama Canal – instead of lush rainforests we could only see sand with the occasional village and oasis. It was beautiful in a completely different way. Unlike the Panama Canal there were no locks but just a wide channel dug through the desert. Because of very strong winds we were unable to stop for refuelling at Port Said but instead soldiered on across the Mediterranean towards Athens. We arrived in Piraeus on the morning of May 12^th. It is so lovely to be back in Europe – the weather was gorgeous (cooler) but just as sunny. Our tour took us to the old Olympic Stadium and then to the National Museum which was full of golden treasures, statues, frescos and pottery from the ancient Greek civilization. With our limited time we were only able to get a taste of the displays, but that was better than nothing! After a delicious buffet of traditional Greek dishes at a local hotel we were dropped off at the base of the Acropolis for the climb up to the Parthenon. What a thrill it was for me to see it for the first time and for mum to see it again after more than 25 years! The view was incredible, and even in their incomplete state the buildings were magnificent. When our time on the Acropolis was over our guide led us on a million mile march down steep stairways, through narrow streets and passageways and into the Plaka, the old part of Athens. While some shopped, mum and I were happy to find a Starbucks where we enjoyed a cool drink on a shady bench with some of our fellow travellers. There is absolutely no room in our luggage for any more souvenirs, so why torture ourselves? We have now added Athens to the list of “Places we have to go back to and spend more time”. Surprise, surprise!

Petra, Jordan

On Saturday we finally made our much-anticipated trip to the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Our tour started with a two hour drive through deserts, mountains and farming country. Up at the higher elevations we passed Bedouin camps where people were tending herds of sheep and goats. At the higher elevations there were also many apple orchards and green fields full of crops. Once we reached the modern city of Wadi Musa we had quite a walk down a series of stone stairs and ramps to the Visitors' Centre and then a 1 km hike down a sloping gravel pathway to the entrance of the Siq. For the less intrepid there were brightly decorated horse-drawn carriages and saddle horses which could be hired for all or part of the journey. As we arrived relatively early in the day the temperatures were pleasant and the cool breeze kept us from becoming overheated. Our guide was very knowledgeable, making stops at caves and carvings all along the route and giving us some of the background information. The Siq itself was spectacular! A deep, narrow and winding natural channel through the mountain to the Treasury of Petra. It's almost impossible to describe the beauty of the soaring red rock walls and interesting rock formations of the narrow canyon. Some sections were only 3 to 4 metres wide and in some places the high cliffs nearly blocked out the sun. Around every corner there was another spectacular view and in some sections the original paving stones still exist after more than 2000 years. After a 1.2 km stroll we caught our first glimpse of the magnificent Treasury, probably the most famous structure in Petra thanks to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I was nearly moved to tears at finally getting to see it in person – a real dream come true. The large open area was filled with tourists, horse-drawn carriages and people taking tourists on camel rides. By the time we reached the Treasury the sun was directly overhead and the temperature had risen considerably. Mindful of the long uphill climb back, our dwindling water supplies and the limited time available to us we were unable to explore much more of the site which actually covers 70 square km. The walk back through the searing heat was not quite as dreamlike as the cool walk down, but we persevered and we were very proud of ourselves when we arrived at the top still alive! It was a wonderful experience but we both agreed that we'd like to go back again in December or January when temperatures would be much more comfortable for people from the north and we could spend the 2 to 3 days necessary to properly explore the site. This was a real highlight in an already amazing trip.