Memorize This

Some words of wisdom learned the hard way: If you ever take a bus tour of the island of Rhodes, ALWAYS sit on the RIGHT-HAND SIDE of the bus. That's how you get the money shot of the port where the ancient colossus once stood (now two columns are there) with the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas (two different colors of water) and the mountains of Turkey in the background. The road only goes one way. I was stuck on the left side of the bus. In our free time I was able to walk down to the waterfront, but I couldn't reach the point where the bus drove past that fabulous spot. I was able to get some nice pictures anyway. I just need to get over it.

Here are some of my favorite pictures that I took in Rhodes:


Windmill on the Mediterranean








The island of Rhodes is layered in history. It has been occupied by many different peoples. I think the most beautiful structures are those left by the Hospitaller Knights of St John.

Another Kind of Turbulence

I am a big fan of CNN International, especially their charismatic reporter Richard Quest (but that's a whole other story). It is a treat to watch this network when I travel. At home I can watch about 1,500 channels on BrightHouse cable, but not CNN International....aargh! CNN's current content is nearly 24/7 coverage of the violent protests in Egypt.

We had signed up to visit an antiquities museum and the new very impressive library in Alexandria. (It was a tour emphasizing Alexandria's past and future.) But in the interest of safety, MSC decided to not dock in Alexandria at all.

So yes, we are safe.

Rock and Roll

Beginning Thursday night and all day Friday (which was a day at sea), we encountered gale force winds. Even though the ship has stabilizers, we were bouncing around all over the place. If we were on a plane, the captain would have turned on the 'fasten seat belts' signs. That's what it felt like. On the bright side, it's like living on a balance board; our legs will be nice and toned in no time! This is getting old.

A Pleasant Surprise

Verona is popular among tourists as the home of the Capulets in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I had never been to Verona; in fact I have never even read the play. Well, it turns out that Verona is an absolutely wonderful town with a nice combination of both old and new and not too touristy. In fact, when I win the lottery and move to Italy, I've decided to summer in Verona so as to avoid the crowds and the heat in Florence. (Dream on.....) I'm looking forward to learning more about the city when I return home.

Here is the Capulet house. The balcony was built on much later so that we can better imagine Juliet up there.

Pisa

Yes, the Leaning Tower is still here. (Actually it's the bell tower, or campanile, of the cathedral next door.) And yes, it still leans after securing and cleaning it. After all, if they straightened it, tourism would be seriously affected! The last time I was here in 1998, the tower was surrounded by a big fence. They were digging around the foundations to secure it and huge wires were tethering it to the ground. Now a limited number of people can climb up in it. I'm not that brave.

Dante Is My Homeboy

Ah, Florence (Firenze). My favorite city. We broke away from the tour group so that I could show my mom my 'old stomping ground' when I stayed here with Smithsonian Journeys in 2004 and 2005. We had to really hustle, but it felt so good to be back.

We started at the Officino Profumo-Farmaceutica at the church of Santa Maria Novella. Open the doors and inhale deeply the sweet scents of perfumes and other herb- and essential oil-based preparations and medications that have been made and sold here for hundreds of years by the monks. I bought a bottle of my favorite perfume, and we bought some other fragrant and beautiful things.

The other treat for my mom was a visit to the Chiesa di Santa Margherita dei Cerci, also sometimes called Dante's Church. It is believed that Dante first spied his beloved Beatrice at this church. (This was their neighborhood.) This little chapel dates back to the year 1032 and is in the middle of an extremely old part of town that I just love. Tiny winding streets and drenched in history!

I Haven't Fallen Off The Boat

I have not had internet connectivity for the last few days. Sorry for the lack of new material. We are now aboard the MSC Magnifica, a lovely cruise ship that caters to a European clientele. Announcements are made in six languages; Italian is first and English is second. Internet time is outrageously expensive (I suppose I'm spoiled at home), so I will be composing offline and then signing on to paste everything in.

Here are some pictures to look at in the meantime:

This is Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square) in Venice as the ship pulled out of the port.

This is a closeup detail of the lunette above one of the doors of the Pisa Cathedral. I like the little pig or cow or whatever he is.