Tuscany & Mediterranean Cruise May 2006

Our home for the 1st week was a charming 15th century villa located on 45 acres of grapevines & olive groves in the district of Tuscany , hardly 15 kms. south of Florence in Italy. The villa itself was literally out of a storybook, with high ceilings, frescoes, a basement where wine making equipment is still preserved, secret staircases & attics, & a resident ghost!! Outside there were gardens with gates leading into secret gardens. There were fruit trees & herb gardens & giant oaks. An occasional meal under a 150 yr. old linden tree or tea by the Italian styled pool was a delightful experience. A fig tree laden with fruit, begging to be plucked, branched conveniently into the balcony, so we stuffed our faces with fresh figs!

Tuscany has everything - Italy's greatest collection of art, soul stirring countryside, wines & olive oil.

One must walk the cobbled streets of Florence to get the feel of the Renaissance era. The Duomo, the museums  & the famous Pontevechio bridge would arouse anyone's senses; & of course it is the fashion capital of the world.

Besides the artistic splendours of Florence & the leaning Tower of Pisa, we explored the area's little towns. One of them was Siena, with its gothic glories, the colour of burnt siena.  Another was San Gimignano - a medieval Manhattan with its numerous towers which were status symbols of power & wealth. The little villages of Greve & Impruneta are famous for their terracotta, while the white mountains of Carrara are known all over the world for the quality of their marble. Michaelangelo himself used only Carrarra marble for his sculptures, & today there are still hundreds of quarries sending marble to decorate buildings all over the world. 

Seven days flew by. We sadly left the rolling hills of Tuscany behind, for Venice. The city spans 118 islands with a well-planned web of 150 canals & 400 bridges. A ride in a gondola with a handsome Italian, sipping coffee in a canalside cafe, & a walk through narrow streets & around St. Mark's square was a must. Not forgetting a visit to the Murano Glass Factory on Murano Island.

At the port of Venice, the Grand Princess awaited.  This 110,000 tons of luxury was to be our home for the next 12 days, so large that one never felt overwhelmed by the presence of 2,600 passengers & 1100 crew.  The liner itself is a floating city, complete with a choice of restaurants round the clock, 5 swimming pools, jacuzzi's, a spa & gym, art auctions, daily activities for young & old, & a casino. A giant open air cinema screened movies by day while you swam in the pool.  At night you could snuggle under a blanket on the deckchair & watch movies under the stars, eating popcorn.  There were fruit/veg carving demos, cooking demos, & a variety of games & fun activities on board.  After dinner every night, there was a choice of broadway/musical or comedy/magic shows. You could be a star yourself if you partook in the karaoke competitions, dance in the disco or on deck. Some of our most cherished moments were walking or sitting around the deck, absorbing the calming & soothing atmosphere of the sea & watching a stunning sunset.

We sailed the Adriatic, Ionian & Aegean Seas, calling at large & little ports almost daily.

Picturesque Dubrovnik was the first, on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, then the Greek island of Corfu. Dotted with cypress & olive groves, these were charming little walled citadels, & sleepy  fishing villages, with narrow streets lined with colorful local arts & craft.

Katakalon, on the the coast of Greece, is the gateway to the ancient site of Olympia where the 1st Olympiad was held in 776 AD.  Moiz could not resist a little run in this original stadium where 50,000 spectators once watched the first ever ancient games.

Within the same site, the sacred flame of Altis is rekindled (by sunlight) every 4 years to light the torch for the modern games. Nearby stands also the ruins of the Temple of Zeus ( father of all greek gods). The 44 ft. high statue of Zeus, made of gold & ivory was considered 1 of the 7 ancient wonders of the world.

The Greek island of Santorini was once a neat round cone formed by a volcano. But sometime before 1450BC, it erupted so violently that the center exploded out of the island, leaving an enormous crater, broken at 2 places where the sea filled in,  & an island in the center. I awoke early that morning to watch our great ship dwarfed, as it sailed into this giant crater. From a distance I thought I saw snow on the rim of the crater, but as we neared, I realised they were clusters of whitewashed buildings clinging to the volcanic cliffs. The colors of the cliffs, sea & white houses formed stunning contrasts.

The pages of history come to life for anyone who visits the Acropolis, the heart of Athens , - a true testament to the golden age of Greece. After seeing more ruins, it was refreshing to  visit the impressive Olympic stadium built in 1895 for the 1st Olympic games of modern times.

Just across the Aegean Sea lies the coast of Turkey. Here our cruise liner docked at the port of Kusadasi, reknowned for one of Turkey's largest bazaars for leather, carpets & jewellery. Only the grand bazaar in Istanbul is bigger. Not far from Kusadasi lie the ancient ruins of Ephesus. Even in its abandoned & ruined state, Ephesus remains an awe inspiring & wondrous city, in an amazing setting.

Next port, Rhodes, the easternmost of the Greek islands.  In its days of greatest power, Rhodes became famous for the huge bronze statue of Colossus, which stood at the entrance to the harbour. It was 110 ft high & considered one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world. It stood for only 56 years before an earthquake toppled it in 224 BC. It was this Colossus that inspired the design of the Statue of Liberty in New York. A walk thro the old town transports you 5 centuries back in time. Surrounded by a high wall & carefully preserved ruins, there are charming narrow streets, lined with local arts & craft shops.

Mykonos was another enchanting Greek island. All the houses were white & cube shaped with blue windows, complimenting the dazzling blue of the sky & sea.  We zipped around the island & its spectacular beaches on self-drive 4 wheeled all-terrain vehicles (ATV's). Even the meek could feel macho on one of those!!

The sunny bay of Naples was our last port of call. Named the gateway to the south, the city's skyline is dominated by the plumed heights of Mt. Vesuvius.  A volcanic eruption in 79 AD was so powerful that it froze the whole city of Pompeii at its foot, in seconds, under tons of ash. The excavated ruins of Pompeii put much light on their customs & way of life at that time.

We drove around the bay to the romantic cliff top town of Sorrento. From there, regular hydrofoils take you to the most sought after island in the Bay of Naples, the Isle of Capri, whose dramatic cliff bound scenery has inspired visitors & songwriters.

It was hard to leave our lavish floating home after 12 days - but the legendary city of Rome beckoned.

With whatever time we had left, we roamed the city from the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel & the private Borghese museum, to the romantic Spanish steps & the Trevi fountain.

The whole of Italy is a museum of the talents of its people. Everyone must have been an artist or engineer (or both) for the country to be filled with masterpieces, be they frescoes, paintings, sculptures, & ornate buildings. Their works are just everywhere. Some famous works of  Boticelli, Bernini & Michaelangelo are just hair raising.

Italy & Greece is the home of many ancient wonders & glories. As they stand in ruins today, it makes one wonder at the power of the forces of nature over man. 

Few tourists escape the bottom pinching & pickpocketing culture of Rome. We would not have minded a pinching episode, but unfortunately got pickpocketed instead!!  Thankfully no important documents were lost.