Trip Home to USA

Joyce and Bob fly Delta into Atlanta and on to Asheville. Lydia and Jerry are on British Air non-stop to Chicago.  Both are nearly 10 hours depending on the headwinds.  Joyce was able to capture some photos of the French Alps.

Hard to believe that there is still snow on the mountaintops.

The 10 hours didn't seem that bad as it felt like we were constantly eating or drinking. We read our Kindles and maybe napped a tiny bit. We experienced headwinds as high as 148 mph and we wondered if we would make the arrival time, but eventually these turned into tailwinds at over 100 mph, so it all evened out.

We had to make it through customs, then over 4 hour layover in Atlanta only to then sit on the runway for nearly an hour to take off. We  could have driven from Atlanta to Asheville in the time we waited.

We arrived home about 11:00 after being up for nearly 24 hours.  Bob was up early the next morning for his Kiwanis BBQ. Joyce enjoyed a walk with her flowers.  The trees are changing daily and the full fall color is not far away.    

Our home was immaculate as we knew it would be.  FSU friend, Pat Ramsey, has  been house sitting for us the entire time we were gone. The plants, birds and squirrels must have loved the attention, and we certainly appreciated the comfort that someone was here while we were gone.  We are still discovering all the treasures she left for us. 

Many of you have shared with us how much you have enjoyed following us on our Mediterranean Holiday. As the author of the blog, I appreciate that very much since many days I would have easily skipped it when we were so pooped from tours.  I knew that I couldn't afford to get many days behind, though, since we had so many intensive tours, I never would have been able to remember what went where. The other reason to keep up is that once you return, the motivation never matches the need to get a posting together to upload so you can read it.

My other goal now it to get some people and places written up on Trip Advisor so others can learn from our experiences.

Final Day in Rome

We enjoy breakfast one last time on the ship, then disembark from the ship right on time, and our private transport is right outside the ship to meet us. Luggage is readily available. We face a little confusion as our actual driver has not brought his port ID card and authorities won't allow him into the ship area to pick us up.  A friend of the on-sight coordinator loaded all our luggage in his van and took us outside the port to meet our driver.  After another hair raising drive ( not 100 mph, though ) from the port to the center of the city, we arrive at our hotel.  We marvel at all the sites that we can recognize after our previous 4 days touring Rome.  Our hotel is a tiny, boutique one with 23 rooms, and it is as charming as can be. HOTEL MODIGLIANO. We are midway between the Spanish Steps and the Barberini metro stop and near the Villa Borgese park.  This is a view of the outdoor patio where we enjoyed a glass of wine after our afternoon walk through Rome--taken from our balcony window.

Only Lydia and Jerry's room is ready, so they move in and our luggage is stored until later that afternoon.  We head out to tackle Rome one last time.  Today is much cooler and is quite comfortable in the shade and we love walking the streets up toward the Spanish Steps.  When we finally arrive, we find that we are actually at the top of the steps and can look down to the bottom of the stairs and the square. Bob and Jerry make a trip down the stairs for photos from that view. Joyce and Lydia decide to rest on the wall at the top. We attempt to make our way into the Villa Borgese Park, but cannot find a gate. Lydia and Jerry have had enough and make their way back to the hotel. 

Joyce and Bob are not to be beaten in their attempt to find the Villa Borgese Park and start off in a different direction. Eventually, they do find the park, but are too tired to go very far into the park.  They walk back through the fashionable section of Via Victorio Veneto. Our feet cheer when we arrive at our hotel. The hotel has a very large, comfortable parlor area with FREE INTERNET!  Yeah.  We all eagerly connect with our devices and finally check e-mail as well as stroll through several Google Earth sites to see where we have been.

Soon it is time for Francesca to pick us up for our Rome at Night Tour.  Traffic is totally nuts as it is still rush hour at 7:00 PM.  She navigates with the ease of the native that she is, and we cringe as one more moped, car or bus comes too close. She ignores Jerry when he asks her who taught her how to drive.  She shows is a little car about the size of a Smart Car and tells us that 14 year olds can drive that little car.  It doesn't go very fast, but still is a vehicle. We head out past the Castle St. Angelo near the Vatican.  This building played a feature  role  in Angels and Demons movie from the Dan Brown Book.  As a tour guide and personal assistant, she worked for a month for various personalities who were filming Angels and Demons.  Of course, she had lots of stories to tell. 

We are soon in the Trastevere section as she climbs higher and higher to her favorite lookout point atop a hill to see Rome at night. She surprises us with a bottle of sparkling wine and we all  toast to a fabulous time in the Mediterranean and to Rome in particular. Photos really weren't that impressive so we just basked in the glow of the city. We told her we wanted some pizza--where she would go as a native of Rome.  We were treated to a wonderful experience at a tiny little restaurant near the Coliseum called FORNA.  It was filled with locals and we were grateful for Francesca's help to navigate the choices.  We ate fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella cheese, another dish of fried balls of rice, tomato sauce and cheese and several different pizzas. Some of were surprised that we like the pizza with egg plant (aubergine).  Everything was fresh and hot from the oven. We met the owner,Milvio, had our photo taken with him and felt like we were family.  We never would have found this place without Francesca, much less negotiated the language challenges.     

She asked us what else we wanted to see or do andn  we mentioned many of the sites where we had toured including the Forum, St. Peter's Basilica, the Parthenon, Trevi Fountain, and of course, the Coliseum.  As it turns out, many of the areas aren't really lighted that well or you couldn't get a good shot, so the Coliseum becomes our goal as Francesca says we can get a good shot.  We all mess with our camera to set for the night shot and success was marginal for some of us.  Francesca thought she could assist Jerry.     

It is nearly 10:00 and we know we have to get up early the next day for our plane trips, so we reluctantly return to our hotel, tired, but happy for one more remarkable experience.

Day 21 Mediterranean Adventure

Our travels have nearly come to an end as we return to the port of Civitavecchia after 20 days of cruising in the beautiful Mediterranean. We have our disembarkation time  and are packing up to return home. After three continents and seven countries later, we take a look back as reflections on our time in the Med are varied. We have survived living in a space of 24'x12' for 20 days without killing our mates. We have established a comfortable routine on the ship, each day visiting our favorite lounge areas, our favorite entertainers and our favorite spots to just hang out and read or take a nap. We laugh hilariously when after nearly three weeks on the ship, we get lost and can't remember which way to turn. We never seem to know what day of the week it is.

We have been greeted with much warmer temperatures than we ever expected.  Some of us have entire packets of long sleeved tops and jackets that have never been opened. We have seen no rain in three weeks. We have longed for the ease of speedy internet and accessible phone service. ( our phones work, but it costs from $1.29-$3.00/minute and we have rationed our calls.) We never anticipated that we would have "Google withdrawal" symptoms as we ponder by the hour one question after another. Had we been in the states, we would have had an instant answer. We wonder if the questions will seem urgent when we return.  We have met many, many vacationers from all corners of the world, all seeking the same world peace, prosperity and security that we do.

We have experienced so many bus trips that we have lost count.  Adding to the list are the large numbers of guides we have enjoyed.  We have loved the Holland America experience and enjoy the organized chaos that precedes each shore excursion. ( NOT!!!)  The more we think about our time here in the Mediterranean, and the many tours we have taken, we are more likely in the future to investigate our own touring options as we do not enjoy being herded like cattle onto one bus after another, day after day.  Our private tour in Ephesus was truly a joy and an indication that after much investigation, we can indeed book our own tours with much more customization and usually not any more expense.

We remain committed to stay healthy and fit so we may continue this type of touring as we see many much younger than we are who cannot move about with ease.

We will have to have some distance of time before we consider the next ports of call, but we are imagining that there are places yet to see and time yet to see them. Two continents are still on our list--South America and Antarctica...  Of course, Holland America cruises those places, too. 

Day 20 Mediterranean Adventures: Naples, Sorrento and Pompeii

 

We are nearing the end of our adventure as we head back up the Eastern Italian coast for the second time, stopping this time at Naples. We have been advised to skip most of Naples, so our tour takes us to Sorrento and then on to Pompeii. It is a full day tour for 8 hours, only our second all day tour.  The other was Ephesus with a private guide. 

As we leave the port, we are advised that Naples has 1.6 million people and the port is one of the the busiest cruise ship ports in Italy, second only to Genoa. As usual, there are several ships on port the same time we are. The city of Naples has been around since 800 BC.

Sorrento is about 50 km south of Naples along the beautiful Amalfi coast. Soon on our left we pass Mount Vesuvius at 4,000 ft high.   There are almost always clouds derived from the high temperatures coming from the volcano.   This  volcano was the one that erupted in 79 AD and covered everything in volcanic ash.  This, along with many previous eruptions provide the rich volcanic soils used for growing all the fruits and vegetables of the region.  Sorrento was founded by the Greeks in 500 BC along the Bay of Naples.  The ride to get there is one switchback after another, meeting all kinds of traffic, but the views are stunning. It takes well over an hour to arrive in this seaside town of only 25,000 inhabitants. Our first stop is to a factory that makes the beautiful inlaid wood furniture and other wooden pieces. We enjoy a short demonstration, a tasty snack of pastries and coffee and then have time to shop and browse.  Our next stop is the main street of Sorrento with a myriad of shops.  Our guide has arranged for a relaxing, typical Italian lunch in an outdoor restaurant.  The vines overhead provide a cool respite from the midday heat.

After lunch our tour moves back toward the port of Naples   with a long-awaited stop at the ruins of Pompeii. The crowds are supposed to be less in the afternoon, but you wouldn't know that by all the buses.Before we enter the ruins, we visit a cameo production factory. This process is quite intensive. This gentleman has been carving for nearly 70 years.  In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted sending 75 foot blanket of ashes upon the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Most of the deaths were from gas poisoning--smelling like sulphur. Many of the people had been evacuated, but skeletal remains were found of at least 2,000 residents.  The area of the city that has been uncovered is 67 acres. This is the plaster preserved remains of a pregnant woman on her stomach. Our guide said it would take all day to see everything.  While we were able to see many archeological features left at the site, many of the smaller items uncovered are housed in the National Archeological Museum in Naples.  We did not go there, but it would have been interesting after visiting the ruins first.  They have determined that 70% of the buried city have been uncovered with more excavating underway.

It has been a long day and we are happy to return to the comforts of our ship.  We say good by to all the staff who have been special to us and retire early to pack our bags to  leave outside our cabin overnight.   

Day 19 Mediterranean Adventures: Palermo, Sicily

This capital city of Sicily is fast, brash, loud and exciting.  The distinct style of the city can't be experienced anywhere else.  Nearly 3,000 years old, Palermo holds a mix of architectural styles pointing to the wave upon wave of invaders who have claimed this city as their own.  There is no one style of people in this urban melting pot with its colorful history. Here, the Sicilian fusion of all things foreign --art, architecture, culture and lifestyle--exists at its most extreme:  elegant Baroque check to cheek with Arabic cupolas, high fashion shops competing with Byzantine street markets and Vespas parked against  Spanish Palazzi.

Our tour today is after lunch, so we enjoy a very quiet time on the ship with nearly everyone else off the ship on another excursion.  Today, we have selected mostly a "drive-by" tour.  ( that is good as Jerry says absolutely NO MORE CATHEDRALS)..

Our tour rapidly climbs up to a very high peak, Monte Pellegrino, overlooking the city where we capture great panorama shots of the city of 1 million people--20% of the population of Sicily.   As we travel down from the top of Monte Pellegrino we are now able to capture photos of the most gorgeous beach below.  We learn that we will be visiting this little seaside town of Mondela. 

This seaside resort town was what we thought the entire Mediterranean would look like, however, this water and the beach were the most beautiful of our entire trip.

Our trip from Mondelo back into the city of Palermo takes us through various neighborhoods of nice houses and gardens. Many palaces ( fine homes of the  wealthy) are crumbling, but others are well-kept

and some are being restored.

The tour concludes with a drive through of the city center downtown. This is one of the palaces on a hill downtown  and is noted for the combination of Arab and Norman architecture. The interior is lined with mosaics, but we did not visit. ( Jerry had a close call on that one as he thought we were going in when we stopped for several on our bus to use the restroom).Once again, our bus driver performed miracles as the traffic is terrible and the streets are narrow.

Day 18 Mediterranean Adventures: Tunisia and Northern Africa

We have not escaped the heat as we arrive in North Africa.  National Geographic Traveler magazine describes this area as "the other Mediterranean"----different continent, different cultures, same sea. Tunisia  is the smallest of the North African countries, but its strategic position has ensured it an eventful history. The Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, Ottomans and French have all picked at the region at one point.  The earliest inhabitants were probably here about 200,000 years ago. It is believed that in those days that what is now desert was covered in forest, scrub and savannah grasses, much like the plains of Kenya and Tanzania today.   This is a Sunday Marketplace.

Our guide is quick to point out all the beautiful plants and shrubs, many of which we have in tropical USA.  We saw yucca, jasmine, hibiscus, plumbago, moss rose, oleander, jacaranda, lantana, poinsettia, bottle brush and century plant.

Tunis has a population of 2.5 Million and Tunisia 11 million. Production of olive oil is a huge industry, employing over 300,000 during harvest time next month.  This is welcomed as Tunisia has a 20% unemployment rate.  It is quite tropical here even though we are 200 miles from the desert. The breezes are great.

Our visit includes the city center of Tunisia, the Roman ruins in Carthage and the seaside resort of Sidi Bou Said.  Remains of the Roman aqueducts and on the right, the storage tanks for water.  We enjoyed this as we did not get to see much of this in Rome.  Remains of an ancient Roman Amphitheater.

We all enjoyed the WWII North Africa American Cemetery and Memorial.  Over 2800 deceased are identified with thousands more missing, sleeping in unknown graves. 

The highlight of the day was Lydia and Joyce riding the camels. More fun than we thought and a total hoot for the both of us. Second highlight was FREE INTERNET near the ship. Lydia says it is time to go home when this event becomes a highlight.      

Day 17 Mediterranean Adventures: At Sea

We are at sea today on our way from Mallorca to Tunisia.  We all welcome the more leisurely pace of a full day onboard our ship.  We enjoy a Mariner's Brunch at noontime and a formal night at the evening meal.  We are enjoying our cruise, but at the same time each one missing some things from home.  Bob misses his golf games and the mountains. Jerry misses the 4-wheeler rides and the pontoon rides on Twin Lakes. Joyce misses her Greek yogurt, a fast, free internet and of course the beautiful mountain vistas of North Carolina.  Lydia misses clean clothes!