At Sea - October 28, 2012

Very rough seas last night, okay for us as where we are located in the ship (kind of similar as gently swaying in a hammock) but as mentioned yesterday with our neighbours now gone and the room empty, there must have been a drawer or cabinet not closed properly so during this very rough time at about 4 o’clock in the morning I was jarred awake by this constant slide and bang noise, not pleasant but was able to get back to sleep after a while. Mariners on the Collectors voyage were invited to a very nice brunch today at 11:30 after which we had an open day - for many (about 1,200) this is their last day so with the weather the ship seems a bit quiet. Watched a movie Wuthering Heights, took in a port talk on our next ports and then watched the beautiful scenery go by as we round the Island of Mallocra before heading north to Barcelona, looking forward to great day in this incredible city...

Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy - October 27, 2012

Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia - for those that missed yesterday’s update we are not in Livorno (Florence) as planned, a severe weather system rerouted us here, no problem for us but upsetting to many. The people in our neighbouring cabin were supposed to fly back home out of Florence tomorrow - now they flying to Rome and then home, yikes !!!. Back to Cagliari, this is a city which has inspired poets and writers. It displays a rare, unusual beauty set on the splendid Angel bay with impressive stone forts that are reflected in the crystal waters. These forts are immediately and unexpectedly visible to those arriving by sea. Seventy years ago, D.H. Lawrence felt that the city rose in an unexpected way, like a golden mountain. He compared it to Jerusalem. claiming that there is nothing Italian about it. The city rises behind Via (street) Roma, culminating in the ancient majesty of the Castello quarter. Via Roma is the keeper of many of the city’s memories, a silent spectator of all the coming and going of the local bourgeoisie who have chosen her as the ideal place to take an afternoon stroll. We made the best of our time here roaming along the medieval streets and alleyways many within the walled part of the city. A few light showers today but mostly overcast with the sun peeking out every once in a while. A nice day and a nice surprise place for us to have visited. A few sights from our day.... Tonight we had dinner at the optional italian themed Canaletto dinner, excellent. This was followed by the HAL Entertainers in probably one of the best productions we have seen to date on the high seas. The production was called Garage Band and maybe it was because this is a newer ship with all the new stage technology but they had just about everything going tonight, from using the big screen to the multi level stage going in all directions with incredible props just excellent. Tonight Europe moves into standard time so we fall back the hour to get that bit of extra sleep we need. A day at sea, ahhh.

Rome, Italy - October 26, 2012.

With no less than six huge cruise ships in port with passengers all eager to visit the “Eternal City” it was nice that the forecasted thunder with heavy rain blew over and left us with another great day of sightseeing. Rome was founded in 753 B.C., the birth of this great metropolis is celebrated every 21st of April by Romans . The city itself was famously built on seven hills, a number that was a universal symbol for completion and perfection. This was likely not a coincidence as the founders of Ancient Rome wanted the world to that this particular city was destined for greatness. Over the course of 3,000 years the sheer volume of history and culture that has accumulated here is nothing short of spectacular. However what is more charming is the way that history is preserved within a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Vespas and Maseratis speed by architectural landmarks as it they were mere traffic islands. It is the perfect blend of old and new with the must see collection of famous sights that puts most other destinations to shame. Our 90 minute Rome transfer put us right into the center of the action landing us at the edge of Vatican City. We gave the Pope the respectable nod then we hit all the sights, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vittoriano in the Piazza Venezia (giving us great views of the Coliseum), then strolled up Via del Corso and over to Spanish Steps. Up the steps and had a wonderful lunch at Ciampinis‘ on the edge of the Villa Borghese. A great spent in this amazing city, a few pictures of our day.... This just in as a result of a severe storm tomorrow afternoon we will not be docking and visiting Florence. We are now visiting Cagliari, Sardinia, Okay by us but many are understanding but upset at missing this wonderful port.

Naples, Italy - October 25, 2012.

The first picture literally reflected what I saw this morning as I lifted my head and caught the reflection from the mirror on the bureau in our stateroom - grabbed the camera for a magnificent photo of the sun just clearing Mount Vesuvius - looks like we were in for another great day. Naples is the principle town of the region of Campania and lies on the north side of the Bay of Naples. Laid out in semicircle grid, the silhouette of Mount Vesuvius graces its background. One of the Mediterranean ports of call for commerce and trade, it is also a important naval and strategic base. Although large and seemingly overbearing, Naples offers as ambiance not existent in the north. The old city, with its narrow streets and stepped lanes are accented by tall balconied homes. The city’s busiest and most architecturally rich quarter is called Spaccanapoli or split-Naples. We walked off the ship headed towards the castle and enjoyed about 2 hours on the hop on hop off bus - great way to view a city and to get oriented. Lunch was an authentic Margarheta (sp) Pizza as this is the home of the Pizza. Then off to the National Archaeological Museum, his museum displays all the relics found in Pompeii and Heculeleum after the Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD. A wonderful day ending with a wonderful sunset. Tomorrow we are in the Eternal City - Rome .... Please note some of the photos you are about to view are of a PG nature, viewer discretion is advised.