BK Olson, Travel Blogger

Category: Mediterranean Cruise

  • Palma de Mallorca

    Palma de Mallorca

    As our Med Cruise winds down, we docked in the Port of Palma in its capital city of Majorca. A lovely stroll thru its narrow streets, a tour of a fantastic cathedral, and a scenic drive to the country, gave us just a taste of Spain.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Another Fabulous Day is Ahead

    We docked at the Port of Palma to some pretty stunning views. We moored at the pier, disembarked and loaded into a motor coach which took us into Palma, the capital city of the Island of Majorca (Spain) and up to the fabulous Palma Cathedral, more commonly called La Seu. Read the captions for descriptions, if available.

    Fabulous Architecture

    This magnificent Catalonian Gothic cathedral is the landmark of the city. At one time the Mediterranean Sea came right up to the cathedral, providing a perfect reflection in the water. Later as other roads were added, the Parc de la Mar – a manmade lake – was added to provide a similar reflection and to offer folks a place to sit beneath the palm trees and enjoy the beauty of the stunning cathedral. There are a number of concerts and festivals here throughout the year.

    Overlooking the Parc de la Mar and the Mediterranean Sea, this cathedral lies in the oldest part of the city and is dedicated to San Sebastian, Palma’s patron saint. Although we couldn’t go inside, we were able to spend some time looking around the exterior to get some pictures.

    To the left of La Seu in the pictures above, with commanding views over the Bay of Palma, is the Royal Palace of La Almudaina – a fortified palace. It was claimed as official royal residence in the early 14th century and still is to this day. The Royal Family uses it for ceremonies and State receptions, having his private summer residence in the Palace of Marivent on the outskirts of town.

    We followed our guide as we walked the narrow cobblestone streets of this beautiful old town to take a look at the old palaces that are now residences for wealthy families, as you can tell by the immaculate streets.

    La Granja for Wine, Tapas, and Flamenco

    When we had seen a bit of the old town, our motor coach made its way to the town of La Granja, about a 30 minute drive through some very beautiful country. These handsome goats greeted us as we entered the grounds.

    A Wonderful Afternoon

    We were offered wine, and then some more wine, and since half of our table didn’t drink theirs, we just couldn’t let it go to waste! The tapas (and the wine) were delicious and soon it was time for the flamenco show. One woman was older, more experienced and seemed to be the mother. Two others joined her and one was noticeably pregnant! Very pregnant in fact. We were keeping an eye on her, because with all of the shaking and stomping going on we were sure that a new little flamenco dancer would be making their debut at our show.

    Luckily they took a break and sat for a while and we listened to the wonderful Spanish music while we enjoyed some more wine. It was a spectacular show and we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the others at the table and we were very happy that no babies were born on stage today!

    Wow, What a Cruise!

    We enjoyed a stroll around the grounds with a little wine buzz. This was a glorious day in a beautiful country. As we headed back to the ship, we couldn’t help feeling a little sad, as tomorrow we would be pulling into Barcelona and disembarking the Carnival Sunshine for good. 🙁

    Next stop: Montserrat (Barcelona)

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Nice and Èze

    Nice and Èze

    As our Med Cruise continues, we find ourselves in Monaco. After a scenic drive along the lower Corniche, past famous Riviera resorts, along the tree-lined Promenade des Anglais, we arrive in a most lovely corner of France.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Nice and Èze sounds a little like a hair-color commercial, but this is a little (lot) different. Actually pronounced like Niece and Ezz, this was a fabulous day! But first a little recap of yesterday.

    A Relaxing Day in Olbia

    Olbia is located on Sardinia, one of the Italian Islands in the Mediterranean and was actually our next stop. After such a huge day in Rome yesterday, we were a little bushed and, while a beach day sounded appealing, sleeping in and no excursion at all sounded even better. We spent most of the day on the ship, with only a couple of hours on shore to see the sights and walk around Olbia a bit.

    We hit up a craft show, where I got a great pair of earrings, but there wasn’t a whole lot else to see and we ended up relaxing on the ship in the middle of the afternoon with a cocktail. On a future trip, one of those beach excursions would probably be the way to go, since on this island there are more than 1,200 miles of sandy beaches and a mountainous interior that is popular for hiking.

    Welcome to Monaco!

    Next day our ship came into port in the Principality of Monaco. It would have been nice to see Monte Carlo – a tourist destination for the rich and famous – but since we are neither, we opted for a different excursion. Nice and Èze are both located in southeastern France, not far from each other.

    The pictures below were taken on our bus-ride to Nice. We took a spectacular scenic drive along the lower Corniche, past famous Riviera resorts, along the tree-lined Promenade des Anglais and past the Russian Orthodox Cathedral with its six domes and colorful ceramics. Sorry my picture of the Cathedral is not a good one, since we were bumping along on a bus, but you can see some GREAT pictures of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral HERE. It looks to be fantastic and would definitely be a great place to visit on our next trip!

    A Stroll around Nice

    We got off the bus in the Old Town area of Nice and strolled along a charming walkway to the Cours Saleye, an open-air marketplace featuring flowers, food items, produce and live fowl from neighboring farms. Since we couldn’t take any of our purchases onto the ship, it seemed a little silly to have this be a stop, but it was a gorgeous day, and the market was quite lovely, so we didn’t complain – not at all.

    The French Riviera

    We ended this portion of the excursion with a walk along the French Riviera. The beach was very rocky, which didn’t look appealing to me from a sunbathing standpoint, although many were partaking (some topless). It was fabulous to see the bright blue water and the miles of beach on one side of the road, and the fabulous, colorful buildings of the city on the other.

    The Hotel Negresco

    The pink building just above is the The Hotel Negresco. Dating back to 1913, this grand beachfront hotel offers stately, colorful rooms blending contemporary and traditional decor – many with sea views. Suites are also available with more rooms and furnished balconies. It has a very famous restaurant and a carousel-themed bistro with a terrace.

    Henri Negresco, born the son of an innkeeper in Bucharest, Romania, left home at the age of 15 going first to Paris then to the French Riviera where he became very successful. As director of the Municipal Casino in Nice, he had the idea to build a sumptuous hotel of quality that would attract the wealthiest of clients. After arranging the financing, he hired the great architect of the “café society” Édouard-Jean Niermans to design the hotel and its now famous pink dome. The spectacular Baccarat 16,309-crystal chandelier in the Negresco’s Royal Lounge was commissioned by Czar Nicholas II, who due to the October revolution was unable to take delivery.

    Contrary to popular belief, the large window of the Royal Lounge – listed as an Historical Monument – is not the work of Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel never worked at the Negresco; instead it is entirely the work of Edouard-Jean Niermans. – READ MORE ABOUT THE HOTEL NEGRESCO

    And on to Èze

    After our stroll, we headed for the highlight of this excursion, which was Èze. Since you know how much I love to visit and take pictures of churches, The Church of Èze was a highlight of this excursion, sitting high on the hilltop surrounded by lush landscaping and great cobblestone alleyways with shops and benches for awesome overlooks.

    The Perfect Time for Engine Trouble!

    That about does it for this day. The rest of the pictures were taken as we headed out of the Port of Monaco. This is where our ship lost propulsion, which got us a little worried given the streak of bad luck that Carnival was having right around the time of our cruise. Had we not had such an awesome view (and been so close to shore), we would have been a little more worried. The engines were fixed in just a few minutes and we were on our way.

    This was a wonderful day. Next time we come back maybe we’ll have just won the lottery and we’ll be rich and famous and can spend the day in Monte Carlo!!

    Oh What a Day!

    Next up: Palma de Mallorca, Spain

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • St. Peter’s Basilica

    St. Peter’s Basilica

    As our stay in Rome continues we reach a pinnacle, with a stop at one of the holiest and greatest churches of all time. Also a spectacular example of Renaissance architecture, St. Peter’s Basilica will stay in our memory banks for many years to come.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano

    St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most beautiful and prominent buildings in Vatican City and its fabulous dome dominates most Roman skyline photographs. One of the largest churches in the world, it is a marvelous work of Renaissance architecture. Considered one of the holiest and greatest churches of all time, this place touched my soul while I experienced the history and beauty that surrounded me.

    Burial Site of an Apostle

    Several ah-ha moments came to mind while doing a little research before our trip. What amazed me most was when I discovered that according to Catholic Tradition, the Basilica is the burial site of St. Peter (Simon), one of the Apostles of Jesus. Strong historical evidence holds that St. Peter’s tomb is directly below the high altar of the Basilica, which has led many Popes to be laid to rest here as well.

    Catholic Tradition

    According to Catholic Tradition, after the crucifixion of Jesus, St. Peter took a leadership position among Jesus’ followers and played an important role in the founding of the Christian Church. After a ministry of about thirty years, he travelled to Rome and was killed in the year 64 AD. The crucifixion took place near the Egyptian obelisk which was moved to stand in St. Peter’s Square as “witness” to Peter’s death.

    Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Baldacchino

    I wish I had a better picture of the baldacchino (above, center) because it was stunning. Visit this site for a photo of the baldacchino. More info follows.

    “As a young boy Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680) visited St. Peter’s with the painter Annibale Carracci and stated his wish to build “a mighty throne for the apostle”. His wish came true. As a young man, in 1626, he received the patronage of Pope Urban VIII and worked on the embellishment of the Basilica for 50 years. Appointed as Maderno’s successor in 1629, he was to become regarded as the greatest architect and sculptor of the Baroque period. Bernini’s works at St. Peter’s include the baldacchino, the Chapel of the Sacrament, the plan for the niches and loggias in the piers of the dome and the chair of St. Peter.

    Bernini’s first work at St. Peter’s was to design the baldacchino, a pavilion-like structure 30 metres (98 ft) tall and claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world, which stands beneath the dome and above the altar. Its design is based on the ciborium, of which there are many in the churches of Rome, serving to create a sort of holy space above and around the table on which the Sacrament is laid for the Eucharist and emphasizing the significance of this ritual.” – READ MORE

    Well, I can’t believe this day has finally come to an end. I’m exhausted just thinking about the time it took to recreate just one day during this fabulous Mediterranean Cruise.

    Next stop: Nice and Éze

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • Vatican Museums

    Vatican Museums

    Our Med Cruise continues in Rome. After a walk around the Pinecone Courtyard, we viewed the Vatican Museum’s immense collection including classical sculptures and masterpieces of Renaissance art. And then… the Sistine Chapel!

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    Another Excursion in Rome

    Yes, this is still the same day in Rome! This is way too much to see in one day. No one will agree with you more regarding that statement. Jim and I are still amazed we were there at all and were thankful to see what we did, but we both agree we could have used a whole week to see things in detail. To drink in the beauty and the history that is Rome. To take some GREAT pictures instead of snapping away… but for now this will have to do. I’m loving the fact that I can go back in time and remember all of the details of this glorious trip. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into this wonderful place as much as I enjoyed bringing the memories back to the forefront.

    We spent a nice amount of time in the Court of the Pigna (Court of the Pine Cone) until “tour time” at the Vatican Museums and then onto the Sistine Chapel. It was a fabulous green space with only a few people milling around. We thought it was going to be a nice relaxing tour, but we were wrong about that. The Fontana della Pigna (The Pine cone) was once a fountain, but now just decorates a vast niche in the wall of the Vatican facing the grass courtyard.

    The Sphere within a Sphere

    Sfera con Sfera (The Sphere within a Sphere) is a gorgeous bronze statue also located in the courtyard (above). It depicts a huge fractured orb, with more cracked orbs inside. The internal layers seem to imitate the gears of a clock. It symbolizes the fragility and complexity of the world. Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro created this orb in the 1960s.After our little break, we went around the building and into the entrance of the Vatican Museums.

    Luckily we were part of a tour and got to skip that extremely long line! The entrance was just concrete – not what I was expecting, but once we got inside, I forgot all about that. The museums “display works from the immense collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries, including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world.” – READ MORE

    Entrance to the Museums

    The two statues pictured above are the most well-covered of all there, with most very scantily dressed. We were herded like cattle and shuffled through the Museums trying to snap pictures that didn’t include the hoards before us. It was disappointing because you should really experience this slowly to take it all in and be able concentrate and take great pictures.

    Not so much today, but we did have a lot on our plate, so I can’t really blame the tour. They said we’d get to see everything – they didn’t say we’d have the place to ourselves. I’d recommend a week in Rome to spend a day in each of the places where we only spent a few hours. Wish we would have found the Trevi Fountain, so we could be guaranteed a trip back to Rome!

    Magnificent Ceilings, Gorgeous Archways

    Yes, we Stood in the Sistine Chapel!

    When we got to the Sistine Chapel, we were told there was to be no talking and no pictures – both of which fell on deaf ears to some of the hoards. It was frustrating and I could see my husband was ready to say something to some of them, just as a security guy would come around. We also read to be mindful of your belongings while visiting. I guess jam-packed amongst lots of folks, pick pockets just can’t resist, ignoring “Thou shalt not steal” even in this most holy place.

    Even though we were packed in, it was fabulous. Unlike others who didn’t listen when told not to take pictures I had to enlist help for the photo below so you could see it too. Even had I snuck a picture, it would not have been as beautiful as this. The warm, golden lighting (and the absence of people) make this a wonderful picture of this fabulous chapel. Not much more to say, but “WOW”.

    The Cappella Sistina (Sistine Chapel) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope. The chapel serves as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. It is the site of the Papal conclave, where a new pope is selected. The white smoke that signifies that the process is complete comes from the chimney of this beautiful place. Most people know of the fabulous frescos that decorate the interior, but in particular the ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo. It is absolutely breathtaking and one of the MOST pinchable moments of the entire trip!

    The Vatican State: Don’t miss it!

    Next up: St. Peter’s Basilica

    Happy trails,
    Barb

  • The Vatican

    The Vatican

    Our Med Cruise continues in Rome. Definitely a pinchable moment (and day) to see the grounds of the Vatican State, complete with Swiss Guards.

    Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
    To start at the beginning of this series, visit Mediterranean Cruise.

    An Amazing Day is Upon Us

    Stato della Città del Vaticano (Vatican City State) is a walled area within the city of Rome. On only about 110 acres with the Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square) as its central gathering place, sit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. The Vatican State is the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world, and ruled by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). The highest officials are Catholic clergy from various nations who generally reside at the Apostolic Palace.

    The Official Residence of the Pope

    Although Pope Francis has chosen more modest accommodations, The Apostolic Palace, also known as Papal Palace, is the official residence of the Pope. The building contains the Papal Apartments, various government offices of the Catholic Church and the Holy See, private and public chapels, Vatican Museums and the Vatican library, including the Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms and Borgia Apartment. On the top floor, second window from the right is where the Pope delivers the Angelus.

    We were very excited as our cruise approached, since a change was coming at the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI resigned on February 28, 2013 – just months before our visit – and we had hoped that the process would take a while so we might be in St. Peter’s Square on just the right day. But, we were not that lucky. On March 13, just two days into the papal conclave, white smoke billowed out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, which meant a new pope had been elected and Jorge Mario Bergoglio was that man.

    Because of his concern for the poor, Bergoglio chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Since as many as 350,000 people have been known to fill the square on occasions such as this, he had plenty to help him celebrate his inauguration on March 19, 2013  – but it would have been pretty sweet to have been one of them.

    OMG, We’re at the Vatican!

    In the center of the square stands a 135 ft tall Egyptian obelisk. Originally located at Heliopolis in Egypt, it was moved once and then again in 1585, when pope Sixtus V wanted it in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. The relocation was thought to be impossible, but 900 men and more than 100 horses, working five months completed the task on September 10, 1586.

    St. Peter’s Square is bordered on two sides by semi-circular Colonnades which, according to Bernini, symbolize the stretched arms of the church embracing the world. The colonnades were built in 1660 and consist of four rows of columns. The columns are 66 ft high and 5 ft wide. 140 statues were installed on top of the colonnades, all created by Bernini and his students. They depict popes, martyrs, evangelists and other religious figures.

    I have several panoramic shots, but it’s hard to show how they all fit together. While doing a little research to get this ready to go, I found an excellent 3D tour of St. Peter’s square which you can see here. It shows how all the pieces fit together and there’s a great narrative along with it, as well as more links to the site where you can get more information. There is also a 3D tour of the Sistine Chapel, which is very helpful, since photos are not allowed inside.

    Swiss Guards

    “Swiss Guards are stationed at the Vatican. For their role similar to a bodyguard, recruits must be Catholic, single males with Swiss citizenship who have completed basic training with the Swiss military and can obtain certificates of good conduct. Recruits must have a professional degree or high school diploma and must be between 19 and 30 years of age and at least 5 ft. 8.5 in. tall. The official dress uniform is of blue, red, orange and yellow with a distinctly Renaissance appearance.” – READ MORE

    Next up: The Vatican Museums

    Happy trails,
    Barb