TRIP REPORT

MARCH 2008

HOLLAND AMERICA CRUISE

FT. LAUDERDALE TO ROME  

AND ROME VISIT

 

 

3/14/08             We flew from Tucson to Ft. Lauderdale , via Houston , on Continental Airlines.  We spent one night at the Rodeway Inn, 2440 W. State Road 84, Ft. Lauderdale , Florida .

 

3/15/08             The hotel provided a shuttle to the cruise port free of charge. Upon arrival at the Holland America terminal, we were upgraded to a better cabin.  We left the port at 9:06 p.m.

 

3/16/08                         We arrived mid morning at Half Moon Cay , Bahamas , Holland ’s private island.  We enjoyed the day on the inland with a barbeque lunch, musicians, and a chair at the beach. The water was very warm, and the beautiful turquoise color of the Bahamas . We walked the beach and were back on board ship and sailed away at 4:00 p.m.

 

3/16/08 – 3/23/08 We were at sea and enjoyed various activities on board. Roger liked the bridge lessons in the morning and playing party bridge in the afternoons.  We had entertainment after dinner. This ranged from a full song and dance show to a piano player or magician. On Easter Sunday, Bettye attended the protestant service on board and in the afternoon we both enjoyed a special Easter Tea in the Show Lounge with Harry James Orchestra, Easter bunnies, and the ship had Easter eggs everywhere.

 

3/24/08 -          We arrived at Funchal, Madiera.  We took a tender to the island and then walked into town.  A nice young lady walked two blocks out of her way to show us where the Internet café was located.  We checked our e-mail and then found some postcards to mail home.  Roger found a nice leather band for his watch. We went back to the ship for lunch and activities on board.  We sailed away at 11:24 p.m.

 

3/25/08            We had another day at sea and enjoyed the ship.

 

3/26/08             At 7:11 a.m. we arrived at Lisbon , Portugal .  We had a very early tour to go by bus to see parts of Lisbon and down the coast to the village of Estoril . The tour guide told us most people have moved from the main downtown area of Lisbon due to the average cost of apartments being 2500 euros and the average person only earns about 1200 euros.  Therefore most people commute to work in the city.  In the town of Estoril , affluent people have vacation homes. For instance the President of Spain and his family have a home there.  We saw some of the beautiful homes as we drove through the town. As a result, this town is known throughout Europe .  A train runs from downtown Lisbon to Estoril and many citizens come for a day at the beautiful beaches.  The water is known to help rheumatism and there is a hospital built along the beach specializing in that illness.  It has been there for over 100 years and is still in use. 

 

            Our tour stopped for a view of the city at King Edward VII park.  From there you could see most of the city as far away as the ocean front.

           

As we drove out of Lisbon we saw an 18th century aqueduct which no longer works because of earthquakes.  It was built because the water in the Tagos river that runs through Lisbon has too much salt for drinking. All their fresh water has to now be pumped. 

 

            On the way back to Lisbon we viewed a fortress – St. Julian of the Baja – The Minister of Defence has offices there.  The colors of Lisbon are black and white. The city’s flags are this color as well as beautiful black and white designs in their sidewalks which are made with basalt.

           

            In a park there is the Belem Tower which was constructed between 1500 and 1520. It is 5 stories tall and on top stands “Our Lady of Safe Homecoming” which welcomes seafarers to Lisbon .

           

            A lighthouse in the River Tagos was built in the 16th century and is still in use.  It automatically controls river traffic.

 

            Another fortress we passed was used for a political women’s prison during dictatorship rule. 

           

            The beginning democracy for Portugal was in 1974.  Since that time the country has changed dramatically becoming more modern.  More recently, as part of the EU, it has prospered greatly.

 

            There is a suspension bridge over the River Tagos which is very similar to the Golden Gate .  Across the river from the city is a 750 foot statue of Christ the Redeemer which is like the one in their sister city of Rio in Brazil . Our ship docked next to the bridge and we could see the statue across the river.

 

            Nearby on the city side of the river there is a memorial to Prince Henry The Navigator.

 

            As we drove back to the ship we saw the Se’ Cathedral which has survived two earthquakes and was built in the 12th century.

 

            We arrived back at the ship and at 5:54 p.m. we sailed away.

 

3/27/08             We docked at Cadiz , Spain .  Outside the terminal gates, we took the hop-on, hop-off bus for a self-guided tour of the city.  We stopped at Cathedral Nueva for some photos and then we walked back through the city to the port.  On the way, we stopped in the Plaza de Candelaria for a rest and some ice cream from a nearby store.

 

            We took photos of scooters parked along the sidewalk which was the popular mode of transportation in this city.  There was also a beautiful fountain just across from where the ship docked. 

 

            The ship left Cadiz at 7:56 p.m.

 

3/28/08             At 6:14 a.m. the ship docked at Casablanca , Morocco . We took a bus tour which took us through Casablanca and about a two hour drive to the Imperial City of Rabat.  Along the way we took photos from the bus of people, hotels, street scenes, and outside the city of farm lands.  In Rabat , we visited the Walled Royal Palace .  The current King is Mohammed VI and he is 45 years old.  We took photos of the front entrance to the Palace and the guards.  Across the courtyard is the Ahl-Fas Mosque.  We saw caretakers sweeping the courtyard with palm fronds.  We also visited a military fort that was built in the 10th century when Morocco was converted to Islam.  We stopped and were able to go inside the mausoleum of Mohammed V, who died in 1961. It is very ornate with much gold trim inside, and golden trim outside as well.  There were soldiers standing guard at the gate on horses! 

 

            We left Rabat along the coastal road to Casablanca and saw interesting tide pools along the way.  We took photos of prayer minarets, as well as homes as we drove back into the city.  The tour stopped at a market downtown for some shopping.  We took photos inside the market as well as outside of people on the street.  Two men were dressed in very colorful costumes and were asking for photos to be taken at a price.  We took a picture from the bus.

 

            After we returned to the ship, we took some photos from the top deck of the Hassan II Mosque which was built in 1989.  It is reportedly the largest in the world.  The ship left Morocco at 7:36 p.m.

 

3/29/08             A day at sea.

 

3/30/08             The ship docked at Barcelona , Spain at 8:55 a.m.   We took a shuttle into the city and got off at the dock where the Statue of Christopher Columbus looks west to the Americas .  We walked the Rambles, a street that has many outdoor markets, mimes, and various shops along the way.  We had stayed in this area on a previous trip, so we returned to an internet café we were familiar with and then to ‘our street and hotel’ for old times sake.  Bettye bought a scarf from the same man she had purchased one on the last trip in 2003 at his little shop along this same street.  We walked through the city to the Cathedral Santa Eulalia.  A service was in progress, so we could not see the crypt of Eulalia of Barcelona, a young virgin who suffered martyrdom, but we took some photos inside.  We were able to see the courtyard where the famous geese are in residence and took some photos of them as well.

           

 

Along the way we saw two parades.  One was antique autos with people in period dress and another parade had figures of famous people and was similar to the Mardi Gras.  After  lunch, we took the Metro to see the famous Gaudi Park where we took photos of Gaudi’s famous artwork, and enjoyed walking through the park and seeing all of the structures with beautiful inlaid glasswork which he designed.  Afterwards, we took a city bus back to the city but failed to get off at the right stop.  We went to the end of the line! A young American couple from Flagstaff pointed us to a metro stop and we were back at the Rambles street in a flash.  We went back to the internet café and found a message from our friend, Jacques Motte, whom we planned to see at our next port in Monaco .  He had e-mailed us his passport number which we planned to use to get authorization for him to come aboard the ship and visit with us. We then made our way back to the shuttle bus and back to board the ship.  The ship left Barcelona at 7:42 p.m.

 

            3/31/08             The ship reached Monaco at 10:00 a.m. but due to a fire that had taken place in the dock parking garage the ship had to wait in the harbor until we were cleared.  We were able to disembark and meet our friend, Jacques Motte, around 11:00 a.m.   He wanted to show us the Museum Oceanographique Monaco , which was a short walk from the dock.  It was a good thing it was nearby because there was a very strong, cold wind that day! A surprise for us, as we thought it would be warmer there.  We viewed the beautiful aquarium and saw unusual fish and then walked through the museum.  This museum was founded by Prince Albert I of Monaco , and is considered one of his greatest achievements.  After refreshment in the museum’s cafeteria, we walked back to the ship and Jacques was approved to come on board.  We took Jacques on a full tour of the ship and had lunch in the Lido , We had a very good visit for a few hours before he had to depart.  As always it is hard to say goodbye to a good friend, not knowing when you may meet again.  The ship left Monaco about 11:30 p.m.

 

            4/1/08               The ship arrived in Livorno , Italy at 7:12 a.m.   We had scheduled a bus tour to take us to Lucca and to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower .  The drive through the Tuscany hillside was beautiful.  Upon arrival in Lucca , a local guide took us on a walking tour of the town.  Lucca was founded by the Romans in 180 B.C.  The local residents decided to build a wall to fortify the city against invasions from Florence .  The guide seemed quite proud that Lucca was never conquered even to this day by anyone.  It is the home of the famous musician Puccini, and there is a statue of him in the city square.  He died in 1858.  We also saw his home.  We took photos of the Cathedral of St. Michael, who is the protector of the city.  There is an ancient amphitheater in this center of town which has been cleverly converted to apartments with the middle being a large meeting area or town circle.

 

            After returning to the bus we continued on to Pisa where our guide took us to see the famous square.  During a walking tour of the cathedral, she pointed out the swinging lamp which was used by Galileo for his experiments.  It is still in use for lighting.  Afterwards, we went outside and took photos of the beautifully ornate baptistery building

           

 

and also the famous leaning tower.  We learned that lead weights balance the tower to keep it upright.  Of course, we had to take the photographs of each other ‘holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa’.

 

We enjoyed the bus ride back to Livorno and were on board for a late lunch. We took a photo of a nice sunset, our last of the cruise.  The ship sailed away at 8:20 p.m.

 

            4/2/08                The ship docked at Civitavecchia , Italy , which was the port to connect us to Rome .  We disembarked the ship at 9:00 a.m. and were met by Dana, an American working for the Limo Services in  Rome .  She drove us directly to our Hotel Duc ‘d Alba, in downtown Rome .  After we checked in, we took a rest and then in the afternoon, we walked to see the famous Roman Colosseum which was just a few blocks from our hotel.

 

            We took many photographs of the Colosseum, walked through the museum section, took the lift to the highest viewpoints and visited their gift shop.  It was amazing to sit on the steps and look out at the ruins of this famous place.  You could imagine where the Emperor once stood and all the crowds that must have come to see the horror of the games held there.  On the grounds of the Colosseum stands the beautiful Arch of Constantine which we photographed.  We walked back to our hotel and after dinner we turned in early for a good night’s sleep.

 

            4/3/08               The hotel provided us with an outstanding full breakfast in a lovely room with fine china and silverware.  We were so surprised to have such a treat.  We had scheduled a Green Line Tour by bus to take us to see the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican .  Enroute we took photographs of the Exhibition Palace, Victory Palace, Tiber River, Mausoleum of Hadrian, and dome of St. Peters Basilica, which is the tallest in Rome.  Our tour guide took us directly into the courtyard of the Pinecone which is next to the Vatican Museums.  The Pinecone is said to be 1900 years old.

 

            Our guide then walked us through some of the Vatican Museums including the Gallery of Maps, past statues of “Mother of All Nature”,  and Apollo, and then the Tapestry Museum .  One Tapestry was of Jesus and his eyes were stitched so that they followed you as you approached and passed by.  We then entered the Sistine Chapel where we had some free time to view the Michelangelo paintings on the ceiling as well as other artist’s paintings along the walls of the chapel.  It is an incredible work of art. As we left the area, we could view the Vatican Gardens from the windows, saw some of the museum pieces displayed in cases including the sign of Christians. 

 

            We walked back to the bus and after a stop at a gift shop, the bus returned us to the vicinity of our hotel.  After lunch and a rest, we walked to see the Forum.  We took

photos of the Arch of Septimus which depicts the Emperor’s victories over Iran and Iraq in 203 A.D.  At the other end of the Forum stands the Arch of Titus on which is engraved pictures of booty being carried off from the Jews in Jerusalem , even the Menorah.  The Forum is a hauntingly beautiful ruins which in its heyday was the Market of Central Rome.

 

After returning to our hotel area we took a walk to see St. Peter in Chains Church .  On view inside the church is a beautiful Michelangelo statue of Moses.  Also displayed in a glass case at the altar are chains which supposedly were worn by St. Peter while imprisoned.  I had a great feeling of sadness as I viewed that particular display. The Church, like all other Cathedrals and neighborhood churches we visited while in Rome was beautifully decorated with fine pink and white marble.             After walking back to our hotel, we had a good Italian dinner at a local restaurant nearby.

 

                        4/4/08               After breakfast we purchased a metro pass good for the day at the nearby station. We took it to the first stop enroute to see the Trevi Fountains.  A  kind young man, who turned out to be from Germany and was a student in Rome , helped us with directions and walked with us a few blocks and left us near the fountain.  We took the necessary photos of tossing coins into the fountain to be sure we return someday!  We continued on foot through a few more blocks to the Pantheon.  The Pantheon is the oldest standing Cathedral in Rome and is a glorious building.  We lingered inside and took more photographs.  After lunch just across the courtyard from the Pantheon at a McDonalds, we continued our walking tour towards the Plaza Navona.  There were artists, mimes and vendors in the Plaza and a beautiful tower with statues which was being renovated.  Just across the street was St. Agnes Cathedral.  It is a circular cathedral and very beautifully decorated inside.

 

            We left the Plaza and walked several blocks through the narrow cobbled streets until we came to the River Tiber. We crossed over on the Ponte San Angelo and directly in front of us was the Museum of Rome which originally was build to house the tomb of Hadrian.  It is a massive round structure.  Continuing along the river bank we saw mimes, vendors selling souvenirs and many tourists headed for St Peter’s Square and the Basilica and Vatican Museums .  We stopped for a rest before proceeding to get in the security line to enter St. Peter’s Basilica.  As we walked towards the Basilica, Roger was able to take a picture of the Pope’s Guards in front of one of the buildings.   Upon arrival inside the Basilica, we stood in amazement at the vastness of the building and its beauty.  We enjoyed very much the grandeur of the place, took time for meditation, and were able to take some photographs.  We took one picture of the remains of Pope John XXIII which have been preserved with wax and is on display in the lobby area.  He died in 1963.

 

            We left the St. Peter’s Square area and walked to the nearest Metro stop. At the next stop we left the metro and walked a short way towards the Spanish Steppes Plaza . 

Along the way we had to stop for a refreshment of ice cream to get our strength up for the rest of the day!   When we arrived at the Spanish Steppes, many tourists were sitting on the steps and the Plaza was crowded with people.  There were horse drawn carts waiting to take people for rides.  A beautiful fountain flows at the base of the Steppes.  We took our photographs of the area and walked back to the metro stop.  We arrived back in our hotel area around 4:00 p.m. and couldn’t believe we had seen so much of Rome in such a short time!  It had been a wonderful day and we were very tired.

 

 

                        4/5/08               After enjoying our last breakfast at the Hotel Duc D’Alba, a driver was waiting for us and we had a good ride to the airport.  We boarded Aer Lingus for the first leg of our trip home.  Our first stop was in Dublin , Ireland where Roger enjoyed a ‘real’ draft Guinness and I did some shopping with my last euros.  We left Dublin on time and arrived at JFK in New York on time at 8:00 p.m.   We stood for a long time in a passport line, but finally found our way to a shuttle to our motel where we dropped in bed for a good nights rest.

 

                        4/6/08               Our last leg of our journey home took us to Atlanta first and then to Tucson where we were met by Roger’s daughter, Susan, who graciously gave us a ride home and we were very glad to be back safely home after such a wonderful journey.