THE VILLA BORGHESE, THE ECSTASY & A NAP!

Some people have asked about the apartment that we are staying in while in Rome. Since it is only a two bedroom and we had booked it in advance, Gary is staying at The Best Western Piccadilly...just two blocks away. For information on our apartment, here is the web site:  www.casacleme.com

Last night, Gary's concierge reported that the strike had been settled, so we had another Brucato Morning--off at the crack of dawn to be the first in line at the Villa Borghese, hoping to get in. When it finally opened, the clerk apologetically said we'd have to go on stand-by, since our reservation was for yesterday when the place was closed. So, as soon as everyone else went in, we returned, and he actually gave us four passes free of charge. 

Cardinal Scipione Borghese was fabulously wealthy and his uncle was the Pope, so he was able to build himself an incredible villa surrounded by acres of gardens and parks. He had an excellent eye for art, and whatever he wanted, he got by buying, bribing, or even using his Papal connections to convince owners that it would be in their best interest to donate pieces to his collection.

The villa today seems as fresh and new as it must have been when the Cardinal lived in it. Every inch of the place is covered with paintings, fescoes, mosiacs, real and faux marble, gold leaf trim, painted ceilings--you name it. Room after room after room after room.

One of them had no fewer than seven Caravaggio paintings in it, although one was on loan. One was a portrait of himself as a boy with a lecherous look. On the opposite wall was another boy, his favorite model, holding a large basket of ripe fruit as if inviting you to sample some of the delights he had to offer. But next to this was another picture of an emaciated shepherd boy with the worldly look of one who has seen it all. It's title was "St. John."

Caravaggio was the bad boy of the late or even post-Renaissance. Before he was 21, he'd spent a year in jail for something, and shortly thereafter, when he came to Rome, he was protected for some time by powerful patrons. Only when he killed someone did he have to flee and spend the rest of his life on the run. He died at the age of 39 on his way back to Rome hoping for a Papal pardon.


Borghese, who had known Caravaggio personally, somehow acquired what was probably his last painting, one that he may have been taking to the Pope as a peace offering. It depicts David, not as the heroic slayer of giants that Michelangelo carved, but rather as a sad, young man holding the Goliath's severed head by the hair.  

As in most of Caravaggio's paintings, light and dark help create the theatricality of the moment, but even more, the expression on David's face leads to many interpretations as he gazes on the head, which is actually a self-portrait of the artist. Could this be a portrait of a youthful Caravaggio looking mournfully at what he had become, an  anguished, haunted man destroyed by years of dissipation? Or perhaps it's a plea to the Pope for forgiveness for the murder he committed years earlier? Or maybe it's Youth symbolically looking at the the face of Age? Who knows? All I can say is that the expressions on both faces and the tension between them are enough to move one to tears.

And while we're on the subject of David, Borghese also has one carved in marble by Bernini, another contemporary who is well represented in the Cardinal's collection. Some critics consider Bernini to be an even greater sculptor than Michelangelo, and we have two statues of the same subject to compare. The latter's David is probably the most famous sculpture in the world, but the one by Bernini also has a valid claim to greatness.

The one by Michelangelo, which is in Florence and reproduced on coffee mugs and tee shirts all over the world, shows a youth gazing with calm determination at the job ahead of him, killing the giant Goliath with just a sling shot. The stillness, beauty and confidence of the statue became the symbol of the City of Florence itself. The one by Bernini, however, captures the dramatic moment—the split second—before David hurls the stone. The expression of angry determination on this David's face contributes to the energy of the sculpture, and it invites the viewer to share that space, that moment in time, that emotion.

There's one other Bernini statue I want to include before we leave Rome, a city that is filled with his statues. It's the main attraction in a tiny church we stopped at on our way home. It's  Bernini's famous "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa," which he carved for the Cornaro family, four members of whom are seen, carved in marble, in a nearby box, as if at a theater, discussing what's happening on the stage before them.

Bernini depicts the saint at the very moment she experiences what she later described as the pure ecstasy of God's love. If you didn't know the title of the piece, you'd think it was close to pornographic. As some wag put it, “If that's what religion feels like, I'm all for it.”

The amazing thing is how Bernini could transform hard, cold marble into a woman who seems to float on air as an angel readies another arrow to thrust into her. Nothing in sculpture before or since has produced anything quite like this. The Cornaros not only paid Bernini to create this masterpiece, but they also gave him free reign to design the chapel it's displayed in. The burst of divine light falling from the heavens onto the statue is actually a concealed skylight. In fact, the whole place is a stage set for this extraordinary, frozen moment of pure (holy?)rapture.

One look at my three companions as we left the Cornaro Chapel matched my own sense of exhaustion at the overload of art we'd experienced this morning--that plus the two early-morning departures and the temperature that, by noon, was edging up to the predicted 86 lead us to the wise decision to head straight home for some much-needed down time, otherwise known as naps.

SATURDAY MORNING UPDATE

We are TOLD that the strike is over. So we are heading back out to Villa Borghese this morning to see what they will do with our reservations for yesterday. There is a Plan B, but no need to go into that now.

Weather is to be cloudy and 86 today. Tomorrow is to be 75 (!) but with a 70% chance of rain. Gives real meaning to "Go With The Flow."

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS...

The Villa Borghese is about the most perfect museum I know of anywhere. It is set in the largest park in the city—one that has miraculously survived since it was begun in 1605 by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. We had reserved tickets way in advance, and had had a "Brucato Morning" start (EARLY) to be there when it opened. You can see how pleased we were to have made it in time. 

Eventually, a mousey little man opened the door and began explaining in Italian (what else?) to mostly English-speaking tourists that ALL the museum workers in the city (or in the country) had gone on strike. As you can see in the next photo, one lady, from New York, I think, demanded to know what he was going to do about giving her a refund? He shrugged and mumbled in Italian what sounded like "Closed, sorry."

So, the highlight of our trip to Rome suddenly vanished. As "tour guide," the only notes I'd brought were for the Villa and one or two other museums. So, we we quickly changed plans and strolled through the park to Pincio Hill overlooking Piazza del Popolo to see the obelisk that Emperor Hadrian had made to honor his boyfriend Antinous, who had drowned in the Nile at the age of 19 or 20. Hadrian had him declared a god, and the obelisk, which had been moved several times since it was made around 135 AD, probably marked the burial site of Antinous. However, no one knows where that original site actually was.

We then stopped at the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo, the Basilica de Sant' Agostino, and the Saint Luigi Church, none of which were on strike and all of which had paintings by Caravaggio.  

I'll pick only one of them to illustrate here, his "Calling of St. Matthew." This picture along with two others about the saint helped establish the his reputation. Like a stage set, it captures the moment when JC (on the right with the faint halo) summons Matthew, who was busy counting taxes for the Romans, to drop everything and follow Him. Matthew, surprised at the unexpected turn of events, seems to ask, “Who me?”

Note the light on his face (divine presence?) and particularly the hand of JC, which is almost a copy of Michelangelo's iconic hand of Adam receiving the spark of life from God. Some of the others at the table are so busy with their worldly job of counting money (or figuring out which are two Euro coins versus 50 cent pieces) that they miss the chance of a long after-lifetime, while the two boys (It's a Caravaggio after all.) are not quite sure what to make of the situation.  

Another building we visited, the Pantheon, was built almost two thousand years ago by Emperor Hadrian and has been in continuous use ever since. It's the best preserved ancient building in the world, and its dome was the model for all those that came after—the Duomo in Florence, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and even the Rotunda in the US Capital.

Some people toss coins in the Trevi Fountain as a wish that someday they'll return to Rome, but Bob and I always visit the Pantheon to pay our respects. Hadrian built the temple to honor all the gods, since he didn't care which ones you worshiped as long as he was one of them. Fortunately, the Pantheon survived the Christian era because it was used as a church, which is what it still is today (mainly for weddings and special occasions).

Hadrian imported the 16 columns in front, each weighing 60 tons, from Egypt (down the Nile, across the Mediterranean on barges, and up the Tiber). He used Roman cement (still a mystery) to build the dome. The result is a building that still produces awe, not just for its age, but also for its elegant simplicity.


After a quiet lunch and a gelato at the shop where Michele and the girls had had cones when they were here, we fought out way through the afternoon crowds to Rome's two famous tourist sites--the Spanish Steps, which were almost obliterated by people sitting on them, and the Trevi Fountain, which was also overwhelmed by tourists.



The concierge at Gary's hotel says the strike may go on for some time, so who knows what will happen to my best laid plans not only for Rome, but also for Florence?

HOT DAY AT THE CAPITOLINE

Today, we had planned to visit the ancient Romans—where they lived (the Palantine Hill), where they conducted their business (the Forum), and where they entertained the multitudes (the Colosseum), but it was so hot, even in the morning, that we skipped all that and had a leisurely tour of the Capitoline Museum. In front of it in a square designed by Michelangelo, we stopped to admire a modern copy of an ancient equestrian statue of the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius.

  

The original of this statue, which may be the only large bronze one ever to survive from ancient times, is housed in the Museum, where it is being painstakingly restored. The Emperor, who may be the closest ever to embody Plato's ideal of the philosopher king, sits bareback on a horse, his arm held out in a gesture of mercy and inclusion—an ancient version of an invitation to come into the “big tent” that we hear about so much about during our current elections. This statue, especially the mostly-restored original, is striking, and has been the model for countless others over the ages.

The Capitaline Museum offers a splendid view of the Forum, which is probably as close as we'll get to actually visiting it—or the Colosseum, for that matter. The heat and the lingering jet lag are taking a toll.

In the museum, we saw several sculptures, one of the most famous being the so-called Capitoline Venus, one of the best preserved ever from ancient Rome. It was dug up in 1670s, and thought to be a Roman copy of a lost 3rd- or 2nd-century BCE statue by the Greek sculptor, Praxiteles. It is one of the most copied statues in the world, and even spent three months of last year in the rotunda of the US Capitol, something that must have horrified Bush's Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The museum also has two Caravaggio paintings,

“The Fortune Teller” and “Saint John the Baptist.” He worked at the very end of the 16th Century, dying at the age of 39 in 1610, so he really can't be counted as part of the Italian Renaissance. He is most famous for taking the more stylized and formal paintings of the earlier period and bringing them home, sometimes graphically, by using not ideal models, such as those Michelangelo and Raphael envisioned, but rather everyday street people, especially boys with knowing smiles and dirty fingernails.

In his painting of Saint John, Caravaggio chose not to portray a saint-like man, but rather a real-life kid growing up in the wilderness. The effect on a contemporary viewer, aside from the shock of seeing a somewhat provocative nude, would be to say, “Look! Saints were real people, just like you and me.” The model was a boy named Cecco, Caravaggio's servant and possibly his pupil or even his lover, the same one who posed for “Amor Vincit,” which Bob, Karin and I saw last year in Berlin. Note how Caravaggio uses dark backgrounds and light to thrust the subjects of his paintings off the canvas at you.

After the museum, we returned to our own neck of the Roman woods for lunch and some much-needed down time. We thought about trying to get into St. Peter's at the end of the day, but the humid, 86 degree temperature made us decide to dine locally.

THE VATICAN & PROSECCO!

Art of the Italian Renaissance is the main focus of this trip, but there's so much to see that I (Steward) have to be really selective in what I report on.

Today was the Vatican, and we headed straight to the Sistine Chapel to see Michelangelo's frescoes before the room became too crowded. I won't include any of the iconic images such as God delivering the spark of life to Adam through his finger tip. Instead, I'll include just one picture of one of his twenty Ignudi, or nude male figures. No one is sure what they represent, if anything, but he probably thought of them as images of divine beauty, since man, after all, was made in the image of God. The twenty statue-like figures help frame certain other figures, and they all hold up a long, trailing blue cloth attached to medallions decorated with oak leaves and acorns which represent the family of Michelangelo's patron, Pope Julius II.

This image like most of the others on the ceiling were probably influenced by ancient Roman statues that were being dug up all over the city at that time. One of the most famous, the Laocoon, tells the story of the man who warned the Trojans not to take the wooden horse inside the city gates—or, as Vergil warned, “Don't trust Greeks bearing gifts.” [Rough translation] As punishment, Poseidon, who obviously sided with the Greeks, sent a couple sea serpents to do Laocoon in. I guess that his two sons just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

For Michelangelo, such statues were a revelation, something that had not been seen for well over a thousand years. Instead of two-dimensional saints gazing wistfully at heaven, here were real humans with muscles, blood pumping through their veins, actively engaged in life. Michelangelo carved such statues from cold marble, and, as his contemporary, Raphael, astutely observed, he “carved” them also into his frescoes.

We also spent time with Raphael's famous fresco, The School of Athens, which reconciles Classical philosophy with Christianity. If you look closely, Plato, the one in center stage on the left has the strangely familiar features of Leonardo da Vinci. Similarly, the philosopher leaning on a chunk of marble looks like none other than Michelangelo. Finally, off to the right looking straight at us is Raphael himself. So, the three the greatest artists of the Renaissance appear in one of its greatest works of art.

By noon, the museum was wall-to-wall people, so we ducked out to a quiet, out-of-the-way restaurant for a leisurely lunch accompanied by two bottles of Prosecco!

We had planned then to visit St. Peter's, but the thick line waiting to get in snaked over half way around the piazza. That was enough to convince us to take a cab home for a nap, but first, we snapped a few photos of Karin and Gary to forward to Pope Benny and friends.

IF IT'S TUESDAY, MUST BE ROME!

Not a good day. At 4:00 am, our closest friend of forty years, Harvey Chernoff, who had lived in Brookline, MA, died. Actually, it was a relief for him and everyone who loved him, since he'd been living in a vegetative state for several years, but still . . .

Our trip began at 4:30 am when our good neighbor, Margaret Brucato, who is an early riser anyway, picked us up for the trip to the airport. She then picked up our friend Gary and about an hour later deposited us all at the airport.

The trip with a layover in Atlanta went smoothly, but when it comes to air travel these days, smooth flight is an oxymoron. It was a relief finally to arrive in Rome. Our cab dropped us off at the flat we've rented for almost a week (Gary, who had joined the trip later, ended up at a nearby hotel). We settled in and headed out to Rome's main train station to check our tickets for our trip Monday to Florence, and then we walked what seemed like a dozen miles to buy tickets for Sunday to Domus Romanae, a popular 3-D tour of an ancient Roman villa.

Found it, but no: We couldn't buy tickets there. We had to go to a bookstore five or six blocks away. Who knew? When we arrived there, sore of foot, the ticket agent said: No, we don't sell tours in English anymore. Guess we'll never know how our ancestors lived. We looked then for Bus 87 back to our flat, but couldn't find it. We did find a cab, however, and Bob practiced his Italian with the driver.

The one and only highlight of our trek was a quick stop at San Pietro in Vincoli Church to see Moses, one of Michelangelo's last sculptures. It was spectacular including his two horns. A misreading of a Biblical passage had led the great man into thinking that horns, not rays of light, had emanated from the prophet's head.

About 6:30, our Tucson next-door neighbor arrived from Denver, and we all went out to a local restaurant. Great pasta, great wine, great time.

ROME – FLORENCE – VENICE and the RUBY PRINCESSS

     We are off yet again to Italy...second visit this year! But it will be a very different trip from our spring jaunt. That was a cruise over and a week in Sorrento with our friend, Gary. This time we'll be doing lots of museums and major sights in Rome, Florence and Venice.

     This trip will again include Gary, but our friend Karin...who went with us to Germany/Russia last year...will also join us. We will fly over to Rome and stay for 6 nights. Then we'll take a train to Florence for a 5 night stay before taking the train to Venice. After three nights in Venice, Karin will fly home [ :-(  and Gary will join us on the Ruby Princess for a 19-night cruise back to Fort Lauderdale and a flight from there to Tucson.

AS WE START HOME

May 22.

The predicted rain arrived, but between showers, Gary managed to make a couple of purchases and we all got to use the umbrellas we lugged all this way. Our final day in Sorrento was a quiet, down day. Needed to rest and pack for our next-day trips.

May 23.

   We all took the Circumsuviana (subway) train from Sorrento to Naples. Then we took the Trenitalia line to Rome. Bob & Stew got off in Rome and Gary stayed on the train to Chiusi.

   Gary will meet up with Alberto, an old friend, and spend a week in Sienna before heading back to Tucson. We head home to Tucson on Thursday morning. Arrived at our B&B in time for a late lunch and gelato and a stroll around the neighborhood between the Termini and the Colosseum. We'd never explored this area of Rome, but discovered we hadn't missed much. Tomorrow calls for an early departure for the airport and a long flight home. Taxi picks us up at 7 (the B&B doesn't even start breakfast until 8!).

More when we get home.

ON THE ISLE OF CAPRI

May 21. Capri.

Capri

   Despite predictions of rain which never came, we went to Capri and headed straight for Villa San Michele. Well, not exactly straight, since the road winds back and forth going up and up and up. The whole island is only 5 miles long, 1½ wide and over 2 miles high at its top—in other words, a tall, rocky place with amazing views of the Bay of Naples and the Amalfi Coast.

   The villa was built over many years in the last part of the 19^th and first part of the 20^th centuries by Axel Munthe, an eccentric but brilliant Swedish doctor. He practiced medicine in Rome and Naples treating rich and poor alike without charge. He was fascinated by antiquities and nature, both of which are highlighted in the villa he designed and apparently built much of himself. The terrace is particularly striking and rivals the one in Ravello that Stew had wanted to revisit. Munthe, who died well into his 90s, left the house and grounds to Sweden to administer for cultural and scientific purposes.

   The villa is just outside the town of Anacapri, a comparatively laid-back part of the island. After lunch, we took a bus down from there to the hyper-fashionable town of Capri, where top line shops overcharge for everything. For a while, we were lost in the maze of boutiques on narrow streets, but eventually, not one penny the poorer, we found our way back to the grubby little port for our jet boat back to Sorrento.

View of the Port of Capri from San Michele

The Study at San Michele

The Bedroom at San Michele

PS: I (Stew) meant to mention that in the Correale Museum, I saw something I'd never come across before: a 16^th or 17^th century clock you could see at night. Some Pope—an Alexander, I think—wanted to know what time it was at night, so he had a clock made that showed the hours by number (like a digital clock) lit from behind by a candle! Neat!

PPS:  for Jean...On Capri...just outside San Michele...is the place that is credited with inventing Limoncello! Stopped in and watched the 'laboritorio' but did not sample the product. It was way too early in the day for me. Stew said it was really different. And good! But at our restaurant, they give us limoncello every night after dinner. The first shot is gratis...then it is 2 euro each! So civilized.

MAY 19TH & 20TH IN SORRENTO

REMEMBER, YOU CAN CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO SEE A LARGER VERSION

May 19.

   A down-day. Gary did some laundry, we did some errands, took naps and didn't do much else. Town jammed with tourists...on weekends tourists from other parts of the coast come to Sorrento and add to the horde of multi-national tourists already buzzing about. Like us!

   After breakfast, headed in town to gather information about our planned trip to Capri tomorrow. We will need to walk to town, take a bus down to the port and then ride a ferry out to Capri. Since we want a somewhat early start, we wanted to know where to go to catch the port bus. Took some asking around, but got the information.

Da Filippo

   Stopped for a light lunch and—yet another—gelato. Bob's fatigue syndrome is acting up so sleeping was in order before heading out to dinner.

"Our Waiter"...Salvatore

   Our first night here we went to Da Filippo for dinner and really enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. Tried a different place in town on the second night and found it lacking...and more expensive. Last night, we went back to Da Filippo with two other guests from the B&B. Da Filippo is our nearest restaurant, and since we are on a hill, walking back and forth is a consideration...and a climb. Tonight, with it being a Saturday, we are heading back there a little earlier to avoid the crowds. Like many restaurants in Italy, they don't open until 7 and serve until midnight. (Much too late for us old folks!)

May 20. 

Correale Museo

   We'd planned to go to Capri and visit the Villa San Michele, but when Stew checked its web site, he found that it said it was closed on Sunday. So, instead of an early start, we hung around the hotel until after nine, when Raffaele, our host, called them. Oh no. We're open. No problem. But by then, it was getting too late, and we'd heard horror stories about the hoards of tourists there, especially on weekends, so, we postponed the trip. Instead, we visited the Correale Museum, a four story villa donated to the City in 1924 by a couple of wealthy brothers. It houses mostly art and artifacts from the local area including 19^th and early 20^th century painting, exquisite inlaid furniture, ceramics, etc. No photos allowed. However, the views of the Bay of Naples from the upper floors are stunning, although today the far shores were shrouded in mist as the sky clouded over.
   Here are some views of Sorrento looking back from a hotel balcony:

Frank, Colleen, Gary, Bob & Stew

   Had dinner again with our Canadian 

friends from the B&B...Colleen and Frank...at Da Filippo. Got there early expecting a big bruhaha because tonight was the final for the Italian Soccer Cup...Naples versus Juventus. Naples just won in a 2 – 0 victory. Fireworks have been going off outside our room. Can't blame them. 

   Think this is the first time Naples has won the Cup!

   By the way...interesting sign in our bathroom. I direct your attention to Rule Number 2...especially those of us from Arizona!

May 17. Sorrento

Our Room - No English Speaking TV

   Just walked around town today, but since Bob forgot his camera, there's no visual record of the trip. Sunny, but on the chilly side in the wind off Naples Bay. Town pleasant, but lots of tourists.

   Our B&B rates highly on TripAdvisor, but it is difficult to match the reviews with our reality. Things have been far less than impressive. “Adequate” is the term that comes to mind.

View from our balcony

Bay of Naples from our balcony

May 18 Day Trip to Amalfi.

Cemetery on the hill - Amalfi

   Took the bus to Amalfi. It was crowded, but we had seats from which we could enjoy the views and hold our breath as we looked at the thousand foot drops to the sea. Since we were running late, we decided to skip Ravello. Stew was disappointed, since he remembered it so fondly, but we later heard that people who did go up there could not catch a bus back down to Amalfi, since there was a three or four hour bus strike in the afternoon.

Approach to Sorrento from the sea

   

In place of the crowded bus back to Sorrento, we took a half-empty ferry, which made the trip in half an hour less time. Italy...what can we say? The crowds of tourists did lessen the pleasure of the trip, but the place is still as beautiful as we remembered it being when we were here in November twelve years ago.

Finally, Sorrento and ONLINE!

May 13 Barcelona

    Having been here for almost a week only a year ago, and it being a Sunday so the shops were closed, we did not do much except stroll up the Rambla to the hotel where the Kesslers had stayed and back down parallel streets to the ship—about three hours.

    As before, we were awed by the beauty of the city—its amazing buildings and broad boulevards—but having documented all this so fully last time, Bob did not take a single photo. Something for which he duly apologizes. (But if you look at earlier entries on the blog, the photos from a year ago may still be there!)

May 14. Villefranche

Villefranche from the ship

    This little village on the French Riviera is only 3 miles east of Nice, where we visited the Chagall Museum. I (Stew) was not impressed. By the time we were through, it was getting cold and we were hungry, so we skipped the Matisse Museum (next time--next spring!) and headed back to the ship. 

   We stopped on the way to the train station to have a small sandwich from a sidewalk vendor. All three of us chose a Croc Messieur. A big mistake. Though the sandwich was tasty, the vendor could only heat one-at-a-time...and even then the insides were still icy! Gary had to have his heated 3 separate times before the vendor got the message. Sometimes the simplest things go wrong the most!

May 15. Livorno

   We decided to take it somewhat easy and not try to go to Lucca or Pisa. Instead, we wandered around Livorno...which we found was more of a small city than the sleepy seaport we expected. It was a good half hour's walk from the shuttle bus depot to the Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori in the Villa Mimbelli and not too easy to find, but worth the effort. Built in the late 19^th century, it has two floors of heavily decorated rooms where the Mimbelli family lived and entertained. On these and a third floor are paintings by a local, late 19^th and early 20^th century artist (Fattori) and some of his contemporaries. They evolve from realistic scenes to more impressionist ones.

After, we wandered around an open air market, had a light lunch and a gelato, and made it back to the ship in plenty of time to pack for the next day's early departure for Sorrento. Weather was sunny and beautiful. We really lucked out here.

May 16. Sorrento

    It was a  very hard day. We started from the ship at 7:30 am and took a train to Naples and then a local from there to Sorrento. The latter was like a NYC subway at rush hour! There was literally no room for another person in the area near the doors. I (Stew) ended up standing the entire way (just over an hour) guarding the luggage. Arriving about 3:00 pm, the total travel time ship to B&B over seven hours. 

   The B&B is just outside of town up a steep hill, and quite basic. Dinner, though, was at a local Italian place ("Da Filippo" recommended by by the B&B owner) with incredible food and wine. We treated ourselves, having earned it. Food prices are very much higher than in the US!

Note:  We are back online regularly with the B&B having Wi-Fi service. Starting tomorrow we should update the blog regularly and actually get to answer emails! What a novel idea!

PALMA DE MALLORCA

   Finally found the Cybercafe in Mallorca. It was very difficult.

   After eight days at sea, it was good to see land, even though they lowered the gangplank directly under our window way before wake-up time.

Tenerife - from the ship

   Tenerife, the largest of the seven Canary Islands and part of Spain, lies about 180 miles off the coast of Morocco. It has Mt. Teide, Spain's highest mountain and the world's third largest volcano, but we just wandered around Santa Cruz, the largest city on any of the islands. The total population of the islands is around 900,000, but they entertain around 5 million tourists a year, most from Europe.

   We did visit the city's major art museum, which boasts one poor painting by Breughel and not much else, and a couple of parks in need of cleaning up. A stop at a hotel with a slow but free internet connection allowed Bob to post some of this blog, but not all of its photos. We had no time to read our email. Later he found out that Microsoft was trying—at the same time and in the background—to download 21 “important” updates—this after he'd loaded lots more “important” updates just before we left home. Since then, he has turned off the automatic update option! Better luck two days from now in Mallorca.

Our Stateroom #3542

   Just a note on our accommodations. We have a tiny stateroom with a large window; Gary, who booked later, has, by comparison, a gigantic stateroom for a disabled person. He's far from disabled but enjoys all the extra space.

MALLORCA:

Beautiful day. Took the ship's shuttle into downtown and toured the Cathedral and then the Royal Palace. After that, we walked up to the 'Gaudi' buildings and through the shopping area. A slow walk down Paseo de Born (very much like Barcelona's Las Ramblas) we then took the shuttle back to the ship for lunch at 1 pm.

NOTE: We will most likely not be online until we are in Sorrento on May 17^th. Carrying the computer all around is really a drag...

TENERIFE!

May 1 – 8 AT SEA.

The Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas was seven days in dry dock before we boarded, and much has yet to be finished. One night as we were having a soft-serve ice cream on Deck 11, we were suddenly surrounded by security guards with yellow, crime-scene tape. We looked guiltily at our cones, but they only escorted us away so that the crew could put a coat of varnish on the floor. Around 40% of the crew is new and 100% of the computer system, so there are lots of problems. But generally, we like the ship and the service.

What do you say about eight days at sea on a cruise ship? A typical day starts with breakfast at 8am in the Windjammer (ship's buffet deck). Multiple food stations and plenty of seating. Then we exercise. Gary goes to “Shipshape Spa” (the exercise facility), Stew does his 4 miles on the Promenade Deck and Bob often splits his time between the exercise room and the jogging track. After a shower, it's time for lunch. This ship changes the clock at 11:30am...so we go to lunch at 11:30 and suddenly it is 12:30!

Lunch is usually in the main dining room. They have the most fantastic salad bar there...several kinds of lettuce, shrimp, chicken, tuna, egg, corn, etc., etc., etc. And great Honey Mustard dressing.

Come to the gym!

Afternoons are time for reading and naps. Bob has been having one of his 'fatigue' bouts so sleeping has been a high priority for him. Gary has worked diligently to finish reading Debt of Honor by John Clancy. And he did it! He has now moved on to the Donna Leon series with Commisario Guido Brunnetti. Stew finished Stephen King's The Green Mile, which Bob is now reading, and he's now onto reading Gary' book. The ship's selection consists of only a few dozen titles. Literally. And half of those are in another language. Pathetic.

Tomorrow is Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, our first port. Hope to update the blog from there. Meanwhile, Stew likes to record candid comments from fellow passengers

*************

“You come prepared,” said Gary to our waitress after she spilled some water on the table and immediately produced a towel to mop it up.

“I'm a professional,” she replied.

~

“They don't have whales,” said a lady with a heavy Brooklyn accent, as she gazed in disgust at the empty sea. “They don't even have dolphins.”

~

“How was your dinner last night?”

“Don't remember.”

~

Young man to his father: “This ship is filled with the living dead.”

~

MESSAGES FROM GARY:

Jen:.................................food excellent – try Vidalia Onion Tart!

D&K:..............................eating too much and getting lots of R&R

Ron, Diane & Mike:......This is one 'Big Boat!'

Chuck & Katie:..............Working out every day

After Tenerife, we have two days at sea before we arrive in Palma de Mallorca. Then it's a new port everyday. Hope to be online more often!

MARINER OF THE SEAS

     Woke to mix of sun and clouds. Went down the street to Einstein's for bagels and coffee and then stopped at Walgreen's. Just hung out at the hotel until time to taxi to the ship.

     We won't be posting until we find a hotspot. The ship's internet service is just too expensive ($.55-.75 per minute!). Tenerife in the Canary Islands is our first stop on May 9tha. Maybe we can get online there.

     Until then...smooth sailing!

FORT LAUDERDALE - RAIN!!!

     In Arizona we would kill for this weather. But for the start of our holiday, it is nasty out there!
     Flights all went off as planned. Congratualtions, American Airlines! But flying is still a horrible experience. So glad to be here. Now we just have to get to Port Miami tomorrow afternoon. Weather here is very windy and wet. Rained the last time we sailed with Gary so we are wondering if this is a pattern?

Hyatt Pier 66, Fort Lauderdale

Decided to stay in, Hyatt Pier 66, tonight. Had dinner in the lobby bar. Too wet outside and too tired to brave the elements.

FOLLOW BY EMAIL - NOTE!

FYI:  Have noticed with a friend's blog, that the email notification can be delayed several hours up to almost a full day. For instance, I rec'd a notification at 7:39 AM today for an update posted at 11:42 AM yesterday. All times were PDT.

Follow By Email

See this button to the left that says:  FOLLOW BY EMAIL


Sign up, and you will receive an email whenever we publish a new post! For instance, during our sea going trips, we are never sure if and when we'll find a hotspot so our posting is erratic. Once we hit land, we are usually good about doing a daily post. So rather than your having to randomly check, let us notify you when there is a new posting.

ITALY IN THE SPRING

We are off to Italy again. We leave Tucson on April 30th for Fort Lauderdale. There we board the Royal Caribbean Line ship, Mariner of the Seas on a 15-night cruise to Rome.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas

The cruise will stop in Tenerife (Canary Islands), Palma de Mallorca (Spain), Barcelona, Nice (France) and Florence (Italy).

We disembark in Civitavecchia...just outside Rome...and hope to catch the once-daily direct train to Naples. There we switch to the Circumvesuviana Train for a direct train to Sorrento where we'll spend a week at Villa Concetta. After that, we'll return to Rome for an overnight before flying home. Yep! Flying!

Gary Barnaby, will be joining us for the entire trip. We've known Gary ever since we moved to Tucson in 2001. He was our realtor and quickly became a good friend.

Arrivederci!