~~"EUROPE FROM A CRUISE SHIP"~~





MY HUSBAND & I LOVE TO CRUISE ON OUR VACATIONS, SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THIS ONE WITH YOU!


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WE FLEW FROM NEW YORK TO BARCELONA, SPAIN AND BOARDED THE "SPLENDOUR OF THE SEAS" (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line)



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OUR 12-DAY MEDITERRANEAN ITINERARY ~ 5/98




DAY 0 ~ BARCELONA, SPAIN (depart 5PM)

DAY 1 ~ MARSEILLES, FRANCE

DAY 2 ~ FLORENCE/PISA, ITALY

DAY 3 ~ NAPLES, ITALY

DAY 4 ~ AT SEA

DAY 5 ~ VENICE, ITALY

DAY 6 ~ VENICE, ITALY

DAY 7 ~ AT SEA

DAY 8 ~ MESSINA, SICILY

DAY 9 ~ ROME, ITALY

DAY 10 ~ MONTE CARLO/CANNES, FRANCE

DAY 11 ~ AT SEA

DAY 12 ~ BARCELONA, SPAIN (arrive 8AM)



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A SHORELINE VIEW OF MARSAILLES, FRANCE


THIS WAS OUR FIRST STOP AFTER LEAVING SPAIN.















ITALY - THE LEANING TOWER OF PISA


~"THE MIRACLE CITY" - PISA, ITALY~
THE TOWER CONTINUES TO LEAN MORE (1/8mm) EVERY YEAR.
THE ENGINEERS ARE TRYING TO STOP THE PROGRESSION BY USING WEIGHTS.









AN OVERVIEW OF THE TOWER


THIS VIEW BETTER SHOWS THE ANGLE OF THE TOWER WHEN COMPARED TO THE SURROUNDING STRUCTURES.









FLORENCE, ITALY


THIS IS THE "HOLY CROSS CHURCH" WHERE FAMOUS ITALIONS ARE BURIED UNDER THE FLOOR - SUCH AS "MICHAELANGELO" AND "LEONARDO DaVINCI".
WITHIN THE FLOOR OF THE CHURCH ARE FLAT HEAD STONES TO SHOW EXACTLY WHERE EACH FAMOUS PERSON IS BURIED BELOW (LIKE IN A TOMB).







ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS





A VIEW OF MICHAELANGELO'S FAMOUS SCULPTURE "DAVID".









THE CITY OF NAPLES ITALY





LOTS OF BEAUTIFUL OLD ARCHETECTURE, FOUNTAINS, AND STATUES THROUGHOUT THE CITY.









THE RUINS OF POMPEII





EXCAVATING OF POMPEII IS STILL GOING ON. IT IS A LONG SLOW PROCESS. THEY HAVE UNCOVERED MANY HOMES AND ON THEIR WALLS ARE PORTIONS OF ART THAT REMAINED INTACT UNDER ALL THE VOLCANIC ASH.







GARDEN OF A WEALTHY HOMEOWNER





ALL THE STRUCTURES IN THE GARDEN ARE ORIGINAL. THE VEGETATION, OF COURSE, WAS PLANTED ACCORDING TO WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE GROWN IN THAT AREA DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME.







COURTYARD OF JUSTICE





POMPEII'S "TOWN SQUARE" WHERE THE COURTHOUSE, JAIL, AND CITY HALL ONCE STOOD.









VENICE, ITALY





HERE WE ARE APPROACHING VENICE. -- VENICE WAS ESTABLISHED BY SEAFARERS AND ROMAN REFUGEES MORE THAN 1,000 YEARS AGO. CONSTRUCTED ON THE MUDDY BANKS OF 117 ISLANDS IN THE VENETIAN LAGOON. VENICE BOASTS OF ITS TIES TO CHARLEMAGNE, MICHAELANGELO AND NAPOLEON.







VIEW OF A VENICE WATERWAY





COBBLESTONE STREETS AND PAVED WALKWAYS, YOU MUST CROSS BRIDGES WITH 10 TO 200 STEPS TO CROSS OVER CANALS. NO VEHICLES ARE PERMITTED AND WALKING IS THE CHIEF MEANS TO GETTING ABOUT. THERE ARE WATERWAY TAXIS TO GO FROM POINT A TO POINT B -- BUT THEY ARE USED MAINLY BY TOURISTS AND FAMILIES OF WEALTH..







SHOPS AND BUSINESSES ALONG A WATERWAY


.

















BEAUTIFUL VENETIAN ARCHITECTURE





















JUST ONE OF FIVE BRIDGES





WE WALKED TO ST. MARK'S SQUARE AND CROSSED FIVE OF THESE BRIDGES ALONG THE WAY (1/4 MILE).












VENICE AFTER DARK





A ROMANTIC MOONLIGHT GONDOLA RIDE. THE VENETIANS INSIST ON THE PROPER PRONUNCIATION...GON' DO LA









"NEXT STOP -- SICILY"



MESSINA, SICILY





THE ISLAND OF SICILY--WHEN LOOKING AT A MAP IS LOCATED OFF THE TOE OF THE ITALIAN BOOT. SICILY IS A MOUNTAINOUS ISLAND, STILL DOMINATED BY ITS ACTIVE VOLCANO "MT. ETNA". MESSINA WAS ONCE DESTROYED BY THE ERRUPTION OF MT. ETNA AND WAS THEN REBUILT.







A LONG WALK UP!





FROM MESSINA WE TRAVELED THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WEST COAST OF SICILY AND STOPPED OUTSIDE THE MEDIEVAL WALLS OF TAORMINA. FROM THERE, WE CLIMBED A VERY STEEP "HILL?" TO THE VILLAGE GATES.









A GREEK AMPITHEATER





TAORMINA WAS BUILT IN 3RD. CENTURY B.C. AND LATER RENOVATED BY THE ROMANS. IT IS PERCHED ON A TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE SEA. THIS THEATER, ALSO BUILT 3RD. CENTURY B.C. IS STILL USED FOR OPEN-AIR CONCERTS.









THE VIEW BELOW FROM TAORMINA





THIS WAS A SPECTACULAR VIEW!











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