A trip to Europe

After 50 years of marriage I decided to reward my wife for putting up with me all those years. We agreed on a Mediterranean cruise on a luxurious cruise line. We chose the too expensive Oceania Riviera. From beginning to end, the trip took two weeks from the time we left for the airport until we arrived at home.

Perhaps I should have titled this posting “Ship of the Drunk” because many of the people had a martini glass or a glass of wine in their hands from morning to night. Many who I spoke to were clearly inebriated.

The trip started with our flight to Barcelona Spain. When we arrived at the hotel some of the first words from the desk clerk were “pick pockets are a problem here but it is mostly safe.” We would be alert for the entire trip when we walked on the streets of every port on the cruise.

We had been concerned with summer heat and crowds and had specifically chose a spring trip. It turned out we were rewarded with cold, wind, and some rain. Even in the spring the crowds were everywhere as if it was the summer season.

Oceania Riviera’s staff was outstanding. We were treated like a king and queen. The veranda suite B3 category was one the most common suites on the 7th deck. it had a a balcony that included two chairs, two chaise lounges and a table. The bathroom included a full sixed bathtub, a shower and a sink. The storage space was more than adequate. The food was excellent and the service in the dining areas was outstanding, They even insisted on taking our filled plates to our table in the buffet dining room.

The downside on the ship was the excursions. They were expensive and most started at 8, 8:30, and 9 AM. Thanks to the shuttles the ship provided we went into the nearby towns. We missed a lot of sightseeing destinations but my wife was happy. The whole trip was for her after all. I would have gotten up for some early morning excursions.

Here is a list of the ports

Barcelona, Spain

Most interesting there is La Sagrada Familia. That is a church that has been under construction for over 100 years. How did they build it before 20th century construction cranes?

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

This is an island in the Mediterranean Sea that is part of Spain. Not too much to see here. Cathedral of Santa Maria seems to be the highlight.

Marseille, France

A ride on a Le Petit Train Touristique to Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica gave us a ride up and down the hills of the city and a view of the port. Some of the streets are as steep as many in San Francisco.

Monte Carlo, Monaco

Narrow streets and a view of the barricades permanently in place for the famed Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 race were highlights of our tour of the city. Of course there is the famous casino identified to us by its green roof. The port as all ports we visited were parking places for hundreds of yachts.

Antibes, France

Not famous for anything. Just a pretty town on the Mediterranean coast. This photo was taken from our veranda on the ship using the panorama setting on my camera.

Ajaccio (Corsica), France

An island where the people are more connected to Italy than France said the driver on our excursion. Corsica has no significant economic purpose and it appears that cruise line visits are now an important part of their income stream.

It was partly cloudy at the port with a chilly wind. The excursion took us to Corisca at Hotel Restaurant Monte D’Oro in the mountains where there was a persistent slow rain. Inside were treated to a plate of cheeses, meats and a glass of wine. My camera under my jacket to keep it dry.

Florence/Pisa/Tuscany (Livorno), Italy

The port was Livorno. We never made it to Florence or Pisa. Barbara was not feel well so I took the Oceania Riviera shuttle into the town. the most interesting thing I saw was the farmer’s market. The selections were not the mundane variety seen in Los Angeles farmer’s markets. The food really looked like it had been picked that very day.

Rome, Italy

After disembarking the ship a car took us to our hotel in Rome. We were there for three nights. It was cold a nd rainy the entire time we were there. That did not deter those who were willing to stand in line for hours to enter the Vatican or the coliseum. We decided it was not worth the wait. Still the hop on hop off gave us a view of the many sites.