Picture this. It’s 7 am, the sun is just breaking over the ocean as we enter the Strait of Gibraltar. The deck of the ship is crowded with stalwart passengers who have arisen at this early hour to witness the majestic and iconic Rock of Gibraltar. There is excitement in the cool morning air. As we near it, the captain announces that it is coming up on the port (left) side momentarily. And then, suddenly, we all see....... the Fog of Gibraltar. I call it this because this is all we saw. Fog made visibility impossible, and the crowd is groaning and moaning, and this was heard: “For this, we got up at 6? Oh well, let’s hit the buffet”. So now, we have another excuse for our next European cruise—the desire to see this Rock.
The Mediterranean is beautiful, and consequently, many if not most of the ports on it are picture perfect
. Our first port was Palma de Mallorca, a major resort town, judging from the yachts and upscale businesses there. As you walk the pretty narrow streets full of life, there is the feeling that these people know what a good thing they have. We toured a cathedral with magnificent stained glass windows casting a rainbow of colours on the parishioners and tourists alike. Like being inside a kaleidiscope. Later that day, since Mallorca is renowned for its pearls, Bonnie did her part for the local economy.
Our final port was Corsica, which you may know for its most famous product—Napoleon. The town is full of all things Bonaparte- tons of statues, the house where he was born, the church where he was baptised, etc etc. Everyone there walks around with their right hand in their waistcoat. OK, that’s not true, but you get the point. Corsicans are a proud people, and minimize their association with France. Hence the symbol of this, a profile of a freedom fighter wearing a bandana (ala Che), is found everywhere. Our day there encompassed a train ride taking us to scenic points away from the main city (Ajaccio), and it was quite low-key.
Our cruise was now nearing its end, and after 13 days of sailing, we were looking forward to getting back on land. Rome beckons, and we are up and ready for all it has to offer. However, you have yet to hear about my being elected “Miss Navigator of the Seas” (yes, you read that right!) but that is a story best told in person.
.....MMMMMEDITERRANEAN
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Ajaccio, Corsica, France
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