Mediterranean Cruise – 50 days

Mediterranean Cruise – 50 days

October 30 – December 19, 2015

Holland America Cruise Ship - Maasdam

We left home Oct 20^th to arrive at Fort Lauderdale to begin our 50 day cruise to 26 ports of call. Like we always do – we took our time driving to Florida as one never knows what weather we may encounter at that time of year.

Our cruise left in Fort Lauderdale and would return to that port so it was convenient to leave our car in a hotel parking lot and pay the rent. The first 21 days were free parking and the balance only cost about $3.50 a day. We stayed at the Fairfield Inn and Suites.

The weather and the seas were excellent except for one storm which we tried to avoid near Greece which caused the Captain to skip the port of Olympia. Some days there was hardly a swell on the Atlantic – we were very fortunate. We were unable to tender into Half Moon Cay, Bahamas as the swells were too high to safely enter the tender.

I will Highlight all ports and add a few notes and pictures of interest.  If you wish to see the pictures larger - just click on them.

Leaving Fort Lauderdale

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Blue street tiles from iron slag which was used as ballast in the ships from England

The Old Fort at sunset

Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Nice beach but mainly duty free shops

We are the smallest ship in port

Tenerife, Canary Islands

Catching up on the internet!

Las Palmas, Grand Canary Islands

Taking a Hop On-Hop Off bus tour

The Old City and Plaza de Santa Ana with 15th Century Cathedral

The view from the roof of the Cathedral

Puerto Rosario, Canary Islands

Influential resident - professor and philosopher

Tangier, Morocco

Trip to Tetouan, Morocco

Market along the street in Tetouan

Men haggling for sweaters on the corner

Government Building and protected by guards

Market stall of nuts

Our guide explaining the use of gold for weddings and celebrations

Having tea inside a reception hall

Almeria, Spain

View from top of old fort

Another view from the old fort

 Valencia, Spain

Absolutely gorgeous Market, sparkling clean and great displays - the nicest we have ever seen. The dried pork is about $35 a pound.

Barcelona, Spain

The view of traffic from our Hop On-Hop Off bus tour.  A large bull ring on the right

The famous Sagrada Familia designed by Gaudi.  Work started in 1883 and still not finished

Beautiful Spanish balconies

Fish in the local market

The dominate Sagrada Familia in Barcelona

Palma de Mallorca

Vast Gothic Cathedral partly designed by Gaudi

Hours could be spent learning about all the symbolism in this Cathedral

The Cathedral dominates the skyline in Palma

Civitavecchia, Italy

Medieval town walls right in town.  These date back to near 1432 as this was part of the Papal State

Naples and Pompeii, Italy

The entrance to Pompeii.  The destruction of Pompeii happened in 79AD

The ruins are now becoming covered with vegetation.  Mt Vesuvius is in the background

The central gathering area

The baking ovens on the left and a grinding mill on the right for their bread

Relics found from the excavations

Our drive back into Naples

Another church on the hillside on our return trip to Naples

Norman Castle overlooking the port

Our view of Naples from the ship

 Messina, Italy

The Cathedral of Messina.  Every day at noon the mechanical figures and animals come to life.  A lion roars, a bird flaps their wings, two historical figures ring the bell and then Jesus appears from the tomb.  It also has an Astronomical clock on the side

 

This is how you park if there is no room at the curb

 Piraeus, Greece

A Bakery

Breads look and smell very good!!

A very well protected marina right inside the city

Inside the Greek Orthodox Church

Corfu, Greece

View from Byzantine Old Fortress

Our walk back to the ship through the old city

The old Byzantine Fortress on the left and the new Fortress on the right

Valletta, Malta

Arriving in Valletta - the lower warehouses by the water are 250 years old

Government Buildings on the top of the hill

Driving out of Valletta to Mdina we see this old aquaduct is now used as a car port

 Mdina

Inside walled and moated city of Mdina

Near Mdina.  The dome is the second largest in the world.  During the war an un-detonated bomb went through its roof and was found on the floor of the church.

This does  not show the time but the today's date

Docked right in town

Valletta at night

 Mgaar, Gozo,Malta

Azure Window

Old city of Victoria

Ggantija Temple - regarded as the oldest free standing building in the world.  Built around 2000BC

 

Ready to leave the island of Gozo

Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Entering the harbor in Palermo

A Convent with nude statues in the front

Teatro Massimo - it has the second largest indoor stage after the Paris Opera House.

These shops do not pay protection money to the Mafia (Cosa Nostra)

The Beach area

Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy 

Cartagena, Spain 

An old Roman Theatre right in the city

Surveying his Kingdom

Many marble tiled walking streets in excellent condition and surrounded with expensive shops

 Gibraltor, UK Territory

A different parking garage

A different type of sign for pedestrian crossing

Cadiz, Spain

This city had  lines on the sidewalk (in different colors) for tourist to follow to see all the major sites

Casablanca, Morocco

Hassan II Mosque   This Mosque has room for 25,000 inside ad 80,000 worshipers outside.

The carved wood ceiling of the mosque

Street scene from our tour bus

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

Botanical Gardens high on the hill

Historical Church

Inside the church

The basket runners are waiting for their clients.  These toboggans are run down the street with the fellows in white guiding them down the street

Back in Fort Lauderdale, USA

This was a very busy trip except for crossing the Atlantic.  We stayed well except for a minor cold.  We saw much history and wish we could remember all the details that we heard from our many guides.  We met many fellow travellers and enjoyed their company.