Barcelona to rome

[happy daze john in oz]

BARCELONA TO ROME


We sailed from Southampton at 1600hours, nostalgic to some extent as the time on every Thursday whenthe Lavender Ladies sailed.


But now out in the channel with the Bayto come, somewhere I had not been for some 50 years, where did theygo? The sea, unlike so many other times was calm in fact flat as wasthe Bay, not what I had anticipated knowing how rough it can get outthere. To enhance the days the sun shone allowing all on board toenjoy the outside. Three days of restful travel giving time toexplore the ship, one we had not sailed on before. It had all theusual bars, restaurants, entertainment areas as the others. But thisship, Caribbean Princess, has something additional, a wedding chapel.Seating for about 20 but judging by the condition it had not been inuse for some time.


The berth at Barcelona was some 30minutes drive from the city center and well equipped for all style ofshipping with two other cruise ships in port along with a number ofgeneral cargo and container ships. The drive into the city passedthrough a number of small communities all of which appeared to bevery clean. It became obvious very early that this is a very cleanwell kept city. No rubbish in the streets, no graffiti and no sign ofvagrants. It appeared very obvious that the Spanish are proud oftheir city by the sea. Many gardens of intricate design adorn thecity giving great open spaces to enjoy when the heat within the cityreaches the point of an uncomfortable level.


The coach route took us along LaRambla, the main street through the center of the city. A bustlingthoroughfare with all the major shops on offer, cafes, restaurants aswell as many smaller local shops offering a range of local products.


It is this city that was made famous bythe architect Gaudi, a man of great talent and imagination, or was heteetering on the brink of insanity? There are three buildings ofnote that the average tourist wishes to see. The Round house, whichis in fact not round but one with undulating walls and iron artnouveau balconies. The second house has the roof designed in themanner of St. George Killing the Dragon with the roof made toresemble the dragons scales.


The highlight of Barcelona is definedby La Sagrada Familia the as yet unfinished but striking church.Gaudi was a man of infinite belief , building commenced in 1882 andis scheduled for completion in 2026 the 100^th anniversaryof his demise.


It is a building hard to describe it isso unusual. The first impression of most is OMG, what is it? Twotowers, not unlike those of the Petronia building in Kuala Lumpastretch high into the sky, but whislt they are eye catching it is theart work that is the most astonishing. The total outside is coveredwith various sculptures and art work depicting Jesus at variousstages of his life, the Madonna, cherubs and angels of all size andmanner. These artworks stand out in such a way that it is hard to seethe main structure of the church, photographs do not do justice tothe design and manner of this edifice, it must be seen to be fullyunderstood.


Once inside the first reaction of mostis WTF? To some extent this building defies the laws of gravity inits construction and design, but also to some extent defies the basiclaws of architecture. The mind of this man must have been somethingvery special to even put on paper in draft form his concept, whilstall around stained glass windows let in the light in such a manner asto give the impression of some form of Aladdin’s cave. Whilst thereis an alter at one end the majority of the inside is void of pews, orany items that would in any way compromise the great open spacewithin. Services are held on Sunday and holy days of obligation andon such occasions the church is not open to the general public as aplace of great interest. One does not have to be of any religiousconviction to enjoy this building, but to understand the concept is Iwould suggest only given to a few. One leaves the place better forhaving seen it, but confused as to the concept.


From Barcelona on to Corsica and theport of Ajaccio, the main port of what is the fourth largest islandin the Mediterranean but the most relatively untouched by the modernworld. It is known as the Scented Isle from the strong floweryatmosphere that hangs over the island. Wild Oregano and mint addtheir fragrances to that of the flowers. The island has been occupiedfor about 5,000 years with the first recorded visit to the islandswas by the Greeks in about 560 BC. The Romans also spent time herebut the wild tribes of the interior were never really tamed.


In 1077 Pope Gregory VII appointed thebishop of Pisa to heal the damage done by centuries of invasion .Manyof the beautiful churches date from this time.


In the 18^th century arepublic was established under the rule of Pasquale Paoli whoinstrumented a liberal constitution that allowed a great degree ofopen by citizens of the island. During this period Paoli's secretarywas one Carlo Bonaparte, the father of Napoleon born in 1769.


Ajaccio is a very old town that haschanged little over the decades and has that claim to fame that it isthe birth place of Napoleon. The house that saw his birth is now amuseum The Maison Bonaparte. Everywhere one looks there are monumentsto his being and fame, including a larger than life statue of himatop a stand under which is a list of his life and events in which hewas involved. There is also a fine art collection in the house thatwas his uncle's. During the mid 19^th century his nephewNapoleon 111promoted the economic growth the island now enjoys.


The island has some wonderful beachesand is a popular holiday spot for not only French from the main landbut tourists from around the globe. A peaceful island with a townshipin Ajaccio that still has the appearance it may well have had at thetime of Napoleon's birth.


And so on toRome........................

[Doc Vernon]

As per usual John
A very good and interesting account of your latest Jaunt mate!
Sounds like you both had a great time as usual,with lots to do and see!
Glad you enjoyed the break once again!
This was a wee bit longer than the usual though!
Happy Days! (Sorry for the Pun LOL)
Cheers

[John Arton]

John in OZ
At the bottom end of Las Ramblas there is an excellent maritime museum that would have been well worth a visit if you had the time. I used to discharge chemicals in Barcelona occasionally and have also loaded general cargo there. A beautiful city but parts of Las Ramblas are covered in pick pockets and live sex clubs....bet you never saw those LOL.
rgds
JA

[Graham Payne]

Hi John, my mate and myself with our wives where on a cruise and docked in Barcelona. went ashore started walking up Las Rambles, halfway up we wanted a beer and as usual two the wives wanted to shop.
We had a beer on one of the bars on the walk way that runs down the middle and said we would meet up with them on the corner opposite the bar in two hours. Off they trot, ten minutes before they got back we crossed to the appointed meeting place, they arrived on time and both immediately said "move on" why are you standing there, we said this was the meeting place, their reply yes but turn around and look, seems we were standing outside the

"Museum of Pornography "

Happy Days