KATAKOLON, GREECE Peloponnese Historic fact and legend are both rich. Near Navplion, on the eastern side, the remains of Mycenae recall the tragic King Agamemnon, who once ruled from his palace (“Euripides” Oresteia tells of the tragic king). Among the most impressive Peloponnese sites, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of…
NAVPLION, GREECE The mountain knot of Arcadia forms the main part of the hand and Argolis is the thumb. The three smaller promontories, the fingers, make up Navplion, a small seaport town and first capital of the kingdom Greece (1830-1834). It is situated at the head of the Gulf of Argolis in the eastern part…
MESSINA, SICILY Greek Mythology is peppered with mention of Messina. According to ancient tales, Scylla and Carybdis threatened valiant Odysseus at the Strait of Messina. Hercules swam across the channel and Jason and his Argonauts visited while pursuing the elusive Golden Fleece. Even Romans, who were uneasy sailors, used the port as a tactical base…
CIVITAVECCHIA, ITALY It’s a fact: Emperor Trajan built the harbor at CIVITAVECCHIA (“ancient town”) at the beginning of the 2nd century. During the Roman era, the port was known as Centumcellae (“ 100 warehouses”). Emperor Traiano (98-117) ordered it rebuilt in 107 AD. Monumental buildings and statues reflected its economic importance to the empire, but…
LIVORNO ( TUSCANY ) ITALY. See slide show “Livorno”. Livorno (“Leghorn”) is the Tuscan gateway. Even though Romans established the port, it was not fully developed until Florence’s Medici family transformed it into a thriving commercial harbor. WWII bombs destroyed most of…
MONTE CARLO, MONACO History. The first inhabitants were the Ligurian tribe. They settled in the 6-th century and were dubbed the Monokos by the Greeks. The Grimaldis arrived in 1297 – a band of monks from a r5ival Genoese family. It can be well stated that Monaco is not a country – it is a…
DAY 1: BARCELONA, SPAIN Wednesday, August 12, 2009. Today’s Forecast: Sunny 27 degrees C/80 degrees F, depart: 4:00 p.m. Tonight’s dress: formal HOLLAND AMERICA LINE INFO The Ship “OOSTERDAM” IN BARCELONA, SPAIN Look at the slide show “OOSTERDAM INTERIORS” Barcelona is one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean and the capital of Catalonia. In…
A “taste of Barcelona” we experienced looking around La Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Gaudi’s creation. Larisa was before in Barcelona and that is why she was our guide and excursion planner. What an interesting building is la Sagrada Familia! The real Gothic architecture!For a general introduction to the history of Barcelona one can travel through the…