Epilogue

 

Pagosa Springs, CO - U.S.A.

June 14:   Here I sit, back home for the the first time in five months, memories of my adventure swirling.  Still feeling the movement of the ship, remembering the people I met, friends made, places seen.

As the cruise neared completion, my thoughts shifted from the routine of daily adventure to my upcoming re-entry into the real world.  Our last full day was in Le Havre, France, a non-memorable place that French soldiers used as a launch point for raids on England long ago.  Officially they were tasked with conquest and plunder, but I suspect they just got bored in Le Havre.  Besides, England has always had better pubs.

Was scheduled for a Paris tour today, but decided to skip it. Toured out, didn't want to spend 9 hours on a bus.  Will save Paris for a less hurried time.  Need a day to reflect on this experience.

For the past five months, the ship has been home.  I've gotten to know lots of people here, including many staff.   Socializing onboard is effortless.  In fact just about everything onboard is effortless.  We are pampered, treated nicely.  For goodness sake, they even iron our underwear!  On the ship, after a while one forgets the day of the week.  The standard way to keep track is that on Sundays, caviar is always served during breakfast.  So if you see caviar, it must be Sunday.  Some abilities atrophy, skills such as driving, cooking, planning, and thinking on one's own.  We compensate by learning about new cultures, meeting new people.

On this cruise we stopped in 27 countries - around 66 ports.  That leaves much of the planet still to visit,  however our sampling provided a good starter kit for gauging societal diversity.  Smog-choked cities of 25 million, idyllic villages of 200.  Ultra-modern towns striving for the future, tired old cities clinging to the past.  Desperate poverty, fabulous wealth.  Five months traveling on a ship has been a wonderful experience.  And to share that experience with new friends, with adventurous, like-minded souls, has made the sweetest of memories.

The obvious question is whether or not I would do this again, take another world cruise.  After several minutes of thoughtful reflection I feel that I would indeed.  Perhaps several.  Of course I do miss some of the benefits of land travel, especially the ability to stay in an interesting or enjoyable place, to soak up that culture.  World cruising never allows that sort of immersion.   Yet it's so much fun, it's worth the compromise, at least sometimes.

Do I have any conclusions about our planet?  Just this: the world is worth seeing - go check it out. 

It's been great fun sharing my travels through this blog.  Now that the trip is finished, I say goodbye to those I've met, goodbye to pampered luxury.  Hope we'll meet again.  And for a while, goodbye to you, my blog audience.  Hope you enjoyed my posts, that maybe I sparked interest in a place or two.  Au revoir.

Bordeaux

June 3,4:   Day number 141 - We sail through the Bay of Biscay then up the Gironde estuary in southwest France.  After about 40 miles the estuary narrows and bifurcates into two rivers.  Left is the Dordogne river, right is the Garonne.  We go right.  Another 10 miles and we arrive at the bustling city of Bordeaux. 

It's a flat city, mostly on the west bank of the river, center of a very old wine industry.  Getting off the ship, we feel as though we are stepping into a Renoir painting.   No port terminal, no security, no formalities.  We dock right in the middle of the action.  This is in such sharp contrast to so many ports, a great first impression.

Time to explore, learn about this place.  Population 250,000; over 1 million if you include the surrounding metropolitan area.  It's a fun place to visit.  People are out and about, walking, biking, shopping, eating.  Some are even working.  The architecture is a mix of old and new, mostly old, while the culture is vibrant and modern. 

Around 60 B.C., thousands of Roman soldiers marched into this area.  On weekdays their work kept them busy with conquest and plunder.  On weekends however, they liked to relax, hang out with friends, and enjoy a good bottle of claret.  When they conquered Bordeaux, the resident Celtics drank only beer - no wine was available.  So the soldiers planted vineyards, opened a school of enology, and established the Bordeaux region as one of the world's premier wine-making communities.  Today this region produces nearly one billion bottles per year.

On the first day I tour some chateau/wineries in the vineyards surrounding Bordeaux.  I visit the postcard-like town of Saint-Émilion.  Very quaint, old European.  Wine production in the entire Bordeaux region is strictly regulated.  Growers are never allowed to irrigate their vineyards.  Reds must always be a blend of varieties, and so on.  Many wineries today are being bought by big corporations, especially overseas investors.  One winery has symbols of Chinese architecture outside its facility.  Insurance companies are purchasing these businesses as high inheritance taxes squeeze out small family operations.  However the families often continue their work, but in their new capacity as contract growers or vinters.

Modern Bordeaux is a thoughtful blend of old an new, perhaps in the way that Bordeaux wine is always a blend of several grape varieties.  The city retains much of its 18th century architecture and wine-making heritage, though has somewhat diversified its economy - a necessary move since many other regions in the world now make fine wines.  The river front of this city is lined with stately old limestone buildings.  Between the buildings and river is a wide space with paths, gardens and plenty of open spaces to just hang out.  The area is filled with people enjoying their weekend, watching street performers, pushing strollers.

Across from the Place de la Bourse, in the center of this wide public space, is a modern feature called the Miroir d' Eau, or Water Mirror.  It is a huge flat fountain that people can walk in, designed to reflect the image of the stately buildings across the street.  The fountain 'fills up', less than an inch deep, and every 20 minutes or so creates a dense fog that slowly dissipates, revealing a mirror-like reflection of sky and the historical buildings across the street.  Instead of being a hands-off monument, this water feature is very much for the people.  Children of all ages take off their shoes and play in the water, roll in it,  splash, even drink it.  Fun to watch, very cool.  Google it to learn more.

In the town, away from the river, there are sidewalk cafes everywhere, and many of them are crowded.  Lots of shops, most of the streets are for pedestrians only, very few cars for a large section of this city.  I walk for several hours just to read the energy of the place, then leave Bordeaux with an strong, positive impression.   A pleasant, attractive place, worth visiting again.

(top of page: Locals enjoy watching the ship as much as passengers enjoy watching the locals)

Children of all ages enjoy the Water Mirror

Street in Bordeaux

Light rail in front of opera house

Cafe outside opera house

Carousel in a wide plaza

 

The picturesque town of Saint-Émilion

Center of the port as seen from our ship

Iberian Peninsula, Atlantic Coast

May 30 - June 2.    We visit towns on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsula.  The sea is rougher than the Mediterranean or Indian Ocean, which I find a welcome change - nice to feel some movement again, to remember that after all, I'm on a boat. 

First stop is Cadiz, Spain.  Population 130,000, a shrinking city due to job losses and the land limitations of a narrow peninsula.  Nearby Jerez is the place where sherry was first made and is still made there.  Cadiz is in a region called Andalucia.  It is a vast olive growing area, responsible for much of the world's supply of olive oil.  The great military leader Hannibal set up operations here around 200 B.C., tried to buy real estate, but was outbid by the Romans.  It is still an important naval center and was once an important shipping port.  It is a pleasant place to visit.  We see an authentic flamenco performance, very impressive - a dance form native to Andalucia.  Wander around the town, typical small Spanish city, quiet, pleasant, lots of old buildings, monuments, places to eat.  Some of the passengers instead take the longer bus ride to visit the larger city of Seville, the capital of the Andalucia region of Spain.

Next day we visit Lisbon, capital of Portugal.  Sailing into Lisbon, one cannot help but think of San Francisco, the starting point of our cruise.  As we leave the choppy Atlantic to sail up the Tagus river, we pass under a suspension bridge called 'The 25th of April Bridge', looks nearly identical to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.  It was in fact built by the same company, since both locations require serious earthquake engineering.  Another very similar bridge was built in Istanbul.  Like San Francisco and Rome, Lisbon is known as a city of 7 hills.  It has cable cars similar to San Francisco.  It has a history of big earthquakes, with the most famous one occurring in 1755. 

Lisbon and its surrounding metropolitan area is home to 30% of the country's 10 million people.   Of course 'Lisbon' is the English name for this town.  Locals call it 'Lisboa.'  With its red tile roofs and light colored low-rise limestone buildings, Lisbon is an attractive place.  The day before our arrival they have rain, but for our visit the weather is perfect.  Our guide claims that to protect their buildings from humidity, the people in this part of Portugal cover the outside of their structures with ceramic tile.  Portuguese like to use tile whenever possible.  In fact porcelain and ceramic tiles are two of Portugal's well-known exports, a story that goes back to the days of the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama.

On tour we visit the former royal palace, a massive building with more rooms than I can count.  Every possible surface is elaborately furnished and decorated.  A sort of mini Versaille, no expense was spared in creating this abode.  It appears that while the King was busy bossing people around, his wife was busy spending all of the empire's money.  No wonder the Portugese empire collapsed.

I finish my day in Lisbon on board the ship, with friends on the deck outside the Veranda dining room.  We spend a long lazy afternoon, sipping coffee, not counting desserts, gazing at the beautiful hillsides of Lisbon and the wide Tagus river.  Weather is perfect, a most pleasant afternoon.  Finally, like life itself, it's time to leave, to sail once again for another port.

We sail through the stormy Bay of Biscay, where the warm Gulf Stream brings moderate temperatures to Europe as it flows north.  Without this ocean current, most of Europe would be an icebox.   Slowed by the strong headwinds, we miss our scheduled stop in Bilboa.  So no Guggenheim Museum.  Instead we visit Santander on the north coast of Spain.  I walk for a few hours to check out the town.  It's a compact city of about 180,000 people, set on a hillside overlooking a bay.  It has sandy beaches, attractive, cohesive architecture, lots of people out walking, lots of sidewalk cafes and restaurants.   There is a harbor with plenty of small boats, some sailboats on the bay.  More space is alloted to pedestrians than to automobiles.  Traffic is moderate.  Along the water is a wide path filled with people.  Despite the sheer drop of 15' to the water, there is no railing to prevent people from falling off the path.  This gives the appearance of a city that believes people should be responsible for their own behavior. 

I leave Santander and the Iberian peninsula, nearing the end of this 145 day adventure.

(photo at top of page is along harbor of Santander)

Flamenco dance in Cadiz

Street in Cadiz

Beach in Cadiz, sand is finer than Mediterranean

Bridge over Tagus river in Lisbon

Home Sweet Home for Portuguese Royalty

Lisbon

Cable car in Lisbon

Portuguese like their tiles

Tile covered building in Lisbon

Santander

Santander

Southern Europe

May 26-29.   The southern coasts of Spain and France are popular vacation destinations.   Fashionable seaside towns, sidewalk cafes and moderate Mediterranean weather attract millions of vacationers, despite the gravelly beaches and poor water quality of the Mediterranean Sea.  It's a popular vacation spot for people in northern Europe, as well as many other places around the world.  Saudi billionaires build compounds here, and ordinary millionaires own condos and yachts.  Shops, restaurants and beaches are crowded.  There is no shortage of travelers, though for those holding weak currencies it's an expensive place.

We visit Marseille, considered the oldest city in France, founded by the Greeks in 600 B.C.   Population 850,000.  For thousands of years, various empire builders from Europe, Africa and the Middle East came to this area, behaved badly, and eventually relinquished control to newer empires.  From these waves of conquest, the people of Marseille share some common cultural heritage with parts of Spain that they do not share with northern France.  For our brief stop here, we drive through the city, unfortunately during their rush hour.  We drive past a large harbor, packed with private sailboats and yachts.  The streets are lined with sidewalk cafes, mostly empty during the late morning hours.  Eventually we get past the traffic, drive up and over some hills, and get a nice view of this seaside metropolis.  It's an attractive low-rise city set in a wide shallow valley.  There are major construction projects underway including seaside hotels, shopping malls, large entertainment facilities.  Will be nice in two more years, but for now it causes traffic problems. 

We drive to the small town of Cassis, another fashionable location for the yacht & cafe set.  Other travelers say it's similar to St. Tropez, though less crowded.  Again, an expensive town.  Bathroom stop is .6 Euro, or about one dollar.  Gasoline is around $9/gallon, compared to U.S. price of $3.80/gallon.  Some might recognize 'cassis' by the product Creme de Cassis, a sweet liquer made from black currant.  The town has a population of around 8,000 people.  The entire harbor is lined with sidewalk cafes, from which one can admire hundreds of attractive yachts.  There are charming old narrow streets filled with interesting shops, all expensive of course.  Sadly we are allotted just 1 hour here.  This is one of the disadvantages of bus tours for cruise passengers - sometimes there is just not enough time. 

We leave France and sail to Spain.  It is a warm, sunny day, no rain.  If there were rain, it would fall mainly in the plain.  We stop in Barcelona, population 1.6 million.  Archaeologists have found cave paintings here dating back 15,000 years, indicating a long tradition of art.   The first known empire here was founded by the Carthaginian general and brilliant military strategist, Hannibal.   He invaded Spain, found it too expensive, and left.

I take a shuttle bus into town, walk down one of the main streets, tree-lined with most of the space for pedestrians, only limited narrow lanes for traffic.  The place is packed with people of all ages, both tourists and locals.  Street vendors, artists, performers add to the color.  Some people are staging a protest - sitting in the street blocking traffic in the main square, singing songs.  Even more people line the sidewalks to watch the people sitting in the street, waiting for something to happen.  Nothing happens, so people go to get something to eat.  Lots of places to eat, lots of energy.  Then back to the ship.  In the evening a local dance group performs traditional flamenco dancing for the passengers.  Very colorful, fast-paced entertainment.

The following day, the Barcelona football team (soccer) defeats Manchester United to win a big important match, making them the new official champion of Europe.  Yea.

Third stop on this stretch of the Mediterranean is Malaga, Spain - birthplace of Pablo Picasso.  From this large touristy town we drive to the smaller though even more touristy town of Marbella, which is Spanish for 'beautiful sea.'  We walk around for a while, see the beach, shops, restaurants.  All very nice, very familiar.  Then to the more upscale Puerto Banus, which is Spanish for 'place of expensive yachts'.  Many huge yachts and very expensive cars everywhere.  Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, etc.  Nice architecture, obviously some wealthy people hang out here.   I consider buying a yacht, but decide to buy a gelato instead.

Back on the bus then back to the ship.  We sail west through the strategic Strait of Gibralter, a sixty mile wide gap between Africa and Europe, separating the Mediterranean from the Atlantic.  This 'rock' and a small area around it is actually owned by the U.K.  Being close to Africa, it's a popular place for unemployed people from Morocco and nearby countries to travel to Europe, illegally or otherwise, seeking employment.  Around 9:30 pm we pass about 3 miles offshore from the famous Rock of Gibralter.  To the south I can see the mountains of Morocco, Africa.  Near the rock I see a small town and harbor.  There are many ships there, and I know that one of them is the sailboat my son is traveling on as he heads east into the Mediterranean.  Our ships pass in the night.  Too far away to wave, so I send an email.

(photo at top of page is street in Marseille)

Yachts in harbor of Marseille

Harbor of Cassis

View from hills over Cassis

Street in Marseille

Protesters block street in Barcelona

Lots of pedestrians in Barcelona

Phil's sailing vessel for his Atlantic crossing

Small plaza in Marbella

Yachts in Puerto Banus

Rolls Royce in Puerto Banus

Yacht berths in Puerto Banus

Italy

May 23-25, Italy.  We visit three ports in this ancient land, home to generations of great artists, inventors, and explorers.  The country of Italy is less than 200 years old, but the history of the place is over 3,000.  Today Italy is home to about 60 million people.  Less prosperous than their northern European neighbors, they are still a wealthy country, though they do face some challenging economic problems.  While some cities in Italy are in serious decline, there are still many beautiful places to visit, especially if you enjoy good food and good scenery.  It's also a nice place to shop if you're not price-sensitive. 

We enter the region by sailing through the Strait of Messina at night, between the island of Sicily and the mainland of Italy.  It is lit up on both sides and we see fireworks on the Sicily side.   We sail up the west coast to Sorrento.  It is a picturesque seaside town, post-card perfect with colorful buildings, sheer cliffs, old stone homes clinging to steep hillsides.   Europe has a strong sidewalk cafe culture, and Sorrento is typical in this regard.  We wander around the main square, then visit a small hillside farm that has been in continuous operation for about 120 years.  If not for the tourist industry, they could not afford to stay in business today.  We see their farm animals and taste some of their produce, olives, mozzarella, and a dangerously good limoncello.  The photo above is a demonstration of making mozzarella.

Next day we dock in the port of Civitavecchia, where we take a 1-hour bus ride to Rome.  In Rome I don't go on tour, but instead have lunch with a few other passengers, wander around the touristy Spanish Steps area.  Rome and the empire it ruled have a long and dramatic history.  As legend has it, two young brothers named Romulus and Remus were abandoned by their parents, suckled by a she-wolf, then raised by a shepherd couple.  The boys grew up poor, yet wanted a city of their own.  In 736 B.C., they founded Rome, and as they say, the rest is history.  Romulus went on to invent pasta, Ferraris and expensive shoes.  He eventually made a small fortune, retired and lived out his days in a sleepy village in the south of France.  His brother joined a yacht club and took up sailing.  The city they founded eventually became the capital of a famous empire.

To leave Rome, we negotiate a cab ride back to Civitavecchia.  We drive through narrow streets, past the Coliseum, challenging motorcyclists and pedestrians who narrowly escape the path of our cab.  We learn that the streets of Rome are designed like a bowl of pasta. 

Back to our ship, we continue north up the western coast of the Italian peninsula and stop in the even more picturesque harbor town of Portovenere.  There we board a small boat and travel near the coast to a series of small villages known as Cinque Terre.  Here it would be nice to find a synonym so I don't over-use the word 'picturesque'.   Each of the villages clings to steep hillsides, where for 1,000 years the inhabitants farmed the difficult terrain by terracing it, then growing grapes, olives, vegetables, other fruits.  The old-timers still work the land, but the younger generation now just works in the tourist industry or other non-farm jobs.  You can visit here and stay in a variety of hotels or B&B's, hike the many trails that connect the villages, enjoy the clean ocean along gravelly beaches, and of course spend lazy hours sipping cappuccinos in the sidewalk cafes.

After Cinque Terre, I return to the ship and sit outside to eat lunch.  I'm joined by two other passengers.  We so enjoy gazing at the beautiful harbor of Portovenere, watching the expensive yachts motor by, soaking up the ideal Mediterranean climate, that we stay there almost three hours.  Finally, it is time to move on to another country.  We leave Italy, one tiramisu wiser.

Isle of Capri

Sorrento

Portovenere

Houses cling to the hills of Cinque Terre

One small village of Cinque Terre

Largest village of Cinque Terre - pop. 800