2019-2020 Christmas Cruise - Andalusia: Day 4 Palermo

Our planned ship-sponsored excursion to the small medieval town of Cefalù was cancelled, so we explored Palermo on our own instead. From the ship, the city was surrounded by old volcanic mountains and a steep promontory. 

We disembarked to chilly drizzle and walked along the harbor to Porto Felice. The city gate was built between 1582 and 1637 in the Renaissance and Baroque styles. 

From there, we headed down the street it straddles, the Corso Vittoruo Emanuele, towards the beautiful Praetorian Fountain.  Also known as the Fontana della Vergogna, the fountain was built in Florence in 1554 and moved 20 years later (with a few mishaps) when its indebted owner sold it to Palermo. The fountain originally included 48 statues and received its nickname (“vergogna” means shame) due to the nudity of the statues. 

Near the fountain we visited two churches which are, collectively with seven other structures in Palermo and nearby towns, a UNESCO world heritage site. The first, the Church of Santa Maria dell’Ammiraguo was covered in dazzling mosaics from the Byzantine era. The church was dedicated in 1143 with later additions.  It retains both its original wooden door decorated with Islamic carvings, and well-preserved inlaid marble floor. 

The adjacent Church of San Cataldo was small and austere. Built around 1160, it is considered an architectural masterpiece. The central nave was comprised of three brick domes, showing its Moorish architectural influence. The church was built by Islamic artisans following Romanesque criteria. 

We continued down the Corso. Jeff found an excellent and elegant way to eat a whole potato. 

Parts of this main thoroughfare remind me of Havana. Many structures which have clearly seen better days are juxtaposed with beautifully preserved or restored monuments.

The three above photos were shot on the Corso. A few blocks later we reached the Palermo Cathedral, which is too long to fit in a single photo. 

There was a basilica on this site in the 4th century and another in the 6th. It was transformed into a mosque during the Islamic period, then returned to the Christians in 1072. The foundation of the current building dates from the late 12th century. The cathedral has undergone a long history of restoration and additions. With Norman, Moorish, Gothic and Baroque elements, the last alterations were in the 18th century. 

We climbed up the spiral stone staircase to inspect the roof and enjoy the views. 

And then further down the Corso to our last stop, the Norman Royal Palace. 

The palm trees in the garden between the the Norman Palace and the cathedral seemed a little anachronistic. We were so cold today, with brisk winds and rain. We hustled back towards the harbor, stopping for a snack in a warm place near the Teatro Massimo (Palermo’s opera house).  Greg found a geocache there, capping a successful day of exploration.  

2019-2020 Christmas Cruise - Andalusia: Day 3 Civitavecchia

Today we docked in Civitavecchia, the gateway port to Rome. Jeff, Bryan and Erin headed there this morning, while Greg, Mark and I set off for Tarquinia. This medieval hill town is home to one of the most unique Etruscan sites in Italy. 

We walked to the train station and took a 13 minute train (cost only €1.50) to the Tarquinia station. We walked about two miles up to the old walled hill town, where fortunately the TI office was open. Armed with a map, we continued uphill for another half hour until we exited the city walls and eventually reached the Etruscan necropolis. 

The old city center of Tarquinia is well preserved and charming. We saw a few other people walking to the necropolis. The city was practically tourist free and we saw no other Americans. From the city heights one sees the Mediterranean to the west and rolling hills to the north and west. 

The painted Etruscan tombs which drew us here are spread across a plateau near the one on which the Etruscan city stood. The exact origin of the Etruscans remains a mystery. They were an Italian civilisation that flourished in (and gave it’s name to) the region that includes Tuscany. The Etruscans retained aspects of a primitive world, yet successfully traded and had cultural exchanges with Greeks and civilisations in southern Italy and surrounding islands. 

The Etruscan necropolis was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. UNESCO describes them as “the first chapter in the history of great Italian painting.”  The tombs date from the 7th to 1st century B.C. Depictions in the oldest tombs show favorite activities from daily life, including hunting, fishing, music and dance. The later tombs include demons and the underworld, illustrating the influence of Greek mythology. Death then brought apprehension as well as sorrow. 

Over 6000 family tombs are believed to be in the necropolis. About 200 of them are decorated with frescoes. The ancient tombs were first rediscovered by the remains of small mounds or hillocks over the graves. Today they are accessed through small buildings built over steep stairs descending down to the tombs. Twenty two of them are open to the public. Signs outside each tell the name of the tomb, its age and what can be seen inside. 

It takes a few minutes to adjust to the dark, but the stairways all are dimly lit and have handrails. At the bottom of the stairs is a glass or plexiglas window. One presses a button and the room beyond is illuminated for several seconds. 

On the back wall is a woman dancing on the left, and a couple on the right. Two servants flank a large vessel.  The panthers above them and the leaping dolphins frieze encircling the room are a recurring theme in the tombs. Two large reclining men are on the side walls. The painted poles and ceiling create the illusion of being in a tent. 

A man hunts birds with a slingshot while men fish from a boat

More panthers and activities of daily life in another tomb decorated as a tent. (Mark waves in the reflection near the top)

One of the later tombs, this shows the god Charon waiting to ferry the newly dead across the river Styx while a child and adults wait to greet him. 

Scattered about the necropolis are collections of primitive funerary jars used by a culture that preceded the Etruscans. The people cremated their dead, broke up the larger bones, and buried them in the jars. 

We walked back to Tarquinia and wandered the cobblestone streets. There were at least a half dozen small churches from the 11th-13th century, several medieval towers and many tidy narrow alleyways. 

We made it back to the ship just in time for dinner. We saw a Cirque du Soliel show on the ship this evening. It was fun, but no comparison to the great time we all had at karaoke last night. Erin and Bryan brought down the house with their rapping chops!

2019-2020 Christmas Cruise - Andalusia: Day 2 Genoa

Instead of exploring the commercial capital of Italy and hometown of  Christopher Columbus, Greg, Jeff, Mark and I boarded a bus at 8:15 this morning for a two hour ride from Genoa  to Milan. Initially, we’d hoped to score tickets to see Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. The painting is in the refractory in the Dominican convent of Santa Marie della Grazie. I got up in the middle of the night on the morning tickets went on sale for the day of our visit, but they were gone within 5 minutes so that was a bust. We weren’t sure if we’d ever be near Milan again, so decided to go visit the city anyway. 

Dawn over Genoa harbor

First stop in Milan was the Castello Sforzesco, a 15th century ducal palace that today houses several museum collections. 

Santa has come and gone but the elves are already working for next Christmas

Michelangelo’s last sculpture stands alone in the old Ospedale Spagnola (Spanish Hospital) in a corner of the castle. The unfinished statue, known as the Pietà Rondanini, was acquired by the city of Milan in 1952. Found in Michelangelo’s studio after his death in 1564, it effectively disappeared into anonymity until being definitively identified in 1807. 

Michelangelo had worked on the piece for over a decade before his death. Signs of an earlier attempt remain in an unattached arm or leg. His final version depicts Mary standing and supporting the dead body of her son. 

We walked down a wide pedestrian street to the Piazzo del Duomo. As Greg speculated, the Saturday between Christmas and New Years may have been the worst day in the year to visit. The square was mobbed, as were adjacent streets. 

The lines to enter the cathedral were long, as were those to climb or take a lift to the rooftop. So we weren’t able to explore the duomo in depth. We waited in another long line to sample several take out savory and sweet items from Panificio Luini and sat on a curb to share them, giving the flaky crumbs to pigeons. 

The fashion capital of Europe, Milan must be stunning at night. 

Fur boots and Mickey Mouse earmuffs adorn the well-appointed Milanese.

We passed through the Galleria Victor Emanuel II, a four-story elegant arcade lined with expensive designer shops and luxury cafes. 

We did a quick detour past La Scala on our way back to meet the bus. The exterior of the famous opera house was surprisingly understated. 

Posters showed an ornate interior, but we had no time for a tour. We were allotted only 3 hours in Milan. 

We got back to the Grandiosa shortly before sunset, so Jeff and I headed up to the top to catch a final view of Genoa in the good light.