It seems that this winter, Mother Nature has forgotten about the rain, and the gray clouds, and the cold…  (That or maybe there might be the smallest bit of truth to this whole global warming messing with the weather patterns?)  After a wonderful first 3 day weekend of 2013 in Portland, Oregon, we were excited to explore a little closer to home as we spent President’s Day weekend in the Napa Valley.

See all 125 pictures from the Napa 3 Day Weekend in the Photo Galleries

The skies were blue, the sun was out, there was just the slightest breeze, and it was almost 70 degrees…  in February.  I don’t know how we got as lucky as we have been, but we are forever grateful as we made our drive from home just a little more than an hour away to the city of Napa, where we started our 3-day weekend at the Oxbow Public Market.

A neat indoor center with a wide variety of restaurants, locally sourced produce, and culinary-centric open air storefronts, the market is home to not one, but three gluten-friendly spots where we can chow down on amazing eats for not much money…

Our first stop (lunch) was to the Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, with a 100% gluten-free menu and kitchen, the place specializes in Guatemalan cuisine and their specialty, the arepa.  Think of it as a sweet corn pattie, cut open half way (like a pita), and stuffed with all sorts of savory fillings.  We enjoyed sharing two of the arepas (spicy chicken and pulled pork carnitas) along with some shredded beef empanadas and yuca fries…

Following that feast, we headed into town to Fuller Park where we picked up some Segways and glided around town on a two hour Historical Tour of Napa.  Our guide, Chelsea introduced us to the fun, historical, and quirky background of the town.  Riding along on the little get up and go machines full of gyroscopes is a great way to cover a lot of ground, see a ton, and have a blast while doing it!

After our tour was complete, we headed to our hotel for the weekend, Auberge du Soleil, a 5-star property along the Silverado Trail in the tiny town of Rutherford.  Under the standard rules of TNJ Travel, we would have found a great stay location that would have hit our standard target of $100/day or less, but this weekend was a little bit of an unexpected bonus.  Our amazing stay was the result of winning a raffle at work, allowing us 2 wonderful nights at this epic property.  We enjoyed exceptional service, beautiful 180 degree views of the valley, and had a wonderful dinner on our terrace patio as the sunset.  It was way way over the top and we were exceptionally grateful to have had the opportunity.

Early on Sunday morning (5:15am to be exact), we placed a call to the weather hotline for Napa Valley Aloft, and the report was good for takeoff, so we hopped into the car, made the 20 minute drive over to nearby Yountville, and arrived at the V Marketplace, where just after 7:00am in the morning, huge hot air balloons and their baskets filled the parking lot with color.

A few minutes later, we were airborne, and making our way to 1500 feet as we quietly and effortlessly soared over the valley as the sun began to rise…  It was peaceful and surprisingly calm.  We had a great and experienced pilot who let us have time to enjoy the view while he offered to answer questions along the way.  Our basket had 12 people in it and everyone got their own spot along the perimeter to enjoy unobstructed views, take pictures, and just admire the world as it passed below.

We sailed through the skies for a little over an hour, making a safe touchdown in an open field within Napa’s Alston Park.

It was a little hard to believe, but it wasn’t even 9:30am when we arrived back at our hotel, and this gave us a chance to head up to the Auberge Restaurant and enjoy breakfast on the outdoor patio.  As Natalie and I enjoyed an amazing meal and huge cups of peppermint tea, we enjoyed this quiet and peaceful view…  No matter where you are, this is a great way to start your day!

After enjoying a nice breakfast, we hopped into the car, headed 45 minutes to the northwest and spent the day touring the Sonoma Wine County.  We visited several great places enjoyed participating in the Sonoma Passport program, where for the cost of the single passport (which is valid for an entire year!) you can receive free tastings for 2 at more than 25 wineries!  (For the interested… no we did not go to 25 wineries in a single day…)  We went to a handful of great new places and figured that we can always make a return visit later in the year.

Since we were nearby, we contacted Natalie’s aunt to see if she was available for an early dinner and we had a great evening at one of our favorite Mexican food places in Santa Rosa, Tres Chiles!

We enjoyed a beautiful, if slightly chilly evening under the stars (it is February!) driving back to our hotel and the next morning enjoyed a nice, leisurely breakfast before heading back to home.

It was a weekend to remember and another great addition to the mini-journey list in 2013…  Where should be go next?

See all 125 pictures from the Napa 3 Day Weekend in the Photo Galleries

]]> http://www.thenextjourney.com/2013/02/napa-oxbow-segways-auberge-hot-air-wine/feed/ 1 http://www.thenextjourney.com/2013/01/portland-wine-waterfalls-winter-wonders/ http://www.thenextjourney.com/2013/01/portland-wine-waterfalls-winter-wonders/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:00:46 +0000 Darin http://www.thenextjourney.com/?p=1893 January 19-22, 2013:  Portland, Oregon

It was just a few days after New Years that the big winter air travel sales kicked into high gear, presenting us with $69 fares to the city of Portland, Oregon, a destination that has been on our US travel list for quite some time…  We booked immediately and along the way, snagged a $16/day all-inclusive rental car rate, and rounded out the long weekend deal with 3 free nights ($400 value) at a highly rated Aloft hotel  using our Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) points, making the long weekend a steal at $54/per person, per night for air, hotel, and transportation…

Arriving at Oakland airport on Saturday morning, we were fortunate to find clear blue skies and a bright yellow and green University of Oregon Ducks Bombardier Q400 waiting at the gate to take us to Portland for the weekend…

This was not only the first turboprop we had been on in a long, long, time (I wasn’t sure if they were still used out of Bay Area Airports!), but the pilots and crew provided us with a pleasant, enjoyable, and comfortable ride up to the largest city in Oregon.

Two hours later, we were on the ground, picked up our rental car and made our way to our hotel, the Aloft at Cascades Station.  This trendy W Hotels property was conveniently located near shopping, freeway access and the MAX light rail line, but was quiet, with great customer service, comfy rooms, and made a great home base for our weekend.  We got checked in, and was back downstairs and headed to the MAX Red Line to make our way into Downtown Portland.

Running every 15 minutes, the Red Line is a convenient and inexpensive way to make your way into downtown.  A $5 day pass gives you unlimited access to all transport in the Portland area, and put us right in the heart of downtown in less than 30 minutes.  Jumping off at the 10th Street/Galleria station, we enjoyed the weekend rush of locals and tourists alike as they shuffled between local stores, eateries, and the parks…

We wanted to grab a quick snack to hold us over ’til dinner and an entire square block of food trucks did not disappoint — every possible style of cuisine on the planet could be found here, from African, Bagels, BBQ, Cajun, Caribbean, Ice Cream, Italian, Middle Eastern, Pasta, Paleo, Sushi, Tacos, and Waffles…  (Drool!)  We found a Taco truck that served old-school Shredded Beef and Chicken Tacos, just like I used to get growing up, and we enjoyed these along with a good sized bag of Chips and Salsa for $3.

From here, we got a little intellectual and took a tour (read: got lost) inside of Powell’s Books — a place that can only be described as what the inside of the Amazon book warehouse must be like, but instead of conveyor belts, there are tons of people (both looking for books as well as helpful staff members helping you find them!)

Each of the “rooms” identified in the store listing was a labyrinth of towering shelves with every possible book I have ever seen in every topic under the sun.  As we walked through, there were even some people “challenging” the staff with obscure and oblong titles that seemingly appeared within moments of making the request…  As the sun began to set in the city, we ambled through the Travel area, moving to Cooking and Food, Health and Exercise, and even found a self-publishing Espresso machine (if you ever wanted to publish your own book — you can upload your files and have it printed and bound here in minutes!)

From Powell’s, it was time for dinner and we ended up at Deschutes Brewery just a couple blocks away.  Great food, great brews, a fun atmosphere, and a fantastic Gluten-Free menu to enjoy!  Natalie and I both munched on burgers, sweet potato & paprika fries, and a wicked bowl of French Onion soup while enjoying a Sampler of some of their best…

After dinner, the newly discovered (new to us!) weather phenomenon known as “Frozen Fog” settled into the downtown area, and with the temperature dropping into the mid-20s, we made the pilgrimage just six short blocks away to a place recommended to me by friends and family alike, Voodoo Donut…  It’s a donut shop, open 24/7, with more than 50 varieties to choose from and picks up a 27 Zagat rating?!?  Believe it…  When we got there, a line more than 50 deep ran along the sidewalk, with locals and tourists both vying to inch their way into the tiny ordering lobby to pick up a box (or two, or ten!) of Orangatang, Mexican Hot Chocolate, Peach Fritter, No Name, Miami Vice, Arnold Palmer, or other donuts…  You can even pick up a 3 gallon bucket (yes, a bucket, lid and all) of day olds for just $5.  Natalie was a saint for waiting with me in the cold, but I picked up a sampler box here too and enjoyed them all weekend long!

The next morning, we grabbed the rental car and made our way southwest for a wonderful day of wine tasting in the Willamette Valley.  With helpful recommendations from friends in the area (Tristaetum, Sokol Blosser, Zerba, and Four Graces) we sampled Oregon wines, enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch and just barely scratched the surface of the area, so we are looking forward to a return visit to stock up and check a bag (or two) on the flight home…

Saturday night was spent with a good friend from college and enjoyed catching up, sharing some excellent Mexican food, and walked to another culinary high point, the ice cream shop known as Salt & Straw…  For all of my life, I have been a simple ice cream guy, enjoying Vanilla in a Root Beer Float, Strawberry in a banana split, or the occasional Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough if I was feeling adventurous at Cold Stone Creamery.  This was something entirely different and amazing…  Start with uber-fresh and natural, organic, and sustainable ingredients whipped up into tantalizing flavor combinations like Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper (some of the best ice cream I have ever had), Honey Lavender, Pear with Blue Cheese, and you start to get the picture.  Reasonably priced, two good-sized scoops set you back just $5.25 and the line snaking out the door explains the rest.  Take note, Baskin Robbins — your days may be numbered…

Sunday Morning sent us to Lake Oswego, where we passed by the Sellwood Bridge, which was undergoing a move to repair and replace the 87 year old structure with a new, seismically sound replacement.  It’s an important link for the local people as it is the only place to cross the river for 12 miles, and is heavily used, so it was a sight to see as they perform all of this work.

Our stop in Lake Oswego this morning was the Crave Bake Shop, a Gluten-Free haven of bakery wonder where the Gluten-Free actually won over the world…  You see, there is this little show called Cupcake Wars, where bakers the world over come and battle it out on the culinary stage.  The owner of Crave brought her Gluten-Free masterpieces to the big show and won out over the standard wheat flour wielding bakers.  And that my friends, is a David and Goliath tale of triumph.

This morning, we picked up a little sampling of everything (and a few to make the trek home and spend some down time in our freezer until they will be enjoyed!) allowing us to try Hot Chocolate, Birthday Cake, Rasp-Terry, Black and White, and Apple Fritter Cupcakes (The Apple Fritter was one of the cupcakes featured on Cupcake Wars, and is like Apple Pie in a paper wrapper — so good!)  In addition, they do scones, cinnamon rolls, and cake bites (think cake pops with no stick, but full of yum!)

From here, we headed south and east to reach Silver Falls State Park, where we would brave a little snow, a little ice, and be treated to amazing waterfalls set against the lush temperate rain forest of the Oregon wilderness.  Driving into the area we were completely surrounded by freezing fog with temps hovering just below 30.  Less than 5 minutes from our first stop, the fog evaporated, and we had sun and blue skies for our visit, making the 34 degree day seem almost like summer!  (Several people have already asked — we did not freeze and we really were not cold — we packed well, wore layers, had beanies and gloves, and really didn’t notice the chill at all!) Our first stop was for the North Falls and with a short 5 minute walk, we reached the viewpoint and got to enjoy this…

From here, we continued our way through enjoying nature in the quiet and calm of the park.  There were lots of families out today (it being a holiday) and parents with kids were out enjoying the sun and the sights, though, we still probably didn’t see more than 100 people for the entire trip.

We arrived at the South Falls about an hour later, after several short stops along the way, and got to have this view to ourselves…

After enjoying a picnic lunch out amongst the trees, we slowly began to make our way back home, and within minutes of leaving the State Park, we were once again surrounded by the Frozen Fog…  It is errie, cold, but has the most amazing residual effect…  As the fog surrounds the trees, the fences, the plants, etc., the frozen water droplets get attached and the result looks like this…

Looks like snow, feels like snow, but…

The roads are completely dry and clear, as the moisture can’t take hold on the asphalt and the shoulders…

Our drive back was enjoyable, though we were surprised by the amount of traffic that Portland presented us on the way back to our hotel on a Monday night (holiday travelers returning and some commute traffic?), but it didn’t impact our trip at all.

We headed home with wonderful memories, and a desire to make a return trip just as soon as we can…  Thanks Portland for a fantastic weekend away and we’ll see you real soon!

View at Picasa The Icicles Were Both Beautiful and Dangerous – Portland, OR

View at Picasa Frozen Fog Makes For A Beautiful Scene – Portland, OR

View at Picasa Our Ride to Portland, A Bombardier Q400 – Oakland, CA

View at Picasa North Falls at Silver Falls State Park – Portland, OR

View at Picasa South Falls at Silver Falls State Park – Portland, OR

View at Picasa South Falls at Silver Falls State Park – Portland, OR

After five days at sea, we finally saw land in the form of the island chain of Bermuda.  As it was our first visit to this port of call, we were excited to spend a portion of the day exploring the northernmost point of the famous “Bermuda Triangle”.  Though we were originally slated to dock in the capital city of Hamilton, we were advised that our berth location would shift to West End, as the current port was being used as a polling place in the country’s national election!  In exchange for the exceptionally minor inconvenience, we were afforded an extra hour to visit while in port.

As we made our way into the West End port area, we had a commanding view of many islands in the Bermudan area.  West End is located on the northern tip of the west end of the islands, as if the islands spiral outwards counterclockwise from the capital city of Hamilton.  Though West End is only a 20 minute ferry crossing from Hamilton, by local bus, the 12 mile trip  took almost an hour, as it is anything but a straight line!

We exited the ship just before 9:30am and unfortunately missed the once an hour ferry to Hamilton by just a couple minutes, so we quickly jumped on a local bus to the capital and enjoyed a very nice drive into town, while admiring local life along the way.  The polling places were well marked, with security forces, and a number of folks just outside each location in suits and formal business attire.  From the looks of signs and other advertisements, it looked like there were two primary parties competing for leadership.  These were the PLP and the OBA, reflecting their green and red colors, respectively.  The process seemed extremely professional and quite calm everywhere we went around the islands.

View at Picasa

View at Picasa Hundreds of Kilometers of Levadas Bring Water Throughout The Island – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa The Interior of the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa The Coloseum "Underground" – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Farms and Homes of Camara de Lobos – Funchal, Madeira

Taking advantage of the all-day travel pass (any bus or ferry) for $12, we rode the #8 local bus (all the local buses are pink in color) into Hamilton and jumped off right in the heart of downtown Hamilton. Starting from near the ferry terminal, we made our way around the local streets to the bus terminal, just a few blocks away.  From here, we picked up a #7 bus outbound and headed to the South Shore beaches and to our first stop of the day, Horseshoe Bay.

In the high season, you could only imagine the gridlock that must be faced by hundreds of sun worshippers as they attempted to ride the bus, walk, or bring their cars to the tiny little parking lot of this little piece of paradise.  The pure, white, talc beach, the crystal clear water, the blue skies and warm sun, and the crashing waves make you want to just plant yourself here and never want to leave.

When we arrived, we were excited to find this spot to be shared with less then a half dozen people and a lazy dog.  The quiet, broken only by the ocean breeze and the crashing of the waves threatened to derail our entire day of sightseeing as the thought crossed our minds to just kick off our shoes and spend the day here.  It is still Winter (at least in theory), so we enjoyed some time here, took plenty of pictures, and headed back up the hill to the road to pick up the next bus along our route.

View at Picasa Serra de Agua – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Sunset Along The Moroccan Coastline – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa The Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Botanic Garden – Gibraltar, UK

View at Picasa First Floor For Men, Second Floor For Women – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Lower Level of the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

As we continued to head outbound from the capital, the next stop on our list was the Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.  Erected in 1846, it is the highest point on the islands and provides not only critical navigation assistance to ships in the harbor and surrounding coastline, but also incredible views from the top (once you climb the 185 steps to get there).

Our bus dropped us off at the foot of Lighthouse Road, requiring us to walk up the hill for just about 10 minutes.  It was an easy walk and with minimal traffic in the area, we just walked on the road (there are no sidewalks in most spots on Bermuda).  Once we reached the crest of the hill, the lighthouse was off to our left side.

Upon arrival, we ducked into the Gift Shop, purchased our tickets for admission to the top ($2.50 each) and made our way to the circular entryway of the main tower.  From here, it was a slow and steady pace up 185 steps to the top.  Along the way, there were a number of landings offering a little rest and some information about the history of the lighthouse.

View at Picasa The Interior of the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa The Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa At Mohammed V Square – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa The Monastery and Basilica are Dwarfed By The Mountain – Montserrat, Spain

At the top, a small wooden door (maybe 24 inches wide by 4 feet tall) allowed you onto the catwalk, a small 18 inch wide walkway that surrounded the top of the lighthouse.  There was a stiff breeze up at the top, however, once you were outside, you could see for miles in every direction.  We could see all the way back to West End and our cruise ship!  (That was over 10 miles!)

We shared the catwalk with another half dozen people (very thankful there were not more as it was a tight squeeze up there!) and spent about 20 minutes admiring the view and noticing just how many individual islands that made up Bermuda (far more than we had originally considered).

Plenty of pictures later, we slowly made our way back down 185 steps, back down the hill to the base of Lighthouse Road, and back to the bus shelter to await our inbound bus to bring us back to the capital city of Hamilton.  Took about 20 minutes to get back into the city center, and from here, we began a one hour walking tour of the city that we found online.

View at Picasa The Village of Calheta – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Narrow Passageways (~18 inches wide) to the Rooftop Walkway at the Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa The Massive Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Painted Ceramic – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Monastery and Basilica are Dwarfed By The Mountain – Montserrat, Spain

We started along the waterfront at the old Bank of Bermuda (now a massive HSBC building) and wound our way through history, religion, and government along the way.  We saw the first Bermuda post office (Peron), walked through Queen Elizabeth Park (recently renamed for her majesty as a tribute for the Diamond Jubilee), passed the City Hall and Arts Centre (it has the most interesting/odd compass on its clock tower), walked through the beautiful Cathedral (Check out the Warriors Chapel inside!), and finally to Session House (home of the Supreme Court and the Assembly), Cabinet House (home of the Senate), and the Cenotaph (tribute to the fallen Bermudan soliders).

We arrived back at the waterfront in time to take the 2pm ferry back to West End, and reboarded our ship around 2:30.  What a wonderful introduction to Bermuda!  We look forward to returning again for some beach time and maybe a trip to St. Georges, too!

We arrived before the sunrise to the Portuguese island of Madeira.  Though we had a 7am arrival to the port city of Funchal, we exited the ship as soon as possible as today was only a half day stop and all-aboard was at 1:30pm before we began our Transatlantic leg across the Atlantic.  Just before 7:30am a pristine yellow and blue striped Mercedes Benz Taxi arrived at the port and its driver, Daniel greeted us by name.  We quickly hopped in and we took off.

Within a few minutes, Daniel had us completely at ease as we glided through the pre-dawn streets of his island home.  We reviewed the day’s itinerary and knew immediately that he was here to present his homeland, a place that he not only took pride in, but ultimately brought a personal touch to each and every viewpoint, stop, and sight along the day’s tour.

As it was still dark, we worked our way through Funchal and as the first light of the day was breaking, we started at an amazing miradouro (viewpoint) on the cliffs of Ribeira Brava, viewing the cliffside homes and the crashing surf far below.

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa A Moroccan Guard On Horseback at the Mohammed V Mausoleum – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa The High Altar At The Basilica – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Offerings To The Saint of Safe Driving Roads – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Serra de Agua – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

Our tour today was designed to be introduced to wide variety of scenic locations on this island of nearly 500 square miles.  It was arranged and recommended by Daniel’s wife who we emailed several times prior to our arrival.  The “Western Loop” started us in Funchal, took us to Ribeira Brava, and then cut north through Serra de Agua.  Continuing up past Encumeada, we would drop into the Northern coast, passing through Rosario, and arriving into the community of Sao Vicente.  Turning west, we would venture through picturesque coastal villages of Seixal, Ribeira de Jamela, and Porto Muniz.  Once complete on the coast, we would head southeast back into the mountains passing through Fonte de Pedra and Fonte do Bispo.  We would then drop back down to the coast passing through Daniel’s hometown of Calheta, Madgalena del Mar, and Ponta del Sol before standing 1700 feet above the crashing surf on a clear Plexiglas platform at Cabo Girao.

Though we covered more than 200 kilometers in a single day, we never felt rushed.  We stopped dozens of times for pictures at the myriad of miradouros all over the island, offering everything from waterfalls to scenic coastlines, to crashing surf and picturesque walks through small village towns.

All along the way, Daniel taught us about the island — its history, people, industry, exports, the fertile farming and huge variety of crops that grow on the island and much more.  It was like a fun and interactive classroom as we moved from place to place.

View at Picasa Site of Ruins From the 13th Century – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa From Above – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Natalie Overlooking Porto Moniz – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Enjoying The View at Horseshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa The Stories of the Bible on the Walls of The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

In addition to beautiful seaside villages for visitors to bask in the warm sun, crashing surf, and the variety of waterfalls to view on the island, there is more than 3000 kilometers (2000 miles) of hiking trails on the island, bringing folks from all over the world to enjoy and appreciate hikes as simple as a 30 minute straight shot on flat terrain to advanced, multiple day treks across and over mountain ranges.  The trails are well established, well-marked and there are a multitude of tour buses and companies that can arrange your activities.

Along the way, we were astounded by the amount of farming and options in terms of fruits and vegetables available on the island.  Created from a long since dormant volcano, more than six million years ago, the fertile soil of the island brings a wide selection, though the most prevalent are bananas (on the south side of the island) and Madeira wine (on the both sides of the island).  We stopped in Porto Muniz to sample some of the local Madeira wine and ultimately purchase the tasty local harvest.

Daniel took great care to ensure that we could see the island and all of its beauty.  Twisting local coastal roads wound around cliffs as we watched dozens of waterfalls carry water to reservoirs for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.  The high-speed “Via Rapida” now moves traffic from the major population centers.  The two lane switchback roads that take you up into the highlands and back down to the coast are minimally travelled.  Travelling the jaw-droppingly beautiful roads with lush green, rust color, and gray peaks and plateaus all along the way, we passed free range cows and watched lavadas (irrigation canals) carry water throughout the island from natural springs.

View at Picasa Ribeira Brava – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Self-Portrait at The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa At Mohammed V Square – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Monastery and Basilica are Dwarfed By The Mountain – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa The Cliffs of Madeira – Funchal, Madeira

Even when a blocked road (the massive blade from a wind power generation windmill needed to be hauled up the mountain on a double length open air semi, blocking the main road for at least an hour) meant a detour, Daniel didn’t miss a beat, adjusting the tour and ensuring no impact to our timelines as we had a chance to visit the village he was born, Calheta, and taking a different route back home.

As we were driving along, Daniel had identified that the cliffside roads were frequently subject to massive rockslides, damage, and regular closure.  In the last 10 years a huge network of tunnels had been dug and made to allow for traffic to transit the island with minimal impact.  Though in some cases, this changed some beautiful and exceptionally dangerous views along some of these coastal roads into dark and viewless, but ultimately safe, tunnels, he jokingly identified his home as the Island of Swiss Cheese, since there were now so many holes in it.  We tended to agree, but found that his expertly selected route gave us a much “non-tunnel” time as possible and to enjoy the amazing views that came along with it.

There were so many memorable moments along our path, but some to specifically call out include Bridal Veil falls along the northern coastline, walking through the quiet village of Sao Vicente and being able to see Catholic mass in Portuguese in their beautiful and striking little church, and the crashing surf of Porto Muniz as we walked along the rugged boardwalk in this picture postcard community.

View at Picasa Those "Tiny" Yellow Pods Bring 35 Passengers At A Time to The Top – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa 16 Moroccan Flags in One Street Shot – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Rocky Coastline of Porto Moniz – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Botanic Garden – Gibraltar, UK

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

Though we were limited to about 5 1/2 hours here, the amazing introduction we had with Daniel established this little island as a return destination for us and this is no small feat.  Given all of the amazing places there are on this planet, it truly takes a special place, great people, a vibrant culture, and a little something special to make that list of return locations.  We look forward to returning here again at some point in the future, maybe in conjunction with a trip to Portugal and the Azores?

Thanks Daniel for an amazing day and for the introduction to your home, a place that will not soon be forgotten.

It was an early morning as we docked alongside the pier in Casablanca, Morocco.  As we had a number of long distance shore excursions available today, we were on schedule to be in port from 7am until 8pm, allowing passengers the chance to see and experience Casablanca and Rabat or Marrakech.  As this was our first visit to Casablanca (our previous visit was cancelled in 2007), we selected the ship’s shore excursion to spend 11 hours (8am – 7pm) completing two half day tours of both Casablanca and Rabat, the country’s capital city.

As we met in the Cabaret Lounge on Deck 5 Forward to get our tour stickers and meet up with our tour group, we were happy to see that we had only a partially full coach for our day.  As we boarded the bus just after 7:45am, we were 28 booked on this particular tour and had several rows open on the clean, spacious, and well-maintained Volvo super coach.  Natalie and I grabbed a double wide window just behind the bus’s second entrance/exit door at mid length and had good views for the day’s sights.

As we rolled out of the port, we were introduced to our tour team for the day.  We had a driver, a driver’s assistant, a tour guide for Casablanca, and a tour guide for Rabat.  Hamid would be leading our tour for the first half of the day, and Aziz would be our guide for the remainder of the afternoon.  As we rolled into the city, it was clear that although Casablanca continues to build and define itself as a major gateway city in North Africa, it is still struggling with the challenges of the “haves” and the “have nots” with large portions of the city with unfinished buildings, cramped and poorly constructed shanty homes (complete with requisite satellite dish, regardless of income level).  While just a few minutes away, there is the “high rent district.”  This area is filled with palatial estates, complete with driver, gardener, maid, cook, and private security.

View at Picasa Session House in Hamilton – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa At The Hilltop Antigo Borgo Trattoria – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Snow-Capped Peaks in the Distance – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa At the Base Before Boarding the Aleri – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Greens, Reds, and Grays of the Madeira Hillsides – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa The Stories of the Bible on the Walls of The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

Our first stop for the day was at the King’s palace in Casablanca.  As we exited our coach, the group began to walk towards the palace entrance, where no less than two dozen military police were on patrol.  As we got closer, we were quickly and politely informed that as the King was in residence and that we would not be able to enter the grounds.  No concern our guides said — the king has a number of palaces and if he is in Casablanca today, we can visit the palace later this afternoon in Rabat, on the second half of our tour.

As we left the palace, we were already on foot, and continued into the Habbous Quarter, an area near the palace and an opportunity for us to visit a local Olive Market and see a few mosques along the way.  As we arrived at the Olive Market, we were greeted with no less than two dozen different types of olives, along with a variety of spices and vegetable blends for purchase.  Most were less than $1 a pound and one of our guides purchased a bag to share with us on the tour.

From here, we continued through a small market area (but only one or two shops were open due to it being a Sunday), so we enjoyed the quiet of the quarter and took in the sights and viewed the architecture of Morocco’s commercial center.  We boarded our bus and drove for about 15 minutes before we arrived at the Mohammed V Square in downtown Casablanca.  Here, a huge square covered in Moroccan flags (there are everywhere — on buildings, at intersections, every kilometer along the highway) framed four major buildings and a large fountain that was swarming with pigeons.  After a short stop here to take pictures, we continued to one of the highlights of our day, the Hassan II Mosque, a massive 25,000 person capacity building, located on the waterfront of the city.

View at Picasa The Intricate Understage of the Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa Tallest Minaret (689ft) in the World – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Self-Portrait, Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Natalie at Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

With a capacity of 25,000 inside of the building and supporting another 85,000 people for prayers and services outside on the esplanade, this $1 billion dollar facility was completed in the early 1990s.  Constructed of entirely Moroccan materials, it includes heated marble floors and massive pillars, intricate cedar retractable roof and ceiling panels, and a 689 foot minaret, the tallest in the world.  On certain evenings, the minaret has a bright green laser beam that points in the direction of Mecca for prayers.  It is so bright; it can be seen for more than 20 miles in every direction.

Our group grabbed plenty of pictures and moved towards one of dozens of entrances to accommodate the large crowds that regularly attend prayers at the location.  At the time of our arrival, the facility was quiet and we were able to enter a nearly empty site.  After removing our shoes, we entered one of only 3 mosques in the world that can be viewed by Western visitors.  The sheer size of the mosque was mind-blowing.  It was easy to accommodate a regulation NFL football field within the building, and there was available seating on two levels (the main level for men and the second level for women).  The artistic detail throughout the mosque was everywhere, from the carved patterns and mosaics on the floors and walls, the lavish marble pillars that shoot straight towards the sky, and the massive chandeliers, it was clearly a place of reverence, beauty, and opulence.

After we enjoyed a tour of the main level, we were led to the lower level of the facility, where “Ablution” or the washing takes place in the Hamams.  Prior to attending prayers at the mosque, there is a structured way to complete the washing, with all key areas (hands, arms, faces, heads, etc.) being washed 3 times from one of dozens of marble fountains in the shape of blooming flowers.  Once complete, attendees then make their way to their respective level of the facility to begin their prayers and listen to the Imam share from the Koran.

View at Picasa Outside the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Eggplant, Cucumber, Carrot, Pumpkin, Potato, and Tomato… Delicious! – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Looking Down on the Basilica From Above The High Altar – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Trevi Fountain (Time Lapse) – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Clock Tower in the Village of Pontone – Pontone, Italy

The Mosque visit was truly amazing and one that we were so thankful to have been able to see.  We spent almost an hour and a half here and returned to the bus as more and more tour groups from another cruise ship began to arrive.  Our guides did a great job structuring the day to minimize traffic and competing against the large groups for pictures as we visiting many of the stops along our trip.

From here, we continued along the waterfront enjoying a number of beach and sports complexes for the Casablanca population.  The beaches themselves are not exceptionally good due to rough surf and limited beach facilities, so many of the “beach clubs” are actually built up facilities along the shorelines with artificial pools, huge wooden decks, and deck chairs for sunbathing and playing in the water.  Opposite these beach clubs there were a large number of people playing soccer in the parks and fields that dot the neighborhoods all over the country.  We traveled through several affluent neighborhoods along the way and saw the tremendous divide between the “haves” and the “have nots” as we viewed sprawling estates, with swimming pools, gardens filled with fruit trees, and many “luxury” cars parked along the paved entrance roads behind tall iron gates and stone walls.

As we left this area, we began to reach the main shopping area of the “new city” with its rows of restaurants and department stores.  This is no medina or souk — this is contemporary and mainstream Morocco, and as we arrived at our lunch stop, Basmane restaurant, we were presented with the restaurant’s “Top 10 places to eat” award from a local travel magazine, along with their Facebook address.  This morning’s half-day tour was definitely about “New Morocco.”

View at Picasa The Food Just Kept Coming – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa One Of Dozens of Entrances – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Guess Who – Gibraltar, UK

View at Picasa Hiking At Sant Joan – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa First Floor For Men, Second Floor For Women – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

The restaurant was quite striking, its interior looking much like that of the mosque, covered in beautiful mosaic and beautifully carved shapes and patterns on the walls and ceilings.  As we sit at tables for 8 in a side dining room, Hamid came in and walked all of us through our meal selections for the day.  To begin, a family style Moroccan salad was provided with a multitude of small plates covered in eggplant, carrots, pumpkin, cucumber, seasoned potatoes, beets, and tomatoes — all of which were expertly seasoned and spiced with Moroccan flavors of honey, saffron, and “magic spice.”   We each built an appetizer plate and enjoyed huge quantities of this salad along with crusty French baguettes.  Next, huge platters of couscous and roasted vegetables, including pumpkin, red bell pepper, carrot, and seasoned with lemon broth were presented to build a base for the succulent main course of Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemon to place on top.  In addition to all of this food, we were provided with Moroccan wine (surprisingly tasty) and bottled mineral water.  Another massive platter of fresh fruit was placed on the table, loaded with oranges, tangerines, and bananas, as almond cookies and freshly brewed and steaming Moroccan mint tea closed out the massive feast.  We enjoyed the company of our table mates and we savored the amazing food and the wonderful tastes and flavors, so unique to this part of the world.

Nicely stuffed and more than satisfied, we left the restaurant and headed to our final stop for the first half of our day at the Artisan Exposition, a market for local handicrafts unique to Morocco.  In the “modern” Morocco, prices are marked and although very limited negotiation on price is permitted (for quantity purchases, etc.) most of the haggling is now confined to the souks in the medinas and outside the major cities.  We viewed a beautiful variety of metalwork, rugs, leatherwork, teas, pottery, and picked up some of the Moroccan “Magic Spice”, a mixture of 35 different spices, but an instant aroma reminder of our visit.  A good sized jar was available here for 50 dirhams or 5 Euros.  We picked it up and returned to the bus about 25 minutes later as the tour mates seemed to be satisfied with the available choices and offerings, most with a number of bags in tow.

It was now time to say goodbye to Hamid and turn the tour over to Aziz, his colleague, for the second half of the day.  We bid him farewell (he did a fantastic job) and Aziz announced that it was time for siesta as we had a 90 minute drive to Rabat, the capital city and “historic center” of Morocco.  We all got comfortable on the coach as we worked our way to the highway and found the entire drive covered with two very regular and frequent sights.  First — Huge Moroccan flags were posted at each kilometer marker along the highway between the two cities, and at every entry, exit, and overpass along the route, there were police.  To say that we felt safe and secure was an understatement.  (We had no concerns at any time during our visit — we felt exceptionally comfortable and with no concerns about walking around, saying hello to locals, watching children play sports, etc.  We actually found out that the police presence was due to the fact that the King would be travelling in his motorcade along the highway later in the day…  It is normally not that loaded with patrols, but more on that later!)

View at Picasa The Stories of the Bible on the Walls of The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Welcome to Basmane Restaurant – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa A Picturesque Shoreline – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Horseshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Darin most definitely nodded off at least a few times along the drive as the food coma from lunch mixed with streaming sunshine into the coach that made everything warm and comfortable.  Before we knew it though, we had arrived to the capital city of Rabat, where we would enjoy four stops.

The first was the Rabat palace of the King that we were told would be accessible to us since he was in Casablanca earlier in the day.  Well, luck would have it that all of the police along the highway were waiting for him to return back to Rabat from Casablanca and, in fact, there would be no visitors to the palace in EITHER city today.  It was something of a minor disappointment, but clearly, the King didn’t need hundreds of tourists running all over his house.  Instead, we made a stop at the Friday Prayer Mosque near the palace, a regular stop for the King when he is in residence, as he shares this experience with the local people on a weekly basis.

From here, we continued to a local archaeological site, where ruins have been unearthed and are in the process of being preserved from a 13th century Medina, along with some homes, a mosque, and a Minaret.  Today, the minaret is the home of a few local storks as the site continued to be restored for visitors.  We continued from here to the Mohammed V Mausoleum, the former king’s final resting place, and also the home of “The Unfinished Mosque”.  Another large mosque has been planned and started at this location, but was only just begun before work stopped.  Although a partial minaret and the base of columns have been placed, it was never finished.  Many Moroccans were at this site at the time of our visit as they were paying their respects to their former leader, a regular occurrence, even though he has been gone for 25 years.

View at Picasa A Statue Outside of the Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa The Line, St. Peter's Square, & The Circus?!? – St. Peter's, Vatican City

View at Picasa Narrow Passageways (~18 inches wide) to the Rooftop Walkway at the Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa A Quiet Pedestrian Street in Sao Vicente – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa The Rocky Coastline of Porto Moniz – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

Inside the mausoleum, a beautiful marble casket was sent against an entire room of black marble and gold trim, flanked by no less than a dozen Moroccan flags.  In a corner of the room was a rug, and a copy of the Koran, regularly read from during prayers.  We shared the space with hundreds of local people and their families as they visited, took pictures, and viewed.

From here, we headed to our final stop of the day, the Old Medina in Rabat and spent a few minutes in the bustling square.  Many families were enjoying a Sunday afternoon here, sampling local Moroccan sweets and pastries, while little kids begged their parents to splurge on a puffy, pink cotton candy, which seemed so out of place here.  Local women were trying to entice the foreign tourists to try some Henna hand tattoos for a Euro and we enjoyed the smell of freshly brewed mint tea as we viewed the sun as it began to set along the river.

It was time to begin the 90 minute ride home to Casablanca, so we re-boarded our bus and enjoyed a leftover tangerine from the lunch restaurant as we slowly made our way back to the port.  As we arrived into Casablanca, we took a short 2 minute detour to see “Rick’s Cafe” a “New Morocco” restaurant that just celebrated its 8th anniversary.  It was a telling sign that Morocco seems to be in a state of transition, from its old ways of medinas and souks to the new age of commerce, technology, and barcodes.  It was a privilege to visit here and we look forward to returning again soon, in the hope that a little bit of its exotic North African culture has not completely faded away with the passing of time.

On this Transatlantic crossing, we spent 10 Sea Days onboard the Pacific Princess, one of the small ships of the Princess Fleet.  With a passenger load of approximately 650, and a crew complement of approximately 350, the ship is one of the smallest we have ever sailed, but really offers most everything that the larger ships have, just in a smaller scale.  Docked next to the P&O Azura in Gibraltar, we seemed exceptionally tiny, but once onboard, the differences become minor.

There are four passenger decks (4, 6, 7, & 8) and three activity/dining/service decks (5, 9, & 10).  The Club Restaurant (Deck 5 Aft) offers the traditional and late sitting (6:00pm and 8:15pm) dining experience passengers have come to expect from any Princess ship, along with two specialty restaurants (Steakhouse and Sabatini’s on Deck 10 Aft) that alternate their offerings each evening.  The Panorama Buffet (Deck 9 Aft) offers full Breakfast (including an Omelet station), Lunch, and Evening Bistro service, along with the BBQ Grill, Pizzeria, and 24 Hour Room Service.  Missing from the dining options (and not terribly missed) included the Anytime Ice Cream Bar (though ice cream was available on every menu every day), Sushi Bar (available during the Asian Lunch Buffet on one Sea Day), and Anytime Dining for Dinner in the main restaurant (Anytime Bistro dining was available in the Panorama Buffet as a very reasonable alternative.)  Also, the larger ship venues like Vines (Wine Bar), Tapas Bar, and the International Cafe just can’t fit into the limited available space, but they’re simply not needed, given the light passenger load…

View at Picasa The Stories of the Bible on the Walls of The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Time To Eat – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Sun and Rain – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Enjoying The Ride Up The Aeri – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Buon Appetito – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Welcome to Basmane Restaurant – Casablanca, Morocco

In terms of passenger services, the small ship lacked none of the key requirements, with a very capable and professional passenger services desk (available 24 hours a day), shore excursions desk, and a combined Captain’s Club and Future Cruise Host available every day of the cruise.

Shopping and other services onboard matched all other Princess ships (albeit at smaller scale).  The internet cafe had 8 stations and an internet manager available every day of the itinerary.  There were shops and boutiques onboard, though the selection and availability was much more limited than on larger ships.  The Spa and Fitness area was a good size, offered all of the standard Spa and Salon offerings (No Thermal Suites onboard, though).  The Casino was TINY, with just a few dozen slots and about 6 table games, but served the passengers needs to “make their donations.”  Bars and lounges were adequate in size, offered great musical entertainers, and were tucked into all the right places, without seeming too overwhelming in any one location (this can actually be a problem on some of the larger ships).  There was even an art program onboard, though it is being discontinued on the smaller ships (Pacific Princess and Ocean Princess) at the end of 2012.

The entertainment and activities offered onboard was solid all the way around, with great musical performances, singers, instrumentalists, a ventriloquist, and a small, but solid troupe of Princess Singers and Dancers.  This group also performed double duty, supporting the Cruise Director Staff for onboard activities including Bingo, Trivia, onboard games, and ballroom and line dancing classes, amongst others.  There was a strong Scholarship@Sea program with multiple tracks: a port lecturer, Bridge leader, and a great Arts and Crafts program offered every single sea day!  Couple this with a wide variety of 2nd run movies in the lounges and on the stateroom television and there was little to be missed.  One huge highlight of the ship was its sizeable and exceptionally comfortable library.

View at Picasa Brewing And Pouring Mint Tea – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa From The 3rd Deck at The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

Throw in a walking track, a swimming pool, three hot tubs, and two decks of sun loungers and deck tables, and you have “The Little Ship that Could”, providing an exceptional onboard experience that you expect from Princess…  Just in a smaller package.

The service from the staff and crew was simply over the top…  The Pacific Princess Officers, staff, and crew are a small but extended family that have a ton of experience to extend the very best in professionalism and personal touches to make the experience one that will not be forgotten.

We welcome the chance to return to small ship cruising with Princess (or any Princess ship) whenever the opportunity, itinerary, and time allow!

Shortly after 8am, we docked in Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory that sits on a small 5 square mile patch of land carved out of Spain’s southern coastline.  Just a stone’s throw from the coast of Africa, if the weather permits, you can see the coast of Africa from Europa Point or from the top of “The Rock.”  We had the wonderful privilege to return to this small slice of the United Kingdom after our first visit in 2007.  That visit introduced us to a Cable Gondola trip up “The Rock,” as well as the Apes, St. Michael’s cave, and a wonderful walk through the Siege tunnels.  This time around, we elected to take a more leisurely visit and walk from the ship to Casemates Square, through the thriving shopping district, Trafalgar Cemetery, the Alameda Botanic Garden, and enjoy a local lunch in town.

View at Picasa Oil Lamps Used At The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Narrow Passageways (~18 inches wide) to the Rooftop Walkway at the Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Hiking At Sant Joan – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Our Coloseum Tour Guide, Valentina – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Fresh Citrus At The Roadside Market – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Enjoying The View at Horseshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

The walk from the ship to Casemates Square took about 20 minutes on a partly cloudy morning, and given it was a Saturday, traffic was still light for the 9 o’clock hour.  Arriving into Casemates Square, a large commercial pedestrian area with tons of shops, restaurants, and patio tables for outdoor dining, we watched as the shopkeepers were setting up for weekend coffee and breakfast service.  Darin stopped into the local Tourist information center to get some recommendations for a Gluten-free restaurant that might offer some Wi-Fi to upload pictures from the trip thus far.  We were directed to the Bean & Gone Cafe on Engineers Lane, just a short walk from Casemates, so we headed East on Main street and into the shopping district and towards our first destination.

Though it was still early, the shopping district was slowly coming alive with a number of Duty-Free shops offering electronics, cigarettes, liquor, and UK department stores, amongst others.  As our previous visit to Gibraltar had been on a Saturday, we knew that soon flocks of visitors from La Linea and points northward in Spain would be making their way to Gibraltar to pick up Duty-Free items and gifts for the upcoming Christmas season.

In addition, as we watched the activity on the street (and did a little window shopping ourselves!), we also noticed a large number of finely dressed families walking along the street headed to Synagogue for services as it was the first day of Hanukkah.

View at Picasa Intricate Mosaic Work Throughout The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa The Olive Market in the Habbous Quarter – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Couscous, Vegatables, and Chicken Tagine with Lemon and Olives – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa The Santa Cova Funicular – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa At The Hilltop Antigo Borgo Trattoria – Pontone, Italy

From here, we took a small side alley and found the Bean & Gone Cafe, but quickly found the small shop deserted and most certainly closed for the day.  No concern, we headed back down to Main Street and continued east, just meandering our way down the street.  We were taking a very leisurely pace, but in less than 30 minutes, we had already reached the eastern end of the shopping district and had arrived at the small Trafalgar Cemetery.  This small cemetery sits right along Main Street and just across the street from a major hotel!  Most of the buried here are from the mid-1800s and a small index at the front gate identified location of family plots.  We spent a few minutes walking through here and admiring the care and ongoing upkeep that locals provided for the long departed and headed back out.

A few minutes later, we were back at the Cable Gondola starting point for “The Rock.”  Five years previous we took the ride to the top and walked the entire length back down to sea level.  It was a great day and a lot of good exercise, but we were excited about the more leisurely pace of the day and whatever was still to come.  Just next to the car park for the cable gondola was the entrance to the Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, also known as The Alameda.  We walked through here, enjoying a small variety of local and gifted plants to the territory and walked along the paths to see small waterfalls, bridges, and rest areas throughout the facility.  As it was winter, many of the venues were not in operation, but we did come across a fun little playground that had been recently refurbished and we spent a few minutes enjoying the different swings, see-saws, and jungle gyms as “big kids”.

From here, we headed back West into the main shopping area and to a side street to locate the Theatre Royal Bar and Restaurant, a highly recommended place for a great lunch.  As our luck would have it, they were closed as well!  I guess weekends in winter are a “we’re open if we want to be” time of year.  Again, nothing to worry about, we headed back down to Main Street and located a little restaurant that advertised “Free Wi-Fi” and “Sangria Specials”.  (One of these made Darin happy, the other, Natalie — bet you can’t guess which?)  We arrived at the Gibraltar Arms, grabbed a table and ordered some Sangria and “Over the Top” Nachos and started the upload of our pictures and travel log entries to date.

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa The Second Floor of the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Mausoleum of King Mohammed V – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa Inside the Washing Room at the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Stained Glass At The Basilica – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Salami, Olives, and Cheese – Pontone, Italy

The nachos were excellent and the Sangria was a great way to cool off from what was turning into the warmest day thus far on the trip.  We spent nearly 2 hours here enjoying the great music, watching the locals and visitors alike, and enjoying our lunchtime meal.  The nachos were so “Over the Top” good, that we actually ordered a second round of them!  About 2:30pm, we were ready to finish our meal and asked our server for the bill.  When we pulled out a 20 Pound British note to pay, the barkeep, a 24 year old guy named Kevin, announced that they couldn’t accept the note as it was “older than he was!”  We checked and sure enough, it was from the early 1990s and was used on the last trip Natalie had made to Europe!  As the banks were closed on Saturday, we couldn’t swap it out for a “current note,” so we just paid for lunch with the credit card and enjoyed a good chuckle with the staff.

We headed back to the ship, tummies full, relaxed, and ready for our next port of call, Casablanca!

Our Transatlantic itinerary provided us with the chance to return to one of our most favorite cities in the world…  We’re back in Barcelona, Spain and today’s plan will take us an hour outside of Barcelona for the opportunity to visit the beautiful site of Montserrat.  To get here, we would be taking a bus, walking, taking the Barcelona Metro, riding an FGC regional train, flying up the mountain in a gondola, and reaching the very top of St. Joana in a funicular cable car.  With all of the required transport needed to enjoy the day, we found a great “combined ticket” that includes all of the required components at a discounted price!  In this case we saved about 12 Euros a piece and only had to deal with one ticket (little to lose!)

We started our day a bit later than expected about 11am, as our ship was delayed by two hours entering the Barcelona Port.  The ongoing inclement weather slowed down the ship’s progress and gave us several days and nights of tossing and turning as the ship sloshed around in the sea much like a dirty shirt in the washing machine.  It was but a minor inconvenience and we find that we generally sleep better with the rocking of the ship, so we took it in stride.

A shuttle bus transported passengers the 3 miles to the base of Las Ramblas and dropped us off about two blocks from the Christopher Columbus monument.  From here, we headed up Paral-lel and boarded the Metro at the first stop along the avenue.  From here, we took the subway two stops to the Plaza de Espanya, a major transfer point for the regional trains and we purchased our Montserrat combined pass here from an automated kiosk.

View at Picasa The Pacific Princess – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa First Floor For Men, Second Floor For Women – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Our Coloseum Tour Guide, Valentina – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Gibbs Hill Lighthouse – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

From here, we had a bit of a wait for the train to Montserrat (it runs once an hour), but the time passed quickly.  Once on board, we shared the train run up with a fairly large number of locals and visitors to the area.  Today, December 6th was a holiday (Constitution Day) and a surprising number of families made the day trip to Montserrat with us today.  The 60 minute train trip was quiet and efficient and soon we came into view of the beautiful Monastery and Basilica tucked into the folds of the jagged rock peaks that shot almost straight up out of the ground.  As we arrived into the Aleri Montserrat train stop a portion of the crowd exited here.  The remainder would exit the train one stop further up the line.  In order to reach the top of the mountain, there are two primary ways to accomplish this.  The first is via a gondola ride straight up the mountain, known as the Aleri.  The other is via the Funicular train.  Our combined transport ticket included our round trip tickets for the Aeri, but we had to decide which we wanted at the start and you can’t change your mind along the way.

As we arrived to the Aeri boarding area, we joined 33 of our newest (and closest) friends as we were packed like sardines into the bright yellow 8 foot by 8 foot octagon capsule for the nearly vertical ride up the mountain.  The trip took less than 5 minutes from start to finish and we enjoyed some amazing views along the way.  At the top of the mountain, we got our first up close and personal view of the Piazza, the Monastery, and the Basilica.  We decided to try and avoid the crowds (which really weren’t a problem at all) and took the funicular up to the very top of the mountain.  We hopped onto the St. Joan funicular and took it right to the top.

Along with the ever increasing amount of distance that could be seen from the top on this cloudless, blue sky day, we were surprised to see so many families and locals hiking here!  We always wear good shoes and were prepared for the weather, so along with our water bottles, we set off on a short hike to explore the summit.  A moderate 30 minute hike brought us to a small chapel and to the first of two Hermitages that were regularly used during the 16th century by the monks.  From here, the another short 20 minute hike could take you all the way to the very top of the summit (with 360 degree views) and Darin made the short hike up to the top along with another English speaking traveler whose family stayed with Natalie at the lower point.

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa Hamilton Waterfront – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa The Detail In Every Inch of the Mosque is Incredible – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Oil Lamps Used At The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Coloseum "Underground" – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

The hikes were quite beautiful and a great and unexpected addition to the day!  I would welcome the chance to return to Montserrat just to see and explore more of the mountain as there are about a half dozen hikes that could take you anywhere from a moderate 30 minute hike to an intense 4 hour loop!  There were even people who were rock climbing!

Once we were done up at the summit of Saint Joan, we headed back down to the base of the Monastery and we made our way into the Basilica to view this beautiful building and take the opportunity to see and touch the Black Madonna that was on site.  Along the way, we ran into two of our tablemates, so we chatted for a few minutes as we made our way into the Piazza and into the massive building.  They continued on their way and we said that we would catch up with them at dinner, so we took plenty of pictures here and viewed the many prayer boxes filled with pillar candles in a wide array of colors!

By the time we were done here, the sun had set, and the temperature began to drop quickly.  We decided that it was time to make our way back down the mountain and boarded the Aeri for our return trip to the ground and headed to the train platform for the wait for our return train to the city.  The trip home was just as efficient, though most of the Montserrat visitors and hikers took the hour long train ride to catch up on a much needed nap.

View at Picasa Botanic Garden – Gibraltar, UK

View at Picasa A Roadside Waterfall – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Enjoying The View at Horseshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa Room 306, Relais 6 – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa At The Hilltop Antigo Borgo Trattoria – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Mineral Water – Casablanca, Morocco

We arrived back to Barcelona around 7pm and stopped at a local market to pick up a most important souvenir of our visit — a couple of bottles of Fanta Lemon, a wonderfully bubbly flavor combination that we have only been able to find here.  It is a small reminder of all the great memories we have shared here and look forward to experiencing in return trips that are just around the corner.

A lot of people ask us about independent shore excursions and how it works to do a day in port “on our own”.  No tour guide, no ship tour, yet seeing great sites and the local culture for minimal cost.  Here is a look into our day in the city of Palermo on the island of Sicily.  We docked at 8am and returned to the ship around 3pm.  This gave us about 7 hours in port and armed with nothing more than a map and some printed information (operating hours of our major sights and public transit), we set off.

Leaving the port area, we began to walk our way south and east passing storefronts and towering apartment buildings with laundry hanging from the window ledges.  Local children were making their way to school, while the adults were in transit to work.  The streets were reasonably well marked with street signs and we stayed mostly to main thoroughfares as several sights could be seen along our first walk.  Our initial destination was to reach the Piazza Indipendienza, where we would catch the local bus to Monreale.

Along the way, a quiet, quite beautiful, yet stray Labrador Retriever mix accompanied us for about 15 blocks of our walk, never letting us get more than 18 inches away from him the entire time.  Darin thought it was God reminding him (in a frustrating, twisted sort of way) that Natalie still wants a dog…  He was a faithful, if slightly annoying, companion as we made our way through the streets of Palermo, until a little garbage truck pulled out of the alleyway near us and he clearly felt that there was more to offer from that, than from us and ran after it, leaving us be…

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa A Roadside Waterfall – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Natalie and Our Fantastic Guide, Hamid – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Monastery and Basilica are Dwarfed By The Mountain – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Herculaneum or Scavi de Ercolano – Naples, Italy

View at Picasa Coming Into Port – West End, Bermuda

From here, we ducked into an alleyway and winding around the corner, found one of the many morning markets in Palermo, featuring a huge variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, baked items, fish, and meat.  Filled with local Sicilians, these areas can be a lot of fun to watch the locals haggle on prices and quality of food that will likely be on the family dinner table that evening.  If you want to make a simple breakfast of fruit or a baguette, this is a great place to do it on the cheap, while taking in something of a local “show.”  As we had just had breakfast, we continued with our walk to the Piazza and arrived a few minutes later.  (Time = Approx. 1 hour, Cost = Free)

At the north end of the Piazza, we found the bus stop for our bus line (389) that would take us to Monreale, just outside the city limits of Palermo, a 25 minute drive away.  We picked up tickets at the nearby booth for 1.30 Euro (they cost 1.70 Euro on the bus) and the nice gentleman there advised that the bus would arrive in about 10 minutes time.  We boarded the bus promptly at 9:30am (we had been warned to be flexible with the bus times as they can be heavily delayed by traffic) and grabbed our seats near the back of the bus.  (Don’t forget to validate your ticket at the little orange boxes on the bus to print the date and time on your ticket, otherwise you could face a hefty fine!) A few minutes into the trip, a little old Sicilian man and woman (each had boarded the bus at a different stop) whose combined ages had to exceed 180 shared the ride up to Monreale with us.  Though there was not a single word that could be shared in a common language, they still wanted to make sure that we found our destination though a number of typical Italian hand waving gestures, smiles, and lots and lots of pointing… (Time = 25 minutes one way, Cost = 2.60 Euro each way per person)

We arrived at the Piazza de Emmanuele in the hilltop community of Monreale and walked to a view point where we took pictures with commanding views of the expansive valley below heading back to Palermo and the Sicilian coast.  From here, we headed back to the entrance of the Duomo and though we had no guide for this religious site, the book shop had an Duomo interpretation map to understand the hundreds of intricately decorated panels on the inside of the building that presented the many stories of the Bible.  Natalie picked one up and we headed in.  We ended up spending nearly 2 hours at the Duomo and viewed the incredibly beautiful walls, floors, naves, and altars of this massive building complex (used by the Christians and well as the Moors).

View at Picasa Looking Out Over The River At Sunset – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa The Clock Tower in the Village of Pontone – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Multiple Religious Influences in the Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Madeira Wine – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Looking Out To the Roman Forum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Enjoying The View at Horseshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

In a quiet corner of the building we saw a pair of visitors trying to get into a relatively non-descript door.  The docent arrived to the door with his little green cash box and we all paid a 2 Euro coin fee for the opportunity to make our way up a number of tiny, dark, extra-narrow twisting staircases and passageways that gave us access to the rooftop walkway, a secret hideaway from the crowds.  We were now outside and along the edge of the main tower of the Duomo with sweeping views of the entire valley below and a beautifully manicured terrace next to the church that reminded us a lot of the Alhambra in Spain. (Time = 90 Minutes to 2 Hours, Cost = 2.50 Euro for the Duomo Interpretation map and Rooftop view/secret passageway entrance per person)

After completing our amazing visit to the Duomo, we got back on the 389 bus to take us back down the Monreale mountain side.  We arrived back at the Piazza Independienza 30 minutes later and began to walk towards the Palermo Cathedral, another massive and beautiful church.  As we arrived a few minutes later, the dark clouds brought us a little downpour.  As we ducked into the building, we found the Cathedral about one third full, not with tourists, but for a somber occasion of remembrance.  We had arrived during a funeral service dedicated to a local nun that had served the local Palermo diocese.  There must have been over 100 priests and nuns in attendance, along with the local Archbishop and a Cardinal!  As long as we were respectful in the back of the Cathedral, we had the unique opportunity to watch the sea of black and purple in their habits and cassocks.  Seeing the memorial in Italian and listening to the choir sing was a unique and poignant way to see such a beautiful and historic place (Time = Approx. 45 minutes, Cost = Free)

Leaving the Cathedral around 1:15pm, local children were spilling out of a nearby school and we slowly began to make our walk back to the ship, taking the time to stop at other Palermo sights along the way.  The first was the Quatro Canti, or “Four Corners”.  It is an intersection of two major thoroughfares where each corner is built out in artwork and water fountains made from dark granite and marble.  We also had the chance to see the Teatro Massimo and watch some local kids sing outside of the building (I hope they weren’t trying to get an audition — they were fun, but not that good…) No tour for us in Italy could be complete (for Darin, at least) without a stop at a local Gelataria, so that was our next stop.  Natalie picked up a Dark Chocolate, and Darin a Strawberry and Lemon Gelato (3 Euro each), where we sat under giant patio umbrellas and enjoyed our snack as the weather again struggled to choose sun or rain.  (Time = Approx. 90 minutes, Cost = 3 Euro per person)

View at Picasa Room 306, Relais 6 – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Basil – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Yum! – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa Mosiac At The Basilica – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Self-Portrait at Cabo Girao – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Serra de Agua – Funchal, Madeira

We arrived back to the ship just before 3pm and enjoyed a great day in Palermo and Monreale.  In just 7 short hours, we visited the Duomo and Cathedral, found a secret passageway, met a nice older Sicilian couple, encountered an annoying but friendly stray dog, viewed a Sicilian funeral, listened to a beautiful choir, saw the city on foot and via the local bus seeing the local market, and enjoyed a little gelato along the way.

We went independent today, enjoyed a great day seeing a ton, and spent a total of €8.10 per person on today’s 7 hour “tour”…  Who wants to join us on our next independent day in port?

After an easy train trip to the embarkation port of Civitavecchia (less than 60 minutes and less than 8 Euros each), a quick check-in for the ship, and an on-time sail away, we enjoyed our first dinner, meeting our fantastic tablemates for the trip and then heading to bed to continue to catch up on some much needed sleep.

The next morning, we were confirmed on an independent tour that we had arranged with a Cruise Critic contact for the Amalfi Coast and Herculaneum with a tour guide that they had previously taken.  Marcello Maresca was a friendly gentleman who met us right on time at the entrance to the port.  Promptly at 7:30am, we were moving south on the express toll-way towards the Amalfi Coast and the cliff-side villages that make this location a sought after destination for so many travelers.

Our tour group numbered 5 and it made the Mercedes Benz mini-van we were using a very comfortable and spacious ride.  Our tour-mates were very friendly and laid back folks from Kentucky and very quickly we knew that we would all enjoy a great day together.  As we began the drive south, Marcello shared history and a lot of Italian tradition and culture with us and answered any and all questions that we had.  Before long, the multi-lane motorway gave way to a narrow two-lane road as we round our way around the peninsula from Naples and started south towards the villages and communes of the Amalfi Coast.

View at Picasa Fresh Citrus At The Roadside Market – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Arch at Roman Forum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Horeshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa The Coloseum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Natalie at Trevi Fountain – Rome, Italy

Before long, the coastline began to look much like Big Sur in California, but with more dramatic cliff faces, and entire towns seemingly dangling off of them, nearly vertical between the water below and the jagged peaks just above.  Marcello explained that most of the towns and communes in the Amalfi Coast area were formed as the results of fjords that allowed water to flow from the mountains to the sea, carving away wide channels and valleys that formed the basis for the seaside villages.

Our first view of the coast was as we were coming into the city of Sorrento, widely considered a gateway to the region.  Beautiful villas and buildings were perched on the cliffs forming a dramatic seascape as we all enjoyed our rest stops to view and take photographs.  The weather was quite dramatic as well, offering us a little rain, 40-50 mile per hour winds, and very cold conditions bringing the temperature to below 5 degrees C (40 Degrees Fahrenheit).  Marcello made small adjustments that allowed us to appreciate all that the coast had to offer with minimal interruption or impact from the weather and it was hugely appreciated.

As we continued south, we were fortunate to have minimal traffic and we were able to make good progress, visiting small villages and towns along the way, with stops at a local fruit market, a ceramics shop, viewing of a local nativity scene, the sights that writers worked from that made the region so famous, and of course the dramatic view points of the crystal blue water rolling up to the shores of picturesque seaside towns that make the Amalfi Coast what it is.

View at Picasa Botanic Garden – Gibraltar, UK

View at Picasa Arch at Roman Forum – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa Trattoria l'Antico Borgo – Pontone, Italy

View at Picasa A Picturesque Village – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Those "Tiny" Yellow Pods Bring 35 Passengers At A Time to The Top – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Because we were in a small mini-van, instead of a large bus/coach, we were able to turn off into several of the towns and wind our way down the even smaller, mostly one-way streets to see how the local people live and thrive in these areas with minimal parking, steep staircases for sidewalks, and elaborate cable pulley systems to hoist and lower groceries and other supplies up to or down to homes and villas in these communities.

With stops in towns and communes like Positano, Praiano, Furore, Meta, Conca Dei Marini, we arrived to the village of Amalfi, the namesake for the coastal area, and it certainly lived up to the expectations.  White-washed buildings and homes sat stacked against the raising cliff faces as you moved inland from the beach and the turquoise water.

From here, we began to drive inland and up the valley to mountain communes set higher in elevation, bringing us to our lunch stop in the tiny hamlet of Pontone.  Here the town has just one parking lot for the cars (and it couldn’t have held more than 20) and the rest of the transport is on foot (or with the help of a mule for heavy loads).  We worked our way past a tiny church and homes and small storefronts tucked into exceptionally small pedestrian alleys that ironically have “street names” so you can provide directions to a visitor, not that I could imagine how anyone could ever just stumble upon this incredibly beautiful, yet isolated place.

View at Picasa Natalie and Our Fantastic Guide, Hamid – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa The Village Starts At The Water and Advances Vertically – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa Farms of Camara de Lobos – Funchal, Madeira

View at Picasa Natalie Outside the Hassan II Mosque – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Enjoying Lunch at Basmane – Casablanca, Morocco

As we reached the doorway of our lunch stop, Trattoria l’Antico Borgo.  We walked up a small set of stairs and into an immaculate restaurant filled with natural light from its dining area with windows on three sides and amazing smells emanating from the kitchen and the ceramic pizza oven in the transition area to the dining room.  Here, we were greeted by our server and host, an older Italian woman who Darin personally believes had the sole responsibility to encourage us to eat as much as humanly possible.  Though she spoke no English, we clearly understood the word “Mangia!” and it seemed to be said many times during the meal…

We were seated at a rectangular table where we could all enjoy the marvelous view out of those waist-to-ceiling windows in the dining room.  After the wide variety of wind, rain, and frigid temperatures, here in the valley the sun had finally arrived, streaming nearly blinding warm sunlight into the eating area.  We all began to warm up, relax, and enjoy this peaceful place (we were the only ones in the Trattoria at the time) as Marcello and our host brought two ceramic jugs of wine (one red, one white) and bottles of natural spring water.  Moments later, the Antipasto platters (and I use this word conservatively) seemingly appeared before our eyes and presented selection after selection of amazing choices from which to begin our meal.

Grilled red bell peppers (quite honestly the best I have ever eaten), grilled eggplant, freshly harvested tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil, salami, olives, artichoke hearts, zucchini, fried cauliflower, potato croquettes, and a variety of local cheeses arrived at the table along with crusty, hot out of the oven baked bread.  This all covered nearly every square inch of available space as we all enjoyed the feast, the view, the wine, and the company of our tour-mates and new friends.

View at Picasa Roman Forum As The Rains Subside – Rome, Italy

View at Picasa One Of Dozens of Entrances – Casablanca, Morocco

View at Picasa Looking Out Over The River At Sunset – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa From Above – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Sun and Rain – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa The Black Madonna – Montserrat, Spain

Our server and host returned from time to time, just to top everyone off with their drinks and occasionally attempted to replenish the food on the serving platters that we had already eaten, to exasperated looks of shock from each of us.  As soon as we would fill our individual plates to overflowing, the platters seemed to look as if we had just arrived.  Everything was fantastic, fresh, and full of flavor.  Darin created a bruschetta mix of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, red peppers, and balsamic to top the hot and crusty bread and Natalie had a seemingly endless of gluten-free options that the chef and host were incredibly considerate and supportive of her dietary considerations, constantly asking questions to Marcello and making on-the-fly adjustments.

As we were all loosening the notches on our belts, taking huge deep breaths, and ready to enter a food coma from the tasty and massive culinary attack we had just faced, we were dumbstruck when a 16 inch Margarhita pizza arrived to the table steaming on a wooden board (just to remind you — there were only 5 of us!) and our host, just shrugged with a small smile gesturing to the pizza for us to continue the feast.  Gooey mozzarella, fresh tomato, basil, and freshly pressed olive oil were the simple ingredients on a chewy, perfect wheat crust that was made from the same base as the bread we had just completed.  The 4 of us each attempted to work through a large slice or two to attempt to make a dent in the massive pie.  (Natalie was exempt from this course, but was rewarded with a large serving of eggplant parmesan to enjoy as a gluten-free substitute, that she loved and shared!)

Bordering on the edge of insanity now, Marcello came into the room, as we all sat in a food-induced stupor, and announced (surprisingly casual, I might add) that the pasta course was on its way.  Thankfully, the chef and our host didn’t provide us with the opportunity to protest as within seconds of the announcement two even larger platters of pasta arrived to the table.  One contained 8 saucer sized raviolis (two for each of us) filled with ricotta cheese covered in a tasty sauce and the other was a mound of freshly made thin ribbons of pasta with a light sauce of olive oil, olives, garlic, peppers, and parmesan cheese.  We stared in disbelief, but learned quickly from Marcello that the greatest possible insult to an Italian is to leave food or waste, so we all dug deep and piled the food onto our plates.  Natalie quickly learned that she was not exempt from this gluttony as her own mound of freshly prepared gluten-free pasta, made with rice flour, arrived serving her the best pasta she has ever eaten.

View at Picasa The Duomo – Monreale, Italy

View at Picasa Horseshoe Bay – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa The Chapel at Sant Joan – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa A Picturesque Shoreline – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa The Mausoleum of King Mohammed V – Rabat, Morocco

View at Picasa Looking Down The Street From Our Hotel Rooftop Terrace – Rome, Italy

The meal was an event, a masterpiece of perfection that challenged even the most seasoned of eaters.  As the pasta, pizza, and endless antipasto courses finally began to be completed or removed (some simply had to be taken away from us for the sake of our now swollen, but terribly happy tummies), we were in a state of total relaxation and enjoyment in the sun-drenched dining room as we were provided with an introduction to “Ciellos” — Limonciello, Melonciello, Coffeciello, and Fennelciello — how they are made, and a sampling of any and all of them.  The fennelciello was really different, and the potent licorice flavor made it go down quite smooth.

At this point, I can only imagine the goal was to get us half-bombed because I can’t imagine a sober person willingly accepting the dessert course that was approaching.  As each plate was put in front of us, it was a sampler platter of four different local desserts (though the “samples” were more like regular-sized portions) including a moist and tart lemon cake, and sweet and cinnamon glazed apple cake, a custard with blackberries, and a deconstructed lemon cream puff.  Natalie received a massive plate of freshly picked fruit and we once again plowed into our respective meals, with the only motivating hope being that dessert is the culinary equivalent of a light at the end of the tunnel signifying the end of this epic “lunch”.

We quietly put down our forks and spoons, placed our napkins on the table, and remained almost silent after the dessert.  There was simply nothing more to say.  Every possible synonym of “wow, amazing, fantastic, wonderful, excellent, etc.” to describe the meal had been exhausted early on and amongst the 5 of us, we had been reduced to a non-stop chain of happy eating noises — “mmms, uh-huhs, whoas, etc.”  Marcello finally came into the room and announced that although the chef and our host were pushing for another course that “our tour had to continue” and that it was time for us to leave.  The flood of gratitude and mutual understanding that was reflected in each of our faces needed no explanation.  We gathered our jackets and with smiles and appreciation for all of the time and attention provided just to us, we offered our sincere compliments to the chef and staff and made our way to the front entrance and back into the walkways of Pontone.

View at Picasa Hamilton Waterfront – West End, Bermuda

View at Picasa A Cross On One of the Rocky Peaks – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa Fresh Citrus At The Roadside Market – Amalfi Coast, Italy

View at Picasa As The Sun Sets – Montserrat, Spain

View at Picasa The Cathedral – Palermo, Sicily, Italy

View at Picasa Our Coloseum Tour Guide, Valentina – Rome, Italy

As we made our way back to the van, we passed a set of mules helping to carry debris and supplies from a construction project at a nearby home and Marcello explained how they handle the heavy tasks when Bobcats and small bulldozers cannot reach the steep and tight spaces where some of the work takes place in these towns and communities.  Gastronomically exhausted, but immensely happy, we drove away from the tiny town of Pontone with an experience of Italian generosity, culture, and food that would never be forgotten.

We used a different path inland to reach the Autostrade (highway) and made our way back to the Naples area to make our final stop of the day at Herculaneum or the “Ercolano”.  This site was buried by lava and ash from Mt. Vesuvius thousands of years ago.  Only recently the ruins were unearthed under the contemporary city of Naples to expose the amazing culture and abilities of the early peoples that inhabited these areas.  We were able to spend about an hour and a half seeing mosaic tile floors, roman columns, food storage, homes, art work, and more.  As we finished up here, the sun was starting to set and this ultimately meant that the temperature was about to drop as well.  We made our way back out to the entrance and met up with Marcello one last time to complete our drive back to the port to reboard our ship.

Working our way through the crowded and somewhat organized chaos of Naples traffic, we arrived at our ship approximately 30 minutes later.  We said our goodbyes and thanked Marcello for an amazing day; one that wouldn’t be soon forgotten.  Couldn’t recommend this tour enough and would welcome the chance to return to the Amalfi Coast and a meal at the l’Antico Borgo…  We’ll just ensure that we hadn’t eaten the previous 3 days prior…