On My Way Home from Venice

I'm at the airport in Venice waiting to begin my journey home.

Venice is magical with its canals and gondolas and winding streets. It's known for its glass and masks.

The past few weeks have been fast and furious, but I'm so excited to have been to so many places with so much history. It's evident that we in America have been trying to imitate many of the great aspects of European design.

I will post additional photos once I return.

Until then,
Mr. Moon

Athens

Athens is home to the Acropolis and the Parthenon and was an important city-state during the Greek Empire and still remains an important city in Greece. The ruins here are breathtaking and the work involved in restoring and preserving these treasures seems painstaking. The city was recently the host for the summer Olympics and as a result was given a makeover. Near the Acropolis, the Plaka is a busy area with shops and restaurants full of life.

Santorini

Santorini is an island in the Aegean Sea and is believed to be the site of the lost civilization of Atlantis. The island is in the shape of a crescent and forms the outer edge of a volcano. Because of its uneven elevations, towns are built on cliffs and the views are amazing. There are several black beaches and even a red beach with reddish volcanic rock and sand.

Naples and Pompeii

Today I went to Pompeii and Naples. Naples is famous for being the birthplace of pizza and it was delicious. My time in Pompeii was amazing as the stories we studied were captured in time by the eruption of the volcano. What was fascinating was to see the advanced culture of the people 2000 years ago. The streets were named and each house had numbers; there were pipes for plumbing and restaurants for people to meet and share meals. The casts of the people trapped were eerie as you could see the expressions on their faces at their moment of death.

Florence and Pisa

Florence and Pisa were both beautiful towns to visit. Pisa, of course, has the leaning tower, while Florence is considered the heart of the Renaissance and is home to many great works of art.

I have been having trouble getting the pictures to load using the ship's internet connection. If I can't get them to post, I will update the posts with pictures once I'm able.

Rome

Rome. What can I say? It's called the Eternal City. It was the heart of the Roman Empire and is home to the Colosseum, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain. It was incredible to see buildings built 2000 years ago. One can imagine life taking place as you walk through the old Forum and ancient streets. Rome today is a bustling big city, but amidst the chaos lie some of the world's greatest historical treasures.

On to Naples and Pompeii tomorrow.

Nice and Eze

My time in Barcelona was wonderful, but the time came for me to board the Celebrity Millennium for our first port. We docked in Villefranche just south of Nice. I rode up to the top of the hill and went on a perfume factory tour. I also spent time wandering through Nice which has a history as being an ancient port and is now a popular resort destination. One of the great buildings I saw was the justice building. Notice the great Greek-style columns.

Tomorrow, Florence and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.