| Part Two - Naples/Pompeii/Greece/Turkey lll Are You Ready For Some Ruins??????? ddd This set starts off with a series of photos which were actually the last ones I took on the cruise as we returned to Rome from Egypt. It is of the Northeastern tip of Sicily and the awesome Mount Stromboli, an active volcano that rises independently from the ocean. It was the focal point of an old movie entitled "Journey to the Center Of the Earth." The photos don't do it justice. Google it for more information. Following Stromboli are a series of photos taken from the ship of the area surrounding the Port of Naples, Italy. From there we ventured out to Pompeii, via taxi cab, with our singing, not quite ready for prime time, tenor cab driver. Pompeii was destroyed by lava flow and ash from an eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79AD. It was a huge thriving city with temples, baths, brothels, and forums. Again we barely scratched the surface on our two hour tour. To take it all in would take about a week. Excavation and restoration began in 1758. The photos with people in them are Gerry Michaud and Fr. Jim Ryan, and Gerry and I. |
| Schabell, Riesenberg, Ryan, and Michaud 17 Day, 3 Continent, 8 City, Tour and Cruise Of Rome and the Eastern Mediterranean August 27 thru September 13, 2009 |
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| I've broken this trip up into four sections for photo purposes. The first will be Rome where we spent four days prior to boarding the luxury liner Celebrity Equinox for a 13 day cruise to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Isreal, Palastine, and Egypt. The Four Sections are: ROME, Greece/Turkey; Israel/Egypt, and The Ship I hope you enjoy them!!! |
| Part One - Rome Rome was so much fun. Despite the fact that we had just come off of a 10 hour trans-atlantic flight, we jumped right into sightseeing mode and began to enjoy Rome immediately. Fr. Jim Ryan had secured for us an apartment located in an actual neighborhood (Trastevere) which was very centrally located and within walking distance of the Santa Maria in Trastevera Piazza. We ate most of our lunches there and hung out there late at night simply eating a late-night gelato or just people watching. While in Rome we visited the Pantheon, perhaps my favorite tourist spot; the Roman Forum; the Colosseum; the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica and Square. We also spent a lot of time at the Piazza Rotunda and Piazza Navona and drove along the Tiber River. We obviously merely scratched the surface. There are literally churches and museums on every street corner, and sculptures and fountains around every bend. The thing that struck me most about Rome is that it is exactly as you see it on TV or read about it in books. The food is simple but phenominal. Eating and dining out is the national past-time, and the Romans are in no hurry when it comes to serving or devouring a meal. Wine is a staple. There are pizzarias and gelato (ice cream) shops everywhere, but no major supermarkets or superstores. Shopping for vegetables and groceries is a half-day venture for the Romans. The streets are small, windy, and made of cobblestones, which make them hard to walk on. All of the drivers in Italy are suicidal. Most drive small cars, which are parked bumper to bumper, or motor scooters, which sound like angry hornets as they approach. In the photo slideshow it begins with our arrival at Fiumicino airport, the mob scene is customs - then our trek through our neighborhood. Our apartment was behind the castle like doors, where there was a courtyard. We were on the second floor, a steep twelve steps, nearly straight up. What appears to be a deserted street by day, becomes an active, crowded party scene by night. Doors are opened, tables are placed outside, the music starts and the party is on - every night. I could go back to Rome simply for the food. I never had the slightest problem finding something on the menu to order. I got to experience my five course meal which included Prosciutto - melon wrapped in Italian Ham, Salad, Soup, Ravioli, Veal, and Dessert. We started dining at 7pm and finished at 11pm. The food was always terriffic! The pictures following our neighborhood are of the Pantheon which is a functioning Catholic church. The photos are of the outside and inside. Cappuccino is served in huge soup bowls as evidenced in the photo of Fr. John Riesenberg enoying his. The following photos are of the buildings, fountains and eateries of Piazza Navona. Immediately following the Colosseum is the Roman Forum. I couldn't resist a picture of the couple being photoed in a Lambragini (Sp). A quick spin by the Spanish Steps and we are in line at the Vatican Museum. The line was easily a half-mile long. The next photos are from the Vatican Museum. The photo following the ceiling fresco is from inside the Sistine Chapel featuring the woks of Michaelangelo. Photos are strictly forbidden inside the Sistine Chapel so I was only able to get one good one. The next photos are from inside of St. Peter's Basilica and following the lists of the popes buried in the church, dating back to St. Peter himself, are three preserved pontiffs. The first is Pope Innocent, the Second is Pope John XXIII, who most of us remember, and the third (very dark - preserved in silver) is Pope (St.) Pius X. We did not get to visit the crypt where Pope John Paul II is displayed. Following the popes is the famous statue of St. Peter, which everyone rubs his toes. This is followed by the Pope's high altar and a photo of the interior of the St. Peter's dome. The exterior of St. Peter's follows along with St. Peter's Square. We return to St. Peter's for Sunday mass, which Fr. Ryan concelebrates. The next series is back at Piazza Navona for the five course meal, then St. Peter's on Sunday, some interesting local art and then the Pantheon at night and another dinner. The last pictures are from the Piazza at Santa Marie at Trastevera. Enjoy the Show!!! |
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| The pictures following Pompeii are of the ports of Rhodes and Athens, Greece. We did not leave the ship at Rhodes, home of the famous Colossus (destroyed by earthquake), but made the trip to Acropolis Hill to visit the Parthenon and the Temple of Anthena in Athens. Early on in the Acropolis photos is a theater. It was there that the worlds finest tenors, including Pavarotti and my favorite, Josh Groban put on a world-renowned concert. It is amazing to walk among the sites that hitherto I had only seen in history books or on the History channel. I talked Gerry into risking his life, standing on a wall to have his picture taken overlooking the city. I'm much smarter, and knowing that a good basketball season lie ahead, chose a safer, seated on the wall, approach. Acropolis Hill was one of the most impressive stops on our trip. |
| The day following our informal tour of Athens and Acropolis Hill we took our first formal (bus) tour to Ephesus, just outside of Kusadasi, Turkey. Another town destoryed by an earthquake, Ephesus had once been a booming port town, before the sea dumped silt into the bays and created miles of new coastline, literally leaving Ephesus high and dry over the eon of years. The good news was that the bus dropped us off at the top of the hill and picked us up at the bottom. It was here that we "walked in the footsteps of Paul the Apostle." The photo of the amphitheater at the end of the Ephesus series is where Paul preached to the Ephesians. A trip up a windy, narrow, mountainside road led us to the house (restored) were the Virgin Mary spent the latter years of her life, accompanied by the apostle John (commissioned by Jesus - "Son, behold thy mother, Mother behold thy son.") There is a shrine and grotto and an outdoor altar where we attended mass. Following the tour of the Blessed Mother home, we treked downtown to the St. John Basilica. It too, was nothing but ruins, and was destroyed in 365ad by, you guessed it, an earthquake. The building in the distance with a banner of a former king, is a Turkish government building, and has nothing to do with St. John Basilica. We were then treated to a "Biblical Lunch." Tip - Avoid Biblical Lunches at all costs!!! With all of the wonderful things there are to eat out there, why would anyone eat a "biblical lunch." If I ranked every meal I have ever eaten in my life - the Biblical Lunch would serve as the anchor. Even the dog who we tried to feed scraps to, wouldn't eat it - Smart Dog!!! We were offered a chance to see Turkish rugs made and to drink some Turkish coffee - No Thanks! and hooved it back to the ship. |
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| Part Three - Israel and Egypt - The Good Stuff!!! A mix of the past and the present!!! aaa While I might have been lousy at Ancient Roman History, I am pretty sharp on bible stories and the history of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It all came to life as we visited Israel. |
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| The slideshow starts with some photos of the surrounding area in Ashdod, Israel from on board the ship. You will note the added security of gunboats and even an antique submarine. Our 10 hour tour of the Holy Land started at sunup. The residential photos were taken enroute to Jerusalem, some 45 minutes away in heavy morning rush-hour traffic. Our first stop was at an overlook, where you could see the entire old city of Jerusalem, including the famous golden dome of the Muslim temple, located inside the walled city, on what is known as the "temple mount." Jews are forbidden to enter the temple mount and believe that they will re-take the temple upon the return of the Messiah - it's in the bible! The usual vendors and shills were present, along with armed soldiers, watching over the tourists - guarding against terrorists. We then ventured to the Mount of Olives or Gethsemene, where Jesus spend the last night of his life. This is where he experienced the vision of his agony. He prayed while the apostles slept ("Can you not spend one hour with me???"). It is also where he was betrayed by Judas and arrested, and where Peter denied him thrice. |
| The Church of All Nations now stands on the spot where Jesus prayed, and the actual stone where he meditated is housed (and pictured) here. I tried to tie in the mosaics and murals with the actual events, and objects being photographed. From here we visited the Jews' holiest site - The Western (Wailing) Wall. It is the actual western wall of the original temple. As we drove around the walled old city, you can see where the "Golden Gate" used to be located. We entered through a gate called the "Dung Gate," because that is where all of the sewage formerly flowed out of the city. Security is tight getting in here. More shakedowns, more armed guards, and metal detectors. These Orthodox Jews are serious about their past, their religion, and their way of life. It was here that I truly felt totally out of place and like an intruder into something that was very sacred to them. I tried to be as unintrusive as possible as I took a few photographs. I even spoke to one of the Hadashi Jews (black hat and top coat) - he was quite nice. Watnted to know if I were Jewish, and where I was from. Even though he had never been to Cincinnati, he was familiar with the Hebrew Jewish College located here. You will notice that some of the young men are wearing leather straps wrapped around their arms. This is sort of a rank system, as they are all studying under the elders. As I said in an earlier report, the Jews lost 6 million of their best and brightest in the Holocaust. They are working to re-populate their species and create scholars. (In some cases) The women raise the children and provide for the family, while the men spend their day reading the Torah and gather to discuss the Holy Book. From the Western Wall we journyed (short walk) to the Via Delarosa - The Actual Way of the Cross, winding our way through narrow streets, following in the footsteps of Jesus as he carried his cross to Calvary, where he was crucified, died, and was buried. There are many churches scattered along this path, along with shops and eateries. It is the one place where I would have liked much more time to stop and browse. As you can see in the photos, it was extremely crowded as we tourists walked side by side with the locals. Half way along the Via Delarosa, you pass from Jewish community to Muslim, and many of the churches are multi-denominational. We visited the Holy Sepulchre Church which is where Jesus was crucified and buried. His actual tomb is on display inside the church. We bypassed the pictured Holy Sepulchre Store, where, if you look to the left, you can buy your very own crown of thorns! Again, if you follow the murals, you can follow the events. The flat stone is where Jesus was annointed before being buried. Many pilgrims/tourists kiss the stone and pray here. Following lunch (in a hotel that served American food), we went by bus to Bethlehem in Palestine where Jews are again forbidden, and which Israel and Palestine are separated by a massive wall and a secure checkpoint. We visited the Church of the Nativity, which is actually three separate churches - Greek Orthodox, Coptic, and Catholic. We climbed down into a cavern where we visited the supposed actual spot where Jesus was born - it is marked by the muti-pointed star. The picture of the knight on a horse is St. Andrew. On our return to the ship we passed through the heavily armed West Bank. This was by far the most productive, enlightening day of the tirp. |
| We were greeted in the Port of Alexandria, Egypt by a bunch of half-sunken ships, more battleships, gunboats, and another (higher class) submarine. The ornate building houses several embassies. After a recovery day on the ship, we ventured forth from Alexandria, Egypt to Cairo to visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. This was a 12 hour tour, commencing at 8:15am and finishing at 8pm that night. I will say that the bus was very comfortable. There are a few non-descript photos taken enroute to Cairo, but it is primarily desert. The Pyramids were awesome - far exceeding anything I had ever imagined about their size, scope, and majesty. Having been built 4,000 years ago of rough-hewn stone, without the use of modern math, computers, or equipment - they are truly wonders of the world. They are huge - standing nearly 800 feet high - visible for miles, overlooking the city of Cairo. The Great Pyramid, pictured at right, still has some of the limestone casing, which formerly covered the superstructures. Measured width, by width, by width, by width - they are within two inches of being perfectly equal. They contain 2.5 million rock blocks and it took over 80 years for them to be built. The Sphinx resides in a valley below the Giza Plateau where the pyramids are located and is somewhat dwarfed by the size and splendor of the pyramids. Unfortunately, we had little time to spend at either venue and I didn't get to go inside the pyramids nor fully explore the Sphinx. After another nice lunch (beware of Biblical Lunches), we toured the Egyptian Museum. It was hot and stuffy. Cameras were forbidden, so I only got to take two shots from the bus of the exterior of the museum. While there we visited the King Tut exhibit, which was well worth the time, effort, and crowds. |
| Perhaps the most enjoyable hour spend on any of the tours was an hour spend simply sitting on the bus, watching the steet life of the native Egyptians unfold outside of our bus. They were completely oblivious to my presence as they went about their daily business. I took about 50 photos during that span, and have narrowed them down to what you see. The lifestyles,native dress, and customs seemed varied. They used everything from walking, transporting materials on their heads, driving scooters, carts, and a lot of horse-drawn or donkey driven wagons in thier busineess or lives. The final picture of the series is of a young man riding his horse down the street - while talking on a cell-phone! How appropriate! Enjoy the Israel and Egypt photos - they are a thowback to the 1400's. |
| Part Four - The Magnificent Celebrity Equinox - Sophistication and Elegance On The High Seas |
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| Following four wonderful days in Rome we boarded the brand new Celebrity Equinox, which was making only its third trip since coming out. I had traveled extensively via Royal Carribbean which are wonderful trips, and had made a single cruise on a Princess ship, but the Celebrity is very adult, very sophisticated, and very elegant. Nice touches abound, with canapes and cheese/crackers/fruit delivered to your stateroom at various times of the day. Three specialty restaurants, the main elegant Silhouette dining room, and the ever-popular Ocean View Cafe, provide the primary dining options. Our waiters Alex and Andre were extremely efficient and professional. The dimly lit "specialty" Tuscan Grille steak house is also featured. With Fr. John and Gerry being "Elite Members" we were upgraded to "Concierge Class" which included many nice perks, including those listed above. Our tour of the ship starts with the traditional Celebrity X on the stacks. It progresses through the restaurants that we frequented with the Ocean View Cafe (our breakfast and lunch haunt), followed by our standard dinner venue, The Silhoutte Dining Room, and lastly the Tuscan Grille Specialty Restaurant. |
| While I am not a proponent of Formal Nights, it seemed appropriate to dress for dinner on this ship. The mean age of our cruise partners was mid-sixties up, and of the 2.600 passsengers, only 73 were children. From the dining venues we attend the shows on most nights in the theatre. This theater is state of the art with aerial capabilities which are well utilized by the cast. They put on a production show to rival a Vegas Circus Olay act. I then detail our stateroom. It was a bit cozy, but adequate by cruise ship standards. The only class available above our Concierge class, were suites, so our rooms were the norm. Having a veranda is invaluable, and one of the highlights of the cruise, to be able to lounge on the balcony, taking in all of the sights. I roomed with Fr. Jim Ryan, and both of us being night owls, got along famously. There is a self-taken picture of me updating the website. The pool areas and solarium are always popular places on sea days. We were blessed with perfect weather throughout the trip, so the Sun gods and goddesses were provided much "beach time." |
| This ship has an entire deck dedicated to live lawn. No rock-climbing wall, and no wave rider - lawn. Croquet and Bocchi (sp) are the order of the day. They also have glass blowing demonstrations on this deck. I only made one trip to the "Lawn Club" - to take the pictures that you see. This ship is registered in Malta, and proudly flew their flag while in port. The ship was very artsy-fartsy. There was art everywhere. The artist Fabio Perez had an exhibition on the ship, and his works were selling for $30,000 a pop. He sat next to us at lunch one day, and I complimented him on his work. I'm sure he was impressed with my knowledge of fine art. The "Here Comes The Sun" was the ship's theme and the colored crystal centerpiece were the highlights of the 10 story artium. The library was very nice, and our usual meeting spot. The globe was helpful to me relating to just where in the world we were that day. The entertainment was big band, and string and barbershop quartets. There was also a disco and karaoke. Ballroom dancing was very popular. |
| The ship also had a upscale shopping deck. There were the usual sidewalk sales and you could buy anything up to and including booze, wine, luggage, perfumes and colognes, jackets, shirts, snacks, toiletries, and Turkish Rugs. In hindsight, this trip will always be remembered as a highlight of my life. It very much brings the family of man into perspective. We have our westeren way of life, which I wouldn't trade for any of the places that I have ever visited. I've developed a new appreciation for Kroger's, Wal-Mart, and the Home Depot. I'm happy to have been exposed to the Jewish Israeli community and admire the fervor of the Muslims. Don't get me wrong, I consider the Muslims to be on a crusade for world domination and actually fear what they may be able to accomplish over the years, but you have to respect how hard they work at being Muslims. The Pyramids humbled me. They dwarf anything in their midst. I read where you could place St. Peter's Bacilla, St. Patricks Cathedral, and some of the great cathedrals of England inside the Great Pyramid - I believe it. I've been asked what a trip like this cost and have no problem sharing that information. I signed on to this trip over a year ago. The cost of the cruise was $2,293 including taxes, for our Concierge class balcony stateroom (based on double occupancy). The airline tickets were $850 round-trip coach to Rome, and our apartment in Rome cost us $320 each for the four nights. The tour of Pompeii and the Acropolis cost less than $50 each, but the tours of Ephesus ($109), Jerusalem ($175), and Cairo ($179) were substanially higher. Of course the tours and sightseeing trips are optional, and it is sometimes nice simply to enjoy the amenities of the ship while everyone else is ashore. Our specialty restaurant dinner was comped, and we had two bottles of wine included from our travel agent. Tips run about $12 a day for 13 days, and my internet bill was over $100. The casino gods smiled on me and I probably lost less than $100 for the cruise. I did't care much for their game selection, so after the first few nights, didn't play much. We each took turns buying dinner in Rome - the dinner bills ran anywhere from $150 to $200 for the four of us. You can always eat pizza and drink draft beer. All told the total ticket for the trip was probably in the vicinity of $4,500 - 5,000. It can be done much cheaper, with a less expensive room, and cutting back on the tours, but if you are going to be there, you might as well take advantage of what is offered. There are a multitude of ships cruising Europe during the summer, and some may be less expensive than the Equinox. This same ship will begin cruising the Caribbean starting early November of 2009. I would recommend this trip to anyone who has an interest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Traveling with someone familiar with the area and speaks the language was invaluable. Our travel agent is Terry Loy (972-262-4638) at All Aboard Cruise Center, out of Grand Prairie, Texas. She is a very friendly lady who would love to chat with you (no obligation) about putting together a trip. Mention that you are friends of mine or Fr. Riesenberg's. If I or Fr. John can answer any questions we will be happy to do so. Thanks for visiting the travel page. I hope you enjoyed the trip!!! DS |