While the whole northern hemisphere lives in winter, the sunny Mediterranean with its sweet breeze as always...
Even if you have traveled every single port from the land, I suggest you experience it once again with a cruise. It is hard to find any other chance to look at the harmony of the city from the outside as you are approaching the port slowly on the deck.
In this program, I chose Diadema, one of the newest ships of Costa Cruise, which serves Italian style. It is possible to participate in the program from all ports; I preferred Barcelona, it is the easiest choice for the airport, the cruise terminal,and the city transportation. Barcelona is one of the cities where transportation by taxi is easiest; you can go from one side of the city to the other side for a maximum of 30 Euros by taxi. Additionally, it has a nice underground network and more affordable buses. As soon as you set foot in the city, the art that is infested in almost every square can make you feel like you are walking in a gallery. Among these, there are two artists, whose art concepts interwoven with this beautiful city distinguish themselves. One of them is Joan Miro. His works which are a mix of Cubism and Fauvism with magical realistic elements (according to his words) were so known that even Pablo Picasso bought one of his works. Another important artist of the city is Gaudi. Even among the luxurious stores and the engraved and too many detailed buildings constructed with the effect of Baroque architecture on Passeig de Gracia street, you can see the buildings constructed by Gaudi, reminiscent of a melted cake. When the rich families of the city competed with each other to have this genius artist build or restore their s houses, the first effects of Modernismo movement emerged.
Many of these buildings are still used as houses or offices. If you want, you can take the green L3 metro line and get off at the Passaig de Gracia station and came across the building where Gaudi lived on the first floor. You can also visit the building for a 20 Euros. Staircase rails, wavy balconies, a-symmetrical windows give the impression of a complete wonderland. You can also visit Park Guell for free. This is a fairytale village where Guill had Gaudi build to fulfill his dreams; you can reach there by walking a little after the Lesseps station of the L3 metro line.
The La Sagrada Familia church, which has been under construction since 1830, is another symbol of the city to be seen. After the resignation of the architect who first started to build, Gaudi was assigned, and when he completed the construction of the first tower, he tragically lost his life after being hit by a tramway, and the construction of the remaining 11 towers continues according to Gaudi’s design. Additionally, this church, whose 6 towers are now completed, depicts the birth and ascension of Jesus Christ on one side and the depiction of his crucifixion on the other side. I recommend La Rambla, one of the most touristic streets of the city for tapas, one of the important tastes of the city. Since tapas is a dish considered to be an appetizer, it is served with bread or as a portion. Along with having many options, the version with the tomato bread is mostly preferred. The traditional fruity wine of the Spanish, Sangria, must also be tried.
Football fans can also see Camp Nou stadium hosting the legendary matches of FC Barcelona club by purchasing a ticket online beforehand. They can go on the turf football field and see the locker rooms of the football players, the bleachers,and the Messi museum.
The second stop of the tour is Mallorca, the biggest of the Balear islands on the eastern coasts of Spain. The island is named after its only city, Palma de Mallorca. The island has been a habitat sincethe Bronze Age, and it has hosted the Romans and the Arabic apart from the Spanish. The baroque cathedral on the harbor is the icon of the city. As well as Gothic style, Islam architecture was also an inspiration for the construction of this cathedral, which is bigger compared to the cathedrals of other cities. Palau de l’Almudaina, located right behind the cathedral, survived until today as the mixture of two cultures after the alterations and expansions made by the Arabic to the castle constructed by the Roman. The fascinating image of the pool in which swans float, with honeysuckle and ivy roses is the greatest evidence of this. Its crowded beaches in the summers and the Old Town part which is the center of entertainment are the places where the tourists spend most of their time. The island also has restaurants famous with seafood and stylish restaurants that serve the Spanish cuisine adapted to the island Cala Major, unlike its name, is one of the smallest bays of the island and is very popular with its turquoise sea. Platja de s’Oratori is another popular beach, located right next to the harbor, with its sea and beautiful view. You might think that you missed the fun since you did not spend the night here; but wherever you are, it is hard to find an equivalent to the fun on the ship. There is a White Party on our ship tonight. Therefore, I go to Plaça Major, one of the major squares of the city to buy white clothes. At the same time, you can get the well-known Mallorca pearl or small souvenirs here.
Mallorca pearl attracts the attention of pearl lovers with its pinkish color, intensity, hardness,andprocessability, although it does not grow in water and even though it is completely fabricated. After spending a long night that started with great seafood from turbot to swordfish and continued with oldies music at the piano bar, then warming up with Latin dances later, and ended with the White Party in the small hours, we are in Palermo, famous for the mafia bosses of the island of Sicily. This beautiful city, the majority of which is composed of young people under the age of 30 and the students, has a long history of nearly 2,800 years. The most important symbol of this port city, full of baroque architectural works and street musicians is the Palermo Cathedral.
Marble and wood were been used in the construction of the cathedral, which has been preserved with all its glory since 1185. The tombs of the members of the Sicilian royal family and the marble ornaments with perfect workmanship impress all travelers as soon as they set foot inside. The Quattro Canti fountains, built in such a way to see all four corners of the four apartment blocks at the conjunction of Maqueda and Corso Vittorio Emanuele streets meet, one of the most important junctions of the city, symbolize four seasons and four great kings. It is one of the most important historical buildings of the island with its sculptures as well as its baroque architecture and fine marble ornamentations. It is possible to see the three-leveled Fontana Pretoria, which is a wonder of architecture from the beasts to the women and men figurines.
On a new day, I’m in Civitavecchia, a new Italian port. This is one of the important commercial ports due to its close location to Rome. From a tourist point of view, it is a port where the ships pass by since it is close to Rome. It is possible to reach Rome with a 1-hour 30-minutes road trip. I suggest you start your Rome program from the Vatican. This is the smallest country in the world. It has a population of 700 people consisting of the families of the Swiss Guard who provide their own passport and defense. One-third of the total country of 44,000 m2 is the Papal Authority. The rest of it contains a market, a gas station,and an always empty prison. Pope Francis, who is now the Pope, is one of the most interesting Popes ever seen. He refused to live in the Apostoliko Palace, located just to the right of St. Peter’s Basilica, whose giant dome and bronze gate you will see as soon as you enter the Vatican, and saying that he is a man of people, he settled in a modest apartment in the area where the soldiers reside. Often making it really hard for the Swiss Guard by going among the people during the Wednesday meetings, the Pope sent chills down the Swiss Guards’ spines by getting lost intentionally. Pope Francis, who managed to get out without being seen by anyone, wearing daily outfit and sunglasses, was not recognized by the Swiss Guard when he returned and was not allowed in his office. Every Wednesday, according to the weather conditions, the Pope, who chats and listens to his people in St. Peter’s Square, blesses his people and forgives their sins from his window of the Apostolico Palace. Although people pay attention to the balcony on the St. Peter Basilica, where he talked when he first took office, on these Sunday rituals, he sees the people from his window of the Apostolico Palace in Sunday services.
In order to prevent this confusion, a red banner is hung under his window where he shows himself on Sundays. The only place you will visit in the Vatican is not this square and the basilica but the Sistine Chapel where white smoke is raised when the Pope is chosen is another place worth seeing with its fascinating decorations and engravings. One of Rome’s most important artists is undoubtedly Michelangelo, the artist of the world-famous sculpture of David. Michelangelo, who was in intense competition with his artist friend Leonardo da Vinci, also had problems with Rafael, another very young, but atalented artist of his age. Although Michelangelo introduced himself as a sculptor, he was asked to paint by the Pope at every opportunity. According to a rumor, Rafael contacted the Pope to ensure that Michelangelo was appointed to paint the famous Adam, the ascension of Mary and the day of reckoning depictions in Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo, who did not want to paint, would not accept this work and would be in conflict with the Pope. But Michelangelo accepted this job and we, the visitors, are the winners of this conflict. Since the new Pope found the depictions in the Sistine Chapel too obscene after Michelangelo painted them, the Pope sent messengers to tell him to fix them and make more appropriate. The famous artist told the messengers that “The Pope first should make the world we live in appropriate and livable. Drawings can easily be fixed.” Another interesting part of Rome is the famous Spanish square with its Spanish stairs. In Rome, where every nation has two consulates, one of the Vatican and one of Italy, the square where Spanish Consulate is located is named the Spanish Square. Over time, the stairs where the consulate staff went to sit down and spend time after their shifts were considered Spanish Stairs. This is a place where young and old people sit, socialize and eat the renowned Roman ice cream “Gelato” especially on hot summer days. The dei Condotti street right across the street, which has quite luxurious brands, is one of the most stylish streets in the region with its dazzling store windows.
You can see the Vatican flag in some buildings when you are walking down these streets. Outside the Vatican, even in Rome in general, some buildings still belong to the Vatican. The Paganism religion was practiced in Rome before Christianity. Even though the most of the temples remaining from the Paganism period have been vandalized and the bronze plates and ornaments have been stolen, there is this one, which preserves all its glory. This is,of course, the 1900-year-old Phanteon. The reason why this place is so well-preserved is that it was converted into a church. This temple, constructed in dedication to all Pagan gods, was made entirely of concrete. This temple, which was too advanced for its time, was made by Apollodorus of Damascus. Phanteon, housing the tomb of the famous artist Rafael, has a dome of 43 m in diameter. As accepted by the Romans; the history of the Emperor Neron, who had the arsonists at his disposal arson the shops the Circus Maximus (the meeting place of the Ancient Rome), destroying 10% of Rome, that is leaving 3 of the 14 regions being destroyed and remaining 7 being unusable, while playing the lyre on one of the high peaks of Rome during the fire, is older than the Phanteon. According to recent historians, the Emperor Neron, who was interested in enriching Roman cultural heritage throughout his period, who was interested in sports and music, was in his summer house when the Great Fire of Rome started, and when he heard about it, he immediately returned to Rome and personally participated in the works. The most accurate information on the Great Fire of Rome is the almanacs of Tacitus, who was 5 at that time. Tacitus always stated in his almanacs that the Emperor was not much loved by the Christians, but he was not mad enough to burn down Rome. This historical speculation has been the topic of many movies and has always preserved its hidden charm.
In fact, it has even been the eponym for the programs we use to burn CDs and DVDs, and it says Nero Burning Rome when the CDs are burning. A large part of Colessium, which hosted gladiator fights was destroyed in this fire. Another tourist spot in Rome is the Trevi fountain. The visitors make wishes by turning their backs and throwing coins over their shoulders into the fountain. The name of the fountain built on one side of the Poli Palace comes from the meeting point of three underground water sources.
A car made of the seashell towed by winged horses coming from the sea and Neptune, the god of the ocean in the car are depicted. The Trevi fountain, built during the Christian era but containing a Pagan god, is one of the symbols of Rome.
Our another stop Savona is considered to be a transfer point to places difficult to access by air because of their location. On this trip, I will use my time in Savona by going to Monte Carlo. Monaco country, which is at an hour’s drive from Savona, where you will pass through old villages on the road, was founded by the Grimaldi family. Now, living in the Grimaldi village of Italy, the family lost the war to Italy when the administration passed to Italy from the Vatican, and they laid the foundations of Monaco under French patronage. Monaco is a country without its own defense, its protection is provided by France. Every day at 12.00, you can watch the shift change of the French soldiers in front of Prince 2nd Albertin Palace. The gardens, each of which is a wonder of thelandscape, are the oasis of Monaco with 300 sunny days, with the sweet breeze and marina views. Houses and streets attracting attention with their modern and beautiful architecture in the city, are the musts for small trips. Additionally, the Monaco Cathedral is worth seeing with its architecture and monumental tombs of the royal family.
Monte Carlo, the only city of Monaco, is the meeting point of the travelers who love luxury and glamor all over the world. The fact that the marinas in the city are useful makes it possible for the guests coming to the city on their to enter the city easily and comfortably. Also, Monte Carlo Casino, which is the most famous, is filled with those who want to try their luck. Right next to it, Hotel de Paris and Café de Paris, located opposite to each other are welcoming their royal guests with their sweet French architecture that defies years. Monte Carlo is the destination where the guests loving luxury and brand enjoy the most. It is possible to find all the luxury world brands on the street one after another. There are also the branches of the beach clubs and nightclubs serving the most beautiful beaches in the world. This city has a bigger meaning for the Formula 1 fans. The Monaco Grand Prix is made of by turning the streets of this city into a racing track, tracks of the Formula 1 vehicles, their engine sounds, the enthusiasm of the audience leaves their memories until the next year.