A tale of several European cities

John Rettberg

We had made plans six months in advance to visit cities in Italy,

France and Spain that we had not previously visited. Of course, we

didn’t know then that the war in Iraq would coincide with our trip

schedule.

We already had doubts about traveling abroad since terrorism is

always in the back of one’s mind. Terrorism has a special meaning to

me since I was in Manhattan on Sept. 11 and saw the tragedy first

hand.

Fortunately, I was not in the Trade Center that day, as I had been

so many times, and all but two of my friends escaped the terrible

inferno. However, unable to leave the city, I spent the next several

days just roaming the city while visiting hospitals and fire houses.

This was an experience that will always remain indelible in my

mind. As time passed, we decided that we would not alter our lives in

a way that would let the terrorists win. Hence, we planned and took

the trip.

Our cruise aboard the newly launched Seven Seas Voyager was to

start from Venice, Italy, a city we had long wanted to visit. We

arrived in Venice a day before the cruise was to board so we would

have extra time to explore some of the 120 islands, 180 canals and

400 bridges that connect the city of 57,000 people. This is a city

that is visited by 11 million people each year.

It is an incredibly beautiful ancient city. The buildings range in

style from Byzantine to Renaissance and are arrayed around the famous

St. Mark’s Square. You must travel the canals and the main waterway,

the Grand Canal, by gondola or water taxi. Cars are not permitted on

the streets. Whether you are a connoisseur of paintings,

architecture, sculpture, manicured gardens, beautiful churches, music

or shopping, Venice has something to offer every visitor.

After spending three days in Venice, we sailed overnight to the

town of Split, Croatia. Actually a very pretty port, but a stark

change in the demeanor of the people from an opulent and vibrant

people in Venice to a people that wear drab clothing and don’t have

many smiles on their faces. They have been through difficult times.

Lots of meat markets and open air fish markets, but little

opportunity for original or authentic shopping items, a definite

negative for my lovely wife of 44 years. The city does have a couple

of museums that have Roman era relics that date back to the early

18th century.

Our next stop was to be the port of Valletta on the island of

Malta. However, the seas were too rough (15-foot swells and a 50 mph

wind) to allow us to enter the port. We had looked forward to

visiting Malta because of all the Phoenician history dating back to

at least 800 BC.

Not being able to get into Valleta, we headed for the island of

Sicily. We were to enter the port of Taormina, but again, the seas

were too rough for us to enter that port.

We went farther up the coast and entered the port at Messina. The

Greek city of Messina is a very busy town, with history dating back

to at least 700 BC. Not far away was Mt. Etna, which is very popular

among skiers during the winter season. During the summer, you are

able to view the more than 250 active craters on the side of the

mountain.

We then journeyed back to Italy, to the port of Civitavecchia,

which is about an hour’s bus ride from Rome.

Rome, the capital of Italy, is well known to everyone.

Archaeological evidence indicates that human settlement here dates

back to 1000 B.C. The Tiber River snakes its way through the city,

nearly bisecting it. Ancient Rome is on the left bank, while Vatican

City is on the other side.

Vatican City is a sovereign state within the Italian republic. It

has its own newspaper, stamps and currency. Inside the thick walls

surrounding the city, more than 1,000 people live and work, including

the Pope. The Vatican Museum’s collection is immense. The artistic

treasures are displayed in a series of galleries that would stretch

more than four miles if laid end-to-end.

The most important display is the Sistine Chapel, whose

10,000-square-foot ceiling includes one of Michelangelo’s most

inspiring works. It took him four years lying on his back to complete

the job.

St. Peter’s Square and Basilica are also a part of the Vatican

City. The square, which sometimes holds more than 300,000 people when

the Pope speaks there, frames the magnificent facade of St. Peter’s

Basilica, the world’s largest and most famous Christian church.

Of course, the Roman Coliseum and Forum, the Spanish Steps, the

Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the many galleries and other sites in

Rome make this an exciting city to visit.

We then sailed overnight to Livorno, arriving on Easter Sunday.

The day was spent in the Tuscan gem city of Florence, about an hour’s

bus ride from Livorno.

What a terrific city! It is known as the open air showcase of the

Italian Renaissance. The city’s public art -- made up mostly of the

buildings, statuary, streets and fountains -- are remarkable. It

being Easter, there were many celebrations, fireworks and all, but I

think the highlight was visiting a museum where many of

Michelangelo’s works were on display. His sculpture “David” is

magnificent.

We next visited Nice, a city in the heart of the French Riviera.

Nice is a city with extraordinary artistic and cultural heritage.

There are several museums, including museums dedicated to the

20th-century artists Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall.

We visited the Matisse museum. We had lunch at a wonderful bayside

restaurant and went on from there to tour the villa and gardens of

the Baroness Rothchild’s 10-acre estate. We were also able to see

Monte Carlo and Monaco.

We moved on to Marseille overnight, and I must say, we didn’t

connect with this city. It didn’t compare in our eyes to Nice and the

surrounding areas. The French Riviera, with its beautiful countryside

and sparkling clear water bays, is an extremely serene part of the

world.

From Marseille, we sailed to the island of Menorca and then on to

Barcelona, Spain. In Barcelona, where we disembarked the ship, we

hired a tour guide to show us the city highlights. We then shopped

the balance of the day, purchasing some nice things to remember our

trip. We ate dinner at an authentic Spanish restaurant that was very

interesting. Some of the food was still looking at you! However, it

was very good.

The next day, we flew to Zurich, Switzerland, where we had visited

before, but always enjoyed. We spent a couple of days in that very

cosmopolitan and financially oriented, but very beautiful city on the

water.

The locals were celebrating the end of winter. There were parties

that included lots of food and beer, bands, drum corps and bagpipes

playing traditional music as they marched through the streets. My

wife, Jackie, is of Swiss heritage, so this part of the world holds a

special meaning. This celebration, I think, was meant especially for

her.

We had a wonderful trip and would recommend it to anyone.

* JOHN RETTBERG is a Newport Beach resident.

* TRAVEL TALES runs on Sundays. Have you, or someone you know,

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