Graffiti of Barcelona part 1

The day we stopped at Barcelona on our Holland America Eurodam cruise from Rome to Rome was May Day, the 1st of May. At the time, it seemed like a stroke of bad luck as most everything was closed. No banks, no department stores ... many restaurants were closed. Hotels were open and everybody that lives in Barcelona was out walking, which made for some very crowded streets. But the one stroke of luck was that I could get day time photos of all the graffiti on the roll down doors of the establishments. I bet that only happens once in a while.

The graffiti on these doors in really impressive, as you can see. Enjoy a walk in the Barri Gothic!

No business is really immune, but for me, the more times I go to Barcelona (count it, 4 times now and another trip in the works) - the more I have grown to love the graffiti and consider it part of Barcelona's charm.

Memories of Gibraltar

Some fellow passengers on Eurodam with Alan our guide

I want to say his name was Alan, but maybe it was Allen. This kind and interesting gentleman was our guide in Gibraltar. He made the tour of the siege tunnels and the Rock of Gibraltar so interesting and fun. He was a delight. I still fondly think of that wonderful tour.

Gibraltar ape

What's not to love about Gibraltar? I love the fact that it is bilingual, both English and Spanish. I love the Barbary apes. I love the friendliness of the people and the vibrant nature of the place. There was more building going on there than anywhere else I have been lately.

The views from above after you are whisked by cable car to the top are impressive. We were able to see our ship, the Holland America Eurodam below.

I am torn between taking an 11 day cruise, once again from Barcelona to Dover, but this time we would visit 5 ports in Spain, 2 in Portugal and 2 in the UK ... ending in Dover and stopping again in Gibraltar. The other option is a shorter 7 day cruise from Rome to 4 ports in Italy, 2 in Croatia and 1 in Slovenia. 

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is one of the reasons I would like to do the Barcelona to Dover again. The only thing that dissuades me is the trek through the dreaded Sea of Biscay. Last time, we ran in to 80 mile an hour winds. And I am not loving the idea of an older ship, the Ryndam, on Holland America. On the other hand, I love HAL. I love the food, the beautiful flowers, the wonderful crew and the overall ambiance. The 7 day cruise is on NCL, with the dreaded freestyle dining, which to me is just a hassle. Traveling solo, I just want to have a nice quick meal without a lot of fuss, instead of having to decide between all the specialty restaurants and making reservations. I also am not fond of the dressing down that is so common on NCL. Well, guess I will wait to see what happens in the next ten days on pricing. I have no reservation at the moment on either cruise, and both are approaching final payment. Wish me luck! I need to make some reservation as I have all my airfare lined up for both cruises. Talk about living dangerously! :)

Costa Concordia Update: One Year Later

Photo by Stefano Rellandini/Reuters

It has now been a year since the Costa Concordia sunk off the coast of Giglio. It has made this small island of Italy a household name and not in a good way. The cruise liner is still there, not having been floated away yet. Living on the island of Cozumel, I just cannot imagine how our lives would change if one of these giant cruise ships that visit us everyday fell over on its side so close to shore and was still there after a year.

Back in November, a passenger's luggage washed to shore on another island. The crew working to right the ship so they can float it away thinks the piece of luggage had worked free of the ship a bit before it was found. An article about the luggage can be found here.

The good news is that as early as June of 2012, things were returning to normal on the island of Giglio. I have to believe it wasn't really life as they knew it before, but loving and admiring Italy and its people, I am sure they take it in stride and learn to embrace it as they do with everything, both life's tragedies and life's triumphs. If you would like to read more information on Giglio returning to normal, click here.

The projected date for floating away the Costa Concorida wreckage is now scheduled for summer 2013.

Men and High Heels

Photo of a men's heel from the Bata Shoe Museum

I'm not quite sure when I realized that men wore dresses long before women did. I know it came up when I studied Spanish and realized that a dress (un vestido) is a masculine noun. I guess long before studying Spanish, while I studying the Romans in high school, I remember that the men wore a sort of tunic or dress. But today, I read an article that totally floored me. Did you know that men wore high heels before women did? In this fascinating article, Why did men stop wearing high heels? it is revealed that high heels were originally designed so that men could shoot better while balanced on foot from the saddle. I have to believe that this information is a little known fact.

Men's 17th century Persian shoe from the Bata Shoe Museum

The article goes on to explain that women adopted men's shoes, heels, in about 1630, when they also cut their hair and began to smoke pipes. Who knew all this? If I only realized back then that I could have learned all this fascinating stuff, I would have paid way more attention in history class.

You've got to read this article, and now I want to go visit the Bata Shoe Musuem. It is in Toronto. More info on the Bata Shoe Museum can be found here.

Mongolian boot from the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto

Malta: St. John's Co-Cathedral

An obligatory stop in Valleta, Malta is St. John's Co-Cathedral. It was so crowded the day we toured that I actually took a turn in the wrong direction and escaped, just to get away from the crowds. Most of my photos are all out of focus from being tousled around by the crowd. Being pushed forward and with so little space to manipulate my elbows, my photos suffered, but what a beautiful and excessive Cathedral it is. 


Here is an excerpt from St. John's Co-Cathedral website:

Commissioned in 1572 by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the conventual church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John and designed by the celebrated Maltese military architect Gerolamo Cassar, St John’s Co-Cathedral stands as a unique monument of international importance. The church is dedicated to St John the Baptist, the patron saint of the Order.

The Knights were noblemen from the most important families of Europe, and their mission was to protect the Catholic faith from the attacks of the Ottoman Turks. After defending the tiny island of Malta from the Ottomans in the Great Siege of 1565, they turned Malta into a fortress that befitted a military Order and built a new capital city worthy of noblemen. Pride of place in the centre of the new city ‘Valletta’ was reserved for their Church.

It is immediately evident when entering Malta by water that it is a fortress more than anything else, but it is also amazing beautiful and truly unique. Standing made of stone, you can tell these crusaders that formed Malta meant business, and this is also no more evident than in the Co-Cathedral of St. John for its lavish decoration. 

Who can read Latin?

Of course my interest is more in a gargoyle vein. The marble floor is interwoven with hundreds of skulls and crossbones. 

More information on St. John's Co-Cathedral can be found here on wikipedia.

Katakolon: the port of Olympia

Katakolon port

Holland America Noordam in the port of Katakolon

The port city of Katakolon, Greece is the gateway to Olympia. In an earlier post, I suggested get out of the port as quickly as possible and run don't walk to Olympia. But looking back on the photos of this picturesque port, I think I was wrong. It is worth its own look and linger. Okay, sure it doesn't have the history of the Olympic Games, but it has its own charm.

My niece Sarah

I will let the photos speak for themselves. It truly is a room with a view.  

Room with a view

Cute restaurant

More information on the port of Katakolon can be found on this website.

Christmas Charity from Dive Choice Mexico

I realize this post is neither gargoyle nor graffiti, but I couldn't help posting for a worthy cause here in Cozumel where I live. Spread the word please. This is what the Christmas season is all about! 

 

 

 

Karen Bloemhoff and Ricardo Garcia buy new toys all year from the money they make from selling donated items. They work tirelessly so the less fortunate children of Cozumel each have a new toy for the holiday season. From the above You Tube video, you can see just how appreciative the children are. Karen and Ricardo run Dive Choice Mexico, a dive operation. For more information on their personalized dive services, click on Dive Choice Mexico.

Karen also runs a very successful property management service and works for one of the local real estate companies. They are married and also have a baby. Just thinking of all they do makes me tired! They are an inspiration to us all here. Hailing from The Netherlands, Karen is a warm and kind hardworking entrepreneur. For all our readers from The Netherlands, Dive Choice Mexico provides service in Dutch!  

Thanks, Karen and Ricardo, for all you do for these children.

Happy New Year! We know a bunch of children in Cozumel will be celebrating 2013 with their spanking new toys!