Lover of Wine – Travel along on our adventures – DAVID & JANEEN

October 20, 2024October 23, 2024

Croatia – Dubrovnik

After an At Sea-day, we found ourselves pulling into the cruise port for Dubrovnik Croatia. Needless to say, we have heard many people describe this place and it certainly meets all of the expectations we had. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations ,in the Mediterranean and the proof was the two other ships docked when we arrived. With a population of just over 41,000 it is small and clings to the side of the mountain. However, the old Town is clearly the high point with its medieval architecture and fortified walls a delight to see.

Overview to the old town of Dubrovnik – Note the walls and towers.

After getting off the ship and joining our guide, Iva, we headed to an overlook to get a good look at the City. The Old Town is situated within the formidable City Walls with more modern building spreading and climbing the mountains adjacent to the Port. Listed as an UNESCO list of World Heritage Site, in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town, Dubrovnik is a treat.

The history of the city probably dates back to the 7th century, when the town was known as Ragusa. The prosperity of the city was historically based on maritime trade; as the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa, it achieved a high level of development, particularly during the 15th and 16th centuries, as it became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomacy.

Over the centuries, lots of different rulers took control of the area – Republic of Venice, Napoleon, Habsburg Monarchy to name a few. After WW I, it was included in Yugoslavia. Croatia remained part of Yugoslavia until the war of independence in the late 1980’s. This conflict ended in November 1991, when Croatia became an independent country. Unfortunately, the Croatian War of Independence resulted in some significant damage to Dubrovnik with many of the historic buildings being damaged or destroyed. However, the old town’s protective walls seemed to have remained relatively undamaged and the historic buildings were rebuilt and the Old City has become one of the Mediterranean’s top tourist destinations, as well as a popular filming location.

There are basically three gates into the Old Town – we entered through the Pile Gate (‘pee lay”) and entered right on Stradun or Placa (whose name derives from Venetian, and means “large road” or “wide road”), the main street of the town.

Our guide, Iva, had been a foreign exchange student and did her senior year of high school in Illinois.

Our guide walked us around viewing the buildings and describing the pathways we might take to explore. Passing any number of shops (clothing, various gift shops, restaurants and a bunch of places selling jewelry) we found our way to Romanesque-Baroque Assumption Cathedral where we viewed its outstanding collection of gold and silver reliquaries.

Within the Cathedral, treasury shows clearly the numerous connections Dubrovnik had with the main seaports in the Mediterranean Sea. The treasury holds 182 reliquaries holding relics from the 11th to 18th centuries; they were encased by local masters, Byzantium, Venice and the Orient. Its most important object is the gold-plated arm, leg and skull of Saint Blaise (patron saint of Dubrovnik).

From there we viewed the exquisite Venetian Gothic Sponza Palace (The Sponza Palace, also called Divona, is a 16th-century palace. Its name is derived from the Latin word “spongia”, the spot where rainwater was collected). The Palace is one of the few buildings in the old town to survive the 1667 earthquake, the Sponza Palace was built from 1516 to 1522 as a customs house, and it has subsequently been used as a mint, treasury, armory and bank, it features classical columns and detailed carvings. Currently there is a small museum which houses a lovely collection of Renaissance paintings that features local and Italian masters.

There were a BUNCH of stairs to get to the top of the wall plus it cost 25 euros to actually access the top – so another trip we can plan on doing that climb.

1,940m in length, and with three entrance gates, six fortresses, and a series of towers, the city wall’s structure itself holds just as much fascination and wonder as the views. It is possible to walk along the top of the entire circumference of the City Walls but the number of steps and the inclement weather kept us from making that trip. We will save that for another visit.

Dubrovnik was the primary filming location for King’s Landing, one of the most prominent cities in the world-famous television series Game of Thrones. Due to the inherent beauty of the city’s Old Town, the production didn’t need to build scenery or sets nor rely on obvious special effects. But Game of Thrones isn’t the only mega-franchise to film in the city. Segments of Star Wars: The Last Jedi were also filmed in Dubrovnik. Parts of the Old Town also provided the setting for casino planet Canto Bight.

October 19, 2024

Malta – Part 2

Our second scheduled tour was to Mdina. However, prior to arrival we made a couple of stops. Leaving Valletta, we headed to the Dingli Cliffs, located off the village of Dingli on Malta’s western coast, at around 253 meters above sea-level. These cliffs represent the highest point of the Maltese islands.

The cliffs propose a majestic sight; the views overlooking the terraced fields underneath and the panorama of the vast open seas. Given their impressive height the cliffs can be considered as natural forts, since no attacker can approach the island from the west.

Located at this site was a small chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalen – and dates from about 1575! Unfortunately the chapel wasn’t open for viewing.

Our next stop, prior to getting to Mdina was a visit to the San Anton Botanical Gardens, located in the village of Attard.

These beautiful gardens were built in the early 17th century by Grand Master Antoine de Paule to complement his summer residence; San Anton Palace, which is located at the perimeter of the gardens and which today serves as the residence of the Maltese President.

San Anton Palace – The official residence of the President of Malta

The gardens have several pathways surrounded by fountains and ponds which are inhabited by families of ducks, swans, peacocks, peahens and turtles and encompass a large variety of trees and flowers from around the world. Of course, due to the time of year, there wasn’t a lot of color around but it was a pleasant spot to stop and walk.

Mdina is a fortified city and served as the island’s former capital, from antiquity to the medieval period. The city is still confined within its walls, and has a population of 250, but it is contiguous with the town of Rabat, which takes its name from the Arabic word for suburb, and has a population of over 11,000 – and was originally a Roman City.

Mdina is located at the top of a hill and has been inhabited since prehistory. A Phoenician colony known as Ann was established around the 8th century BCE, sharing its name with the island and presumably acting as its capital. During the Punic Wars, the town was acquired by the Romans and renamed Melita after the Greek and Latin name for the island. Greco-Roman Melite was larger than present-day Mdina. It was reduced to its present size during the period of Byzantine or Arab rule. Following a 9th century massacre, the area was largely uninhabited until its re-establishment in the 11th century as Madīnah, from which the town’s current name derives. Mdina then continued to serve as the capital of Malta until the arrival of the Order of St. John in 1530. Mdina experienced a period of decline over the following centuries, although it saw a revival in the early 18th century during which several Baroque buildings were erected.

Largely maintaining its medieval character, Mdina remained the center of the Maltese nobility and religious authorities with property passed down between families and from generation to generation. It never regained its pre-1530 importance, however, once Valletta became so dominant. Due to the medieval character, it has been used for a number of TV and Movie sites including the Game of Thrones (which we have never watched).

Not surprising, there are local wines available around the Island. Janeen took a particular liking to a different kind of Spritz – Instead of an Aperol Spritz she discovered a Maltese Spritz. This is made from local cactus (prickly pear) liqueur.

So, of course, I had to buy a bottle for later and following Rule #2 (Eat Local) she bought a prickly pear to eat. Unfortunately, the fruit was not as sweet as it will become as the harvest wouldn’t be for a couple more months

October 17, 2024

The Start of a Grand Adventure – The Island of Malta

In July of 2023, I booked a Christmas Market River cruise for the entire family for November of 2024. This original group of 8 has now grown to 19 friends and family who will all gather together in Cologne Germany to board a UniWorld river boat, S.S. Antoinette, to visit a number of ports along the Rhine River ending in Basel Switzerland. Along the way, there will be an opportunity to visit lots of Christmas Markets, see a bunch of historic places and of course enjoy all being together.

After having booked this trip, and while we were on Oceania cruising South America, I booked a three-week cruise in the Mediterranean for October. The start of that adventure has resulted in our flying via Paris to the island of Malta. All of these adventures necessitated getting a long term stay visa that allows us to stay in Europe for 6-months.

Our first stop, on this Grand Adventure was Malta – where we are scheduled to board the Oceania Cruise ship, Marina. We arrived 4 days prior to departure of the cruise allowing us an opportunity to explore the Island.

Malta, is an island country located in the central Mediterranean Sea which has been along various trade routes for thousands of years. As a result, Maltese society has been molded by centuries of foreign rule by various powers. In the mid 1800’s British took control of the Island and the resulting British influence is apparent (driving on the ‘wrong side’, red telephone boxes, English as the major language to name just a few). The island become completely independent in the mid 1970s.

The Basilica of St Dominic also known as the Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St Dominic is one of the three parish churches of Valletta

Valletta, the Capital of Malta, is a relatively new city – having been expanded and developed by the Knights of Malta in the late 16^th Century. Valletta has become a vibrant port of call and became our home base for several days prior to boarding the ship. The city is Baroque in character, with elements of Mannerist, Neo-Classical and Modern architecture, though the Second World War left major scars on the city. The city was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1980.

We joined a walking tour of the city to learn more about its history and to visit a number of interesting spots. As a fortified city, built by the Knights of St John in 1566, its history spans almost 5 centuries. We passed by many of the original fortifications, went through at least a couple of City Gates and viewed the golden sandstone architecture. Throughout the entire walk we were surrounded by narrow streets with any number of tourist shops and restaurants. Valletta was developed by “immigrant” Templer Knights who chose to fortify Malta as a port. The island capital was originally Mdina, more inland. Administration of the island was carried on from Valletta by the Grand Marshall of the Knights of St. John for centuries. They continued hospice care as well. They also used Arab water management and garden techniques to continue olive and wine agriculture.

Fra’ Claude de la Sengle (1494 – 18 August 1557) was the 48th Grand Master of the Order of Malta

One of the highlights was visiting the St John’s Co-Cathedral (It’s a Co-Cathedral because there are two cathedrals on the island and the Bishop is responsible for both locations).

Not very ornate on the exterior but the inside is wonderful.

Construction was completed in 1577 with a major redo of the interior due to earthquake in the late 1600 resulting in a more Baroque style.

Inside the church are two paintings from 1608 or so done by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, more commonly known as Caravaggio.

The painting depicting The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist by Caravaggio (1571–1610) is the most famous work in the church. Considered one of Caravaggio’s masterpieces, the largest canvas he painted and the only painting signed by the painter. On the left shows the painting in the spot it was designed to be placed.

Saint Jerome Writing is second painting by Caravaggio both painted while he was on Malta in 1607 or 1608. A LOT more about Caravaggio later in our adventure.

If you enjoyed this blog, stay tuned as there will be lots more coming.

Please leave a comment!

April 12, 2024

Our South American Adventure comes to an End

The adventure in South America began in Buenos Aires in large part to include a visit to the Iquazu Falls and ending some 8,000 nautical miles (9,446 ‘land’ miles) in Miami. Along the way we stopped in 21 ports of call and explored 5 different countries.

We also traveled on waters of distinctive coloration. Southern seas near Uruguay and Argentina were a dark sapphire. As we headed north, port towns like Rio de Janeiro reflected a green tint to the sapphire. As we entered the estuary of the Amazon, bronze brown waters greeted us. Up river in Parintins, the blog showed you the Meeting of the Waters, forest dark stream flowing alongside earth brown river.

As we continued on north, sunny clear days reflected the true turquoise of the Caribbean. There were highlights and missed opportunities but all in all it was a spectacular adventure and quite enjoyable.

The water color after leaving ‎⁨Rio de Janeiro⁩ and heading North along the coastline

Our last two stops were in Bridgetown, Barbados an St. John’s, Antiqua. These are clearly resort ports where cruise ships come on a regular basis disgorging 1,000s of tourists along the way and the Ports clearly are focused on this tourist trade. However, both islands have lovely beaches and some interesting historical links.

Bridgetown is the capital and largest city of Barbados. The present-day location of the city was established by English settlers in 1628. Bridgetown is a major West Indies tourist destination, and the city acts as an important financial, convention center, and cruise ship port of call in the Caribbean region.

Proof Janeen was in Barbados with our ship in the background

Although the island was totally abandoned or uninhabited when the British arrived, one of the few traces of indigenous pre-existence on the island was a primitive bridge constructed over the Careenage area’s swamp at the center of Bridgetown. It was thought that this bridge was created by a people indigenous to the Caribbean known as the Tainos.

Bridgetown is the only city outside the present United States that George Washington visited. (George Washington House, the house where he stayed, is included within the boundaries of the Garrison Historic Area.) Two of Washington’s ancestors, Jonathon and Gerrard Hawtaine, were early planters on the island. Their grandmother was Mary Washington of Sulgrave, Northamptonshire, England. In 2011, historic buildings in Bridgetown were designated as a protected area by UNESCO.

GW’s house in Bridgetown. We didn’t actually visit this place.

Our visit to Bridgetown did not include a tour so we just went ashore and checked out the various shops.

The settlement of St. John’s has been the administrative center of Antigua and Barbuda since the islands were first colonized in 1632, and it became the seat of government when the nation achieved independence in 1981.

St. John’s is one of the most developed and cosmopolitan municipalities in the Lesser Antilles. The city is famous for its shopping malls as well as boutiques throughout the city, selling designer jewelry and haute-couture clothing. St. John’s attracts tourists from the resorts on the island and from the cruise ships which dock in its harbor at Heritage Quay and Redcliffe Quay several times a week.

After St. John’s we had 2 full days Cruising the Atlantic Ocean before arriving in Miami. During the final days there were a number of activities and opportunities to enjoy the ship.

This concludes the South American Adventure. Our next scheduled trip is to Europe starting in October. This will include a cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean, a couple weeks of wandering on our own around Italy, a week-long tour with a Renaissance art historian “In the Footsteps of Michelangelo and Caravaggio” through Florence, Rome and Naples and a Christmas Market River Cruise on the Rhine from Cologne to Basil. Lots more adventures coming soon!

April 7, 2024April 7, 2024

Line-Crossing Ceremony – Becoming a Shellback

Over the course of our travels along the Amazon, we crossed the Equator 3 times! This necessitated the initiation of the line-crossing ceremony.

The line-crossing ceremony is an initiation rite that commemorates a person’s first crossing of the Equator. The tradition may have originated with ceremonies when passing headlands, and become a “folly” sanctioned as a boost to morale, or have been created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long, rough voyages. Equator-crossing ceremonies, typically featuring King Neptune, are common in the Navy and are also sometimes carried out for passengers’ entertainment on civilian ocean liners and cruise ships.

Throughout history, line-crossing ceremonies have sometimes become dangerous hazing rituals. Most modern navies have instituted regulations that prohibit physical attacks on sailors undergoing the line-crossing ceremony.

In the 18th century and earlier, the line-crossing ceremony was quite a brutal event, often involving beating pollywogs (the name for those who have not crossed the equator) with boards and wet ropes and sometimes throwing the victims over the side of the ship, dragging the pollywog through the surf from the stern. In more than one instance, sailors were reported to have been killed while participating in a line-crossing ceremony.

Baptism on the line, also called equatorial baptism, is an alternative initiation ritual sometimes performed as a ship crosses the Equator, involving water baptism of passengers or crew who have never crossed the Equator before. The ceremony is sometimes explained as being an initiation into the court of King Neptune. This was more like the ceremony performed on Marina.

Billy – Assistant Cruise Director getting his Ice Bath!

Unfortunately, the line-crossing ceremony could not be performed on the first crossing – the weather just didn’t cooperate. So, on the return crossing, the party began. The Cruise Director, Sammie, called the group to order while the band made a tour of the deck. Once everyone was present, and King Neptune was in place along with his wife, the first pollywog was called forward. First required to kiss the fish, then have ice dumped over their head they were pushed into the pool!

Now I admit, I was tempted to follow suit but the crowd was big and getting to the ‘fish’ and getting the ice bath really didn’t seem like what I should be doing.

When we returned to our cabin we found our certificates!

A couple of days later it was Easter Sunday and the crew had set up some lovely decorations and the Easter Brunch was a wonderful culinary extravaganza.