The Western Mediterranean on Aurora 2022

Our first cruise after Covid and our first on Aurora. The Dolphin had been used as a refugee hostel since we had last stayed there and was sorely in need of refurbishment. The staff were too few in number and run off their feet.

The precautions at the port were extraordinary (for good reason) but did not add to the time it took to board the ship. A "fit to fly" certificate (a third party Covid test) was required and the email had to be shown to begin the boarding process. On board, masks were worn everywhere except the cabin and the dining room. One third of C deck was kept as an isolation area for anyone who tested positive during the cruise. We were fortunate and avoided the necessity.

La Coruna

Our first visit to La Coruna. Aurora berths at the cruise terminal adjacent to one of many marinas.

We wandered a short distance from the port to find interest quite close by. The pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela is marked with seashells.

The 12th Century Church of Santiago (Galician: Igrexa de Santiago) is the oldest religious temple in the city. It became a historic monument on 18 August 1972. It is also a location where you can get your Pilgrim Passport stamped if you are on the pilgrimage.

The streets are lined with pollarded trees.

The Avenue Puerta de Aires isn't really an avenue at all.

The stepped avenue leads to the Coruña City Hall in the Plaza de María Pita

The City Hall is a modernist building built between 1908 and 1912, occupying the northern front of the Plaza de María Pita. It was inaugurated by King Alfonso XIII in 1927. The building houses various administrative offices of the City Council.

On the façade, there are four carved white stone statues representing the four Galician provinces of A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. At the top, the city's coat of arms can be seen flanked by two matrons, which for some signify Peace and Industry and for others Work and Wisdom, as well as a legend with the following inscription: "very noble and very loyal city of La Coruña, head, guard and key, strength and outer wall of the Kingdom of Galicia".

Following the failed Spanish Armada Queen Elizabeth sent a Counter Armada to Spain led by Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Norris who attacked Coruna from the sea.

The English captured the lower town but were repulsed at the fortified upper town, significantly hindered by Spanish defenders, inspired by heroine María Pita, and a lack of heavy siege guns.

María Pita led the local resistance after the death of her husband, famously rallied defenders to kill an English standard-bearer, disrupting the attack. The English failed to take the city, wasting valuable time and resources before moving on to a subsequent failed assault on Lisbon.

This is the statue erected in her honour.

"Praza do Humor" is a delightful public square that celebrates humour through captivating graphic art. This unique landmark invites visitors to explore its vibrant floor illustrations created by renowned Galician cartoonist Siro Lopez - whimsical drawings that pay homage to local comedic legends and characters.

Julio Camba, a renowned journalist and travel writer is famous in Spain for his skeptical and witty writing about the English.

Vicente Risco was also an author, politician and idealogue espousing the Celtic rather than Mediterranean and firmly in favour if Galician nationalism.

Wenceslao Fernández Flórez a journalist and Galician nationalist.

The Méndez Núñez Gardens near the cruise port are very pleasant with a mix of plants and trees.

The gardens were created in the 19th century on land reclaimed from the sea. They were inaugurated in 1868 and were known as the Ensanche Gardens. In 1871, it was decided to name them after the Galician sailor Casto Méndez Núñez. These are the famous Canary Island date palms.

A statue of Emilia Pardo Bazán a Spanish novelist.

This monument to Daniel Carballo Cousido is a 19th-century bronze and granite statue erected in 1896, it honours the politician and journalist who was pivotal to the city's development. The statue was created by artist Agustín Querol with a pedestal designed by Pedro Mariño.

Vigo: Boat trip to Cies Island Nature Reserve

Vigo is a small port south of Corunna that lies on the southern bank of the Ria da Vigo estuary into which flows the river Verdugo. At the mouth of the estuary are the islands of Cies; a rather interesting nature reserve.

It is very quiet, only accessible by boat and delightful.

Aurora seen from the boat returning us from Cies.

One of Vigo's most iconic sculptures is The Swimmer: located on the edge of the Vigo Estuary, it is sculptor Francisco Leiro 's striking tribute to the effort of swimmers. It is a bronze sculpture group made up of several pieces that appear partially submerged in the pavement of Vigo's port area .

Ceuta

Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies to the south of Gibraltar. Ceuta is one of the special member state territories of the European Union - a bit like Gibraltar then. Especially as the Moroccans want it back and Spain are not too keen to return it.

This sculpture on Avenida Martínez Catena, outside the Royal Walls, next to the gate that gives access to the south bay depicts an artilleryman in 1850s uniform firing his cannon in the heat of battle, kneeling on one knee, lighting a cannon resting on several sandbags. Also represented are remnants of wheels, gun carriages, and other equipment used for loading the cannon, as well as ammunition.

It commemorates the 30th Mixed Artillery Regiment (RAMIX 30), based in Ceuta, Spain, is a historic unit with roots dating back to the late 17th century, celebrating over 300 years of service in defence of the North African city.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of Ceuta is in the diocese of Cadiz.

Valletta

Valletta was founded in 1566 in honour of Jean de La Valette the 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta and its most illustrious leader, commanding the resistance against the Ottomans at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, sometimes regarded as one of the greatest sieges of all time. He laid the foundation stone of Valletta in 1566, although he did not live to see Valletta completed, as he died in 1568. Valetta quickly became the island's capital and stands today as a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its grid-plan streets and Baroque architecture.

This is the Cottonera Marina at Dockyard Creek looking across the Grand Harbour at Valetta. This side of the Grand Harbour are the "Three Cities" of Vittoriosa (Birgu) on the right of the marina, Senglea (Isla) on the left, and Cospicua (Bormla) behind the camera. They are historic, fortified towns known for their rich maritime heritage and stunning harbour views.

Steps built into a steep street are a very good idea.

The streets are traditionally narrow.

The statue of "Victory" in "Victory Square"

The statue of St. Lawrence the patron saint of Birgu.

The baroque church of St Lawrence has the Birgu World War II memorial on the outer wall.

The interior is splendid.

Kan. Fr.Joseph Caruana also known as Dun Ġużepp was born on the 21st January 1933. Caruana studied at the Seminary and later on at the University of Malta were he obtained a license in Theology. He was ordained priest on the 14th March 1959 by Archbishop M. Gonzi and started his duties as priest at the Parish Church of St.Lawrence in Birgu. In 1964 he was made Canon of the Collegiate Chruch of St. Lawrence and then a year later he was nominated as Theologian Canon. Dun Ġużepp was never ever sent to serve in any other parish church in Malta and spent all his years in Birgu. He dedicated his life to help the sick, conforming them with the holy sacraments and the Holy Eucharist. Dun Ġużepp died on the 31st January 2016 and his funeral was held the day after. He is buried at the Cemetery of St.Lawrence, in the grave of the Collegiate Chapter of St.Lawrence which is found in the cemetery's chapel.

Dominating the entire square opposite the 17th century church of St Lawrence in Birgu (Vittoriosa), the Freedom Monument is more than just a monument. It commemorates a turning point in Malta’s modern political history.

Designed by prolific local sculptor Antonio Agius, it commemorates the end of an era, when the British government closed down its military base in Malta, on 31 March 1979. Malta had already been granted independence from the British in 1964, and became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1974.

Standing on top of the mound are four full-size allegorical figures representing a British sailor bidding farewell with a last handshake to a Maltese worker, another Maltese worker hoisting the Maltese flag and a bugler. These roles were played out in the actual ceremony on the handover day on 31 March 1979, the first Freedom Day, by leading radio operator David Gilchrist of HMS London, Alfred Xuereb of Bormla (Cospicua), Carmel Boxall of Birgu (Vittoriosa) and PC Richard Cauchi of Hamrun.

Valletta from Birgu.

A typical street in Birgu with blue shutters and balconies.

Blue gallariji (enclosed wooden balconies) in Valletta are iconic, functional, and deeply cultural, symbolizing a blend of 17th-century Baroque architecture and Arab, Spanish, and Italian influences. The blue paint protects the wooden structures from the harsh sea weather.

That said, not all of them are painted blue these days.

The view over Kalkara Creek towards the cot lift and Esplora Science Centre.

The vertical structure rising from the shore is the Bighi Cot Lift, a historic, Victorian-style elevator built in 1903 in Kalkara (opposite Valletta) to transport injured sailors from ships to the Royal Naval Hospital at Bighi. As the second electrical lift in Malta, it was damaged during WWII, later restored, and today acts as a landmark within the Esplora Interactive Science Centre

Not all balconies are well-kept.

Samuel Taylor-Coleridge stayed here.

A statue of Queen Victoria stands in front of the National Library of Malta in Republic Square. Sculpted out of marble by the Sicilian artist Giuseppe Valenti, the statue depicts the Queen sitting down and wearing a shawl of Maltese lace. It was installed in the square on 5 August 1891, replacing a bronze statue of António Manoel de Vilhena.

In 1901, ten years after its inauguration, the statue became the focal point for the public mourning commemorations following the Queen's death.

In June 2020, there were some calls for the statue's removal in the wake of the removal of many statues in the United States and elsewhere during the George Floyd protests. Former Valletta 2018 artistic director Mario Azzopardi called the statue a "colonial obscenity" and called for its removal, while culture minister José Herrera stated that removal of monuments of British colonial rule in Malta would be "ridiculous" and that it would not change the fact that the islands were under foreign rule for much of their history.

It was interesting to note that throughout our visit to Valletta, the guide referred to the English Occupation for the period prior to independence.

Bonaparte was in Valletta as well.

Sir Paul Boffa, OBE, was a Maltese politician who served as prime minister in the Colony of Malta after self-rule was reinstated by the British colonial authorities, following the end of the Second World War. He was created a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956.

Named "Fjamma li ma tmut qatt" (A flame that never dies), the name reflects the enthusiasm and continuous work of the Maltese to decide their own future while improving their standard of living.

A view over the defensive walls towards the Grand Harbour from Valletta.

The Central Bank of Malta.

The Grand Harbour and the saluting battery seen from the upper levels of the St Peter and St Paul Bastion

Messina: Trip to Taormina and Mount Etna

We docked in Messina and took a trip to Taormina and then to the slopes of Mount Etna.

This is a snow capped Mount Etna seen from Taormina.

The gate into Taormina.

The Fontana di Piazza Duomo, often called the "Quattro Fontane" (Four Fountains), is a 1635 Baroque masterpiece in Taormina, Sicily. Located in the heart of the town, it features a unique crowning statue of a crowned female centaur holding a globe and sceptre, which serves as the official symbol of Taormina.

Guess what, the side streets are quite narrow as is the main street to be fair.

Chiesa di San Giuseppe, the church of St Joseph, in Taormina was built in in the Baroque style between the late 1600s and the early 1700s. It is located next to the Clock Tower and faces out onto Piazza IX Aprile. A double staircase, with a balustrade of Syracuse stone, leads up to the entrance.

Nicely decorated balconies.

This is the Palazzo Corvaja built during the Arabian dominion in Sicily which lasted from the 9th to the 11th century. The building was extended over the centuries and at the beginning of the 1400s the right wing of the building was constructed in order to house the meetings of the Sicilian Parliament which were held, the first in 1411, in the large 15th century hall in the presence of Queen Bianca of Navarra, regent of the Kingdom of Sicily. For this reason Palazzo Corvaja is also called Parliament House or the Palace of Queen Bianca of Navarra.

In any case the mansion is named after the Corvaja family, one of the oldest and most noble families in Taormina.

The Arabian dominion in Sicily lasted from the 9th to the 11th century and the Moslems remained in Taormina in particular from the year 902 to 1079. During the 11th century the Arabs reinforced the town’s defences by building, among other things, a tower which is really the main part of today’s Palazzo Corvaja.

The mullioned windows of the 14th century hall is Gothic. This type of window in Gothic architecture is divided by a small column so as to create two entrances for the light. The 15th century hall, where the Sicilian Parliament meetings were held, is all in Norman style.

A smoking Etna seen through the pillars of the Greek theatre at Taormina.

In a dominant position, the Greek Theatre occupies the crest of the hill. With a 109-meter diameter cavea, it is, after the one in Syracuse, the largest theatre not only in Sicily, but also in the Italian peninsula and Africa. The original structure, like that of Syracuse, dates back to the 3rd century BC.

What is visible today belongs entirely to the Roman reconstruction, particularly that which took place in the first half of the 2nd century AD under Trajan or under Hadrian. The theatre's layout consists of a rectangular stage building flanked by two large halls providing access to the orchestra and a poorly preserved cavea, divided into nine sectors by eight stairways. A double brick portico with granite columns and a vaulted ceiling surmounts the cavea.

The theatre is still used for concerts. (Not long after we returned home we were at the Steve Hackett concert (very, very good) and met a lady in the merch queue wearing a Steve Hackett at Taormina t-shirt. She said the concert and venue were superb - very jealous.)

Etna still smokes.

The side streets are excellent for an impromptu exhibition or pop-up saleroom.

The coach took us as far as the Silvestri craters which are the most accessible and easy experience on Etna. These craters formed over 173 days of lava fountains up to 400 metres high during the eruption of 9 July 1892.

Salerno: Trip to the Ruins of Herculaneum

Herculaneum is amazing and rivals Pompeii. In my view, the buildings are more complete and the quality of preservation is better at Herculaneum (Named after, but not founded by Hercules).

The city was built on a grid system and of the area that has been excavated so far there are three streets running South West to North east called Cardo III Cardo IV and Cardo V and two main streets running from South West to North East called Decimanus Maximus (the North Western limit of the excavation) and Decumanus Inferior. These structures divide Herculaneum into 6. Cardo is the name given to the streets by the Bourbon excavators in the 18th Century.

A devastating earthquake in 62 AD caused significant damage, and then the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD buried the city forever. Herculaneum was rediscovered in the 18th century, with excavations conducted by the Bourbon kings using underground shafts and tunnels. In 1828, open-air excavations resumed and continued until 1875. After a long interruption, work resumed in 1927 under archaeologist Amedeo Maiuri, who led them until 1958.

Further investigations were conducted throughout the 20th century and the early 2000s, bringing to light a large section of the city's waterfront and a small section of the Villa of the Papyri.

The wall on the right is the compacted ash that covered the whole site. The structure on the left is the sea wall, the South Western boundary of Herculaneum.

The Shrine of the Augustales, Herculaneum. The Shrine was a religious building dedicated to the imperial cult, particularly to the veneration of Emperor Augustus and his successors. The Augustales were members of a priestly college, often composed of freedmen, responsible for promoting and maintaining the worship of the emperor in Roman cities.

The interior of the shrine preserves frescoes and decorative elements of great interest, which help explain the symbolic value of the building. Mythological scenes and ornamental motifs were not merely decorative, but conveyed messages closely tied to the religious and political meaning of the imperial cult. The quality of the decorations highlights the importance attributed to this space within the city.

Jars built into the counter-top probably to contain olives.

An image of where a statue was supposed to be.

A shop on the main street "decumano massimo" in Heracleum.

On the left you can see the colour in he stone when it is wet.

A view along Cardo IV.

The Mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite is a remarkably preserved 1st-century AD Roman glass paste mosaic located in the House of Neptune and Amphitrite in Herculaneum, Italy. It serves as the focal point of an outdoor triclinium (dining room), framed by shells and depicting the sea god and his wife, illustrating the high status and luxury of the home's owner.

Casa dell'Alcova or the House of the Alcove has interesting wall paintings.

The Triton floor mosaic in Herculaneum is a remarkably intact 1st-century AD black-and-white masterpiece located in the apodyterium (women's changing room) of the Central Baths. It features a central, galloping Triton surrounded by dolphins, cuttlefish, and cherubs, designed with a high-contrast style that remains in situ.

Casa Dei Cervi (The House of the Deer) is one of the most spectacular and emblematic houses in Herculaneum. Overlooking the ancient coastline, it is famous for the statues of deer attacked by dogs and for an architectural layout conceived as a true It is a house where social ambition, art, and landscape come together.

One of the most significant aspects of the House of the Deer is the identification of its owner.

It is generally believed that the house belonged to Celer, a freedman, identified through a stamp on a carbonized loaf of bread found during excavations. This evidence suggests the extraordinary rise of a former slave who became wealthy enough to own one of the most luxurious houses in the city.

The House of the Deer therefore offers a rare and concrete example of social mobility in the Roman world, beyond traditional aristocracy.

The statues are pretty weird.

Boat Sheds, Herculaneum. In 1980, whilst digging a drainage trench, Italian public works employees, under the direction of Dr. Giuseppe Maggi, uncovered human remains in one of the twelve boat houses that lined the ancient beach. Each boat house is a vaulted chamber 3.75m high, 3.15m wide by 3.85m deep.

It would appear that some of the town's inhabitants had probably taken shelter in these chambers to wait for the worst of the eruption to pass. In all about 300 skeletons have been found along with the precious and everyday items they carried with them.

Rome

This is Marta on the shores of Lake Bolsena not far from Rome where we had a stroll and an ice cream.

Then we visited a winery where the wines were not bad but nothing special. It was interesting to see the wine making process though.

Ajaccio

Ajaccio is the birth place of Napoleon Bonaparte.

There is an interesting lighthouse, The Ajaccio Citadel Lighthouse, built in 1851, is an iconic maritime sentinel located on the rampart of the Miollis Citadel in Ajaccio, Corsica. Standing 13.10 meters tall, offering a range of 16 nautical miles (approximately 30 km) to guide ships.

In "La Place Foch" there is a statue of Napoleon.

This is a statue of Cardinal Joseph Fesch, a priest and diplomat and the maternal half-uncle of the Emperor Napoleon.

Irresistibly French!

There is a play on at the playhouse dedicated to his half-uncle all about himself. He gets about.

The water was nice to dip a toe into.

Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta in Ajaccio where guess who was baptized?

There is a better class of graffiti though.

Alicante

In Alicante we had a trip to a bar for some beer tasting which left just enough time to walk to the beach and then walk back again. The beer was good

Lisbon

Lisbon is a city of contrasts, magnificent buildings, fine carving and intricately patterned tiles on one hand and abject poverty and scruffy graffiti on the other.

This is the "Arco Triunfal da Rua Augusta" (Triumphal Arch of Rua Augusta) is a stone, memorial arch-like, historical building and visitor attraction in Lisbon, Portugal, on the Praça do Comércio. It was built to commemorate the city's reconstruction after the 1755 earthquake.

This side is adorned with the coat of arms of Portugal. The allegorical group at the top, made by French sculptor Célestin Anatole Calmels, represents Glory rewarding Valour and Genius.

The Portuguese National Theatre.

The Monument to the Restorers (Monumento aos Restauradores) is a monument located in Restauradores Square . The monument memorializes the victory of the Portuguese Restoration War. The war, which saw the end of the House of Habsburg and the rise of the House of Braganza, lasted from 1640 to 1668. The monument was designed by António Tomás da Fonseca and erected in 1886.

Not quite as elegant.

"Monumento aos Mortos da Grande Guerra" translates as "Monument Deads of Great War" but it is the Portuguese War Memorial to the dead of the First World War.

The graffiti is getting better, certainly larger.

The pink prison. Its a prison that is pink.

A very colourful underpass.

Some of the tile decoration on the buildings is amazing.

The Monument to the First Aerial Crossing of the South Atlantic is a monument in Brasília Avenue, Belém. It consists of a stainless steel replica sculpture of Fairey III biplane, that was used by Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral during their 1922 South Atlantic aerial crossing from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro. Inside are also installed their life-sized busts. It was designed by architects Martins Bairrada and Leopoldo Soares Branc, and sculptor Domingos Soares Branco, and unveiled in 1991.

The tribute is located on the coast of Belém, the "Padrão dos Descobrimentos" (Monument to the Discoveries) was designed to commemorate the Age of Discoveries in Portugal. It was inaugurated in 1960, on the fifth centenary of one of the country’s great discoverers, Prince Henry the Navigator, who discovered the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde.

In honour the king’s capable response to the devastation caused by the earthquake of 1755, an international competition was held for the creation of a statue of King Joseph I of Portugal. Joaquim Machado de Castro won the competition and cast the equestrian statue to represent the king, the first such statue to be cast in Portugal, which was unveiled on the king’s birthday in 1775. The statue in the Praça do Comércio, (Commerce Square) is considered the first work of public art in Portugal

A long distance view of the Pantheon.

Commerce Square.

The tram on route 28, the tourist route. These vintage trams, affectionately known as "Remodelado" trams, date back to the 1930s and were inspired by the classic J. G. Brill American streetcars. Carris, Lisbon's transport operator, upgraded 45 trams, preserving their iconic status and immense popular appeal.

Lisbon Cathedral from the quayside. Built in the reign of D. Afonso Henriques, after taking Lisbon from the Moors, the construction of the Cathedral of Lisbon began in 1147, being therefore considered the oldest church of the current Portuguese capital.

The front view of the Pantheon.

A street market between the Pantheon and the Monastic Church of St. Vincent Outside (as in outside of the original walls of the city)

Tiles set into the outer wall of the Church of St. Vincent

The original Monastery of São Vicente de Fora (Church of St. Vincent Outside) was founded around 1147 by the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, for the Augustinian Order. Built in Romanesque style outside the city walls, it was one of the most important monastic foundations in medieval Portugal.