I’m still working on my story about the MSC World Europa cruise ship. In the meantime, here are some highlights of our shore excursions. Our cruise started and finished in Rome. Along the way we stopped in Palermo (Sicily), Malta, Barcelona, Marseilles and Genoa. A cruise is a fabulous way to see great sights and cities in Europe, as you unpack your bags once and your “hotel” takes you from city to city. No need to arrive at airports two hours prior to a flight and hope your plane leaves on time, no big security hassles. Here’s a look at some of our excursion highlights.
THE ETERNAL CITY
St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, Rome, Italy. JIM BYERS PHOTO
In Rome, MSC arranged a private tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. It goes without saying that it was a highlight of our trip. I don’t remember having seen the Gallery of Maps room with all the great painted maps from long ago, but I loved seeing it on this trip. Truly one of the best tours you can take on the planet. My wife, Barbara, and I also took time before the trip to see some of the major sights, including the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona. Barb and I met on a train at the Rome central train station when we were both backpacking through Europe, so it has a special place in my heart.
SICILY
The Palermo Cathedral in Sicily, Italy. JIM BYERS PHOTO
For Palermo, we had an outstanding private guide, Diana Di Bartolo. She showed us the pretty shrubs and trees at Giardini Reali and took us to the Palermo Cathedral. “Sicilians don’t like it,” she said. “It’s too plain for us.” I find many Italian churches too busy, so I actually loved the relative simplicity of the cathedral. After our tour we were treated to a taste of Sicily: a baseball-sized arancini ball with ham and cheese that must have weighed a pound; a massive, creamy cannoli; and a thimble full of Malvasia wine, which was a touch sweet but very nice. We also visited a church where they make cannoli and pastries and briefly toured the city’s wild and packed Mercato del Balaro, which was filled with vendors selling everything from spices to octopus, not to mention a young man on a motorcycle trying to thread his way through the crowd. “It’s an excessive place,” Di Bartolo said with a smile. “But we’re an excessive people.”
MALTA
Valletta Malta. Caleb Miller-Unsplash Photo
We were on our own in Valletta, Malta. It was pricey for the beautiful St. John’s Co-Cathedral, which we saw a few years ago. We instead opted for coffee on the square in front of Café Cordina, which dates to 1837. It was a lovely, sunny day and we enjoyed watching the passing parade of locals, business people, young kids not old enough for school, and visitors. One young girl of maybe five was wearing coloured, hippie-style glasses and a tiara, while a woman in a black business suit and high heels was sporting a tattoo of a pair of scissors. On our way back to the ship we admired the stunning stone buildings of the city, and the narrow alleyways that plunge towards the sea.
SPAIN
The Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain. JIM BYERS PHOTO
In Barcelona we opted for a guided walk around the Gothic Quarter and a visit to see the outside of the Sagrada Familia, the remarkable church started by the wonderful Antoni Gaudi. I don’t remember the Sagrada Familia being nearly this impressive when I was in Barcelona in 1989, but that was, ahem, 35 years ago. It’s a gorgeous building that’s still a work in progress, but it’s definitely coming along. I found the main Cathedral rather dark, but still beautiful. We didn’t have time to stop, but I was happy to drive past Casa Batllo, Gaudi’s swirling, colourful, exotic building on Passeig de Gracia. We finished with an hour of free time at Poble Espanyol, a kind of Spanish village on Montjuic with architectural styles from around the country. The strolling was nice, but the coffee and ice cream from one of the local shops was even better. I didn’t have time for Parc Guell or a stroll on Las Ramblas, so I’ll have to wait for my next visit.
FRANCE
Cassis, France. Bapt Miller/Unsplash Photo
For Marseille, we took a bus to the pretty, waterfront town of Cassis, a trip that took us around some pretty steep mountains and afforded nice views of the coast. It was cool and windy when we visited, and there wasn’t much going on. But we admired the boats in the harbour and enjoyed coffee at a waterfront dining spot with a very friendly cat, and I wandered along the coast to take photos on a beautiful foot path that runs east of Plage du Bestouan. We also explored some lovely shops in the centre of town and admired the fresh fruits and veggies at the town market. Definitely a place I’d like to visit again.
CINQUE TERRE
Yours truly in Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy.
In Genoa we had a special excursion to the Cinque Terre, visiting Riomaggiore and Manarola. It rained in the morning, and there couldn’t have been more than 20 or 30 visitors in either village. “This is so wonderful,” said our guide. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it like this.” He also offered a tip for visitors, explaining that there are buses to take people from the hillside parking lots to the main parts of each village. You need a special Cinque Terre hiking/transit card to use the buses. They’re also used for the trains that run between the five villages. It costs roughly $10 CAD for a one-day card and about $19 for a two-day card for adults. The trails from Monterosso to Vernazza and from Vernazza to Corniglia are the only ones that require the Trekking Card. Our guide told there are many other nice fishing villages near Genoa that aren’t nearly as busy as Cinque Terre, including Nervi (less than 20 minutes from Genoa by train), San Terenzo and Porto Venere.
