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Cruising The Western Mediterranean
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| Venice |
Circling the Western Mediterranean on a cruise ship is a delightful way to "taste" the variety of sun worshiping cultures lining the coasts of Southern Europe. The Italian and French Riviera, along with Spain's Costa Brava are generally a primary part of the mix.
The Dalmatian coast on the Adriatic or the Balearic Islands can be thrown into the itinerary to add some spice. There are many variations offering a myriad of choices when selecting a Western Mediterranean cruise.
My last Western Mediterranean cruise departed from Venice... always a great city in which to shake off jet lag, with a 2 or 3 night pre-cruise stay. Strolling along the winding pathways and canals of Venice is a delight. The Bridge of Sighs, San Marco Square and the Grand Canal never disappoint. And you needn't spend the money on an expensive Gondola ride when the vaperattos, or waterbuses, sail the entire length of the Grand Canal.
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| Pantheon Rome |
I tried something different this visit. I stayed across the Venice Lagoon on the mainland in the town of Mestre. The city is quite commercial and has one of the largest shipbuilding yards in Europe. I saw the new Holland American, m/s Oosterdam nearing completion on the taxi ride into town from the Venice airport. Two reasons to consider an overnight here are the reasonably priced good quality hotels and the old Mestre city center.
The Hotel Plaza (www.hplazave.com) is across the street from the Mestre train station where numerous trains depart throughout the day for the short ten-minute ride to Venice.
The four-star hotel is a no nonsense commercial property that caters primarily to European businessmen. It offers good value, especially compared to the pricey hotels in Venice proper. A 15-minute walk will take you to the old Mestre city center, which is a vibrant shopping area where the locals meet, sip cappuccino, and eat pizza by the gram (in Italy pizza is sold by weight, not by the slice.) Just off the far north end of Piazza Ferretto at Via S. Girolamo 5/B (Telephone: 041-980403) is the Laboratorio Pasticceria, a little Italian bakery that is just out of this world! Mr. Coro, the proprietor, creates a variety of typical Italian pastries and cakes, but the specialty of the house is the signature Venetian panne dolce or sweet bread. It is enormous, absolutely delicious and can be enjoyed in this authentic old town center without a tourist in sight!
At sunset, we departed Venice and enjoyed the first evening at sea. The next day we arrived at Split, the administrative center of Croatia's Dalmatian coast on the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea. The city's ancient history is reflected in its Roman and medieval ruins. The city bustles with local shoppers, businessmen, and government administrators.
There are open-air markets for produce and fresh fish. The scene is very foreign from Western Europe and clearly illustrates the post Serbian War transition to a peacetime economy in this part of the world.
The next port scheduled was the Mediterranean island of Malta off the southern coast of Sicily. But, as sometimes can happen, the sea was too rough for the tenders, so it was off to Sicily to spend the day in Messina. The city has a beautiful clock tower and Cathedral (what city in Italy doesn't?) and is within easy reach of Mt. Etna, Sicily's active volcano and Taormina with its spectacular Greek Theater. Most guests opted for full day coach excursions to these and other sights. I chose to sit in the large piazza in front of the clock tower, enjoy people watching and improve my tan under the brilliant Mediterranean sun.
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