James Hathaway – Page 49

Travel: Pisa, Italy

A BIG HI to everyone! We finished our cruise yesterday and will be traveling on our own again until next week.

We had a good time, made some new friends and enjoyed time with some existing friends, that’s always fun!

Our last photo from Naples on the ship was Mt. Vesuvius. We have never seen the top…Oh well.

We took the train to Pisa, a destination we have not visited in over 30 plus years. My it has changed! The crowds aren’t quite as huge as Rome or Florence but they are not far from it! Nonetheless, we had a great day getting reacquainted.

Two big observations: first, the Italian train system is massively upgraded. High speed trains seem to be readily, and affordable, available in and to most major cities whisking travelers around at relatively low costs.

Next, food quality and availability is much better now than it was just a few years ago. We have been talking to the hotel staff, other travelers and quick checks on the internet (readily available virtually everywhere so far).

OK…enough of that! Here are some photos from yesterday. Enjoy, J&J

The massive image of the fallen angel was new to us. It was touching and poignant at the same time.

Our first look at the site in 30+ years.

The Cathedral and the tower from another perspective.

Travel: Naples: Archaeological Museum

Yesterday we visited Naples. It is a massive, chaotic, gritty but fascinating city. It is also the home to one of the world’s finest museums. We spent the better part of a day exploring some of the worlds finest sculptures and mosaics housed in a former Bourbon palace.

Here are some of the collection.

Emperor Claudius, Bronze, 1st century AD

Farnese Hercules, over 10’ tall, 3rd century Roman marble, found in 1546 Rome.

Toro Farnese is 13 feet tall and the largest in tact statue from antiquity. 3rd century AD

Battle of Alexander floor mosaic, 2nd century BC found in Pompeii.

One of the museums finest rooms with original art.

Door Knockers of Malta

As we explored the older parts of Malta we were intrigued by the variety of door knockers on residential buildings. This seemed a bit odd given that most buildings had more than one residences.

All said, we started noticing door knockers and now think many are worth sharing. Quirky yes, but interesting.

We hope you enjoy.

J&J

Travel: Malta Day 2

Yesterday was day 2 in Malta. We used the Hop On, Hop Off bus. We decided on two routes. One went to Mdina, Malta’s capital centuries ago, now a picturesque village in the center of the island.

The second route took us south to the arid coast and little beach towns before returning to the capital Valletta. It was a fun day with the ride ending along the city’s upscale waterfront complete with hotels, condos, apartments, international shopping and restaurants.

Roman aqueduct that runs 16 miles across the island.

The third largest unreinforced dome in the world.

Ocean caves along the coast, underneath is the famed Blue Grotto.

Colorful boats are typical of the coastal resorts.

The rapidly changing waterfront is typically modern and old at the same time.

Just for giggles…this is the staircase exit in case the 15 story tourist elevator fails.

Travel: Malta Day 1

It’s been a busy but fun couple of days. Malta is a densely populated sovereign country located about 70 miles south of Sicily and about 120 miles north of Tunisia.

Day 1 we explored the city on our own. Here are our favorite pictures from Day 1.

Extensive ramparts surrounds much of the old town.

A massive fountain near the center of government buildings.

Very narrow but typical neighborhood street.

Sent from my iPad

Travel: Kotor, Montenegro

Greetings from the Mediterranean Sea!

Yesterday we visited Kotor, Montenegro. It was our second visit to this charming small town with a medieval town center.

The good news is it’s as charming as ever. The bad news is there were 4 cruise ships that simply overwhelmed the town.

Nonetheless, we managed to enjoy a nice long walk and a great lunch before returning to the peace and quiet of our room.

A public water fountain before the crowds arrive.

A nearby village as seen from the city walls.

A wonderful lunch…the feta was outstanding! The pizza…perfect. The wine was pretty good too!

Travel: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Good morning to all!

We just arrived in Kotor, Montenegro and our first cloudy day. Looks like we will have our first sprinkles soon. Good news is mild temperatures are forecasted all day.

In the meantime here are some photos from yesterday in Dubrovnik.

We were stunned by the morning light in this Orthodox Church.

Passageways connect the city in all directions.

Travel: Zadar, Croatia

Hello from Dubrovnik!

Yesterday we were in Zadar, Croatia but did not have access to an internet connection. Soooo…we are in a cafe sending photos.

Zadar is a city of about 100,000. It was heavily bombed in WWII and again by the Serbs in 1991-1995.

It has a charming old town with a giant musical instrument called a sea organ.

13th century tower inside the city walls.

Travel: Ljubljana and Lake Bled, Slovenia

Yesterday was a big sightseeing day, a 9 hour day trip that included the capital city and the beautiful Lake Bled. It was also a visit to our 99th country, Slovenia!!

The medieval Castle overlooks Ljubljana, the capital.

The Ljubljanica River runs through the center of the capital.

City center retail shops of various ages including endless cafes.

The city center includes the baroque Cathedral.

Our favorite fountain, the baroque era Robba Fountain.

We next saw the beautiful Julian Alps on our way to the stunningly beautiful Lake Bled for lunch, followed by a boat ride to St. Mary’s church on the tiny Lake Bled Island.

The first of several Mountain View’s of the Julian Alps.

A residential estate high above the lake.

It was another great day. Wishing you all could be here with us!

Travel: Venice

Greetings to all!

We sailed out of Venice via the Grand Canal late afternoon on Thursday the 27th, another ‘First’ for us. Here are some of our favorite photos.