The Cruise Of The Year (2nd Installment)

Our first port of call on Wednesday 30th May is Marseille (Provence), France where our ship docks in at 0830 hrs. We are given time to go offshore till 1800 hrs when we are expected to sail again. After a good breakfast, the first one for us, we are ready to explore Marseille. Earlier on we have decided to space out our off shore activities to the very minimum due to our financial constrains which at this time around is very limited. The cost of this trip amounts to slightly over RM14,000 each and this does not include the special fixed gratuities for the dining crew and for the chamber crew and other essentials such as mineral water which does not come free apart from the meals which are inclusive in the fare. Hence with some expected shopping's offshore and optional sight seeing trips, we really have to plan our budget well so as not to let it run dry ! As I mention to Ainul when we decide to take the cruise, she has to be prepared for a very tight budget without sacrificing our enjoyment. I have a very simple need for this kind of vacation. Since all meals are available on board there is little need to eat offshore or buy anything unnecessary. After all, I always believe whatever is out there, we can always get them back home.

Marseille (Provence) is our first port of call. It is France’s second largest city and the largest port in the Mediterranean. It is a city known as a virtual melting pot of peoples and cultures. Marseille is an ancient city of 2,600 years old when the Greeks first established their colony in the Mediterranean. It was then called Massalia and the Greeks had a very good eye for location. At that time the entire region of Provence was luxuriant and fertile beyond belief just as it remains to this day. The nearby Rhone River flows from the interior of one of Europe’s most prosperous sectors, and extended commercial mastery to anyone bold enough to take advantage. Even the flavors of traditional Provencal cooking speak of this abundance ; garlic and olive oil, trifles and almonds, wonderful herbs like savory, rosemary, thyme, bay, basil, and sage.

The original Massalia was established around the mouth of a small creek, where the Old Port lies today. There was plenty of space for ships to anchor, and a narrow mouth which could be easy to defend. Low hills on either side assured a healthy and attractive town. Most important of all, the people of the local Ligurian tribe seemed friendly and open to whatever the newcomers might offer them. The Greeks came from Phocaea, on the coast of Asia Minor, and were looking for a place to export their growing population. Their leader was a handsome fellow named Protis, who went to visit the local chief at just the right moment. The chief had invited his finest warriors to a banquet, at which his daughter would select a husband. When she picked out Protis, and offered him the symbolic cup of wine, the partnership was complete.

The Greek merchants connected their home territories and products with southern France, to be sure, but they did much more. Especially after their home city was destroyed by the Persians, they made Massalia a base for new exploration. Their new trading stations reached as far north as England and Iceland, and as far down the African coast as Senegal. Remnants of Greek houses, temples, public buildings, and warehouses are still being discovered. The high quality of their construction proves that business was very good indeed.

By the time the Roman Republic began to flex its muscles, Massalia became a willing ally against both the Carthaginians and hostile Frankish tribes. Roman provinces were established further inland, to the north and west, but the big port retained its status as in independent republic. Roman rule created stability and trade.

During the first century BC, Marseille had the misfortune to back Pompey during his civil war against Julius Caesar. Arles, on the other hand, provided a dozen ships for Caesar, and when he won that conflict, Arles received preferential treatment. In addition to trading privileges, Arles got the first-rate planning of all Roman cities, as well as several thousand veteran soldiers discharged from the Sixth Legion. However, despite all these , Marseille managed to revive itself and withstood the test of time. Marseille today has a population of 800,000, whilst France as a whole has a population of 62,752,123 for its 220,668 square miles - about four-fifths the size of Texas. Official language for France is of course French but Breton, lsatian German, Flemish, Italian, Basque and Catalan are also spoken. France is Republic and has replaced its former French Franc to the Euro as its currency today.

It is also the gateway to Provence. Aix-en-Provence is the cultural and political capital of Provence and the birthplace of painter Paul Cezanne. We take the cheapest tour which is a walking tour of the main city areas. We have a very good tour guide and enjoys the tour although we both begin to realize we no longer have the capacity for long uninterrupted walks like we use to do. This is clearly evident on that day when we arrive at Barcelona. I have never felt so heavy on my legs which at times feel jam up during the walk. On looking back, we have had this same ailments when we were at Orlando’s Disney World, MGM and Sea Worlds and at Epcot last year. We had then find it very hard to keep pace with John, Farah, Maisarah and little Aisya.

After we set sail from Marseille, we are back to our activities where after a sumptuous dinner, and of course fine dining, we are enthralled with the marvellous production show at the Princess Theatre , a musical show called "Motor City" which is a tribute to the music of Motown and the stars who created it. The music and songs and the dances are all very electrifying to see and experience. The stars for the night are the emerald princess singers, dancers and orchestra, who are going to be our regular performers on this magnificent ship.

Thursday morning 31st May finds ourselves anchored at 0700 hrs at Livorno ( Florence/Pisa) Italy, the gateway to glorious Tuscany. Florence, the cradle of the Renaissance is home to Duomo, the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchioere the Medici fostered a city-stare whose cultural legacy is as great as classical Athens. Giants like Dante, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo infused the West with a new creative spirit. Then there is Pisa with its famous Leaning Tower (something like our very own Telok Anson Leaning Tower ) a brash commercial seafaring town that rivaled the great maritime powers of Venice and Genoa. The city was a leader in art and architecture second only to Florence. Whether you choose to explore the Tuscan countryside, Florence or Pisa, you will experience an unforgettable adventure. We have no real plans for the offshore visit and indeed at this stage we are very careful about spending unnecessarily.

Anyway, what we have learned about Livorno or "Leghorn" is the principal town in the province of the same name, which lies in the region called Tuscany. Italy’s third largest seaport, Livorno serves as the gateway to the cities of Florence and Pisa, which two cities we have visited before during our earlier tours in the seventies and hence on this occasion we decide to skip them.

The northwestern plain of the Italian peninsula, is a broad , fertile basin drained by the Sarno River. Tuscany gets its name from the ancient truscans, who settled the region. The Etruscans were a hard warlike people whose origin is still uncertain. They were the first civilized people in Italy to build cities, establish trade, develop a code of law and create high quality artwork. Hence Etruscan influence on other peoples was particularly strong, especially the ancient Romans. Although the Etruscan state was defeated by the Romans and incorporated into their empire, Tuscans as a people continued to thrive in the region, enjoying life and creating things of beauty. The pinnacle of their civilization was the Italian Renaissance, one of the great cultural explosions in the world’s history.

Lasting from the early 14th century until the end of the 16th century, the Renaissance - which means "rebirth" - was a revival interest in ancient Greek and Roman art, architecture and institutions. Tuscan families like the Medici had a prosperous trade with the eastern Mediterranean and a great surplus of wealth, which they used to support artists and decorate their homes and churches in the new style. A revival of interest in science and travel led to more curiosity about the world outside Europe ; the great voyages of Columbus and the other explorers followed.

Livorno conducts a brisk trade in marble and alabaster, as well as artistic products from Florence. The jetty and harbour were rebuilt by Cosimo di Medici in 1571 to replace the port of Pisa, which had become choked with silt. Thus we can still see the old 16th century fortress and a ring of walls with bastions. The Emerald Princess dock at Livorno is approximately two miles from the Livorno city centre and hence shuttle bus services are made available for those of us who wish to venture there on our own. Florence and Pisa are just one and a half hours away by train which needs the Euro as its fare money. It is worthy to note that Italy itself has a population of 58,133, 509 from its land area of 116,303 square miles, which is the size of Florida and Georgia combined. Rome is its capital, Italian its spoken and official language, it is a Republic and has replaced its Italian Lira to Euro. Just as well we thought, because from our previous experience in Rome many years ago, the Italian Lira with its big denominations that go to millions, cannot but cause a lot of confusion to all of us when we try to convert its equivalent to the then Malaysian Dollar. The problem with the Euro though, everything seems expensive to us !

As usual all passengers are expected to be back in the ship by 1900 hrs before it sails off to the next port Civitavecchia in Rome. After a nice shower and dressed casual smart as stipulated for any diner to the dining areas, we are both ready for the night’s events. Our dinner at Boticelli is excellent as expected and after that we head for the Princess Theatre for another superb show called Sportlight Showtime which features a British Concert Virtuoso Violinist Peter Fisher who enthralls us with Classical, Gypsy Music and Blue Brass accompanied by Gordon Hough and the Emerald Princess Orchestra. As usual the show is hosted by our Cruise Director James Jay, who is the kingpin of the cruise on board activities. We learn that James is the eldest of three brothers and grew up in Newbury, Berkshire in England. He has been in show business since a very early age in theatres and holiday resorts in the UK He has been with Princess Cruises since 1998 and his first contract was on board the original Crown Princess. Since then he has travelled the entire world onboard the Dawn, Regal, Sea, Sky, Grand, Sun, and Diamond Princess. He has also been very privileged to be on the Inaugural seasons of the Golden, Coral, Island , Caribbean and the new Crown Princess. Amongst his hobbies are seeing west end shows, music, travel and driving his new Saab convertible. James says he is thrilled to be onboard the latest and greatest Princess ship the Emerald as our Cruise Director. Indeed we find him doing excellent job to make our vacation very interesting and memorable.

(TO BE CONTINUED )