Lisbon - April 24

Lisbon Suspension Bridge and Cross

We dock in Lisbon - as usual in a container port area. We are almost under the suspension bridge that looks like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Both bridges were built by the same American company. A large cross and image of Christ is on a hill overlooking the river - the statue is identical to the one in Rio.  We are taking a tour which will combine a tram ride through the steep and narrow streets, with a coach ride for sights along the waterfront. This is our last port before Southampton. We have already received our luggage tags, and instructions for leaving the ship for the airport and the flight back to Maryland. It does not seem possible that we have been away from home for almost three months.

The trams are over 100 years old, but still in excellent shape. We will take a tram for sightseeing purposes, that combines three normal routes into an hour’s trip, over the seven hills of Lisbon. Many of the old buildings still have tile facades. While we travel through the city, we are treated to several glasses of port, and a typical Lisbon pastry - an egg cream filled tart. We see many landmarks, and spend some time at the cathedral, opposite Estrela Square.

Guide Serving Tarts

Children of Lisbon

Stores and Tiles of Old Lisbon

View of Lisbon

Cathedral in Lisbon

Lisbon Tram

We visit the Jeronimos Monastery by the waterfront. Vasco de Gama is buried here. The columns in the church have images of artichokes - a vegetable from the new world. Along the waterfront are the other well known landmarks of Lisbon: the Belem Tower, which used to guard the city against attacks from pirates, and the Monument to the Discoveries.

Jeronimos Monastery

Vasco de Gama Coffin

Belem Tower

Just outside of Lisbon there are several modern satellite communities with new buildings. The population of Lisbon is now about 600,000 people, but 3 million people live in the area in and around Lisbon.

Monument of Discoveries

Two more days at sea and we will be in England, and on our way home. The last sea day we will be part of a choir concert as the “Soundwaves.” Once we’re back home, we will add pictures to the blog. We have made many friends on the ship, but we’re looking forward to seeing those we’ve left behind for these three months. Hopefully, you have been able to experience some of our adventures through this blog.

Queen Elizabeth Docked in Lisbon

Rome - April 21

St. Peter's

At last we are in Italy, in the port of Civitavecchia, and able to visit Rome for a full day. We have been in Rome before, traveling with Roger Folstrom and the Maryland Chorale. Our last trip to Rome, we stayed in a hotel near Santa Maria Maggiore church. That time, when we tried to visit the church, the Pope decided to visit it at the same time. As a result we never did see the inside of the church. For today’s trip we have booked a tour called, “Rome on your own.” Jean has copied maps, and we are determined to see the church. The tour will take us to St. Peter’s Square, giving us 7 or 8 hours to see Rome on our own.

The day is sunny, and the temperature in the mid 60s. We are in St. Peter’s Square before 9:00 AM. We set out immediately for the subway - which we take to the major train terminal, a point only a few blocks from the church. April 21st is considered the birthday of Rome, at least it is celebrated on this day. (It’s also Queen Elizabeth’s birthday - the current British monarch). Although Santa Maria Maggiore looks like an 18th century baroque church, it was built in 440, making it one of the oldest churches in Rome. The interior has two rows of columns, and was inspired by the hall-like appearance of ancient Roman civic buildings.  The upper part of the nave has 36 mosaics from the 5th century (somewhat difficult to see), showing scenes from the Old Testament. The church has its own Sistine chapel, decorated with marble statues, but we must be content to view it through a gate, it is closed to the public while mass is being celebrated. The Borghese popes are buried in a neighboring chapel in the church.

Santa Maria Maggiore

Santa Maria's Roman Columns

Sistine Chapel

Detail of Floor

Being in this neighborhood, and armed with good maps, we are able to find the Santa Pressede church.  It contains a small Byzantine chapel whose walls and ceilings are mosaics.  On the wall of the chapel, one figure has a square halo - it is the mother of St. Pasquale I, the pope who built the chapel. The square halo is over the head of Theodora, his mother, who was alive when the chapel was built.

Santa Pressede Church

Byzantine Chpel

Chapel Ceiling

St. Pasqual's Mother (Square Halo)

Interior of St. Pressede

 We want to visit Santa Pudenziana Church as well - but we cannot find it on the map. Jean points out the name to a man in the church that manages the small shop selling postcards. He doesn’t speak English, but he shows us the location on the map, and points out the direction we should go. On our way to the church we encounter a troop of horse cavalry. The riders wear bright chest plates and gold helmets with plumes of horse hair. The horses are jet black and large. There are at least 8 rows of riders. Jean is ecstatic.

Santa PudenzianaThe church is difficult to locate, on a side street, but it has a striking mosaic of Christ teaching the apostles in the apse. Each apostle has individualized expressions - Christ teaches from a throne in the center. The large mosaic dates from the late 4th century.

On our way back, we find a sidewalk café that offers two pasta dishes and a full bottle of wine for 20 euros. We relax for a while, before heading back to St. Peters Square and  the church itself.

Jean at Lunch in Rome

Sumner at Lunch with Jean

 Even with the long lines, we are able to get through security quickly so we can revisit the church, before meeting our bus for the return trip to the ship. We learn that the day before had thunder storms, and municipal employees (including the subway workers) were on strike. The one day’s delay made all the difference.

Dome of St. Peters

Interior Column St. Peter's

St. Peter's Square

Swiss Guards on Duty

Sir David Frost joins the ship while we are in port. He will speak in the theater on the next day, and we will be able to watch the movie, Frost Nixon.

Two more days at sea and we will be at our penultimate port in Portugal.

Resourcefulness in Greece - April 18

Queen Elizabeth in Piraeus Port

We are due to dock in Piraeus early in the morning. The city is one of the largest in Greece, and has been the port for Athens since ancient times. We are awake at 6:00 AM as we have a busy day ahead - a trip to Corinth to see the ruins of the old city, and then a passage through the canal of Corinth.

First we are delayed by Ferry traffic in the busy port. Then the wind begins to rise. While waiting we are blown into the port area and the wind speed reaches 75 knots. The harbor master closes the port, and the Queen Elizabeth leaves the port to circle for a while in the Aegean Sea. The wind dies down enough that we can dock in Piraeus about 11:45 AM. All the tours have to be rescheduled or canceled. Our tour now will only visit the canal, and not the ancient city of Corinth. Most of the passengers are bound for Athens - all their tours are changed as well. 1,500 passengers leave the ship at mid-day.

The Corinth Canal connects the Aegean Sea to the Ionian Sea., saving several hundred miles for ships making the transit. The Romans tried to build the canal, but gave up. It was finally built over a 13 year period at the end of the 19th Century. It is an impressive feat of engineering. The canal walls are 200 feet high - cut through the limestone rock. It is about 4 miles long and 76 feet wide. We are able to make the transit in both directions. The drive to Corinth is along the coast, with lovely views of the Aegean Sea.

View of the Corinth Canal

Canal Road Bridge that Submerges

Sumner in the Stern

Corinth Canal and Bridges

Ship used for Tour of the Canal

We return to the ship about 4:45 PM - when everyone else is returning. The Greek coast guard is not prepared to deal with the crush of people. It takes us about 45 minutes to clear customs. For others it is worse.

Passengers going through Customs

Meanwhile, the winds have returned, and it is not safe for the ship to sail at 6:00 PM as scheduled. Three tug boats are holding the Queen Elizabeth against the dock, in addition to her auxiliary thrusters. A ship this size, broadside to the wind,  has an enormous surface against which the wind can exert force. While we are waiting, a small tanker runs into the Queen Elizabeth, blown off-course by the wind. Fortunately, now serious damage results. The wind decreases somewhat by about 10:00 PM, and the ship edges out of the port with the help of the three tug boats.

Queen Elizabeth Bumped by a Tanker

Evening in Pireaus

The schedule called for a full day and two nights of sailing to reach Civitavecchia, the nearest port to Rome. We have left Piraeus so late we would not reach Rome until Noon. The decision is made to spend another day at sea, so we can arrive at Civitavecchia in the morning as scheduled. This means we will not have the following day in Monte Carlo. After Rome, we will head directly for Portugal and Lisbon.

Alexandria - April 16

Rows of Tour Buses in Alexandria Port

Streets of Alexandria

Today is a holiday in Alexandria - Easter was yesterday for Coptic Christians. This is a holiday for Muslims as well as Christians, even through Egypt is 90 percent Muslim. Children and adults wave at our bus as we pass. Everyone is glad to see tourists. After the revolution, tourist visits are about ten percent of the original figure. Early in the morning when we start, shops are still closed, in part because of the holiday, and in part because Alexandrians are night people.

Jean in front of Qait Bey Fort

We visit the Qait Bey Fort, built on the site of the original Alexandria lighthouse - the lighthouse was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world - destroyed by an earthquake. The Fort was built from the stones of the lighthouse. We have been here before, just after Ramadan, when we were on our tour of Egypt, before the revolution. Again, it was holiday time - many families at the beach. The fort is at one end of a long beach and boulevard in Alexandria.

Modern Alexandria is built on the old city of Alexandria. This is not obvious to the visitor. Much of the original city is underwater, and artifacts are still being identified. The Mediterranean sea level is perhaps 10 meters higher than it was when Alexander founded the city. They are considering constructing an underwater museum. We drive into the old part of the city, to the site of the Catacombs of Shawkafa. The site was a grassy knoll until a donkey fell through a hole in the earth and the 2nd  century funerary complex was discovered in the 20th century. The complex is four levels deep - only three levels can be visited due to ground water in the 4th level. The central tomb belonged to a Roman family, with burial chambers for a husband, wife, and child. The statuary and paintings are a curious mix of upper Egypt symbols and Roman Gods. Anubis is shown with Isis, as though the Roman citizens were about to be embalmed. The complex has been enlarged, perhaps for many family members, with many niches for bodies (empty now). The Romans seem to have been quite flexible in religious matters.

Pompeii's Pillar

Idol under Pompeii's Pillar

We also visit Pompeii’s pillar - 80 feet high - all that remains of the temple that once stood here. The temple had nothing to do with Pompeii, but rather was erected to honor the Emperor Diocletian. The site has two small sphinx that guard the pillar, and some interesting tunnels under the site.

Our guide talks about the revolution - about the optimism when the President first resigned. There was a feeling of pride in the city, a feeling of brotherhood. She has a picture of the celebration in the streets of Alexandria after the President resigned. She shows a picture of her daughter painting the colors of the Egyptian flag on a curb, near their house. Now most of the good feeling is gone. But she is hopeful that things will get better after the election which should happen soon.

Abu El Abbas Mosque

We have a photo stop at the Mosque of Abu El Abbas. Outside the Mosque, in the street, brightly colored children’s rides are being setup, perhaps part of the Easter holiday celebration.  We are back on the ship by early afternoon. This evening we sail into the Mediterranean Sea on our way to Greece.

Easter Rides for Children

The Titanic - 100 Years Later

Sunday April 15 was not only Easter for Coptic Christians. It was 100 years to the day since the sinking of the Titanic. As we were going through the Suez Canal, at mid-day we observed a minute of silence for those that died on the Titanic. We also learned a little about Carpathia - the Cunard ship that had been the first to reach the site of the Titanic disaster. That evening we had a special commemorative dinner for the role played by Carpathia in the rescue of all the Titanic survivors.

The dinner honored Arthur Rostron, Captain of the Carpathia, whose decisions saved so many people. The wireless operator on the Carpathia heard the SOS from the Titanic at 12:15 AM on April 15, 1912. He was untying his shoes, preparing for bed, but he still had his earphones on his head. The wireless operator raised Captain Rostron, who had retired.

Rostrom immediately ordered a change in course. The Carpathia was 58 miles from Titanic, traveling at 14 knots. At that speed it would have taken 4 hours to get there. Rostrom ordered the Chief Engineer to turn off all the hot water so that every ounce of steam could be used for the engines. All off duty stokers were used to shovel coal, The ship exceeded its maximum speed, eventually reaching 17 knots. Without radar, the ship sped past icebergs, only visible to the lookouts through the reflection of the stars. At 4 AM the Carpathia reached Titanic’s position. By 8:30 AM the last survivor had been rescued, and the Carpathia which started with 700 passengers had doubled her complement of passengers.

Though much decorated for his exemplary actions, Rostron was reluctant to speak publicly about the Titanic disaster. Many years later, in response to a journalist’s query, as to how the little ship had managed to travel at a speed beyond which she was capable, through ice in the dark, the deeply religious Rostron simply replied, “A hand other than mine was on the wheel that night.”

Suez Canal - April 15

Portion of Suez Canal with Two Channels

Tug Boat Alongside

Desert View along Suez Canal

Today we transited the Suez Canal. The canal is 120 miles in length. Three convoys pass through the canal each day, two southbound and one northbound. The first southbound one travels as far as the Great Bitter Lake, where it anchors until the northbound one can pass. We were at the head of the northbound convoy, so we had a relatively fast transit time of 8 hours. There are no locks in the Suez canal. Several large cities are on the banks of the canal - especially at each end. There is a highway bridge that is high enough that the Queen Elizabeth can pass under it. There is also a railway swing bridge that swings to the middle from the two sides to allow trains to pass over, several times a day.

Highway Bridge over the Suez Canal

Railway Swing Bridge

For Coptic Christians in Egypt this is Easter. We had a worship service this morning, lead by Don Goodhart, a retired Episcopal priest now living in Florida. Sumner read the lesson again. The lesson was from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, and it describes the characteristics of faith - “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” In the sermon, Don used Petra as the example of “a conviction of things not seen.”

By the 19th century, Petra was known only as a “lost city” of myth and legend.  It was a European archeologist who had a strong enough faith in the existence of this rumored lost city, that he learned Arabic, went to live with a Bedouin tribe for years, and became a Muslim, before the Bedouins led him to the “Rose city half as old as time.”  A remarkable example of faith acted upon.

By 2:00 PM we had passed through the canal. We are now traveling along the coast of Egypt, in the Mediterranean Sea, headed for Alexandria tomorrow.