On May 6th I will be leaving for Rome where I will start a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise beginning on May 8th, and I couldn't be more excited! The history buff in me is salivating at the rich past in the area of the world we will be traveling through so stay tuned to this space for the tales from my journey!
On this trip I will be visiting:
Rome, Italy - Home of the Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica, and many more stunning buildings I will get to explore a city with a 2,500 year history and the largest in Italy! I have always been fascinated by stories of the Roman Empire and I can't wait to explore what was once the seat of the Empire!
Naples, Italy - The location of Mount Vesuvius which erupted in 79 AD and resulted in the infamous destruction of the Roman city of Pompeii. Naples is over 2,800 years old and is widely considered to be the birthplace of Italian Pizza! I can't wait to experience the culinary delights of this city!
Alexandria, Egypt - Another ancient city founded by its namesake Alexander the Great in 334 BC. Alexandria was home to the Lighthouse of Alexandria, and the Library of Alexandra, and is now the home of the Bibliotheca Alexandra (the new library of Alexandria) This city will mark our starting point for our journey into Egypt!
Cairo/Giza, Egypt - The capital of Egypt and the largest city in Africa and nicknamed "The City of A Thousand Minarets" for it's extensive Islamic Mosques. We will of course be visiting the Giza Plateus to see the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphynx, and the Egyptian Museum allowing us to take in the only wonder of the acient world still in existence!
Jerusalem, Israel - The capital of Israel, and one of the oldest cities in the world having been built in the 4th millennium BCE, Jerusalem is home to the Temple Mount, The Tower of David, The Western Wall, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, The Dome of the Rock, and The al-Aqsa Mosque.
Nazareth, Israel - Described in the New Testament as the childhood home of Jesus and a center of Christian pilgrimage, there is historical evidence of human presence in Nazareth over 9,000 years ago!
Ephesus (Kusadas), Turkey - Former site of the Temple of Artemis, another of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, Ephesus is home to many Roman ruins including the Temple of Hadrian, the Library of Celsus, and the Ephesus theater where gladiatorial combats were held.
Patmos, Greece - A small island n the Aegean sea, the Greek Parliament declared the island a "Sacred Island" in 1981. This is due to the presence of the Grotto of the Revelation where the exiled St. John spent 18 months in a cave and received the visions that resulted in the last Book of the New Testament. It is also home to the Castle of Patmos.
Santorini, Greece - One of the possible sites of the legendary Lost City of Atlantis, Santorini is located in a caldera from an eruption in 1600 B.C. and is home to whitewashed buildings clinging to the edges of spectacular cliffs which decend into the ocean below. If this city seems familiar it's because it was the location of the 2008 movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.
Athens, Greece - The capital of Greece, Athens was host to the first modern-day Olympic games in 1896. It is also the home of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, the Temple of Hephasestus, the Arch of Hadrian, and the Temple of Zeus. It's cultural contributions are credited with establishing the basis of Western Civilization and it has been inhabited for at least 4,500 years!Overall, I think this will be a fantastic trip and I am looking forward to seeing a new part of the world! Stay tuned....!
