An Anniversary Cruise

Ten years ago, my brother and his wife spent their honeymoon cruising the western Mediterranean. It had been their first cruise experience. The ship carried them from the western coast of Italy to the colourful and bustling streets of Barcelona, and it had been the last serious holiday that they had taken together. Of course, there had been weekend getaways and miniature trips, short romps to the Alps to go skiing and quickie summer excursions to the Cote d’Azur, but for some reason they had not climbed back aboard a cruise ship. It made sense that their tenth anniversary should be spent cruising the eastern Mediterranean. There was symmetry to this plan. Tin and aluminium are the traditional symbols for a ten-year anniversary, but a cruise seemed like a far more romantic gift.

An Eastern Mediterranean Planner

His wife wanted to see Venice. All she talked about was the Basilica Di San Marco and paintings by Titian and Tintoretto. She did not care what type of cruise itinerary they mapped out. When he asked her if she wanted to visit the Greek Islands, all she said was that she had always dreamed of going to Venice. Lucky for her, their cruise departed from Venice. They had three days in that fairy-tale city. Needless to say, this was a fourteen-day sojourn, and they needed to plot a more thorough course through Europe. Eastern Mediterranean cruises focus on destinations like Athens, Croatia and Turkey. It is not uncommon for them to sail as far away as the Black Sea. He had read somewhere that Dubrovnik, Croatia, was an up and coming port. The tourists had finally discovered the magic of the city’s medieval architecture and pebbly shores, but not every cruise line stopped at Dubrovnik, so it was still somewhat undiscovered, or so the article said. When he mentioned it to his wife, all she wanted to know was what the weather was like in Venice in the spring, as packing has become her main priority.

Venice

Venice is difficult to describe. The place is nothing if not surreal. All the crumbling white architecture made him think of ornate wedding cake decorations. When the afternoon light shimmers off the canals, the buildings seem to sway and wobble. When this happens, you automatically wonder if you have just witnessed the city sink a little bit more.

His wife was happy. They spent the first day in the Piazza San Marco and the Gallerie dell’Accademia. They had an aperitivi and did some serious people watching on the Campo Santa Margherita. His wife is in control of the Venice itinerary. After that, it is my brothers turn to play tour guide.

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