The Summer to Mark a Milestone
Gasp! I've landed on a plateau of life contemplating the basic fact that 'old age' is defined by our chronological years. 60! well, another way to look at it - its like turning 20 the third time over?
Yes, positivity reigns supreme ..truly old age isn't so bad when you consider some alternatives, and seriously, now that our kids have launched, I can afford a change of philosophy, lets cling to the adage: 'growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional' ..so to quote Shakespeare, 'with mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come' !!
To reunite on a family vacation is no small feat when your grown kids are at the period in their lives where the number of obligatory tasks are certain to outweigh the number of their leisure dates. It all works out ofcourse if you book the trip early & an itinerary to include some energetic coastal hikes on a mediterranean cruise I felt was the remedy to please all onboard.
We met up in the fun city of Barcelona where my first attempt at a VRBO booking yielded a large penthouse 2 bedroom unit with an expansive terrace view of the city, smack in the crossroads of Gran Via & Passeig de Gracia. 
This being our third visit to Spain's unique port city, we were content to let loose the young adults on their own pace in their explorations, coalescing during mealtimes. Tom & I took one free day to make our own trek to the hilltop landmark of Tibidabo, from the Latin phrase meaning 'I will give to you' ( if nothing else, beautiful views for certain..lol)
Here's an iphone shot just as we arrived - glorious sunny skies 
El Tibidabo temple and park sits on the highest peak anywhere in the Serra de Collserola range. It is home to an amusement park, a telecommunications tower, and Sagrat Cor, a catholic church.
Once on top ..an unrivalled view ..it was said that the monks thought it was a perfect place for Satan to tempt Jesus, offering up all the wonders of Barcelona from an exceedingly high mtn
To get to Tibidabo on your own was actually very fun... we started off after a bite with Cy & Jon in La Rambla and took the subway off Placa de Catalunya. After that there is a bit of hike, short funicular ride and a bus to take you right to the church.The pic to the top right is a house by the street juncture en route to the last leg up the mountain top
clouds began to gather by late aft as we finished up our tour down to carousels
Our first night meet up was by the Latin quarters - El Xampanyet - bottles of cavas kept with the pace of the tapa dishes...yummy!
La Ramblas seafood by the stalls in keeping with tradition & great way to kick off the trip
At La Gorria, a Basque-Navarre cuisine wonderful dining choice
Last night on the patio, we sipped spanish wine, ruminated on
riddles as net surfing led me to realize we've not yet witnessed any of the quirky Catalonian customs - human towers, fire runs, dancing eggs, and the sweets parade La Festa de Sant Medir.., yup no question - gotta revisit again!
Our first port was Marseille. Our last visit here occurred in the month of October, but now, being July and in the thick of the lavender blooming season, I was eager to embrace a tour to the Luberon ranges in central Provence.
Below in the fields of Le Chateau du Bois, the Lavender Museum, learning that true quality lavender are grown in the hills where higher altitudes of 3500 ft and cooler conditions yields the finer grade of rich lavender oils (Esters). The other varieties which we see commonly in the fields as we drive through the region of provence are 'lavandin' or 'spike lavender', a hybrid with three pronged branches rather than a single stock .
Touted as the second most visited in Luberon after Gordes, this quaint village with colorful facaded buildings, some originating from 987 ( Saint Michel church), have put to good use the fantastic pigments from the nearby ochre quarries over the centuries. The houses range from soft gold and orange to pink and deep rich red..makes one want to set up a canvas and dabble with these natural hues amidst the natual greenery and munificent sunshine
...so many photogenic alleys and corners to explore! The bell tower climb takes you to the belvedere which gives panoramic views across the countryside towards Mont Ventoux. The Place de la Mairie or Town Hall square is the main hub of activity...lower parts are lined with cafes and shops where for under 30euros you can bring back an artist's palette kit with all the natually occuring colors of Roussillon
Chateau de Lourmarin, renov in 16C with a Renaisssance wing. Presently open to visitor and in summer becomes an artists' residence (sculptors, painters, and musicians) The castle also hosts extravagant concerts in summer on the terraces (jazz, classical and plays).. the wine cellar on property no doubt contributes to the enjoyment :)
Now donated to the Academie des Sciences, Agriculture, Arts et Belles Lettres to support young artists, this converted Renaissance castle started out originally as a 12th C fortress - King Rene I of Anjou ...these ancient walls and pillars dramatically harkens back to its medieval splendour. It's window pane views allows one a sense of been nestled under the gentle rolling hills of southern Provence
Nearby Lourmarin commune also very picturesque - its the birthplace of Philippe de Girard an engineer and inventor of the linen spinning mill. Writers Henri Bosco and Albert Camus both lived and are buried here...although walking through the village, as was the case in the ochre hills, all of my senses were overwhelmed with the incessant calls of their beloved cicadas - they even had them in cute garden ornaments adorning the shutters of homes.
Below in the fields of Le Chateau du Bois, the Lavender Museum, learning that true quality lavender are grown in the hills where higher altitudes of 3500 ft and cooler conditions yields the finer grade of rich lavender oils (Esters). The other varieties which we see commonly in the fields as we drive through the region of provence are 'lavandin' or 'spike lavender', a hybrid with three pronged branches rather than a single stock .
The afternoon was reserved for one of 'les plus beaux villages de France', Roussillon, situated at the foot of Monts Vaucluse. The village is surrounded by beautiful countryside and a most striking flamming ochre deposits - there is an Ochre Trail to hike :D! After grabbing a sandwich by the roadside behind the ledge where this pic was taken, we sauntered up the gentle hills to Luberon's ochre circuit.
Touted as the second most visited in Luberon after Gordes, this quaint village with colorful facaded buildings, some originating from 987 ( Saint Michel church), have put to good use the fantastic pigments from the nearby ochre quarries over the centuries. The houses range from soft gold and orange to pink and deep rich red..makes one want to set up a canvas and dabble with these natural hues amidst the natual greenery and munificent sunshine 
...so many photogenic alleys and corners to explore! The bell tower climb takes you to the belvedere which gives panoramic views across the countryside towards Mont Ventoux. The Place de la Mairie or Town Hall square is the main hub of activity...lower parts are lined with cafes and shops where for under 30euros you can bring back an artist's palette kit with all the natually occuring colors of Roussillon 
Now donated to the Academie des Sciences, Agriculture, Arts et Belles Lettres to support young artists, this converted Renaissance castle started out originally as a 12th C fortress - King Rene I of Anjou ...these ancient walls and pillars dramatically harkens back to its medieval splendour. It's window pane views allows one a sense of been nestled under the gentle rolling hills of southern Provence
Nearby Lourmarin commune also very picturesque - its the birthplace of Philippe de Girard an engineer and inventor of the linen spinning mill. Writers Henri Bosco and Albert Camus both lived and are buried here...although walking through the village, as was the case in the ochre hills, all of my senses were overwhelmed with the incessant calls of their beloved cicadas - they even had them in cute garden ornaments adorning the shutters of homes.
Second port of call being Nice, it was a day to catch up with our kids ..and their youthful antics ..
Somewhere in my mind recesses is a memory of the storied history of the Hotel Negresco. I could not pass through Nice once again without stopping in. As the family walked the generous strip of Promenade des Anglais, 
Getting to Colline du Chateau by foot was a great way to explore the old town, where we ducked in for lunch in a French bistro. This time our trek to Castle hill from the back led us first to the waterfall .. something we completely missed on first visit as the Garabaldi tram cho cho took us right to the front of the citadelle towards the balcony views
The waterfall is a man-made artifice - water is pumped over the side of a hill - its more of a glorified fountain...lol
time to make some trip memories..
"we take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone"
..the cake that nobody thought to get..lol, compliments of Chops Grill plus all the drinks !!
"The Lemons"1921
..."Here by a miracle the striving
of frustrate passions is stilled,
here even we, the poorest, find a fortune
and it is the scent of lemons..."
- E. Montale Literary Park dedicated to poet
"Gulf of Poets" was not given to this port by chance. Byron and Shelley both came and wrote about this locale. More recently, Italian Nobel Prize winner, Eugenio Montale who spent most of his childhood here ..his poems "The Lemons", "Ossi di Seppie" (Cuttlefish Bones) & "Punta di Mesco" add enchantment to this area
...haha - remembering this cute stone bridge...this is what photos are all about,...'they're proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect'
overlooking the village of Vernazza with its turquoise sheltered harbour
relaxing finally for a noon meal by Vernazza bay... snagging tables together were'nt easy - ahh ..we defntly earned it!
The 14 km hike from monterosso al mare to Vernazza took ~ 4 hrs
Ok! lets's make a pledge ...these two will be us next time, with no return train to catch...lol
Last stop - Riomaggiore - our last time here was in October and by the time we reached here it was completely nightfall
As the Freedom of the Seas pulled away from the shores of Le Spezia, we enjoyed the sunset in the dining room of Giovanni's....Here's to the aphorism: ' the more you enjoy and celebrate your life, the more is in life to celebrate :)'
En route to the Colosseum, we couldn't resist some pics as we criss-crossed the avenues to meet up with the kids who took the trains from port of Civitavecchia ...probably faster option as our complimentary bus (from travel agent) was caught up in heavy Rome traffic
another chance to throw that coin to make all our wishes come true!
For 10 euros, this paper japanese umbrella came in handy.
Interesting fact re Roman Colosseum, it was primarily due to the cost of procuring animals, gladiators & expansive maintenance of the facility which led to the petering out of the brutal and pagan spectacles in the arena (~432CE). The fighting apparently were killing off whole species..in particularly savage set of games, 9000 to 11,000 animals would be slaughtered. The numbers of lions, jaguars & tigers plummeted in north africa and the entire mediterranean region. Over 1 million wild animals and 500K people were thought to have perished over the duration of the Colosseum hosted games.
Given the Roman summer heat, I marvelled reading in the Colosseum historic depictions of the Hypogeum (underground) two-level network of tunnels and 32 animal pens with huge lifts & vertical shafts to get the corpses out. One could just imagine the hell on earth conditions, suffocating heat, reeking of wild animals, creaking machinery of lifts and ramps, the growling or roars of crowds, OMG .. .no wonder there was a period where the place was known for hosting necromancers (XV century), such as latin poet Virgil. It was medieval belief that the colosseum was a ghost infected place where the paining souls of deceased wandered in the cellars...thus witches, wizards and sorcerers would meet there performing rituals & prepare magic potions with herbs grown only from those grounds.
@ the beginning of our hike du jour - the Path of Gods (Il Sentiero degli Dei)
This 7.8 km trek is a perfect cultural hike for one to gain a peek back into the old village mode (mule) of travelling. It's panoramic views allow us to grasp the full scale beauty endowed by nature to dwellers of these historic towns
Spectacular scenery made me harken back to those school days - captivated by mythical tales of Jason & Argonauts, of Heracles & Odysseus' journeys in the Tyrrhenian Sea.. the land of Cyclops (aka Sicily) & of the Sirens, which refers to Is of Capri in the distance.... feeling grateful ;)
Surprisingly, even at this height right beside the coastline, there was a complete lack of wind. I would have welcomed some coastal breeze because the balmy sunshine and inclining boulders added to heat of exertion and hence requiring more water to carry along. Nice that our sprightly entourage did most of the sherpa-ing .. ( hint: start them young as we did in their teen yr hiking @ grand canyon)
we met up with some cute four legged friends along the way...
almost there to our stop in Nocelle ~ > 3 hrs later
Kids beat us to nicest lunchspot while we stopped off for a cool lemonade by a canopy patio bar ... found them !
..haha unscripted color match!
Finally arriving in the bustling town of Positano ...walking through throngs of tourists to the beach for a refreshing and much needed dip by the Bay of Naples....
"terracotta pink
sun-washed peach
they tumble down...
tumble they do
to the sea...
even in its sometimes
tattered state
its still a weathered
beauty..." (Whit Howland)
.. last sea day & we are re-enacting the dance pose as per 2007 - last time we were on this exact bridge in the Freedom ship ( that was a 3 family reunion in celebration of Grandma's 80th bday )
