I decided to go on a Mediterranean Cruise with a local travel group of 40 wanderlusts. I suffer from motion sickness, but decided to take my chances on scopolamine patches, Dramamine, mint chews, and ginger ale! How could I miss this opportunity?
After arriving in Italy, we spent two days visiting the beautiful Vatican and the Colosseum. Vatican City, home of the Pope, is the smallest independent country in the world and central headquarters for the Roman Catholic Church. Women had to cover their arms and wear clothes below the knees.
The Vatican housed massive collections of classical sculptures. Mass services are the spiritual center of global Catholicism. St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the largest and most famous churches in the world. Michelangelo’s famous paintings covered the walls of the Sistine Chapel. We got lost while navigating our way out the slow-moving crowds. By this time, Dramamine had kicked in and almost everyone looked alike. I almost lost proper crowd protocol by trying to focus on recognizing my travel mates.
Once safely outside, we stood on the massive and iconic St. Peter’s Square. This giant colonnaded public plaza is the place where crows gather to hear the Pope speak. When a new Pope is elected, smoke comes out of a special chimney installed on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. If the smoke is black, no candidate reached the required two-thirds vote. When the smoke is white, a new pope has been successfully elected.
The Colosseum is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built. It hosted gladiator combats, wild animal hunts, and public executions. Enslaved people served as laborers, fought as gladiators, and attended shows in segregated sections. This type slavery was based on religion, classism, and criminal behavior instead of race.
After whirlwind tours, we had a delicious lunch at Angelo Alla Cupola restaurant. This cozy unpretentious gem was recommended by our local bus driver and is located near St. Peter’s Basilica. The bottom floor of the restaurant was reserved for us!
After two days in Rome, we boarded the beautiful and new Sun Princess Cruise Ship for 14 days at sea. She was christened in February 2024 and has the capacity to host 4,300 guests and 1,600 crew members. There are over 30 restaurants and bars. We quickly adjusted to our home away from home! Various off shore excursions were available to purchase.
Pompeii, the ancient Roman city near Naples, was our first port. On August 24th in 79 CE, Mount Vesuvius erupted in a catastrophic explosion. The powerful volcano buried the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum under massive layers of ash, rock, and pyroclastic flows, freezing moments of Roman history in time. The famous human figures are not mummies or petrified bodies. They are plaster casts created when archaeologists poured liquid plaster into empty hollow spaces. The red light district was interesting to see. It housed the official and largest brick brothels. Prostitution was legal and widespread. There were 25 small independent brothels and rooms across the city. Rooms featured masonry built stone bed frames that were stuffed with straw or hay. Sensual and explicit paintings decorate the walls above cubicles. Phallic symbols were displayed outside, acting as visual guides or menu of services offered by sex workers inside.
After being at sea for a day, we arrived in Crete, Greece. This is the largest and most populous island in Greece. It’s dominated by a massive mountain range including the White Mountains. Its culture and food consists of olive oil. I love olive oil and decided to splurge on a few bottles.
After another day at sea, we arrived in Kusadasi, Turkey, known for regional wonders like the House of the Virgin Mary and Ephesus. Ephesus is the vital center for Christianity. As we walked along the ancient marble poured pathways and excavated ruins, we fought to keep our balance. My ski sticks came in handy while navigating the heavy foot traffic that evoked the energy of a bustling ancient metropolis. By this time, I was in a Dramamine haze and all the ancient cities began looking alike. I do recall that Apostle Paul lived in this ancient city for three years!
We arrived in Mykonos, Greece the next day but were not able to stop. The local harbor pilot informed the ship’s captain that because of the high winds, and rocking ship, it was not safe. The local pilots work with ship captains on the bridge and provide crucial local knowledge of the waterways. Mykonos is nicknamed the island of the winds. It was comforting to know this rocking was not due to my motion sickness. So far, so good!
The next morning, we arrived in Athens, Greece. This is the capital and largest city and houses the Acropolis, where the massive Parthenon is located. This bustling city has a population of 3.6 million and is the birthplace of democracy and western civilization. It’s named after Athena-the Goddess of wisdom and warfare. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle called this place home. My roommate, Mary, and I boarded a hop on, hop off bus to tour this bustling city.
After a peaceful night at sea, we arrived in Santorini, Greece the next morning. Mary and I had a room with a balcony so when we arrived to port; I went out and looked at the steep slopes of this beautiful city. According to the crew onboard ship, this city is a famous marriage proposal site. This iconic white washed town is perched on steep cliffs over a massive underwater caldera (depression that forms on the ocean floor when a volcano empties during an eruption). There were not enough Dramamine or Scopolamine patches to make me explore this city but Mary thought she was Dora the Explorer. I offered her ginger mints in case she needed them. We noted only five travelers were present at our 5 p.m. dinner time. At the end of dinner, the other 34 travel mates were no- where in sight. Apparently there were so many visitors; they cable cars were backed up. Our ship sent buses to rescue passengers on their ship.
After another sea day, we docked in Bar, Montenegro on the Adriatic Sea. Montenegro is named after the black mountains and thick forests that look almost black. This city is home to Stara Maslina, one of the oldest olive trees in the world. I don’t think many fellow travelers disembarked for this excursion.
The next morning, we arrived in Corfu, Greece located in the Ionia Sea. Corfu features green landscapes filled with olive trees. Mary and I remained onboard ship. Some fellow passengers enjoyed a four wheel drive adventure.
Thanks to Sophia the sharp tongue and witty lady on the Golden Girls, I always wanted to go to Sicily. I could almost hear her say, “Picture It, Sicily 2026….” Like Sophia, I digress. Anyway, Sicily was our last stop, and I looked forward to taking in the sights. This trip involved a visit to Mt. Etna. We would ride a bus 11, 165 feet above sea level to the tallest peak in Italy. I put on a scopolamine patch for the bus ride on curvy winding roads with deep bends and guardrails to glimpse the town where Sophia lived. At the last minute, I realized my scopolamine patches I thought I had packed so carefully, had expired! I swallowed Dramamine and rushed to the tour bus for this exciting excursion.
On the way, we had a brief stop in one of the charming towns nestled between Mt. Etna and the Ionian Sea. I pictured Sophia and her late husband Sal in this iconic town. Dramamine, don’t fail me now! I’m finally in Sicily!
Our bus driver drove uphill along the small winding roads for another 30 minutes. By this time, I was feeling woozy. When we finally made it to Mt. Etna, I couldn’t appreciate the beauty of this volcano built by years of layers of hardened lava and volcanic ash. I gained the strength to venture up the smaller slopes to explore some of the caves. “Picture It, Sicily 2026 and I’m on Mt. Etna!”
On the way back down the high mountain, I knew the Dramamine was failing me. I travel prepared, so I had disposable medical –grade emesis bags and wipes. When our bus driver swung into a curve, I knew it was too late. Mary knew and swiftly took action. Sophia, “Picture It, Sicily 2026- I upchucked in your city!”
After a much needed day at sea, we arrived in Barcelona, Spain, the last stop on our tour. We disembarked the ship while preserving and reflecting on travel memories. We were going home after 18 amazing days!
In spite of barfing, I hope to hold onto the lessons, friendships, and joys of this adventure! I think about what quip Sophia would say-maybe blaming in a kind way.
“Frances you knew you have motion sickness but you went anyway. When you started heaving, it’s a wonder our stomachs didn’t decided to evacuate the premise on its own.”
Here’s to you Sophia!
Francie Mae. August 11, 2026