EUROPE 2025

We traveled for almost a month on this trip. We left Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on September 26, 2025 and returned October 22.

We started in Barcelona, Spain where we had a few days on our own before joining a boat tour along the Mediterranean coast organized by Ponant which concluded near Rome, Italy. We took a train to Naples where, after two days on our own, we joined a second tour organized by Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT). We flew back to Chicago on October 22.

September 27, 2025 — Barcelona

Following an uneventful 8-hour flight, we checked into the NH Hotel in Eixample, Spain. Thankfully, our room was ready early.

During the afternoon we walked around to get a feel for the city.

September 28, 2025 — Barcelona

We signed up and joined a walking tour ‘Best of Barcelona’. We met our guide at a local church.

The walk took us to El Born which was formerly a local market but has been converted to a museum.

Next, we visited a local train station.  This station only serves local stops.

From the park at the top of the hill, we had a great view of the Port of Barcelona and several large cruise ships.

There were also some unusual trees.

We visited Park Guell which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Catalan industrialist and art patron Eusebi Güell commissioned architect Antoni Gaudí, a leading figure of the aesthetic movement in Catalan modernism, to design a park.

In Park Güell, he introduced curved and undulating features—a precursor to the style fully realized in the Sagrada Família which we visited later.

As we walked, we heard some loud screeching and spotted this group of birds.

In the distance, we could see the famous Sagrada Família still under construction since 1882. 

On 19 March 1882, construction of Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style,

Combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the church’s crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.

Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Família’s construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War.  In July 1936, anarchists from the FAI set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí’s original plans.  

In 1939, Francesc de Paula Quintana took over site management, which was able to go on with the material that was saved from Gaudí’s workshop and that was reconstructed from published plans and photographs.  Construction resumed with intermittent progress in the 1950s.

Advancements in technologies such as computer-aided design and computerized numerical control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress, and construction passed the midpoint in 2010.  In 2014, it was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí’s death, but this schedule was threatened by work slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.  In March 2024, an updated forecast reconfirmed a likely completion of the building in 2026, though the announcement stated that work on sculptures, decorative details and a controversial stairway leading to the main entrance is expected to continue until 2034.

The detail is just amazing.  While the work is still not complete, there is a requirement to constantly clean and restore some of the work as the elements play havoc on the exterior.

September 29, 2025 — Barcelona

This morning, we followed our guidebook and did a walking tour of the city.  One store that caught our eye was dedicated to Legos.  Everywhere we went, motorcycles were a major component of the transportation system.

We saw this man putting up a poster on a city street post .This style of advertising is so reminiscent of other European cities…Paris, Berlin.

We walked through La Concepcio which was an enclosed space with various markets selling produce, meats, baked goods, etc.

We enjoyed lunch at a really good restaurant called 3Focs.

After lunch, we toured the city on the top level of a Hop on Hop off bus.

September 30, 2025 – Barcelona & Sitges

This morning, we walked around our local area but at 11:00 we were met by Carlos Castillejo & Ed Welby who had driven up from Sitges to pick us up and take us back to their home.  Long time American Airlines friends of Pat’s, Ed is an international flight attendant, Carlos is a retired flight service manager.  It was so much fun catching up with them.

They drove us to their condominium in Sitges, Spain to have lunch and spend the afternoon.

Sitges is beautiful and quiet.  Seems like a wonderful place to live.

Following a great visit, they drove us back to our hotel.

October 1, 2025 — Barcelona

Today we visited Montserrat.  The trip to this medieval monastery required two trains.  We walked to the train station to follow our guide book on travel to Montserrat. 

Unfortunately, we misread the map and first went to the wrong station.  Friendly guides showed us our error and got us back on track (so to speak).

This train made two stops relevant to Monserrat. To finish the journey to the top we had to choose between a Cable Car, shown below, (no thank you) or the second stop for a Cog Wheel Train.  We chose the latter.

We visited the monastery and the surrounding mountains were spectacular.

The trains run on a tight schedule and we caught the two trains back to Barcelona.

October 2, 2025 — Barcelona

Today we joined the Ponant tour group.

Following a morning walk, we checked out of the NH Hotel and took a taxi to the waterfront to wait for our boarding time. 

The walk along the waterfront was very interesting.  Below is a statue to Columbus but critics have noted that he is pointing in the wrong direction…eastward rather than to the New World in the west.

This afternoon we began our tour organized by Ponant.  We boarded the ship “Le Laperouse”.  The ship accommodates 140 guests and 125 crew.  Very elegant.

The ship did have a very small swimming pool on board. 

Pat managed to get some swimming exercise a couple of mornings.

After the usual safety briefings, we enjoyed cocktails and a wonderful, onboard dinner.

Later that evening we set off for Sete, France.

October 3, 2025 – Sete, France

The city is referred to by locals as the “Venice of Languedoc” because of its many canals. 

After breakfast we boarded a bus and were met with a tour guide for the trip to Montpellier. 

The city was decorated for some celebration.

We walked to the Chateau de Flaugergues Castle where our guide showed us through some of the rooms.

The grounds of the castle were magnificent and a wine tasting was included to top off our visit.

Back on board, there was an afternoon lecture “From Combat to Comfort: The Transformation of the Medieval Castle”.  These lectures were very well done and very informative.

Following dinner, the ship cast off for its next port.

October 4, 2025 – Marseille, France

Marseille, at the mouth of the Rhone River, was founded about 600 BC and is the oldest city in France.

We boarded a bus and were met with a tour guide for the trip to Avignon, which was the seat of the Catholic Papacy for the reign of 7 popes.  Subsequently, the seat was moved to Vatican City, Italy.

We learned that for 39 years from 1378 to 1417, there were two, and later three, rival popes, each with his own following, his own Sacred College of Cardinals, and his own administrative offices.  This period is called the ‘Western Schism’

We toured the Palais des Papes and the lovely squares surrounding.

The plaza below is where we enjoyed lunch.

After lunch we boarded the bus and drove to a ‘Chateauneuf-du-Pape’ for a wine tasting.

In the winery shop they sold some very cute wine bottle holders.

When we walked out of the winery, we discovered that while our bus was in the parking lot, we could not board and had to wait for replacement transportation.  While parking the bus, the driver had struck a solid vine which broke the driver’s side window and knocked off his rear-view mirror.

A bus from another of our boat’s tours diverted to rescue us.

Back on board our boat, the lecture this afternoon was “Ritual, Identity, and Royal Authority in Medieval and Early Modern Europe”.

October 5, 2025 – Nice, France

We met our tour guide for the bus ride to Chateau de la Chevre d’Or.  This château, built on the steep slopes of the French Riviera, offers breath-taking vistas of the Mediterranean.  The area is called the Riviera Cote D’Azur.

From the castle ruins one takes in the whole Riviera. 

The harbor used to be an arsenal.  It was used as a naval base by the Russian fleet in the 19^th century and later by the 6^th U.S. Fleet.

We visited the Garden of Eze.  There was a long climb up narrow, uneven stairs.  

At the top we found the garden of Jean-Philippe Richard.  He was a renowned sculptor who exhibited in many galleries both in France and around the world.

Back on the bus we drove to the villa and gardens of Ephrussi de Rothschild.  Again, the views of the Mediterranean were spectacular.

The exterior of the home was pink with a well for drinking water right outside the front door.

We first toured the gardens which were exquisitely maintained.

Then we toured the house.

After dinner, we again set off to cruise to our next stop.

October 6, 2025 – Portofino, Italy

The port here was too shallow for our ship so this morning we anchored off the coast and used our tender to take groups to shore for their tours.

Once a fishing village, Portofino is now a glamourous resort with pastel buildings and luxury yachts.

We visited the Church of San Giorgio where one could see our ship anchored in the harbor.

A very young goat made its way up to our viewing area and youngsters were determined to make friends.

After returning to the boat, we took a walk and did some shopping.  Pat looked at some scarves. One can always use a colorful scarf!

Walking back, we passed this Vespa scooter with a wild paint job.

Back on the ship we enjoyed another lecture entitled “Of Monasteries and Medieval Cities: Romanesque in France and Italy”.

Again, following dinner, we sailed off to our next port.

October 7, 2025 – Porto Venere, Italy

Again, we anchored off the coast and used our tender.  Porto Venere is located at the mouth of the gulf of LaSpezia. The buildings are brightly colored in pastels.

Using our tender, we cruised along the Ligurian coast to Vernazza, the jewel of the Cinque Terre.

We docked at Monterosso al Mare.  At the end of a long promenade a steep road leads to Doria Castle.

Outside our restaurant one could view the ocean through an unusual opening in the rock.

Back on board, we again enjoyed the fabulous food and beverages provided by Ponant, then set sail for our next port.

October 8, 2025 – Livorno

This morning, we docked at Livorno.  After breakfast, we boarded busses for the city of Lucca which is known for its Renaissance walls and historic charm.  The city hosts several concerts with some big-name entertainers.

They were gearing up for another festival while we visited.  Our guide showed us some of the highlights, then left us to wander the city on our own.

We enjoyed lunch at the Buca L. Antonio restaurant then boarded our bus to Pisa.

In Pisa, the bus was required to park a considerable distance from the tower due to crowds.  The Leaning Tower of Pisa is an amazing sight.  We were told that work had been completed to shore up the foundation to prevent further structural weakness.

None of that stopped some people from climbing the stairs to the top.  We did not.

Again, we enjoyed a wonderful meal.  Following dinner, the ship left for Civitavecchia, our final port with this tour and point of disembarkation. 

October 9, 2025 – Civitavecchia to Naples

Since we were joining a different tour at this point, Ponant left us to our own devices.  We disembarked early and took a taxi to the local train station. We had tickets for the train from the Civitavecchia station to Naples.  The train made a brief stop in Rome but continued to Naples.

In Naples, we checked into Hotel Partenope Relais for two nights before joining our next tour with Overseas Adventure Travel at the Hotel Royal Continental.

We walked along the waterfront to get some exercise and get to know Naples.  Large stones had been placed along the walkway to protect the shoreline from erosion.

The stairs down to this platform were barricaded but ambitious swimmers found a way around and were cooling off in the water.

That evening we discovered the Sorbillo Restaurant which became our favorite for pizza.  Naples claims to be the birthplace of pizza and it is incredibly good.

October 10. 2025 – Naples

This morning, we planned our walk to see areas that were not on the planned trip with OAT.  We walked to the Royal Palace where we found lines waiting to enter. 

In the main plaza there was a display setup for Nextgen AI.

The Royal Palace church is amazing.

We had read about the subterranean city underneath this city and we wanted to see it.  We walked past the entrance twice before we figured out where it was.

The Borbonica Tunnel is an ancient underground passage, constructed for military purposes to connect the Royal Palace to military barracks in Naples, Italy.  The monarchy in the era of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon was fearful of the revolution-prone populace of Naples.

Errico Alvino was commissioned to construct a military passage for troops connecting the Royal Palace of Naples to Via Morelli, boring underneath the hill of Pizzo Falcone and reaching the quartiers San Ferdinando, but also connecting to other tunnels and aqueducts, including the old Carmignano aqueduct (1627–1629).

The monarchy would also not have been ignorant that the Viceroy of Naples in 1647 had nearly been trapped in this urban Royal Palace, and only by luck was able to flee to a nearby convent to escape angry crowds during the Revolt of Masaniello, thus the tunnel could also serve as an escape route for its royal inhabitants.

During the Second World War, the tunnel was used as a shelter during bombardments.

The entrance was terrifying.  We walked into a narrow, dark passageway down some 90 steep stone stairs with a small group of about 10 adults and 5 children.  There was no room to change one’s mind and turn around.  With each step I was dreading the thought that we would have to climb back up.

Fortunately, this was all dug into the side of a hill and the exit was just a walkout at ground level.

The underground rooms were huge with high ceilings.

The collection of old motor bikes and cars was from the end of the Second World War.  They were confiscated for conveying contraband into the city.  Very creepy!

Many rusted automobiles, motorcycles, and scooters had been dumped here.

This was our last evening on our own before joining the OAT tour.  We enjoyed dinner at the restaurant next to our hotel.

October 11, 2025 – Naples

We changed hotels this afternoon and checked into the Hotel Royal Continental.

The hotel was on the waterfront which was a beautiful sight.

Pat was anxious to get some swimming exercise and this hotel had a rooftop pool that was (a) salt water and (b) very cold. She only indulged once!

October 12, 2025 – Naples

This morning, we met with our guide Francesco Dell’Aria in a conference room for about an hour as he explained some rules and gave us some guidelines for the next two weeks.  Rule #1…no talking American politics!  Offenders will be taken off the tour…and he wasn’t kidding.

We were then bussed to the Archeological Museum where we were met with a guide to show us around.

October 13, 2025 – Naples

Following breakfast, we boarded a bus.  This time to Gragnano where we met Satuno and his wife who own a pasta factory.  They explained the process of making pasta and showed us some historical pictures of the old way.

We walked to his place of business where he explained some of the history and process of making pasta.

We were given bibs, a small bowl, a cup of water and some semolina to make our own pasta.  None of us made anything that looked remotely like what sells in stores.  …but we had fun.

This is a pasta town as shown by this painting on the side of a building.

Lunch was at a winery followed by a tour of the vineyard.

In the afternoon, some of us took an optional tour to Herculaneum to see this city which is less well-known than Pompeii and nearby.

In 79 AD, Herculaneum overlooked the sea.  On the night of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, more that 300 of the town’s inhabitants were waiting here for the rescue mission by sea, but the first pyroclastic flow hit the city at 1 AM before they managed to escape.

Herculaneum was rediscovered in 1709 when a well-digger accidentally struck ancient marble.

Founded by the Oscans and later controlled by the Samnites, the town had come under Roman influence in the 4th century BC and had become fully Roman by the end of the 1st century BC, after which it became a popular retreat for aristocrats, wealthy merchants, and imperial officials.

They constructed luxurious seaside villas that featured columned courtyards, detailed frescoes, and private bath suites. 

Builders arranged the town around the steep coastal slope, where they built terraced streets that descended toward the sea and they placed key public buildings along the main streets.

Surveys estimate about 5,000 residents lived there, with urban infrastructure that included heated bathhouses, a gymnasium, a main streetwith covered walkways, and shrines to Roman deities, all of which demonstrate the standard features of Roman civic design combined with local wealth and luxury.

There were public kitchens since not every house had its own.

Homes of some of the wealthier residents had beautiful mosaic tile floors.

There were public baths with women on one side and men on the other.

This was apparently the living room of one of the wealthier inhabitants.

October 14, 2025 – Naples

Today we visited Pompeii.  From almost any point in Naples, one can see Mount Vesuvius in the background. 

Upon entering the grounds, one is first struck by the enormous amphitheater built in 70 BC. 

Two double flight staircases provided access to the upper levels, with access to the other levels being via corridors.

The staircases for the spectators were separated from the arena by a parapet which was once decorated with paintings.

…and Mount Vesuvius looms in the background.

Below is just one of many main streets with stones to preserve the streets for donkey carts.

The city was prepared to meet every need, including a house of prostitution.

Excavation work is still underway for a large section of the city.  They have constructed walkways over the work so visitors can see the progress.

There was a large amphitheater for performances.

Before Italy was able to control access to the site, a great many artifacts were stolen and much was destroyed.  More recently, using modern techniques, they have been able to identify and preserve the bodies of victims.  The bodies were destroyed by the pyroclastic flow but created a cavity.  Filling these cavities, one can see the shape of the body that was burned.

October 15, 2025 – Naples

Today we climbed to the top of Mount Vesuvius.  The buses could only go so far and then we walked.  It was a steep climb with several switchbacks.  It went on and on; up and up.  I had thoughts of not continuing.

Next, quite exhausted, we came to a small shop still not at the top.  Here we met a guide who would take us further up to the top.

From this point, however, the walk was not nearly as steep and was not very long.

Finally, we arrived at the rim and the view inside the volcano was amazing and made the climb worthwhile.

The volcano is still considered to be active. 

There are satellite monitors in several locations around the rim to monitor earthquake activity.

There used to be a cable car to bring tourists to the top but it was damaged during an eruption in the 70’s and not rebuilt.

In the evening, we were divided into 3 groups to enjoy dinner in local resident’s homes.

October 16, 2025 – Ischia Island

Our luggage had been picked up early this morning. 

After breakfast, we were bussed to the dock to take a commercial ferry to the island of Ischia.

We had lunch at a local restaurant and then checked into our hotel. 

In the afternoon, we visited the Aragonese Castle.

October 17, 2025 – Ischia Island

Following breakfast at the hotel, we boarded our bus. 

The first stop was not on the list but was a “surprise treat”.  We stopped at Casa Museo which was created by one man in his spare time. 

The entrance, before climbing the stairs to the main house, was covered with some of the tools the owner used to create this house.

It was quite amazing to see all that he had done with small stones.  Outside was this table with the umbrella and with the eagle on top of the umbrella.  …all decorated with small stone.

For a little erotica, he had this fountain.

Most amazing to me was the bathroom, with all fixtures covered in stone; the bath, the toilet, and the sink.

Also, the kitchen sink with the fireplace next door.

We continued our bus ride to Serrara Fontana.  This is the highest and the smallest municipality of the island.

We enjoyed lunch at the restaurant straight ahead. Further down, we could see the small island we had viewed from above.

Of course, there was a shopping opportunity.

We got back to our hotel late and enjoyed a quiet dinner on our own.

October 18, 2025 – Ischia Island

Following breakfast at the hotel, we drove to the Mortella Gardens.  Built in 1958, La Mortella was the private passion project of William and Lady Susana Walton, a gardening enthusiast and socialite.  It was opened to the public in 1991 and now is routinely ranked among the top gardens in Italy and all of Europe.

William Walton is buried on the property.

We had dinner at a winery and returned to our hotel.

October 19, 2025 – Villa Amore Hotel

We checked out of our hotel and our bus took us to the dock where we boarded the ferry back to Naples.

Upon arrival, we first enjoyed a pizza lunch with three different yard-long pizzas. We then boarded a bus that took us on a long, winding road along the Amalfi Coast waterfront and up into the hills.  The bus again was limited by narrow roads and dropped us off well short of our hotel.  We had a long walk uphill and up over 200 steps to reach our hotel.

We checked into the Villa Amore Hotel where the views from the balcony were spectacular.

It was late in the day and dinner was on our own and the hotel had no restaurant.  The nearest restaurant that was open was halfway back down the climb we had just made.  Several of us opted to order a ham and cheese sandwich which the hotel had delivered.

October 20, 2025 – Villa Amore Hotel

October 20 is our wedding anniversary…somehow, the cat got out of the bag.  Our fellow travelers surprised us with a gift-wrapped bottle of limoncello which they all had signed…what a lovely surprise.

Following breakfast, we hiked the long walk back down to meet our bus.  We drove down to the coast of the town of Amalfi. There we boarded a small boat for a tour all along the Amalfi coast. 

The boat captain’s language skill was excellent and he pointed out many celebrities’ houses.

Back on land, we had time on our own to shop and look around.   We climbed the stairs of this beautiful church.

We met for lunch at a local restaurant.

After lunch we visited a store where they made and sold limoncello.  This is a very strong aperitif and yes, we did sample the product.

Back on the bus, our next stop was the Cloister of Paradise.

We reboarded our bus for the ride back up the hill, again stopping well short of our hotel.  We hiked the long walk back up to our hotel.

October 21, 2025 – Villa Amore Hotel

Following breakfast, we hiked the long walk back down to meet our bus. 

We drove down to the town of Scala where we toured the Villa Rufolo.

We hiked the long walk back up to our hotel and it was starting to rain.  The rain got harder as the afternoon progressed and Pat and I initially decided we would skip the final dinner.

In the evening, we had a very nice farewell cocktail meeting at the hotel with our group.  Fortunately, the rain stopped completely so Pat and I changed our minds and made the walk back down the hill to join the group for dinner on our last night.

October 22, 2025 – Villa Amore Hotel

Our luggage was picked up at 7:30 AM and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast.

At 10:00 AM we hiked back down to meet our taxi to drive to the Naples airport.

The drive was over the mountain instead of along the coast so it only took about an hour.

Our flight left on time at 3 PM and 10 hours later we were back in Chicago. Business class with lie-flat seating never looked so good!