European Capitals / Tapestry Cruise

June 8-20, 2005 - Departing from Civitavecchia/Rome aboard Holland America's ms Westerdam (Ports of call: departing Civitavecchia/Rome, Napoli, Sorrento, Capri, Pompeii Italy, Catania Italy, Valletta Malta, Cartagena, Spain, Ceuta, Spanish Morocco, Cadiz, Spain, Lisbon, Portugal, Vigo, Spain, Le Havre/Paris, France, arriving Copenhagen, Denmark)
As LOW as $1779*

Toll free in US 888-999-4880 or
702-655-0919.
http://www.cardplayercruises.com

Ports Of Call:

Civitavecchia / Italy:

Civitavecchia ( che ' vetä-vek ' keä ) , city (1991 pop. 51,201), in Latium, W central Italy, on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The harbor, favored by Trajan (early 2d cent. A.D. ), is still the chief port of Rome. It also handles traffic for the Terni industrial area and is the main maritime link with Sardinia. Industries produce metals, machinery, chemicals, and cement. The arsenal in Civitavecchia was built by Bernini, and Michelangelo directed the final stages of the construction of the powerful citadel (begun 1508, nearly destroyed in World War II).

Back Top

Napoli / Italy:

Na·ples ( na ' plz ) also Na·po·li ( nä ' pô-le )
Naples is beautifully situated at the base and on the slopes of the hills enclosing the Bay of Naples. The bay, dominated by Mt. Vesuvius, extends from Cape Misena in the north to the Sorrento peninsula in the south and is dotted with towns and villas. Near its entrance are the islands of Capri, Ischia, and Procida. Naples is a crowded and noisy city, famous for its songs, festivals, and gaiety. Especially interesting parts of the city are the Old Spacca Quarter (the heart of Old Naples) and the seaside Santa Lucia sector.

Back Top

Sorrento:

Sorrento is a small city in Campania , Italy ; the resident population 16,459 ( 1996 ). It is a popular vacation destination, particularly among British visitors. The town can be reached easily from Naples and Pompeii , as it lies at the south-eastern end of the CircumVesuviana railroad line. The town overlooks the bay of Naples and its the main place of a peninsula between the bays of Naples and Salerno , and many viewpoints in the city allow sight of Naples itself (visible across the bay) and Vesuvius.

Back Top

Capri:

Ca·pri ( k?-pre ' , kap ' re, kä ' pre )
Capri island (1987 est. pop. 7,750), 4 sq mi (10.4 sq km), Campania, S Italy, in the Bay of Naples off the tip of the Sorrento Peninsula. It is an international tourist center, celebrated for its striking scenery, delightful climate, and luxurious vegetation. There are two small towns on the island, Capri and Anacapri. The Blue Grotto is the most famous of the many caves along the island's high, precipitous coast. Monte Solaro, the highest point (1,932 ft/589 m), commands a magnificent view. On the island are remains of the 12 fine villas built there by the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. The local architecture has Roman, Norman, and Arabic features.

Back Top

Pompeii:

Pompeii ( pompa ' , Ital. pompe ' e ) , ancient city of S Italy, a port near Naples and at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. Possibly an old Oscan settlement, it was a Samnite city for centuries before it passed under Roman rule at the time of Lucius Cornelius Sulla (1st cent. B.C. ). Pompeii was not only a flourishing port but a prosperous resort with many villas. An earthquake in A.D. 63 did much damage, and an eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in A.D. 79 (which was described by Pliny the Younger) buried Pompeii, along with Herculaneum and Stabiae, under cinders and ashes that preserved the ruins of the city with magnificent completeness-down to the fresh colors of the wall paintings. The long-forgotten site of the city was rediscovered in 1748 and has been sporadically excavated since that time. The habits and manners of life in Roman times have been revealed in great detail at Pompeii by the plan of the streets and footpaths, the statue-decorated public buildings, and the simple shops and homes of the artisans. The houses and villas have yielded rare and beautiful examples of Roman art. Among the most famous are the house of the Vetti, the villa of the Mysteries, and, in the suburbs of Pompeii, the villa of the Boscoreale.

Back Top

Catania:

Catania ( kätä ' nyä ) , city (1991 pop. 333,075), capital of Catania prov., E Sicily, Italy, on the Gulf of Catania, an arm of the Ionian Sea, and at the foot of Mt. Etna. It is a busy port and a major commercial, agricultural, and industrial center. Manufactures include chemicals, silk and cotton textiles, processed food, and asphalt. The city also has a fishing industry. Founded (late 8th cent. B.C. ) by Chalcidian colonists, Catania was a flourishing Greek town and was later a Roman colony. It was rebuilt after earthquakes in 1169 and 1693 and after a severe volcanic eruption in 1669. In 1862, Garibaldi organized at Catania his expedition to Rome that was stopped at Aspromonte. The city was heavily damaged in World War II. Points of interest include the extensive Bellini Gardens (named for the 19th-century composer, who was born in Catania); the cathedral (originally built in the 11th cent.); and Ursino castle, built (13th cent.) by Emperor Frederick II. The city has a university (founded 1444) and an observatory.

Back Top

Valletta / Malta:

Valletta ( v?let ' ? ) , city (1994 est. pop. 9,129), capital of Malta, NE Malta. It is strategically located on a rocky promontory between two deep harbors. Dockyards line the harbors and employ more workers than any other industry. Tourism is also an important industry. A 16th-century town, with many relics of the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (the Knights Hospitalers, or Knights of Malta), Valletta contains a 16th-century cathedral, the old governor's palace, the Royal Univ. (1769), a National Museum of Fine Arts, and a library with a museum of antiquities. The city was severely damaged by air raids in World War II.

Back Top

Cartagena /Spain:

Cartagena is a seaport in southeast Spain on the Mediterranean Sea , in the autonomous community of Murcia
The coordinates of Cartagena are 37º36' N, 0º59' W
It is a walled town and has a fine harbor defended by forts. In the time of Philip II of Spain , it was a major naval seaport of Spain. It's still an important naval seaport and there is a big naval shipyard.
It was founded about 230 BC by Carthaginian General Hasdrubal as Carthago Nova ( New Carthage . Incidentally Qart Hadast , the Punic name of Carthago means "new city".) When it was taken by Scipio in 209 BC it was said to be one of the richest cities in the world.
Cartagena has a lot of archaeologic sites. All over the old centre you can find showcases with remains of roman buildings.

Back Top

Ceuta:

Ceuta ( thau ' tä ) , city (1994 pop. 71,926), c.7 sq mi (18 sq km), NW Africa, a possession of Spain, on the Strait of Gibraltar. An enclave in Morocco, Ceuta is administered as an integral part of Cádiz prov., Spain. It is located on a peninsula whose promontory forms one of the Pillars of Hercules . The city, which has a European appearance, is a free port, with a large harbor and ample wharves; it is also a refueling and fishing port. Food processing is an important activity, and tourism is growing. Ceuta is connected with Tétouan, Morocco, by road and rail.

Back Top

Spanish Morocco:

Spanish Morocco , sometimes called Spanish Sahara , was the area of Morocco ruled by Spain from up to 1956 , when France and Spain recognised Moroccan independence. The capital of Spanish Morocco was called Tetuan . The territories of Spanish Morocco included Northern Morocco , the Tarfaya area and Sidi Ifni .
There was a Spanish presence in the area from the time of the 15th century explorations, with formal Spanish possession from the mid- 19th century .

In 1956 , when French Morocco became independent, Spain surrendered parts of its territories to the newly independent Morocco, but retained control of Ceuta , Melilla , Sidi Ifni and Tarfaya region. In 1958 , Spain ceded Tarfaya and in 1969 , Spain ceded Sidi Ifni to Morocco. Spain still possesses Ceuta and Melilla. They were Spanish since 15th century and 16th century respectively. Morocco still claims Ceuta and Melilla to be part of Morocco.

Back Top

Cadiz / Spain:

Cá·diz ( k?-diz ' , ka ' diz, kä ' -, kä ' TH eth, - TH es )
A city of southwest Spain northwest of Gibraltar on the Gulf of Cádiz, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. Cádiz was founded c. 1100 B.C. by Phoenicians and passed to the Carthaginians (c. 500 B.C. ), Romans (third century A.D. ), Moors (711), and the kingdom of Castile (1262). Its port was a base for Spanish treasure ships after the conquest of the Americas. Population: 133,000.

Back Top

Lisbon / Portugal:

Lisbon the capital and largest city of Portugal, in the western part of the country on the Tagus River estuary. An ancient Iberian settlement, it was held by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, taken by the Romans in 205 B.C. , and conquered by the Moors c. A.D. 714. Reconquered by the Portuguese in 1147, it flourished in the 16th century during the heyday of colonial expansion in Africa and India. The city was devastated by a major earthquake in 1755. Population: 517,000.

Back Top

Vigo / Spain:

Vigo ( ve ' go ) , city (1990 pop. 279,986), Pontevedra prov., NW Spain, in Galicia, on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean. A naval base and one of the most active ports of Spain, it has the country's most important fishing fleet. It also has shipyards, canneries, petroleum and sugar refineries, and various light industries. In 1702 a Franco-Spanish fleet, escorting galleons loaded with American gold and precious stones, was destroyed in the Bay of Vigo by the British and the Dutch; several galleons were sunk, and it is believed that much of the treasure is still at the bottom of the bay. The port was captured by the British in 1719.

Back Top

Le Havre / France:

Havre, Le ( l? ä ' vr? ) , city (1990 pop. 195,932), Seine-Maritime dept., N France, in Normandy, at the mouth of the Seine River on the English Channel. It was founded in 1517 as Le Havre-de-Grâce by Francis I. Le Havre became a major seaport in the 19th cent. and is now the second-most-important port in France after Marseilles. It was a major port for transatlantic travel until the advent of widespread commercial air travel in the 1970s. Among the city's industries are oil refining and the manufacture of automobiles, cement, synthetic rubber, and fertilizers. During World War II the British bombed the city to prevent its use by the Germans for an invasion of England.

Back Top

Copenhagen / Denmark:

Copenhagen ( ko ' p?nha ' g?n, -hä ' g?n ) , Dan. København ( kö ' b?nhoun ' ), city (1992 pop. 464,566; metropolitan area 1,339,395), capital of Denmark and of Copenhagen co., E Denmark, on E Sjælland and N Amager islands and on the resund. It is a major commercial, fishing, and naval port and is Denmark's chief commercial, industrial, and cultural center. It is also a rail hub. The Store Bælt bridge (1998), between Sjælland and Fyn islands, links the city to Denmark's mainland; the resund Fixed Link (2000) connects the city with Malmö, Sweden. Manufactures include ships, machinery, pharmaceuticals, processed food, beer, textiles, plastics, marine engines, furniture, and the celebrated Copenhagen ware.http://www.answers.com

Back Top

Europe Ports of Call

North America
Ports of Call

Central America
Ports of Call

Caribbean
Ports of Call