The island of Mallorca has a long and storied history including the Romans and the Moors. In recent years it has transitioned from an agricultural economy to tourism. The highlights of our tour of the capital city of Palma included Castell de Bellver and Catedral de Mallorca.
A port day in Barcelona gave us just enough time to get a brief introduction to the rich history and culture of the capital of Catalan.
It was an incredible experience to actually walk the streets of Pompeii, once a bustling resort town in the Roman Empire until 79 AD when an apocalyptic explosion buried it under 20 feet of volcanic ash. Archeological excavations since the 19th Century continue to reveal evidence of a thriving community.
Once the largest cruise ship in the world, Allure of the Seas will be our home for the next seven nights as we cruise the Western Mediterranean and explore the eighteen decks of this behemoth.
Our recent travel misadventures seriously curtailed our time in Rome pre-cruise but we did get to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before making the trip to Civitavecchi for an overnight in the port city of Rome preparatory to departing on Allure of the Seas tomorrow.