A Report from the First Annual David Girard Vineyards Wine Club Cruise

April 8, 2007

OLD WORLD ECSTACY

The David Girard Vineyards Wine Club had the first of what we expect to be an annual cruise and the air of excitement continues to linger over our Rhone varietals.

Fourteen of our wine club members flew out of San Francisco for a 10 day adventure on one of Oceania cruises  ships, the Insignia.  Oceania is ranked one of the top three cruise lines in the world by Conde Nast and offers country club luxury at an affordable price.

And what an adventure it was!  Sailing out of Barcelona within sight of the famed statue of Christopher Columbus with his outstretched arm pointing west, ports of call included Marseilles with an opportunity to visit the delightful city of Aix-in-Provence or the french city of the Popes, Avignon or the vineyards of Chateauneuf de Pape.

Continuing east to Monte Carlo and the famed casino and opera house – where Kay Boyd’s distant grandmother performed – with a visit to Eze, a beautiful quaint walking city whose spectacular view of the med is truly breathtaking.  Then along the Cote d Azure to Cannes, Nice and Antibes.

Moving ever east, the next port of call was Livorno, the port city for Florence.  With a visit enroute to Pisa, a walk on the Ponte Veccio and the awe of the Domo, it is truly a city to live in memory.

The next port of call was Civitavecchia, port city for Rome.  What more can be said about the eternal city?  The Vatican museums, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Collesseum, the Forum, the Circus, and the sight where Caesar was slain. Simply not enough time.

On to Amalfi/Poisitano and the beauty of the Italian coast dotted with village after village, each a treat of its own.  A trip to Pompeii, truly fascinating and much larger than anticipated.

Messina, Sicily may have had the least to offer.  Although Taomarino is an interesting seaside resort.  We were about a week early for the most recent eruption of Mt. Etna, surely the gods smiled on us.

Malta, the island made famous for its Knights of St. John’s defense against the moors and its annual rent to Philip of Spain of one Maltese Falcon per year!  A very small island with a great deal to offer.

On to the greek island of Santorini.  Some theorists suggest that the Isrealites safe crossing of the Red Sea was a natural event due to a tsunami caused by the eruption of the volcano which took away half the island in that same time period.

Finally, Athens and the majestic Acropolis.  The Agora where Socrates was imprisoned and died from hemlock.  The oracle of Delphi, Thermopole where the 300 Spartans died defending Greece from the on slaught of the Persians, Corinth and the Temple to Poisidon.  A wonderful ending to a tremendous adventure.