Brilliance of the Seas Eastern Mediterranean Cruise, June/July 2003

Use the navigation bar to go directly to your port of call, then click on a photograph to enlarge... 
  

Click on the image to reveal further photographs of the ship & her passengers    Maiden Voyage: 19 July 2002 Passenger Capacity: 2,501 Gross Tonnage: 90,090 Length: 962' Beam: 105.6' Draft: 26.7' Cruising Speed: 25 knots Further detail can be obtained from: Royal Caribbean International & Meyer Werft Shipyard

Spain's traditional alternate capital, Barcelona is a millennium older than Madrid.  Spain's largest port and second largest city, Barcelona is a fascinating mix of modern and medieval architecture.

La Sagrada Familia Built in 1882 by Gaudi, this structure is still under construction today.

Villefranche is a charming little town nestled against the hillside overlooking the bay between Nice & Monte Carlo.  The pace here is slow and the atmosphere restful.

View from the harbour

Livorno, the Tuscan port for Florence, is one of Italy's most important sea ports and home to the Italian naval academy.   62 miles away from Livorno, Florence is a small city lying at the foot of the Apennines, in the broad valley of the Arno River.

Florence The Ponte Vecchio (left) is the oldest bridge remaining in Florence, lined with goldsmiths' shops, it appears to be a normal street.  The Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) can be seen on the right	Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore is the second largest cathedral in the world.  Started in 1296 and built in gothic style, it took 140 years to complete	A copy of Michelangelo's statue of David adorns the stairway of the Palazzo della Signoria, which dominates the cities largest square - Piazza della Signoria

Lying at the foot of a range of low hills on the west coast, Naples is the third largest city in Italy.  It's proximity to the beauty of the Amalfi Coast, the famous Isle of Capri and the archaeological sites of Pompeii & Herculaneum attract many tourists.

Mount Vesuvius.  The only active volcano on mainland Europe.  There have been may notable eruptions, the most well-known being that of 79 AD, which damaged Pompeii & Herculaneum.		Pompeii.  The town, buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, lies 14 miles from Naples and is regarded as the best preserved specimen of an Ancient Roman town.
The Coast Sorrento can be seen through the haze

Venice, originally a small fishing settlement, is a beautiful & unique city built on 118 alluvial islets within a lagoon in the Gulf of Venice.  It's modern canal system includes more than 100 narrow canals crossed by some 400 footbridges.

St Mark's Bell Tower (left) is a copy of the original 9th century Bell Tower that collapsed in 1902.  Doge's Palace (right) is the residence of the Doges & the seat of the Government, situated next to St Mark's Basilica	St Mark's Basilica Built in 830, originally a chapel for the Doge's.  The present  Basicila dates from the 11th Century and contains mosaics, precious art & rare marbles.	St Mark's Square
The Bridge of Sighs Built in the 17th century, this bridge connects Doge's Palace (left) with the old prisons (right).	Grand Canal The main waterway of Venice, which is approximately 2 miles in length & crossed by 3 bridges	Rialto Bridge This bridge, built in 1577, spans the Grand Canal around it's midpoint

A premier destination on the Adriatic coast, Dubrovnik has retained medieval character with its city walls, forts, monasteries and government buildings.

The City & it's Walls	The Adriatic

Corfu has long been considered one of Greece's loveliest islands.  Corfu town, one of Greece's largest medieval towns, is beautifully preserved with cobblestone alleyways which wind past churches, fountains and statues.

Corfu Town	Leaving Corfu

Civitavecchia, is the chief port of Rome. A 90 minute drive from Civitavecchia, Rome is the intellectual, cultural and religious centre of Italy.  The 3 million residents of the city contend with a contrast of busy streets and squares brimming with works of art, beautiful fountains and monuments to history.

The Vatican This tiny sovereign state contains the residence of the Pope, the world's largest church and many art treasures	The Swiss Guards who are responsible for protecting the Vatican	St Peters Basilica The largest Catholic church ever built	Michelangelo's Pieta

The Arch of Constantine Erected in 315 AD to honour the Emperors Victory  over Pagan forces and Rome's conversion to Christianity.	The Forum Adjoining Palatine Hill, the Forum is now a mass of ruins.  This was once the commercial, civil & religious centre of Rome.	The Colosseum The arena of games & gladiators & the largest structure of its kind.  The building was capable of seating 50,000 spectators.  Today approx. 1/3 of the original building remains.

Stromboli, one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, is one of the Aeolian Islands of Italy.  It is approx. 3  miles (2 km) in diameter and 2,900 feet (900 m) above sea level. It rises 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above the floor of the Tyrrhenian Sea		The view from alongside The Royal Clipper, whilst our Doctor was attending a medial emergency onboard

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