Mother's Voice and Doorways

Robin Crane

Oct 28

5 min read

This may seem strange to some, but perhaps relatable to others. Before, during, and after this trip, I prayed. Mostly for safety, because I am a bit of a nervous traveler. Here’s the weird part—the answers I hear in my head come in my mother’s voice. Somehow, after my mother passed away, the Almighty inherited her voice.

This was our first time traveling across the Atlantic. I don’t want to bore you, my readers, so I’ll just give you a quick glimpse of each place, along with a few pictures.

We left Charlotte on a rainy day that luckily did not affect our overnight nonstop flight to Rome. Other than being extremely long, the flight was uneventful. I watched my movies, munched on snacks, and caught a few hours of sleep.

Rome, Italy

We could see the Colosseum from our Airbnb! After dropping our suitcases, we grabbed coffee and a slice of pizza before heading out to explore. We both had our new Pacsafe bags strapped on, complete with phone tethers, daring a pickpocket to just try us. I think I have a permanent mark from wearing that bag for 14 days straight!

The Colosseum, Rome—Nearly 2,000 years of history
Together in the heart of Rome
Where gladiators once fought

Running on fumes and pure excitement, we saw the Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and Spanish Steps. We ate pizza and gelato, drank too much Chianti and too many Aperol spritzes! We met up with friends we’ve known since 1982 and, naturally, ate more pizza!!!

Sorrento, Italy

The next day, we boarded our ship in Civitavecchia, Italy. Didn’t get to hang out there, but it looked fun! Our floating hotel meandered down the Italian coast to Sorrento, where we headed off to explore Pompeii. Just amazing! As I walked those ancient streets, I realized they were already there during Jesus’ lifetime. That gave me something to think about! We finished our day in Sant’Agnello with several delicious limoncello spritzes and, you guessed it, more pizza!!!

Haunting reminder of Pompeii's final moments in A.D. 79.
2,000 year old streets.
Cheers!

Messina, Sicily

I have to admit, I was really feeling the exhaustion at this point. But that didn’t stop us! From Messina, we took a bus to the beautiful villages of Savoca and Forza d’Agrò, where two churches and a restaurant were filming locations for The Godfather movies. Both towns were practically empty! I ate the best cannoli of my life. Nothing like the cardboard they serve in the US!

Notice "Grandfather" shirt not "Godfather!"
Italy Kitty
We clean up nice.

Valletta, Malta

By the time we reached Malta, our brains and bodies were finally beginning to accept the time change. This was the most unusual place I'd ever been. Another bus ride took us to the dramatic Dingli Cliffs, the catacombs in Rabat, and the ancient walled city of Mdina. Everything felt arid and so different from Italy. Pretty cool, but one and done!

An ornate stone doorway in historic Mdnia, Malta.
Ancient catacombs beneath the streets of Malta.
See the oculus?

Zakynthos, Greece

Who booked this cruise? Not one sea day to recover. My Lord! Overnight, we sailed nearly 400 miles across the Mediterranean to the Greek island of Zakynthos. It was a stormy night, but thankfully, we arrived under clear skies. Running on almost no sleep, we ate and drank our way through the island. I bought a new hat!

Corfu, Greece

Not my favorite, but to be fair, I wasn’t feeling well. I might not have been the most agreeable girl that day, but I got up, walked the streets of Corfu, and made sure I ate some Greek food. Honestly, I think I enjoyed my afternoon nap more than Corfu!

That night we spotted fires burning along the Albanian coast.

Kotor, Montenegro

I had recovered, and boy, am I glad! Kotor was so pretty!!! Our tour that day scared the fire out of me, and that’s just how I like it! I swore our bus was going to go off a cliff, and the newspapers would report an American couple who perished on a mountainside above the Bay of Kotor. It was terrific, and I’m not done with Kotor!

Dubrovnik, Croatia

I had never heard of the Dalmatian Coast until this trip. I am a fan! Dubrovnik was another favorite. I took about 90,000 pictures of doors because that’s the nerd I am. Most were green, a color our tour guide called Dubrovnik green. He explained how beautifully it complements the tan stone walls and orange rooftops. Not sure what I’ll paint, but something in my house is going Dubrovnik green! I realized that those old, worn colors were my favorite part. Like eye candy to me! Another walled city filled with history. I will return!

Zadar, Croatia

Despite the threat of rain, we headed off to Krka National Park, a beautiful place filled with waterfalls. Afterward, we took a boat to the charming town of Skradin, which we practically had to ourselves! We ended the day along the waterfront in Zadar, sitting in the mist and listening to the Sea Organ play. Enchanting. I never expected to love Croatia as much as I did. In fact, I liked it better than Greece! Who knew?

Koper, Slovenia

No rest! The next day, we discovered another charming town. One advantage of our small ship was that it pulled right up to the pier. We walked down three floors, and off we went! Nothing like the cattle calls at Caribbean ports. We could even dash back to our cabin to change, eat for free, and head out again.

Koper had a medieval feel to it. It was also where I believe we stumbled upon a hint of evil.

We twisted our way through empty cobblestone alleys, finding little squares where Christmas decorations were just beginning to go up. I loved the tall doors lining the historic streets. Barrett and I were walking arm in arm when the hair on the back of my neck prickled. I looked to my left, and just like something out of a scary movie, a man quickly turned away and lit a cigarette.

Then came the Almighty, speaking in my mother’s voice. “Robin, turn around. Go fast.”

I jerked Barrett’s arm. “Come on, we’re moving on!” I could hear the man’s footsteps behind us, but with one quick turn, we were back on a street filled with people. The man darted past us. I do not know what, if anything, might have happened. But I wasn’t sticking around to find out!

Venice, Italy

Our final stop! We traveled from the port to our hotel, threw down our luggage once again, and were exploring historic Venice by 11:00 a.m. I loved it, but much like Rome, it was just too crowded. We ate, drank, and walked as far as our tired legs would carry us.

After admiring St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, and the other famous sights, we finally found a place to sit and rest in St. Mark’s Square.

If you’re considering a trip like this, just be aware that October doesn’t necessarily mean fewer crowds anymore. I’m so happy I saw Rome and Venice, but the crowds made it difficult to truly appreciate everything. And the noise! It’s hard to soak in all that beauty and history when you’re surrounded by so many people.

I have to say, I learned so much! I would do it all again with a few changes, but you don’t know until you go! Small-ship cruising? Gets a yes from me. Next time, I’d book a longer cruise with a few sea days to rest, catch my breath, and do some laundry.

I also wouldn’t worry so much about clothes. Next time, I’m only taking my hiking pants! All those pockets came in handy, and they washed and dried in a jiffy. I wore my black Altra walking shoes and never had a moment of foot pain. My thin cream jacket from Walmart (yes, Walmart!), crossbody bag, and hat became my everyday uniform.

Now I know!