Wind Spirit, Romance of the West Med ex Rome to Lisbon

17 Night Cruise sailing from Rome to Lisbon aboard Wind Spirit.

Highlights of this cruise:

Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and the capital of Catalonia. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean and enjoys a mild climate all year round.Barcelona is one of Europe’s largest and most successful ports and one of the world’s leading cities in art and architecture.

From the modern cruise terminal at the docks you will need a taxi or tour to see the artistic beauty of this unique destination, credited to the talents of Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Antonio Gaudi, Jose Clara and others. Stroll the mosaic-paved Ramblas, the city's social hub, with open-air cafes, street entertainers and flower displays. See its unique Catalonian cultural heritage in the ancient Gothic Quarter, the surrealistic architecture of Antonio Gaudi and some outstanding museums.

Sights of interest include the Columbus Monument, the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (1298 to 1454), the Maritime Museum, Picasso Gallery, La Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's unfinished cathedral), Palau Guell (Gaudi mansion) and the Olympic stadiums.

Rome
Rome is one of the most popular cities in the world and is a history lesson in itself. Key sites include the Vatican City, The Forum, the Colosseum and the ruins of the Circus Maximus. There are many museums and art galleries, with works by Raphael, Bottecelli, Pinturicchio and Belini and many more.

The Vatican City has many spectacular buildings and churches to visit principle amongst which is the Sistine Chapel with its Michelangelo ceiling. It is the world's smallest independent sovereign state and also features St. Peter's Basilica was built over 1,500 years ago the Vatican Library hand the Vatican Garden.

Modern Rome is a city of restaurants, open piazza's, wonderful shopping and more.

Valencia
Valencia is a charming old city and the capital of the Valencia province of Spain that is well worth a visit. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea approximately 4 hours to the south of Barcelona and 3 hours to the east of Madrid. Valencia is famous for its Fallas festival in March, for being the birthplace of paella, for hosting the 2007 America´s Cup, and for the massive architectural project by Santiago Calatrava called The City of Arts and Sciences.

There used to be a river running through the centre of the city but the river was redirected a while back and so now there's a beautiful park where the river used to be. This is a very nice place to while away any free time you have in the city on a sunny day.

Valencia has something for everyone, long beaches of golden sand on the coast, inland mountain ranges, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, golf courses and sailing lessons, culture and entertainment, holy shrines, exquisite cuisine, good business, interesting congresses and conventions.

Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal. a lively and multicultural place. Pre World War I wooden trams clank up steep gradients, past mosaic pavements and Art Nouveau cafés, and the medieval, village-like quarter of Alfama hangs below the city's castle.

Modern Lisbon has kept an easy-going pace and boasts a vibrant, cosmopolitan identity from large communities of Africans and Asians. In 1994, Lisbon was European City of Culture, while in 1998 the city hosted the last great Expo of the millennium.

There are few monuments and little art in Lisbon, largely due to the 1755 earthquake. There is one building from Portugal's golden age – the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos at Belém – that is the equal of any monument in the country. More modern developments include the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian museum complex and the Tómas Taveira's amazing postmodernist shopping centre at Amoreiras.