STAR COLLECTOR: ROMANCE OF THE WEST MED

The airport for Puerto La Cruz in northeast on the Caribbean. Isla de Margarita is off the coast.

In northeast Corsica on the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Calvi is an ancient fortress port on Corsica, closest port to France. It was the capital of Corsica for 500 years. It is divided into two sections, the Haute-Ville, which includes the ancient fortress; and Base-Ville, which includes the port district.

Cartagena, (kär´te-jê´ne) city (1985 pop. 563,949), capital of Bolívar dept., NW Colombia, a port on the Bay of Cartagena, in the Caribbean Sea. Oil-refining and the manufacture of leather, textile, and tobacco goods are major industries, and there is an expanding petrochemical complex. Founded in 1533, Cartagena became the treasure city of the Spanish Main, where precious New World minerals awaited transshipment to Spain. It was often sacked despite its massive fortifications, some of which still stand. It declared its independence from Spain in 1811 and was incorporated into Colombia in 1821. Its rapid development in the 20th cent. was due largely to the discovery of oil in the Magdalena basin. One of the most picturesque of Latin American cities, with shady plazas and cobblestone streets, Cartagena attracts many tourists.

Today the port of Civitavecchia has the advantage of being the Italian “stepping stone to the Mediterranean” thanks to its excellent weather conditions and ideal geographical location.

From Civitavecchia it is a train ride to almost anywhere in Italy and a quick jaunt to Sardinia. Its position has helped make it the main national coastal shipping port.

Portugal is for explorers. Its valiant seamen first charted the Azores, discovered Japan, and unlocked the major sea routes the world over. Now you can share the anticipation they must have felt as you explore this exciting city.

You’ll discover an 8th-century Moorish castle, quaint cafes and a palm-studded coastline. The Alfama district is a maze of narrow, twisting streets, whitewashed houses, flowered balconies, archways, terraces and courtyards that charm your socks off. (And if you can find your way out of this dizzying array, 20th-century Lisbon is just as intoxicating.)

Of course, if you’d rather play by the sea, the Portuguese Riviera lies just outside town, offering something for everyone, from sun, sand and surf to thrilling casinos. Lisbon is a vast garden abounding with flowers and tropical plants. The city’s appeal lies in the magnificent vistas from its many belvederes and in the tree-lined avenues and squares decorated with mosaic pavements.

Resting along Andalusia’s bright Costa del Sol is the picturesque port of Malaga, birthplace of Pablo Picasso. At the Malaga Cathedral see the natural wood carvings of artist Pedro de Mena and visit the Gibralfaro Castle. Then continue on to the ancient city of Granada, high into the Sierra Nevada mountains. Here lies the spectacular Alhambra, the grand
fortress of the last Moorish rulers of Spain and one of the largest structures in the world. Inside is Isabella’s priceless collection of European paintings. The Granada Cathedral is the site where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are buried along with their daughter.

Rome wasn’t built in a day…but you can tour it in just over 10 hours. A teeming anthill of humanity and antiquity intermingled with awful traffic jams, Rome grew up on the Tiber (“Fiume Tevere”) among seven low hills that rise from the river’s soggy eastern banks. It’s a city of many peeling layers of history, of which the bottom layer–that of the earliest Roman centuries–is the most interesting and still astonishingly whole. The hub of this layer is the Palatine Hill, the Forum, the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus.

On the western bank is the Citta Vaticana, the independent papal city where the Pope blesses pilgrims from all over the world. Neighboring Trastevere (“Across the Tiber”) is a mix of Roman, Greek and Jewish subcultures, great for little restaurants and nightlife. Further north on the other bank is “vecchia Roma,” medieval Rome of the Pantheon and Piazza Navona; Renaissance Rome is centered south of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Commercial Rome is the city of the Via del Corso, the Piazza del Popolo, the controversial Victor Emmanuel monument and finally the Stazione Termini, the nexus for all trains and roads from Rome.

Called the “Gateway to Morocco”, Tangier overlooks the Straits of Gibraltar, sitting on a dazzling bay with a view of the southern coast of Spain. It has been a shipping center as well as a tourist attraction for hundreds of years. French and Islamic influences meet and merge in this fascinating old city. Mosques and minarets overlook the shadowy streets of the bazaar, while the higher part of town, with its broad boulevards and lovely parks, looks down on the ocean.

While it’s a compelling sort of city and a popular port of entry for tourists, Tangier is also home to some of the world’s best hustlers. Perched on Morocco’s northern tip, its international flavour remains strong; as does its reputation for inspiring shady deals and foreign misfits.

The city’s central Petit Socco is the focus of attention. Back in the days when Tangier was a neutral international zone, this area provided the background for the seediest of lifestyles and it hasn’t completely lost this air. Shady scenes aside, it is the kasbah that interests many visitors. It contains the 17th-century Dar el-Makhzen, the former sultan’s palace and now a good museum. The nearby American Legation Museum is a fascinating reminder that Morocco was the first country to recognise American Independence. Tangier is five hours from Rabat by train, and an easy ferry ride from Spain or Gibraltar.

Visit Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California.