Getaway Guide To Columbus Facts & Exotic Travels
With the arrival of Columbus Day weekend, we mark 524 years since a great milestone in ocean navigation echoed with the cry of, "Land Ho." Christopher Columbus and his near mutinous crew were about to make landfall in what they believed to be a "New World." But had it previously been visited by Europeans and just what do we know about Columbus? One thing we know is that he explored destinations that are still considered exotic by adventurous getaway seekers. So, let's consider some fun facts about the Admiral and the possibility of traveling in his wake. -- Jay Lloyd
THE COLUMBUS VISAGE
The are many portraits of Christopher Columbus, but no two are alike. He never sat for an artist and was a figment of their collective imaginations. An amazing collection of Columbus portraits can be seen at the monastery of La Rabida in Palos, Spain. The room where Columbus met with representatives of the crown to propose his voyage has a scenic view of a Columbus monument presented to Spain by the United States at the confluence of two rivers where he set sail. Not easy to get to. Fly to Madrid, then a combination of connecting plane, train and bus. Or rent a car at Madrid.
DID COLUMBUS ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE HE WAS GOING?
On the lazy island of Porto Santo in the Eastern Atlantic, legend has it that Columbus, while living there, met a dying Portuguese navigator who told him of a land rich in gold, and revealed the sailing directions. Columbus married the daughter of the island's Governor and remained in Porto Santo while he conceived his own voyage. The Columbus home can be visited on this remote island off the coast of Morocco with a picturesque harbor, wonderful fishing, beaches, small restaurants, beach bars and a laid back lifestyle. Again, difficult to reach. Fly to Lisbon and connect to Madeira where you can get a fast ferry to Porto Santo.
COLUMBUS THE NEGOTIATOR
Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand bankrolled the voyage, but Columbus exacted a hefty reward. He garnered the title, "Admiral of the Ocean Sea". He would become Governor of all lands that he discovered and reap one-tenth of the money and gold that came from the enterprise. The rewards would continue to be paid to his heirs. He became the first European to establish a settlement in North American waters on the island of Hispaniola, now Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It's easy to reach the D.R. There are daily flights to Santo Domingo and Punta Cana from Philadelphia and Newark.
COLUMBUS AND THE VIRGINS
Did you know that it was Christopher Columbus who charted and named the Virgin Islands? For whatever reason, they brought to mind the legend of Saint Ursula and her 11,000 virgins. The island that he named Virgin Gorda, appeared to his eye, to have the contour of a reclining rotund virgin. It is a wonderful place to visit. At a mountain top restaurant called the Top of the Baths, you can see all of the British and American Virgins along the Sir Francis Drake Channel, a sailor's delight. Easy to reach. Fly to St. Thomas from Philadelphia or Newark and then ferry to Virgin Gorda. Or charter a sailboat in St. Thomas and do it the Admiral's way.
CHASING THE QUEEN
Columbus set out for home from his epic first voyage, minus his flagship, the Santa Maria. On Christmas eve, off the coast of Hispaniola, a ship's "Boy" manning the tiller, fell asleep and wrecked the pride of Columbus's fleet on a coral reef. Then with the Admiral, now aboard the Nina on the return voyage, he sailed too far north before turning east and landed at Lisbon instead of a Spanish Port. Making his way to the Queen at Seville, he discovered the court was traveling the country. He finally caught up in Barcelona to toot his triumphant horn.
A tall column and statue stand in his honor at the place where he was greeted by Isabella. It towers over the foot of La Rambla the city's best known boulevard. The Internationally famous pedestrian walkway is filled with vendor stalls, mimes, tapas stands and lined with eateries, cafes and the iconic La Boqueria public market. Barcelona is easy to reach. Non-stop flights are available from Newark.
NOTE: For the 500th anniversary of the first Columbus voyage, I joined the crew of a 52 foot Philadelphia ketch, the Welsh Rover in an International sailboat regatta to trace the historic passage. for a month, I sailed the legs from Cadiz and Palos, Spain to Porto Santo and Madeira, then to the Canary islands where Columbus re-rigged and supplied his ships. Arriving in each harbor and port under sail and reporting for KYW-Newsradio on the regatta was a dramatic experience. If you ever have a chance to sail any of these waters, don't think twice. Do it.
