Shati' Tea and Falafel Shop, Gaza La Méditerranée dangereuse

A couple of days ago Costa Cruises sank one of their ships off the coast of Italy. I have been re-reading Henri Pirenne's Medieval Cities, Princeton University Press 1969. I'm struck by the influence--or, what the Christian historians call the razzias from Arab Spain--in the late 700's. Lérins played a part, as did Massif des Maures. It would be impotrant to check the Arab historians to see if this was not rather merchant influence, like the later interest in mathematics and science by the Po Valley pre-Rennaissance fiefdoms, who invited Arab scholars from Spain.