10-25 Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy

Today 1,500 people disembarked from our ship in Rome, and another 1,500 came on board!  So, we have a full house for the rest of the trip.  (Both earlier segments were full as well.)

On our last cruise, one of of our fellow passengers said he needed a day that was not a port day and a day that was not a sea day (too many interesting things on the ship to do) so that he could just rest and catch up.  Well, today we did that!  This port was two hours from Rome by bus and since it was Monday, many museums would be closed.  So, since Doug and I had been to Rome before and there really wasn’t enough time to really do much once we got into Rome, we decided to just skip this port. 

Doug did decide to get off the ship and just take the free shuttle into the port town of Civitavecchia to use an Internet cafe and stock up on diet Cokes for the rest of the trip.  While he was walking, he tripped when the sidewalk and street (same color) separated slightly and he literally fell down.  He had his hands in his pocket, and to catch the fall, he pulled them out just as he went down.  Of course, his camera was around his wrist in his pocket, so that hit the pavement, opened, and out came his little card, etc.  It turned out he was OK (as was the camera once he reassemble it) – he just got some really hum dingers of bruises on his hand and knee and twisted his ankle pretty badly.  It caused us to decide not to go off the ship alone any more! 

We rested in the afternoon, and then had a wonderful dinner in the Pinnacle just for two.  We were in bed early (9:30 p.m.) because we had an early start in Florence the next day.

10-24 Naples, Italy

Naples is the principle town of the region of Campania (southern Italy countryside) and lies on the north side of the Bay of Naples – one of the most beautiful bays in the world.  The backdrop to this city is Mount Vesuvius – a still active volcano.  Naples has a population of 1,700,000.  It is also one of the most Catholic cities in the world with 448 historical churches!  It is also said that Naples likely invented pizza.

We did not tour Naples itself.  Our tour included the beach resort area of Sorrento and then the ruins of Pompeii.  The one hour drive to Sorrento was magnificent – if not also a bit scary along the very narrow roads with crazy Italian drivers – many on Vespas.  This picture shows part of the coastline.

Sorrento is a peninsula jutting out into the sea, only three miles from the island of Capri.  It has a population of only 25,000.  Along the way, we went through three tunnels to get there, one being two miles long.  We saw lots of olive trees with nets underneath them to catch the olives when they harvest them next month by shaking the branches. 

The first thing we did upon arriving in Sorrento was to visit Cuomo’s Lucky Store.  It makes in-laid wood products.  We had a short demonstration.  Their goods were beautiful, and we considered a game table, but in the end, as beautiful as it was, it was a bit pricey! 

We then had free time to wander the streets nearby.  It was pleasant enough with little shops along the street.  Since it was Sunday, many young families were out walking with their children.  We even saw a baby buggy with the most adorable triplets (girls all in pink!) 

We then had a lunch at a wonderful restaurant called  O’ Parrucchiano.  We walked through a pathway lined with lemon trees, and then went underneath a canopy of grapes to enter the restaurant.  It was all glassed in with green all around.  We had Sorrento wine with our meal of cannelloni, followed by fish (orange roughy) and dessert was a lemon light cake (really good!) 

The best of the day was yet to come.  We boarded our bus to go to Pompeii.  We learned that Mt. Vesuvius is 4,000 feet high, and at the crater is 1/2 mile wide and 600 feet deep.  It currently has a temperature of 300 degrees, but when it gets to 1,000 degrees, it explodes.  The last eruption was in 1944. 

Pompeii had been a very wealthy and advanced city before the 79 AD eruption that destroyed the city and buried it in ash and lava.  Actually, it was the toxic gases that mainly killed the people before they had time to escape.

The ruins spread out over 60 acres, so our guide took us to the highlights.  He had done some excavating there back in 1959, and has been a tour guide for many years, so he (Roberto) knew it well.  We were fortunate.  I was absolutely taken with all of it, but I will do my best to summarize it here.  After studying it in school and seeing a few pictures, it was fascinating to actually see it in person.

Everywhere we walked, we did it on the original stone road.  In the cracks, the Pompeiians had placed little bits of white marble to reflect the light so they could see when it got dark.  They also had larger rocks placed in the middle of the street so that people could cross over the road when it was wet.

We saw what was left of the Temple of Apollo, and the stone alter they made sacrifices on.  We went to what had been the center of the town – a huge open forum that would have had marble flooring. We passed by a protected collection of relics found after excavation.  The most interesting were the three people they had in the positions they were in when they died. This is a pregnant woman who is lying down trying to protect her unborn child. In this collection was a chest that had contained lots of silver coins.  Through all these relics, much was learned about this city and its people.

We saw what had been little shops, some with a separate area behind it for gambling.  Dice were found in these areas that are exactly like the ones we use today. 

Homes were much larger, and we saw several that were in fairly good condition – including fresco paintings still on the walls. 

We saw several bakeries with large ovens that could bake up to 80 loaves of bread.  Also, there were heavy, stone coned shaped mills where the grain was put and then ground by a slave or donkey.  When excavated, more than 25 loaves of petrified bread were found in one of the large ovens! 

One of the more interesting ruins was the brothel.  Many sailors came to Pompeii but could not speak the language.  So, way up high on the wall, there was a phallic symbol so that everyone would know how to find this spot.  In addition, there were pictures of various sexual activities so that the sailors could just point to what they wanted. 

I purchased a book so that I could have a good reference for all we saw (and didn’t have time to see!) We saw even more than I described above, and I could spend pages going into detail about all we did get to see.  Seeing pictures explains it all so much better, and we took a bunch.

Also we were so thirsty after all that walking around the ruins, we bought a lemonade that was like a slushy and tasted soooo good!  Guess this is the result of being in the heart of citrus trees!

Before we left Pompeii, we stopped briefly at a cameo store (Donadio) right off the main street entrance to the ruins.  There was a short movie clip to show how cameos were made – which was quite interesting – and very tedious work.  We then had the opportunity to buy some, of course!

Back on the ship, we enjoyed the sail away from our balcony.  We had a much better view of the outline of the Island of Capri. It was so pleasant, we stayed long enough to watch a pretty sunset as well.  Had dinner in the Lido and on our way out met a really nice couple from Palm Beach, FL who had been on the first segment of our world cruise this past year so we had lots to chat about.  Then went to see the magician, Woody Pitman.  He was so bad, we left in the middle of his show.  Ted, you should consider cruise ships – you could really WOW them with what YOU do.  This guy was doing stuff you did when you first started out.

10-23 Trapani, Sicily

Sicily is the Mediterranean’s largest island, and Trapani is on the northwest coast.  It is a fairly flat agricultural land growing citrus, grapes, wheat and olives  Trapani roughly means “hook” and refers to the shape of its natural harbor.  It is in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Six million people live in Sicily, 77,000 live in Trapani.

Our tour today was to visit both Trapani, but also the beautiful medieval hill town of Erice, located about 45 minutes northeast of Trapani with a population of only 300 people.  The drive up to Erice was beautiful with lots of curves and twisting narrow roads.  Near the mountain in this picture is a quarry with beautiful pink marble.  (really can’t see it in the picture!)  Erice sits about 2,700 feet up from the sea.

Erice was associated with the Roman goddess, Venus.  From the base of the town, you climb even higher to get to the top of the hill where the Castle of Venus was built in the 12th and 13th centuries.  Today the castle is in ruins, but the views from the area are extraordinary.

Our first stop in the town was the Chiesa Madre (mother church), also known as Our Lady of Assumption, noted for its separate bell tower – built in 1314. This tower also served as a watch tower for the town.  Its outside is still the way it looked in the 1300s.  In contrast, the interior was remodeled in neo-Gothic style in 1865.  It has a very ornate vaulted ceiling that looks almost like lace.  Its 15th century side chapels were well preserved. The columns are all pink marble. The floor is actually tombstones (crypts underneath). Another interesting part of the church were the figures of St. Joseph and child – made of wood with real clothing glued onto them.  The alter was also amazing – made out of white Carrere marble – the same that Michelangelo used.  The most famous painting in the church is the Madonna (Virgin Mary).  It was accidently discovered by fishermen on a beach in the 1500s.  In the painting, Madonna’s face is painted a dark color.  Next to the painting, is a stone plaque with a chronological list of a series of processions that were made asking the Virgin Mary for something that was needed  – such as rain, protection from an invasion of bugs (seriously!), and help for the plague. The last procession was in 1936.   

After the church, we continued to walk up the steep, narrow and cobblestoned road (the only day I didn’t wear my good walking shoes!)  – some side ones off of the main one only wide enough for a donkey.  The homes here are mainly summer homes where it is much cooler in the summer.  All the houses have courtyards when you enter and all are very clean. 

Before reaching the top, we passed by two churches – one for St. Peter, the other St. Julian with its bell tower  Finally we saw what is left of the castle dedicated to Venus.  The best part of it was the view! Part of the castle is now mainly used for a restaurant during the summer season  It also used to have a drawbridge.

We made our way back down to the lower part of Erice and enjoyed a cappuccino and cannoli  at Da Michele’s.  It was stuffed with a very smooth, almost cream like, ricotta cheese.  It probably had 3,000 calories, but it was divine!

Back on the bus, our next (and last) stop was the town of Trapani.  Much of this was destroyed in World War II, and so most of what we saw had been renovated to look like what it had been.  We went to the old part with a wide pedestrian avenue.  At one end was the Town Hall.  We also saw from the outside what had been the Jesuit church and is now a high school.  We also saw the Cathedral of San Lorenzo with its unusual dome of green and orange tiles.

After the tour, we went back to the ship and had a quick lunch.  We took some pictures from the ship – saw the salt lakes and the huge piles of salt that have been harvested.  They have a big sea salt business here.  They also get a lot of red coral and make jewelry from it.

We went back to the town to explore more on our own.  However, all the shops closed at 1:30 and would not open until after we had to leave, so we just strolled around.  We went behind the Town Hall to what had originally been the Jewish quarter.  There are no more Jews in Trapani since the Grand Inquistion.  They used to make a lot of the red coral products by hand.  We happened upon the fountain with Neptune above it as well as the Church of Saint Agostino with its elaborate rose window that looks like it is made of lace.  

It was then time to make our way back to our ship for our 4 p.m. departure.  It was an interesting port, but our favorite part was seeing the old town of Erice with all its charm. 

10-20 Corfu, Greece

Corfu island is the most northerly of the Ionian Islands in the Ionian Sea with an area of 257 square miles.  It is separated from the Greek and Albanian mainlands by a narrow channel.  Almost all the commerce of the island passes through the town of Corfu, which is the center of tourism. 

The northern part of the island is mountainous with Mount Pandokrator reaching 2,972 feet.  The central part is hilly, and the southern part low and fairly level. 

The island is steeped in history and it is connected to the history of Greece starting from Greek mythology.  It is the legendary “island of the Phaeacians” in Homer’s The Odyssey.  Its history is full of battles and conquests.  Corfu placed itself under the protection of Venice in 1386 and remained that way until 1797.  In 1864 it unified with Greece.

Corfu Town is the island capital and is between two castles/fortresses which protected the town.  The Byzantine-built Old Fortress was the original settlement.  Expanded under Venetian rule, the walled citadel was accessible across Contafossa moat via a moveable wood bridge.  We did not have time to explore either of these two fortresses, but would if we were to return.

Our tour today took us out of Corfu Town for the first part and up to the small town of Gastouri where we visited the Achillon – the mansion built by the Empress Elisabeth of Austria and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II.  It was one of the most beautiful palaces we’ve seen with 48 rooms.  This picture shows the staircase as you enter the palace. It was named after Elisabeth’s favorite Greek hero, Achilles.

Elisabeth was a fascinating woman.  She was well-educated, liberal for her times, had a great interest in ancient Greece, and loved to travel.  She also loved nature and horseback riding.  When she was only 16, she was married to her cousin, Franz Joseph I, and became the Empress of Austria.  She had two children, a daughter, Sophia, who died at the age of two.  She also had a son who was her most favorite – who committed suicide with his 17 year old mistress. 

After this, Elisabeth had  her palace made in Corfu.  Between 1891 and 1898, she came to this palace every year where she enjoyed riding and nature walks.  She studied modern Greek so she could talk with the locals. 

She was a vain woman, however, and was proud of two of her best traits.  She had a narrow waist and long hair past her waist.  It took two hours daily for her maids to fix her hair.  Once a month, she spent a whole day on her hair.  During that time, she studied languages.  In all her pictures, you can see her beautiful hair and small waist.  However, she never smiled because of her black teeth – partly the result of smoking.

Not only was the palace itself beautiful, the gardens were just as exquisite with breathtaking views of the sea.  She had a statue made of Achilles with him trying to remove the arrow that was shot into his heel.

She was assassinated in 1898 by an Italian.  The palace was later bought by Wilhelm II and in the 1960s became the museum it is today.

After leaving the palace, we made a photo stop at Kanoni (which means “peak”) for a view of the convent Vlacherna (no longer open) and Mouse Island (only open one time a year for the “Almighty” celebration.  According to mythology, this island is Odysseus’ petrified ship, turned to stone by angry Poseidon. It was a pretty view from here – except for the runway for the one airport!  There was a little Greek cafe, next to a Starbucks! 

We returned to town by a different route – both ways were very scenic overlooking the sea.  Back in the town of Corfu (same name as island), we walked to the old district.  We passed by the Georgian-style Palace of St Michael & St. George, built during the British rule to be the Governor’s official residence, before walking to the pedestrian Spianada Square which is the town center with it narrow streets coming off of it.  We went inside the most beautiful church on this island, St. Spiridon.  We were not allowed to take pictures.  St. Spiridon was a special saint for this city, and his body is in an ornate silver casket in a special room near the alter.  Five times a year, they have a procession and take his body around the city.

Doug and I had a Greek lunch at a wonderful restaurant (the Aegli) with outside seating right on the Liston –  a street which used to be only for the nobles.  In front of it was cricket field. 

Afterwards, we walked around the Spianada and happened to walk in one little shop to buy some of the honey almonds we had heard so much about.  We also bought some olive oil.  As we chatted with the owner, and told him we were from Florida, he told us his cousin had a restaurant in Venice (FL).  It is Mama Leona’s!  It was five minutes from our house in Willowbend – and we had dined there several times.  So, after pictures of him and his shop, we told him we’d go see his cousin when we returned home.  Talk about a small world!!!

We really enjoyed this port – and I especially enjoyed the morning tour of the Achillon.

10-22 Valletta, Malta

As we pulled into the harbor, it was still dark with the most beautiful full moon.  We had an 8:30 a.m. tour of Malta’s Capitals Old and New – Mdina and Valletta.

In our bus we learned the background of Malta in general.  It has a history that includes artifacts from the Stone Age and Bronze Age.  It is an island just 60 miles south of Sicily and east of Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea.  There are two smaller islands just north of Malta which make up this area.  Malta has a population of 450,000. Roman Catholic is the predominant religion with 360 churches on the island.  St. Paul is the patron saint of Malta.

Malta was occupied by many peoples – Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Normans.  This is reflected in the architecture in Valletta.  In 1530 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted Malta to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (also known as the Knights of Malta.)  The Knights were noblemen from the most important families of Europe – and they had a mission to protect the Catholic faith.  This group fortified Valletta so strongly that it became one of the greatest Mediterranean strongholds. 

During the 268 years the Knights were in Malta, there were 28 Grand Masters.  The Knights not only defended their city well, they also protected Christians making pilgrimages.  In addition, they gave aid to the sick and poor.  They built palaces, fortifications and other historical structures that give contemporary Valletta its unique character.  The town gets its name from the most famous Grand Master – Jean de la Valette. 

The distinctive eight-pointed Maltese cross represents the eight aspirations of the group (live in truth, maintain faith, repent sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole-hearted, and endure persecution.)

The Knights ruled until 1798 when Napoleon invaded and forced them to surrender, and they fled to Italy. The Maltese people rebelled against the French invasion and then the British came in and compelled the withdrawal of the French in 1799.  Malta became part of the British Empire, but in 1964 became independent.  Today you can still see the great influence of the British in this country.

The first capital of Malta was in Mdina, one of the world’s finest examples of a living medieval city.  It is a small city with beautiful architecture.  Only 300 people live inside this walled city today.  Mdina comes from the Arabic word meaning “fortress.” The roads are mainly pedestrian, and the only cars allowed are those of the residents. 

We saw the police station (whose door is always closed because Mdina is crime-free!), the building where 15 Benedictine nuns still live, and St. Paul’s square with the Cathedral at one end of it.  The Cathedral belongs to the Archbishop of Malta (who rumor has it may become a Cardinal soon.)  We saw the narrow roads where the residents live today.  They made the roads narrow to help better protect them, but they never needed that protection. 

From Bastian Square, we had a great view of 80% of Malta.  We saw the large clock tower where the British lived and which was a military center, St. Mary’s Church with the 4th largest dome in the world and the largest church in Malta, and St. Paul’s island in the distance.  On a clear day, you could see Sicily. 

All the buildings we saw in Malta are made from Malta limestone.  Today all the houses are made from this stone.  Even the garden areas are outlined with these stones. 

We had some free time, so Doug and I went to a glass shop which sold glass made in Mdina.  It is similar to the Murano glass in Venice.  We bought a multi-colored dish with a unique design on it.

Back on the bus we headed back  to Valletta, the capital of Malta today.  We went to the old, walled city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Before entering the main gate, we saw Triton Fountain in front. After entering through the gate, we walked down Republic Street, the main avenue.  It is a wide, pedestrian way with lots of old buildings along it – but today most of these buildings house restaurants and shops.  There was even a Burger King and McDonalds!  Most of the major sites are off this street. 

The two major sites are St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master’s Palace.  We just went by them as part of the tour.  [We went inside the Cathedral on our own free time.] We saw the Baroque facade of one side of the the Cathedral with two bell towers.  The Grand Master’s Palace now houses the Parliament and the President’s Office. (President is elected every 5 years – he cannot serve a second term.) The front of it is undergoing restoration. 

In the 45 minutes free time we were given, Doug and I went inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral.  The outside facade is plain and with its two bell towers seems more like a fortress than a church.  However, the inside truly expresses the High Baroque era.

The church owes its rich history and artistic heritage to the fact that for over 200 years, it was the conventional church of the Knights of St. John.  The Grand Masters and Knights donated gifts of high artistic value and made enormous contributions to enrich it with only the best works of art by leading artists.  It truly expresses the High Baroque era. 

The main nave has a beautiful vaulted ceiling which depicts episodes form the life of St. John the Baptist in oil paintings.  There are eight side chapels, each exquisite on its own.  They represent the eight langues  of the Order.  But it is the marble floor that is as impressive as anything else.  The inlaid marble consists of a collection of tombstones. 

The imaginative use of symbols and heraldic devices make this floor a unique treasure.  This is where the Knights were buried and identified by their coat of arms.

In one section of the church (the Oratory – and the one place pictures were not allowed) are two famous paintings by Caravaggio.  These are St. Jerome and The Beheading of St. John.  The latter is his largest painting as well as the only one that is signed (in the blood!)

I could have spent several hours going through this cathedral.  It is so ornate, it is hard to take it all in so quickly.  We had a headset that explained each part, but with such a short time, I had to skip some of it. 

Our final stop on the tour was the Barrakka Gardens on the highest point of the 16th century walls that the Knights of St. John built to protect their city.  School girls were performing as we arrived.  We had a wonderful view of the Grand Harbor – our ship included! 

We then went out on our own.  We had lunch at a cafe across from the Cathedral called Cafe Caravaggio – named after the famous painter described above.  We had pizza, beer and wine.  It was so pleasant with a wonderful sunny day and mild temperature.

We walked around a while, and went back by the Grand Master’s Palace.  We saw two guards there we hadn’t seen before.  Don’t know if they do a changing of the guard.  The square in front of the Palace has very recently been redone and now has a water fountain area in the middle of the square. 

After an ice cream, we strolled back to the ship (mostly downhill!)  We had a better view (without as many people) of the Auberge de Castille, which houses the office of the Prime Minister of Malta.  It is an attractive building with two cannons in the front.

Our feet were tired, and we were weary after such a long day of walking.  The ship was over an hour late in leaving because they had not finished putting in the gasoline, so we had an early dinner in the Vista restaurant (just the two of us) and then headed back to our cabin to watch as we left port under a full moon.  We then relaxed and watched the movie Date Night on TV and then went to bed early.

10-21 At sea

This was a most welcome sea day and we used it to relax and catch up.  Skipped breakfast, enjoyed a sandwich in the Lido and some time reading on our balcony.  Because we were ahead of schedule, the captain announced he was going to just stop the ship in the middle of the sea for a few hours.  It was really peaceful and nice. 

It was a formal night for dinner, and that didn’t sound good to either of us.  So we opted for room service and enjoyed a simple and light dinner out on our balcony.  We were still stationary, so it was very smooth!  Also, someone on an upper deck started playing a violin, so we were serenaded as well.                               

And the finale was this beautiful sunset with amazing clouds.It may have been one of most enjoyable dinners!

We then watched a movie – Shall We Dance with Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez.  A couple we met at lunch in Corfu recommended it.  It was a very sweet movie. 

Clocks go back an hour – good thing – we stayed up too late blogging and reading! 

10-19 Kotor, Montenegro

This may have been one of the prettiest sailing ins we have seen so far.  This town is located in a most picturesque setting.  It is tucked away in Boka Bay and is very protected by the steep mountains around it and wide gulfs that are linked to each other with a series of narrow channels.  While it is sometimes described as a fijord, it is actually a submerged river canyon.  That is our ship in the bay.

Montenegro in Italian means “black mountain.”  It was named this because upon arriving into this area, the first thing one saw was a forest of black pines.  Not many are left today.  Montenegro is about two thirds the size of Wales and is a country with beaches, mountains, canyons, palaces, and ancient towns.  The summers are pleasant along the coastline, but further inland, you have snow on the high mountains during the winter. 

This was a tender port.  What began as a beautiful day turned into a rainy downpour.  We were glad for our raincoats, but did not take our umbrellas – big mistake!  Our first stop was to the town of Budva, the oldest town on the coast.    Its Old Town was inside walls dating back to the 15th century.  We walked through its narrow streets, but because of the rain, our favorite spot was the Mozart Cafe where we enjoyed a cappuccino.

Back on the bus, we drove along the coastline called the Montenegrin Riviera.  It was really pretty looking down from the steep mountainside onto the beaches below.  We passed a small island (that is now connected to the mainland) called St. Stefan.  It is now luxury hotels where the rich and famous come to stay.  But originally it had twelve summer homes for twelve rich brothers who were very influential and powerful.  When the Turks attacked, they moved their families to this island for protection.

Back in Kotor, we took a walking tour through the old medieval town – a UNESCO World Heritage site – to visit the Cathedral of St. Triphon and the Maritime Museum.  We had lunch in a cafe and met another couple from the ship and enjoyed the time together.  

Before boarding the tender back to the ship we walked around the town and took pictures of its beauty.  It was a wonderful port. 

10-18 Dubrovnik, Croatia

Croatia resembles a boomerang with the western part of the country along the Adriatic Sea.  Dubrovnik is near the most southern tip of the country and sits in a protected bay.  It is an historic and beautifully picturesque town and faces the sea at the base of rugged limestone mountains. 

This is a picture from the book I bought that best shows the old walled city.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Sight.  You feel as though you’ve stepped back in medieval times with the double thick walls and fortifications. 

There is a long history to this town.  It was founded in the 7th century.  The old town was completed in the 13th century. 

Our tour took us to the entrance of old town through the Pile Gate.  At you enter, you see the Onofrio Fountain built in 1438.  It has sixteen spouts coming out of it.   It was built to show how rich and advanced the city was to be able to supply water for the whole town.

We continued on down the main street called the Placa Stradum which was once a river, but later filled in with sand to become the main avenue of this city.  We passed the Franciscan Monastery and followed the Stradum to the end where the Orlando Column stands and the nearby Sponza Place.  There is the baroque church of St. Blaise and the Rector’s Palace built in 1441.

  While there are still some residents living in the old city, most moved out due to the high cost of living there.  The houses on the Stradum have strict rules that do not allow balconies, and they all must have a similar, plain look.

While the Stradum is flat, the small alleys that go off of it lead to steps going uphill. 

We walked up and down many of them.  This shows one from above looking down toward the Stradum.  Most are this narrow with little shops and restaurants in them.  Very charming!

Back down on the square in front of the church of St. Blaise, we learned that he is the patron saint of Dubrovnik and is most revered.  We were not able to go inside church, but our guide told us it is most beautiful and that many couples come from all over the world to be married here.

The bell tower was beautiful, and the bells are cast in bronze with two little bronze figures holding little hammers that on the hour “ring” the bell.  We were fortunate to see and hear it at twelve noon.

Sponze Palace (next to the bell tower) is known for its column courtyard and elaborate stone carvings.  Nearby is the Rector’s Palace which was the center of the political power in the town. The first floor only was open to the public, and behind the barred windows were the prison cells.We saw all of these from the outside only.

We did go inside the Cathedral next to the Rector’s Palace which is the largest in Dubrovnik, but not the most beautiful.  It does have a beautiful painting of the Ascension of Mary over the central altar.

We were also able to go inside the Dominican monastery with its beautiful central garden built in the 16th century. There were young monks dressed in white gowns who were visiting.  One of the most impressive things we saw was a Bible that was handwritten by monks on lambskin.  It was perfectly preserved and absolutely perfect in the lettering and detail. 

We only had an hour free time to explore the rest of the walled city on our own.  Our guide told us we would not have enough time to go up onto the walls and walk around the city.  This is when we wandered around the small, narrow alleyways.  I also climbed the split staircase to see the Church of St. Ignatius.  It was quite beautiful inside. 

We then boarded the bus again for a 45 minute drive to a restaurant, the Konavoski Dvori, in the Konavle region of Croatia.  We learned much more about the history of this country and saw the beautiful coastline.  It was a 3 p.m. late lunch, but worth it for the setting alone.  It was an old water mill next to the Ljuta River.  We sat with two other educators and enjoyed a great conversation and a local cuisine.  The best was the warm, brown thick bread served with a soup, salad and a veal roast with roasted potatoes.  The wine was also good. 

By the time we got back to the ship, we were pretty tired, but went to the Internet cafe next to the dock to get our e-mails, etc.  Had dinner in the Lido and went to bed.  We didn’t leave the port until midnight, so we were glad we had taken pictures of this pretty area as we arrived.

[Note:  more history of Croatia in my notes from tour and more info on site from book about Dubrovnik purchased in town]

10-17 Leaving Venice-At Sea

 

We left Venice today at noon, and since it was raining again, we decided not to venture back.  Even the gondola rides scheduled with the ship were cancelled due to bad weather.

Instead, we enjoyed the day at sea.  We had an Indonesian lunch in the Vista dining room.  It was for guests who booked more than just one segment of the voyage.  It was very tasty.  And I especially enjoyed the champagne!  

Even though it was overcast, it was fun to see the St. Mark’s Square area with the clock tower on the horizon as we sailed away.  However, when I think of Venice, these two sights will always be what I picture.

   

                               

 

 

 

 

 

I spent the afternoon trying to catch up on my Blog entries.  It was a relaxing rest of the day.

10-16 Venice, Italy

Arriving into Venice along the Grand Canal was a visual treat.  We passed lots of buildings and canals connected by little bridges.  This is the St. Marks Square area as seen from the ship – with the tall bell tower in the center.  The Doge’s Palace is on the right.   Venice is a city of about 120 little islands connected by bridges,with lots of canals as well as narrow and windy streets.

We learned on our tour why Venice was built on a lagoon.   The barbarians who were trying to conquer them were unable to maneuver in the marshes.  So, the lagoon became a refuge and a natural defense for the city.  It was built on millions of wooden pilons, then two layers of wooden boards crisscrossed, topped with six to seven layers of be blocks of white stone from Croatia. 

We took a walking tour that started from the Piazzale Roma, close to where our ship was docked.  We learned that in each little area there is a square with a main well that collected the rain water for that area and was filtered through the clay beneath the surface.  Each little area or neighborhood also had its own market, parish church, and one notable home.  We went through the Campo Frari area, San Polo, and San Silvestre area before crossing the Rialto Bridge built in 1591.  It had originally been a drawbridge, but after 1492 and the discovery of America and new trade routes, it lost its importance so the fixed stone bridge was built. It crosses the Grand Canal.

A walk through the Calle Mercerie to St. Marks Square ended our official walking tour.  But we ended up walking all afternoon through the St. Marks square area and enjoying all there was to see. 

We walked through St. Marks Cathedral (on the left) and the Doges’ Palace (on the right.) 

The Cathedral is an astounding example of Byzantine architecture.  It is elaborate not only on the inside, but the outside as well.  We were not able to take pictures on the inside, so bought a postcard of the main area.  We were able to walk outside on the 2nd floor to see great views of St. Mark’s square.

The Doges’ Palace was a wonderful surprise.  It is beautiful on the outside, but the inside is even better.  This is the center courtyard. It was the former residence of the Dukes of Venice and the seat of the Venetian government for 800 years.   Inside we walked up the Golden Staircase which was so elaborate with a ceiling of beautiful artwork, to visit the various rooms inside.  The main council chamber was one of the biggest rooms in all of Europe.  Throughout the palace were paintings of Tintoretto.  Every room was elaborate with art work of all kinds. 

At the end of the Doges’ Palace tour, you go across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison cells.  It is called this because the prisoners who were sentenced in palace had to cross this bridge, and it was their last sight of Venice before being imprisoned, thus the “sigh.”  The cells were of concrete with heavy wooden and metal doors – with a pass through for food, etc.  There were many of them all along windy little hallways. 

Somewhere in all of this we took time to have lunch in a little outdoor cafe on the Grand Canal.  While the setting was beautiful, the food was not good – and very expensive!  My Italian lasagna tasted like dog food – seriously!  Doug had ravioli, which was just fair.  So, that was a bit of a disappointment. 

We also walked through the narrow little streets and went in and out of lots of little shops.  We bought a mask – the kind that is used for their Carnival (like our Mardi Gras.)  There was not enough time to see or do it all, but we did as much as we could in one day.

As the sun was going down, it began to rain, so we started to make our way back to the ship – which was a challenge.  I was totally “dazed and confused” and had it not been for Doug and some other people we happened to see from the ship, I’d still be wandering the streets of Venice.  We took a water boat from St. Marks Square which made 13 stops before we came to ours (the last one!).  We then had to find our way to the People Mover (an above ground tram) that took us closer to the ship.  We then walked for 10 minutes in the rain to the ship.  So, the beginning of the day was much better than the end! 

10-15 At sea

We were really tired from staying up to watch the rescue of the miners the night before (which was in the middle of the night where we were) and all the walking the ruins of Olympia yesterday, so we slept 12 hours last night!  Got up at 10:30 a.m. and it felt sooo good!

Had a Mongolian BBQ lunch (skipped breakfast).  I went to the lecture on the next four ports.  Doug went to the Life At Sea talk with the captain of our ship (“PJ”) and some senior officers.  He said it was interesting and the questions were quite good – none of this “where does the crew sleep at night” stupid stuff!  Doug had tried to connect to the Internet, but as usual, the satellite was down and there was no way to connect.  If Internet were free, it would still be a huge pain!  We hope to connect at a Wi Fi place in Venice tomorrow.

Tonight was formal night, but we didn’t feel like such a big, fancy meal, so we dined in the Lido.  It was faster and good.  Doug went to the show -  a Greek classical guitar player named George Sakellariou.  I worked on my Blog.  When Doug returned, he said it was so good, I should go to the 10 p.m. show.  So, we both went.  It really was good – and worth it to stay up that extra hour.  Plus, we gain an hour tonight, so that will help with our early start in Venice!

10-14 Katakolon, Greece

We were tired this morning getting up because we spent most of the night watching the rescue of the Chilean miners.  I even took pictures on our TV screen.  It was well worth being tired – the rescue was so awesome and heartwarming.

In getting to Katakolon, we sailed around the Peloponnese peninsula and into the Ionian Sea.  While the port town is small, the reason to visit is to go to Olympia, home of the Olympic Games, 25 miles to the east. Below is a picture of what Olympia looks like in general – not a specific site.

The first Olympic games were held in 776 BC and dedicated to Zeus.  Originally the festival was only open to Greek born men, but later Romans and others were allowed to participate.  Women were not only not allowed to participate, they were not even allowed to be spectators – and if caught, would be put to death.

There were not only athletic events such as foot races, wrestling, horse and chariot racing, etc. but non-athletic events took place such as writing, poetry, and history readings. 

There was an important condition of war. One month before and after the Olympic events, there was an official hiatus on hostilities between the various city states.

The prize for the victorious athlete was simply a wreath made of an olive branch.  The branches were always cut from the same sacred tree.  No money was involved – people competed purely for honor. 

The games were banned in 426 by Theodosius II (who spread began spreading Christianity) because he considered them to be pagan (dedicated to Zeus), and the temples were destroyed.  The games resumed once again in 1896 in Athens by French historian Pier de Coubertin.

Anything not destroyed then was later destroyed in 522 by an earthquake followed by flooding.  The whole area was covered with layers and layers of mud.  It stayed that way for four centuries until the  French man mentioned above  started excavations.  Excavation continues today.

There are specific areas, such as the Temple of Zeus, but it too is in ruins.  Only one column is there, but it was reconstructed for the 2004 Olympic games.

We also saw Hera’s alter where the Olympic torch is lit every four years using a concave mirror that concentrates sunlight to ignite the fire. 

We also saw the wrestling area where the Palaestra (wrestling school) had been.  Before the actual wrestling began, the men rubbed olive oil all over their bodies.  Since they didn’t use mats, their “floor” was sand.  Judges determined the winners by the amount of sand sticking to the oil on their bodies.  Anyone with sand on his back was instantly disqualified.

This is the race track for the foot races.  The starting line is near the front of the clear area.  It is made of marble. People sat on the sides (where the grass is) to watch the event and cheer the athletes on to victory!

Next, we took a short walk over to the newly renovated Archaeological Museum. The exhibits here are findings from the excavations at the site.  The most prized exhibit is the 4th century Parian marble statue of Hermes, a masterpiece of classical sculpture from the Temple of Hera.  Other exhibits are the sculptured head of Hera and remains from the Temple of Zeus.

There were so many wonderful exhibits, and we took lots of pictures.  If the Internet worked better, and I could upload my Blog more easily, I would have included some pictures of these exhibits – but alas, the technology available to me is seriously lacking!

Back on the ship, Doug and I dined in the Canaletto restaurant on the Lido deck.  It serves only Italian food – and it was an excellent meal (actually much better than the one on the Amsterdam!) 

It was one of the most interesting days with so much history about the Olympics.  Seeing the site itself was amazing.  Great day!

10-13 Piraeus (Athens), Greece – Again!

Upon arriving in Athens this morning, we have gone a total of 2,687 nautical miles and were in nine ports over twelve days.

When we arrived in Athens 12 days ago, we did not have time to see the city.  So we took he ship’s tour today while other passengers disembarked.

Piraeus means “passage way” and that is what it today – it’s the main port of Greece for ferries to all the other Greek islands.  It was built 2,500 years ago. 

Quick facts:  Greece has a population of about 11 million with 5 million of those in Athens.  The city is built over ruins, many having been discovered in the 1950s and 60s.  Traffic is a huge problem. 

We took a drive around the city before heading to the Acropolis.  

One of the things we saw was one of the stadiums where the 2004 Greek Olympics took place.  We also saw Constitution Square, the Royal Palace, the Temple of Zeus (just ruins) and Hadrian’s Arch.  These were all seen as a drive by on the bus  One of the areas we would like to see if we return to Athens is the Plaka area which is mostly pedestrian with narrow cobblestone streets – pretty much for tourists with shops and restaurants.

We were then scheduled to go to the Acropolis which means “upper town” and sits 230 feet above the city.  We climbed the stairs to the top to find that the workers were striking because they hadn’t received their wages in almost two months.  It was a peaceful protest, but we were not able to get in to actually walk around the Acropolis.  So, we went down to an area where we could at least take a few pictures. 

History came back when we saw the Pantheon, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena. 

While you can’t see the Propylaea (entranceway to Acropolis), you can see the small temple on the right above which is the Temple of Nike (Winged Victory.)

We had to buy postcards to see pictures of what we weren’t able to see today.  So, we figured this was a good excuse to come back to Athens.  We also want to see the rather new Acropolis Museum which everyone on the ship who saw it said it was the best!  You even walk over ruins and can see through plexiglass below. 

However, since we weren’t able to see the Acropolis, we were taken to the National Archaeological Museum, which was much better than I had anticipated.  It is such a huge museum that we could only see parts of it.  We saw the Bronze Collection famous for its unique, large-scale original statues.  We also saw the Prehistoric Collection with collections from the Mycean period.  One special item was a gold mask that is thought to belong Agamemnon and would represent his face.  There were many other beautiful golden items in this collection.  The marble statues we saw were interesting as they progressed in style from different periods.  There is no way to list all we saw or include pictures, but it was well worth the visit!

We considered staying in town to see more, but by the time our tour ended, there was not enough time to really do any major thing – plus we were concerned with traffic congestion since we had to be back on board at 4:15 p.m.  So, we went with the tour back to the ship and had a late lunch. 

We enjoyed relaxing on our balcony the rest of the afternoon.  We had dinner in the Lido because they repeated the BBQ dinner they had our first night when Doug skipped it.  It was good – and I got to have BBQ lobster tail again, which was so good! 

10-12 At Sea (the Bosporus, Sea of Marmara, & Dardanelles

We were up early to watch as we made our way out of the Black Sea and through the Bosporus Strait back to Istanbul.  When we left Istanbul five days ago, it was at night.  Today it was overcast, so our pictures weren’t as good as we had hoped to get.  There were two other ships docked in our old spot – the Queen Victoria and Holland America’s Princendom (sp!)  We were glad to see the latter because we have only great things about it.  It is one of the smaller ships.  While we took way too many pictures of the same things, we still liked the skyline of this amazing city.  Here is the outside of the Hague Sophia from the water (my picture of it in my Istanbul Blog entry showed just the inside):

Below is the outside of the Blue Mosque with its 6 minarets: 

These are two of the three main highlights on the skyline and make this city so recognizable as you enter the harbor.  Even in the mist, they are magnificent.  I had the third picture of the palace, but am having a hard time uploading my Blog, so am trying to eliminate one picture!

The Sea of Marmara is so wide, there was nothing to see but water. 

Going through the Dardanelles was interesting looking at it on a map.  It is very narrow.  But actually going through it was not very exciting – and not much to see or take pictures of.  The old city of Troy is at the entrance from the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, but you couldn’t see it from the water.  It is supposed to have a big wooden horse that kids play in. 

This was the last night for those passengers (1,500 of them!) leaving the ship the next day in Athens.  For the little over 300 of us who are continuing on, there was a cocktail party in the Crow’s Nest for what they call “the Collectors Voyage.”  Afterwards we had a farewell dinner with Craig and Makena in the Pinnacle Grill.  They also invited two women they had gotten to know as well.  It was a great meal – two flaming items – steak Diane and the baked Alaska dessert.

Since it was an early dinner, Doug and I went to the ship’s show again.  It was three performers from previous shows who joined together for their finale.  One was a magician, which we always go to see, but none of them were very good.  We were glad we hadn’t gone to their individual shows!

10-11 Sevastopol, Ukraine

An inlet of the Black Sea, Sevastopol is a major naval base and a seaport. 

Some quick facts about the port we were in, Sevastopol: Catherine II established this city after Russia gained control of the region in 1783.  The harbor was fortified and the Russian Black Sea Naval fleet came to the port in 1804.  Leo Tolstoy wrote about the siege when the French forces came in his Tales of Sevastopol.400,000 population; founded in 1783;  name comes from Greek meaning “town of glory;” it was destroyed twice – during Crimean War and during WWII; in destruction only 4 houses had roofs left on them; both Russians and Ukrainians have naval fleets here; climate normally dry (but it was pouring rain when we were there!)

When we arrived, it was overcast and rainy – and it was a tender port, so getting into the tenders took time.  As we crossed to the city, we saw a small submarine heading out. 

We drove out of Sevastopol to take our tour of  “the best of the Crimean Riviera.” We drove along the coastline which was beautiful.  We could look on one side of the road and see the Black Sea and the homes and resorts along it, while on the other side were the mountains.  Our first stop was the Swallow’s Nest Castle. 

It sits out by itself on this rock ledge.It was built in 1912, but looks like a medieval castle.  Our guide told us it was a gift to a gypsy girl and is called the “love nest.”  It is very small, and today is a very expensive restaurant.  I want to Google it when I get home to really know the background of it.

As we continued our drive, we learned that many people from Ukraine and Russia come to this coastline for climate therapy.  From some of these “sanitariums” (which we call spa resorts) there are cable cars that take guests right down to the sea. 

Also, the Black Sea was named not because of its color.  It was named because of how inhospitable it was to sailors. 

Another tidbit: the Matrushkas (Russian stacking dolls with smaller ones within each other) were made to symbolize big families. 

Our next stop was the Livadia Palace, the famous summer residence of the last Russian Tsar, Nicholas II.  It was also the site of the 1945 Yalta Conference, where Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin outlined the future of postwar Europe.  We saw the table where the leaders met to discuss these issues, the White Hall where the conference took place, and the room where the treaty was signed by all three. 

    

[I think you can enlarge the above pictures if you click on them.]

There were pictures and newspaper stories in all the rooms, and it was interesting to actually be in the rooms where all this took place.  The palace was very ornate and beautiful.  Besides Nicolas II, Alexander II and III lived here as well. 

We had time to walk around the palace grounds, and it was beautiful as well.  We stumbled upon a beautiful little chapel that was as ornate as any that we have seen in some of the larger ones. 

After leaving Livadia, we took the bus to the nearby actual town of Yalta (which means coastal or seashore.)  We had lunch at a huge hotel, the Yalta Hotel, which had little ship on its roof. (Have forgotten the story behind why!)  We were in this huge room (the Crystal Room) with lots of crystal chandeliers – thus named!  Our meal (Ukrainian style) started with fresh vegetables and cold salmon, followed by pork rolls with apples cooked inside, a small glass of Vodka (very strong!) and a local wine that was quite good!

Lunch was followed by a folkloric performance.  The best were the children all dancing in costumes representing Ukraine, Crimeria as a whole, and Russia.  They were very cute!

As we made our way back to Sevastopol, it began to rain again.  We were so glad we had not stayed in the town area for a tour. 

Tonight was formal night, and we enjoyed dinner with Craig and Makena again.  We talk so much, dinners last several hours.  However, Doug and I went to our first show on the ship – the 10 p.m. one – with the Westerdam Singers and Dancers.  While the performers were like others we have seen on other Holland American ships, the actual staging was better than any we have seen on another ship.  It was very elaborate! We enjoyed the whole show.

10-10 Sinop, Turkey

What a glorious day!  Rain, wind, and cooler temperatures were forecast for today, but it turned out to be one of the nicest days we’ve had so far.  It was sunny and mild.

This city gets its name from the the Greek  Sinope who was the daughter of a river goddess. Zeus fell in love with her and promised he would grant all her wishes. She wished to remain a virgin, so Zeus kept his word and left her untouched.  She then came to the place of present Sinop.

From the ship, we could see the old walls and tower that surrounded the city.  Later in the day, we climbed the tower and had a great view of the city and Black Sea.

There were only two excursions offered today.  We did the “Treasures of Sinop” tour.  Our first stop was an added bonus and unscheduled on our tour.  But the tour guide said everyone who went here loved it and so she wanted to include it.  It was an old Ottoman home dating back to the 1800s.  The entrance had a beautiful garden area with flowers blooming.  It was 3 stories, the top two being wooden. 

Inside was such a wonderful surprise.  Each room showed a different part of a family’s life back then – at least for the rich families. 

For example, one room was a bridal room next to the room where the women spent time before the wedding getting the bride ready.  Across the hall was the room for the men, complete with a pipe for smoking hash. There were rooms that displayed weapons, jewelry, weaving, etc.  It was a great addition to the tour.

After that we went to the Archaeological Museum which was small but excellent. It was built in 1921. The outside was as interesting as the inside.  We began outside looking at monuments that had been in cemeteries.  Since the Muslim religion prohibits depicting “likenesses” or statues, the only place this could be done was on the tombstone.  These stones were very decorative and beautifully carved out of stone.  While outside, we were served juices, cheeses, cookies, and pastries.  They were very good!

On the inside of the museum, there was a large collection of coins.  There were displays of jewelry, cookware, and even a life size display of an adobe looking oven that also served to heat the homes.  The other highlight was the gallery of icons – other museums we’ve seen had mosaics and frescos – which were beautiful paintings of religious symbols on the wood from chestnut trees.  They were beautifully preserved.

Just down the street (everything is very close) was the Alaaddin Mosque, unlike some of the other mosques we’ve seen – this was typical of the Seljukian period.  It is used for Muslims to pray only.   The typical water fountain outside for cleansing purposes was in the outside courtyard.  There was one minaret and unlike others we have seen, it was separated from the actual building used for prayers.  After removing our shoes, we went inside.  It was like the others we have seen with the staircase and main prayer area.  We also saw the prayer beads that contain 99 beads – one for each of the aspects Muslims attribute to Allah. 

The inside of the Mosque is never used for weddings or funerals.  Weddings are a civil affair for the most part.  For funerals, the body is put in a plain wooden casket (which is “recycled” for others afterwards!) and then put on a stone table in front of the Mosque.  This is where the ceremony takes place.

We learned that the chanting that comes across the loudspeakers from the minaret are not always a call to prayer.  They can be to announce someone’s death – his name and when the ceremony will take place, etc.

We then walked across the street to visit the Pervane Medressah religious school built in the 13th century.  It is now a handicraft center with locally made items.  We bought some more Turkish delight cookies.  There were more snacks here as well.

We then were taken back to the ship, where we got off and went back into town to look around the shops.  We went to several boat stores because this town is where little wooden boats are handcrafted.  We met some teenagers who spoke to us and were interested in practicing their English.  Two were especially nice and helped us find an Internet spot.  They took an hour of their time to make sure we not only found the right place, but knew how much we had to pay ($1 for an hour!), and that we could get connected, etc.  They were great ambassadors for their country! 

Back to the ship to dump our stuff and get a quick bite to eat – then back into town for another hour or so to enjoy the beautiful weather and park/walkway by the sea.  Unlike Trabzon, this city has its pedestrian area right on the waterway instead of a highway.  In the water, we were surprised to see so many white jellyfish – there were hundreds and hundreds of them! Because it was Sunday, there were many people out enjoying the day as well, so we saw many locals.  

What we found was how friendly the Turkish people are – from children to adults.  One older gentleman on the promenade just came up to Doug, smiled, and shook is hand.  He didn’t say a word – just a smile and handshake.  We talked to other passengers who all said the same thing and had stories of their own about how friendly the people were. 

We found this laid back town one of our favorite ports.

10-09 Trabzon, Turkey

This city of 1 million people got its name from its “table-top” shape which forms a rough trapezoid. Today it is a shipping center with a booming export trade.  The highway runs along the water with the city built up on the hillside. 

We did not take the morning tour which saw the city itself with its own Hagia Sophia Church modeled on the muck larger one in Istanbul.  There is also a famous mosque in the city, the Ortahisar Faith Mosque, which dates back to the Byzantine period and is one of the best remaining examples of Ottoman decorative art.  I guess we were a bit church/mosqued out!

However, we did take the afternoon tour to one of Trabzon’s unique icons, the Sumela Monastery which was about 25 miles south of the city. What makes this so unique is that was built into the side of a cliff 1,000 feet above the Altindere Valley. 

Unfortunately, it was raining and foggy when we went, so we didn’t get good pictures of it from below or looking out from the top.  This is a picture of a tapestry that gives you an idea of how it “hangs” on the side of a cliff.  If you Google it, you will see why we wanted to go see it. However, the drive up through the mountains reminded us of Rocky Mountain National Park – it was really picturesque!

The name “Sumela” comes from a Greek name that means “Virgin of the black rock,” and the Virgin has been associated with the site since the 4th century AD when Athenian monk Barnabas brought an icon depicting her to the rock face and declared it to be her home.  It was a well respected monastic center from the 4th century until 1923 when the Turkish Republic was created. 

The principal elements are the Rock Church which is like a cave, several chapels, kitchens, student rooms, a guesthouse, library and sacred spring (which we did not see.)  This is looking down upon it as we descended the steep stairs to get here.  Since the rooms are empty, it was hard to know what each one housed.  If the weather had been clear, we would have been able to see great views of the mountains from the windows in the rooms.

The frescoes are amazing.  There were some outside which have been weathered by the elements as well as by graffiti.  The ones inside the Rock church were in amazingly good shape.  They are on the walls and the ceiling. 

It was an amazing site to see – even though the weather was not the best.  We took our tour bus to the base, then took a mini van to the highest they could get us before we had to walk.

There were lots of steep stairs, but the worst was walking up and down the wet tree roots on a dirt (mud with the rain) path.  It was pretty slow going, but well worth it.  Along the way, a man was selling warm hazelnuts as well as giving us a sample.  They were wonderful!

Back at the bottom where we met our vans, we had a chance to have a cup of tea which helped warm us up.  It was a bit chilly on the mountainside, especially with the fog and misty rain. 

We learned some more interesting facts about Turkey during the bus ride.  They are home to 25 different kinds of cherries; women can work, but not as waitresses because the Turkish men don’t want their women serving other men; import all their coffee since they don’t have coffee farms; you don’t see homeless people or beggars because families have to much pride so they take care of their own; many buildings remained unfinished because they don’t have to pay taxes unless it’s finished; the don’t need to import food – they produce all they need; lots of trout farms and lots of trout exported.

Also, Turkey is divided into 7 regions.  They are all very different.  They dress differently in each one and they all have different types of music.  Most of the songs are about nature.

Since I’m behind in my Blogs (we are now almost to Venice as I write this) I have no idea what we did back on ship this evening.  It was not very exciting whatever it was!!!  But it was a great day.

10-08 Sochi, Russia

I’m going to begin by saying that everyone we talked to after all the various tours in Sochi had the same reaction to Sochi – no one liked it!  The people never smiled; it felt oppressive, and decent infrastructure was lacking (the road jams were incredible!) Even those who visited Stalin’s summerhouse were disappointed in the cement block (painted an ugly green) rather barren house.  The “gardens” had maybe one blooming flower!  And this is the city where the 2014 Winter Olympic games are to be played!!  Let’s just say, Sochi has a real challenge to be ready.

Because Sochi is on the Black Sea and has a subtropical climate, many Russians come here for holiday to enjoy the 5 miles of pebble (not sand!) beaches. It has about 200 sunny days a year (although it rained the day we were there!) It became especially popular after Czar Nicholas II built a “dacha” (summer home) nearby.  The Russian elite followed his lead, including Stalin. 

The city was founded in 1898 and has a population of 400,000.  It sits against the beautiful Caucasus Mountains.  Not far from the city is the Caucasian State Biosphere Reserve.  A section known as Krasnaya Polyana (meaning pretty forest) is one of the region’s finest natural highlights.  The road into this area follows the deep Mzymta River gorge. 

We took a tour into this area to see where the Winter Olympics will be held -  the skiing events.

On the way we made a stop at the Agurskoye Gorge to take pictures.  It was near hear that Prometheus was said to have been chained to a rock by Zeus to have his liver eaten every day by a vulture, and each night the liver was restored so it could be eaten again the next day.

Our next stop was to a beehive keeper’s house to have a snack of tea and  Russian pancakes served with his home-made chestnut honey.  It was a little more bitter than sweet, but an interesting taste.  It was cold, so the warm tea was appreciated.

Finally we made it to the ski lift area and had a view of the area which will be the future Olympian village.

The ski lifts were running, and it was a beautiful area.  In some areas we could see snow-capped mountains.

Due to a great deal of construction going on in and around Sochi, it took us a long time to wind our way back down the mountains and into the town.  Once back, we walked around a bit and saw two brides in their white dresses.  We also saw two guards with bullet proof vests putting a lady into a car (not a limo) so we assumed she was someone important! 

It was a tender port, so we waited to take the tenders back to the ship.  Had dinner with Makena and Craig again and compared stories about our tours. 

While this port was not a highlight and we wouldn’t want to come back, we were glad to have seen it to know what it is.  And in 2014 when the ski events take place, we can say “we were there!”