April 20, 2012 San Rafael – SFO - then on to Frankfurt and Venice.
As usual, I timed it to the wire! Well, almost to the wire, giving myself at least one hour for a quick manicure prior to our transport arriving to whisk us away – due at 11:30 a.m. However, at 10:30 a.m., Adolfo announced that there was a black town car parked outside out house. Then the phone rang announcing that he had arrived. My confirmation email said 11:30, to which he responded not to worry, take our time – how do you do that with a car waiting outside.
Well, at 11:00, we were ready to lock up the house – dressed, packed, and the quickest application of nail polish in the history of manicures! Already ruined it and it’s only 1:00 p.m.!
Our driver, Christian, the owner of this small company was terrific and so interesting. Originally from Lima, Peru, he told us how he’d stowed away on a cargo ship in the early 1990’s when he was 22 years old. He and two of his friends snuck aboard a cargo ship heading for the US and got off mistakenly in Manzanilla (sp?), Mexico. Mexican dock workers there helped them get healthy (they were really sick!) before assisting them to board another cargo boat, again as stowaways, and they finally came to the USA via the port of Long Beach.
He is now an American citizen, and has this gem of a company and is busy all of the time.
Okay, so now we’re in the United lounge, which Lufthansa uses, having a lemonade. Adolfo is finally recovering from the pat down of his life. Wish I had taken pictures, but then the TSA would have probably confiscated my camera. At one point Adolfo’s eyes were big as saucers when I noted that the TSA agent had the back of A’s trousers pulled back and it looked like he was giving Adolfo a wedgie!
Am thinking that because we’re traveling with an oxygen machine and a c-pap machine, they took extra care.
. . . it’s about thirteen hours later, and we’re in the Lufthansa business lounge in Frankfurt, Germany. Just getting from the airplane to here was a tour de force! Our flight was wonderful, very smooth, great attendants, good food and on time. Cold here in Frankfurt, raining, but we won’t be going out in it.
Adolfo thought it would be a good idea to have a shuttle service, aka, “the club car”, take him from the arrival gate to our gate for Venice and we arranged this at the check-in desk at SFO – confirmed during our flight. The “club car” is one of those utilitarian yellow thingies with open seating on benches, can carry about six people at a time, plus hand held luggage. You see them running around lots of airports.
As luck would have it, there were about eight others who waited at the benches in the arrival lounge for some sort of transport to their respective gates, be it “the club car” or wheelchair. And, as luck would always have it, after a ten-hour flight, there are people who are extremely crabby and rude and want to be counted on as the most important bananas in the bunch! Well, we had two such Americans who ranted and raved at the poor stewardess because their transport wasn’t there waiting for them – so embarrassing – and I’d heard these people arranging for help not one hour prior to landing at Frankfurt. Not wanting to be in that club car with the mouthy witch, we let everyone else board so there was no room for us. We said we were happy to wait.
And wait we did. Almost 40 minutes later, two young women driving a club car roared up to us, and one other elderly lady who didn’t speak any English, or German.
We loaded ourselves and our belongings into the conveyance and were off! Believe the driver thought she was channeling Mario Andretti, or was she trying to create an e-ride in the airport just like Disneyland? For the first half mile she roared down the huge and long never ending hallway in REVERSE! We gasped, clutched the side handles, each other and our luggage, and laughed. People were jumping out of our way.
After about a mile and a half way through the airport, we were told to alight, present ourselves to customs and proceed to the other side to be picked up by another club car. Okay, did that and sat and waited for another transport. The elderly woman with us was so confused, felt really sorry for her. Did glance at her passport and saw that she was Romanian. We finally managed to convey to her that she had plenty of time before her next flight left, and that the young women in charge of getting us from Point A to Point B (and Points C, D, E!) would see to her. “ It’s Okay!” I said to her. She understood that and smiled.
Next cart arrived and we were off to security. Security again? Yep! With all of our stuff, and the Germans looking at Adolfo’s oxygen concentrator, to say nothing of the c-pap machine, and certainly thinking it must be a bomb. Oxygen – cannot take oxygen on the plane! No oxygen in there – it only takes oxygen out of the air – and on and on!
Shoes and belts back on, boarding passes being looked at by so many that they are getting frayed around the edges. Then we arrived where we are now, with the promise that a club car would be back for us in plenty of time to take us to our gate which is no where near where we are now – in fact we passed it half way from the beginning – somewhere along the way.
But to be serious for a minute, the young women who push wheel chairs and those who drive and guide their passengers through the various checkpoints are really helpful, have delightful personalities and speak many languages.
My advice to anyone traveling through the Frankfurt airport – wear your best and most comfortable shoes and be prepared to get lots of exercise. Or, you might bring roller skates!
We’ve had our obligatory frankfurter here in Frankfurt, Adolfo is reading the paper, and I’m craving a nice bed – so tired.
We still have three hours prior to take-off to Venice – it can’t come soon enough!
In Venice . . . one piece of checked luggage accounted for, no hands free, we trudged from Marco Polo airport, on foot, about a half mile (Adolfo loved that!) to the water taxis, and arrived within 20 minutes at Ca’sagredo Hotel, on the Grand Canal in Venice. Had a moment of panic as I watched Adolfo take a giant leap (he really did!) from water taxi to front porch of hotel. More about the history of this hotel later.
Checked in, our room had been graciously upgraded from a garden view at the back of the house to a lovely room overlooking the Grand Canal – another item checked on my bucket list! Room service with a lovely hot plate of pasta, a reviving shower, and so to bed – a real honest-to-goodness bed! And, to sleep by 9:30 p.m.
It’s now 4:30 p.m., Sunday morning here in Venice. Slept very well ‘til now. Traffic on the canal has stopped, there’s lovely quiet and peace – we’re on vacation!!!
Thinking of Joey this morning knowing he’s going to receive his First Holy Communion – so wish the timing of our trip had been different that we could have shared this Holy Sacrament with him. After breakfast this morning, we will go to Mass in the Piazza San Marco, light a candle, and pray for blessings on Joe’s special day!
April 22, 2012 – Venice, Italy
A quiet but interesting day . . . awoke early and went to breakfast on the second floor. Very good choices for breakfast with dry cereals, porridge, scrambled eggs topped by fresh arugula (a new use for arugula!), lots of fresh fruit, a most delicious brand of yogurt, variety of freshly baked breads and “Grandma’s Cake”. Now, we are in Venice – why in the world wouldn’t they call it “Torta di Nona”!?!?!
The rooms throughout this hotel are indeed spacious. One can easily imagine a grand ball attended by the local conoscenti climbing the grand staircase. The rooms are all very heavily decorated with scrolls, bas relief, paintings, gold leaf, etc. One has to be very careful not to accidentally trip and fall while eyes are uplifted and feet step off unexpected small levels. Had a couple of close calls.
After breakfast, Adolfo said he wasn’t up to snuff and wanted to rest, so I took off solo, on foot, to Piazza San Marco to attend 9:00 am Mass. Got lost! Wound up in a residential neighborhood with no one else about except for the man behind the magazine/newspaper kiosk. Map in hand I approached him to ask direction to Piazza San Marco, and with a look of disdain, he extended a hand down the road (certain that the middle appendage was a bit pronounced!) as he told me that he was a busy man, had to work! Okay! Mille Grazie, even tho he didn’t deserve that thanks!
Finally found signs that led to “Per San Marco”, and if that “per” meant “pier”, then I would be very close to the church. Continued on and suddenly, after 25 minutes of enforced march, past stores filled with some beautiful and other outrageous clothes, beheld San Marco, in all its splendor, covered partially with gauzy stuff, etc., where restoration is being done. Some sort of flag/military ceremony taking place in the Piazza, but I swept by looking for the way in to the church. Bells in the campanile were pealing – had forgotten how powerful it was to be there.
All entrances to the church were blocked, and when I finally got to one door, was told that I’d come too far and must go back around the other side of the church if I wanted to attend Mass. Last time I made it to Mass here, tours would constantly come through, even during the consecration, with the tour directors talking loudly – very disconcerting. Now, on Sunday morning, only those who wish to attend Mass may enter the church.
Beautiful Mass in an exquisite church decorated in tiny gold mosaic tiles all over the walls and ceiling. San Marco is all arches and circles, glimmering in gold, with the saints depicted in other colored tiles. The main dome ceiling has Jesus as its center, surrounded by figures depicting the Blessed Mother Mary, an angel on each side of her, and then the twelve apostles completing the circle - each figure separated by a very skinny mosaic tree. And then the final circle of mosaic figures moving outward, on the inside of the dome, slightly smaller in scale, depict what I would imagine are lesser saints and biblical figures. Everywhere one looks is a mosaic picture depicting a biblical story or saint. This beautiful old church, like so many in Europe, is a feast for the eyes.
When Mass ended I searched and searched for a candle to light for Joey. Every bank of candles was empty of fresh ones. Finally located a bank of candles that had exactly six new ones left. Retrieved one, lit it, and remembered Joseph Gabriel on his very special day.
Then began my trek back to the hotel. You think you know what comes next! Did most of the trip by remembering the particularly funny clothes in the windows of the shops, and then came to a piazza that totally befuddled me. Couldn’t remember from which direction I’d come from and I had six choices. But then most of the people there were having the same problem for they stood with maps in hand, turning them every which way, trying to orient themselves. Finally took off, thinking I was heading in the right direction (miraculously, I was!). Lo and behold, there was Ca’sagredo Hotel, right there on Campo Santa Sofia. A slight drizzle had begun on my trip back, so was happy to reach my destination.
Correction to yesterday’s journal. Ca’sagredo – Ca’ is the shortened version of the word “Casa’ here in Venice, so were you to spell it out, it would be Casa Sagredo. What I’ve read briefly is that the Sagredo name denotes an historical and prominent family in this area who once lived in this beautiful place.
Back to the hotel, I relaxed and immediately fell asleep, to awaken and fall asleep again and again and again! All this sleeping was done while it was pouring cats and dogs outside. Adolfo was reading, happily relaxing. He finally roused me sufficiently to suggest that we go out for a bite to eat mid afternoon with the idea that we’d skip dinner. It was a good time to go out as the rain had ceased. Went to a local eatery – Vini di Gigio, near our hotel. Enjoyed a delightful meal of a mixed fish antipasto dish and then a lovely tagliatelle con carciofi (artichoke hearts) and salsiccie (sausages) - all of this accompanied by a bottle of Chardonnay from the Alto Adige region. Very good!
Back to the hotel, trying to stay awake for a while, and then back to sleep, of course!!
April 23, 2012 - Boarding Seabourn Quest
Today we board. It’s time to repack, get a water taxi and chug out to the Marina. The Seabourn Quest awaits!
. . . on board, awaiting luggage. Had a nice lunch and then it was announced that rooms were ready.
. . .All clothing put away, empty luggage all neatly stowed beneath the bed. We are sailing away from Venice – am exhausted. It’s time for wine!!!
April 24, 2012, Tuesday – Koper, Slovenia.
Last night after wine, dinner with more wine, headed for bed. Went right to sleep at 9:30 and woke at 2:30, couldn’t go back to sleep so by 5:00 a.m. I was in the internet lounge trying to set up my WiFi for the rest of the trip. Don’t know why this process has to be so difficult. Set up the account, then tried to access from my laptop and up popped a page that I’d never seen the likes of before! Looked terribly technical, scared me silly! Decided to wait for the IT guy to come in later in the morning.
Just finished and with his flying fingers, this IT young man set up not only my laptop, but Adolfo’s iPad, as well. So now we’re set.
We are docked at Koper in Slovenia. The weather is frightful, lots of rain and cold. We may not go ashore today. Koper has been here for lots of years, maybe we’ll get another crack at it some other time, but the day is yet young – who knows?!?!?
As I write this, the Seabourn Square coffee area is really filling up. People who went out on their own this morning are coming back aboard after such a short visit off ship – looking frozen and damp. Hmmmmmm…….
The downpour continues and rather than slogging through puddles to go into what appears to be a charming place, am going to take a nap. But before I do that, here’s a bit about Koper.
Koper can trace its name back to the Roman town of Caprea. In 1278, the town voluntarily joined Venice and was later renamed Capo d'Istria — hence the Italian name. However, much of Koper's Italian inhabitants fled after WW2 when the town was assigned to the Free Territory of Trieste, administered by and later incorporated into Yugoslavia. The Communists built an unattractive sprawl of factories and warehouses to the south, but mercifully left the old town almost entirely untouched, and it's this that draws the (comparatively few) tourists who venture this way.
Koper's main sight of interest is the Venetian-era old city, which is in much worse shape than that of Piran, but hence also feels more real. Repairs and restoration are slowly under way. The center of the old city is Tito Square (Titov trg), an austere piazza surrounded by slowly crumbling palazzi. From here, the cobbled Čevljarska ulica leads south and Kidričeva ulica leads west to the marina.
Praetorian Palace, Titov trg 3. Dating back to the 15th century and the only fully restored building in the plaza, this is Koper's symbol and it now houses the tourist office with free video show and free tours of the palace including the city council meeting chamber and weddings room.
Koper rose from an ancient settlement built on an island in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Koper in the northern Adriatic. In Ancient Greece, the town was known as Aegida. Later it became known by the Latinnames of Capris, Caprea, Capre, or Caprista, from which the modern Slovenian name stems.
In 568, Roman citizens of nearby Tergeste (modern Trieste) fled to Capris due to an invasion of the Lombards. In honour of the Byzantine emperor Justinian II, the town was renamed to Justinopolis. Later, Justinople was under both Lombard and Frankish rule and was shortly occupied by Avars in the 8th century.
Since the 8th century, possibly even since the 6th century, Koper was the seat of a diocese. One of Koper's bishops was the Lutheran reformer Pier Paolo Vergerio. In 1828, it was merged into the diocese of Trieste.
Trade between Koper and Venice has been recorded since 932. In the war between Venice and the Holy Roman Empire, Koper was on the German side, and was in result awarded with town rights, granted in 1035 by the emperor Conrad II. From 1232, Koper was under the Patriarch of Aquileia, and in 1278 it joined the Republic of Venice. It was at this time that the city walls and towers were partly demolished.
In 1420, the Patriarch of Aquileia ceded his remaining possessions in Istria to the Republic, consolidating Venetian power in Koper. It grew to become the capital of Venetian Istria and was renamed Caput Histriae, "head of Istria" (from which stems its modern Italian name, Capodistria).
Assigned to Italy after World War I, at the end of World War II it was part of the Zone B of the Free Territory of Trieste, controlled by Yugoslavia. Most of the Italian inhabitants left the city by 1954, when the Free Territory of Trieste formally ceased to exist and Zone B became part of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1977, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Koper was separated from the Diocese of Trieste.
No doubt more than you needed to know! For those of you who watch cooking shows, this area of Istria is the homeland of Lydia Bastianich, a renowned chef.
Slept three hours in the afternoon and tonight was our first formal night. Everyone got all gussied up while their clothes are still comfortable! Dinner was awesome – a fresh artichoke soup (delish!), followed by a seafood risotto topped by tender lobster tail. We all finished with a Grand Marnier soufflé and orange sauce - then on to the casino where I parlayed $100 into $200. Time to go to bed while I’m still ahead. I probably won’t write about the evenings where I come back to the room with an empty purse!!
Tomorrow we are in Ravenna, Italy. Adolfo has decided to go on an all-day jaunt to the Republic of San Marino. That’s way too long on a bus for me, so am going to poke around Ravenna. Have just about finished knitting the scarf I began on the flight over and will hunt for some cream silk for another project.
It’s very early in the morning here on Wednesday, so think I’ll try to send this off before everyone wakes up and clogs up the ship’s internet bandwidth!
April 25, 2012 – Ravenna, Italy
Woke early again this a.m. – UGH – 3:30! Never did get back to sleep. Checked emails, did some knitting, and finally just gave up, got dressed and am now in the coffee lounge named “Seabourn Square”. Here is the best coffee on the ship, a coffee bar to rival any at home, along with freshly baked pastries, juices, etc. Also in the area are a dozen computers for use by those passengers who do not bring their own, and Seabourn staff to help you to book another cruise, the super IT guy, Nigel, who helped me yesterday, tour arrangement specialists, etc. In the same neighborhood is also the ship’s gift shop and a fancy jewelry store. All fun.
As I drink my double caffe latte, am grateful that there’s not a cloud in the sky, the weather appears mild, we are coming in to the port at Ravenna and the ship is quiet. Most passengers are probably having breakfast up in the Colonnade Room where you can dine outside – this morning’s a good day for breakfast al fresco.
Am definitely leaving the ship today, while Adolfo is on his bus tour up to the Republic of San Marino. Why go there, you ask? Well, some of you may not know that Adolfo is an avid stamp collector of worldwide stamps in the first 100 years, 1845 to1955. Prior to 1845 there were no printed stamps. With that interest comes his fascination for world history. Many San Marino stamps have a picture of the castle on top of the hill. He wants to see that in person. For me, that castle atop a hill (well, it is actually a mountain!) is not worth a day on a small bus on a twisty, turny road. Along with the San Marino castle atop a hill, Adolfo will be seeing a famous collection of Ferrari automobiles – don’t know whether they're old or new.
So am off on foot to discover the wonders of Ravenna. I enjoy being somewhere I can try out my limited Italian – poor though it is. There will be a Port Authority shuttle operating all day to and from Ravenna and the ship. My time can be my own – can make this day as long or as short as I wish – a luxury I don’t often have at home.
Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy and the second largest “comune” in Italy by land area, although, at 252.08 square miles, it is little more than half the size of the largest “comune”, Rome. Ravenna was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until that empire collapsed in 476, leaving Constantinople (Istanbul) as the only capital of the Roman world. Afterwards, it served as the capital of the Kingdom of the Ostrogoths Later, the city formed the center of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the invasion of the Franks in 751, after which it then became the seat of the Kingdom of the Lombards. Although an inland city Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal.
Ravenna is the location of a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising eight individual sites. All eight buildings – the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Neonian Baptistery, the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, the Arian Baptistery, the Archiepiscopal Chapel, the Mausoleum of Theodoric, the Church of San Vitale and the Basilica of Sant'Apollinare in Classe – were constructed in the 5th and 6th centuries. They show great artistic skill, including a wonderful blend of Graeco-Roman tradition, Christian iconography and oriental and Western styles.
Adolfo had a wonderful day, a dream fulfilled to see the castle on the mountain (not hill, says he!). A few of the men on the bus were also stamp collectors and wanted to see San Marino for the very same reason. One gentleman who struck up a friendship with "A" during the day received a free San Marino stamp catalog at one of the shops, and asked for another for Adolfo. Wasn’t that nice?
The Republic of San Marino, is the only republic in the whole of Italy, except for the Vatican state. Therefore, Italian laws do not apply to the governing of San Marino, it is all within the republic. They give a very favorable rate to banking industry and as a result, people shelter their money there.
The high point is about 2500 feet high, on top of which sit three castles. The three castles sit on the side of the mountain that has a sheer cliff and a slope on the other side. Around the three castles is a great wall for protection. Two of the castles are open for visiting, but the third is not. From the top one can see other mountains that gradually slope down into an alluvial plain through which the River Po meanders. The Po then forms a delta at Ravenna and dumps into the Adriatic.
Yesterday was a holiday in Italy, celebrating the defeat of Facism in this country, so there were crowds everywhere, lots of young people with babies, school groups out for field trips congesting the very narrow little streets. San Marino is extremely picturesque overlooking rolling hills, much like Tuscan countryside.
Also on the tour was the Ferrari car collection, a museum in the town of Maranello where everyone on the tour was able to see a collection of old racing cars, including a Ferrari valued at THIRTY TWO MILLION DOLLRS U.S.!!!!!! Enzo Ferrari began building tractors – what a transition to $32 Million racing cars!!
While Adolfo was looking at $32 million cars, I walked to the end of the pier and caught the shuttle into Ravenna. When coming into the port of Ravenna, we were surprised to see oil rig platforms, and once on shore, huge oil and energy plants, including what appeared to be two nuclear power plants.
To get into town on the bus was amazing, so many twisty and turny roundabouts. If one had to walk back, it would be impossible to remember. The driver of the bus was rather a sourpuss. Never said “hello”, “good morning”, or “buon giorno” – or even a smile. When we got into town he opened the door and we all got out. Assumed that we should be back here when we wanted to go back.
Off I went on foot, suddenly remembering that I’d forgotten a map of the town. Had no idea where to begin and there were no signs to the UNESCO sites. Jeanne, you are not only on vacation – you are brain dead!!!
Keeping the pickup point as my reference I took off in one direction, didn’t like the neighborhood, so reversed and got into some very interesting territory, and eventually the Piazza del Populo, where the place was filled with carabinieri (police) – a tiny bit scary, until I realized that there were many in old costume, flower wreaths against the building, and areas cordoned off from the crowds. It appears that there was to be a celebration, and indeed I found out later that it was the celebration of the defeat of Facism.
Took some interesting photos, not certain what they were, the the architecture was interesting. The most fun I had was reading commemorative placques on the building. Took photos of a couple – one stating in Italian that this was in honor of Lord Byron, benefactor and friend of Ravenna. The second one I must google, because if commemorated the life of one Guido da Polenta. Now with that name, I had to look him up!
Guido I da Polenta (died 1297) was lord of Ravenna from 1275 until his death.
The son of Lamberto da Polenta, he was ousted from Ravenna by the imperial troops in 1240. When the city was returned to the Papal States in 1248, Guido was able to return and was made chief of the local council. In 1270, after the death of Bishop Felix, he divided the power in the city and that of Comacchiowith Guido Riccio da Polenta, in collaboration with the other major Ravennate family, the Traversari.
However, Guido and Guido Riccio soon were at war, and Guido allied with the Malatesta of Rimini in order also to counter Guido I da Montefeltro who had conquered Forlì and Cervia. Through this alliance Guido was able to gain the complete seigniory of Ravenna. The marriage of his daughter Francesca, with Giovanni Malatesta caused a revolt in the city, whose outcome was the expulsion of the Traversari.
In 1282 he took part to the offensive of Pope Martin V against Guido da Montefeltro, and was able to gain Cervia in the fray. In 1290 he was elected podestà of Florence. In 1293 Guido Riccio died, and Guido added Comacchio to the family's territories. At his death in 1297 he was succeeded by his sons Lamberto and Bernardino.
Darn! I was hoping that Guido invented polenta!!!
After wandering around Ravenna, came back to the bus stop and was back aboard ship for a quick light lunch and then a “rest” – HAH! I fell asleep at 1:00 pm and didn’t waken until Adolfo returned at 5:00 pm. Even the laundry lady came into the room to bring clean clothes, and I didn’t hear her!
Lovely salmon for dinner and then to the Blackjack table. There was a man who was making $100 bets, playing badly (even I knew that!). He signed chits for $500 twice while I was there, and had $500 in cash to begin. So that was $1500 down the drain in a couple of hours. There is a rule that one can only get up to $1000 a day on your card for the tables. So when they cut him off, he argued. The dealer/manager of the casino stood fast, the idiot left muttering that he wanted to have a chance to get his money back. Am still ahead $100 – played the evening without losing at the end.
April 26, 2012 - Opatija, Croatia
Opatija (pronounced opa-tee-ya) is a town in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. In 2001, the town proper had a population of 7,850, with the municipality having a total of 12,719 inhabitants.
The old 14th-century Benedictine abbey, Opatija Sv. Jakova (“Abbey of Saint James”), from which this town derives its name, means “abbey” in Croatian, is located in Park Svetog Jakova or Saint James Park. Saint James Church, built in 1506 and enlarged
in 1937 now stands on the same spot. The neo-Romanesque Church of the Annunciation with its pronounced green cupola, was designed in 1906 by architect Karl Deidl.
Opatija is known for the “maiden with a seagull”, a statue by Zvonko Car (1956), which is positioned on a promontory by the Juraj Sporer art pavilion. It has turned into one of the symbols of Opatija. A gilded variant of the statue Madonna, that once stood here but was demolished by communists after the end of WWII, now stands in front of Saint James Church.
After yesterday, Adolfo wants off buses for a day – fine with me. We will shortly take the tender from the ship (anchored off shore) and spend the morning wandering. I rather like that. Would love to find some new yarn.
The weather today is iffy. We had wonderful sun early in the morning, but the horizon looked very dark and threatening. As I write this, the day is getting greyer. We could have more rain!
We did leave the ship and tender ashore. The day, although cloudy, was balmy and very comfortable. Adolfo was not able to walk for very long, especially because the streets are uneven, the town is hilly, and there are a fair number of stairs. But we did get a “feel” for Opatija. This is a beautiful setting, on the coast. Sail boats and speed craft abound in little pockets along the way, just waiting for their drivers to take them out for a spin in the beautiful waters. Some of the hotels along the coast appear to have been lovely palatial homes in years gone by, and now serve their guests with a taste of what has been.
We walked quite a while through the beautiful Park Angiolina, so well tended by locals. Beautiful flower beds to look at, and trees in bloom, and our allergies really kicking in – achoo, achoo, sniff, sniff!
Opatija is very clean and well cared for. There are many travelers here, from all ‘round the world. I could see this town as a vacation destination, and being able to really steep oneself in the culture and history of the place. Adolfo entered a museum for a while and found that the camellia is the flower of the city, and came to Opatija from the Philippines. Didn’t see one camellia, but did see tons of tulips, some in a beautiful wine red color – very striking.
Back to the boat for lunch on deck. Then an afternoon spent knitting, manicure and pedicure by Georgie from Scotland. My toes now look as good as these ugly feet can do.
Dinner found us at a table with four new “friends” – Val and Richard from Scotland (lovely people) and Garth and his wife (name is already gone) from New Orleans. - then to the show to hear a performer on electric cello (will give that one a pass in future), Adolfo to bed and I to the blackjack table. Do wish I could write and fully describe this evening to its best, but will give it a try.
The usual suspects were gathered around the table with a couple of new additions, one of whom was an attractive woman from Venezuela, in a very short white lace dress, who began drinking straight shots of tequila, downing each rather quickly. She would then chant “tequila” in a low throaty voice, get up and do a bit of a hoochy dance, play some cards, and then repeat the show. A very nice American regular at the table, not to be outdone, decided to see if she could keep up. The evening degenerated rapidly. The American’s husband was so funny, watching his wife down the tequila and at one point reminded her that they were kayaking in the morning. When she didn’t pay him any mind, he asked if anyone wanted to kayak with him in the morning, ‘cause he believed his wife wouldn’t make it! I laughed so much, while I chastely drank my ice water! So virtuous – but my head would be clear in the morning.
April 27, 2012 – Sibenik, Croatia
Sibenik (pronounced shi-be-neek) is an historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia where the river Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Sibenik is a political, educations, transport, industrial and tourist center of Sibenik-Knin county.
Sibenik has a Mediterranean climate, with mild, humid winters and hot, dry summer. January and February are the coldest months, July and August are the hottest months. In July, the average maximum temperature is around 86 degrees.
The central church in Sibenik, the Cathedral of St. James, is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Several successive architects built it completely in stone between 1431 and 1536, both in Gothic and in Renaissance style. The interlocking stone slabs of the Cathedral’s roof were damaged when the city was shelled by Serbian forces in 1991. The damage has since been repaired.
Today’s tour was really interesting. We had an hour-long bus ride on a beautiful new freeway from Sibenik to Split. On this tour we were able to see much of the countryside, filled with rolling hills, some forestation, lots of low, ancient stone walls that were used to portion off a person’s property in ancient times – makes for very interesting view. Our guide, (we never got his name!) was really knowledgeable, had lots of energy, was just silly and dramatic enough to hold our attention without boring us to death, as so often happens. He obviously loved the city of Sibenik, of his birth and still a current residence, had great love of the Croat people – all of that came through.
Our destination in the city of Split, Croatia was the Diocletian Palace, quite something!
Diocletian’s story is one of from rags to riches. He grew up in the small town of Salona, before embarking on a meteoric rise through Roman military ranks, to become emperor in the year 284 AD. His greatest legacy to Croatia is the lavish retirement palace he built on the Adriatic in 295 AD, which was to later become the city of Split. Retirement was an unconventional move for a Roman Emperor. It was from this palace he observed the crumbling of the Roman Empire, and it was here that he committed suicide by poison in the 316 AD.
The palace boasts beautiful capitals on some of the columns throughout the palace that have been cleaned and are in rare condition, showing the intricacy of the design – really lacy and exquisite. Columns themselves are made of granite from Greece, and white marble from the local island of Brash – this is a guess at the spelling pronounced with a broad “a”. There is constant restoration going on throughout the very large facility. We entered through the caves that were slightly underground and had been “dug out”. Many years ago when local residents began developing the interior of the palace for homes, etc., people didn’t know what to do with their extra building materials and garbage, so they created holes in the upper street level, and then just dumped their debris into the holes. By the time that restoration began on the palace, it was full of ancient debris and a process of digging out or removing all of that debris was undertaken – painstakingly slow. The caves had at one time boasted beautiful mosaics, but over time have either eroded away or been taken away. But the basic stonework is really beautiful and shows the way stone was laid in order to make for strength, while still developing beauty in the design.
Given Diocletian's notoriety for persecuting of Christians, it is ironic that Split’s cathedral (extremely decorated and very tiny) was later built on the site of his former tomb – the tomb having been removed. Rounding a corner in the cathedral, I came face-to-face with a Dominican sister. When I asked our guide about that, he said that the palace, which is now filled with a labyrinth of shops, residences and restaurants, also boasts some orders of priests and nuns. As an aside, while awaiting time to board our bus for return to Sibenik, we sat and people watched along the esplanade on the Adriatic, and saw a Franciscan monk striding along. Our bench mates took notice that the Franciscan, along with his traditional brown robes and white rope belt, was wearing Gucci shoes. What happened to St. Francis and the sandals?!?!?!
This city is filled with residents drinking coffee (all day long!), smoking, walking and talking. Our guide mentioned that the economy here in Croatia is not what it might be if all who are currently drinking coffee, smoking, walking and talking, would just get to work! One thing we noticed with the hordes of people walking about is that the population is not diverse. Coming from the Bay Area, this concept is novel!
I could have stayed all day watching people – such fun! From tiny groups of very well-behaved children, young people striding hand-in-hand, to the very old with lined faces – these old people certainly had interesting stories to tell for they’d seen so much in their lifetimes.
Finally back to Sibenik, and to the ship for a light lunch on deck, and then it was almost time to get ready for dinner!! But first, a short nap.
After dinner we tried out the evening’s show of a jazz pianist who was pretty good but not interesting enough for us to stay for the whole of it, so off to bed went Adolfo and I to the blackjack table where the dealer took all of my profits thus far. Tonight I start afresh!!!
April 28, 2012 – Dubrovnik, Croatia
Dubrovnik is a major tourist resort on the Adriatic Sea. Silk and leather are manufactured here, and exports include foodstuffs and timber. The town faces the sea at the foot of rugged limestone mountains and is notable for its medieval walls, and fortifications. Historical buildings include a rector’s palace, two monasteries, and one of the oldest pharmacies (1317) in Europe. Dubrovnik has harbor facilities in the suburb of Gru. A music and drama festival held here each summer attracts performers and visitors from all over the world. The town was founded in the 7th century on a site called Ragusium by the Romans. It was under the protection of the Byzantine Empire between 867 and 1205, of Venice until 1358, of Hungary until 1526, and of the Ottoman Empire until 1806, but governed itself as an independent republic. In the 16th century, Dubrovnik had one of the greatest merchant fleets in the Mediterranean, and it remained the chief cultural center for the South Slavs until the 19th century. Napoleon abolished the city-republic of Dubrovnik in 1808, and the Congress of Vienna 1815) gave the town to Austria. By the terms of the Treaty of Rapallo (1920) following World War I, it became part of the newly created country of Yugoslavia. During World War II, Dubrovnik was occupied by Italians and Germans. The city of Dubrovnik was besieged and shelled in 1991 during the Yugoslav civil war.
Today we’ve chosen to be on our own. Will shortly sign off here, and get myself together to join Adolfo and we’ll go ashore to wander. This looks to be a spectacular stop. We stay all day and don’t sail away until 11:00 tonight.
What a beautiful day! The sun shone, the Adriatic sparkled and retained shades of turquoise, the stone walls of old town Dubrovnik bleached cream and the red tiled roofs along the hillside added that one color that completes a beautiful opportunity for photography. Why does the color red do that? With that one color, the whole of the picture is more than it would have been without the red. The one exception I can think of is Santorini in Greece – but then, we’re not there yet!
We visited the Cathedral of Dubrovnik, then went in to the Church of Saint Blaise – lit candles for friends and family in both churches. At the other end of town, we also visited the beautiful church connected to the Franciscan Abbey.
The extraordinary number of tourists today made it very difficult to enjoy this wonderful, historic old town. There were four very large ships anchored off shore, and tenders were constantly on the go bringing passengers to and from those ships. We estimated that with all the ships here, between 10 to 15 thousand people were visiting Dubrovnik – which made for navigational difficulties in the old streets. Added to that, the locals were all out in force on sunny Saturday morning, enjoying the cafes, smoking, drinking coffee – that again!!! Anchored fairly near to Seabourn Quest was the Costa Favolosa – a huge ship. When we returned to our ship, their tenders were operating nearby and we noticed that the line for Costa passengers was snaking along – a huge line that had passengers waiting for up to an hour for a tender that would bring them back to their ship.
While I would have liked to walk the wall around the city, this is something that is now beyond Adolfo’s capability. On one side of the city is the sea and on the hilly side of the city, every side street has steep staircases leading upward. Every street is lined with shops or doorways to residences, has an assortment of signage, and drying laundry hanging above the stairway. At least fifty percent of the tourists and locals were all eating ice cream cones. We saw three gelato shops with the different flavors displayed side-by-side in huge mounds, looking like multi colored pillows.
There were at least half a dozen shops that had signage noting them as shops sanctioned by cruise ships. These shops sold straw hats, a few essentials for tourists, and tons of nautical clothing – lots of stripes, red, white and blue, and anchor motifs – thought this a bit odd. Why would one go to Dubrovnik to buy nautical clothing? And then as in so many cities today, even ancient ones, stores like Ralph Lauren and Max Mara snag the tourists.
An ancient fountain in the hub squirted water into thin streams where people brought their water bottles and refilled them. Lots of locals had been to the market (which I never saw), and were carrying a variety of colored plastic bags filled with bread, vegetables, fruit and fresh flowers. Apparently here in Croatia, plastic bags haven’t been outlawed!
Think the sewer system in Dubrovnik needs some work because the smell of methane gas was often very pervasive.
We will be returning here to Dubrovnik later in the cruise so am hoping that fewer people will be visiting the city next time.
After our return to the ship, a nice lunch out on deck, and then you know the drill – back to the room for a rest, and lo and behold, it’s a full-fledged nap – am turning into a slug!
April 29, 2012 – Kotor, Montenegro
Located along one of Montenegro’s most beautiful bays is Kotor, a city of traders and famous sailors, with many stories to tell. The Old City of Kotor is a well preserved urbanization typical of the Middle Ages, built between the 12th and 14thcenturies. Medieval architecture and numerous monuments of cultural heritage have made Kotor a UNESCO listed “World Natural and Historical Heritage Site”. Through the entire city the buildings are crisscrossed with narrow streets and squares. One of these squares contains the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon (Sveti Tripun), a monument of Roman culture and one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The Church of Saint Luke (Sveti Luka) from the 13th century, Church of Saint Ana (Sveta Ana) from the 12th century, Church of Saint Mary (Sveta Marija) from the 13th century, Church of the Healing Mother of God (Gospe od Zdravila) from the 15th century, the Prince’s Palace from the 17thcentury and the Napoleon’s Theatre from the 19h century are all treasures that are part of the rich heritage of Kotor. Carnivals and festivals are organized each year to give additional charm to this most beautiful city of the Montenegrin littoral. You simply cannot afford to miss a visit to Kotor – surely the most famous Montenegrin town when we are talking about culture and cultural landmarks. At the end of the XIX century, Kotor, that is bay of Boka Kotorska, or the southern fjord as that bay is lately called, because of its unsurpassable beauty fit the epithet of the Bride of Adriatic.
We are docked pierside with the city of Kotor around us in a loose “L” shape. Dramatic mountains rise behind the town, extending above the tree line, reminding me a bit of Yosemite without the waterfalls and also appearing to be glacially cut. The water in the fjord we entered is calm as glass, a rich dark green in color – all around us is very quiet, except for the tour buses lined up on the pier, awaiting passengers for the day’s discoveries. Part of the quiet is no doubt attributed to the fact that it is early on a Sunday morning.
Adolfo and I are going to wander afoot – it appears an easy walk to areas of interest through the old city of Kotor.
As we exited ship security at the end of the pier, taxis and touring cars were lined up at the sidewalk with their drivers asking if we were interested. We said not, and continued on. Next to the very last car in the cue, Adolfo asked me if I had a map. I didn’t. The driver of that last car heard our conversation and sprinted off to get us a map – nice. When he established that we were American he informed that his grandfather lived in San Francisco – in fact in Redwood City. That sealed our fate, and we climbed into Marko’s car and were off to view the towns of St. Stefano and Budua.
The ride along the coast was truly beautiful, with a blend of old and new structures, but mostly newly built in the last five to ten years. The coast here reminds me of Amalfi, not quite so steep, but certainly as picturesque.
St. Stefano is an old town, almost an island, connected to the mainland by a very narrow road. It’s been converted to a very exclusive getaway, some apartments, a hotel and casino. The area is gated and one cannot enter without paying somewhere in the area of $40. Once guests are on the island, they can decide whether to live in current times with the convenience of electricity, or use only candlelight. Buildings are more of the local beige, sandy stone, with the classic tile red roofs.
Then we motored on to Budua, another UNESCO site, where our guide, Marko, walked with us traversing a circle through the ancient walled town. The buildings looked quite well preserved until we realized that that there were two levels/colors to the outside of most structures. Marko told us that a very bad earthquake in 1997 had weakened or crumbled most structures throughout old Budua. The darker grey stones near the base of the buildings was the original and the lighter cleaner stones were reconstruction. Stones were numbered prior to taking down the weakened buildings, and when rebuilt were put back in exactly the same place. On some buildings, the numbers painted in red are still visible, probably left there on purpose to remind the guides to relate to the tourists! The walls of the town are in beautiful shape, not at all damaged either by earthquake or time.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Marko, a 6’3”, thin Montenegrin, very personable and knowledgeable not from the standpoint of a tourist guide, but one who was born, lives and works in Montenegro – my favorite sort! Here’s what we learned from Marko and and his life:
· Serbs and Croats lived for many years in peace and then “suddenly there was a war and they were killing each other”.
· He has a bad scar over his right eyebrow, result of a bullet from a sniper – he was only a millimeter from dying.
· He is married, with three children – daughter who is 12, a son who is 7 and another son who is 12. For Montenegro, this is a large family.
· The middle son has Downs Syndrome.
· His wife manages to stay at home to take care of children.
· They live in a building that has three flats. His brother’s family lives upstairs and his parents live on the bottom, leaving the middle flat for Marko and his family.
· Marko works two shifts each day, but refuses to work the night shift because he wants to be home with his family – even though the night shift would bring in more money.
· He also does private work for celebrities who visit this area – in fact was recently the driver for one of the Rolling Stones – “one weird guy”.
· Even though there are earthquakes in the region, none of the new buildings are bound by seismic regulations – can’t imagine what will happen when a large earthquake hits this area and how it will affect all of these new buildings on the hillsides.
· During the winter months, only Montenegrins reside in the city of Kotor, approximately 6000, while all those who seek the sun in the other months go elsewhere. This moving population will be mainly Russian and while I cannot remember the exact number of this moving population, I recall at the time that it was twice as large as the native population.
· Then there is that Russian population – lots of money coming to Montenegro from Russia, its origins very suspect. Russians buy property, build where they want, take no notice of local regulations – not very well liked by the native population. So much money – and so little respect or common sense.
· Former Russian Premiere, Yeltsin, had a home at the tip of a small island off shore and would arrive regularly via helicopter.
· Marko has a Russian neighbor, Alexei, a retired general in the Russian army, who once asked Marko for a favor. Would it be possible for Alexei to use Marko’s bank account to transfer some money from Russia to Montenegro? While warning bells started to go off in Marko’s head, he did ask what sort of amount Alexei had in mind . . . $2.5 Million!!! As Marko told us, he might not be too well educated, but he wasn’t stupid. Even with the promise of 10% service fee, Marko said “no”, because he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in jail! Although yet very cordial to his neighbor, Marko now creates “a bit of space” between them.
· The religious makeup of Montenegrins is 85% Eastern Orthodox, 10% Roman Catholic and 5% Moslem.
After two and a half hours with Marko, we returned to walk through a bit of the old city of Kotur, but Adolfo’s energy was truly sapped and we returned to the ship, had a nice lunch out on deck, and then a nap, of course.
The evening was spent dining with the Captain. With all of the cruises we’ve done in the past, we’ve only been invited to the Captain’s table once and it was the most boring and interminable evening we can remember – no fun and totally stuffy, with each and everyone at the table trying to out-impress each other. Because of that evening, we’ve never wished to do it again. However, the painful memory had faded a bit, so we accepted. Everyone at table was British, except for us. What an interesting evening. I had two gentlemen to my right who were wonderful tablemates. As was the gentleman to my left, but he had that sort of (what I consider) upper crust, run-on, manner of speaking. He was so difficult to understand – very nice though. At one point the Captain, who’d been speaking with Adolfo, raised his glass of wine, and made a toast to Papa. Today would have been his 101st birthday, and Adolfo and I’d been speaking about him off and on during the day. Wasn’t that a nice gesture? Very touching.
Then to the casino, where the fun continued – terrible cards but tons of laughter and camaraderie.
April 30, 2012 – Corfu, Greece
. . .Corfu, the island of endless beauty, the island of song and music, or unending inspiration, a combination of the cosmopolitan and the traditional. The island will leave the visitor with unforgettable memories, excite him with unparalleled images and touch chords in his soul as he pays homage to the culture of the seven islands.
How can we put in few words all the elements which make up this earthly paradise - this place which has been so generously blessed and has been written about by writers and poets?
Corfu is the most northernmost and second largest after Cephalonia of the Ionian Islands. Its area covers 592 square kilometers ad the length of the island is 217 kilometers. It is mountainous with the highest mountain being Mt. Pantokrator (914 meters) but there are several flat areas, the largest being the Ropa Valley.
There are two lakes, Korission and Antinioti, and four small rivers often dry in the summer – Potamos, Sidari, Messogghi and Lefkimi.
We’ve been here before and seen much of the island, so today we may just wander and I might even do a bit of shopping to which I’ve refrained thus far! Have completed and sent off the last two days’ journal, and Adolfo is no doubt waiting for me to get my act together – so will close for now and see what we can come up with to tell you about later.
We never left the ship!! So many ships in the harbor, we’ve been to Corfu before – so we stayed aboard, ate, drank, knitted, slept, ate, drank, knitted and will shortly sleep!
Tonight a folklorico group from Corfu came aboard ship to perform music and dancing of Greece. The two musicians were totally awesome – we were so disappointed that the lead musician was not selling CD’s. Greek music is so wonderful – makes one want to get up and join in the dancing.
We sat with a couple for dinner that we’d not met as yet, from England . . .Tony and Phil (Phyllis), who turned out to be Sir Anthony and Lady Gill! We found that out and laughed and laughed, because I’d just related the story of our first Seabourn trip where titled people had totally tongue-tied me. We enjoyed a good dinner on deck with no shortage of conversation – a real gift tonight. Hope we see these two wonderful people again.
May 1, 2012 – Argostolion, Greece
Argostolion, or Argostoli – a town and former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece.
Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Kefalonia, of which it is a municipal unit. Argostoli has been the capital and administrative center of Kefalonia since 1757, following a population shift down from the old capital of Agios Georgios (also known as Kastro) to take advantage of the trading opportunities provided by the sheltered bay upon which Argostoli is situated – one of the busiest ports in Greece, leading to prosperity and growth.
To the east of Argostoli, at the end of the bay, beneath the Castle of St. George, sits the Koutavos Lagoon, a feeding ground for the Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Now a nature reserve, the Koutavos Lagoon was once an almost impassable swamp where mosquitoes and malaria were rife. Under the British governor of the island, General Sir Charles James Napier, a wooden bridge was constructed across the lagoon in 1813 by Colonel Charles Philip de Bosset, a Swiss engineer in the employ of the British army.
Four years later stone arches were added and, after some 26 years, the entire bridge was rebuilt in stone. In continuous use until 2005, this narrow bridge is now closed to traffic, awaiting renovation by the Greek Ministry of Culture. Almost halfway along the Drepano Bridge stands a stone column built by the British to celebrate their presence.
The coastal road out of Argostoli to the west was known during the Venetian period as the ‘Piccolo Gyro’. Along the Piccolo Gyro, in the Vlikha area facing Lixouri, lie the ‘Swallow Holes’ of Katovothres, a geological phenomenon. Sea water disappears underground and travels under the island, re-emerging some fourteen days later in the Karavomylos area of Sami, having passed through the nearby, underground Melissani lake. The power of this seawater was harnessed, in 1835, to power a water mill. Further along the Piccolo Gyro is the Agion Theodoron lighthouse, named after the small adjacent church. More commonly known as the Fanari lighthouse, this too was built during the British occupation, in 1829. The original building was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953, the recently restored present structure was rebuilt, complete with Doric-style columns, from the original plans.
Buildings that weren’t shattered by German bombing in 1943 were destroyed in 1953 by the earthquake that razed virtually all of Kefalonia, apart from the Fiskardo area, to the ground.
Forgive me if I ramble a bit here, but am truly puzzled about Greece and its current economic conditions and what, if anything, the people themselves are doing about it, and by that I don’t mean the rioting, etc. Thousands of tourists every day are visiting these small ports, taking tours, hiring private cars, taxis, wanting to spend money in the shops.
Argostoli is one of those ports, though because it might be smaller than some, may not have quite the numbers of tourists visiting. Today for a change, Seabourn Quest was the only ship in port. Most passengers going ashore were anxious to see the small port on foot while not having to navigate the crowds and many wanted to shop. However, May 1st is a “bank holiday”, therefore all of the nice shops were closed. The usual souvenir shops were open and we did buy inexpensive straw hats (which we’d forgotten to bring), but other than that, there was really nothing of quality to shop. At ten o’clock in the morning, all bars and restaurants were ready for business, but nothing else – am very curious.
The town of Argostoli has brightly colors homes, trimmed out in white – very pretty. Though when one is walking along looking up, there is that threat of tripping over terribly uneven sidewalks, with surprise steps up and down.
Used my three Greek words while ashore – efharisto for thank you; parakalo for you’re welcome; and kalimera for good day. Probably haven’t spelled them correctly!
After a good long stroll, we climbed back aboard the Quest and got ready for another meal – lunch up on the Grill Deck. A couple of dozes later, out on our private balcony, and then it was time to get ready for the evening – cocktails and another meal! The trip continues to be eating, sleeping, drinking, eating, sleeping, etc., etc., etc. When we get back home, will we be able to stay awake for an entire day?
Adolfo was ready for dinner before me, so he took his camera and went up on deck to photograph the sail-away from Argostoli. Told him we’d meet in the Club lounge for a cocktail and then go on to dinner after I’d made a try to call Mama. If I waited until 5:00, she’d just be getting up at 7:00 a.m. Got through easily – always amazes me. Had to make this call very brief, because we were shortly leaving Argostoli and the connection would then be lost. Mama sounds great and is two days away from her 99th birthday.
When I finally did manage to get myself together, showered and dressed, I hear from Adolfo that he’d had a bit of an adventure. When he arrived at the Club and I wasn’t yet there, he went out on to the aft deck to relax a bit. There was another couple there taking in the view, just being quiet – a nice moment for all.
Then there was another person, a gentleman, who arrived in baseball hat, shorts and t-shirt with a knapsack over his shoulder. The three looked on as he went into his knapsack, took out some small strips and proceeded to go over to the pool and the hot tub to test the water. Not certain what he was testing, perhaps chlorine? Having been satisfied with his tests, he proceeded to disrobe. The three onlookers were certain that he was going to be in the all together very shortly, or as Adolfo related, “certainly bare-assed”. But then the final stages revealed the very briefest black bikini. As if the “show” was then not enough, he reached into his knapsack yet again, pulled out full snorkel gear, donned it, and entered the pool beginning his laps.
The very best thing about cruising is the people watching – we are always surprised!
Dinner with Michelle, the cruise hostess and Tammy, who will be taking Michelle’s place in Athens. I remember Tammy on the very first Seabourn cruise we took to the Norwegian fjords. She was part of a singing/dancing quartet, and was called back into action to hostess for a few months. We had a great evening reminiscing about people and places. Fun!
May 2, 2012 – Pylos, Greece
Pylos historically known by its Italian name of Navarino, is a town and a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality of Pylos-Nestoras, of wich it is the seat and a municipal unit. It was the capital of the former Pylia Province, and is the main harbor on the Bay of Navarino Nearby villages include ialova, Pyla Elaiofyto, Schinolakka, and Palaionero.
Mycenean Pylos is an important archaeological site located on the western coast of the Peloponnese in Greece. The Bronze Age site, located at modern Epano Englianos some 9 km north-east of the bay, was first excavated by Carl Blegen in 1952. Blegen dubbed the remains of a large Mycenean palace excavated there – the Palace of Nestor, after the Homeric rules Nestor who ruled over “Sandy Pylos” in the Iliad.
Pylos is another small settlement which looks wonderful from the sea, but upon closer examination, many of the buildings are unfinished. The church was closed, the walled fort was not accessible – we once again walked around the small town and looked at the people, who were looking at us! Lots of very tired, old, weathered people, sitting around drinking coffee, smoking, looking generally very discouraged – sad. Nothing in the town worth shopping – curious as to why this is a stop for the ship.
Back to the ship for lunch, where we were joined by Clarence and Sarah from Saginaw, Michigan. These two delightful people are also Blackjack mates and so much fun. Sorry that they will be leaving the ship tomorrow at Athens.
Dinner with a ship’s officer, Murat, after an afternoon of needlepointing and sleeping (of course!) Then on to the gaming tables – am still ahead a few cents!!!!
Tomorrow we are in Santorini – know there’ll be good shopping there!
May 3, 2012 – Santorini, Greece
Today we received an email from Michelle that we’d lost a very dear friend, Vyvien Gear. Vyvien was my “journal mentor”. I can still remember the first journal I attempted of a French barge trip. Vyvien took a printed copy with her on a long plane ride to one of their exotic destinations, read it, made notes on it, and encouraged me to please continue. She was the best journal writer – always conveying to the reader her and Peter’s delightful experiences, creating the strong wish that we should be there with them. When I would mention that I probably would not write a journal on the next trip, Vyvien would look at me very sternly and insist that I would write. She was always the first one to make certain that she was on the journal list for our next trip. My mind is flooded with memories today of Vyvien, and particularly the one long night years ago when I couldn’t sleep, so was at the computer. Vyvien and Peter were in Jakarta where Peter was then working. She, too, could not sleep, was missing home and feeling a bit blue. All night we emailed back and forth until we were both laughing at insane things. Vyvien will be missed by so many – her husband, Peter, a lovely gentle man, her children and grandchildren, her friends, her church. Today we remember Vyvien, who wore the most wonderful and unique jewelry gathered from far and near on their travels, who crafted the most beautiful clothing from silks and wools bought all over the world, who could cook an unforgettable gourmet meal – Vyvien with the ready smile and the sharp wit – Vyvien, our very dear friend. Our hearts are heavy with this loss, especially for Peter and their family. As we travel, we will light candles in Vyvien’s memory. Peter, we send you our love and prayers.
Santorini was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions which affected the whole Aegean, all the way to Crete. Originally, the island was named Kallisti (the beautiful one) and Strogyli (the round one). Many people inhabited the island, starting from the Pre-Hellenes, then the Phoenicians and the Dorians, who named the island Thira, after their King Thiras. During the 16th century BC, the Minoans settled on the island, which became an important center of the Minoan civilization. Around 1550-1500 BC a violent volcanic explosion caused the submergence of the central part of Santorini, creating a huge basin of 83 square miles, called the Caldera. During the Persian Wars, the island sided with the Athenian Alliance. Later Santorini came under the rule of Sparta.
We’ve been to Santorini twice before, so eschewed the organized tours to wander, and perhaps do a bit of shopping. And shopping was good! Bought some wonderful loose cotton clothing, very pretty and very cool. Must hem the trousers, but that will be a snap. Adolfo did pretty well on the streets of Santorini which are cobbled and stepped.
On the occasion of Mama’s 99th birthday, we lit a candle in the Church of St. John the Baptist. Mama, hope you had a wonderful day!
We remember the first time we were here. Michelle, Adolfo and I visited Akrotiri – a wonderful excavation of the Minoan culture. Akrotiri just reopened this week after a roof collapsed and people were hurt - I believe someone was killed.
Lots of ships were anchored in the caldera today, so the lines to ascend the cliff up to Santorini on the tram were long, and the streets crowded. Jewelry stores abound with beautiful necklaces, earrings and bracelets in the Byzantine style.
There is a new trend here in Greece, called “foot spas”. Really outrageous! There are tanks of tiny fish, above which there are chairs where people can sit, dangle their feet in the fish tanks, and let the fish nibble on their toes! Supposedly, the fish eat the dead skin on your feet! Water isn’t changed between patrons – YUCK! What next?!?!?
Back to ship for lunch and an Aperol Spritzer. Have I mentioned the new drink I’m crazy about? Aperol is a Venetian apertif that can be mixed with soda or champagne. The color, bright orange, is rather horrific in a glass. The taste is sweeter than Campari, not nearly as bitter and with a citrus flavor. On board the Quest, it’s ice, Aperol, and a topper of Prosecco (Italian champagne), then a slice of orange added. I prefer with half the usual dose of Aperol - really lovely, quite refreshing, and a drink that I will make when I get home.
Dinner with Ian and Daryl in Restaurant 2. Here’s the menu – we got all of it, in extremely small tasting portions. Two years ago, special wines were served with each course, but now it’s just whatever wine one wants to drink. Very tasty but pretty rich.
Chef’s Cocktail: Crispy Foie Gras, Port Wine Splash
Lobster Roll, Yogurt Caviar Sauce; Bacalaito Fritter, Avocado with Tomato Salad; and Seared Panela Salmon, White Bean Salsa, Piquillo Coulis
Shiraz Braised Oxtail Presse, Manchego Potstickers
White Asparagus Vanilla Cappuccino, Mushroom Toast
Drunken Turbot, Porcini with Swiss Chard, Hazelnut Vinaigrette
Tuscany Braised Veal, Mascarpone Mashed Potato
Dark Chocolate Ganache, Espresso Citrus Panna Cotta, Condensed Milk
Ice Cream
May 4, 2012 – Piraeus, Greece
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece, located within the Athens Urban Area, a short distance from the municipality of Athens and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf.
The development of the harbor has been always combined with periods of proportional acme and progress of the city, while in the periods of the harbor’s decay the city languished. Piraeus was largely developed in the early 5th century BC, when it was selected to serve as the port city of classical Athens and was transformed into a prototype harbor, concentrating all the import and transit trade of Athens.
The port of Piraeus is the chief port in Greece, the largest passenger port in Europe and the third largest in the world, servicing about 20 million passengers annually.
Some years ago we were here to begin a cruise into the Black Sea. It was then that we first saw a Seabourn ship – little did we know that we would be fortunate enough to have this long affiliation with Seabourn ships.
Today is the end of the cruise for many who got on in Venice and there is a certain madness in the air as those passengers debarking get off the ship to make connections for flights home, or their stay in Athens. Debarkation began at 7:30 this morning. Stewardesses are tearing apart the rooms so that new passengers getting on later today will have spanking clean everything. Have heard that 88 new passengers will be joining the ship today for the next leg to Istanbul.
Am sitting out on the aft deck, just having finished my usual breakfast – caffe latte and a bran muffin. I know from past experience that if I go into the restaurant for breakfast, the smell of fried bacon grabs me and I’m lost. Better for me not to be tempted. Believe it or not, have lost weight. The trousers that I couldn’t get into when we began our journey are now almost comfy! My next challenge will begin today – can I get through a lunch without French fries? The chef does something to French fries – believe they are dipped in egg white prior to frying – they are so crispy and delicious. Everyone who gets them at the buffet begins eating them on their way to table. Today I will not have any – am going cold turkey! But won’t give up my Aperol spritzer.
We are staying aboard ship today, having been to Athens before. Believe we will be back here again prior to end of our trip. The ship will be quiet today, so am taking advantage of the lull to get my hair color touched up – the grey is surfacing – and maybe a bit of a trim. Good Lord, there’s more grey than ever! The sea air is making it grow twice as fast as usual!
Got a great haircut – color slightly darker, but Tijana assured me it’s because the water on board has lots of chlorine in it and my hair will lighten up within two or three washings.
We are shortly due for another ship’s passenger drill. It used to be that if you were on board for more than one leg of a cruise, you only had to participate in the first drill and could pass on all future ones. However, after the Costa disaster off the coast of Italy, the new rule is that you will attend all boat drills, no matter how long you are on the ship. We should be absolutely proficient in the mechanics of abandoning ship by end of our cruise!
May 5, 2012 – Kusadasi, Turkey
Kusadasi (pronounced Koo-sa-dashi meaning “bird island”) is set in a superb gulf in the Aegean region of Turkey and is known for its turquoise sparkling water of the Sea, broad sandy beaches, bright sun and large marina with a capacity for 600 boats. A glorious ancient city is a bus ride away, Ephesus with hundreds of thousands of visitors from tours each year. Numerous holiday villages and hotels line the shores and hundreds of restaurants serve food from all around the world and, of course, Turkish Cuisine, which is one of the largest cuisines of the world. There are also many hostels, discs, bars, cafes, pubs and “Turkish Nights”; all those cater to holiday-makers. Kusadasi has retained a certain earthiness to it and inexpensive meals and pensions can still be found in town.
The area has been a center of art and culture since the earliest times and has been settled by may civilizations since being founded by the Leleges people in 3000 BC. Later settlers include the Aeolians in the 11th century BC and Ionians in the 9th century. Originally seamen and traders, the Ionians built a number of settlements on this coast, including Neopolis.
Yesterday’s information regarding debarking passengers was incorrect. It is 78 passengers who have remained to continue on and almost 350 new passengers who got on at Piraeus yesterday. So, there are lots of new faces around this morning. We have to start all over, being charming, and getting to know more people – takes lots of energy!!
We’ve been to Kusadasi twice before. Still remember our first visit with Michelle, and walking down through the ruins of the once great city of Ephesus toward the beautiful library façade. On our second trip, Adolfo did a tour of the terraces, which then was a new excavation recently opened. That evening we attended a moonlight concert sitting before the library façade, sipping champagne and listening to a chamber music group sitting up on first level of the library façade. Really was a beautiful experience, with the moon rising behind the library, all guests seated at candlelit, white-clothed tables.
While I’d not planned to go again to Ephesus, Adolfo is talking mightily and already has tickets for the evening concert! Guess we’re going!!
A favorite of mine at this port is the bazaar, which is a short walk from where the ship is docked. Adolfo is going to go with me this morning – we must steady ourselves to deal with the very aggressive Turks in the bazaar – it’s quite an experience. The last time here, because I refused to buy some knock-off handbags, the sales person followed me down the street shouting that Americans were all alike, buying jewelry, and nothing else! I’d reached the outer edge of my limits, whirled around and confronted him (don’t know what got into me!). Told him if he’d look into my open shopping bag and find any jewelry, I’d eat it! There was laughter all around and he slinked back to his shop. Thank God he didn’t want to look into my purse, for the ring I’d purchased was there!!!
We’re having to make some decisions today regarding our two stops in Israel coming in a few days. The tour out of Haifa that we’re interested in is ten and a half hours – that’s pretty long. The tour out of Ashdod is eight and a half hours. These two tours are back-to-back days. That’s a lot of info and sight seeing that’s really important. These two stops are primary reasons why we chose this cruise, never having been to Israel. We’re thinking of picking up a car and driver at each port so we can go at our own pace, and perhaps see what we wish to see more quickly.
So, I’ve eaten my bran muffin, drunk my latte, and caught up my journal. Guess we’re off to the bazaar in a bit. Will report more later.
The port facilities here are much improved since our last visit. They really worked on the look of the area with pretty flowering gardens, statuary, all kinds of shops even before you leave the pier . . . and then there’s the bazaar.
We had a great time speaking with all of the Turkish, Kurdish, and whatever they are, sales people. One woman was from Chicago and her husband is Turkish, so her English is perfect. I saw in her store window, an oval citrine that turned out to be over 100 carats, a beautiful lemony color – it was only $10,000! But because I was the first customer of the day, I could have it for $5,500! Such a deal!!! I asked where I would wear such a beautiful thing, and she suggested on Christmas – of course, while I’m cooking pasta!!!!
The sales ethic here is to just keep talking, trying to lure people into one’s shop.
· Madame, you must come into my shop to see just ONE rug.
· Madame, I don’t expect you to buy anything, but please come in for a Turkish coffee and we will speak English.
· Madame, these are genuine (sure!) designer purses, you need one.
· Sir, feast your eyes, we have shirt just your size – small – to which Adolfo had a few choice words.
· Madame, you need leather jacket, only $90, do come in.
· Madame, you must come in because it is our ethic and custom that we tell people about our wares – you don’t have to buy.
· Madame, you are wearing a nice cross, a good watch, your wedding rings are good, your earrings are okay, but you need something more – come in! (this was my favorite)
· Madame, please come in to see the beauty of my rugs – they will warm your heart.
· . . . and then the voice of Adolfo, as I wandered away from him – Madame, would you like to buy a husband?
· . . . and then he tried to sell me! Spotting someone from the ship, the conversation went something like this – What would you like to buy? . . What do you have to sell?. . . My wife!. . . How much? Then Adolfo saved himself when he responded . . . Priceless! Good answer, Adolfo – and just in time!
We really had fun this morning because we just joked back, tried to be as polite as possible, and go with the flow.
The only purchase we made were two miniature, hand-painted boxes, crafted by Kurds out of camel bone. They were terribly expensive for what they were and we decided not to get them. As we walked away, he said we could have two for the price of one – and we did buy both of them (one for us and one for Christina’s box collection). While they want you to haggle with them, I just cannot do that with any grace – feel very foolish. So, I’ve found that if you tell them you are taking a walk to think about it, the price is usually cut in half as you walk out the door.
Late lunch at the Grill Deck, and then a rest prior to going out to Ephesus for the evening concert.
The evening at Ephesus was a jaunt for any and all passengers interested – a gift from Seabourn, and apparently the only cruise line that can get this special permit for such a show at the ancient site. The smaller Seabourn ships, because of their numbers not exceeding 200 have the concern in front of the Library façade. Tonight our numbers were almost double that, so rather than accommodate the crowd at the Library, we were hosted in front of the ancient arena which can seat 24,000 people. The arena has continued to be in used for concerts until recently when a rock band came and their loud amplified music began to shake loose the mortar holding the site together. There is lots of reconstruction going on at the arena site, including a huge crane. But even given that crane, the evening was magical – a clear sky with stars winking on as the sun went down in a crimson ball, and at end of concert, a bright and very large full moon rising over the arena. It couldn’t have been more perfect!
We heard the music of Vivaldi, Boccherini, Mozart, Bach, Dvorak, Faure, and more -all played with gusto by the Aegean Chamber Orchestra. You will love the names of the musicians – the first names: Hakan, Elvan, Meral, Tolga, Alp, Arzu and Bulent. A solo flutist was featured by name of Ipek Sancar Kurtes.
Tables and chairs were all draped and bowed in white. We were served white or red wine, and plates on each table containing crudite with cucumber/yogurt dip, almonds, hazelnuts, olives, peanuts and locally grown pistachio nuts. The only black mark on the evening, which today have turned to red marks, were the thousands of mosquitoes and some other bugs that were the size of 747’s. Those darned mosquitoes do love me – even the foreign ones!
Driving back through the town of Kusadasi there were hundreds of people everywhere we looked - in outside restaurants just sitting down to dinner, thousands of young people gathered in a park to hear a rock concert and many taking an evening stroll. Our guide told us that this is the beginning of the summer season, at the height of which Kusadasi’s populations quadruples! Can imagine the gridlock. Many Greeks and Turks have their summer homes here – didn’t hear anything about Russians, but who knows? We did note on the drive out to Ephesus, the tremendous building boom compared to the last time we were here, maybe six years ago.
When we arrived back at the ship around 10 p.m., the captain, officers and most of the crew were lined up on either side of the pier dancing to loud music, and we were encouraged to dance our way up to the gangway – loads of fun. We were also handed fruit punch and cold wet towels to refresh.
May 6, 2012 – Rhodes, Greece
Rhodes is a Greek island approximately 18 kilometers southwest of Turkey in eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population. The city of Rhodes is located at the northern tip of the island, as well as the site of the ancient and modern commercial harbors. The medieval Old Town of the City of Rhodes has been declared a World Heritage Site. Today Rhodes is a tourist destination. In ancient times, Rhodes was home to one of the Seven Wonders of the World – the Colossus of Rhodes. This giant bronze statute once stood in the harbor. It was completed in 280 BC but was destroyed in an earthquake in 224 BC. No trace of the statue remains today.
We’ve been here twice before, and have toured the Palace of the Grand Master where the Knights of St. John were founded – and later split to become Masons and the Knights of Malta. The Palace of the Grand Master was restored to be a summer home for Victor Emmanuel II, though he never came to Rhodes. This palace contains beautiful mosaics well worth seeing. On that same trip in 1995 we climbed up to acropolis at Lindos – an arduous and dangerous climb, especially for Adolfo even then - really treacherous on the way down. The statute of the Winged Victory now a permanent exhibit at the Louvre, originally resided in Lindos. Believe on our last tour that we also did a bus tour around the island. At any rate, today we will wander around this picturesque town.
We have just docked at the pier in Rhodes. We are at one end of a horseshoe port and I look to the other end of the horseshoe, marveling at the thought of the Colossus of Rhodes once straddling this harbor with a leg on each end of the horseshoe – difficult to imagine!
The walled city of Rhodes has certainly changed – at least in our memory. The streets are now like one giant bazaar, selling the usual awful things - shop upon shop with the same jewelry, the same beads, the same linens purportedly made in Greece, but I’ll lay odds that all are made in China! I state this because we’ve seen many of the same linens in many countries, each different country claiming they are handmade there.
There were three ships in the harbor today, and our own, so lots of people crowded the narrow streets, speaking a variety of languages, but mostly English, Italian, and German. – and of course, Greek!
In one jewelry store, back in a dark corner was the most interesting looking Greek man, with a huge handlebar mustache – just waiting for a customer to pop in. Adolfo asked if he could take a photo of the gentleman, to which he just shrugged. However, his wife, in the back room, came out and asked: You want to take a photo of my husband? Adolfo responded in the affirmative. The wife then said: You want him? You can have him! All he does is sleep!
However, even with the prolific growth of gimmicky shops, the city is still very beautiful, with well-preserved bits of ruins around every corner, and turreted walls peeking over the rooftops. We enjoyed our saunter through the streets and back to the ship passing through the picturesque harbor with its sparkling turquoise water.
This is the first time that we returned to the ship where there was no one checking ID cards prior to our entering the pier. There were local soldiers nearby, but they were all lounging around, drinking coffee and smoking!
After a nice lunch on the grill deck at our favorite breezy table, it was more of the same – needlepoint, rest and getting ready for dinner. Such a very difficult life!
We are into our third week – am beginning to sleep through the night (even with an afternoon nap!) and wake up refreshed.
Bulletin! Got through lunch yesterday without one single French fry!!!! Going for two days in a row.
I now have three Greek words that I can say with surety – so proud of myself!
Kalimera – good day
Efharisto – thank you
Parakalo – you’re welcome
Well, maybe four words, because Parakalo is also “please”!!!
Just when I have confidence with these three Greek words, tomorrow we are back in Turkey!
May 7, 2012 – Antalya, Turkey
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It was the world’s third most visited city by number of international arrivals in 2011, displacing New York, and had a population of over one million. Antalya is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and the country’s biggest international sea resort.
The Taurus mountain range o southern Anatolia runs parallel to the Mediterranean in an east-west direction, resulting in the formation of narrow coastal plains surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the fourth.
Some parts of the coast feature mountains plunging sharply into the sea, forming small natural bays and peninsulas. Antalya is situated on one such plain where the mountains recede from the shore, consisting of two flat areas formed of travertine rock at a mean height of 115 feet; the town center is located on the rocky plain closest to the coast, with urban sprawl extending to the Kepezustu Plain further inland.
It is hot, hot, hot, today. Already in the 80’s this morning. There is a bit of gusty wind, also warm. We took the shuttle to the city center. When we alighted the bus, Adolfo took one breath, said he’d sit under a tree and I could go walk – he’d be right there when I was finished.
This town has a very beautiful setting, with the sea along its coast. When the description above mentions “urban sprawl”, would say that this place is the epitome of urban sprawl. From the time we left the ship for a 25 minute ride on the shuttle to the city center, and one can even see beyond, that there are thousands (we do not exaggerate!) of apartment/condominium buildings – all painted in varying shades of pastels – fairly new in construction. Antalya is a summer destination for many Europeans.
So, Adolfo sat under a tree and I took off. The first thing that struck me is a huge building to the right of the square. It is advertised as a store for large people. The letters at the top are each three feet high, in black, against a light grey marble exterior and proclaim for far and near to see – XXXL. Along side the entry door are more XXXL letters, each about one foot high. Honestly, if I needed to shop there, would go in deep disguise!!! Can’t imagine what their shopping bags look like! Seems to me a bit ridiculous that I should come all this way and have the first impression of this place be the XXXL store.
Off I went down a street, expecting to see some interesting shops – I did – more of the same as we saw in Rhodes, and other ports we’ve visited. More goods, or same goods, made in China, and sold everywhere - mini bazaars selling all sorts of knockoff’s – many not very good. And also once again, tons of jewelry stores with the same “original” Byzantine style jewelry. Was taken aback for a minute as I passed more of the same, that all of a sudden there was a store filled with washers and dryers! Why should that make me laugh?!?!? Hiked up and down the streets for about 40 minutes. Noted that when I climbed higher into the city, the shops became a bit more interesting, but decided not to have Adolfo wait for too long, so returned.
Near the water, there was a beautiful photo opportunity that included the minaret tower for a call to prayer, the clock tower, and the intricate roofline with many domes of the local Mosque.
Back to ship we shuttled, a bit of lunch inside today, because the temps are soaring and then the usual afternoon of NN&R (needlepoint, nap & reading).
In the midst of my nap, Adolfo awakened me to show me a huge crown that had come loose – just put in a couple of months ago. It’s so big, he must have a crater in his mouth! Down he went to the doctor to be told that they didn’t have the right glue on board. Strangely enough, another passenger has the same problem, so arrangements will be made for the two men tomorrow to visit a dentist in Alanya, Turkey.
You’re going to visit a dentist in Turkey? - to which Adolfo responds that they’re sending him to a veterinarian!
Funny comedian tonight for the entertainment by name of Yacov Noy - very good and very sweet - nothing off color, or crude, just genuinely funny. He was born in Poland, raised in a kibbutz in Israel, and immigrated to America, became an American citizen and lives in Ojai, California. Says Yacov, people love his city so much that they say it all day long – “Oh Hi!” I know, silly, but delivered with that bit of Israeli accent – very charming.
May 8, 2012 – Alanya, Turkey
Alanya is a beach resort city and in Antalya Province in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey – about 200 miles from Antalya. Population consists almost entirely of Turkish origin but is home to around 10,000 European residents. Because of its natural strategic position on a small peninsula into the Mediterranean Sea below the Taurus Mountains, Alanya has been a local stronghold for many Mediterranean-based empires, including the Ptolemaic, Seleucid, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. Alanya’s greatest political importance came in the Middle Ages, with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum under the rule of Aleddin Kayqubad I, from whom the city derives its name. The Mediterranean climate, natural attractions, and historic heritage makes Alanya a popular destination for tourism, and responsible for nine percent of Turkey’s turism sector and thirty percent of foreign purchases of property in Turkey. Tourism has risen since 1958 to become the dominant industry.
So, I guess if we come back in ten years, this place will look like all the others with myriad shops selling the same stuff, ad nauseum – however, I am optimistic! While Adolfo visits the “veterinarian” this morning, am going to wander around town, if the heat doesn’t get to me. It’s a bit of a walk from the ship to the shops, but now that I’m fortified with my caffe and my bran muffin – I will go! More later . . .
I walked and walked, probably two or three miles, nearing the old and very picturesque walled city up on the hillside to my left - so much to see here, a very interesting port. Got directions to the shops (of course!). Native told me there were thousands of shops! Walked along the waterfront, where boat upon boat lined up for tours – very old beautiful wooden boats, brought up to date with huge plastic water slides, motors along with sail rigged masts, mostly triple masts. Black and dark green sails fluttered in the breeze, and men along the way tried a variety of languages to get me interested in a sail. My first thought was that this must be Alanya’s answer to Disneyland!
Boats boasted huge pirate faces on the broad bows, all sorts of Jolly Roger flags flew and the atmosphere was one big water party – and this was at 9:30 in the morning! On the landside of the promenade along the water, were row upon row of restaurants, thousands of chairs lined up at hundreds of tables waiting for people to drink coffee or eat a meal. For many who spoke with me, this was their first recollection that a ship had come into port bearing Americans – and at that, we are perhaps a minority. Most of the people on the ship are Aussies, Kiwis, and Brits.
Began my search for the “shops”. Found those thousands of them and was so disappointed to find it was just more of the same merchandise. Did find some very inexpensive “pedal pushers” and bought them in beige, white and black. They will be my uniform in this very hot climate and I probably won’t bring them home, for I fear with a few washings they will surely fall apart.
After a couple of hours of wandering, I got back to the ship to find Adolfo still there, sans crown. He was due to go with a ship’s agent at 12:30 to a local dentist. A couple of hours later when he got back, he had a bit of a story to tell – of course!
His dentist was a young woman, very pleasant, with limited English. She told him that the crown he’d lost was not the newer one, but an older one where the filling ‘neath the crown had crumbled, dislodging the crown. The first step she took was new to Adolfo, who reported that she’d gone into his mouth with a small camera and taken four photos, so that as she explained the procedure to him, he could see exactly what she would be doing.
First, she had to redo the filling, and then would replace the crown. When in place, she had him do the usual tapping to see if the fit was right. All Adolfo could reply, was “too high”. This went on for six or seven tries. She finally said to him: “Okay, Mister Too High, how is fit now?” To which he replied “Perfetto”! She beamed, Adolfo was whisked back to ship and all is well – at the cost of almost $400 later. However, it is calming to know that in case of a “situation” like this one, we are well looked after.
A quiet evening, and looking forward to Cypress tomorrow, a country we’ve not visited.
May 9, 2012 – Larnaca, Cypress
Larnaca, is the third largest city on the southern coast of Cyprus after Nicosia and Limassol. To the north of the city lies the island's former oil refinery, which was reduced to a storage facility after the refinery itself was sold in 2008 to a Hollywood film studio for the filming of Waterworld 2. To the south is the Larnaca International Airport. The city of Larnaka is well known for its picturesque seafront which includes rows of palm trees (or φοινικούδες finikoudes, in the Cypriot dialect). Larnaca Marina is one of the four official entry points, by sea, to Cyprus.
Larnaca was founded by Greeks (Mycenaean-Achaeans) in the 14th century B.C. and was known as Kition, or (in Latin) Citium. The biblical name Kittim, though derived from Citium, was in fact used quite generally for Cyprus as a whole, and occasionally by the Jews for the Greeks and Romans. Larnaca is colloquially known as "Skala" (Greek: Σκάλα) meaning "ladder" or "landing stage", referring to the town's status in history as an important port.
Our tour today was “Chirokitia Lefkara Village & Aggeloktisti Church – 5 hours. Knowing what’s coming up the next two days with really long tours, we approached this one with some trepidation.
Our first stop was Chirokitia (pronounced keero-kee-teeya). Here we found another UNESCO World Heritage site – a Neolithic village dating back to 8000 BC. - for me that is beyond comprehension. This particular stop was labeled with a “moderate walking” rating, but in fact, was really arduous, including a steep climb up stairs to view the village ruins. Adolfo took one look at the pathway/steps, and declined. I was determined!
Began my ascent to the half way point, and while I might have gone all the way, time was running out for our return to the bus. So, half way was my final destination. From that vantage point I could view and take photos of the rocky ruins – what was left of the very small circular homes of the Neolithic times. These people were very tiny – had to be to fit into these homes. Average age span was to 14 years. I really don’t know anything more about this time, but I can say I’ve been there!!!
Then on the bus to a mountain village – Lefkara – where the woman of the town sit in front of their homes on a chair, drinking coffee or tea, speaking with the passers by, and demonstrating the stitchery for which this town is famous. Lots of embroidered linen and beautiful lace – much to buy, but my feeling is that the day of the antimacassar on furniture is passed. So, we walked, we looked, took photos of the homes with wrought iron balconies, many beautifully decorated with flowering plants, lit a candle for Vyvien in the local church, and returned to the bus.
Then on down the mountain to Aggeloktisti Church – translation is “Church the Angels Built”. There is a wonderful, sweet story connected to this Byzantine church which has been restored since an earthquake that devastated much of the old architecture of the region.
When the original church was being built, the locals would work all day, go home to sleep, and upon returning the next morning, find that their work had been matched during the night. This went on for several days – no one could figure out who was doing the work during the night.
Two of the workmen decided to hide in the bushes to see what happened during the night. What they saw was astounding! When it got dark, angels descended from Heaven and proceeded to work through the night. Whatever amount of work was done by the men during the day, was matched by the angels at night – ergo – Church that the Angels Built!
Gratefully, back to the ship for a late lunch and a rest. Very hot today – extremely enervating. Want to drink more fluids, but often restrooms are horrid – I need not say more.
Continued in Part II.
Comments