Meandering the Mediterranean

Athens is a large city, and like every other large city, it is full of buildings, vehicles and people everywhere.  But here, there are also ruins everywhere. And prominently on display in the middle of the city is the Acropolis. It is the second highest mountain in the area, and the one on which the Parthenon sits and welcomes everyone to the ancient city. Athens is Europe's oldest capital city, with a history that dates back over 3,400 years. It's one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Athens is recognized as the birthplace of democracy, and was established around 500 BCE. The word "democracy" itself comes from the Greek words "demos" (people) and "kratos" (power). The city takes its name from Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. According to mythology, Athena won a contest against Poseidon to become the patron deity of the city. Athens is known as the "City of Philosophy," as it was the center ...

The followong are just a collection of thoughts that don’t make it into other blog entries. Bryan and I were in cabin 4600. John and Larry were next door in 4602. These were on the lowest passenger deck and each room had a nice sized port hole window. They were not far above water level. When we were docked it was possible for those outside on the dock to see in.  Joe and Alan were a deck up in 5616 which had a nice sized window.  Although the buffet was a regular part of every day’s dining, there were also two formal dining rooms, the Venetian and the Aqua. These were nice, comfortable, formal dining options.  The buffet at times was busy and crowded, and not unlike throwing a bunch of steaks into a pit of hungry alligators.  But there were always a lot of options to choose from. It was fast to get in and get out of, and there was usually plenty of seating. The formal dining rooms were very classy, had elegantly presented food, and a personal waiter. It also took mu...

Before bed on the night before our disembarkation, we were told to set our clocks back an hour as we were crossing into another time zone.  The instructions were that we had to be out of the cabins by 8 AM the next morning and off the boat by 9:15, so time was of the essence.  I didn’t have the most restful sleep and keep waking and looking at my clock.  At 6:30 Bryan was also up and had a premonition something wasn’t right. He went out of the cabin and found the halls were fully alive with people rushing back-and-forth. We found Ryan, our cabin boy, and confirmed the time with him and he also said it was 6:30.  I turned on my phone and once it connected, the time immediately switched to 7:30. Then we we’re both really alarmed! We had to be completely out of the cabin by 8:00 and we were supposed to have eaten breakfast by then. While we were trying to figure out what was going on with the clocks, we were alarmed and rushing as fast as we could to finish getting pack...

This was our final full day on the ship and we were back in Greece. This time to the Island of Mykonos.  We had a casual morning so we decided to have a nice quiet breakfast in the Venetian dining room.  Mykonos was a bit of a mystery at first, as no one seemed to know anything about it except for it being a party island, whatever that means.  Anchored in the bay, we had a great view of the island. White washed houses covered the hillside again with the same look as Santorini. In fact, looking at Mykonos from this vantage point is exactly what I had expected Santorini to look like. A picturesque oceanside landscape of blue and white. Mykonos is known for its vibrant nightlife, with numerous bars, clubs, and beach parties. It's a popular destination for party-goers. Although we didn’t see any of it. Mykonos has a rich history dating back to ancient times. The island was originally inhabited by the Carians, and later by Ionians from Athens. Mykonos came under Venetian rule ...

Bryan and I stayed with Joe while the others  toured the cistern and Hagia Sophia. The area was beyond crowded. Tour groups were going in every direction, and locals filled every open area till there wasn’t any more. It was practically standing room only. Except there was not much standing. More like running each other over. I felt like a single bean in a vat of tortilla bean soup.  With every step, we would run into someone trying to sell us carpets. The scenario is always the same. A nicely dressed english speaking man introduces himself and wants to take you to his ‘brother’s’ shop for some hot tea and a really good deal on a high priced carpet. It’s the most common tourist trap in the city. My priority quickly became to find a bathroom, which I did rather easily, except it cost 3 Turkish Lyra. I had none, and they didn’t take Euros.  Now I had to find an ATM machine.  While looking for that, I ran into Ali who stopped me because he was a philosopher and he t...

Since Trevor and Bryan had already experienced the major sights of Istanbul a few years ago, the four of us (Joe, Alan, John, and Larry) set off to explore “The Byzantine Heritage of Istanbul” (the name of our excursion). This is a huge city, currently hosting around 17.5 million people! (Including the recent influx of refugees) The maze of Istanbul is divided into two geographical areas by a natural strait opening to the Black Sea, with its western half attached to the European Continent and its eastern side forming the doorway to the mainland of Türkiye (Turkey). Its history is also a labyrinth of twists and turns reflected in the many names this intriguing city has held: Lygos, Byzantium, New Rome, Constantinople, Stamboul, and Istanbul. Our tour began with a short bus ride through heavy traffic to the heart of the historical sites we visited. Our long walking tour quickly took a toll on Joe, who had developed a nasty cold and needed to sit out the remainder of the excursion. Throug...

Istanbul allowed us one more relaxed morning. The ship arrived at the dock around breakfast time, but the tour was not scheduled till noon. Still no one had heard from Joe or Alan yet, so the rest of us went to the buffet for breakfast. We were starting to wonder if they had been left behind at the last stop. On the way back to our cabin after breakfast I ran into Alan in a hallway. He said that Joe was feeling bad and wanted to stay in his cabin. Mystery solved, way too easily. I was already formulating a story of corruption and betrayal. I’ll save that for a different cruise. Bryan and I exited the ship at 11:30, leaving the others behind for a later tour. Again we were splitting up, since we have already been here and have seen all the must see sights. We were hoping for a hop on-hop off bus just for a driving tour of the city. Istanbul is a city that blends history, diversity, and modernity. The city is a cultural melting pot and home to people from various ethnic and religious bac...

While we were visiting with Ebru, the others were on a tour to Ephesus, one of the most famous ancient cities in the world. Ephesus is just a short drive from Kușadasi. This UNESCO World Heritage Site attracts millions of visitors each year. Ephesus is known for its well-preserved ruins, including the Great Theatre, the Odeon, and the Terrace Houses. These sites offer a glimpse into the daily life and grandeur of the ancient city. Ephesus is believed to be the final resting place of the Virgin Mary, and the early Christian basilica is believed to be the site where the Apostle John lived and wrote the Book of Revelation. Ephesus was an important ancient Greek city and later became the capital of Roman Asia Minor. It was a major center of commerce, culture, and religion. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Temple of Artemis was located in Ephesus. Although only a few columns remain today, it was once a magnificent structure. Impressions of Ephesus: by Larry Those of us who...

The ship docked early at our first of two ports in Turkey. In fact, this was the earliest yet this trip. The boat docked while it was still dark and the earliest tours leaving the ship at 7 AM. Bryan and I have been to both places already on a previous trip so we planned different itinerary than Joe, Alan, John and Larry.  Turkey is a country with a rich history and diverse culture and is home to some of the world's oldest civilizations. Turkey has 19 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the historic areas of Istanbul, the rock sites of Cappadocia, and the ancient city of Ephesus. The country is uniquely positioned, straddling both Europe and Asia. The Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul marks the boundary between the two continents. Turkish is the official language, but the Turkish alphabet has only been around less than 100 years. Prior to that they used the Arabic character set. Their beloved president Atatürk introduced the new Latin-based alphabet in 1929. Turkey has some very uniq...

Hooray for another slow morning with no alarm clock to force us out of bed…except for the continual call of the buffet.  This morning the seas took it up a notch and the ship rocked and swayed most of the morning. It didn’t prove to be a problem for any of us but Larry and I took a motion sickness pill just in case. The pill made Larry more uncomfortable than the movement from the ship.  Overnight I found it rather pleasant though, it was like a giant cradle and I slept well.  The ship was not able to dock at the port at Santorini and we had to take local boats to tender us to the shore.  We had a tour that was scheduled through our travel agency. All the tours through the cruise line were filled so we had to find our own. The instructions from our tour company told us to be on the first tender from the ship. We spoke with the excursion people on board, and they told us they cannot guarantee us a spot on the tender if we did not book the excursion through them. We we...

Morning came an hour earlier but we were still up and at the buffet at 7:30, and assembled for our tour at 8:45 Corfu is a beautiful Greek island in the Ionian Sea, known for its stunning landscapes.  Corfu's Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which features a mix of Venetian, French, and British architectural influences. Corfu is known for many points of interest such as its old fortress that date back to the 6th century. It offers panoramic views of the island and the sea. Also the Achilleion Palace, built by Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The palace is now a museum and is known for its beautiful gardens and neoclassical architecture. Paleokastritsa Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, known for its clear turquoise waters and lush surroundings. St. Spyridon Church is the main church in Corfu Town, dedicated to the island's patron saint. But we didn’t get to see any of those things.  We boarded a tour bus at the pier for a whirlwind, but thorough, d...

We were relieved to have yet another day without early tours and one more day to sleep late. At least until 7:30 when Joe called about breakfast plans.  After breakfast we disembarked at the pier. We had no tour scheduled for the day so we were in the market for one. The old city was a good 2 mile walk from the pier so we were looking for a ride. We were quickly provided three options:  The cruise line offered a bus for 20€. A hop on-hop off bus for 25€. A private tour for 30€. We chose the latter. The private tour was put on by a group called Horizon tours, and they offered exclusive visits to places only accessible by a small van. Plus they had rides back to the ship every 30 minutes from the old city.  To make a long story short, they ran out of vans and drivers and were off schedule and did not have people available where or when they said. Others waiting with us started leaving for other options, and Bryan got frustrated and went back to the ship.  The tour dire...

This was only the second day of our entire trip that didn’t require an early meeting so for some of us that meant a refreshing night’s sleep with no alarm clock. We all met for a casual breakfast in the Venetian dining room before taking a 10:30 tender from the ship to the port city of Kotor, Montenegro. This charming town is nestled at the base of steep mountains and surrounded by fortified walls, giving it a dramatic and picturesque appearance. Montenegro, which means black mountain,  is known for its stunning landscapes, and Kotor certainly provides exactly that. It is unquestionably one of the most beautiful bays in the Adriatic, offering spectacular views and a peaceful atmosphere. The country has a rich history, with influences from the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. A well-preserved medieval fortress overlooks the old city from high overhead, and provides panoramic views of the town and bay. We didn’t have a tour scheduled here so we paid for a hop on-hop off bu...

Our second day of the cruise and once again we were up early and had another quick breakfast at the buffet.  The cruise lines are typically very aware of the spread of germs and sickness, and they do make as many precautions as they can. They have people stationed for an involuntary dose of disinfectant as you board the ship, and when entering the dining rooms.  Particularly at the buffet, you have people at every entrance to make sure people wash their hands. The crew refer to it as ‘washy-washy’ and they repeat the phrase continuously. Several crew members greet people at the buffet each morning playing the guitar, singing and dancing to all manner of hand washing songs adapted from traditional tunes, such as “If you’re happy and you know it wash your hands..” Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline is sung as ‘Please wash your hands, wash wash wash” and the Hokey Pokey is sung as “You put both hands in, you take both hands out, you put both hands in and wash them all about”  The...