Return to France -- September 9-12, 2015 -- Days 22-25

Days 22-25, September 9-12, 2015 … It felt great to be able to sleep in a while, have a leisurely coffee/tea and bite to eat and continue our visiting. 

The Palace at Versailles

 Versailles … About 11 o’clock, Philippe drove us a short distance to the Estate of Versailles. This is an amazing site. It was originally a hunting lodge built by King Louis XIII in 1623, then expanded into a royal palace by his son, King Louis XIV. It was the center of political power in France until the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789 during the reigns of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. All the nobility of France was encouraged to live here by the king, so the grandeur and opulence of the palace, grounds and entertainment provided knew no limits.  Upon entering the main gate, you are greeted by the stunning gold trimmed palace with its many statues and decorations around the ledges, windows and roof line. There’s an abundance of gold trim inside as well, along with statues, marble fire places in every room, ornate chandeliers, paintings on the walls and ceilings, elaborate scrolls and other decorations around the windows and edges of the

A sitting room in the Palace
Versailles

ceilings, the finest furniture and window dressings … everything that is elegant seems to have been placed in this palace. The enormous grounds consists of many trails between flower gardens, green mazes, 30+-foot high hedges separating the various gardens, statues, and numerous water fountains.  The view from the back of the palace overlooks stairways, a massive water fountain named Latona, a tree-lined trail with statues situated along either side called the Green Carpet, down to another very large water fountain called Apollo Fountain and finally to the Grand Canal.

Apollo Fountain
Versailles

Le Grand Trianon
Versailles

There are many other gardens on either side of the Green Carpet, and off to the far right is the Palaces of Trianon and Marie Antoinette’s Estate.  She sought to flee the court of Versailles and ordered the construction of this hamlet in 1783, which actually became a farm supplying the kitchens of the Palace with its products. While not quite as elaborate as the main palace, these too are beautiful and elegant buildings with lovely grounds. Following the revolution and fall of the monarchy, Versailles fell into disrepair, but King Louis-Philippe officially opened this as a museum dedicated to French history in 1833.

Bob and I spent about five hours wandering around the palaces and the grounds, being amazed at

Looking over the grounds from the back of the Palace
Versailles

every turn.  There was a lot of walking but it was leisurely and enjoyable on this perfect day, as was lunch with a local beer!  I think one must actually visit this place to appreciate the magnificence, the lavishness, the wealth of this vast site. It brings a new reality to the phrase, “living like a king”!

To finish the day, we took Jeanette and Philippe out to dinner at a little Italian restaurant in the town of Versailles … great food, great wine, great company! We toyed with the idea of going into Paris on Thursday; however, when the time came, we all agreed it was preferable to simply enjoy the beauty of their back yard. Jeanette provided an excellent “French” lunch and another delicious dinner in the evening.  We do so love French cuisine!

Eglise Saint-Pierre
Plaisir, France

Friday morning was time to pack up, a quick trip into Plaisir to look at their recently updated, beautiful Eglise Saint-Pierre, a Catholic Church … and off to the airport we went. It’s been a wonderful few days, talking almost non-stop with dear friends!  After a missed flight in Atlanta and an overnight there, we were greeted by our son at the airport on Saturday morning!  Twenty minutes after arriving home, I was back out the door to have lunch with a great group of ladies.  The entire trip meandering through parts of France and the Mediterranean was absolutely fabulous … but being home with friends and family really is the best!

Barcelona, Spain -- September 7 and 8, 2015 -- Days 20 and 21

 Days 20 and 21, September 7 and 8, 2015 … The Island Princess docked early Monday morning at a port in Barcelona, Spain, and by 8:45 a.m. we were off the ship, transported to our hotel and in our room! We’re staying at the Pulitzer Hotel, which is very nice.  After some orientation, we embarked on a tour of the city via the hop-on, hop-off bus.

Barcelona is the capitol of the Catalan region of Spain, the second largest city in the country and one of the largest in Europe.  You may already know that I’m not a big fan of cities, but this one is one of the nicest.  While there are some modern buildings, most are old stone buildings, five-to-eight stories high, all built with an artistic eye.  Many have turrets or steeples, edges are designed with stone leaves, flowers or curvatures, the balconies of the top floors are of either ornate black iron or stone columns; and often there will be stone carvings of some scene of people and/or statues.  It is a very clean city and green, green, green.  Tall trees canopy over the roads and walkways, and many of the roads also have a boulevard between the two directions of traffic, sometimes with parks and play areas, always with benches where people relax in the cool of the shade.  And there are motor bikes parked everywhere, an obviously popular mode of transportation.

The beautiful streets of Barcelona

We started our tour at the city center, a very short walk from our hotel, which has a beautiful park with a large fountain and statues all around and from which many roads spoke out to reach other parts of the city. One of those roads is the famous Rambla, a shady street with a very wide pedestrian area running down the middle that leads to the sea.  The pedestrian area is filled with people, some eating areas, and vendors, and many enjoy a particularly leisurely stroll all along the area in the evenings.

The Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, Spaine

The Sagrada Familia … This icon of Barcelona is the dream of one of Spain’s beloved artistic architects, Antoni Gaudi. Work began on this huge church in 1884; but in 1926, when Gaudi died, only one of the 18 towers had been built.  Gaudi was a devout Catholic and wanted to construct a building that would make an impact on the skyline and show his respect for God.  It was built to be seen from all points of the city; and the glass mosaics at the highest points, when reflected by the sun or moonlight, act as beacons to guide seafarers home! The construction is still in progress, and when completed, perhaps by 2029, there will be 12 shorter towers on the facades representing the apostles and six taller ones reaching for the sky in the center in a pyramidal layout. The tallest will represent Jesus Christ, with the others representing Mother Mary and the four Evangelists. Gaudi did not believe in straight lines, using nature as his inspiration and his architectural techniques, so it seems that every inch of this massive structure of towers, vases or columns is covered in scrolls, leaves, fruit, scenes or statues.

Entrance to The Sagrada Familia
Barcelona, Spain

There are three facades representing the Nativity, the Passion and Death (which depict many scenes of the Stations of the Cross), and the Glory of Christ.  In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the Sagrada Familia as a minor basilica. Because of time and Euros, we opted not to tour the inside, though I’d love to do that some day.  The building is indeed a wonder to behold  … an intricate, jaw-dropping sight.

Park Guell

Park Guell … Our next hop-off was at Gaudi’s Park Guell, a large area he had originally intended to develop as a residential garden area.  However, only one house was built other than his own, which is now a museum devoted to Gaudi. It was quite a hike up hill to the Park, and then we wandered along the paths, always seemingly up hill, through the columned rest areas where one or two musicians were usually playing in hopes of getting a few tips. True to Gaudi’s integration of nature in his work, the stone columns were never smooth, but were covered with a roughness of leaves, bark, flowers, etc. -- very unique and interesting. He also incorporated many existing items into his facades, including mosaic tiles, glass, sticks and leaves, etc., which also added a bit of color to his buildings. 

Park Guell

Also along the paths of the garden were vendors selling their water, earrings, fans, magnets, etc.; and when we reached the summit, there was a beautiful view of Barcelona and the sea behind it.  Wandering down the hill was almost as challenging, because one of the things we noticed wherever we explored in Barcelona is the lack of signage explaining which direction takes you where!  So it’s very easy to take a wrong turn.  We came out of the gardens in a spot different from where we went in, so the test was to find our way down the hill to catch the bus again.  In doing so, we happened upon a statue-like man garbed in all black and gold (including his face and skin) sitting perfectly still … Want pictures? Leave a couple Euros! We saw several of these “statue men” throughout the day … amazing how they can stay so still for so long!

The Tibidabo Cathedral del Sagrat Cor
Barcelona, Spain

Tibidabo and The Tibidabo Cathedral del Sagrat Cor … Our next hop-off is Tibidabo. This is an amusement park on the top of Barcelona’s highest mountain.   Because we’re too cheap to pay for the little trolley ride to meet the tram, we walked up hill … honestly, up hill … for about a mile. Finally, after some time and much perspiration, we boarded the Tramvia Blau, a tram or funicular riding up the steep side of the mountain for about a mile that has been in service for over one hundred years. Amusement rides weren’t what we were looking for, however. But as soon as we entered the little plaza, there was The Tibidabo Cathedral del Sagrat Cor, which can be seen from all

Jesus Christ on top of
The Tibidabo Cathedral del Sagrat Cor

over the city. Construction began in 1902, but it was not completed until 1961. There are many decorated pillars reaching for the sky, and on top of it all is a bronze statue of Jesus Christ resembling Rio de Janeiro’s Christ statue of Corcovado.

The inside of the Cathedral was rather small but beautiful with its columns, frescos, statues, picturesque stained windows and beautiful stone work. It was a lovely place to take a break and simply pray. Outside, we climbed more steps to yet another church above, though that was not as ornate. Finally, we climbed even more stairs to the top of the Tibidabo Cathedral for another unforgettable view of Barcelona and beyond. An incredible sight!

Barcelona, Spain

After taking the tram back down the mountain, then retracing our steps further down to meet the bus again, we were quite exhausted.  We wanted to see the monastery, but it was closed today; so we stayed on the bus and enjoyed the tour of the city past government buildings, other works and museums of Gaudi, past the University’s famed football stadium, along the port and into the 1992 Olympic Village area. It was interesting to hear that this area along the water front was poor and run down prior to the Olympics, but it has now become the high-class section of town.

We hopped off and strolled off the main street, down a couple narrow alley ways into a little plaza with cute little shops and a fun little restaurant where we sampled some Spanish wine and tapas.  It was really interesting to listen to the waitress stress to us that tapas is Catalan, not Spanish. There is a huge push in this area to separate from Span and become an independent nation of Catalan.  Tapas are local appetizers. Common practice is to choose three-four-five different tapas to serve and enjoy with your drinks, creating a varied meal.  Very delicious!

Inside the Santa Maria del Mar

The altar of the
Santa Maria del Mar

We are in the Gothic center of the old city, and from here we walked to the Santa Maria del Mar church … another gorgeous Gothic-style church, especially the interior.  One of the side coves consisted of an all-gold leaf altar to Mary … it was so beautiful!  One more stop from the bus was to the Cathedral Placa de Sant Jaume. As we walk into this church … we gasp in awe. It was huge with many columns throughout … definitely Gothic. Because the church was closing, we didn’t have time to take it all in.

The Gothic Cathedral Placa de Sant Jaume

Inside the cathedral Placa de Sant Jaume

At the end of the tour, we walked back to the hotel and plopped into bed, exhausted and sore (my body didn’t appreciate all the up-hill walking!), but elated at having tasted a bit of this beautiful city.

 

Our last stop – France … Tuesday morning we wandered through a few more alleyways to find a restaurant for breakfast. On our way to the airport I told the driver how beautiful I thought his city is. He replied, with a heavy brogue, “It’s not my city,” as he is actually from Ireland. But he did say that Barcelona is a very stress-free city to live in. And as I reflected on that, I realized that, yes, it did indeed appear to be stress free as we experienced very little hustle and bustle, just relaxing and strolling along, patient waiting and courteous drivers!

Our plane to Paris was an hour and fifteen minutes late on takeoff, and the bus around Paris to where we met our old friend and father of the bride, Philippe, was also late because of slow traffic.  But we are finally here in Plaisir, a city whose very name translates as “pleasure,” which is south west of Paris, enjoying the hospitality of very good, long-time friends!  Drinks, appetizers and a great dinner provided the backdrop for hours of catching up with Jeanette and Philippe!  How Blessed we are!

Mediterranean Coasts of Italy and France -- September 4-6, 2015 -- Days 17-19

Day 17, September 4, 2015 … All evening and through the night the ship cruised along the coastline of Italy to Rome, docking at Civitavecchia. The port is about an hour and a half by bus from Rome, but our plan was to take the train into town and just spend the day wandering around, enjoying the sidewalk cafes and fountains, etc., rather than fight the crowds at the Vatican or other popular sites in the city. However, Bob has been fighting a little bug; and so we decided to just chill out today on the ship instead.  Even before leaving for this adventure, our plan was at some future date to come back to Italy for a week or two during the less popular season to more leisurely enjoy all that Rome and the surrounding areas have to offer. I guess this unexpected setback has just solidified those plans!!

Day 18, September 5, 2015 … Again, the ship sails through the night northwesterly to the port of Livorno. From here passengers have access to Pisa with its Leaning Tower, Florence with its David or a trip into the beautiful Tuscany wine country. We chose, of course, to go on a Princess tour through the Tuscan countryside.

We board the motor coach with a young, enthusiastic guide who explained that Livorno is the third largest port in Italy. Most of the town was destroyed during World War II, so except for the church and a few other buildings, it is a relatively modern city. Most people make their living by fishing either in the canals for a local fish or in the Mediterranean for sea bass or tuna. This entire area is the Pisa Province, known, of course, for the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The tower was built in 1173, though it took 200 years to complete.  The problem is with the soils of this area, as it is quite swampy and wet. It is a lush area, however, with fertile soil where barley, corn, sunflowers, grapes and olives, artichokes and vegetables of every kind are grown.  A common sight is the umbrella pine tree, called so because the green canopy resembles an umbrella. The tree also produces the pine nuts we use in cooking.  The raising of sheep is important for their well-known and scrumptious sheep’s milk cheese, and pigs are raised for their special sausages, prosciutto, ham, etc.  We see mountains in the short distance which are abundant with marble, another major export product from this area.

Umbrella Trees ... produces
pine nuts

Horse-drawn carriage ride through the Estate
of  Torre /a /Cebaua

We arrived at the charming little country town of Cenaia and stop at Torre A Cenaia, a 1,200-acre estate, the largest in the Pisa Provence, and the area’s most renown wine producer.  The origins of the land can be traced back to the medieval era. The iconic Italian courtyard sits in front of the old farmhouse. A 13^th century private Catholic Chapel is attached to the house where Mass is still said today. Wine has been produced for over 2,000 years; and, of course, we all know that Italy is a fantastic wine producer.  A guide from the winery explained the process of making the three basic types of wine … white, red and sweet dessert wines (no type of sugar is allowed to be added to any beverages in Italy). After a quick look at the winery, we climbed into cute horse-drawn carriages for a leisurely clip-clop ride down the gorgeous cypress-lined road through the estate, along some of the fields, past the old vine-covered barn (where a brick oven has been added outside for cooking lessons taught here!) and through the vineyards. We got to taste those deliciously sweet little green grapes, as this is the time for harvesting. The estate also produces many of the farm products of the area, raises pigs and sheep, has an animal hunting preserve with a wide variety of animals, especially hares and even has a lovely restaurant.\

The cypress-lined road through the estate of Torra A Cenaia, Italy

After this most leisurely ride, (note …. NO crowds to contend with today!) we sat outside at tables with white table cloths under the canopy … the weather is perfect today … for our wine tasting. We sampled each of the three types of wines and were treated to virgin olive oil (some of the finest oils in the world are produced here) and bread, some cheeses and salami and three different types of brochettes.  To me the red wine was the very best, so I’m hoping we can find Torre A Cenaia at home.  If not, I’ll order it on line and have it shipped home!

Wine Tasting in Torre A Cenaia, Italy

After washing clothes , we rested a bit before joining the group for another fun- and laughter-filled and absolutely “nice” dinner (as the English and Australians are fond of saying!). On strolling back to our stateroom, we pass the “Crooners Bar” in the ship’s atrium as a black piano player is playing “16 Tons” and “Love Letters in the Sand” and a few other old ballads. We stop and listen for awhile, a perfect finish to another lovely day.

Day 19, September 6, 2015 … The ship crossed the Ligurian Sea, just clearing the north coastline of Corsica, in the night, then through a few straights to the port of La Seyne Sur La Mer, next to Toulon, France.  We are on the Cote d’Azure at the western edge of the French Riviera, known for its classic architecture, seaside bistros, golden sand beaches and inviting blue seas.

We walked into the town of La Seyne-sur-Mer to enjoy a bit of the sights and sounds and culture of the area.  We walked along the bay with its many fancy yachts and sailboats, then through a rather big flea market and along some of the city’s narrow streets. Because it is Sunday, many of the shops are closed.  We would have liked to have done more in this area, but with money running through our fingers every day and knowing the next couple days will be more intense, we took advantage of some

The Island Princess Atrium

on-board ship time to read, catch up on Internet connections, nap, enjoy the happy hour (no, we did not win the drawing for the $130 bottle of wine … boo! ), enjoy soe of the talented musicians, and … pack! 

The farewell dinner this evening was mixed with emotion --- the enjoyment of people who have become joyous friends and who have, for us, made the cruise simply delightful, and the sorrow of having to say good bye.  Great food, more laughs, many pictures, the “Baked Alaska” parade of behind-the-scene chefs, the hugs and well-wishes with not only the couples at our table, but with the wait staff as well … all mark the end of another wonderful adventure, this time of meandering around the Mediterranean.

Our wonderful dinner friends on the Island Princess

But it’s not over … stay tuned.  Tomorrow morning we disembark in Barcelona, Spain … a new country for both of us!

Mediterranean Sea and Naples, Italy -- September 2 and 3, 2015 -- Days 15 and 16

Day 15, September 2, 2015 … After leaving the port of Piraeus (Athens) last evening, the ship has been traveling across the Ionian Sea towards Italy. We were at sea all day today, and in early evening we passed through the narrow Messina Strait between the “toe” of Italy and the island of Sicily, on our way to Naples, tomorrow’s new adventure.

It’s been a very relaxing day, resting up from the last few days of hustle and bustle and preparing for the remainder of the voyage with its stops in a different port every day.  So, another lecture, this time on our stop in Rome, a cute little fashion show, browsing through their 75% sale items, including several nice cocktail rings and other jewelry and a leisurely happy hour and Captain’s Circle event made for a great non-descript day!!!  It was formal dining this evening, and again I enjoyed seeing the many and in one case a group of 14 people!  The dinner of escargot and all the lobster, crab and prawns you could eat was absolutely scrumptious … and the couples at our table are so much fun to be with.  What can I say?  … Cruising is wonderful!

Day 16, September 3, 2015 … The ship docks at the port in Naples to a view of old, typical European buildings butted together, nestled in the hill side. We booked a tour with a private company to visit specific sites outside of Naples.  It is a warm, sun-filled day as we eat an early breakfast and disembark the ship.

The history of this region goes back 3,000 years with occupations first by the Greek followed by the Roman, French and Spanish empires. Today three million people live in Naples, and its culture reflects much of the past.

The amphitheater in Pompeii

Pompeii … Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, and the force was so great that the mountain itself was reduced from 8,000 feet to 4,000 feet. Because it is still an active volcano … its last eruption was in 1944 …  it continues to grow.  People at that time were not aware of volcano eruptions and simply felt the gods were not pleased with them, so they hunkered down in their homes. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were known as vacation getaways for Rome’s high society. Those cities were buried under 25 feet of ash and pumice … there was no lava which reached the city from this eruption … for 17 centuries.

Today about 80 percent of the 125-acre City of Pompeii has been unearthed; discovering life at that time has been very well preserved. We walked through the rock streets gazing at the walls of the shops and houses still intact.  Incredible. The gymnasium is impressive. The big amphitheater that was all made of marble and could seat 15,000 people still is used today. The smaller theater only held 4,000 people and even some of the marble flooring remains intact. And then there is the brothel with its stone beds on the lower level and exotic paintings on the walls as if still waiting for clients!  The main forum in the center of the city also displays ancient linen shops, the meat market, the

Typical street in Ancient Pompeii

fisherman’s market and some well preserved frescos on the walls depicting the life and beliefs of the day. We walked through the house of an obviously wealthy inhabitant, as it was about 30,000 square feet!  The house was called The Faun House because a perfect statue of a faun, a half-man, half-creature, statue remains in the entryway! There were servant rooms, a large detailed tile fresco, marble entrance … and on and on and on. Can you imagine?

One more interesting thing is the plaster casts. When digging through the ash and pumice, large cavities were discovered; and by filling the cavities with plaster, and then excavating the plaster casts, they determined that these were actual bodies of people who died in the eruption. Most of the plaster casts have been placed in the museum in Naples, but the one of a man, a child and a dog are on this site for us to see.  Amazing!  We are hot, thirsty and tired, but this was definitely worth the effort.

The Beautiful seaside town of Sorrento, Italy

Sorrento … Because there was a big accident on the road to Sorrento this morning, a quick change of plans by the touring company had us take the train from Pompeii to Sorrento at the southern tip of The bay.  The train was warm and crowded, but we could get an occasional glimpse of the beautiful coastline.  This is a very lush area where lemons are the main product and are made into everything imaginable … including Limoncello, a tangy lemon liqueur!  It was interesting to see the lemon trees covered with dark netting. This is to protect the flowers of the trees that bloom three different times throughout the year. All other citrus fruits, vegetables and nuts are also grown here. Sorrento is a picturesque town on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples.  Because Naples boasts the “birthplace of pizza”, we had pizza for lunch … oh my … delicious! We then had an opportunity to walk down into the Old Town along a very narrow alleyway of cobblestone and filled with shops … inexpensive scarves, many leather items, fruits and vegetables, clothes,  souvenirs,  and lemons, lemonade, Limoncello liqueur, lemon candy, lemon slushes, lemons on towels, aprons, etc.  … yellow, yellow, yellow lemons, lemons, lemons in many of the little shops … get the idea?!  I did taste the lemonade and the Limoncello … I do like lemon!

All things lemon in Sorrento

Amalfi  Coast and Positano …  The traffic jam has cleared, so the motor coaches were able to travel down to Sorrento and we were able to continue the tour as planned.  Our next destination was to meander around the extremely curvy road hugging the cliff’s edge of the Amalfi Coast line.  As we drive, we see the sparkling blue and turquoise sea straight down from the road and look straight up to the top of the jagged, rocky mountain tops.  Stunning views.  We approach the town of Positano with its white buildings dug into the cliffs, very few streets for cars or for parking, elegant boutiques and seaside cafes. The little bay is dotted with boats of every kind.  After a stop for a photo op and a cold drink, we motor back to Naples and to our Island Princess.

The beautiful Amalfi Coast line, Italy

The beautiful city of Positano nestled in the cliffs
of the Amalfi Coast, Italy

We didn’t get to see much of Napes itself, nor go to the famous Island of Capri … guess that will have to be another day!  But we did enjoy the adventure, even though we were hot and tired when we got back. After a shower and a little cat-nap, we enjoyed the beautiful views of Naples and Mount Vesuvius from the back of the ship during the sail away.  As the sun sets behind the hills of Naples, the ship cruises north to Rome; and we head down to the dining room for what is turning out to be the highlight of each day – good conversation and many laughs with those at our table, plus, of course, delicious food – all while being waited on for our every need by a great wait staff.  I’m getting really spoiled!

Mykonos and Athens, Greece - Aug 31-Sept 1, 2015 - Days 13 and 14

Day 13, August 31, 2015 … We slept in a bit, attended the lecture on things to do in Mykonos today, plus a short 101 on the Ancient Greek Gods, then had a little lunch at The Grill on deck 15 as we watched the ship approach the Greek Island of Mykonos.

Through the night the ship passed back through the Dardanelles and sailed southerly through the

The windy sea and white dotted landscape
of Mykonos Island

Aegean Sea, to the Cyclades, a group of Greek Islands, dropping anchor outside of Mykonos about noon.  From the decks we can see the white-washed buildings dotting the hillside and clustering around the old town area. There are few trees, the wind is blowing hard and the white caps race toward the ship and the shore.  It took some time to tender everyone ashore because there were four cruise ships anchored, and all were tendering in and out of the town using just one loading dock.  Plus it was very windy, so getting on and off the tenders was a bit challenging. So it was almost 4:30 by the time we actually set foot on the island. Greece, a new country for me, but Bob lived in Greece for a year over 50 years ago.

The narrow streets and whitewashed buildings
of Mykonos

We walked along the shore past a whitewashed church, through the narrow flat stone streets winding along the shoreline and into town, twisting and turning with shops and restaurants at every turn.  Apparently the streets were deliberately made to be that way to confuse pirates in the past! But it is charming; and at one point, the very narrow street actually went through the middle of the outdoor restaurants or hugged the shoreline such that the waves beat up onto the walkway causing us to get sea sprayed!

Then we came upon the iconic windmills, the island’s most recognized landmarks.  The five

Narrow walkway along the seashore and the iconic windmills
on Mykonos Island

remaining windmills are a fraction of the original number.  The year-round wind here made this an ideal place for these structures to refine grain, though I understand that many of the other Greek islands had windmills as well.  Continuing our walk through the narrow streets of this quaint little town we come upon “Little Venice” hosting shops of every kind. I particularly loved the clothing … either the Greek peasant look of the blouses, or the many crocheted covers, tops, even dresses and pants. And I drooled over the ancient “queen” look of the draping dresses tied with a belt, jewels along the neckline … just add an arm bracelet and high-strapped sandals … sweet!

We sat in a café for a drink … Bob had their well-known ouzo (a clear, licorice-flavored liqueur … he said it brought him back to when he lived on Crete!).  And I noticed that everything, I mean everything is whitewashed … everything on the buildings, even some of the tree trunks were whitewashed four-five feet high.  Apparently it helps keep the area cooler in the summers, but it also gives the island a very distinctive look.  It was also fun to see Bob recalling his “Greek days” by thanking the clerks in the various stores or servers at the restaurants in Greek.  Without fail, it aroused a smile and delight from the Greek who was so delighted that a foreigner would speak their language … loved it!

Sunset over the Aegean Sea

After eating a typical Greek dinner (moussaka … a minced meat, eggplant and potato casserole topped with feta cheese … tasty!), watching the sun set over the Aegean Sea and walking back to the dock, we tendered back to the ship … windblown but delighted in having enjoyed this lovely little island, which was also frequented by Jackie Onassis, and the “jet set” has  made owning a home on this sun bathed island a status symbol too. Don’t worry, you can’t afford it!

One of the side tours possible was to go to the neighboring island of Delos, which, in Greek mythology, boasts the birthplace of the twin Greek gods Apollo and Artemis.  Apparently it is a massive site of ruins associated with these gods; however, we chose not to go there this time. Mykonos is also known for its many beautiful beaches; but they were not within walking distance and time was not on our side.

It was a lovely afternoon strolling through this idyllic Greek island … God has been so good to us!!

Day 14, September 1, 2015 … Wow … where do I start about today?  We were up very early with an early breakfast and ready to go on a Princess Cruise scheduled tour for the Acropolis in Athens and then a drive to Ancient Corinth, the Corinth Museum and the Corinthian Canal.  Greece, too, has a very long and varied history, which first became the current-day country in the 1920s. One of the things that struck me was the ancient religion of their mythical gods.  Often times as our guide talked  I couldn’t tell  whether she was describing reality or mythology … they seem to intertwine together. I definitely need to do more studying of Greek mythology!

I was also surprised to see that Athens, a now huge city, often called the “Birthplace of democracy”, seemed relatively modern compared to the more ancient looking Istanbul or Venice. The top floors of most buildings were obviously living quarters because of the awning-covered balconies. Many of the streets we saw were also lined with tall trees, plus trees and bushes growing on tops of many of the buildings. Marble is plentiful and inexpensive in Greece, as it comes from many of the country’s 6,050 mountains; and it is common to have marble facade on the outside of buildings, plus on the walls and floors. Olive trees are considered sacred in Greece, with olives and olive oil being major exports. The trees are considered sacred because of the legend of the competition between Poseidon, who gave the City of Athens water, and Athena, who bestowed the olive tree, thereby winning the contest and becoming the city’s namesake!

Acropolis with the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the Temple of Zeus …The history here has mythology, architecture, art, literature, philosophy and political aspects all intertwined, and the ancient ruins reflect it all. We walked up the 80 steps, through a beautiful cooling garden of olive ^th century BC with its tall classical columns and, in its day, was filled with painted statues and gardens to make it a beautiful area of balanced harmony.  It is quite a stunning architectural and engineering feat, every aspect created and designed with a specific purpose in mind!

The Parthenon on the Acropolis
Athens, Greece

trees, to the top of the high Acropolis, through the monumental gateway of the Propylaea, another columned building.  Then we see the iconic Parthenon, the Temple of the Virgin, a colossal white marble temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom. It was constructed in the 5

Also on this Acropolis is the Erectheion, a smaller structure of columns. This sacred site has a “Porch of the Caryatids ” currently six statues of maidens facing east.  From the top of the Acropolis we looked down on the Temple of Zeus. Built in 456 BC, only 15 of the original 42’ Corinthian columns remain.  It was the grandest temple of its time and once housed a carved ivory and gold statue of Zeus. Other ruins we could see were that of a large theater and a concert hall and the Aeropagus, where St Paul, author of many of the New Testament epistles, addressed the Greeks.   We were in awe as we meandered among these ruins trying to imagine life here in a civilization twenty five hundred years ago.

The Porch of the Caryatids (Maidens) on the Erectheion
Athens, Greece

Ancient Corinth and the Corinth Canal … We climbed back into the motor coach and took a brief tour through Athens … a few more ruins, past some lovely churches and the government buildings, including the Parliament building, where recent riots have blared across our home television screens, then north and west, along the shore line to the Isthmus of Corinth.  We had a delicious Greek buffet in the Kalamaka Hotel situated by the bay.

Ancient Corinth lay at the foot of a mountain, and it has been confirmed that St Paul did indeed work and preach here, bringing Christianity to this region. The ancient city is in ruins now, but they are in the process of restoring it; and there were many drawings indicating what it may have looked like at that time. It has also been proven that this city has been occupied continuously for about 9,000 years.   In the late 19^th century there was a very large earthquake in this region, devastating the area.  After that, the city of Corinth was moved to more solid ground closer to the water where the modern city is today.

Ancient Cornith

The Corinth Canal

We stopped by a craft area selling the wares of
locally created marble statues, pottery, jewelry, etc., and finally stopped at the Corinth Canal. This was a very impressive accomplishment built in 1893; it had been attempted at least twice before first by the Emperor Nero in the first century AD. Finally a French company succeeded. Using over 10,000 people, they worked for 12 years to complete this four-mile-long, 80-foot wide, 100-foot deep canal through solid granite to connect the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The canal connects two economically important seafaring areas rather than having to sail all the way around the Peloponnese Peninsula.

It’s been another long but great day. The weather when leaving Corinth registered 38 degrees C … 100 degrees F. No wonder we are hot and tired!  Back on the ship, a quick shower, snacks and a drink, champagne and a little art lesson and once again a delicious, fun-filled dinner catching up on what the others, who share our dinner table, have done the past two days finished off another incredible day.

Mediterranean - August 26 - 29, 2015 - Days 8-11

Day 8, August 26, 2015 … We had a leisurely morning finishing up on e-mails, etc., while we still have Internet, breakfast at the hotel, a last look at Plaza San Marco, the Basilica and the busy, beautiful streets and canals of Venice.  We were picked up via boat taxi and whisked off to the Island

Leaving Venice on our Sail Away
The Island Princess is taller than most of the buildings

Princess cruise ship docked about 20 minutes from our hotel.  It was nice to have priority boarding since we’ve cruised with Princess before.  The afternoon was filled with some exploration of the ship, reading about all the activities that are being offered, appetizers and drinks for those of us in the Captain’s Circle (having cruised with the Princess line several times before) and unpacking to settle in for the next 12 days.

At dinner we met three other couples … one from Yorkshire, England, one from Vancouver, Canada and one from The Hague, Netherlands.  It’s always fun learning about the lives of others, especially those from other countries; and, of course, the food was delicious as well!

For tonight’s entertainment we had the pleasure of listening to the Venetian Chamber Orchestra.  The women in this 12-piece stringed orchestra were donned in black and wearing masks … Venice is well known for its carnival masks … and the men wore white blousy shirts and tri-cornered hats with feathers.  The conductor also wore a white powdered wig as of old.  The background was a scene covering the entire back of the stage of the Grand Canal, changing to other typical Venetian city scenes as the program continued. I felt like I was sitting on a street in Venice!  For several songs, either a male baritone, a female soprano, or both, each dressed in 18^th century fashion, entertained us with their magnificent singing.  The music was lively, their actions were fun and … oh my … could they ever make those violins, cellos and base strings sing!!  I absolutely loved it!

Day 9, August 27, 2015 … Happy Anniversary to us!  Hard to believe it’s been 49 years … I remember the day like it was yesterday.  We have been so very, very Blessed all these years!!  There are balloons outside our door plus an anniversary wish on the door from Princess.  It was a quiet, uneventful morning, but at noon the ship left the dock and headed through the Venetian Lagoon, past the now familiar sites of the Church of St. Mary, the Plaza San Marco and its surrounding clock tower, bell tower, St. Mark’s Basilica and The Doge’s Palace … all while waving to the others boating in the waterway and listening to Italian songs over the loudspeakers. It was a fitting tribute leaving Venice!

The afternoon was a flurry of attending a Ladies’ Pamper Party (me – hoping to look eternally young  -- hah!), two-for-one drinks (Bob), collecting stamps and hoping to win something fantastic in the drawing (we didn’t!), listening to a boring, but informative, lecture on Istanbul (our first stop 3 days from now) and what to see and do there, then going to the hors d’oeuvres and drink specials for us in the Captain’s Circle.

At dinner this evening we met the three other couples who will be sharing the table for the duration of the trip.  There were many laughs as we got to know them … from Huston Texas, Manchester England and Sidney Australia.   It was also the birthday of the gentleman from Australia … and the staff presented him and us with cute little Princess chocolate cakes with a candle, singing Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary … off key … but fun nonetheless! We set the clocks ahead an hour, to Istanbul time, before going to bed. Oh, I do love cruising!

Day 10, August 28, 2015 …  All yesterday afternoon and through the night the ship navigated through the Adriatic Sea, Around noon we passed by the boot heel of Italy, through the Strait of Otranto, then paralleling the Greek coastline and outlying islands in the Ionian Sea. After breakfast we attended another very informative lecture on Athens … how to get there from the ship, what to do and not do, what to see, etc.  Then we donned the swim suits for the hot tub and reading on deck 14, overlooking the sea. Between the champagne art auction (me), a consultation with the foot print specialist (she didn’t show … reschedule?), a quick seminar on arthritis and back pain relief with acupuncture, happy hour, hors d’oeuvres and drink specials, it was another busy afternoon. Meeting people from all over the world is a bonus!

This evening was the Captain’s Welcome Aboard Party. In the beautiful atrium the staff constructed a large pyramid of over 600 stacked champagne glasses, which provided a photo op as guests climbed the stairs to pour some champagne into those glasses. The head staff and Captain were introduced, champagne flowed freely, four or five different areas gave passengers an opportunity to have formal pictures taken. This was a formal affair, so I enjoyed noticing all the beautiful evening dresses worn by others.  Dinner with the others was delightful, delicious … but too much food!  We did go to the evening’s entertainment of singing and dancing, but that’s really not Bob’s thing, we were tired and so we left even before the song ended.  Another entertaining day aboard the cruise ship … loving it!

The three-story Atrium of the
Island Princess

Day 11, August 29, 2015 … Through the night the ship cruised through the Ionian Sea, then rounded the coastline of Greece, and today we sailed easterly/northeasterly across the Aegean Sea and we see a few Greek islands and passing ships. By evening we navigated through the Dardanelles into the Sea of Marmara towards Istanbul where we will dock tomorrow morning.  It is extremely windy out there today, and watching the waves and white caps is mesmerizing. The morning was spent getting clothes washed and dried, and after lunch we attended another destination lecture, this time on our stop in Naples.  A cat-nap, a short food-carving demonstration by some of the chefs, happy hour, hors d’oeuvres and Mojitos and time to read rounded out the afternoon.

Then there was another delicious afternoon with the fun group at our table and stopping by to listen to all the great music playing here and there around the gorgeous atrium of the ship.  What’s not to like??! Early to bed because tomorrow promises to be a long and HOT day in Istanbul … stay tuned!