The End Is Near!

It’s been a while since I’ve logged in, but we’ve been busy, busy, busy! The closer we get to the end of the cruise, the crazier it gets!

We were in Taormina (Sicily) on April 16th, and then the next day we were in Naples, Italy. We had both been to Pompeii, so this time, I did a tour to another city that was covered by ash when Mt. Vesuvius exploded. The name of it is Herculaneum, and it’s really pretty amazing. The new city was built right on top of the old that had been covered by ash and lava, so they’re still excavating, but don’t know how far they’ll be able to go. Herculaneum was more of a resort city, for the wealthy Romans, so the houses are generally quite large and elaborate. That night, we had our last major on-shore World Cruise event. This time they took us to ancient Pompeii and we actually were inside an area that is not opened to the public. It was a big open-air setting and of course, the Captain and all the major crew were dressed as Romans (or actually Pompeians). After dinner, there was a gladiator performance show, followed by fireworks. This wasn’t our best event - there was a long walk to the site and the food unfortunately was cold – but still, it was amazing to be in a closed part of Pompeii and have something like this put on.

After this night, we all enjoyed a very lazy day at sea on the 18th before arriving in Rome. I did a great walking tour, based on the Dan Brown book Angels & Demons (the prequel to DaVinci Code). Annie passed on this since it was completely a walking tour, but I loved it! We went to all the major places in the book and had an excellent guide. In Addition to the sites in the book, we saw many of the major sights in the city, such as the Pantheon and St. Peter’s. It was long (Rome is a couple of hours from the port) but all in all another great day.

This last section of the cruise has a lot of ports, so we’re somewhere almost every day. On the 20th, we went to two lovely spots, Portofino and Santa Margaritha. They’re both charming little seaside resorts with not much more than shopping and food, but it was a warm sunny day and it truly felt like we were on the Costa del Sol. The next day, we docked in France in Marseilles. Annie opted for a general tour of the city and I took off on another full day tour to Provence. We went to Avignon and Les Baux – what a beautiful area! In Avignon, we toured this enormous castle complex which was used by the Catholic popes in the 14th-15th century when they left Rome and established the papacy in France. Les Baux is a tiny old walled city way up on the top of a mountain. Again, great weather and a beautiful part of the world.

A day of rest, and then Espana! Our first stop was in Malaga. Annie is coming back to Spain for a week or so this fall, so she just did a general tour of Malaga, but I decided to get back on that bus for another day and go to Grenada and the Alhambra. The Alhambra was the major castle-fortress of the Moors and was their last outpost, surrendered to Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492. Some of the main rooms of the buildings were closed for renovations, but the grounds of the Alhambra are amazing. The architecture and gardens are so peaceful and beautiful. They told us it was a great time to come, because it wasn’t yet too hot and it was pleasant to walk around. At lunch, they put on a flamenco show which got us all in the Spanish mood. (Love that Rioja wine!)

I’ve fallen in love with Spain, so on the 24th, it was back on the bus one more time for a tour to Seville. Again, another really long day, but so worth it! It’s just amazing walking through the narrow streets of these old cities. Another castle, but this one is still used (on occasion) by the Spanish royal family. The tile work and sculpting was amazing. It had a lot of the Moorish influence, but also Christian symbols. The Seville cathedral is the 3rd largest in the world (after St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s in London) and is where Christopher Columbus tomb is. Seville is truly one of the prettiest cities I remember in Europe. I would love to come back!

That night, Annie and I were invited by our friends Martha and Dave Scherer to join them and a few other people to celebrate their 100th cruise. Crystal gave them a private dinner in “The Vintage Room” which is a small dining room onboard that accommodates 14 people. There were 7 courses of food – and 7 courses of wines!! Need I say more? We’ve known Martha and Dave since 2003, and have seen them when they’ve come to Newport on Crystal in the fall (they are veteran cruisers – 100 cruises in 10 years!), so it was a nice occasion all around.

Today (April 26), we just got back from another Virtuoso tour to Oporto, Portugal. What a lovely city this is! It’s all beautiful old buildings and palaces. We had a catered lunch in a private room of one of the major buildings, then a stop at Sandeman’s winery for a port tasting. That port is very nice! (Mind you, we also had it before lunch and after, so we truly got a good sampling!) Tonight, we head off to a special dinner (the last) for world-cruisers. Since we didn’t get back from the tour until 4:30, we opted for a late seating for dinner (cocktails at 8:00, then dinner). It will make for a late night, but tomorrow there's time to sleep – and unfortunately to pack!! We’re ready to go home – we think! – but then again…

Tunisia

Well, there’s not much to really say about Gabes, Tunisia (April 14) It was different! Annie decided not to tour here, but I got off and went on a general tour of the area. The ship only offered 3 tours, one of which they discouraged people from taking, so as you can imagine, there isn’t that much in this particular port. Tunisia is a Muslim country, but operates under civil law, as opposed to Islamic law in places such as Iraq. Our first stop on the tour was the Berber market with the usual collection of assorted goods, especially camel-themed items! After a bit of a drive around the area, we headed out to an oasis area with thousands of palm trees. Gabes became an important stop for caravans and trade groups coming out of the Sahara desert because of the oasis and the town’s location on the sea routes.
Our major visit was out to Matmata, which is a “troglodyte” village. The houses are actually carved into the earth to protect the residents from the blistering heat. There are rooms for animals, sleeping rooms, everything – all like small cave dwellings running off a central courtyard. We stopped to visit one of them and I will say, it was kind of amazing how they’ve adapted to the environment. These homes were used by George Lucas as a backdrop for Star Wars. We stopped at a hotel that was used for the filming of the bar and dance club scenes in the movie.
They said that Tunis is better, and that further along the coast, there are some resorts that are lovely and popular with Europeans. Gabes was primarily an industrial port, so it does have a tendency to be dirty and dusty, and although it was fine for us, they said in the summer temperatures of 120 degrees are the norm! No wonder they took refuge in caves!
Today, we’re in Sicily in Taormina. It’s a lovely town in the shadow of Mt. Etna, Europe’s highest volcano. Annie and I have both been here a couple of times (she actually spent a week in this area a few years ago), so we’ve opted out of the tours. Taormina does have one thing we all like – shopping! The main street is a wide pedestrian walkway that winds up through the town lined with small shops of all kinds. It’s a pretty town to stroll though, even if we don’t buy anything (what are the chances of that?)

Turkey and The Greek Islands

After a day at sea, we arrived at Kusadasi, Turkey on Tuesday, April 10th. Kusadasi is a MAJOR shopping port in Turkey, but it's also the port for tours to the ancient city of Ephesus. We had another day of touring with our Virtuoso friends, and another great day it was. Ephesus is considered to be one of the best preserved classical cities of the world and is still very much a work in progress. It was one of the great cities of Asia Minor. I had been there two years ago, but Annie hadn’t gone then, so this was a great opportunity for her. Our first stop was at “The House of Mary” which isn’t really a house at all, but a chapel. Both St. Paul and St. John were in Ephesus after Christ’s death and there is a belief that St. John brought Mary here with him, for her safety. They have no proof of Mary being here, so it is legend, but it’s a lovely little chapel in this very pretty setting. After our visit here, we headed to Ephesus and the ruins themselves. It was about a two hour walking tour through the ancient city, and Annie did exceptionally well! It is a truly amazing place, and our guide was excellent, which makes all the difference in the world. She stopped at certain places so we could sit and rest while she talked. The Ephesians were an amazingly advanced and cultured group of people. There were numerous theaters we passed, one for music, one for theater, one for lectures, etc. The city only flourished up until about 400 AD, but they had running water --- hot and cold!!! It’s hard trying to write and describe some of these places – it’s like walking through a history book!

After our tour, we had lunch at this lovely hotel that had once been a Turkish princess’s palace. We ate outside overlooking the water and a group of local dancers put on a performance. After lunch, it was back to Kusadasi to get in a little shopping before the ship sailed. Actually, we didn’t buy that much here. All beautiful things, but there’s only so much we can take home! Of course, we can always buy another suitcase – or three!

Wednesday April 11 was another port, this time back to Greece and ancient Rhodes. We did a general overview tour of the island and what a beautiful place it was. There are different temples all around the island, the most magnificent being at Lindos. All on the hillside you see the little white houses (we found out that they have such small windows to keep the sun and the heat of the day out – July and August can be well above 100 degrees every day). Towards the end of the tour, we stopped at a seaside resort and had ouzo and a selection of Greek appetizers. It’s very early in the season for this area, so not everything is open, but it was just delightful to sit there in the sun, by the sea.

After our tour, we got off in town at the old part of Rhodes. The town is medieval, built by the Knights Hospitaler in the 1400 and 1500s. The old town is surrounded by walls and guard towers and inside is mostly pedestrian walkways, lined with (of course!) shops of all types – jewelry, shawls, souvenirs, pottery, ceramics – whatever you could imagine. We strolled, we shopped and then we stopped – at this lovely little sidewalk café for wine and crepes. It was so comfortable and easy sitting there and watching everyone walking by. There was another ship in port, but it wasn’t overly crowded. Another bonus day!

This is a port-intensive week and Thursday, April 12 we visited another Greek isle, the island of Navplion. This was once a capital of Greece and again, more ruins and temples. We didn’t do a tour as such today (one of the ruins has 898 steps to climb!!) but we took the tender into port and walked around. A really quaint, delightful small town. A lot of neat little shops and cafes all up and down these narrow cobblestone streets. Greece is really a beautiful country. We had thoroughly enjoyed it 2 years ago when we visited Athens and Santorini and this trip only increases our feelings for it.

Friday the 13th is a sea day (at last!) and tomorrow we visit Tunisia. They say there really isn’t that much to see there, but it’s always nice to visit different and new places.

Athens and Istanbul

It's been a few days since we've written, but what a week it's been! After Jerusalem, our next stop was Athens, Greece on Thursday, April 5th. During the day, we had a tour of the city with our Virtuoso travel group. We had been here two years ago and Annie had actually climbed all the way up to the top of the Acropolis and the Parthenon, which was quite a feat. This time, the tour didn't include a walk up to the Acropolis, but we saw it and had some great views. We had a general tour of Athens, and then went out into the countryside to a private museum for a tour and lunch. As always, it was great! There were strolling musicians to meet us at the gate, and then, after wine and ouzo to start, a delicious lunch in this old setting. Really a nice relaxing day.

Which was good, because we got back to the ship in mid-afternoon, only to turn-around and go out again! This time, it was for a dinner and show on shore for the World Cruisers. The evening had an Olympic games themes. We went to this old building that had been part of the Modern Olympic games (i.e, when the games became an international competition in the late 19th century). Of course, upon arrival, the captain and crew were there to greet us in their Greek robes. Inside, it was a cocktail reception and then a great show and another delicious dinner. Of course, at the end of dinner, everyone got up to do the traditional Greek circle dances - and amazingly, we all stayed on our feet (considering we had been eating and drinking all day, that was an Olympian feat in itself!) We got back to the ship just before it sailed at midnight and went up to watch the sail-away. Needless to say, these girls put out the "Do Not Disturb" sign and had a late sleep-in the next day!

We were at sea on Friday which was Good Friday. They had a combined ecumenical service for both the Catholics and the Protestants, which was nice. Saturday,April 7th, the ship docked in Istanbul, Turkey in early morning for a two day stay. Again, we had spent a couple of days in Istanbul two years ago, and done a lot of touring of all the major sights. We loved the city though and spent Friday at the Grand Bazaar -- something like 4,400 little shops and stalls all under one roof!!! We saw some people walking out bag-less - but don't ask me how! We did our part to help the Turkish economy!

We got back to the ship in time to go to Mass Saturday night for Easter, which was nice. I was scheduled for a tour on Sunday morning to another palace on the Asian side of Istanbul. This city actually is on two continents, Europe and Asia, and is separated by the Bosphorus Strait.

Sunday morning when we went downstairs there were tables of chocolate bunnies of all types and sizes - from a couple of inches to 3 feet tall! In addition, there were giant chocolate eggs and flowers in all the public rooms and dining rooms around the ship. We had little chocolate Easter eggs on our pillows that night, and they told us that the ship had chocolate bunnies and mini-baskets of candy placed in all the cabins for the crew. They also had a special crew dinner in one of the dining rooms usually reserved for guests. Really a nice touch to let the crew now they're important to the company.

We had a life boat drill at 8:00 at night that everyone had to go to. Normally, after you go to the the first one, they don't require the World Cruisers to go to every one after that. (There's one every few weeks, when new guests board and before we leave port the first night.) They said this time, all had to go. We think it was because after that tragedy with the ship sinking in Santorini, Greece, they wanted everyone to be reminded what to do in the case of an accident. That was terrible disaster, but we've all said it was a miracle that only 2 people are missing.

After the drill, Annie and I went out on deck to watch our sail away from Istanbul. It was a beautifully clear night, and the city is just lit up with all the mosques and minarets. Really a pretty sight. Fortunately, it wasn't too cold either.- we're heading back to the Mediterranean and it's still cold there. I think our days of lying out around the pool are over for this cruise. But we hear that New England has had a very cold April, so we can't complain much!

Palm Sunday in Jerusalem

Sunday, April 1st was Palm Sunday and another long day – but again, what a day! We docked in Israel at the port of Ashdod. There were a ton of tour options. Some, like the one that went swimming in the Dead Sea, sounded great, but since I had never been here before, I opted for the 11 hour “Day in Jerusalem.” Annie had been to Jerusalem (27 years ago!), so she opted for Jerusalem also, but a different tour that didn’t do much walking. It was about 1 ½ hrs. from the port to the city, and then we were there.

We went to the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the church where Mary is supposedly buried, and then we walked the Via Della Rosa (Way of the Cross) to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The church is built over the last few Stations of the Cross and at the very end, you go into what is revered as the tomb where Jesus was laid. (It’s actually a very small room in the church, but it represents the tomb.) Then we went out into an actual tomb of the era which was encompassed inside the church. It was crowded with it being Palm Sunday, but what an experience! After that we went to the Wailing Wall (or as they prefer, the Western Wall). Annie did much the same, but she didn’t walk the Via Della Rosa or visit the Church for the stations. It really was a remarkable day!

Jerusalem is an amazing mix of the Christian, Jewish and Muslim religions, along with all their variations, such as the ultra-conservative Jews, the Greek Orthodox, etc. And, although it was Palm Sunday, the crowds really weren’t that bad. I’m sure it’s always crowded whatever day you visit. It was meaningful to be there on Palm Sunday (I got some palms at one of the churches). It was also the day before Passover, so the markets were crowded with people buying food, etc. for their ceremonies Monday night.

Back on the ship, we had a relaxing Monday. Today (Tuesday) we docked in Alexandria, which is the closest port to Cairo and the Pyramids. What a site on the dock this morning! We counted almost 50 busses – big ones, little ones, large vans, etc. Cairo is a 3 hour ride (in each direction!) from the port. It’s another very long day! Annie and I had done the pyramids and Cairo two years ago, so we opted out of this trip. Instead, we went on a free tour that the ship was offering of the Alexandria area. It was a nice way to spend the morning.

Tomorrow, we have another day at sea and then Athens for a full day tour with our Virtuoso travel group and then that night, a special dinner and show on land that Crystal is doing for the World Cruisers. Should be another great event – stay tuned!

In the Shadow of Indiana Jones - Egypt & Petra

It’s been a while since I’ve updated this, but we’ve had some very busy days, so I’ll try to catch up now. After Dubai, it was a couple of days at sea, and then a stop again in Oman in the port of Salalah. There really isn’t very much in this port, although our guide was very nice and kept telling us there was a lot to see, but we didn’t have time. The big attraction was the frankincense tree, and yes, that’s tree without an s! In the middle of this dusty section, the bus goes off-road and we drove over to a rather desolate looking tree. Frankincense was once extremely valuable and prized as incense and the sultanate of Oman was a major supplier. Unfortunately, in Salalah, with development and climate changes, there’s only this one poor little tree left! (There must be forests of them in other parts of the country, because frankincense was the big seller in the markets!) After we saw the tree, and heard how they get the incense out, we drove up into a high mountain range to see the tomb of Job (as in the Bible, the man to whom God sent all these misfortunes to test him). He is a major figure in both Islam and Christianity and his tomb is a little house high in this mountain range. A little time at the local market and it was back to the ship. We had loved Muscat and said we’d love to come back to Oman to visit. I think I would qualify that and say we’d love to come back to Muscat to visit again; I think we could by-pass Salalah!

On March 28th, we stopped in Safaga, Egypt. There isn’t really anything in Safaga, but this is the docking place for any tours going to Luxor & Karnak with their amazing temples and ruins and the Valley of the Kings where the Egyptian tombs are. It’s a 3 hour ride – in each direction! – and the busses, private cars, etc., travel in a convoy, with military police leading the convoy and bringing up the rear. This is in addition to an Egyptian security person on each bus!! This all goes back to 1990 when a bus of tourists was hijacked and several murdered. Since then, the Egyptian government has gone to extremes to provide visitors a safe environment. So the convoy wasn’t just our ship, all ships that call in Safaga bring their passengers in by caravan. There are police at all the intersections, and all traffic is stopped to let the convoy pass. We also had to stop at a couple of military checkpoints we passed along the way. We had done this tour in 2005, but then we had stayed overnight in Luxor, which made it a little easier. Annie decided she really didn’t need to do it again (she had originally done Egypt in 1980, and then again in 2005). As much as Egypt fascinates me, the only reason I wanted to make this long trek again was to try and go to King Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings. In 2005, our guide really talked us out of going to that tomb, saying it really wasn’t’ worth it (it’s a separate admission) and that you had to basically get down and crawl in. I didn’t go then, but after heard from other people on the ship that it really wasn’t anything difficult at all. For 2 years, I’ve been kicking myself for not going, so when I had the opportunity again this year, I thought I should taken it. The tomb was really worth it. It’s small, but not a difficult walk, but the colors of the painting on the walls are so vibrant, it’s truly breath-taking to think it was done thousands of years ago. The rest of the day was, as expected, hot and dusty, but Egypt just enthralls me. I would definitely go back again, perhaps for a longer stay of a few days or a Nile cruise. So, it was a 12 hour day, but I’m glad I did it.

The next day, the 29th, was another trip off the ship to the amazing city of Petra. The ship docked in Aqaba, Jordan in the morning. I had watched Lawrence of Arabia (all 3 ½ hrs. of it!) on TV a few nights ago and was so glad I had. Aqaba was one of the main cities in the movie, and our guide told us about the actual Arab uprising against the Turks in 1917 that the movie depicts. It was a 2 hour ride this time and the landscape was amazing. Very mountainous terrain all the way along. I don’t know what I expected, but I guess I wasn’t thinking of mountains. After going over and around all these mountains, we finally arrived in the “Rose City” of Petra. (It’s called the Rose City not because of the flowers, but because of the color of the stone in the mountains and walls of the canyons).

Once we got there, we began a walk of almost 2 miles each way down the canyon into the city itself! You could rent a horse and ride down or they also have a few (and I mean a few!) horse drawn carts that carry two people down at a time. Annie and a couple of other people from our bus were supposed to be going down in the carts and had paid our guide on the bus for it, but as frequently happens in this part of the world, everything gets all turned around, things change from one minute to the next – long story short, after many arguments between our guide and the carriage guy, there were no carts available and there would be a long wait, so Annie put her best SAS foot forward and we started the walk down. It really was not bad, relatively smooth terrain for the majority of the path. And what a walk!! It’s really almost impossible to explain. You just are winding your way through this canyon of pink sandstone, walls rising up above you, sections with tombs and monuments carved into the walls. Then at the end, you come around a bend and through this narrow opening you begin to glimpse the great carved treasury. For Harrison Ford buffs, this was the site used in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and in a way, it almost felt like that as you realized this enormous place was right in front of you. The city itself was built by the Nabataen Arabs, just around 50 B.C. It was a thriving city, but eventually, after a war and an earthquake, it became deserted and wasn’t discovered again until the early 1800s.. It’s now a UNESCO world heritage site and it a nominee to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. (Of the original 7 Wonders, only the Pyramids still exist; there’s a poll being conducted on the internet to choose 7 New Wonders and they’ll announce them in July – 07/07/07 to be exact!

I could have spent a lot more time in Petra, but all too soon, it was time to head back. Annie got a cart ride partway up so that was good, but it still was a hike to lunch in the hot sun. But was it worth it? I’d do it again in a minute!! Next stop – Jerusalem on Palm Sunday!