Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos is an island in the southern Aegean Sea.  It has posh resorts, white sand beaches and radiant blue waters.  Its 33 square miles and has about 10,000 residents.  It dates back to the early 11^th century.

We arrived at lunchtime and were surprised at the barrenness of the island.  It appears to be very rocky and the only trees are those planted around houses.  All the houses are white, made of concrete and again very white.

We went ashore and not only are all the houses white, white coloured trims around doors and windows, but the concrete between the cobblestones is painted white, the tree trunks are painted white – everything is painted white.  The heat and the reflection of all the white concrete was incredible.  We walked up the hill and we were dripping with sweat.

Nearly passing out from the glare and heat we headed back down past the windmills and little Venice where you could see the houses hanging over the water.  We stopped at a café and had gelato and cooled down.  People watched for a while and decided we just couldn’t be bothered walking any move.  Paddled in the water and wished I had brought my swimmers as the colour and clarity of the water was so tempting.

Back on board to cool down and I think we must be the only ones that have come back – we were the only ones at happy hour but regardless we have had enough in 3 hours and were just happy to sit in the shade and people watch.

Istanbul, Turkey

We sailed thru the Dardanelles, passing Gallipoli with a running commentary from the ships tour guide re the ANZACS.  It didn’t look anything like the pictures we had seen.  We later discovered that we went past Anzac Cove around 5.30 in the morning but we weren’t told that would be the time, much to the Australians disgust.  We got the commentary as we went past the town of Gallipoli.  Anyway at least we have been near the place.

A few hours later we sailed into Marmara Sea and Istanbul, it looked huge from the ship and it straddles two continents Europe and Asia.  Europe has the old city and Asia the new and is connected by three bridges over the Bosporus.  Istanbul can be traced back to the 10^th century.  Turkey is 98% Muslim and this is reflected in the number of mosques around the city and has around 15million people.

We arrived at 4pm and quickly left the ship to explore.  Our first stop was the Grand Bazaar (where the bus dropped us) which was closed as it was Sunday.  From there we found our way to the Blue Mosque.  This is a very impressive Mosque with 6 minarets and gets its name from the blue tile decorations inside.  It was prayer time so we were hustled thru but still saw all the tiling to the domes and the magnificent painting in the domes.  /From here we wandered down the street and passed all these little boys aged about 4 all dressed up in white with gold capes and lots of finery.  We asked if it was a special occasion and were told yes it was a very special day and they were off to the Blue Mosque to be circumcised.  The poor little mites looked and behaved as if they were going to a party – didn’t see any of them afterwards but I bet they weren’t happy!

By this time all the Palaces etc were closed so we stopped for an authentic Turkish dinner then wandered down the hill past lots of shops.  We were planning on getting a cab as it was at least 5kms (I reckon at least 10km) to the ship but we just kept walking until it was too late to get cab.  Somehow managed to crawl back onto the ship, had a shower and passed out.

Set the alarm for 6.15 so we could be at the Grand Bazaar by opening time at 0830. The Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, encompassing 58 streets.

What can you say about the Bazaar except wow, wow, wow, shoppers paradise.  Well it would have been if I left Alan at home.  He is such a spoilsport – every time I wanted something he’d say ‘how are you going to get that home’ ‘its too heavy you will be over your weight allowance’ ‘you will never use it’ ‘Astrid doesn’t need it’ ‘you can’t buy it if you don’t know their size’.  From now on when there is shopping to do I’m taking Jen Jen – she just helps me carry things.  Besides Alan it was fascinating, the leather jackets were divine, the leather handbags incredible (but expensive), the artifacts were beautiful and could have spent all day wandering up and down the alleys and getting totally lost.  But we had other things to see so ventured out after only 2 hours to the Basilica Cistern.

The Cistern was built between 527-565. It length is 140m, width is 70m. You go down 55 stone stairs and there are 336 columns whose height is 9m. It’s all arched between the columns and was made waterproof by covering the floor and walls thickly with Khorasan mortar.  It has the capacity of 100,000 tonnes of water storage.  An absolutely incredible structure. The cracks have been fixed and it now has about ½ metre water in it with fish swimming around in the dark.  Hard to believe that such a massive structure is under so many highrise buildings.

From here we went to Topkapi Palace.  This is were the Sultans lived for 400 or so years.  It’s been turned into a museum with some incredible exhibits.  There is one 89 carat diamond with 46 large diamonds around it.  Liz Taylor eat your heart out! There were swords with emeralds the size of eggs in them.  A timber gold cradle covered with rubies and emeralds and on and on it went.  Cannot imagine how much this collection is worth, but that’s likely why there are many police armed with automatic weapons.  The exhibits are very well done with good lighting and the armory had so many pristine exhibits of Sultans’ ceremonial swords etc.  By the time we got to the library, a beautiful stand alone domed building with massive big day lounges, I was ready to sit and never move.  But move I did past the baths, the harem, ballrooms etc. We spent many hours in the Palace and probably only saw half of it.

Once again a combination of heat and very sore feet saw us find a café for a late lunch, where we shared a doner kebab.  Once revived we trundled off down the hill only this time I was determined to get a cab back to the ship.  Found another couple of stores to spend a few $s in and finally got the cab back to the ship in time for happy hour and sailing time.

Now revived by the drink and a shower and have to get dressed for formal night.  Can barely walk so will be interesting having to wear heels tonight.

It’s interesting how you either connect or don’t connect with different cities.  We would never bother with Athens again but both instantly loved Istanbul and would definitely come back as we barely scratched the surface of all this city has to offer.

Trivia: forgot to put in Athens yesterday that the streets are lined with orange and mulberry trees and you can pick the fruit if and when you want.  It really makes the dullest street very pretty with the trees laden with oranges.

Athens, Greece

Today we docked in Piraeus which is the port for Athens.  Our first reaction to Athens was not too positive as its just masses of concrete apartment blocks, all the same concrete colour and shape and size just spread over a huge area.

We booked on a tour to the Acropolis and Parthenon and other monuments which were built 4 to 5 hundred years BC.  We trooped out at 830 to what we expected to be 25 degrees but it ended up be 34degrees, just what we didn’t want with a hill and 100 steps to climb.  The climb wasn’t too bad, the worst part being the 10,000 other people there!  We had 2 hours with a guided commentary then time on our own to explore and take photos.   The most interesting fact is that the Ottomans had invaded Athens and the top guy had set up house at the Parthenon and stored all the gunpowder there, it was hit by lightning, causing a massive explosion anddestroyed just about everything.  The Parthenon,  the Propylaea, Temple of Athena Niki and the Erechthreion  are now all roped off and you cannot wander through them.  There is a massive restoration program underway as the huge columns are filled with lead which is eroding the marble from the inside.  They are removing the lead and replacing with titanium.  Most of the marble staircase is still intact but extremely slippery. 

At the bottom of the Acropolis on the south slope is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus (concert amphitheatre), originally constructed as a concert venue in 161AD, it’s partly a ruin now but is still used from May to October for the Athens Festival and has had the likes of Pavarotti etc performing there.

The trip down the slippery steps was just as difficult as there are no hand rails but grateful to get back to the airconditioned bus.  From here we drove around Athens stopping at Panathinaiko Stadium where the first modern Olympic games were held in 1896.  The original structure was rebuilt and is now the only major stadium made entirely of white marble.  We then saw the Parliament building and other historical sites.  Unfortunately most of them are covered in graffiti with no attempt to clean them up.

Back on board the ship really hot and tired but revived by happy hour and the sail out of harbour.

Kotor Montenegro

Yesterday dawned bright and sunny and the warmest day yet.  We cruised up the Gulf of Kotor, (took about 1.5hrs) one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea and is sometimes called the southern-most fjord in Europe, although it is actually a submerged river canyon.  With overhanging limestone cliffs of Lovcen and Orjen, the glass like clear clean waters and the old cottages and towns clinging to the steep slopes, the cruise in is absolutely spectacular.  We dropped anchor in the bay and tendered into Kotor.

Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the old town behind formidable walls and a fortress which was gradually built between the 9^th and 19^th centuries.  The total length of the walls is around 4.5ks and the breadth between 2 and 16 metres and the height varying but reaching 20 metres.  It climbs the mountain up to 260 metres above the town.  I naturally declined to climb up but Alan did 105metre in ½ an hour (return) to Our Lady of the Health church!  He does like his walls and fortresses.  I happily wandered around the old town, up and down alleys and poking my head in and out of little shops etc.

Kotor used to be a major trade route which is hard to believe as it’s a small town tucked away at the end of the bay at the foot of huge mountains.  It has been invaded and ruled by just about everyone over the years and I think was part of Yugoslavia but finally got its independence in 2006.

We only had 3.5 hrs to explore before the ship departed but we managed to see what we wanted and enjoyed the cruise back up the Gulf watching the scenery with a cool happy hour cocktail. 

Another place just begging to spend a couple of days relaxing on and in the water.

Today was a sea day so we just relaxed all day with the only excitement being attending a seminar on what future cruises we might want to book.  Tonight we have a complimentary dinner at the Pinnacle Restaurant which should be good, and tomorrow we have a busy day in Athens.

Trivia: The vacuum toilets on the ship use only 0.4 gallons of water per flush, 75% less than most residential toilets

Venice

Monday morning saw us doing a scenic cruise into Venice.  This was interrupted by a Commonwealth Brunch to celebrate the Queens Jubilee.  Once again the food was far too tempting and we overindulged.  The day was overcast and we were praying the rain would hold off.

We docked at 1pm and immediately left the ship to go exploring.  Unfortunately this was the only port that no information was given to us about how to get anywhere and how far we had to go.  We had purchased a ‘venice card’ and a museum card for the duration of our stay but needed to find the machine or kiosk to print out our card.  We followed everyone else and eventually found a kiosk, which naturally was the wrong sort, but they told us to get the ‘people mover’ and when we got off we would be at the vaporetto (water bus) station.  Well the people mover went about 100m for $1.50 and that was after a 10 minute walk to find it but eventually we got to the vaporetto and got our tickets and figured out where we wanted to go.  There were no signs in English but managed to figure out S Marco meant St Marks Square and we were off and the heavens opened and it pissed down for rest of the day.

The rain didn’t thin the crowds at all but having already purchased our museum tickets meant we skipped the line and walked right into the Doge’s Palace.  The Doge was the highest ranking politician of the day and the Palace was not just his residence but also an official building with ballrooms, courts, prison etc.  It is huge and beautifully preserved and we both strained our neck trying to look up at the magnificently painted ceilings.  We spent quite a few hours wandering around thoroughly enjoying ourselves.  From here we went to St Mark’s Basilica, with only a 5minute wait in the rain.  We were somewhat disappointed in St Mark’s but realized that was because it was a smaller version of St Peters and due to the rain there wasn’t any natural light coming in and it was very poorly lit.  You could barely see any of the ceilings.

We then walked around the Piazza San Marco and checked out the location of other museums and generally made a plan for the next day hoping it would be sunny.  We decided to bypass the people mover and just walk back to the ship from the vaporetto station.  This was a mistake because what looked like an easy walk was interrupted by canals and railway lines.  We eventually found the correct route back but by this time we were very wet and chilled.

What a difference a day makes, Tuesday was bright and sunny with just a gentle breeze.  Once again we set off by 0800, again bypassing the people mover as we had discovered the direct route, although it was a good 20 minute walk.  We caught the vaporetto to Murano Island which is famous for its delicate Venetian glass.  OMG could I have gone mad in these shops, the glass works were masterpieces.  We both fell in love with a shark that looked clear but as you walked around it or shone light on it it exploded with magnificent gold, silver and ocean colours.  When we win lotto we will come back and buy it.  I settled for some handblown one of a kind jewelry which didn’t quite break the bank.

From here we went back to St Marks, enjoying the vaporetto ride down the grand canal, visited the Archeological Museum(which was a whole block long) and wandered around for hours, visiting most the famous sites like the Rialto Bridge and more huge museums.  Again the stores were incredible but very expensive.  Eventually our feet could carry us no further and we headed back to the ship.  The final 20 minute walk from the vaporetto station felt like I was walking on bare bone.  We barely had the energy to shower and change for dinner.

We both think that Venice is a city you need to stay in.  To be in a hotel on the grand canal where you can go rest your feet during the day, to dine in the fabulous outdoor restaurants and to generally soak up the atmosphere of the place. No doubt we will be back at some stage to finish seeing all the things we missed this time. Being on the ship and so far away from everything meant we missed the atmosphere and once we returned to the ship we couldn’t be bothered going out again as it took so long.  It was a 20 minute walk followed by a 40minute vaporetto wait/ride to get where we wanted to go so that really put a dampner on it.

Trivia: There are less than 10 licensed plumbers in Venice

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Today we arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia.  I have been looking forward to Croatia as I have been told it is a beautiful country and I was not disappointed as we sailed into harbour.  It has a beautiful harbour with the mountains seeming to just rise out of the water and the houses (which all look new) scattered up the mountain.

We disembarked and hopped on the bus to the old city.  Wow, the old city is surrounded by a 20ft thick wall and the height is 80ft and the length 6,350ft (or about 2.5kms).The wall is in perfect condition having been continuously repaired since the 12^th century.

The old city is still lived in today.  Our guide Lydia was born and raised there are only moved out when she married.  The city is set out in a grid pattern so easy to get around except for the steps – these people are part mountain goat.  When the city was built, it was built with running water to the houses and sewerage.  The bottom floor is a shop or business, on the second floor there are 2 bedrooms, 3^rd floor is living space and kitchen and under the roofline there is a little attic window which is the toilet.  It was always built in the roof as the highest point so that the smell would blow away in the wind.  During the war the majority of the town was bombed but it has all been restored to its original condition.

We toured thru the Dominician Monastery, Town Hall, the Rector’s Palace and just wandered up and down the streets.  Alan wanted to walk the wall but we ran out of time.

From here we traveled to a small seaside town of Cavtat, where we walked along the beautiful seafront promenade.  This small town is becoming on of the places the rich and famous bring their yachts and apparently Brangelina and tribe holidayed there last year.

Next we went up the mountains to the Konavle region where we went to a Glavic House (local farm house) where we were greeted with brandy (blow your head off home made stuff) dried figs and then trooped into the olive oil making room where we ate home made ham, cheese, chicken and potatoes with more wine (truly coudn’t drink it but Alan did).  It was very interesting being in a home and farm that has been occupied by the same family for over 600 years.  It is now heritage listed but the old grinding stones are still used to make the oil.

It was a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky, the scenery was stunning and our guide was delightful as a result we thoroughly enjoyed Dubrovnik and would happily return and spend more time here.

Todays trivia:  we are the worst trivia players on the ship – we could take out the booby prize every day

Katakolon & Corfu Greece

Katakolon Greece

Today we woke up to another little village and port called Katakolon.  Its on the same island as Navplion (opposite side and end) and it’s the port for Olympia.

Olympia is the birthplace of the Olympics.  It was not a village but a holy place where only priests were allowed to live.  Interestingly only virgin women were allowed to compete in the games and if married women watched the games and were caught they were executed.  That’s the history lesson for today…

We wandered up and down the 2 streets of Katakolon and checked out every tourist shop and jeweler but none of them tempted me to open my purse.  We then wandered down the waterfront and stopped in another very comfy café where Alan had a beer.

Wandered the 10 metres back to the ship and spent a lazy afternoon reading – well I did, Alan went to the gym etc but I couldn’t get enthused!

Corfu

Today we woke up in Corfu which is an island on the north west coast of Greece.  We left the ship just after 8 and caught the shuttle bus to the terminal – it was a whole 100metres!!! then got a taxi into town. 

First stop was the Byzantine built Old Fortress which was the original settlement and only accessible across Contafossa moat via a moveable wooden bridge.  Alan climbed to the very top of the mountain, I stopped ¾ of the way up and admired the view of very expensive yachts in the harbour below.  There were a couple of not so expensive yachts whose inhabitants were doing their daily bath on the back ladder – stark naked!   Anyway once again the fort is in desperate need of maintenance and restoration but at least this one we could walk thru including the old prison which would have been a pretty horrific place to be incarcerated.

From the fort we walked thru a part to the Palace of St Michael & St George which is now an art gallery.  From here we wandered down the Platia Spianada and then up and down the narrow alleys paved with blocks of stately kantounia stone where tourist shops abounded and mixed in between these were handbag shops galore (could have been a handbag slut again but Alan had the money so was just allowed to look) and some fabulous little boutiques and restaurants.  Wandered up and down and all around for about 3 hours and stopped in another café for an iced coffee (which turned out to be black coffee with a scoop of icecream in it) and a tasty little bit of pastry.

Once revived we decided we would walk the 2.5kms back to the ship along the waterfront rather than pay the $15 taxi fare again.  It was a very pleasant stroll but a bit weary after all the walking already done.   Back on boat and Alan has discovered the AFL is on the TV, so that’s him done for for the next couple of hours.

Decided I really like the cruise format as its great to wake up each morning in a different town, city or country without having to pack and unpack bags. The most difficult decision on board is what restaurant you want to go to for dinner. Also you can choose how much or little you want to do in each port.  After 5 hours of walking today we were both more than happy to come back to the ship and just veg for the arvo.

Some bits of trivia about the cruise:

• It is 300 steps and 4 floors from our cabin to the coffee
• There are 2000 passengers on board and 850 of them are Australian
• There are 170 South Australians on a tour being led by Malcolm Blight, who I’m told is an ex North Melbourne AFL player and coach – thrilling huh?
• The food is exceptionally good, we prefer the dining room as the portion control is good and the buffet always tempts you to go back for more bad food.
• Every port we have visited has a number of very black Africans wandering around selling knock off watches.  They seem to be very well organized, they all carry the same type of suitcase that opens to display the watches.  Don’t know how they make a living as we haven’t seen anyone buying anything.