Day 15: The Last Day is in Venice

The ship docked today in Venice for 24 hours.  We had arranged a tour to several of the out islands from Venice.  Everything close to Venice is an island.

 The first stop was on the island of Murano, world famous for glass blowing.  We had a glass blowing demo and then lots of browsing through the finish product.  Next we went to the island of Burano known for its brightly colored fisherman’s houses and for handmade lace.  The fishermen painted their homes in bright colors because they fished at night and the colors helped them find their homes in the dark.  (It was frowned upon to walk into the wrong house in the middle of the night.)  The third island was Torcello where we toured the Basilica of St. Maria built in the 11^th century.

Tomorrow we head for home.  This is my last blog.  If you followed us on our adventure, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Blessings, Mike Hall

Glass blowing demo.

Glass blowing finish product.

Multi colored fishermen houses on Burano.

Day 14 B: Reflection on Water Closets ("WC")

When you get older, toilets(WC as they call them in Europe and Asia) get a little more important in your life.  The countries we visited seem to place little emphasis on public restrooms.  Some of the interesting issues:

1.      Many public toilets are pay toilets at .50 Euros (or .65 USD).

2.      Many public toilets have no toilet seats (Men’s or Women’s).

3.      Tour buses stop at public restrooms and at many locations there are only one or at the most two toilets for women.  Women have to be willing to use men’s toilets at some stops.  (We almost lost Ann at one of the stops…Ann will not let me tell any more.)

4.      Twice on this trip I looked up in the men’s room and there was a female mopping the floor.

5.      On a recent trip to Amsterdam, the urinals were right out on the sidewalk…at least you did not have to pay…you would have to pay me to use one.

That is all I know on this issue.

The WC in ancient Ephesus.

At the bus station in Santorini, Greece.

On the street in Amsterdam.

Day 14:A: At Sea

This is a sailing day.  Whenever you are at sea for the whole day there are tons of free activities you can choose to participate in.  Starting at 7 AM and ending at midnight…I counted 54 activities you could get involved in.  Plus, you can always go to the gym, casino or get something to eat and those activities never shut down. 

Last night was a fun evening as the Indonesian crew put on a show for the passengers.  They took the stage to present traditional music, song and dance from their homeland.  Our waiter (Yudi”) and assistant waiter (“Sudi”) were in the show.  We sat in the front row and took lots of pictures.  At the end of the performance, they had people from the audience come on stage and play one of the traditional Indonesian music instruments.  Sudi got Barb to come up on the stage and participate.

We are on our way back to Venice.  We will arrive in Venice at noon tomorrow and spend 24 hours in port.

Barb and Sudi at Indonesian Night.

Sudi was the star of the show.

The Nieum Amsterdam in Argostoli, Greece.

Day 13: Argostoli, Greece

The island of Argostoli is a really interesting area in that it was destroyed twice.  The Germans in WW II bombed the island (for some reason) to almost total destruction.  10 years later, an earthquake took the whole town down.  After reconstruction, the town now looks fairly new.

We decided on our last day in Greece that we wanted to get a better handle on Greek culture.  We walked throughout the town and got a recommendation for the most authentic restaurant in town.  The meal was pure Greek culture: fried cheese, fried vegetables, Greek salad, smoked mackerel, grilled large sardines, Tzatziki (yogurt dip) and mullet which was the one fish caught today.  I don’t think it covered everything Greek, but as we said to the waiter, “If we missed anything, bring it.” The Greek local wine and beer helped..  

Part of the Greek lunch.

Tourists

Waiting for us in our room.

You figure: lunch.

Day 12: Santorini, Greece

When you first pull into Santorini it grabs your attention and it doesn’t let go.  It is very dynamic landscape.  It is a volcano created island with homes on the edge of sheer cliffs.  The precariousness of the place is what gives it the charm.  All of the homes are white with blue shutters and some blue roofs. 

We went from one end of the island to the other.  We wanted to swim in the Mediterranean Sea so we rode one of the island buses to one of the beaches that had volcanic ash sand (black).  Great lunch and afternoon spent on the beach.  Santorini is stunning and should not be missed if you happen to be anywhere near this area.

Santorini, built on the edge.

Mediterranean is colder than you might think.

Day 11: Ephesus, Turkey

The ancient city of Ephesus was famous for its Temple to Artemis (or Diana) which at one time was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  Today there is only one column standing out of the original 106.  The Apostle Paul lived in Ephesus for three years but they put him in prison when he was critical of the Goddess Diana.  Paul also spoke to crowds of people in the Grand Theater.  Ephesus over the years, has been knocked down and covered by earthquakes, mud and hill slides.  The government is in the process of digging out and reconstructing the city.

The Apostle John also spent time in Ephesus.  After Jesus was crucified, John brought Jesus’ mother Mary to live in Ephesus.  The Virgin Mary’s house now has a church built on the original foundation.  There is a very interesting wall outside the church where many thousands of people have attached notes to God and to Mary.  After reading some of the notes, one gets the feeling that your issues are very small compared to many others.

We went to a carpet shop and viewed the process and the finished product. Turkish carpets are some of the best in the world…we bought one.  I won’t tell how much we paid but I will just say that we made an investment.

I had some Turkish coffee today.  When I got to the end it was similar to syrup on the bottom.  I asked if people drink the stuff on the bottom of the cup.  They told me I could drink it but I probably would not get my eyes closed for three days.

Grand theater where the Apostles Paul and John spoke.

Church on top of the Virgin Mary's house.

Wall outside of the Virgin Mary's house.

Godess Nike: "Check" the Nike logo to the right of her right hand.

Day 10: Mykonos, Greece

As expected, we are beginning to eat our way out of our clothes.  Food on board is more than plentiful.  The food line never shuts down.

We arrived in Mykonos, Greece at 1PM.  This was a change in our itinerary as we were scheduled for Mytilene, Turkey but they were having serious issues with boat people from Syria.

The captain was planning to anchor the boat in the harbor and ferry the passengers to shore by “Tenders”.  Just as we arrived in Mykonos, the wind started blowing at 40 knots or approximately          45 MPH with gusts up to 50 MPH:

·        The Captain came on the P.A. and said it was too dangerous to ferry passengers by “Tender” and he cancelled the port-of-call.

·        We walked out on the pool deck just as the deck chairs started flying, the water came out of the swim pool and the pool boys ran for cover…with that going on, we headed for our cabin.

Tonight they are planning to up our food intake by scheduling a “Taste of Greece”.  There should be tons of Greek food.  I will break out my TUMS and have them ready for the morning.

Passing Mykonos with 45 MPH winds.

Check the white caps.

Day 9: Istanbul

Our last day in Istanbul was fast paced.  We took the Tram to the Blue Mosque which is an historic mosque in Istanbul.  It is known as the blue mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior.  It was built in 1609.  There was the echoing call to prayers as we approached the mosque.  There was a definite dress code for women for their knees to be covered and a scarf over their head.  For men it was long pants and a shirt and no shoes for anyone.

Next we toured the home of Ottoman Sultans for 400 years.  There were 300 rooms, 9 Turkish baths, 2 mosques and, of course, the mandatory area known as the Harem.  Harem stands for “a place forbidden” and it is the private quarters of the sultan.  It cost extra for the Harem and we decided not to look.  There were enough rooms for everything, including a circumcision room (I’ll let you think about that one).

These Turks are definitely masters of the hard sell.  Standing in line leaves you as fair game for all manner of sales pitches.  At every shop there is always a man standing in the door to go with you every step of the way.  We were not comfortable with these sales techniques and so we are not bringing much back from Turkey.

Blue Mosque 1

Blue Mosque 2

Sultan's Palace

We always try to navigate the Tram

Day 8: Between Europe and Asia

Early this morning we sailed through the Dardanelles which is a narrow strait that separates Europe from Asia (Greece from Turkey).  We got up early to listen to a historian describe the Battle of Gallipoli (Greece) where the allies tried to attack Germany through a back door in W.W.I.  It did not go well for Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain.  In the afternoon we docked in Istanbul and headed for the world famous Grand Bazaar.  There are 4000 stalls in the Grand Bazaar.  Everything was on sale such as Rolex Watches which started at 40 Euros but were quickly reduced to 10 Euros ($12 US).  You negotiate for everything in the Bazaar. 

The Turks were some of the original carpet weavers but because they were nomads, they ended up sharing their talent with many people in the Middle East.  We spent time watching some carpet weavers (see photo).  These two women had been working on the same carpet for three years.

Only 2 of 4000 stalls in the Grand Bazaar

Carpet Weaving is a tedious business.

Do I need to tell you that this is a belly dancer?

When we got back to the boat…because we were in Istanbul, we were treated to Turkish music and belly dancers.  Personally I liked the belly dancers better.

Day 7: Athens, Greece

What a spectacular day.  We left the ship as soon as it docked at 7:30 AM.  We headed straight for what is arguably one of the most important historical monuments in the world, The Acropolis.  The Acropolis is a mountain of marble.  The Parthenon is a huge temple at the top dedicated to Athena, the daughter of Zeus.  Parthenon means virgin and Athena was a virgin…at least that is what she told her father.

All of the structures on the Acropolis are under reconstruction in a project that will last until 2055.  There is lots of work going on which includes taking the buildings apart and rebuilding from the ground up.  On the grounds of the Acropolis are other temples and two amphitheaters.

At other locations we toured the Temple of Zeus, The New Acropolis Museum, a 60,000 seat Olympic stadium used when the Olympics were revived in 1834.  We also had time to walk through the Plaka, an old historic neighborhood with winding streets and tons of gift shops.

Our guide was wonderful.  He gave us lots of tales from mythology.  The mythology was interesting but a stretch in terms of believable.  

Parthenon under reconstruction

Tourists at Athena Temple (On the Acropolis)

Acropolis: Picture taken from the Museum

Amphitheater in marble taken from atop the Acropolis

Day 6: The Olympics and Zorba

Today we landed in Greece and we explored the ruins of Olympis.  The first Olympic Games were held here in 776 BC and every 4 years thereafter for the next 600 years.  During the Olympic competition, the city-states were bound by a sacred truce to stop fighting and take part in the athletic events.  This location was also the ancient sanctuary of Zeus and so the games were a religious tribute to Zeus.  In an Olympic year the Olympic torch is still lit at this site.

 The participants in the early games competed in the nude and for that reason, women were not permitted to watch the games.  There was only one winner in each event (no 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd place). The winner received a Laurel Wreath of olive tree leaves for his head.

We had lunch at a Greek restaurant where we were introduced to Zorba Dancing.  It was participatory and lots of fun.

Olympic Stadium: Start and finish lines are in marble.

Zeus...now we know what he looks like.

Ann at the Temple of Zeus

My imitation of Zorba the Greek

Greece, as you know, is in the midst of a serious economic depression.  It is very evident as you drive through the countryside and see tons of garbage piled high on the side of the road.  The country apparently cannot afford to fund the position of garbage collector and other service areas.

We have now set sail for Athens and the Acropolis.

Day 5: A Day at Sea.

We spent the entire day cruising at sea on the way to our first stop at Olympia Greece.

Today was relaxing and lots of fun.  Leisurely breakfast followed by working on our tans…great lunch…speculator dinner.  We had lots of things to do all day long such as seminars, workshops, participation activities and entertainment…typical cruise activities.  After dinner there was a stage show, piano bar and even the casino, if you were so inclined.

Tomorrow is our first stop at Olympia, Greece, the first home of the Olympics.  We have scheduled a tour to learn about the Greek culture and finish with “Zorba the Greek”.  It should be fun.

Stage Show

Piano Bar

Someone told him he could sleep with us.

Casino

Day 4: Last Day in Venice / Board the Ship

We had an unscheduled day so we walked a trail through Venice that included lots of small shops.  The time spent gave us more opportunity to view the character of Venice.  Ann and I both love this town.  It is unique in how it is designed and what it takes to live here.  The uniqueness is in the fact that the locals have to walk everywhere and they have to carry whatever they purchase back to their homes.  There are small restaurants in every block that all serve some kind of spaghetti and pizza…and it is all good…especially with a couple glasses of wine.

You might remember…exactly one year ago, George Clooney got married in Venice.  The wedding was said to cost 12 million Euros or approximately $15 Million.  The guides told us that the town swelled in population.  There were 6 cruise ships docked and there were thousands more people than they would normally have…all trying to get a glimpse of the world’s most eligible bachelor and his bride.  The natives are still talking about the event as it was most certainly a big attraction.

We boarded the cruise ship today at 1PM (5AM EST).  We had the standard life boat drill and then we were off on a new adventure.

Two good looking tourists: Barb and Brad.

To give you some idea of the crowds at St. Mark's Square.

Nieuw Amsterdam

Day 3: Florence

This morning we boarded a high speed train to Florence for the day.  A list of the city’s “Favorite     Sons” reads like a who’s who of the Renaissance.  We scheduled an afternoon museum tour so we could see some of the works of Michelangelo, Leonardo de Vinci, Botticelli and others.  We got to see representative works of all the men.  By the way, did you know that Leonardo is from a small town in Italy called Vinci…which is exactly how he got his name, Leonardo of Vinci.  One thing for sure, you can’t do Florence in one day as there are so many marble statues and paintings to see.

Ann made an interesting observation about the difference between Florence and Venice.  Venice is significantly less stressful than Florence because there are no cars bustling around.  Florence is a mad house of cars, bikes, motor scooters and throngs of people.  Our guide says that the Italian are all crazy drivers and the only way a pedestrian can deal with it is: (1) cross your fingers; (2) Close your eyes; (3) run.

Barb and Brad took the train today to Milan.  Barb is going to post some pictures on Facebook about their day.

Leonardo de Vinci's "Baptism of Jesus"

We saw lots of important things in Florence.  We covered a lot of ground and our bodies are starting to revolt.  Ann says she has more pain than her 77 year old body can stand.  Our pedometer said that we took 16,125 steps today and walked 7.6 miles.

Michelangelo's "David" (a copy)

Botticelli's "Birth of Venus"

Tomorrow we have a small tour to some of the islands around Venice.  We will board the cruise ship in the early afternoon

Day 2: Venice on Tour

In the morning we had a walking tour of Venice.  It started at St Mark’s Square in the midst of thousands of tourists and 15,000 pigeons. A dominate feature of the square is the Bell tower with a statue of the Angel Gabriel on top.  Gabriel is the weather person for all of Venice.  He predicts the weather according to the direction the statue is facing.  If you live in Venice, you only have to look for the angel Gabriel to know the weather.  Gabriel was pointed to the South and it was raining…that is all I know.

St Mark’s church was really interesting.  The story goes that originally a Venetian stole the bones of the Apostle St Mark and brought them to Venice.  As soon as the bones got to Venice they started building the church…1000 years ago.  St Mark’s bones are buried inside the high alter.  It is a very beautiful church. It is also called The “Gold Church” as there is a huge amount of gold leaf everywhere in the church.  The gold dramatically reflects light and it is something to see.

We learned that Venice was founded in the 4^th century as the Roman Empire was crumbling.  It was founded because it was a safe haven.  It was built on marsh land with sandbars everywhere.  You had to know the specific path for your boat or you would get hung up on a sandbar.  The enemy had problems attacking the city because no one told them where the sandbars were located.

The tour ended at the Rialto Bridge…the oldest of all 400 bridges.   

We had lunch at a nice restaurant that had at least 100 bras nailed to the ceiling.  We asked what the story was and none of the employees seemed to know how it started except that you had to be at least a 34B…3 shots of whiskey probably would have helped.

The afternoon was a boat tour of the city.  At the end of the day, my Fitbit said we walked 4.6 miles.

Gabriel, the Weather Man

The lunch stop

St Mark's Church