October 28, 2008
Naples, Italy
The ship returned on Tuesday to Naples, Italy and I signed up to do a tour to Pompeii and Sorrento. Sadly, I do not have too much to report about what I saw. Sorrento was described to me as a town situated on top of a cliff, but when I got there, I had to search for the water, and all I saw were name-brand boutique shops like Paul & Shark and Lacoste, and a few souvenir shops as well. To be fair, the ride to and from Sorrento contained beautiful scenery while we drove on a coastal road high above the Bay of Napoli, but the town itself was not anything special. Granted, the weather was not amazing, but Sorrento still seemed like just another Italian city I had visited. At the same time, it was nice to see a new place.
Pompeii was great, but not mind-blowing. This could be driven from the fact that I have seen more ruins in the last month than most people see in a decade, or perhaps it could be driven by the fact that I was at Ephesus ten days ago, and the two archaeological sights are similar. The two things that Pompeii has that Ephesus lacks are plaster casts of the bodies of some of the people that died in the eruption, and a brothel. Aside from that, I was not wowed by Pompeii.
I look forward to returning to Naples so that I can visit the Isle of Capri, go for a drive along the Amalfi Coast, and eat more Pizza!
October 29, 2008
Valletta, Malta
We docked on Wednesday in Valletta, Malta, and while it was not the ship’s first visit here, it was my first visit to the small island. I elected to do another tour that took me to the old and new capitals of the island: Mdina and Valletta.
When I arrived at Mdina, it reminded me a lot of Dubrovnik, Croatia. It was the same type of city in that It was originally surrounded by a moat that has been sodden and is now filled with grass and other greenery. Additionally, like Dubrovnik, Mdina is mainly a pedestrian city (though its residents, numbering approximately 400, are permitted to drive within the city), and walking around reminded me of my trip to Croatia. We walked past this small church, which was locked, but I could hear Gregorian chant coming from within so I stood and listened for a while. Beyond that, I enjoyed walking through the city but doubt I will ever return there.
From Mdina, we boarded the bus and headed to Valletta, the new capital of Malta. Valletta is the first city I have ever visited that was heavily bombed during the second world war, and they have reconstructed all damaged buildings with the exception of the royal opera house. It was interesting walking through a city that once was greatly covered in rubble, and also interesting to walk down a street and have my guide point out which buildings were hit and which ones weren’t. We visited the church of St. John and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful paintings on the ceiling of the church, and also the large Caravaggio painting they had depicting the execution of St. John the Baptist.
After leaving the church, we had some free time and I walked around. We then walked past the office of the Maltese Prime Minister, and visited a garden that overlooked the waterfront of Valletta, which was a beautiful vista. From that point, we headed back to the ship, and I said a temporary goodbye to Malta. We return a few more times here, and I am nearly 100% unsure of what I will do when we make our way back here.
October 31, 2008
Crete, Greece
After a lovely day at sea, the ship dropped anchor today in Aghios Nikolaos on the island of Creete. I decided to do a tour called “Essence of Crete” that would take me to the restored Minoan Palace and then to a traditional Cretan village.
I boarded the tender off the ship at around 7:45am to start the tour, and we boarded the bus for an hour-long bus ride to the area known as Knossos. Unfortunately, my guide never stopped talking long enough for any of us to sleep peacefully, but I was able to squeeze in a short nap before we arrived at the old palace (which dates back to before 1500 BC). Once again, I walked around a pile of ruins, but I still enjoyed walking around and seeing how advanced the buildings were at that point in time (for example, I saw a terra cotta water pipe underground that dates to 1700 BC).
From the Minoan Palace, we boarded the bus for yet another long bus ride in which our guide felt the need to talk from beginning to end. We arrived about forty minutes later in the traditional Cretan village we were visiting and proceeded to walk around. We visited the shop of a man who makes bells for animals (boring), and then visited a traiditional Cretan museum (also boring) and after all this we arrived at a tavern and ate some lunch. The lunch was undoubtedly the highlight of the village visit, but it was still interesting to see an old Cretan village like such. Sadly, it smelled like donkey dung.
We left the village at about 3:00pm and headed back to the ship for yet another long scenic drive in which our guide (big surprise here), decided to stop talking for about five minutes. However, he seemed to be against total silence and asked the driver to put the radio on while we ‘relaxed’. After these five minutes, our not-so-lovely guide decided to keep talking, and spent at least fifteen minutes talking about the weather and how it changed over the last decade. Needless to say, I was relieved when the bus finally arrived back at the ship and I was able to tender back on board and relax for an hour before going to work.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Cannes, Nice, Barcelona, and Monte Carlo
October 23, 2008
Cannes and Nice, France
Due to horrible weather, the ship made a detour from its planned stop in Marseilles and headed for Cannes for a surprise visit to the locale of the world’s biggest film festival. In light of the change, I decided it would be best to do a tour that would take me by bus to Nice for a guided tour and some free time instead of just staying in one city for the day. Aside from my [not so] lovely experience at Charles de Gaulle airport en route to joining the ship, this was my first real experience in France and it was a bit more enjoyable than the airport.
The drive from Cannes to Nice was filed with beautiful scenery at times, and ugly highway scenery at others. It was during the latter that I was able to fit in a brief nap and before I knew it, I arrived in Nice and exited the bus right along the water.
Shortly after the bus dropped off my group, we boarded a “tram” as they called it, though it was basically a train-looking truck that towed three passenger cars. Our guide sat in the front and gave us a great tour of the old city of Nice before we began ascending a hill from which we were able to take in a panoramic view of the entire city from high up. Before we reached the top, I already thought that the French Riviera was a beautiful place. The view from the summit trumped everything from the ground, as the beautiful blue sea was on the left and the old city was immediately to its right; beyond the city, I was able to see the beginning mountains of the French Alps, though unlike those I flew over when I first came to Europe, these were not snow-capped.
After spending some time at the top of the hill, we boarded the tram again to head back to part of the old city where we had free time to shop or eat along the flower market. Though it is called the flower market, there are street vendors selling everything from African tribal art to candy, fish, fruit, and other assorted crafts. Despite all of this, all I ended up buying was some olives and some Thai food for lunch (since the sushi bar I passed was closed).
At around 12:25pm, we re-boarded the bus and headed back to Cannes, but instead of napping, I elected to eat the food I purchased and decided it might be wise to pay attention to what I might have missed en route. I did see a beautiful hill-top old town of which the name escapes me, but I enjoyed eating Thai food for the first time since mid-September despite the fact that it wasn’t even all that tasty.
Once we arrived back in Cannes, I elected to take a walk around the city rather than getting back onto the ship since I had a few hours before we were sailing. I passed the building where the film festival takes place, and also passed all the luxurious hotels where the celebrities and the wealthy stay throughout the summer when they come to Cannes. It is a beautiful port city and I am glad I got to spend a couple of hours here.
October 24-25, 2008
Barcelona, Spain
Friday marked my first visit to Spain as the ship stayed overnight in Barcelona. I got off the ship and ended up bumping into one of the guest entertainers who I met a couple weeks prior, and we ended up exploring the city together. We ended up grabbing a shuttle bus from the pier to a location closer to Las Ramblas (one of the main streets in Barcelona) and set out to find a place to eat. We found our way to the Plaza Reial, a decently-sized square filled with quite a few eateries and also a place called Jamboree which is a jazz club in the evenings and then turns into a proper nightclub/lounge after midnight. We sat down at one of the restaurants, ordered a pitcher of sangria, and figured out what it was that we wanted to have for lunch. It seemed like the “When in Rome…” philosophy was appropriate, so we decided that we had to order paella, and we accompanied it with a couple appetizers. I can now say that in addition to having pizza in Naples and souvlaki in Santorini, I have enjoyed paella and sangria in Barcelona. The list goes on…
From lunch, we ventured off in search of the Picasso museum but never made it all the way there. We came across a large public park with some large sculptures, lots of pigeons, and the occasional fountain, and we ended up walking around for a while before heading back towards the ship.
After I got off work on Friday night, a bunch of the crewmembers all headed off for various bars and clubs in the city and I decided to do the same. A few friends and I grabbed a taxi from the ship to Las Ramblas, and in the end, I found my way to a club called Fellini’s [by way of Burger King, where I stopped off for a whopper]. I did not stay for too long since by the time I made it out there, it was already after 1:30am, and I had to be up by 7:00. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the club (though alcohol was not cheap inside) and was glad I dragged myself back out after finishing work for the evening.
Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early (6:45am) for a tour that would take me around to see various buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi. Before we went to any of his buildings, we drove to the top of a hill for a panoramic view of the city at sunrise. From there, we headed through the historical part of the city of Barcelona and stopped at a couple of apartment buildings designed by Gaudi and I quickly discovered that I love his architecture. He avoids rectangles almost in their entirety, and one of his buildings contained windows that were all individually unique in shape. The structures also look extremely fluid throughout and are more than just buildings; they are art.
When our short drive from the hilltop ended, we arrived at La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s famous masterpiece that has been in construction for over 140 years and will not be finished anytime soon. The exterior of the building will finally be complete in 2009, and the entire structure was beautiful. We arrived on the side facing the nativity façade, which is the only portion of the building that was finished while Gaudi was still alive, and it was beautiful to see the sculpting, the towers, and everything else. La Sagrada Familia makes me speechless when I think about it, so words probably cannot do justice; consequently, I will not try to describe it. What I will say though is that it is a must-see for anyone who happens to be in Barcelona.
We left the church and headed for another masterpiece designed by Gaudi: the Park Güell. It was a park he designed for a count at the turn of the 20th century. It was nice to see more structures designed by Gaudi that were not meant to house people inside four walls, and the benches here (also designed by him) were the most comfortable ones I have ever sat on in a public park. To top off all the beauty I was seeing surrounding me, there was an amazing flamenco guitarist playing in part of the park and I was tempted to stay and listen to him instead of seeing the rest of the park. We left shortly thereafter and headed back to the ship, thereby concluding an exciting two days in an amazing city!
October 26, 2008
Monte Carlo, Monaco
We docked in Monte Carlo next to Lady Moura, the eleventh-largest privately owned yacht in the world, and it was just the first rich person’s toy I walked past while I explored the city. I got off with a few friends in search of the ultimate driving experience: taking a Ferrari for a brief spin around the Formula 1 Grand Prix street course in Monte Carlo. While searching for it, I got to walk all around the marina and ended up in front of the main Casino, where they filmed the James Bond movie Casino Royale. It was amazing to see the outside of this building, and we walked past some of the top-end hotels, including the Metropole where prices range from €600 - €10,000 per night.
Once we reached the area by the casino, we realized that we had to head all the way back to basically where the ship was docked to do the Ferrari drive, so I ended up heading back but stopped for a bit at the little street fair with carnival rides they had going on at the marina. I ran into some friends and we walked around for a little before I headed all the way back and finally did what I wanted to do.
I had to pay €85 to drive, but once I sat down in the red Ferrari 360 Spyder, I knew I had made the right decision. On one hand, I knew it was expensive and probably a rip off, but on the other hand, I figured that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only drive a Ferrari, but also to do it in Monte Carlo. I drove one lap around the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit (which took about fifteen minutes), and while this might not be the greatest thing I have seen or done thus far, it was easily the most exciting.
Cannes and Nice, France
Due to horrible weather, the ship made a detour from its planned stop in Marseilles and headed for Cannes for a surprise visit to the locale of the world’s biggest film festival. In light of the change, I decided it would be best to do a tour that would take me by bus to Nice for a guided tour and some free time instead of just staying in one city for the day. Aside from my [not so] lovely experience at Charles de Gaulle airport en route to joining the ship, this was my first real experience in France and it was a bit more enjoyable than the airport.
The drive from Cannes to Nice was filed with beautiful scenery at times, and ugly highway scenery at others. It was during the latter that I was able to fit in a brief nap and before I knew it, I arrived in Nice and exited the bus right along the water.
Shortly after the bus dropped off my group, we boarded a “tram” as they called it, though it was basically a train-looking truck that towed three passenger cars. Our guide sat in the front and gave us a great tour of the old city of Nice before we began ascending a hill from which we were able to take in a panoramic view of the entire city from high up. Before we reached the top, I already thought that the French Riviera was a beautiful place. The view from the summit trumped everything from the ground, as the beautiful blue sea was on the left and the old city was immediately to its right; beyond the city, I was able to see the beginning mountains of the French Alps, though unlike those I flew over when I first came to Europe, these were not snow-capped.
After spending some time at the top of the hill, we boarded the tram again to head back to part of the old city where we had free time to shop or eat along the flower market. Though it is called the flower market, there are street vendors selling everything from African tribal art to candy, fish, fruit, and other assorted crafts. Despite all of this, all I ended up buying was some olives and some Thai food for lunch (since the sushi bar I passed was closed).
At around 12:25pm, we re-boarded the bus and headed back to Cannes, but instead of napping, I elected to eat the food I purchased and decided it might be wise to pay attention to what I might have missed en route. I did see a beautiful hill-top old town of which the name escapes me, but I enjoyed eating Thai food for the first time since mid-September despite the fact that it wasn’t even all that tasty.
Once we arrived back in Cannes, I elected to take a walk around the city rather than getting back onto the ship since I had a few hours before we were sailing. I passed the building where the film festival takes place, and also passed all the luxurious hotels where the celebrities and the wealthy stay throughout the summer when they come to Cannes. It is a beautiful port city and I am glad I got to spend a couple of hours here.
October 24-25, 2008
Barcelona, Spain
Friday marked my first visit to Spain as the ship stayed overnight in Barcelona. I got off the ship and ended up bumping into one of the guest entertainers who I met a couple weeks prior, and we ended up exploring the city together. We ended up grabbing a shuttle bus from the pier to a location closer to Las Ramblas (one of the main streets in Barcelona) and set out to find a place to eat. We found our way to the Plaza Reial, a decently-sized square filled with quite a few eateries and also a place called Jamboree which is a jazz club in the evenings and then turns into a proper nightclub/lounge after midnight. We sat down at one of the restaurants, ordered a pitcher of sangria, and figured out what it was that we wanted to have for lunch. It seemed like the “When in Rome…” philosophy was appropriate, so we decided that we had to order paella, and we accompanied it with a couple appetizers. I can now say that in addition to having pizza in Naples and souvlaki in Santorini, I have enjoyed paella and sangria in Barcelona. The list goes on…
From lunch, we ventured off in search of the Picasso museum but never made it all the way there. We came across a large public park with some large sculptures, lots of pigeons, and the occasional fountain, and we ended up walking around for a while before heading back towards the ship.
After I got off work on Friday night, a bunch of the crewmembers all headed off for various bars and clubs in the city and I decided to do the same. A few friends and I grabbed a taxi from the ship to Las Ramblas, and in the end, I found my way to a club called Fellini’s [by way of Burger King, where I stopped off for a whopper]. I did not stay for too long since by the time I made it out there, it was already after 1:30am, and I had to be up by 7:00. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the club (though alcohol was not cheap inside) and was glad I dragged myself back out after finishing work for the evening.
Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early (6:45am) for a tour that would take me around to see various buildings designed by Antoni Gaudi. Before we went to any of his buildings, we drove to the top of a hill for a panoramic view of the city at sunrise. From there, we headed through the historical part of the city of Barcelona and stopped at a couple of apartment buildings designed by Gaudi and I quickly discovered that I love his architecture. He avoids rectangles almost in their entirety, and one of his buildings contained windows that were all individually unique in shape. The structures also look extremely fluid throughout and are more than just buildings; they are art.
When our short drive from the hilltop ended, we arrived at La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi’s famous masterpiece that has been in construction for over 140 years and will not be finished anytime soon. The exterior of the building will finally be complete in 2009, and the entire structure was beautiful. We arrived on the side facing the nativity façade, which is the only portion of the building that was finished while Gaudi was still alive, and it was beautiful to see the sculpting, the towers, and everything else. La Sagrada Familia makes me speechless when I think about it, so words probably cannot do justice; consequently, I will not try to describe it. What I will say though is that it is a must-see for anyone who happens to be in Barcelona.
We left the church and headed for another masterpiece designed by Gaudi: the Park Güell. It was a park he designed for a count at the turn of the 20th century. It was nice to see more structures designed by Gaudi that were not meant to house people inside four walls, and the benches here (also designed by him) were the most comfortable ones I have ever sat on in a public park. To top off all the beauty I was seeing surrounding me, there was an amazing flamenco guitarist playing in part of the park and I was tempted to stay and listen to him instead of seeing the rest of the park. We left shortly thereafter and headed back to the ship, thereby concluding an exciting two days in an amazing city!
October 26, 2008
Monte Carlo, Monaco
We docked in Monte Carlo next to Lady Moura, the eleventh-largest privately owned yacht in the world, and it was just the first rich person’s toy I walked past while I explored the city. I got off with a few friends in search of the ultimate driving experience: taking a Ferrari for a brief spin around the Formula 1 Grand Prix street course in Monte Carlo. While searching for it, I got to walk all around the marina and ended up in front of the main Casino, where they filmed the James Bond movie Casino Royale. It was amazing to see the outside of this building, and we walked past some of the top-end hotels, including the Metropole where prices range from €600 - €10,000 per night.
Once we reached the area by the casino, we realized that we had to head all the way back to basically where the ship was docked to do the Ferrari drive, so I ended up heading back but stopped for a bit at the little street fair with carnival rides they had going on at the marina. I ran into some friends and we walked around for a little before I headed all the way back and finally did what I wanted to do.
I had to pay €85 to drive, but once I sat down in the red Ferrari 360 Spyder, I knew I had made the right decision. On one hand, I knew it was expensive and probably a rip off, but on the other hand, I figured that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only drive a Ferrari, but also to do it in Monte Carlo. I drove one lap around the Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit (which took about fifteen minutes), and while this might not be the greatest thing I have seen or done thus far, it was easily the most exciting.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Oversleeping in Florence
October 22, 2008
Florence, Italy
Today could not have started out any worse. I was scheduled to go on a full day tour that would take me to Florence and to Pisa, but I woke up an hour after I was supposed to be ready. I ran to the room where the tour groups were meeting and the tour office told me that it was not a big deal and that they could stick me on the last bus for the “Florence on Your Own” tour, which is exactly what it says it is. The ship actually docks in Livorno, Italy, which is close to 100 kilometers west of Florence, so guests are able to book this “tour” which provides them with bus rides to and from the city, an English-speaking guide (or at least one who is supposed to speak English; mine was quite hard to understand), and a map of the city to help make your day a little easier. I had never done one of these “city on your own” tours but was excited to explore a new city on my own.
After getting a bit of sleep on the bus, I arrived in Florence at around 10:00am and was walked by the tour guide to the Piazza Santa Croce (Holy Cross Square) where I decided to go into the basilica. The church houses beautiful works of art including Donatello’s Annunciation and Crucifix, (though the latter was surrounded by scaffolding since the building was undergoing restoration), but the highlights for me were seeing the graves of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Machiavelli. All of their graves did not have tombstones; they had large sculptures, and each one was uniquely beautiful. I explored a bit more of the church and found more beautiful paintings, and ended up in a room outside the main basilica that contained old music books and also part of a robe worn by St. Francis of Assisi.
I stopped at a small café on the Piazza and grabbed a quick espresso before heading to the Duomo, otherwise known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, a 13th to 15th century church that is capped off by Brunelleschi’s cupola, a dome that rises 107 meters above the ground. For some random reason, I it made sense at the time to pay six Euros for the privilege of climbing 463 steps to reach the top of the dome, where one can go outside for a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view of Florence from about 105 meters up. I took some pictures, took it all in, and climbed down before heading to my next stop: the Galleria dell'Accademia.
I headed north of the Duomo to the Galleria with one intention: I was going to see Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture: David. I waited in line for close to twenty minutes before finally gaining entry to the museum and gallery, and was immediately taken aback by Renaissance sculptures and paintings in every direction. I saw a sign for a gallery of old musical instruments and welcomed the pleasant surprise. It is always exciting to stumble upon a few priceless string instruments, including violins and a cello made by Stradavari, among other things. In the gallery was also a copy of one of the first Bartolomeo Cristofori pianos. He is credited with inventing the piano in the early eighteenth century, and they had a few other instruments of his including a harpsichord and spinet, and it was exciting to see these as well.
I left the musical instrument gallery and knew it was time to see what I had come to see in the first place. I went back to the hall I first entered and went the other way from the instruments, looked to my right, and saw five amazing sculptures: sculptures of the four prisoners done by Michelangelo were in the hall I was walking through (with two on each side), and at the end of the hall, there it was. I always imagined that David would be at most five or six feet tall. It had to be close to twice as large as I anticipated, and looked even larger as it was sitting on a five-foot-high block of marble. Once again, despite photography being forbidden, I navigated away from the two ladies whose singular job is to tell you not to take pictures (and be quite nasty about it as well), and snapped a few quick shots of the sculpture, at which point I found myself frozen in amazement. I kept looking up at it from different angles and admiring the amazing detail. The interesting thing is that before today, I had no idea that David was in Florence. I did not know where it was, but it was an amazing surprise to learn I was going to be able to see it while riding from Livorno to Florence and I capitalized on this opportunity without hesitation. I probably spent twenty or thirty minutes just walking around and staring at David before I decided to go off and headed for the Uffizi Gallery.
I arrived in about twenty minutes at the Uffizi Gallery in hopes of seeing some works of art by Da Vinci and other Renaissance masters, but after getting in a long line that moved five feet in ten minutes, I decided that I would have to come back another time to visit this huge gallery. Nonetheless, I feel like I got in my fair share of sightseeing in just a few hours, and left the line in search of a nice place to have lunch.
I wandered across the Ponte Vecchio, an old bridge in Florence that crosses the Arno River, and enjoyed the views while crossing before I found a small riverside restaurant where I sat down, reviewed my morning photos, (I took about 150 today), and had a nice meal. I did not go with anything that was super-Italian, but stuck with a traditional chicken breast with a side of sautéed spinach. It was tasty, and I enjoyed the peace and serenity of being out on an enclosed terrace. The only thing I did not enjoy was the cover charge that every restaurant seems to impose on you for dining in. The one I went to charged me four Euros to sit outside; it would have been two and a half Euros to dine indoors, and I do not agree with this custom. I cannot understand how a restaurant can impose an additional charge just for sitting down. I have heard that casinos in Monaco also charge you just to enter despite the fact that you will most likely be giving them a good amount of money when you lose at their tables and slot machines. Nonetheless, I am getting used to Italy being quite an expensive country and I am appreciating having almost no living expense whatsoever.
After lunch, I took a short walk farther south of the Arno river but did not encounter anything worth mentioning so I headed back to my tour group meeting place in the Piazza Santa Croce which seemed like a place where people go to just hang out. It reminded me a bit of Union Square or Washington Square Park in New York, in that there were street musicians, people just sitting on the pavement, and plenty of people passing through. I had about thirty minutes to kill so I spent them relaxing in the Piazza and listening to some music before heading back to the bus.
All in all, my first experience in Florence was exciting, and I am very thankful I was able to see so much. As I spend more time in all these wonderful Italian cities, I further contemplate planning an extended vacation to Italy so that I can see more sights in more time without having to rush through everything that I see.
Due to inclement weather in the Bay of Lyon and in Marseilles, the captain of the Queen Victoria informed us yesterday evening that we would be headed for Cannes, so instead of seeing Marseilles and Avignon, I will be traveling to Cannes and Nice. Nonetheless, it should be an exciting day tomorrow and this weekend as well as we are overnighting in Barcelona on Friday. Stay Tuned.
Florence, Italy
Today could not have started out any worse. I was scheduled to go on a full day tour that would take me to Florence and to Pisa, but I woke up an hour after I was supposed to be ready. I ran to the room where the tour groups were meeting and the tour office told me that it was not a big deal and that they could stick me on the last bus for the “Florence on Your Own” tour, which is exactly what it says it is. The ship actually docks in Livorno, Italy, which is close to 100 kilometers west of Florence, so guests are able to book this “tour” which provides them with bus rides to and from the city, an English-speaking guide (or at least one who is supposed to speak English; mine was quite hard to understand), and a map of the city to help make your day a little easier. I had never done one of these “city on your own” tours but was excited to explore a new city on my own.
After getting a bit of sleep on the bus, I arrived in Florence at around 10:00am and was walked by the tour guide to the Piazza Santa Croce (Holy Cross Square) where I decided to go into the basilica. The church houses beautiful works of art including Donatello’s Annunciation and Crucifix, (though the latter was surrounded by scaffolding since the building was undergoing restoration), but the highlights for me were seeing the graves of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, and Machiavelli. All of their graves did not have tombstones; they had large sculptures, and each one was uniquely beautiful. I explored a bit more of the church and found more beautiful paintings, and ended up in a room outside the main basilica that contained old music books and also part of a robe worn by St. Francis of Assisi.
I stopped at a small café on the Piazza and grabbed a quick espresso before heading to the Duomo, otherwise known as the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, a 13th to 15th century church that is capped off by Brunelleschi’s cupola, a dome that rises 107 meters above the ground. For some random reason, I it made sense at the time to pay six Euros for the privilege of climbing 463 steps to reach the top of the dome, where one can go outside for a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view of Florence from about 105 meters up. I took some pictures, took it all in, and climbed down before heading to my next stop: the Galleria dell'Accademia.
I headed north of the Duomo to the Galleria with one intention: I was going to see Michelangelo’s most famous sculpture: David. I waited in line for close to twenty minutes before finally gaining entry to the museum and gallery, and was immediately taken aback by Renaissance sculptures and paintings in every direction. I saw a sign for a gallery of old musical instruments and welcomed the pleasant surprise. It is always exciting to stumble upon a few priceless string instruments, including violins and a cello made by Stradavari, among other things. In the gallery was also a copy of one of the first Bartolomeo Cristofori pianos. He is credited with inventing the piano in the early eighteenth century, and they had a few other instruments of his including a harpsichord and spinet, and it was exciting to see these as well.
I left the musical instrument gallery and knew it was time to see what I had come to see in the first place. I went back to the hall I first entered and went the other way from the instruments, looked to my right, and saw five amazing sculptures: sculptures of the four prisoners done by Michelangelo were in the hall I was walking through (with two on each side), and at the end of the hall, there it was. I always imagined that David would be at most five or six feet tall. It had to be close to twice as large as I anticipated, and looked even larger as it was sitting on a five-foot-high block of marble. Once again, despite photography being forbidden, I navigated away from the two ladies whose singular job is to tell you not to take pictures (and be quite nasty about it as well), and snapped a few quick shots of the sculpture, at which point I found myself frozen in amazement. I kept looking up at it from different angles and admiring the amazing detail. The interesting thing is that before today, I had no idea that David was in Florence. I did not know where it was, but it was an amazing surprise to learn I was going to be able to see it while riding from Livorno to Florence and I capitalized on this opportunity without hesitation. I probably spent twenty or thirty minutes just walking around and staring at David before I decided to go off and headed for the Uffizi Gallery.
I arrived in about twenty minutes at the Uffizi Gallery in hopes of seeing some works of art by Da Vinci and other Renaissance masters, but after getting in a long line that moved five feet in ten minutes, I decided that I would have to come back another time to visit this huge gallery. Nonetheless, I feel like I got in my fair share of sightseeing in just a few hours, and left the line in search of a nice place to have lunch.
I wandered across the Ponte Vecchio, an old bridge in Florence that crosses the Arno River, and enjoyed the views while crossing before I found a small riverside restaurant where I sat down, reviewed my morning photos, (I took about 150 today), and had a nice meal. I did not go with anything that was super-Italian, but stuck with a traditional chicken breast with a side of sautéed spinach. It was tasty, and I enjoyed the peace and serenity of being out on an enclosed terrace. The only thing I did not enjoy was the cover charge that every restaurant seems to impose on you for dining in. The one I went to charged me four Euros to sit outside; it would have been two and a half Euros to dine indoors, and I do not agree with this custom. I cannot understand how a restaurant can impose an additional charge just for sitting down. I have heard that casinos in Monaco also charge you just to enter despite the fact that you will most likely be giving them a good amount of money when you lose at their tables and slot machines. Nonetheless, I am getting used to Italy being quite an expensive country and I am appreciating having almost no living expense whatsoever.
After lunch, I took a short walk farther south of the Arno river but did not encounter anything worth mentioning so I headed back to my tour group meeting place in the Piazza Santa Croce which seemed like a place where people go to just hang out. It reminded me a bit of Union Square or Washington Square Park in New York, in that there were street musicians, people just sitting on the pavement, and plenty of people passing through. I had about thirty minutes to kill so I spent them relaxing in the Piazza and listening to some music before heading back to the bus.
All in all, my first experience in Florence was exciting, and I am very thankful I was able to see so much. As I spend more time in all these wonderful Italian cities, I further contemplate planning an extended vacation to Italy so that I can see more sights in more time without having to rush through everything that I see.
Due to inclement weather in the Bay of Lyon and in Marseilles, the captain of the Queen Victoria informed us yesterday evening that we would be headed for Cannes, so instead of seeing Marseilles and Avignon, I will be traveling to Cannes and Nice. Nonetheless, it should be an exciting day tomorrow and this weekend as well as we are overnighting in Barcelona on Friday. Stay Tuned.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Vatican and More
October 21, 2008
Rome, Italy
I spent the day on another full-day tour to Rome, which meant getting up at 6:30am (needless to say, this is NOT a good way to start the day when you are not a morning person. The ship docks in Civitavecchia, which is located north of Rome, so we had to take a bus into the city, and this granted me the opportunity to make up on some lost sleep.
After the bus ride from Civitavecchia to Rome, which lasted, more than an hour, we arrived just outside the entrance to the Vatican Museum. It was from here that we embarked on a walking tour through a small portion of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s Square that would end up lasting close to three and a half hours.
The Vatican Museum, I am sure, is quite spectacular, but we only walked through enough of it so that we could have quick access to a toilet and then get to the Sistine Chapel, but from what I saw out of its 11,000 rooms, I was greatly impressed. We were able to walk through a gallery that contained many small statues from ancient Rome, and one of the more interesting pieces I saw was actually a pair of urns, one made of onyx and the other made from alabaster. We proceeded through a hall filled with tapestries, and from there we walked through the Gallery of Maps, which was yet another long hall filled with old maps of different parts of Italian territories, both mainland and islands. Some of them even had the names of individual towns and mountains printed out, and all of them displayed the topography of different territories with immense details. I am unsure of when these maps were pained, but my best guess would be that they are at least four centuries old.
The Gallery of Maps was our last stop before we entered the Pope’s private chapel: the Sistine Chapel. Despite the fact that photography is prohibited, I turned the flash off on my camera and snapped away. The walls were beautiful, and obviously, the ceiling was breathtaking. This was the first time in my life seeing Michelangelo’s work first-hand, and it was quite a moment. I knew that the chapel’s ceiling is entirely his work, but I did not know that he painted one of the walls and it was amazing to see this added bonus. At the same time, I did not picture the chapel to be such a dark and creepy place. If I were in there alone and not surrounded by hundreds of other tourists, it would be a little scary despite the fact that I was surrounded by renaissance masterworks.
We walked from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica, and I had no idea I was entering the world’s largest church. Massive is an understatement, and the sculptures, paintings, and mosaics inside were also amazing. The first sculpture the guide took us to view was Michelangelo’s Pieta, and many different works of art followed it. The highlights were obviously the Pieta, staring up from directly under the massive dome, and seeing the altar from which only the Pope will deliver mass.
We left the basilica and headed down to St. Peter’s Square, where chairs were set up for a public papal audience on Wednesday, and we had some free time for photographs. It was interesting to be standing in the middle of a sovereign nation and be able to see the entire country from there. I was able to see the papal apartment, and the basilica’s middle balcony from which the pope will sometimes address the public.
We left for lunch from the Vatican and went to lunch at a small place near the Tiber River, and after lunch, we headed to the Colosseum. Since I had already been here and been inside, I opted to walk around the area a bit and see what was there. I ventured towards the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, which houses many ancient Roman buildings, but since they were charging admission and I only had about forty minutes of free time, I decided it would be better to save this for my next trip to the city. I walked down a little further from the Colosseum before heading back, buying a book on Rome, and thought it would be a good time to do some reading about what I had seen and planning for my next visit.
All in all, I was excited that I was able to get to enter the Vatican City, but I feel the need to revisit the Vatican Museum and explore more of its collections. For my next trip, I am hoping to cover the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, and possibly the Pantheon as well. We return to Rome November 5 and 29, and I anticipate having about five or six hours in the city each time, so hopefully I will have the opportunity to see what I can. I will definitely return to Rome for a week or two at some point in the next few years to take it all in at once.
Tomorrow, I will be headed to Florence and also visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and on Thursday, our itinerary got modified due to bad weather. We were supposed to visit Marseilles, but instead, the ship will be going to Cannes, and I will be doing a morning tour to Nice, which I am looking forward to.
Rome, Italy
I spent the day on another full-day tour to Rome, which meant getting up at 6:30am (needless to say, this is NOT a good way to start the day when you are not a morning person. The ship docks in Civitavecchia, which is located north of Rome, so we had to take a bus into the city, and this granted me the opportunity to make up on some lost sleep.
After the bus ride from Civitavecchia to Rome, which lasted, more than an hour, we arrived just outside the entrance to the Vatican Museum. It was from here that we embarked on a walking tour through a small portion of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s Square that would end up lasting close to three and a half hours.
The Vatican Museum, I am sure, is quite spectacular, but we only walked through enough of it so that we could have quick access to a toilet and then get to the Sistine Chapel, but from what I saw out of its 11,000 rooms, I was greatly impressed. We were able to walk through a gallery that contained many small statues from ancient Rome, and one of the more interesting pieces I saw was actually a pair of urns, one made of onyx and the other made from alabaster. We proceeded through a hall filled with tapestries, and from there we walked through the Gallery of Maps, which was yet another long hall filled with old maps of different parts of Italian territories, both mainland and islands. Some of them even had the names of individual towns and mountains printed out, and all of them displayed the topography of different territories with immense details. I am unsure of when these maps were pained, but my best guess would be that they are at least four centuries old.
The Gallery of Maps was our last stop before we entered the Pope’s private chapel: the Sistine Chapel. Despite the fact that photography is prohibited, I turned the flash off on my camera and snapped away. The walls were beautiful, and obviously, the ceiling was breathtaking. This was the first time in my life seeing Michelangelo’s work first-hand, and it was quite a moment. I knew that the chapel’s ceiling is entirely his work, but I did not know that he painted one of the walls and it was amazing to see this added bonus. At the same time, I did not picture the chapel to be such a dark and creepy place. If I were in there alone and not surrounded by hundreds of other tourists, it would be a little scary despite the fact that I was surrounded by renaissance masterworks.
We walked from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter’s Basilica, and I had no idea I was entering the world’s largest church. Massive is an understatement, and the sculptures, paintings, and mosaics inside were also amazing. The first sculpture the guide took us to view was Michelangelo’s Pieta, and many different works of art followed it. The highlights were obviously the Pieta, staring up from directly under the massive dome, and seeing the altar from which only the Pope will deliver mass.
We left the basilica and headed down to St. Peter’s Square, where chairs were set up for a public papal audience on Wednesday, and we had some free time for photographs. It was interesting to be standing in the middle of a sovereign nation and be able to see the entire country from there. I was able to see the papal apartment, and the basilica’s middle balcony from which the pope will sometimes address the public.
We left for lunch from the Vatican and went to lunch at a small place near the Tiber River, and after lunch, we headed to the Colosseum. Since I had already been here and been inside, I opted to walk around the area a bit and see what was there. I ventured towards the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill, which houses many ancient Roman buildings, but since they were charging admission and I only had about forty minutes of free time, I decided it would be better to save this for my next trip to the city. I walked down a little further from the Colosseum before heading back, buying a book on Rome, and thought it would be a good time to do some reading about what I had seen and planning for my next visit.
All in all, I was excited that I was able to get to enter the Vatican City, but I feel the need to revisit the Vatican Museum and explore more of its collections. For my next trip, I am hoping to cover the Roman Forum/Palatine Hill, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps, and possibly the Pantheon as well. We return to Rome November 5 and 29, and I anticipate having about five or six hours in the city each time, so hopefully I will have the opportunity to see what I can. I will definitely return to Rome for a week or two at some point in the next few years to take it all in at once.
Tomorrow, I will be headed to Florence and also visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and on Thursday, our itinerary got modified due to bad weather. We were supposed to visit Marseilles, but instead, the ship will be going to Cannes, and I will be doing a morning tour to Nice, which I am looking forward to.
Monday, October 20, 2008
A few days of fun
A few days of Fun:
October 15, 2008
Katakolon, Greece
Nothing too exciting to report here, as Katakolon is not all that exciting of a city. It is within reach of the ruins at Olympia, but I decided to stay near the ship and go to the local beach. The only real way to get to these places without spending an arm and a leg is by doing a tour, and since I am going to be doing at least three full-day tours later on in the voyage, I wanted to spend a couple days relaxing. Unfortunately, the closest beach to the ship in Katakolon was a stony one, and I made the mistake of walking around without my sandals on. Nevertheless, the water was refreshing (albeit a bit cold), and I enjoyed my first time spent in the Aegean.
October 16, 2008
Mykonos, Greece
I debated getting off the ship at al in Mykonos, Greece since we were only going to be there from 7:00am – 1:00pm. Additionally, since we were dropping anchor and using the ship’s tenders, it meant that crew would not be able to get off the ship for at least a couple of hours. Unexpectedly, I ended up waking up around 9:00 and was able to get to shore within an hour. I walked around the port for ten or fifteen minutes before heading in a different direction and found a place to rent a vehicle. For 12 Euro, I was able to rent a small ATV for a couple of hours, and enjoyed exploring part of the island on my own. I know that in all Greek islands, the churches are whitewashed, but in Mykonos, the majority of buildings look like this (even the Starbucks I passed). The only colorful feature these buildings tend to offer is their roof (if they have one that is not flat), their doors, and their windows. Besides looking interesting, this characteristic of the building just screamed out to me “Adam, you are on a Greek Island!”
I decided to head one way from the rental spot and found myself forgetting the directions to the beach that the guy gave me when I rented the ATV, but figured I could not go wrong since I was so close to the water and decided to wander on my own. It was not long before I found a quiet beach and relaxed for a few minutes before getting back on the ATV and headed back towards the ship so that I would not get too lost and miss the last tender back to the ship [I only had about two hours to work with]. Once I got closer to the ship, I kept going past it and ended up on a beautiful coastal road and stopped a couple of times to take some pictures of the beautiful views before getting back on. I kept along the coast until I reached the end of the road, where there happened to be a beautiful sandy beach. I thought it would be a good idea to just wet my feet for a minute or two, but upon making contact with the water, I knew right away that a proper swim was in order. I stayed in the sea for a few minutes before going back along the coastal road and returning the ATV. From the little bit of Mykonos that I actually saw, I can say that it is a beautiful island!
October 18, 2008
Kusadasi, Turkey
In a last minute decision, I decided that since there was nothing at all else to do on Saturday, I would get off the ship in Kusadasi, Turkey and take a tour to Ephesus. Ephesus was an ancient city that dates back to at least 200 B.C. and was, at one point, the third-largest city in the world. Cleopatra spent a year there visiting Marcus Antonius (who was native to the city), and I actually had a chance to walk down the road that they walked down upon her arrival so many years ago. Ephesus was different from all of the other ancient historical sights I had visited, in that most of the buildings were not roped off. You could walk through what was left of most of the buildings, and many of them were extremely well preserved since nothing was ever built on top of the ancient city.
My tour group spent about 45 minutes in the terrace houses at Ephesus, which were essentially the equivalent to the Central Park penthouses of the city. It was obvious that a great deal of effort had been made to preserve what was left here since a fabric roof had been erected above the structure. The terrace houses we visited consisted of six dwellings situated on a moderately sloped hill. There had been a clear-glass floor put in place that formed a path around the dwellings and it was interesting to walk around and see what life was like nearly two millennia ago. The original mosaic flooring in places was still intact, and the paintings on the walls were also still visible.
After leaving the terrace houses, my group headed down to the ancient library, where the four exterior walls were still intact, and then headed to the famous ancient amphitheatre, where artists such as Ray Charles and Elton John have performed. Despite having a seating capacity of approximately 24,000, the acoustics were so good that even after I climbed up to the top of the amphitheatre, I could hear someone saying my name in a talking voice while he was standing on the stage.
We left from the amphitheatre to head back to the bus and from there we went back to the ship. I got some Turkish food and stopped off at the local Starbucks before getting back on board. My first explorations in the continent of Asia were quite exciting, and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future.
October 15, 2008
Katakolon, Greece
Nothing too exciting to report here, as Katakolon is not all that exciting of a city. It is within reach of the ruins at Olympia, but I decided to stay near the ship and go to the local beach. The only real way to get to these places without spending an arm and a leg is by doing a tour, and since I am going to be doing at least three full-day tours later on in the voyage, I wanted to spend a couple days relaxing. Unfortunately, the closest beach to the ship in Katakolon was a stony one, and I made the mistake of walking around without my sandals on. Nevertheless, the water was refreshing (albeit a bit cold), and I enjoyed my first time spent in the Aegean.
October 16, 2008
Mykonos, Greece
I debated getting off the ship at al in Mykonos, Greece since we were only going to be there from 7:00am – 1:00pm. Additionally, since we were dropping anchor and using the ship’s tenders, it meant that crew would not be able to get off the ship for at least a couple of hours. Unexpectedly, I ended up waking up around 9:00 and was able to get to shore within an hour. I walked around the port for ten or fifteen minutes before heading in a different direction and found a place to rent a vehicle. For 12 Euro, I was able to rent a small ATV for a couple of hours, and enjoyed exploring part of the island on my own. I know that in all Greek islands, the churches are whitewashed, but in Mykonos, the majority of buildings look like this (even the Starbucks I passed). The only colorful feature these buildings tend to offer is their roof (if they have one that is not flat), their doors, and their windows. Besides looking interesting, this characteristic of the building just screamed out to me “Adam, you are on a Greek Island!”
I decided to head one way from the rental spot and found myself forgetting the directions to the beach that the guy gave me when I rented the ATV, but figured I could not go wrong since I was so close to the water and decided to wander on my own. It was not long before I found a quiet beach and relaxed for a few minutes before getting back on the ATV and headed back towards the ship so that I would not get too lost and miss the last tender back to the ship [I only had about two hours to work with]. Once I got closer to the ship, I kept going past it and ended up on a beautiful coastal road and stopped a couple of times to take some pictures of the beautiful views before getting back on. I kept along the coast until I reached the end of the road, where there happened to be a beautiful sandy beach. I thought it would be a good idea to just wet my feet for a minute or two, but upon making contact with the water, I knew right away that a proper swim was in order. I stayed in the sea for a few minutes before going back along the coastal road and returning the ATV. From the little bit of Mykonos that I actually saw, I can say that it is a beautiful island!
October 18, 2008
Kusadasi, Turkey
In a last minute decision, I decided that since there was nothing at all else to do on Saturday, I would get off the ship in Kusadasi, Turkey and take a tour to Ephesus. Ephesus was an ancient city that dates back to at least 200 B.C. and was, at one point, the third-largest city in the world. Cleopatra spent a year there visiting Marcus Antonius (who was native to the city), and I actually had a chance to walk down the road that they walked down upon her arrival so many years ago. Ephesus was different from all of the other ancient historical sights I had visited, in that most of the buildings were not roped off. You could walk through what was left of most of the buildings, and many of them were extremely well preserved since nothing was ever built on top of the ancient city.
My tour group spent about 45 minutes in the terrace houses at Ephesus, which were essentially the equivalent to the Central Park penthouses of the city. It was obvious that a great deal of effort had been made to preserve what was left here since a fabric roof had been erected above the structure. The terrace houses we visited consisted of six dwellings situated on a moderately sloped hill. There had been a clear-glass floor put in place that formed a path around the dwellings and it was interesting to walk around and see what life was like nearly two millennia ago. The original mosaic flooring in places was still intact, and the paintings on the walls were also still visible.
After leaving the terrace houses, my group headed down to the ancient library, where the four exterior walls were still intact, and then headed to the famous ancient amphitheatre, where artists such as Ray Charles and Elton John have performed. Despite having a seating capacity of approximately 24,000, the acoustics were so good that even after I climbed up to the top of the amphitheatre, I could hear someone saying my name in a talking voice while he was standing on the stage.
We left from the amphitheatre to head back to the bus and from there we went back to the ship. I got some Turkish food and stopped off at the local Starbucks before getting back on board. My first explorations in the continent of Asia were quite exciting, and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
VENICE
October 11-13, 2008
Venice, Italy
This has been a great long weekend! It started out Friday night when I received unofficial word from my musical director that my request to extend my contract through April had been approved, with the option to stay until May. I am still waiting for the head office to notify the shipboard crew office so that I can sign the necessary papers, but currently, I am looking forward to circumnavigating the globe aboard the Queen Victoria! Extending through may would afford me the opportunity to visit additional European ports that I would otherwise not see, including Amsterdam, Belgium, and Norway, so I will probably stay for a bit longer to enjoy these places.
In addition to the extension approval, I moved out of my old room yesterday and am living with the trumpet player from my orchestra now. He leaves at the end of this voyage, but from what I hear, his replacement and I will get along as well. It is nice to not have to worry about waking someone up by dropping a pin in the middle of the night.
Lastly, the main reason I have enjoyed this weekend: VENICE! We docked at noon on Saturday, set sail today (Monday) at 2:00pm, and I made the very most of my time here. Though the ship does not dock right in the heart of Venice, crewmembers were able to purchase a ticket for the shuttle to St. Mark’s Square for $10. It was valid for the entire time we were in port, so I purchased it and headed into the square.
As I said in one of my first shipboard posts, while I initially boarded the ship in Venice, I did not have a chance to explore it in the least. I was able to see parts of the city from the ship as it left the city, but it was too dark to take it all in. When I arrived at around 2:30pm at St. Mark’s Square, I knew I was in for a treat. I ended up running into a few of the singers from the ship on the shuttle and we decided to all hang out together, so I had a chance to know what I was seeing since it was not their first time in the city. The shuttle boat did not drop us right in the square, but the short walk allowed me to take in all that is Venice. We walked along the water towards St. Mark’s and I saw a gondola with my own eyes for the first time. Then, I crossed my first Venetian footbridge (which was complete with five separate vendors selling knock-off sunglasses and handbags). When I reached the top of the second footbridge en route to St. Mark’s Square, I paused and looked at the suspended bridge between two buildings on my right: The Bridge of Sighs. This is the bridge between the Doge’s Palace, which housed the tribunal, and the prison where many would end up spending the rest of their lives. It would be the last time to see natural light for many a prisoner.
After dinner, I ended up heading back to the ship and getting ready for work, but I was excited to know I would have another day and a half to spend in such an amazing city.
When we eventually found a gondolier, he wanted 100 Euro to take the three of us around. We bargained him down to 60, but I fear that he shortchanged us and gave us a shorter ride as well. It was still one of the most exciting things to do. The ride could have been half as long and it still would have been just as special. We passed the former home of Giacomo Casanova and also the former home of Marco Polo. It will easily be one of the highlights of this entire contract.
After we got off the gondola, we stopped at a restaurant near the shuttle stop for some proper food (I had some pizza, and it tasted amazing), before Amy, the youth staff girl who I was hanging out with, had to go back to the ship to work. Jamie (the singer) and I proceeded to the Doge’s Palace so that we could walk across the Bridge of Sighs, but in order to cross it, we needed to go through the entire palace. The palace, a massive structure situated on the southeast corner of St. Mark’s Square, is filled with gigantic courtrooms, living quarters for the Doge, beautifully painted ceilings, and even an armory. Once again, I was forced to take forbidden photographs but they did come out okay. I found the armory to be quite interesting since it contained weapons, mainly swords and small firearms, from the 15th-19th centuries. It also had a cannon and old Gatling guns, and mixed in with all of these crazy weapons was a chastity belt.
We walked from the palace across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison, which was also like nothing I had ever seen. It was quite surreal to walk across this short bridge (no more than 20 feet long). I looked out at all of the tourists outside through the tiny holes in the stone wall and wondered what it must have been like to be a prisoner, knowing that you would never see the world again.
VENICE - DAY THREE:
Today, I woke up bright and early (6:30am) to escort my first tour of the new voyage: a trip to the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is famous for its glassmaking factories, and Burano is famous for its lace-embroidery. Additionally, I had seen just about everything one would see on the other offered tours so I decided to visit a different area.
After a long boat ride from the ship, we finally arrived in Murano and proceeded to go to a glass-blowing demonstration. The items they were making in there were like nothing I had ever seen, and it was even more extravagant in the showroom. I ended up purchasing a couple of solid-glass pieces to take home, but nothing too crazy. I will say, however, that I spent more money in Venice than probably all other ports combined. I went all out here, but it was well worth it.
Summarizing my time in Venice was a bit difficult as I did so much in such a short amount of time and obviously, this is another one of those cities where it is tough to put my emotions at the time into words. I expect that in other ports [prior to the world cruise, at least], I will have a tough time finding anything quite as emotionally pleasing as a ride in a gondola or a trip to St. Mark’s Square.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Dubrovnik
October 10, 2008
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Today marked the fifth day in a row that I went on a tour. It was also the second full day tour I did this voyage. We dropped anchor at around 8:00 this morning just outside the historic city walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia. This was yet another tender port (where we have to use the ship’s lifeboats to go to shore), which meant I had to be ready to depart for my tour an hour in advance. The ship’s tenders take you right to the entrance of the old city (dating back at least to the 15th century) and approaching the city walls were like nothing I had ever seen.
The tour I escorted today was entitled “Best of the Adriatic”. A full day tour, it included stops inside the historical city, a scenic drive along the coast, and then lunch and a visit to a coastal city, Cavtat, located about thirty minutes away.
We spent the first hour and a half on a walking tour of old Dubrovnik, where all but one building was built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. We stopped first at the rector’s palace (which was hardly a palace but more just a two-story building) where I got a chance to learn more about the aristocratic democracy (or maybe democratic aristocracy) that existed over three centuries ago in Dubrovnik, which was extremely interesting. We then made our way across the city to an old Franciscan monastery from over five centuries ago that now includes a museum, though five monks still live there. I never expected to see so many churches, cathedrals, mosques, and monasteries prior to joining the Queen Victoria, but I have seen the interior of a countless number of them, including an old one yesterday in Zakinthos, Greece. [I did not write a blog about this island because there was not much to speak of at all]
An interesting thing about the old city of Dubrovnik is that it is a pedestrian city. Bicycles are strictly forbidden, and only certain automobiles are granted temporary access. I saw two vehicles while inside: a garbage truck and a security van. It is so very well preserved, but once again it is yet another city overloaded with souvenir shops.
After exiting the monastery, we had an hour and a half to explore the old city before heading off to lunch at an old mill located about twenty-five miles outside the city. The drive was on yet another coastal road but unlike that of Greece, this one was high above the water, and as we neared the mill and restaurant we ended up about two miles from Montenegro. For lunch, they served pork with potatoes, and a serving of prosciutto, olives, tomatoes, and cheese, and salad preceded it.
Our last stop on the tour was the Coastal town of Cavtat, which houses the old Vice Rector’s palace and also another Franciscan monastery. It was interesting to walk around a small town outside of Dubrovnik, and the views from the bus were often breathtaking, but I would have enjoyed the tour just as much without the visit to Cavtat. Conversely, without the Cavtat visit, I would not have been fed such a great meal, so I suppose it is all give and take in the end.
Tomorrow, I will be in Venice. We arrive around noon and I will be visiting a friend from college who plays drums on Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas, and afterwards, I am hoping to make it into St. Mark’s Square for a bit before coming back for my first set at 7:45pm. Stay tuned for more updates on this wonderful journey.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Today marked the fifth day in a row that I went on a tour. It was also the second full day tour I did this voyage. We dropped anchor at around 8:00 this morning just outside the historic city walls of Dubrovnik, Croatia. This was yet another tender port (where we have to use the ship’s lifeboats to go to shore), which meant I had to be ready to depart for my tour an hour in advance. The ship’s tenders take you right to the entrance of the old city (dating back at least to the 15th century) and approaching the city walls were like nothing I had ever seen.
The tour I escorted today was entitled “Best of the Adriatic”. A full day tour, it included stops inside the historical city, a scenic drive along the coast, and then lunch and a visit to a coastal city, Cavtat, located about thirty minutes away.
We spent the first hour and a half on a walking tour of old Dubrovnik, where all but one building was built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. We stopped first at the rector’s palace (which was hardly a palace but more just a two-story building) where I got a chance to learn more about the aristocratic democracy (or maybe democratic aristocracy) that existed over three centuries ago in Dubrovnik, which was extremely interesting. We then made our way across the city to an old Franciscan monastery from over five centuries ago that now includes a museum, though five monks still live there. I never expected to see so many churches, cathedrals, mosques, and monasteries prior to joining the Queen Victoria, but I have seen the interior of a countless number of them, including an old one yesterday in Zakinthos, Greece. [I did not write a blog about this island because there was not much to speak of at all]
An interesting thing about the old city of Dubrovnik is that it is a pedestrian city. Bicycles are strictly forbidden, and only certain automobiles are granted temporary access. I saw two vehicles while inside: a garbage truck and a security van. It is so very well preserved, but once again it is yet another city overloaded with souvenir shops.
After exiting the monastery, we had an hour and a half to explore the old city before heading off to lunch at an old mill located about twenty-five miles outside the city. The drive was on yet another coastal road but unlike that of Greece, this one was high above the water, and as we neared the mill and restaurant we ended up about two miles from Montenegro. For lunch, they served pork with potatoes, and a serving of prosciutto, olives, tomatoes, and cheese, and salad preceded it.
Our last stop on the tour was the Coastal town of Cavtat, which houses the old Vice Rector’s palace and also another Franciscan monastery. It was interesting to walk around a small town outside of Dubrovnik, and the views from the bus were often breathtaking, but I would have enjoyed the tour just as much without the visit to Cavtat. Conversely, without the Cavtat visit, I would not have been fed such a great meal, so I suppose it is all give and take in the end.
Tomorrow, I will be in Venice. We arrive around noon and I will be visiting a friend from college who plays drums on Royal Caribbean’s Splendour of the Seas, and afterwards, I am hoping to make it into St. Mark’s Square for a bit before coming back for my first set at 7:45pm. Stay tuned for more updates on this wonderful journey.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Samos, Athens, and More
October 7, 2008
Samos, Greece
I spent today on another tour of the lovely island of Samos. Prior to my arrival, some of my coworkers had mentioned to me that Samos, the tenth-largest Greek Isle, was a lovely place with not too much to do. They were right, but I was still able to make the most of my time on shore by escorting a tour entitled the “Samos Sampler”. The tour I did consisted of visits to three main attractions: Temple Heraion (the Temple of Hera), the Ancient Aqueduct, and the town of Pythagorion (named after Pythagoras).
Heraion was the first Greek ruin I was able to examine closely since I had only seen the Acropolis and the temple of the Olympian Zeus from a distance. I believe this temple dated back to the 5th century B.C. and was all but destroyed and looted over the years. The temple itself originally contained over 150 columns six stories high; unfortunately, all that has survived [for the last two and a half millennia] is half of a single column. That was the main attraction at the site, but there were other old ruins of other buildings and such that had been excavated there as well. I will quote my mother’s response when I once asked her how her trip to Machu Pichu had gone: “It was a long way to travel to see a pile of rocks.” I suppose that the statement applies, except I only had to travel fifteen minutes by bus, so it was still worth it.
My tour group then traveled to the ancient aqueduct, where we had a chance to enter the narrow path into the pilot tunnel above the actual pipe. Just to give you an idea of how narrow it was, I still scraped a little bit along the walls even though I was keeping my body as slim as possible. The first ten or fifteen yards were this slim and also low enough that even at 5’5’’, I had to slouch a bit to clear the ceiling. At best, I would say the aqueduct was mildly interesting, but nothing special.
Before heading back to the ship, we had a chance to spend some time wandering around the town of Pythagorion. I browsed a few touristy shops, but the only things I ended up purchasing were a chicken souvlaki sandwich and a diet coke.
Sadly, the highlights of my day might have been eating souvlaki and looking at a three-story pillar, but all in all, it is always good to get off the ship.
October 8, 2008
Pyraeus, Athens, and Cape Sounion, Greece
I woke up bright and early this morning (6:30am) to board the bus for an all-day tour that took me [back] around Athens and then to Cape Sounion, which is the southernmost area of mainland Greece.
I am becoming quite the tour-goer; today marked the twelfth port I have visited where tours were offered (since our day in Rome was a turn-around day when we had new guests come on board, no tours were offered), and this was my sixth tour. I am also scheduled to go on tours both tomorrow and the following day in Zakinthos, Greece and Dubrovnik, Croatia, so I am getting my fill of sightseeing in without having to pay for most of it.
The bus left at about 7:00am and before I knew it, I was out cold in the back. When I woke up, the bus was stopped alongside the road and I was the only person still on board besides the driver. I got off and realized we had stopped for a photo opportunity at the old Olympic Stadium (from the first modern Olympiad in 1896). I visited the stadium during my last tour in Athens, so I got back on board the bus.
I fell back asleep for a few minutes and woke up again to find we were approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the perfect time to watch the changing of the guard. Two Greek soldiers dressed in traditional uniforms guard the tomb, and they march back and forth for an hour before their shift is up. I remember seeing something similar (minus the traditional uniforms) from when I visited Arlington National Cemetery at age nine, so I wonder if it is standard for all tombs of unknown soldiers (however many there may be) are guarded in such a way. Additionally, I cannot help but ponder whether it is an honor or punishment to be stuck marching back and forth for an hour without being able to eat, drink, speak, or use the bathroom. Additionally, you have to deal with random tourists staring at you wondering why on earth you are wearing such an awkward outfit and marching back and forth. [Side note: anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows that I could NEVER do this job!]
We made our way from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the Acropolis but took the scenic route along the way, passing the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch among other things along the way. Unlike the last tour I escorted in Pyraeus, I was able to go up to the Acropolis and explore it up close. I cannot recall if I talked in my last entry about the Acropolis how I found myself getting drawn away from what I was doing or listening to by the need to look up at the Parthenon; in any event, I once again found myself in heaven every time I stared up at the massive structure on top of the hill that I was so happy to be standing next to. Sadly, most of the columns are restorations since the building is so old, but there are still original pillars standing. The view from the top of the Acropolis was amazing and I could actually see the Queen Victoria in the distance, though if it weren’t for her funnel, I would not have recognized her from so far away.
After spending close to an hour atop the Acropolis, I made my way down where my group had a chance to do some shopping in a souvenir shop, but from there, we went to a hotel where we were served a huge buffet-style lunch. It was complete with various Greek foods like souvlaki, stuffed grape-leaves, and moussaka, and desserts like baklava and also fresh fruits. It was extremely filling and I had a wonderful conversation with a family from Mexico City before heading back to the bus for the long (over an hour long) bus ride to Cape Sounion and the temple of Poseidon. Once again, I had a nap.
Upon arriving at the temple in Sounion, I was mesmerized by the blue surface below me better known as the Aegean Sea. The water was of a certain color that even a professional-quality photograph could not do it justice. I never thought I would see water as beautiful as that surrounding the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, but seeing the Aegean proved me wrong. The two colors are totally different and yet both are amazing. The view from the temple was even more exquisite since it sat atop a tall hill where I remained taking pictures for fifteen minutes before boarding the bus and heading back for the ship in Pyraeus.
We headed back to the port of Pyraeus via the coastal highway and were treated to a 60+ kilometer scenic ride along the water. As the bus approached Athens, traffic began to pick up, and then out of nowhere, the passengers on board noticed there were some jets flying over the water to our left. We eventually realized that it was the French Air Force’s 8-jet demonstration team and we were able to watch the entire show, at which point traffic picked back up and we made it back to the ship on time.
The best way to summarize the day is that everything happened in such a way that we were in the right place at the right time and were consequently treated to some awesome surprises. I am looking forward to exploring more of Athens and its surroundings when we return here for the last time on November 17.
Samos, Greece
I spent today on another tour of the lovely island of Samos. Prior to my arrival, some of my coworkers had mentioned to me that Samos, the tenth-largest Greek Isle, was a lovely place with not too much to do. They were right, but I was still able to make the most of my time on shore by escorting a tour entitled the “Samos Sampler”. The tour I did consisted of visits to three main attractions: Temple Heraion (the Temple of Hera), the Ancient Aqueduct, and the town of Pythagorion (named after Pythagoras).
Heraion was the first Greek ruin I was able to examine closely since I had only seen the Acropolis and the temple of the Olympian Zeus from a distance. I believe this temple dated back to the 5th century B.C. and was all but destroyed and looted over the years. The temple itself originally contained over 150 columns six stories high; unfortunately, all that has survived [for the last two and a half millennia] is half of a single column. That was the main attraction at the site, but there were other old ruins of other buildings and such that had been excavated there as well. I will quote my mother’s response when I once asked her how her trip to Machu Pichu had gone: “It was a long way to travel to see a pile of rocks.” I suppose that the statement applies, except I only had to travel fifteen minutes by bus, so it was still worth it.
My tour group then traveled to the ancient aqueduct, where we had a chance to enter the narrow path into the pilot tunnel above the actual pipe. Just to give you an idea of how narrow it was, I still scraped a little bit along the walls even though I was keeping my body as slim as possible. The first ten or fifteen yards were this slim and also low enough that even at 5’5’’, I had to slouch a bit to clear the ceiling. At best, I would say the aqueduct was mildly interesting, but nothing special.
Before heading back to the ship, we had a chance to spend some time wandering around the town of Pythagorion. I browsed a few touristy shops, but the only things I ended up purchasing were a chicken souvlaki sandwich and a diet coke.
Sadly, the highlights of my day might have been eating souvlaki and looking at a three-story pillar, but all in all, it is always good to get off the ship.
October 8, 2008
Pyraeus, Athens, and Cape Sounion, Greece
I woke up bright and early this morning (6:30am) to board the bus for an all-day tour that took me [back] around Athens and then to Cape Sounion, which is the southernmost area of mainland Greece.
I am becoming quite the tour-goer; today marked the twelfth port I have visited where tours were offered (since our day in Rome was a turn-around day when we had new guests come on board, no tours were offered), and this was my sixth tour. I am also scheduled to go on tours both tomorrow and the following day in Zakinthos, Greece and Dubrovnik, Croatia, so I am getting my fill of sightseeing in without having to pay for most of it.
The bus left at about 7:00am and before I knew it, I was out cold in the back. When I woke up, the bus was stopped alongside the road and I was the only person still on board besides the driver. I got off and realized we had stopped for a photo opportunity at the old Olympic Stadium (from the first modern Olympiad in 1896). I visited the stadium during my last tour in Athens, so I got back on board the bus.
I fell back asleep for a few minutes and woke up again to find we were approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the perfect time to watch the changing of the guard. Two Greek soldiers dressed in traditional uniforms guard the tomb, and they march back and forth for an hour before their shift is up. I remember seeing something similar (minus the traditional uniforms) from when I visited Arlington National Cemetery at age nine, so I wonder if it is standard for all tombs of unknown soldiers (however many there may be) are guarded in such a way. Additionally, I cannot help but ponder whether it is an honor or punishment to be stuck marching back and forth for an hour without being able to eat, drink, speak, or use the bathroom. Additionally, you have to deal with random tourists staring at you wondering why on earth you are wearing such an awkward outfit and marching back and forth. [Side note: anyone who has spent five minutes with me knows that I could NEVER do this job!]
We made our way from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the Acropolis but took the scenic route along the way, passing the Temple of the Olympian Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch among other things along the way. Unlike the last tour I escorted in Pyraeus, I was able to go up to the Acropolis and explore it up close. I cannot recall if I talked in my last entry about the Acropolis how I found myself getting drawn away from what I was doing or listening to by the need to look up at the Parthenon; in any event, I once again found myself in heaven every time I stared up at the massive structure on top of the hill that I was so happy to be standing next to. Sadly, most of the columns are restorations since the building is so old, but there are still original pillars standing. The view from the top of the Acropolis was amazing and I could actually see the Queen Victoria in the distance, though if it weren’t for her funnel, I would not have recognized her from so far away.
After spending close to an hour atop the Acropolis, I made my way down where my group had a chance to do some shopping in a souvenir shop, but from there, we went to a hotel where we were served a huge buffet-style lunch. It was complete with various Greek foods like souvlaki, stuffed grape-leaves, and moussaka, and desserts like baklava and also fresh fruits. It was extremely filling and I had a wonderful conversation with a family from Mexico City before heading back to the bus for the long (over an hour long) bus ride to Cape Sounion and the temple of Poseidon. Once again, I had a nap.
Upon arriving at the temple in Sounion, I was mesmerized by the blue surface below me better known as the Aegean Sea. The water was of a certain color that even a professional-quality photograph could not do it justice. I never thought I would see water as beautiful as that surrounding the island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, but seeing the Aegean proved me wrong. The two colors are totally different and yet both are amazing. The view from the temple was even more exquisite since it sat atop a tall hill where I remained taking pictures for fifteen minutes before boarding the bus and heading back for the ship in Pyraeus.
We headed back to the port of Pyraeus via the coastal highway and were treated to a 60+ kilometer scenic ride along the water. As the bus approached Athens, traffic began to pick up, and then out of nowhere, the passengers on board noticed there were some jets flying over the water to our left. We eventually realized that it was the French Air Force’s 8-jet demonstration team and we were able to watch the entire show, at which point traffic picked back up and we made it back to the ship on time.
The best way to summarize the day is that everything happened in such a way that we were in the right place at the right time and were consequently treated to some awesome surprises. I am looking forward to exploring more of Athens and its surroundings when we return here for the last time on November 17.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Istanbul Fun
October 6, 2008
Istanbul, Turkey
Yesterday marked the first time the ship’s itinerary was affected by the weather since I started my contract. Strong winds stopped the ship from holding schedule with its noontime arrival; additionally, another ship which was scheduled to leave our berth was forced to stay in port until wind speeds died down, so the Queen Victoria’s gangway was not clear for crew and passengers until after 7:00pm. I was scheduled to go on a cruise of the Bosporus Strait yesterday afternoon, but after looking at the description of the tour again, I was not sad to miss it.
After finishing work yesterday evening, a bunch of the musicians (myself included) headed back to the Ali Baba hookah bar for an evening of smoke and kebabs. We stayed till nearly 4:00am before heading back to the ship and going to bed. I decided (in my infinite wisdom) that it would be a good idea to help out the excursions department by escorting a tour this morning, so I got just shy of four hours worth of sleep before I set off to learn more about Istanbul and its vast history.
The tour I went on was entitled “Discovering Istanbul” and I had a fabulous tour guide who spoke excellent English and knew lots about what he was talking about. I even had a chance to discuss Armenian status in Turkey, and what it is like almost a century after the Armenian Genocide. We made three main stops: the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya (a basilica-turned-mosque-turned-museum from about 1,500 years ago), and the Grand Bazaar. It was exciting to walk through these massive structures that have been preserved so very well. Ayasofya is actually closed to the public on Mondays, and the only people permitted inside were cruise passengers, so the building was pretty empty and I was able to take some good photographs without too many people getting in the picture.
The Grand Bazaar is the epitome of chaotic tourism. Inside, one can find Turkish lamps, cheap jewelry, pashmina, trinkets, and souvenirs (among other things), and it is surrounded on the outside by shops selling higher-end merchandise like fancy watches, hand-made rugs, gold, diamonds, and other precious stones. It makes the sidewalks in Times Square look like a ghost town. Nonetheless, it was still exciting to witness all that is Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.
Before returning to the ship, I stopped off and tried a piece of baklava and picked up some food to eat when I got back on board, and upon returning to my room, my lovely roommate wasted no time yelling at me for waking him up last night. Apparently it is my fault for being extra quiet and creeping in before I fell asleep. He said if it happened one more time, he was going to “take it further,” so I figured it would be a good time to tell him it would not happen again because I am going to be moving out at the end of the voyage (October 12). That’s right folks; the theatre orchestra’s trombone player will be going home so I am going to take his bunk and get out. I will be living with the trumpet player from my orchestra for twelve days until he goes home, at which point I will be living with his replacement.
That’s all for now; ports left this voyage: Samos, Zakinthos and Pyraeus (all in Greece), then Dubrovnik, Croatia before reaching Venice on October 11.
Istanbul, Turkey
Yesterday marked the first time the ship’s itinerary was affected by the weather since I started my contract. Strong winds stopped the ship from holding schedule with its noontime arrival; additionally, another ship which was scheduled to leave our berth was forced to stay in port until wind speeds died down, so the Queen Victoria’s gangway was not clear for crew and passengers until after 7:00pm. I was scheduled to go on a cruise of the Bosporus Strait yesterday afternoon, but after looking at the description of the tour again, I was not sad to miss it.
After finishing work yesterday evening, a bunch of the musicians (myself included) headed back to the Ali Baba hookah bar for an evening of smoke and kebabs. We stayed till nearly 4:00am before heading back to the ship and going to bed. I decided (in my infinite wisdom) that it would be a good idea to help out the excursions department by escorting a tour this morning, so I got just shy of four hours worth of sleep before I set off to learn more about Istanbul and its vast history.
The tour I went on was entitled “Discovering Istanbul” and I had a fabulous tour guide who spoke excellent English and knew lots about what he was talking about. I even had a chance to discuss Armenian status in Turkey, and what it is like almost a century after the Armenian Genocide. We made three main stops: the Blue Mosque, Ayasofya (a basilica-turned-mosque-turned-museum from about 1,500 years ago), and the Grand Bazaar. It was exciting to walk through these massive structures that have been preserved so very well. Ayasofya is actually closed to the public on Mondays, and the only people permitted inside were cruise passengers, so the building was pretty empty and I was able to take some good photographs without too many people getting in the picture.
The Grand Bazaar is the epitome of chaotic tourism. Inside, one can find Turkish lamps, cheap jewelry, pashmina, trinkets, and souvenirs (among other things), and it is surrounded on the outside by shops selling higher-end merchandise like fancy watches, hand-made rugs, gold, diamonds, and other precious stones. It makes the sidewalks in Times Square look like a ghost town. Nonetheless, it was still exciting to witness all that is Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.
Before returning to the ship, I stopped off and tried a piece of baklava and picked up some food to eat when I got back on board, and upon returning to my room, my lovely roommate wasted no time yelling at me for waking him up last night. Apparently it is my fault for being extra quiet and creeping in before I fell asleep. He said if it happened one more time, he was going to “take it further,” so I figured it would be a good time to tell him it would not happen again because I am going to be moving out at the end of the voyage (October 12). That’s right folks; the theatre orchestra’s trombone player will be going home so I am going to take his bunk and get out. I will be living with the trumpet player from my orchestra for twelve days until he goes home, at which point I will be living with his replacement.
That’s all for now; ports left this voyage: Samos, Zakinthos and Pyraeus (all in Greece), then Dubrovnik, Croatia before reaching Venice on October 11.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Santorini
October 3, 2008
Santorini, Greece
After a LONG sea day yesterday, (I had to play five sets instead of my normal four), we docked this morning in Santorini, Greece. My first glimpses of the island came as I disembarked the ship and boarded a tender for the island, and I knew right away that I was visiting what would turn out to be one of the more beautiful destinations in my itinerary.
I decided to meet up with the guitarist from the theater orchestra and the two male production singers on board and we headed for shore together. The view from the water of the portion of the island we were approaching was amazing in itself. Though there are parts of Santorini that are situated closer to sea level, the tenders bring cruise ship passengers to a small area at the bottom of hills that have to be at least 1,000 feet high, which looks like nothing I have ever seen. There are a few ways up this hill: you can take a cable car for a few Euro (or 1Euro if you are a crewmember), you can walk up a long, zig-zag-like path up the mountain, or you can climb the same path while riding a donkey (for 5 Euro). We decided that the cable car would be the best way up, so we waited in line for what seemed like an eternity, but enjoyed the bumpy ride all the way up in the six-person cable car. Needless to say, as we got higher and higher, the view got better and better, and when we reached the top, the sights were breathtaking. We proceeded to find the nearest quad-bike (ATV) rental shop and rented two vehicles for the four of us for 25 Euro a piece, and rode down the road until we reached the water. I don’t believe I’d ever seen a stone beach before, but it was interesting to see how one part of the island is situated at the top of a mountain, and the other part is laid out along the water like that.
We stopped for food at a small restaurant a block or so away from the beach and enjoyed a proper Greek meal (with Greek beer as well, which I would not call myself a fan of). I had a Greek salad to start and then chicken souvlaki with a side of tzaziki as a main course. It was my first time having Greek food in Greece and it tasted amazing.
After lunch, we got back on the quad-bikes and rode along the water for a while before heading back to the rental store. We returned the bikes and headed for, of all things, an Irish pub for a couple of beverages. I ended up sneaking out for a minute and did some quick shopping and bought a couple pieces of art that were made from petrified volcanic lava. I figured the first thing I spent my money on besides food, drink, a magnet, or a postcard should be something different; lava-based art fits that description in my opinion.
To close out the day, I decided to pass on the cable car method of getting down to the tender embarkation and paid the 5 Euro to ride a donkey. It was a bit frightening. I doubt anyone has trained the donkeys, and yet they know exactly where to go and when to stop. There were a couple times where I was worried my leg was going to get sandwiched between the stone wall and the donkey’s ribs but I escaped unhurt and it was actually quite entertaining (though I will say the odor was less than pleasing).
Tomorrow should be a long day: we have our British Coast-Guard boat drill, so I have no idea if I will be able to get off the ship in Izmir, Turkey. The following two days will be another Istanbul overnight, which I am looking forward to. Hopefully, I will have a chance to get off the ship more during the day to explore the city. We shall see.
Santorini, Greece
After a LONG sea day yesterday, (I had to play five sets instead of my normal four), we docked this morning in Santorini, Greece. My first glimpses of the island came as I disembarked the ship and boarded a tender for the island, and I knew right away that I was visiting what would turn out to be one of the more beautiful destinations in my itinerary.
I decided to meet up with the guitarist from the theater orchestra and the two male production singers on board and we headed for shore together. The view from the water of the portion of the island we were approaching was amazing in itself. Though there are parts of Santorini that are situated closer to sea level, the tenders bring cruise ship passengers to a small area at the bottom of hills that have to be at least 1,000 feet high, which looks like nothing I have ever seen. There are a few ways up this hill: you can take a cable car for a few Euro (or 1Euro if you are a crewmember), you can walk up a long, zig-zag-like path up the mountain, or you can climb the same path while riding a donkey (for 5 Euro). We decided that the cable car would be the best way up, so we waited in line for what seemed like an eternity, but enjoyed the bumpy ride all the way up in the six-person cable car. Needless to say, as we got higher and higher, the view got better and better, and when we reached the top, the sights were breathtaking. We proceeded to find the nearest quad-bike (ATV) rental shop and rented two vehicles for the four of us for 25 Euro a piece, and rode down the road until we reached the water. I don’t believe I’d ever seen a stone beach before, but it was interesting to see how one part of the island is situated at the top of a mountain, and the other part is laid out along the water like that.
We stopped for food at a small restaurant a block or so away from the beach and enjoyed a proper Greek meal (with Greek beer as well, which I would not call myself a fan of). I had a Greek salad to start and then chicken souvlaki with a side of tzaziki as a main course. It was my first time having Greek food in Greece and it tasted amazing.
After lunch, we got back on the quad-bikes and rode along the water for a while before heading back to the rental store. We returned the bikes and headed for, of all things, an Irish pub for a couple of beverages. I ended up sneaking out for a minute and did some quick shopping and bought a couple pieces of art that were made from petrified volcanic lava. I figured the first thing I spent my money on besides food, drink, a magnet, or a postcard should be something different; lava-based art fits that description in my opinion.
To close out the day, I decided to pass on the cable car method of getting down to the tender embarkation and paid the 5 Euro to ride a donkey. It was a bit frightening. I doubt anyone has trained the donkeys, and yet they know exactly where to go and when to stop. There were a couple times where I was worried my leg was going to get sandwiched between the stone wall and the donkey’s ribs but I escaped unhurt and it was actually quite entertaining (though I will say the odor was less than pleasing).
Tomorrow should be a long day: we have our British Coast-Guard boat drill, so I have no idea if I will be able to get off the ship in Izmir, Turkey. The following two days will be another Istanbul overnight, which I am looking forward to. Hopefully, I will have a chance to get off the ship more during the day to explore the city. We shall see.
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