Mediterranean Cruise 2009

Venice, Italy

Split, Croatia

Athens, Greece

Istanbul, Turkey

Mykonos, Greece

Kusadasi, Turkey

Santorini, Greece

Olympia, Greece

We began our Cruise in Venice, Italy aboard the Oosterdam, a Holland America Ship. https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US.html. An adventure was about to begin. There were six of us and upon arrival to our ship only 3 of us boarded to find luggage in our stateroom. We had an overnight stay there in Venice so the unfortunate ones had to enjoy the evening in the clothes that they had traveled in from California. The next day we set sail for Croatia at 5:00 p.m. and our fellow traveler’s luggage arrived at 4:45. Whew!

In front of our ship the Oosterdam (Shaun, me and Robyn)

Back to Venice…… We managed to roam around the city for the rest of the day and evening and see some sights. Venice is such a unique city.

St. Marks Plaza, Robyn, my friend since Kindergarten.

Split, Croatia is a town on the Dalmation Coast. Diocletian’s Palace was erected by the Roman Emperor in the 4th Century. Today it houses shops, bars and cafes within its white stone walls. There is also a cathedral. The modern sea front is called The Riva.

I always find it fascinating to see all the colors of different people’s laundry hanging in the air.

My son, Joey, Shaun, Robyn and I on the steps of the palace…(Cue Music from Into the Woods)

Rubbing the toe of his statue is said to bring luck. (Note how shiny it is)

Fabulous Restaurant in Croatia. White Fish, Mussels and great Beer. We tried the beer in every country!

Next stop: Greece

If I remember correctly it was a hot day and we walked to the train station to get us as close as possible to the Parthenon.

Lookin’ good even after the long hot walk.

On our walk up to the Parthenon, ruins in the Agora.

Narrow streets and shops on the way UP to the Parthenon.

The Acropolis, is a rocky hill in the centre of Athens. On its flat top, three temples, the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the temple of Athena Nike….Acropolis. Acropolis means the top of the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena Parthenos….

The Dogs of the Parthenon. There are lots of them.

I believe that they are always restoring this area so you do see a lot of scaffolds around, but it really doesn’t destroy the majesty of the temples.

Istanbul, Turkey

After a sea day we sailed through the Bosphorus Strait and under the Bridge of the same name. The Strait separates Europe from Asia. There are 15 million residents of Istanbul. We got such a beautiful view of the city from the bow of our ship. The Hagia Sophia was shining off in the distance. We had an overnight stay there in Istanbul. There is so much to see and do. We roamed about and went to the Grand Bazaar and spice markets and had lunch at a rooftop cafe. We heard the call to prayer while we were eating. I never knew until this trip that the call to prayer was over a loud speaker heard all over the city. It is always so interesting to learn about other cultures and by the way, the food there was amazing.

The Galata Tower is a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karakoy quarter of Istanbul. It is a high, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline and offers a panoramic vista of Istanbul’s historic peninsula and surroundings.

In Greece you would see many many stray dogs but the city seems to take care of them and revere them. In Turkey it is the cat. They are everywhere and loved.

The Grand Bazzar, has always captured my curiosity. It was just as amazing as I thought it would be.

The Hagia Sophia is a former Greek Orthodox Christian Cathedral and later became an Ottoman imperial mosque and is now a museum in Istanbul. It was built in AD 534 before the Middle Ages. It is recommended that women bring a shawl or pashmina in their purse to cover your head out of respect to the parishioners.

You also need to remove your shoes to go into the mosques and the men can wash their feet right outside of the building.

Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos is an island in the Cyclades group that lies in the Aegean Sea. It is well known for its summer party atmosphere. There are a row of iconic windmills from the 16th century that sit on a hill above Mykonos town. Here in Mykonos, there are mazelike lanes lined with white houses trimmed with bougainvillea & blue doors with shutters. When I think of Greece this is what I picture in my mind. Matoyianni Street is the heart of the retail scene and the towns Little Venice quarter has a waterfront and seafood restaurants.

At this particular Tavern you can pick out the fish you would like to eat. I love getting a whole fish to consume especially in a different country. It was amazing.

A little Mykonos night life and after dinner beverages…..

Kusadasi, Turkey

Pronounced Coo – sha – dasi…..is a beach resort on Turkeys Western Aegean coast. It is a jumping off point for visiting the classical ruins at nearby Ephesus. Its seafront promenade, marina and harbor are lined with hotels and restaurants. We didn’t make it to Ephesus, not enough time or couldn’t get tickets, I don’t remember, but, we instead went to Ladies Beach and soaked in the local life there and tried out a hookah lounge. That, my friends, is the local flavor.

An amazing spice store where we all spent a ton of money…he served us hot Turkish tea. What a great stop that was.

Our waiter who wouldn’t tell us his real name. He said just call me “Crazy”……and we did!

Santorini, Greece

Santorini is an island in the Cyclades sitting in the Aegean Sea. It was devastated by volcanic eruptions in the 16th century BC forever shaping its rugged landscape. There are two ways to get to the top of the island. One way is by funicular and the other by donkey. Any guesses what we did? Donkey of course. Oh what fun that was. Jon was filming on one of the old video recorders that was not small and his donkey decided to stop half way up the mountain. We laughed so hard we cried and I might have peed a little.

Olympia, Greece

Olympia Greece is a small town on the Peloponnese peninsula famous for the nearby archaeological site of the same name. This is where the ancient Olympic Games were hold. The site is primarily dedicated to Zeus and drew visitors from all over the Greek world.

The train ride to get to the Olympic ruins.

The field where the wrestling matches were held.

Venice – Part 2 – Disembarkation and an extra night.

We stayed at the Hilton in Venice after we disembarked from the ship. What a great hotel. We had a light lunch in town and then went back to the Hilton. They have a rooftop pool and bar. We had many espresso martinis and they were expensive and fabulous. I think they were around 17 euros each. I will post a recipe at the conclusion of this post, but we are now kinda famous for our espresso martinis. But, back to Venice, part 2…….