Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Fat Lady Sang
Oh my god..... it's 5:00 on May 8. The cruise is over. Heading to the airport very soon. Will post more later.
Cannes, France
It is one week prior to the Cannes Film Festival and several mega-yachts have already arrived; we can see them at two of the marinas from where we are anchored. 107 days at sea and this is only our second tender port - you can’t get much luckier than that. Our tenders carry about 100 people comfortably so the ship empties with very little waiting.
We waited until about 10:30 and headed in - a tender ride of about 15 minutes. This put us only a long block from downtown. As this is the center of the French Riviera the beaches stretch in both directions as do the hotels. We walked up the hill to the Muse¢ e de la Castra; a 12th century watchtower and castle ruins. We then walked back down into town and went down the oldest street. Very narrow and lined on both sides with cafes and shops. All of the buildings off the main street (facing the harbor) are very picturesque and everywhere you go there seem to be two types of people - the very rich and then the tourists. We stopped at a couple places and read the menus thinking about having lunch but there is something about spending over $100 Euros for lunch that just doesn’t hit me too well. So we stopped at one and had a drink and then continued on our way. After about 4 hours of walking around we headed back to the ship and had lunch in the buffet just before it closed.
It is only about an hour from here to either Nice or Monte Carlo by train so many of the passengers were heading off to one of them. Cannes is very pretty - built up into the hills that surround the port. It’s easy to see how it became the playground of the rich and famous but I prefer the cities that have some historically significant buildings or ruins to visit or those with more exotic cultures.
We waited until about 10:30 and headed in - a tender ride of about 15 minutes. This put us only a long block from downtown. As this is the center of the French Riviera the beaches stretch in both directions as do the hotels. We walked up the hill to the Muse¢ e de la Castra; a 12th century watchtower and castle ruins. We then walked back down into town and went down the oldest street. Very narrow and lined on both sides with cafes and shops. All of the buildings off the main street (facing the harbor) are very picturesque and everywhere you go there seem to be two types of people - the very rich and then the tourists. We stopped at a couple places and read the menus thinking about having lunch but there is something about spending over $100 Euros for lunch that just doesn’t hit me too well. So we stopped at one and had a drink and then continued on our way. After about 4 hours of walking around we headed back to the ship and had lunch in the buffet just before it closed.
It is only about an hour from here to either Nice or Monte Carlo by train so many of the passengers were heading off to one of them. Cannes is very pretty - built up into the hills that surround the port. It’s easy to see how it became the playground of the rich and famous but I prefer the cities that have some historically significant buildings or ruins to visit or those with more exotic cultures.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona is one of my favorite cities in Europe. We have been here a number of times and have toured, taxied, hopped-on/-off and wandered through many parts of the city. I love the Gaudi houses and apartment buildings, the Sagrada Familia (cathedral) and his Parc Guell. Since I made those the primary stops on other visits, this time we just took the ship shuttle to the Christopher Columbus monument at the bottom of Las Ramblas and walked that area.
Las Ramblas is a pedestrian area lined with shops, restaurants, bars and hotels. It is “the” place to go for tapas and people watching. I didn’t do much picture-taking as it is mostly strolling people (tourists and locals) until we went into the market. As many of you know, I love shooting the stacks of beautiful fruits and vegetables and the fish and meat stalls. Somehow King Soopers just doesn’t have the same atmosphere! I’ve put a few pictures below - you just don’t find this at our local grocery stores and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen pig’s noses for sale anywhere before.
We finally stopped and sat in one of the cafés; I had an ice cream and Jim had a beer and we did about an hour of people watching and then headed slowly back to the shuttle stop and back to the ship.
The final voting for the photo contest was held… Jim took second over all and I didn’t get anything. What’s up with that?? My ego is shattered.
The onboard atmosphere is changing a bit… it’s rather quieter as people realize that the trip is almost over. I’m dreading the packing and the whole disembarkation stuff, but at least we are going home in business so it should be comfortable.
Las Ramblas is a pedestrian area lined with shops, restaurants, bars and hotels. It is “the” place to go for tapas and people watching. I didn’t do much picture-taking as it is mostly strolling people (tourists and locals) until we went into the market. As many of you know, I love shooting the stacks of beautiful fruits and vegetables and the fish and meat stalls. Somehow King Soopers just doesn’t have the same atmosphere! I’ve put a few pictures below - you just don’t find this at our local grocery stores and I don’t believe I’ve ever seen pig’s noses for sale anywhere before.
We finally stopped and sat in one of the cafés; I had an ice cream and Jim had a beer and we did about an hour of people watching and then headed slowly back to the shuttle stop and back to the ship.
The final voting for the photo contest was held… Jim took second over all and I didn’t get anything. What’s up with that?? My ego is shattered.
The onboard atmosphere is changing a bit… it’s rather quieter as people realize that the trip is almost over. I’m dreading the packing and the whole disembarkation stuff, but at least we are going home in business so it should be comfortable.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Messina, Italy
We woke up early enough to watch as we came into the harbor on Sicily. Jim spotted Mt. Etna through the clouds… I think I saw it, but then without my contacts it could have just been another cloud. The harbor has a tall column with a golden Madonna at the top that blesses all that enter the port - quite a lovely site with the sun shining on her. After about a 30 minute delay because a ferry was still in our berth we made it into port.
We had nothing planned here because the trip to Taormina didn’t seem worth it with 3 hours of bus ride and one hour to see the town. Also it is a Sunday so most of the local businesses and stores are closed except the souvenir shops which you can always find in any tourist destination.
We headed into town about 10:30 to see the clock tower at noon when all the mechanical scenes start working. Huge crowd by 11:45... Then again, there isn’t much else to see in Messina. Finally the clock struck 12 noon and then the Lion roared, the cock crowed and the religious scenes started moving.
I’m sure this would be a delightful area on any day other than Sunday because there were many local shops, restaurants and bars but only a couple were open so they were packed with waiting lines. It made a nice relaxing day with beautiful weather and nothing really pressing to do. We got back to the ship about 2:00 and had a buffet lunch and then settled down to read until sail away at 4:30.
Our cruise is coming to an end soon and I have mixed feelings; one part of me is ready to go home, and the other just wants to stay on the ship. More thoughts on this later.
We had nothing planned here because the trip to Taormina didn’t seem worth it with 3 hours of bus ride and one hour to see the town. Also it is a Sunday so most of the local businesses and stores are closed except the souvenir shops which you can always find in any tourist destination.
We headed into town about 10:30 to see the clock tower at noon when all the mechanical scenes start working. Huge crowd by 11:45... Then again, there isn’t much else to see in Messina. Finally the clock struck 12 noon and then the Lion roared, the cock crowed and the religious scenes started moving.I’m sure this would be a delightful area on any day other than Sunday because there were many local shops, restaurants and bars but only a couple were open so they were packed with waiting lines. It made a nice relaxing day with beautiful weather and nothing really pressing to do. We got back to the ship about 2:00 and had a buffet lunch and then settled down to read until sail away at 4:30.
Our cruise is coming to an end soon and I have mixed feelings; one part of me is ready to go home, and the other just wants to stay on the ship. More thoughts on this later.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Special post for Laurie
This is a special post for my sister Laurie. I just found out that you are reading this. I hope all is well and we will see you soon.
Here is a special picture for you... I wasn't going to post it because it looks silly without Jim in the picture, but he had to move to the front of the gondola to take the picture.
Here is a special picture for you... I wasn't going to post it because it looks silly without Jim in the picture, but he had to move to the front of the gondola to take the picture.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Venice
Good heavens why haven’t I been to Venice before this? It was absolutely magnificent. It is everything I’ve seen in pictures… and more. There was only one drawback to the day; it was May 1st which is a holiday in Italy and most of Europe so Venice was packed with people and some museums, shops and things were closed. None of that affected our day other than we chose not to go to St. Mark’s Square which was wall-to-wall people.
Our small ship was able to go through the waterway to the cruise port so we were able to see much of the skyline and buildings early in the morning and again in the evening as we left the port. What a sight!
We boarded the shuttle boat at about 9:30 without any wait - the short ride was about 15 minutes and it dropped us off fairly near St. Mark’s Square. We started off in that direction, but as the crowds grew heavier and heavier I decided not to deal with them and we headed off in the opposite direction. 
For us it was the perfect choice. We wandered along the sidewalks and along the canals crossing the bridges and taking whatever turns we wanted. Every block brought new wonders; I couldn’t stop taking pictures. We saw houses, shops, cafes - all the parts of real life in Venice rather than the stalls selling stuff for tourists.
At about noon we happened upon a couple gondoliers who ask if we wanted a ride. Why not, it is something I wanted to do anyway. Even though they are only used for tourists these days I just had to do it. Not cheap… but worth it. We had about a 40 minute ride through the small canals. Our guide pointed out several buildings and told us about them; Casanova’s house, several Doges houses, Marco Polo’s house. Now whether or not they are all true I don’t know… but it was a great time.
At about 2:00 we came out from between the buildings and realized we were back at the sea. Except it didn’t seem quite right. After studying our little map for quite a while we realized we were all the way across the island. We headed back in the direction we needed to go and eventually reached the place to catch the shuttle back to the ship.
I have heard all the stories: Venice is sinking - it looked fine to me. It stinks… I didn’t smell anything bad at all. It wasn’t even musty smelling. The buildings are falling into ruin… it seems to me they are doing everything possible to restore and save them. Many are 600 years old. I can’t imagine how they have stood for this many years in the water without crumbling away.
I’m tired and sore but what a day it was. This is now my number one “have to go back to” city. I need several days here with no time constraints (and no holiday). It’s quite expensive, but I’ll figure a way to do it.
Our small ship was able to go through the waterway to the cruise port so we were able to see much of the skyline and buildings early in the morning and again in the evening as we left the port. What a sight!
We boarded the shuttle boat at about 9:30 without any wait - the short ride was about 15 minutes and it dropped us off fairly near St. Mark’s Square. We started off in that direction, but as the crowds grew heavier and heavier I decided not to deal with them and we headed off in the opposite direction. 
For us it was the perfect choice. We wandered along the sidewalks and along the canals crossing the bridges and taking whatever turns we wanted. Every block brought new wonders; I couldn’t stop taking pictures. We saw houses, shops, cafes - all the parts of real life in Venice rather than the stalls selling stuff for tourists.At about noon we happened upon a couple gondoliers who ask if we wanted a ride. Why not, it is something I wanted to do anyway. Even though they are only used for tourists these days I just had to do it. Not cheap… but worth it. We had about a 40 minute ride through the small canals. Our guide pointed out several buildings and told us about them; Casanova’s house, several Doges houses, Marco Polo’s house. Now whether or not they are all true I don’t know… but it was a great time.
At about 2:00 we came out from between the buildings and realized we were back at the sea. Except it didn’t seem quite right. After studying our little map for quite a while we realized we were all the way across the island. We headed back in the direction we needed to go and eventually reached the place to catch the shuttle back to the ship.I have heard all the stories: Venice is sinking - it looked fine to me. It stinks… I didn’t smell anything bad at all. It wasn’t even musty smelling. The buildings are falling into ruin… it seems to me they are doing everything possible to restore and save them. Many are 600 years old. I can’t imagine how they have stood for this many years in the water without crumbling away.
I’m tired and sore but what a day it was. This is now my number one “have to go back to” city. I need several days here with no time constraints (and no holiday). It’s quite expensive, but I’ll figure a way to do it.
The picture below gives you an idea of how crowded San Marco was.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Athens, Greece
Note from Sue: Since I have visited this area before I asked Jim to write this one so you get his impressions.
Arriving in Piraeus, the port city near Athens, we were planning on meeting our friend, Joyce. However a few days ago, through e-mail, she said she had received an appointment at the embassy for the same day we were going to be there. To change the date of the appointment could be very difficult and it could take several hours. We all decided getting together at a later date , whether Greece or Colorado, would be the thing to do. Since we have been to most of the historic sites in Athens we decided to go to the Plaka, which is a shopping area but it is in the old part of the city, just below the Acropolis. Outside the port terminal it seems all of the taxi drivers speak English and all are competing for your business. The prices quoted were all the same so we picked one and we’re off to the Plaka.
The temperature is rising and the sky is clearing; it is turning into a beautiful day. Time for some real coffee. We find an outdoor café and have coffee which comes with two small sweet rolls, very good. Near this café are some ruins that we could not identify but are great for some photos. 
For the next couple of hours we just roam this area, very narrow streets - up stairs - at the base of the Acropolis - down stairs - dead ends - looking in some of the shops - and taking lots of pictures. 
There are many ancient ruins throughout this area just mixed in with the newer buildings. Sue finds a fur shop. This may take a while. I am offered a chair and she heads up to the second floor with a sales lady. The owner of the shop comes to sit with me. He speaks very good English and soon asks if I smoke. When he hears I do smoke he is very happy and we light up. He is very happy, saying no Americans smoke anymore and explaining that since he enjoys smoking, he enjoys being with people who smoke; he says we should have a drink. Out comes a plastic bottle of homemade Raki from his uncle. After about 20 minutes of chatting, smoking and drinking, Sue comes down with a coat so she has a drink too! A deal is made and after more hugs and air kisses we depart.
Heading away from the Acropolis soon we lose our bearings and are lost, but still taking lots of pictures, especially when we find the meat and fish market. 
After a bit see some taxis. None of the drivers speak any English and we do not speak any Greek and since we have gone through this before (barely getting to our destination) we decided to look for the Metro. Half a block away is a Metro station. Having used the Metro the last time we were in Athens and luckily not having to change trains, we made it back to the port easily and for much less cost than the taxi.
Arriving in Piraeus, the port city near Athens, we were planning on meeting our friend, Joyce. However a few days ago, through e-mail, she said she had received an appointment at the embassy for the same day we were going to be there. To change the date of the appointment could be very difficult and it could take several hours. We all decided getting together at a later date , whether Greece or Colorado, would be the thing to do. Since we have been to most of the historic sites in Athens we decided to go to the Plaka, which is a shopping area but it is in the old part of the city, just below the Acropolis. Outside the port terminal it seems all of the taxi drivers speak English and all are competing for your business. The prices quoted were all the same so we picked one and we’re off to the Plaka.
The temperature is rising and the sky is clearing; it is turning into a beautiful day. Time for some real coffee. We find an outdoor café and have coffee which comes with two small sweet rolls, very good. Near this café are some ruins that we could not identify but are great for some photos. 
For the next couple of hours we just roam this area, very narrow streets - up stairs - at the base of the Acropolis - down stairs - dead ends - looking in some of the shops - and taking lots of pictures. 
There are many ancient ruins throughout this area just mixed in with the newer buildings. Sue finds a fur shop. This may take a while. I am offered a chair and she heads up to the second floor with a sales lady. The owner of the shop comes to sit with me. He speaks very good English and soon asks if I smoke. When he hears I do smoke he is very happy and we light up. He is very happy, saying no Americans smoke anymore and explaining that since he enjoys smoking, he enjoys being with people who smoke; he says we should have a drink. Out comes a plastic bottle of homemade Raki from his uncle. After about 20 minutes of chatting, smoking and drinking, Sue comes down with a coat so she has a drink too! A deal is made and after more hugs and air kisses we depart.
Heading away from the Acropolis soon we lose our bearings and are lost, but still taking lots of pictures, especially when we find the meat and fish market. 
After a bit see some taxis. None of the drivers speak any English and we do not speak any Greek and since we have gone through this before (barely getting to our destination) we decided to look for the Metro. Half a block away is a Metro station. Having used the Metro the last time we were in Athens and luckily not having to change trains, we made it back to the port easily and for much less cost than the taxi.
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