Mykonos

Mykonos is one of the more famous Greek islands with narrow,winding avenues and whitewashed buildings. 

One of 5 Cyclades islands, Mykonos was mostly a support island to the much larger and wealthier island of Delos.  The island did not become popular until Aristotle Onassis and his buddies started partying and breaking plates there back in the 1950's

We got off the boat and were met by a fierce wind that just got worse as the day went on.  According to the locals we talked with, the wind blows about 300 days a year.  I can believe it as one of the obvious landmarks are the old windmills which are everywhere.

The town is quite a tourist trap but still a lot of fun.  To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, we shopped for a new ring and had plenty of great choices.  As I may have mentioned before, the Greek people often speak English fluently and the salespeople are especially well versed

I take a keen interest in salesmanship everywhere we travel.  The Greeks (Turks too described in the next post) are outstanding salespeople. Culturally, it is custom to offer drink and food to customers and is not a form of obligation. Needless to say, we walked out with a very nice piece of 18k jewelry. 

We had a terrific lunch where we got to select our very own fish!  Expensive but worth the price.  

Next to Ephesus tomorrow!

Athens

Athens

Docked today in Athens, city with a long complicated history and a troubled economic future.  

Unlike most urban centers around the world, Athens is dying from the inside out.  Downtown is crime ridden, scene of most recent riots over the economy.  Most Greeks will not live in the city center unlike London, New York etc.  most have moved to the suburbs. One of which is Piraeus the port city we docked at today.

Or guided trip started right from the dock.  Like every other excursion we have taken aboard Celebrity, it was first rate.   Many Greeks are fluent in English ( which is taught starting in primary school) and our guide was quite easy to understand.  

The ancient acropolis is a work in process....craftsman are slowly reassembling the foundations and columns and one can get a good idea of the grandeur of the old structure.  

Everywhere you look in Athens  ( and anywhere else on our trip) the "ancient" is ever present.  Ruins are mixed in with newer construction and become part of the landscape. I am still overwhelmed by the age of preserved history in this region.  By comparison, the west (America , Canada etc. ) is so young.  I may become inured to more ruins and see them as ordinary but I doubt it.

By for now!

Chris and Pat

Malta

Valetta, Malta

We made land today at about 1pm local time.  It's about a day and a half from Naples but the timing was perfect.  Billed as the most beautiful port in Europe, it was best to see it in full sun.  Not having seen too many other ports in Europe ,  I can't be a good judge but it is absolutely stunning.  

Malta has an interesting history having been a strategic port of some value for over 2000 years.  Most of what we see today was developed by the Knights of St. John  in the 1600's and has many beautiful examples of renaissance architecture.  Unlike many cities in Europe, Valetta is free of graffiti and trash.   Close to Italy, the Maltese speak both Italian and some Phoenician ( never heard the language before)...most also speak some English.  Malta was also under English control for a number of years.  The signs of which you can still see.  Noticed a Lipton tea sign as we walked from the ship.  Most all signs are also printed in English making it easy to find your way around town.

Pat and I visited the Upper Barakka gardens and St. John's Co-Cathedral and spent a pleasant afternoon drinking coffee and reading books by the Saluting Battery.  Much of the city is built on a Sandstone bluff several hundred feet above the harbor.  Take our advice, pay the 1€ fare and ride the elevator up to the top...it will save you over 300 stairs to climb.

Next stop Athens, the Parthenon and the 7 hills. ( just like Rome)

Naples,Pompeii,Sorrento and Isola di Capri

Naples Pompeii and Sorrento

 First shore excursion of our cruise and it was a long one.  Much walking was involved up and down hills.  Pat recently got a "fit bit" which measures steps and miles and is surprisingly accurate.  During the last two days, she recorded over 30,000 steps and over 13 miles of walking.  Understandably, she is taking it easy today.

First, the island of Capri.  Isola di Capri as it is known locally is a mountainous island just off shore of Naples.  A 50 minute ferry ride got us there where we took the "Funicolare". (Funicular railway) up to the top of the island.  It's an extremely steep climb, so this is definitely the way to go.  I saw a cyclist ride to the top....I think he crossed himself when he got off the bike....not for the weak or faint of heart.

Capri is the playground of the European rich and famous.  Hotels are 1000€ per night on average.  It's expensive but when you see the views, you can understand why.  

Next on to Sorrento  birthplace of the first opera star to make it world wide, Enrico Caruso.  Our guide (referred to herself as "mommy" and we her children) was often inspired to break into song anywhere we went.  Sorrento was simply the first excuse.  

Sorrento is a lovely city full of narrow streets and alleyways where you can find almost anything.  We had a pleasant lunch with a terrific Cannelloni for the first course and a wonderful Lemon cake for desert.  The cake had a goodly measure of Limoncello which is made in the region.  After we sobered up, we visited a wonderful woodworking shop when the artisans made furniture with veneer inlays that required incredible skills.  Clearly, Italian artisans are alive and well in this day and age,

Finally, on to Pompeii.  Not far from Mt. Vesuvius , Pompeii was buried by 20 feet of hot (400 degree) mud more than 2000 years ago.  About 80% of the city has been excavated.  The initial surprise for me was the vast size of Pompeii.  For those that have been through the Ruins in Rome , I would say that Pompeii was  certainly as large.  In it's day, Pompeii was home to 20,000 residents and was an agricultural and commercial hub for the region.  We only got a chance to go through a small part of the city but were amazed by the thought and engineering that went into everything they built.  Streets were recessed well below sidewalk height to allow water to flow downhill and were built to the proper width for carriages of the day.  Crosswalks were raised stepping stones carefully placed to not interfere with carriage wheels yet allowed water flow.  Very clever. 

Last visit was to the opera house which is an open air amphitheater with astounding acoustics.  Clap you hands in the right spot on stage and is sounds incredibly loud.  Whispers can be heard around the seating areas if the speaker is in the right spot.  How this was determined is beyond me.  Fascinating still.

Great start to our trip.  Tomorrow, it's on to the island of Malta and the capital city of Valetta. 

Bye for now!

Chris and Pat

Finally...another reason to write as blog

It's been a long time since I had a good reason to post....well, that's not entirely true.  Pat and I took a a wonderful trip with my father, Sally, my sister and brother in law to Australia and New Zealand earlier this year.  Maybe I just got lazy.

Anyway good reason to start back up again.  This time we are headed to Rome to cruise the Mediterranean on the Celebrity Silhouette to several interesting ports we have never been to before.  Pat and I have been to Italy several times but most of these ports are unknown to us.  The first stop is in Naples where we will visit Pompeii and the island of Capri.  This should be a different experience from the last time we were in Naples.  We had an interesting cab ride at breakneck speeds.  The driver wasn't particular where he drove the vehicle ( train tracks and sidewalks were okay with him) just as long as he didn't slow down.  When we asked him why, he told us that Naples is a hot spot for car jackings....especially at traffic lights.  After that, I was much more comfortable with his driving.

So,  next stop Rome where we will post an up date

Chris and Pat