Thursday, June 28, 2007
Rome…no, Civitavecchia
We had planned to spend the day in Rome. The ship docks in Civitavecchia and we were going to take the train to Rome because the ship charges $99/person for a bus ride in and out of the city. Night before we dock we are informed of a train strike. Most of the tours were already booked so we decided against traveling to Rome for just a few hours. We really didn’t know what to expect in Civitavecchia and were quite please when we stumbled upon an open market. Here we go again…FOOD. Had a great lunch with mom and dad, it was their anniversary and then did a bit of exploring. We also found a Phillipino market were the cruise staff go to call home (a few cents a minute) and use the internet (3 euros for an hour, compared to $100 the ship charges for 3 hours). Next stop…Barcelona.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii
Its been difficult trying to access the internet here. On the ship connection was slow and here in Barcelona we´ve been told that there are sometimes problems with Macs. Will try to keep writing and publish when we are connected.
A tour: all three in one day. Just a tease so we have to come back. Our crazy Italian guide Luca was a trip. He made sure we were the first on the hydrofoil (“Sit by the door so we can get out right away.”), and the first up the funicular so we wouldn’t have to wait for the other hoards of cruise ship tourists. Capri is stunning. In fact the whole coast is stunning. We had lunch in Sorrento. The views from those cliffs must be amazing. Had a quick walk, and then jumped on a bus to Pompeii. It probably would have been smarter to do this in the morning…the heat was brutal. According to Luca, things are deteriorating quickly so it’s a good thing one third of it has not yet been uncovered. It was a bit different than what I expected…not really like the pics. The only bodies we saw were 2 enclosed in glass cases. Luca spent most of the time pointing out the phalluses and discussing the houses of ill repute. He thinks he was born in the wrong time.
Unlike the previous stops, no cats here just lots and lots of stray dogs.
A tour: all three in one day. Just a tease so we have to come back. Our crazy Italian guide Luca was a trip. He made sure we were the first on the hydrofoil (“Sit by the door so we can get out right away.”), and the first up the funicular so we wouldn’t have to wait for the other hoards of cruise ship tourists. Capri is stunning. In fact the whole coast is stunning. We had lunch in Sorrento. The views from those cliffs must be amazing. Had a quick walk, and then jumped on a bus to Pompeii. It probably would have been smarter to do this in the morning…the heat was brutal. According to Luca, things are deteriorating quickly so it’s a good thing one third of it has not yet been uncovered. It was a bit different than what I expected…not really like the pics. The only bodies we saw were 2 enclosed in glass cases. Luca spent most of the time pointing out the phalluses and discussing the houses of ill repute. He thinks he was born in the wrong time.
Unlike the previous stops, no cats here just lots and lots of stray dogs.
Venice
What a treat to wake up just as we arrive in Venice and see Piazza San Marco from the ship. I had to grab the camera and run up on deck. This truly is a fantastic perspective. Usually we are taking pictures from inside the square and you can’t quite feel the magnitude of the place.
The ship docked very close to the vaporetto stop so we headed out early. Last time we were here we didn’t have a chance to visit the Doge’s Palace so that was first on out agenda. It was beyond our expectations and you can only imagine the power Venice had at that time, not to mention the parties.
It’s always good to wander around in Venice and that’s just what we did. The ship stayed in port overnight and of course we had dinner in a great little restaurant called Di Angelos. I had a fried beef dish with a red sauce (sounded awful, but it was the special and delicious). Raf had the squid in black ink pictured below.
When the ship was leaving we reserved a section at the top of the ship where we would get a great view going out. The pool band only played Caribbean music so Raf pulled out the iPod and speakers, plugged them in on the deck and we departed listening to the most beautiful Baroque music.
The ship docked very close to the vaporetto stop so we headed out early. Last time we were here we didn’t have a chance to visit the Doge’s Palace so that was first on out agenda. It was beyond our expectations and you can only imagine the power Venice had at that time, not to mention the parties.
It’s always good to wander around in Venice and that’s just what we did. The ship stayed in port overnight and of course we had dinner in a great little restaurant called Di Angelos. I had a fried beef dish with a red sauce (sounded awful, but it was the special and delicious). Raf had the squid in black ink pictured below.
When the ship was leaving we reserved a section at the top of the ship where we would get a great view going out. The pool band only played Caribbean music so Raf pulled out the iPod and speakers, plugged them in on the deck and we departed listening to the most beautiful Baroque music.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Dubrovnik
Ah the cruise life. When was the last time I wrote? Did I send pics? It’s so easy to forget about everything. Okay, snap out of it….
Laundry time so time to write.
Dubrovnik is a very pretty little town that has gone through some serious shit. Mostly all of it has been restored, but it has an almost haunted feel. We got up early to avoid the noon sun, and walked the wall surrounding the city. By mid-day it was completely packed and way too hot to be up there. Dubrovnik is also home to the second oldest Sephardic synagogue in the world.
Laundry time so time to write.
Dubrovnik is a very pretty little town that has gone through some serious shit. Mostly all of it has been restored, but it has an almost haunted feel. We got up early to avoid the noon sun, and walked the wall surrounding the city. By mid-day it was completely packed and way too hot to be up there. Dubrovnik is also home to the second oldest Sephardic synagogue in the world.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Cruise Life
Cruising has really changed considerably since I was little. We used to cruise quite often when I lived my parent’s life. This industry has turned into quite the institution. What a cash cow. We boarded the ship and now everything is connected to that room card you receive before getting on. It is the only form of currency accepted anywhere on board, no worry about tipping for service…whether it’s good, bad, etc.. $10/person/day is automatically added to your bill and 15% is automatically added to bar tabs so you need not worry. What transpires is interesting. There is an abundance of waiters available to serve drinks and take any orders but no one available to take up dirty dishes and glasses (in the dining rooms). Bartenders are a bit better.
Freestyle cruising means no set times for dinner but unless you make reservations in advance (and there is a wait for any specialty restaurant) you must eat at the buffet, which on this ship happened to be very good. Many restaurants have a surcharge and what used to be included is now an added expense. In all, it really hasn’t been bad. We have good company and I haven’t made a to do list since we came on board. My freckles are starting to connect and I just may have a bit of a tan when we get home.
So far we’ve visited two ancient sites. Ephesus in Turkey (founded around 300 BC and had a population of 200,000) and the Acropolis in Athens. We opted for the tour in both ports since the sites were a considerable distance away and although it was very hot, we really enjoyed both. We are not big “tour” fans, but in both these places it paid off.
Here are some pics of both.
Freestyle cruising means no set times for dinner but unless you make reservations in advance (and there is a wait for any specialty restaurant) you must eat at the buffet, which on this ship happened to be very good. Many restaurants have a surcharge and what used to be included is now an added expense. In all, it really hasn’t been bad. We have good company and I haven’t made a to do list since we came on board. My freckles are starting to connect and I just may have a bit of a tan when we get home.
So far we’ve visited two ancient sites. Ephesus in Turkey (founded around 300 BC and had a population of 200,000) and the Acropolis in Athens. We opted for the tour in both ports since the sites were a considerable distance away and although it was very hot, we really enjoyed both. We are not big “tour” fans, but in both these places it paid off.
Here are some pics of both.
Monday, June 11, 2007
On to the Cruise
We are on our way to the ship. Thank you to the wonderful staff at the Hotel Niles for the great tips, funny maps and always making us laugh.
