Santorini, Greece ~ August 30, 2007

Welcome to Santorini! It's amazing to look at the island from the ship and seeing the town on top of the mountain, as well as the buildings built into the cliffs. This is a small island located at the south end of the island complex of the Cyclades. The island is unique due its geographical shape, as four other islands are to the near west and it is said that they are all a result of the action of the local volcanoes. Santorini though is different, as it is built from the thick lava of the volcano, which rose from the molten core of the earth. The contrast from the bright, blue sea and the red and brown colors of the land make this a unique sight not seen anywhere else.


In order to get to the island, we had to take a tender from our ship, as they do not have a port. Our first stop was the Boutari Winery. The island of Santorini is quite unique when it comes to the art of wine-making. Because of the island's rich volcanic soil and their rare assyrtiko grape, this combination produces a world renowned wine. It was interesting to learn that the grapes are not grown in the 'usual' way on upright vines. However, they grow close to the ground, in a circular vine and rely solely on the natural sunlight and moisture. There is no forced irrigation.


It was harvest time when we were there. There are 17 wineries and it is the second economic income for the island. We were able to sample three wines: a red, white and a dessert wine. Nothing like having wine early in the day when it is 40C outside.

We continued on a very scenic drive to the village of Oia. The significance of Oia is simply its architectural structure. As you can see from my opening picture, the small houses carved into the rock, mansions with their staircases, the beautiful white and blue colors, the roads paved with flagstones and gorgeous flowers with the backdrop of the sea create the most picturesque scene that ever was. Although a very popular place to visit, Oia has managed to keep a low, touristic profile. With the quaint shops, cafes & domed churches, Oia is a place that you could get lost in. I only wish we were here long enough to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking sunsets. Here are some my favorite shots, including the Oia Cathedral.






















Our tour ended in the town of Fira, the largest town on the island and also its main shopping district. Fira is only accessible on foot as it has very narrow cobblestone lanes. Should you be a skillful Vespa driver you might be able to manage the uphill lanes that meander past various shops, cafes and private homes.


Before we headed to the cable cars to take us back to our tender, we stopped to have a snack. We stopped at a storefront cafe and each ordered a kebab, a type of gyros sandwich, however the meat was a lamb sausage wrapped in a pita with onions and tzatziki sauce. It was the best sandwich. Of course, I had to stopped at a gelateria and get some nocciola gelato. We then headed through the streets of Fira to find the cable cars which will take us down the mountain to the Fira Harbour to get to our tender. You can see from the picture to the left how steep it was. The line was quite long, so I tried to persuade Liz to ride a donkey down the mountain, however, my persuasion wasn't strong enough. It was interesting to find out the cable cars were fairly new and were constructed by an Austrian company. So, we felt confident.
I will miss this wonderful island and cannot wait until my return. Well, I am off to my yoga class. We are looking forward to tonight as it will be a great night as tomorrow is a day at sea!

Until tomorrow from the Ionian Sea.

Rhodes, Greece ~ August 28, 2007

Good Mornning Rhodes! Early we awoke this morning for a tour of the most important island in the South Sporades, also known as Dodecanese. Liz went up ahead for breakfast and I said I would meet her. However, when I arrived at the ship's Wheelhouse Bar, I looked out the window to see that we were still moving. We had yet to arrive in the port. So, I had time to join Liz for breakfast by the pool. It was extremely windy and choppy out, therefore, after about 1.5 hours of trying to access the port, our Captain regretfully reported that he would have to cancel the port of Rhodes. The port was small and the Emerald Princess is so massive, he was not confident in bringing her in. We were disappointed as we were to have a great tour of Rhodes' Old Town, as well as Mt. Philerimos. I did manage to get a picture from the ship of the island. So we relaxed on board, where we laid in the sun most of the day. I'll share with you some of the pictures we took on board.

Forward center of the Emerald Princess at night. This was a crystal clear evening with a full moon.

At night, the Calypso Pool on Deck 15 was transformed to a outdoor movie theatre called Movies Under the Stars complete with cushioned deck chairs, blankets and fresh, buttered popcorn. Liz and I watched Luciano Pavarotti the first night on the ship. We also watched 'Wild Hogs'. All throughout the day, there were movies, concerts and sporting events playing. It is a great concept!

Tonight, however, we saw a fantastic production entitled 'What a Swell Party' featuring the music of Cole Porter. After the show, we went out on deck to enjoy and make a wish on the full moon reflecting on the Sea of Greece.

Good Night from sea...tomorrow Kusadasi, Turkey.

Mykonos, Greece ~ August 27, 2007

Yahsu from Mykonos! This is Little Venice, where the western part of Mykonos meets the sea. The buildings in the background have been constructed right on the sea's edge with their balconies overhanging the water. There was much pirating going on in the 16th & 17th centuries and it is believed that this area was used for quick loading and unloading of goods.


We also had an interesting tour of the Aegean Martime Museum featuring collections of model ships from the pre-Minoan period through the 19th century. http://greece.travelkey.eu/cyclades/myk/aegean/museum1.shtml
However, one of the most famous landmarks of Mykonos have been its windmills. Due to its geographic position, the town was located on a major sea trade-route which at one time joined Venice. The need to refine grain and compact it for transport combined with the extremely windy conditions year round made Mykonos the perfect location. However, with modern technology the importance of the windmills diminished, as well as their number and there are only a few remain of this important era of Mykonian history.


Our tour guide told us the story regarding the pelicans on Mykonos. Petros the Pelican is the mascot of the island. The story is that Petros was left behind when a group of migrating birds passed the island in the 1950’s. Petros was too exhausted to fly with his friends. Fisherman found him and nursed him back to health. The original Petros has passed but the locals keep replacing him with different pelicans to continue the story. The current version is a very large bird. The pelicans are very friendly and definitely not camera-shy. This pelican was enjoying water from the fountain, including a nice shower.

I could not end without showing the most famous and apparently the most photographed church of Mykonos. It is called Panagia Paraportiani and it is considered to be a real architectural marvel. According to our tour guide, it consists of four tiny whitewashed churches forming, with the main church a wonderful asymmetrical glimmering white church. Dating from the 15th century, the church's name derives from the word “porta” which means door. It was named this because it used to be standing near the entrance of a medieval castle which has since been destroyed.

We set sail at 1730 for Rhodes!

Athens, Greece ~ August 26, 2007

John Milton once wrote: "Athens, the eye of Greece, mother of arts, and eloquence." Welcome to the capital of Greece! A very early morning for our all day excursion in Athens~the largest populated island in Greece. Our first stop was at Cape Sounion to visit the Temple of Poseidon. Poseidon, for those who did not study Greek mythology, was the God of the Sea, its protector. The temple was erected in 5th century BC, yes that's right BC~ Take a look at the pristine condition it is in! The temple sits perched above the mountains surrounding the Aegean Sea.




In ancient times, the temple was the last sign of civilization the Athenians saw as they sailed away from home and the first as they returned. It is a beautiful, peaceful place with breathtaking views of the sea to no end. No wonder it was the perfect place for the God of the Sea, as well as to meditate. And now to the Acropolis, which means "high city".


It has turned out to be another warm day close to 40C, with a nice and welcoming breeze though. It is Sunday, so traffic and congestion are at a minimum. The 2400-year-old Acropolis is the symbol of the ancient Greek civilization whose art, literature and zeal for democracy still influence our world today. There are fabulous views of all Athens from atop the Acropolis. We climb its 80 steps to catch the first glimpse of the main temple: The Parthenon and the House of Athena, daughter of Zeus. Everything has been under restoration for many years. The years have not been good to the Acropolis including war and robbery, however today, the main threat is air pollution which is badly eroding what is left of the building.

We then headed to the Plaka, the main shopping area. But before shopping, we stopped to have a great lunch at TABEPNA o γέρος Του Μώρίά. Well, the first word is Tavern, a traditional restaurant, however the rest is Greek to me. The food and wine was delicious and plenty. We had about an hour of free time to shop on the Plaka or just enjoy the sights and sounds of downtown. Liz and I....shopped. We headed back to the ship to enjoy yet another evening of great food and entertainment.

After a long day in Athens, I was ready to have a relaxing yoga class before dinner and then we were ready to explore that nightlife on the ship, I talked about earlier!

Tomorrow...Mykonos!

Katakolon, Greece ~ August 25, 2007

Greetings from Katakolon, Greece, a little fishing village on the largest peninsula in western Ilia in the municipality of Pyrgos. The town center is within a gulf overlooking the Ionian Sea. Not many will be familiar with this town, however it is the gateway to Olympia, the site of the original Olympic Games. We arrived early this morning around 7 a.m. into the port. From our inside cabin, I could swear I smelled something burning. Liz was not able to sense anything, but it was a very strong smell to me. Once up and about, it was evident that there were severe fires occurring nearby. We were fortunate that our tour was still scheduled, although the smoke from the fires was very near. This is an article describing the devastation in the area. http://www.thestar.com/News/article/249988/249988

Our tour guide was visibly distressed as more than likely these fires were the cause by arson in order for new development. Thankfully, the archaeological site and museum were spared. Here is a picture of how bad the fires were. The right photo was taken from the ship as we were departing and ash was floating onto the decks.

Well, onto our phenomenal tour of Olympia.

Interesting Tidbits
~The archaeological site has been around since 1st and 2nd century BC.
~Zeus is the father of all Olympians and father of the Gods.
~Back in the day, Olympians competed in the buff! (According to our tour guide, some modern day Olympian wannabees have actually demonstrated this; 30 SPF very much required.)
~ When you see limestone, it is Grecian-built; brick is Italian-built.

The Gymnasium
















The Krypte~ Official entrance to the Stadium












"Crossing the Finish Line" in the original stadium which housed more than 40,000 spectators to watch such events as foot races to the pentathlon.

After returning to the ship, we relaxed poolside enjoying our favorite afternoon snack~pizza! The cruise party patrol were looking for some lucky individuals to participate in a bar game. So, I decided to participate. Six women and six guys competing by making some of the ship's famous drinks. The entertaining bartenders first showed how each were made, then we went head to head. I was responsible for making the 'Ultimate Cooler', a lovely combination of Absolut, cranberry juice, sugar syrup and lemon garnish. Quite tasty! In the end, the head bartender had to taste every drink and awarded points to either side. I'm proud to say that the women won and each were given a bottle of champagne, plus we got to drink the drink we made! Na zdrowie!

Tomorrow, Athens!

Corfu, Greece~August 24, 2007

Kalimera, Good Morning Corfu! We arrived in port around 8 a.m. on a beautiful, warm yet hazy day. A little more sleepy this morning, as we lost an hour advancing to GMT-3, which will be the correct time zones for all future ports until we reach Naples. Today, we will be visiting the Old Town of Corfu, Achillion Palace and the Cathedral of St. Spyridon. Corfu, a Greek Island, lies between Italy and Albania in the Ionian Sea. I was very surprised to learn that the island is quite lush and green surrounded by cypress and olive trees, as well as many orange, lemon and kumquat groves. Therefore, the island produced some of the best olive oil and kumquat specialities, including kumquat liquor.

We started our journey to Achillion Palace. The palace was designed in neo-classical style and was originally built as a summer palace for the Empress Elisabeth of Austria. She did not enjoy the formal life in Austria, so she spent much of her time travelling and vacationing in many wonderful places, including Corfu. The palace itself was tastefully decorated and displayed many furniture pieces when she lived there, as well as some items of the second owner Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany who purchased the villa after Elisabeth's assassination in 1898. The Achillion Palace obtained its name from a stunningly realistic statue of the 'Dying Achilleus' trying to remove an arrow from his heel. Here is a picture, however, the back side is more appealing, as his derriere is quite polished, I wonder why....?

The gardens surrounding the palace were exquisite and the view of Old Corfu Town and the sea were breathtaking. Just take a look at how tall the cypress trees are. We later traveled into Old Corfu town, but not without a quick photo opportunity of Mouse Island. Legend has it that the island is actually a ship turned to stone. There is a 13th-century chapel set among the trees.

We walked the streets of Old Corfu town, embracing the sights and sounds of cafes, merchants and the locals. It is a very quaint town where modern and past times complement each other. We entered the most important cathedral of Corfu, St. Spyridon, which is the island's patron saint. We were unable to take photos inside, however the 16th-century church houses the silver coffin of the saint, who was an early martyr-bishop from Cyprus. A Greek Orthodox church built in 1590, the bell tower is the highest in Corfu.

I made a few purchases in Corfu, including kumquat liquor, candied kumquats, Corfu olive oil and pure olive oil soaps made on the island.

Sunset Sailaway today and we are on our way to Katakolon!