November 16, 2011
Today is quite cool and the wind is blowing. Once outside in the tender I wish I had indulged in bringing a hat to keep my head warmer. But I talked myself out of several items trying to be more conservative with the packing. I have a feeling that we will need warmer clothes this year compared to the crossings in 2009 & 2010. The weather is a little more wintry than we have previously experienced.
Patmos is only 13 miles square in size, but has a long rich history. In 1981 the Greek Parliament declared Patmos a “sacred island”, second only to Mount Athos in religious standing. It was here that Saint John was exiled in the days of the Roman Empire. Humble places like Patmos were often used as places of exile for political prisoners, or for those who disturbed “public order”, which usually meant stepping on the toes of someone important.
The earliest inhabitants were the Mycenaeans, nearly 35 centuries ago. They were followed by Dorian and Ionian Greeks, and after the exciting days of Greece’s golden age, it passed easily under the control of Rome. After the decline of Rome, Patmos was abandoned because of raids by Saracen pirates. Then Venetians occupied the island in 1207 as part of their Duchy of Naxos. The Turks followed in 1537 and remained a Turkish possession until 1912, when it was captured by the Italians, and finally joined Greece in 1948.
During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Domitian, Saint John had been preaching the Gospel at Ephesus, and was exiled to nearby Patmos in the year 95. But Domitian died the following year, and was succeeded by the humane Nerva, who released him; John returned to Ephesus, and died
there sometime during Trajan’s reign. During his 18-month “sabbatical” on Patmos, he composed the dramatic Book of Revelation, a prophetic work that speaks of the final times, and encourages believers to hold fast under persecution.
Today the island is a pilgrimage to Christians seeking the location where Saint John wrote his Book of Revelation.
We alight in what looks and feels like a small village but is actually quite large since it is built into and up the rocky terrain. We have decided that we will not fight all the others today and just walk around visiting the small shops near the port. My first order of business is to acquire a cap for my head. Then we go in search of wine, souvenirs and whatever else catches our fancy. Dominick is infatuated with the loose dogs and cats that wander, lounge and generally seem to own the place. He can’t believe that no one is upset when they are loose.
After a few hours we have had enough and head back to the ship. The wind has been cutting and we are all chilled. We set sail for Santorini in a few hours so time to get a bite of lunch and possibly watch a movie or should we take a nap? Oh my, what hard decisions we shall have to make.
We love to travel. People tell me I should be a travel agent because of all the things we do,the places we go, and the money we save. Our grandaughter,Sophia,tells everyone that we are on a "field trip" while we are gone, thus the name. I hope you find helpful, interesting information about different locales, ideas on how to get the most for your money, and be entertained in the process. Welcome. Connie
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Embarkation Day - Pacific Princess - Piraeus, Greece
November 15, 2011
Fotis has sent a colleague, Chris to pick us up from the Hotel Apollo and deposit us at the ship. He has a private tour to Delphi which of course pays him more money than our small E30 transport, so we are happy he has a full day ahead. He has instructed Chris to call him so he can talk with Tony and wish us bon voyage and thank me again for the referrals I had sent for fellow passengers to use him for touring and transport. We have promised to let him know what day next year we will be in Athens so he can take us to Delphi for the day. I will post on the Cruise Critic boards and see if we can fill a few 17 passenger buses for him and his colleagues.
The weather today is a little clearer than yesterday. There are small patches of blue sky trying to peep thru all the clouds, and it looks as if it wouldn’t take much coaxing to make the rain start in earnest again.
The trip from Athens to Pireaus is uneventful except for the really cute shoes I spotted in a store window. Chris offered to park so I could shop but Tony was quick to refuse and “thank” him for offering. Dominick chimed in with the fact that I had lots of shoes already, but I explained that a girl can never have too many shoes. And I quoted him Eleanor Roosevelt who is credited with saying, “Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” Don’t cha’ just love it?
Our arrival is timed for around noon and we are able to get through check-in and drop off our totes in the room and head for the dining room by about 1:15. Princess has begun closing the dining room for lunch on all port days to save money so we will take advantage of today because on this leg we will only have three sea days that they will actually serve a dining room
lunch. The rest of the time we will be forced to use the buffet or to eat in port. We are not great fans of the buffet on any ship. Our attitude is, if we wanted to serve ourselves and jockey for position to do so we can do that at home.
This ship is set up differently than the larger Princess ships, with only one dining room, no open dining, and two fixed dinner seatings. We are in the first seating which begins at 6 pm. But before this we will start our unpacking, meet our cabin steward, tour the ship, attend muster drill, and
settle into our home for the next 31 days.
Our Stewardess is Milagros, from Philippines. She has worked the ships for 20 years and has been with Princess for 16. She has just returned from leave where she spent 3 months with her 4 year old granddaughter so we share stories and she is very pleased that we have brought Dominick for her to spoil.
Dominick has already drawn the attentions of passengers and crew alike and has had to explain his presence, his homework assignments, and the fact that he is traveling for 31 days at the age of 11. The little girls in the spa have embarrassed him with attention. Not that he didn’t love it but he was a little flushed at all the attention. He is very adaptable and interacts with adults easily, joking and showing his terrific sense of humor.
We are shown to our dinner table and get acquainted with our tablemates for at least the next 12 days. Klaus is a German living in Canada. He is very formal with his speech and seems to feel more comfortable talking with Tony and Dominick than with me. We learn he is an only child, has never married and has been left quite well off by his parents. He has homes in both Germany and Canada. He travels extensively and plans to spend all the money to keep the “government” from getting it. He is an engineer and we assume retired since he is quite a bit older than us. He wears his father’s shoes. I know this sounds crazy but it seems his father never wanted to travel and he worked very hard and made a lot of money and then died without ever having enjoyed the fruits of his labor. So Klaus wears his shoes when traveling and tells his father, “Okay, you have been here and here and here.” I think it is very sentimental of him. So he has won a place in my heart.
Our other companions are a couple from Australia. They are Lloyd and Cheryl. She is a year younger than us and he is a few years older. They have 5 daughters and are raising their 8 year old grandson. They are very outgoing and I know we will enjoy their company. However, they leave us in Rome since they have already been traveling for almost a month.
Our service staff are two young men from Philippines, Timothy is our waiter and Starskey is his assistant. We all make the instant connection but are told Hutch abandoned ship. They are instantly taken with Dominick or “Dom” as
they insist on calling him. They both make sure that he has all he wants as is typical of the Asian culture where children are indulged greatly.
We will arrive in Patmos first thing tomorrow and we have no specific plans. We will await the weather report before making our way ashore
Fotis has sent a colleague, Chris to pick us up from the Hotel Apollo and deposit us at the ship. He has a private tour to Delphi which of course pays him more money than our small E30 transport, so we are happy he has a full day ahead. He has instructed Chris to call him so he can talk with Tony and wish us bon voyage and thank me again for the referrals I had sent for fellow passengers to use him for touring and transport. We have promised to let him know what day next year we will be in Athens so he can take us to Delphi for the day. I will post on the Cruise Critic boards and see if we can fill a few 17 passenger buses for him and his colleagues.
The weather today is a little clearer than yesterday. There are small patches of blue sky trying to peep thru all the clouds, and it looks as if it wouldn’t take much coaxing to make the rain start in earnest again.
The trip from Athens to Pireaus is uneventful except for the really cute shoes I spotted in a store window. Chris offered to park so I could shop but Tony was quick to refuse and “thank” him for offering. Dominick chimed in with the fact that I had lots of shoes already, but I explained that a girl can never have too many shoes. And I quoted him Eleanor Roosevelt who is credited with saying, “Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” Don’t cha’ just love it?
Our arrival is timed for around noon and we are able to get through check-in and drop off our totes in the room and head for the dining room by about 1:15. Princess has begun closing the dining room for lunch on all port days to save money so we will take advantage of today because on this leg we will only have three sea days that they will actually serve a dining room
lunch. The rest of the time we will be forced to use the buffet or to eat in port. We are not great fans of the buffet on any ship. Our attitude is, if we wanted to serve ourselves and jockey for position to do so we can do that at home.
This ship is set up differently than the larger Princess ships, with only one dining room, no open dining, and two fixed dinner seatings. We are in the first seating which begins at 6 pm. But before this we will start our unpacking, meet our cabin steward, tour the ship, attend muster drill, and
settle into our home for the next 31 days.
Our Stewardess is Milagros, from Philippines. She has worked the ships for 20 years and has been with Princess for 16. She has just returned from leave where she spent 3 months with her 4 year old granddaughter so we share stories and she is very pleased that we have brought Dominick for her to spoil.
Dominick has already drawn the attentions of passengers and crew alike and has had to explain his presence, his homework assignments, and the fact that he is traveling for 31 days at the age of 11. The little girls in the spa have embarrassed him with attention. Not that he didn’t love it but he was a little flushed at all the attention. He is very adaptable and interacts with adults easily, joking and showing his terrific sense of humor.
We are shown to our dinner table and get acquainted with our tablemates for at least the next 12 days. Klaus is a German living in Canada. He is very formal with his speech and seems to feel more comfortable talking with Tony and Dominick than with me. We learn he is an only child, has never married and has been left quite well off by his parents. He has homes in both Germany and Canada. He travels extensively and plans to spend all the money to keep the “government” from getting it. He is an engineer and we assume retired since he is quite a bit older than us. He wears his father’s shoes. I know this sounds crazy but it seems his father never wanted to travel and he worked very hard and made a lot of money and then died without ever having enjoyed the fruits of his labor. So Klaus wears his shoes when traveling and tells his father, “Okay, you have been here and here and here.” I think it is very sentimental of him. So he has won a place in my heart.
Our other companions are a couple from Australia. They are Lloyd and Cheryl. She is a year younger than us and he is a few years older. They have 5 daughters and are raising their 8 year old grandson. They are very outgoing and I know we will enjoy their company. However, they leave us in Rome since they have already been traveling for almost a month.
Our service staff are two young men from Philippines, Timothy is our waiter and Starskey is his assistant. We all make the instant connection but are told Hutch abandoned ship. They are instantly taken with Dominick or “Dom” as
they insist on calling him. They both make sure that he has all he wants as is typical of the Asian culture where children are indulged greatly.
We will arrive in Patmos first thing tomorrow and we have no specific plans. We will await the weather report before making our way ashore
Monday, November 14, 2011
Athens Part Deux
Our day in Athens started with a cold blustery wind that rivals that of March in the Yukon. Well, not quite that bad I guess but we were looking for any shelter from the wind we could find all day long. Add to that mist, sprinkles, and pouring rain and you have a pretty good idea what we were determined to endure for our day here.
Just before 10 am we left the Apollo Hotel, a modest six story building wedged between Karaiskaki Square and several blocks of businesses in what used to be a very nice part of the city. Now, however, it is the neighborhood that houses a great majority of the illegal immigrants that swarm Greece's borders, causing great concern for a country already lacking jobs for their own citizens and having one financial crisis after another. The area is safe enough, especially during the day. We have been cautioned not to wander off the main streets at night though. This hotel is very clean and a bit on the sparce side. We have paid around $160 for 2 nights in a triple room (three twin beds) including breakfast. If you are looking for something affordable and friendly this is the place for you.
One block up from the Apollo at Karaiskaki Square we catch the HOHO bus and start our adventure to show Dominick as much of Athens as one day will allow. Because the weather is very iffy today the young man who sold us the 24hr ticket deducted the cost for Dominick which was E8. Our tickets were E18 each. We feel that for the cost of these HOHO buses it is well worth the price to get a good overview of your location. We have also done this in Rome and when you save your ticket you are given a 10% discount for all the other cities. We will use this discount in Rome and Barcelona and maybe in Funchal.
We get off at the Acropolis and head for the beginning of what will be well over 100 steps by the time we get to the top. First we need tickets, so off we go to the admissions booth. Because we are not from the European Union (EU for short) we pay the full price of E18 per person, however, Dominick is free. Yeah! They really believe in encouraging their young to become knowledgeable about art, history, and culture in general. I wish that Dominick's teachers had been as enthusiastic as the teachers we have encountered here. And that we as a nation took as much interest in teaching our children about their history instead of the milktoast versions of "Social Studies" that are the norm these days. Enough of the soap box, I digress.
The way is paved in marble and can be treacherous when wet. Even on this wet blustery day the place is packed with tour buses and individual groups from everywhere imaginable. One group in particular catches our attention since none appear to be younger than in their mid seventies. Most have canes, some have walkers and all seem to be wandering behind a tour guide using head phone sets to give her narrative so everyone can hear. We are continually trying to avoid their movements since they have a hard time walking over the uneven ground. We have a hard time walking over the uneven terrain with the wind gusting and practically lifting us off the ground.
Although Athens is a bustling modern city, it still holds the Acropolis and all of its history high enough for everyone to remember where Democracy began.
The core of the city is built on a lofty hill with steep sides, providing excellent defenses. Protected by a ring of low hills and two rivers, Athens was far from isolated.
Very early in history, Athens gained attention for a strong sea trade and the wealth created by it. Commerce itself convinced the Athenians slavery was not profitable during the first centuries of its life. As a matter of fact escaped slaves found their way to Athens and were welcomed as a steady influx of labor.
Through Greek eyes, the unique traits of Athens created a special relationship with both Poseidon, god of the sea, and Athena, goddess of wisdom. Athena's owl was a frequently used symbol of Athenian coins and her olive tree, signifying peace and harmony, commonly appears on decorative works.
Technically dedicated to the goddess, Athens did not want to neglect the powerful god of the sea, which dominated their commerce. So they decided to perfectly combine tribute to the two by hedging their bets with the construction of the Erectheion on the Acropolis. Shrines to Poseidon and Athena share the same temple building.
The Acropolis is actually the mountain of marble where this temple and the Parthenon are constructed. We tend to refer to the Parthenon as the Acropolis. Greeks will be the first to correct you as they take their history very seriously and who can blame them. After all this monument can be directly related to our modern form of govenment.
We spend about an hour exploring this ruin. But the wind is chilling us to the bone and we must decend to try and find protection from it and the rain that started as fine mist and has turned into something a bit stronger but not yet actual rainfall.
Just as we finish our decent and we are making our way to the HOHO stop th bus comes. What timing! We are thankful not to have to wait, and gladly climb aboard for our short ride to the Plaka, which is the main shopping area for this part of the city. We spend a few hours walking thru and Dominick purchases a few mementos as gifts for those at home. He is very selective to find just the right thing for each person and spend his money wisely. We stop for a nice lunch which consist of meatballs, rice, salad, what we call french fries, tziki with fresh pita , and a glass of house red that totals E20. A short walk and a cold wait and back on the bus to warm up before our next stop.
We stop next at the National Archaeological Museum to specifically show Dominick the collection of bronze knives, swords, and spear heads. It is quite impressive and we are impressed with the attention and interest he shows in all the exhibits. Our entry here costs E7 per person and once again Dominick is free. He was very interested in the statues and pottery from 2800-2500 BC which surprized me. But it was nice to see I have a grandchild who seems to appreciate history as much as I do. After carefully going through the exhibits we discover the rain has increased a bit when we exit. This time we have to wait almost 30 minutes for the next bus and the wind is hard to evade.
We arrive back at the Apollo around 5pm, take a short nap and head out for dinner around 7pm. Our destination is just across the street and down a block to the "Alexander the Great" restaurant that has been recommended by more than one local today. Our meal including two entries that we share, bread, 1 litre of house red and baklava for dessert. Very good food and good friendly service. Our bill comes to E54 including tip. Not bad for a very enjoyable meal.
Back to the hotel and Dominick calls his mother for a good night and we turn out the lights about 11pm. We are tired but happy that we have seen everything we intended for this day. Tomorrow we leave for the ship and the beginning of our ocean voyage. I'm tired! Good night.
Just before 10 am we left the Apollo Hotel, a modest six story building wedged between Karaiskaki Square and several blocks of businesses in what used to be a very nice part of the city. Now, however, it is the neighborhood that houses a great majority of the illegal immigrants that swarm Greece's borders, causing great concern for a country already lacking jobs for their own citizens and having one financial crisis after another. The area is safe enough, especially during the day. We have been cautioned not to wander off the main streets at night though. This hotel is very clean and a bit on the sparce side. We have paid around $160 for 2 nights in a triple room (three twin beds) including breakfast. If you are looking for something affordable and friendly this is the place for you.
One block up from the Apollo at Karaiskaki Square we catch the HOHO bus and start our adventure to show Dominick as much of Athens as one day will allow. Because the weather is very iffy today the young man who sold us the 24hr ticket deducted the cost for Dominick which was E8. Our tickets were E18 each. We feel that for the cost of these HOHO buses it is well worth the price to get a good overview of your location. We have also done this in Rome and when you save your ticket you are given a 10% discount for all the other cities. We will use this discount in Rome and Barcelona and maybe in Funchal.
We get off at the Acropolis and head for the beginning of what will be well over 100 steps by the time we get to the top. First we need tickets, so off we go to the admissions booth. Because we are not from the European Union (EU for short) we pay the full price of E18 per person, however, Dominick is free. Yeah! They really believe in encouraging their young to become knowledgeable about art, history, and culture in general. I wish that Dominick's teachers had been as enthusiastic as the teachers we have encountered here. And that we as a nation took as much interest in teaching our children about their history instead of the milktoast versions of "Social Studies" that are the norm these days. Enough of the soap box, I digress.
The way is paved in marble and can be treacherous when wet. Even on this wet blustery day the place is packed with tour buses and individual groups from everywhere imaginable. One group in particular catches our attention since none appear to be younger than in their mid seventies. Most have canes, some have walkers and all seem to be wandering behind a tour guide using head phone sets to give her narrative so everyone can hear. We are continually trying to avoid their movements since they have a hard time walking over the uneven ground. We have a hard time walking over the uneven terrain with the wind gusting and practically lifting us off the ground.
Although Athens is a bustling modern city, it still holds the Acropolis and all of its history high enough for everyone to remember where Democracy began.
The core of the city is built on a lofty hill with steep sides, providing excellent defenses. Protected by a ring of low hills and two rivers, Athens was far from isolated.
Very early in history, Athens gained attention for a strong sea trade and the wealth created by it. Commerce itself convinced the Athenians slavery was not profitable during the first centuries of its life. As a matter of fact escaped slaves found their way to Athens and were welcomed as a steady influx of labor.
Through Greek eyes, the unique traits of Athens created a special relationship with both Poseidon, god of the sea, and Athena, goddess of wisdom. Athena's owl was a frequently used symbol of Athenian coins and her olive tree, signifying peace and harmony, commonly appears on decorative works.
Technically dedicated to the goddess, Athens did not want to neglect the powerful god of the sea, which dominated their commerce. So they decided to perfectly combine tribute to the two by hedging their bets with the construction of the Erectheion on the Acropolis. Shrines to Poseidon and Athena share the same temple building.
The Acropolis is actually the mountain of marble where this temple and the Parthenon are constructed. We tend to refer to the Parthenon as the Acropolis. Greeks will be the first to correct you as they take their history very seriously and who can blame them. After all this monument can be directly related to our modern form of govenment.
We spend about an hour exploring this ruin. But the wind is chilling us to the bone and we must decend to try and find protection from it and the rain that started as fine mist and has turned into something a bit stronger but not yet actual rainfall.
Just as we finish our decent and we are making our way to the HOHO stop th bus comes. What timing! We are thankful not to have to wait, and gladly climb aboard for our short ride to the Plaka, which is the main shopping area for this part of the city. We spend a few hours walking thru and Dominick purchases a few mementos as gifts for those at home. He is very selective to find just the right thing for each person and spend his money wisely. We stop for a nice lunch which consist of meatballs, rice, salad, what we call french fries, tziki with fresh pita , and a glass of house red that totals E20. A short walk and a cold wait and back on the bus to warm up before our next stop.
We stop next at the National Archaeological Museum to specifically show Dominick the collection of bronze knives, swords, and spear heads. It is quite impressive and we are impressed with the attention and interest he shows in all the exhibits. Our entry here costs E7 per person and once again Dominick is free. He was very interested in the statues and pottery from 2800-2500 BC which surprized me. But it was nice to see I have a grandchild who seems to appreciate history as much as I do. After carefully going through the exhibits we discover the rain has increased a bit when we exit. This time we have to wait almost 30 minutes for the next bus and the wind is hard to evade.
We arrive back at the Apollo around 5pm, take a short nap and head out for dinner around 7pm. Our destination is just across the street and down a block to the "Alexander the Great" restaurant that has been recommended by more than one local today. Our meal including two entries that we share, bread, 1 litre of house red and baklava for dessert. Very good food and good friendly service. Our bill comes to E54 including tip. Not bad for a very enjoyable meal.
Back to the hotel and Dominick calls his mother for a good night and we turn out the lights about 11pm. We are tired but happy that we have seen everything we intended for this day. Tomorrow we leave for the ship and the beginning of our ocean voyage. I'm tired! Good night.
The 2011 Adventure begins...
Athens, Greece November 14, 2011
Our day started early in Northern California on Saturday, November 12. We were at the airport by 8:30 am, thanks to Clint. He took us before he went to work so we didn't have to leave the truck for them to pick up later. Dominick was as antsy as a cat on a hot tin roof with his excitment over this trip. I have to admit that I know exactly how he feels. Even though this is our third year to do a similar journey I was anxious to get going all of the past week. This is the first big trip we have taken since last year. Dominick posted to his Facebook from San Francisco and will post again from Athens and hopefully many of our other ports. Some of his friends from school still don't believe he's going on this trip and I guess we can't blame them. For an 11 year old this is pretty unusual. Excuse me I have been corrected...he is 11 3/4. We lost a day somewhere at over 60,000 feet between Chicago and London. So we literally slipped from the 12th to the 14th with little conscience thought, except that we were TIRED!
We actually got a good nights sleep after a very long and bumpy flight from the states to London. Our plane was a little late and we had just enough time to make our connection to Athens. London has "improved" Heathow since the last time we flew thru there in 2009. They have completed Terminal 5 but you have to go by air train to the other section of Terminal 5, go back thru security and then over to your gate. So once again you can't get there from here. I haven't figured out why these airports make more congestion and work for security by making you go out and come back in just to change from one concourse to another when they could have secure transport between. We had to do the same in San Francisco because one the International Terminal only holds certain airlines and the rest are in the next concourse which is not connected. If they were smart they would have consulted me before doing this and I could have saved them millions of dollars because in each of just these two airports they are now adding on ways to accomplish this. Oh well, it is like I have said before they should always consult a woman for the most efficient way to set these things up.
We have just finished breakfast and the guys have gone to the roof to see if they can get a view of the Acropolis thru the clouds and mist with a little breeze blowing. We are waiting until 9 am to leave the hotel and find the HOHO bus as that is how we have decided to spend our day. We will visit the Parthenon and as many other sites as we have time for today. The Acropolis Museum is not open today but the archaelogical museum opens at 1:30 pm and we will try to go there as I think Dominick will enjoy the weapons display they have. It is very enlightening as to the materials and different ways people used in ancient times to kill each other. Like most 11 year old boys our grandson is infatuated with weapons, blood, guts and all things warmongerish. (Is that even a word?)
Dominick is in the room doing homework assignments he brought with him. He did some on the plane and we are encouraging him to do some each day in hopes he will not have to spend all his days at sea getting everything ready to turn in as soon as we get back home. He has lots of Math and he has been assigned the task of reporting on this trip. We bought him a notebook to use as a journal and are encouraging him to draw sketches and write down everything that he considers important. Tony has gone back to check on him and read for a bit before we get out and about.
We have also brought along a "Flat Meghan" for our great niece so she can share in our adventure. She had actually made one herself but it didn't arrive in time so I had to improvise with a picture of her that I printed from her mother's Facebook page. So it will work and I will save hers for our next trip and do it over again if she wants me to.
This has been a very long, wet, blustery cold day so I will give your history lesson tomorrow when my brain is functioning better. Good night for now.
Our day started early in Northern California on Saturday, November 12. We were at the airport by 8:30 am, thanks to Clint. He took us before he went to work so we didn't have to leave the truck for them to pick up later. Dominick was as antsy as a cat on a hot tin roof with his excitment over this trip. I have to admit that I know exactly how he feels. Even though this is our third year to do a similar journey I was anxious to get going all of the past week. This is the first big trip we have taken since last year. Dominick posted to his Facebook from San Francisco and will post again from Athens and hopefully many of our other ports. Some of his friends from school still don't believe he's going on this trip and I guess we can't blame them. For an 11 year old this is pretty unusual. Excuse me I have been corrected...he is 11 3/4. We lost a day somewhere at over 60,000 feet between Chicago and London. So we literally slipped from the 12th to the 14th with little conscience thought, except that we were TIRED!
We actually got a good nights sleep after a very long and bumpy flight from the states to London. Our plane was a little late and we had just enough time to make our connection to Athens. London has "improved" Heathow since the last time we flew thru there in 2009. They have completed Terminal 5 but you have to go by air train to the other section of Terminal 5, go back thru security and then over to your gate. So once again you can't get there from here. I haven't figured out why these airports make more congestion and work for security by making you go out and come back in just to change from one concourse to another when they could have secure transport between. We had to do the same in San Francisco because one the International Terminal only holds certain airlines and the rest are in the next concourse which is not connected. If they were smart they would have consulted me before doing this and I could have saved them millions of dollars because in each of just these two airports they are now adding on ways to accomplish this. Oh well, it is like I have said before they should always consult a woman for the most efficient way to set these things up.
We have just finished breakfast and the guys have gone to the roof to see if they can get a view of the Acropolis thru the clouds and mist with a little breeze blowing. We are waiting until 9 am to leave the hotel and find the HOHO bus as that is how we have decided to spend our day. We will visit the Parthenon and as many other sites as we have time for today. The Acropolis Museum is not open today but the archaelogical museum opens at 1:30 pm and we will try to go there as I think Dominick will enjoy the weapons display they have. It is very enlightening as to the materials and different ways people used in ancient times to kill each other. Like most 11 year old boys our grandson is infatuated with weapons, blood, guts and all things warmongerish. (Is that even a word?)
Dominick is in the room doing homework assignments he brought with him. He did some on the plane and we are encouraging him to do some each day in hopes he will not have to spend all his days at sea getting everything ready to turn in as soon as we get back home. He has lots of Math and he has been assigned the task of reporting on this trip. We bought him a notebook to use as a journal and are encouraging him to draw sketches and write down everything that he considers important. Tony has gone back to check on him and read for a bit before we get out and about.
We have also brought along a "Flat Meghan" for our great niece so she can share in our adventure. She had actually made one herself but it didn't arrive in time so I had to improvise with a picture of her that I printed from her mother's Facebook page. So it will work and I will save hers for our next trip and do it over again if she wants me to.
This has been a very long, wet, blustery cold day so I will give your history lesson tomorrow when my brain is functioning better. Good night for now.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
What a gorgeous sunny day!! And what a lovely picturesque island, Madeira. Madeira’s mystery begins in beauty, but the enigma is enhanced by suggestions that it may be the remains of the “lost continent” Atlantis. Famous for its Madeira wines, as well as delicate embroideries and laces, Madeira has a fascinating and rich history. It is the site of remains of 16th and 17th century forts and the 15th century Cathedral of Santa Clara. Grapevines were introduced in 1419. Madeira wine is one of the oldest of all fortified wines. The British occupied here in 1801 and 1807 and became enamored of the wine. It is said that the Duke of Clarence actually drowned in a vat of it!
We have no scheduled tour here and take our time leaving the ship to go into town. We get lucky and share a cab with two crew members into the town center. From there we walk down a few blocks and purchase tickets for the HOHO bus. Climbing on we head to the upper open deck and find seats at the very front for an unobstructed view. This bus will take us all over Funchal proper and up to the fishing village of Camara’ de Lobos on the eastern end of the island. Starting in town we zig zag back and forth, up and down and around seeing ancient buildings, monasteries, nunneries, the embroidery factory, world famous Blandy’s Wine Lodge, and the cable cars to Monte. Up and out of the city we head into the countryside along the coast to Camara’ de Lobos. On the way we are treated to the site of banana farms, grape arbors, and persimmon trees interspersed together and terraced into the side of steep rocky mountains. In fact almost everything more than a few blocks back from the coast is chiseled and terraces into the rocks. Verdant, lush, green with splashes of bright colored blooms this is almost like a tropical setting in the Carribean. We ride the HOHO one complete circuit then get off to buy tickets for the cable car to Monte.
Monte is only 4 miles from Funchal, but nearly 2000 feet higher up. Islanders enjoy their “life in the slow lane”. Hiking and swimming are popular sports, but the high mountains are also used for an unusual sport (originally, the wicker sled ride was a necessary form of transportation). Utilizing traditional craft, wicker “sleds” are used for joy riding down the islands steep terrain. We ride the cable car round trip, hop back on the HOHO and head straight for the famous Blandy’s Wine Lodge, where we buy several bottles of really good, really cheap wine.
Earlier in the day we had asked several different locals for recommendations for a local place to have dinner and unanimously the answer was Santo Antonio in Camera‘ de Lobos. At 6:30 the four of us hail a taxi and head for the food! We are not disappointed! With a nod to the Brazilian Bar-B-Q we experienced in Rio last spring the food is served family style and the meat hangs on long spits from hooks built into the table. We indulge in chicken, beef, and T-bone steak served up with fries and something similar but tastier than polenta, a corn mixture fried and cut into bit sized squares that is like eating cream style corn as finger food. Local Sangria is our beverage choice and the guys order two different desserts to share. At the end of the meal our bill for everything totaled E55. And our taxi driver waited for us for 2hrs and charged E45 for the round trip from the ship. We are now fortified for our seven day crossing beginning day after tomorrow afternoon.
The next day we hop back on the HOHO and buy several more bottles of wine to sustain us on our crossing.
Ah ...homeward bound.
We have no scheduled tour here and take our time leaving the ship to go into town. We get lucky and share a cab with two crew members into the town center. From there we walk down a few blocks and purchase tickets for the HOHO bus. Climbing on we head to the upper open deck and find seats at the very front for an unobstructed view. This bus will take us all over Funchal proper and up to the fishing village of Camara’ de Lobos on the eastern end of the island. Starting in town we zig zag back and forth, up and down and around seeing ancient buildings, monasteries, nunneries, the embroidery factory, world famous Blandy’s Wine Lodge, and the cable cars to Monte. Up and out of the city we head into the countryside along the coast to Camara’ de Lobos. On the way we are treated to the site of banana farms, grape arbors, and persimmon trees interspersed together and terraced into the side of steep rocky mountains. In fact almost everything more than a few blocks back from the coast is chiseled and terraces into the rocks. Verdant, lush, green with splashes of bright colored blooms this is almost like a tropical setting in the Carribean. We ride the HOHO one complete circuit then get off to buy tickets for the cable car to Monte.
Monte is only 4 miles from Funchal, but nearly 2000 feet higher up. Islanders enjoy their “life in the slow lane”. Hiking and swimming are popular sports, but the high mountains are also used for an unusual sport (originally, the wicker sled ride was a necessary form of transportation). Utilizing traditional craft, wicker “sleds” are used for joy riding down the islands steep terrain. We ride the cable car round trip, hop back on the HOHO and head straight for the famous Blandy’s Wine Lodge, where we buy several bottles of really good, really cheap wine.
Earlier in the day we had asked several different locals for recommendations for a local place to have dinner and unanimously the answer was Santo Antonio in Camera‘ de Lobos. At 6:30 the four of us hail a taxi and head for the food! We are not disappointed! With a nod to the Brazilian Bar-B-Q we experienced in Rio last spring the food is served family style and the meat hangs on long spits from hooks built into the table. We indulge in chicken, beef, and T-bone steak served up with fries and something similar but tastier than polenta, a corn mixture fried and cut into bit sized squares that is like eating cream style corn as finger food. Local Sangria is our beverage choice and the guys order two different desserts to share. At the end of the meal our bill for everything totaled E55. And our taxi driver waited for us for 2hrs and charged E45 for the round trip from the ship. We are now fortified for our seven day crossing beginning day after tomorrow afternoon.
The next day we hop back on the HOHO and buy several more bottles of wine to sustain us on our crossing.
Ah ...homeward bound.
Cadiz/Seville, Spain
Cadiz stands on a peninsula jutting out into a bay. Named Gadir by the Phoenicians, who founded it as a trading port in 1100 BC, it was later controlled by the Carthaginians before it became a thriving Roman port. It fades during the Visigoths and Moors but came back into prominence in the early 16th century as the launch point of journeys to the “New World” of the Americas. Sir Francis Drake later raided Cadiz in the struggle to control trade in America. The city was one of few in Spain able to withstand a siege by Napoleon’s army.
Today however, we will venture out from Cadiz port about an hour or so to Sevilla. Upon arrival we are apprised of all the orange trees. However these are not orange trees as we know them, but inedible ones that are bitter and only used to make marmalade. The Seville orange is world reknown and most of the marmalade sold in England comes from Spain.
Angeles (Ong ga lace), our guide, meets us at a park like area to lead us through a visit to the sites of the 1929 World’s Fair, the old city outside the walls of Reales Alcazres “the Alcazar”, and of course the palace itself. These and the ancient custom of bull fighting are among just some of the sites and stories of Sevilla or Seville. The fair site is extremely well preserved and each of the buildings and venues are in use today. The entire site is covered with exquisite hand-made tile work in every conceivable design and color. The plaza of the main area is enormous and contains several bridges representing the different “states” that existed at the time along with their coats of arms done in tile on the steps and tops. All of the handrails, light post, planters, plant urns, and benches are covered in tile or made from ceramic. In most cases each tells a story of some kind relating to the history of Spain through the centuries. On our way back to our bus we traverse a small park whose central site is a huge tree surrounded by a statue depicting the Three Stages of Love from first blush to the final aged finale with inclusion of cupid in his different forms. Because the tree continues to grow it is necessary to cut the surround on occasion and add expansion sections to it. This entire area is covered with horse drawn carriages taking people site-seeing. Most of the customers are locals and wedding participants with brides and grooms dressed in beautiful native garments. Angeles has decided we will walk the old Jewish ghetto outside the walls first. Here is a maze of winding, uneven cobbled alleyways jumbled together with convents and private homes and businesses crammed together. No cars can come into this area unless there is a garage for them to park in. The properties with garages are the most expensive and valuable in the whole city. We follow Angeles closely because getting lost in here would be very easy to do. She stops to show us a street so narrow it is called the “kissing street“ since it is possible to stand on a balcony on either side of the street and kiss across with no problem. An average sized person can stand in the middle and place their hands on the houses on each side of the street. Finally it is time to enter Reales Alcazres “the Alcazar”. Reales Alcazres is a palace similar in style of the Alhambra but not near so elegant, is much smaller, and sadly beautiful considering the creator Peter I of Castille (known as “Pedro el Cruel”). It took 30 years to complete the most magnificent parts of the complex using a combination of wood, elaborate stucco, and magnificent azulejos (hand painted tile), and lavish gardens. At the end of our time with Angeles I go back to the main exit where I spotted a man creating watercolor. He and his wife are very elderly, but his little paintings are exquisite and I buy one plus a tiny bookmark depicting the “kissing street”. Now we have a few free hours and it is time once again to find FOOD! We spot what appears to be a target rich environment down a side street that looks familiar since we think we might have passed this way during our old city walk. It is called Dona’ Lina and is very small, cramped, and very busy with local traffic. Oh Yeah! We find a tiny table for 4 and wedge ourselves between other tables to get seated. No one minds moving over a bit here, a bit there so we can sit. It is all done with little fuss and many smiles and thanks in both Spanish and English. We order tapas once again since this menu boasts items not seen in other ports. Deep fried anchovies again,
potatoes, chorizo, pork, fresh bread to die for, Sangria, and for dessert a platter of mixed flans. I personally don’t care for flan or custard but the others said it was wonderful. Sated once again it is time to meet our driver and head back to Cadiz and our ship. Tonight we have a Halloween costume party and I have found a fan, castanets, and a rose embroidered shawl to transform myself into “The Lady of Spain”. Tony will be my OPEC oil executive with the help of one of my caftans and a napkin filched from the Lido Restaurant tied with a long scarf. David and Susan are Dorothy and the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz fame. Your need to understand that Susan is 6 feet tall in her stocking feet and with the Ruby Red Slippers she made, stands a statuesque 6’3”. They won the costume contest and we came in second in a game of wrap a mummy with toilet paper. Hey!, don't laugh it netted us a free bottle of champagne!
Today however, we will venture out from Cadiz port about an hour or so to Sevilla. Upon arrival we are apprised of all the orange trees. However these are not orange trees as we know them, but inedible ones that are bitter and only used to make marmalade. The Seville orange is world reknown and most of the marmalade sold in England comes from Spain.
Angeles (Ong ga lace), our guide, meets us at a park like area to lead us through a visit to the sites of the 1929 World’s Fair, the old city outside the walls of Reales Alcazres “the Alcazar”, and of course the palace itself. These and the ancient custom of bull fighting are among just some of the sites and stories of Sevilla or Seville. The fair site is extremely well preserved and each of the buildings and venues are in use today. The entire site is covered with exquisite hand-made tile work in every conceivable design and color. The plaza of the main area is enormous and contains several bridges representing the different “states” that existed at the time along with their coats of arms done in tile on the steps and tops. All of the handrails, light post, planters, plant urns, and benches are covered in tile or made from ceramic. In most cases each tells a story of some kind relating to the history of Spain through the centuries. On our way back to our bus we traverse a small park whose central site is a huge tree surrounded by a statue depicting the Three Stages of Love from first blush to the final aged finale with inclusion of cupid in his different forms. Because the tree continues to grow it is necessary to cut the surround on occasion and add expansion sections to it. This entire area is covered with horse drawn carriages taking people site-seeing. Most of the customers are locals and wedding participants with brides and grooms dressed in beautiful native garments. Angeles has decided we will walk the old Jewish ghetto outside the walls first. Here is a maze of winding, uneven cobbled alleyways jumbled together with convents and private homes and businesses crammed together. No cars can come into this area unless there is a garage for them to park in. The properties with garages are the most expensive and valuable in the whole city. We follow Angeles closely because getting lost in here would be very easy to do. She stops to show us a street so narrow it is called the “kissing street“ since it is possible to stand on a balcony on either side of the street and kiss across with no problem. An average sized person can stand in the middle and place their hands on the houses on each side of the street. Finally it is time to enter Reales Alcazres “the Alcazar”. Reales Alcazres is a palace similar in style of the Alhambra but not near so elegant, is much smaller, and sadly beautiful considering the creator Peter I of Castille (known as “Pedro el Cruel”). It took 30 years to complete the most magnificent parts of the complex using a combination of wood, elaborate stucco, and magnificent azulejos (hand painted tile), and lavish gardens. At the end of our time with Angeles I go back to the main exit where I spotted a man creating watercolor. He and his wife are very elderly, but his little paintings are exquisite and I buy one plus a tiny bookmark depicting the “kissing street”. Now we have a few free hours and it is time once again to find FOOD! We spot what appears to be a target rich environment down a side street that looks familiar since we think we might have passed this way during our old city walk. It is called Dona’ Lina and is very small, cramped, and very busy with local traffic. Oh Yeah! We find a tiny table for 4 and wedge ourselves between other tables to get seated. No one minds moving over a bit here, a bit there so we can sit. It is all done with little fuss and many smiles and thanks in both Spanish and English. We order tapas once again since this menu boasts items not seen in other ports. Deep fried anchovies again,
potatoes, chorizo, pork, fresh bread to die for, Sangria, and for dessert a platter of mixed flans. I personally don’t care for flan or custard but the others said it was wonderful. Sated once again it is time to meet our driver and head back to Cadiz and our ship. Tonight we have a Halloween costume party and I have found a fan, castanets, and a rose embroidered shawl to transform myself into “The Lady of Spain”. Tony will be my OPEC oil executive with the help of one of my caftans and a napkin filched from the Lido Restaurant tied with a long scarf. David and Susan are Dorothy and the Scarecrow from Wizard of Oz fame. Your need to understand that Susan is 6 feet tall in her stocking feet and with the Ruby Red Slippers she made, stands a statuesque 6’3”. They won the costume contest and we came in second in a game of wrap a mummy with toilet paper. Hey!, don't laugh it netted us a free bottle of champagne!
Barcelona, Spain
This city’s history has much to do with invasions and conquest. Its history dates back to 988 when Barcelona won independence and identified more with being Catalonia than Spain. By the 1400’s Catalonia was linked with other regions of Spain and this lasted until the 1700’s. Today, the Catalan people still consider themselves independent and not part of Spain.
We meet our new partners in crime, David and Susan and the other couple on our Florence excursion, Dick and Helen on the pier. Our guide, Xavier (Ha vee air), a young man that is Catalonian and is very knowledgeable about Barcelona and probably their most famous resident Gaudi (Gow dee’). Our goal today is to see all the major sites, especially those of Gaudi. We start with a drive around the city with a little history. Then stops at several structures designed by Gaudi. He was such a prolific designer that there is actually a book of just the buildings he designed in and around Barcelona. Our first stop is at Parc Guell, originally intended to be a housing development designed by Gaudi for the very rich. It was to have a total of 60 homes and actually be a complete city within its’ walls. Whimsy is the order of the day as are all of Gaudi’s designs, with swirling undulating walls, tile work, and the telling of what seems to be fairy tales. Walt Disney could have received part of his inspiration for Disneyland from Gaudi, such is the fantasy quality of his designs and work. His most visible work of course is Catedral de la Sagrada Familia (Holy Family
Cathedral). He did not intend it to be a church, but typical of Gaudi, it became an obsession. Begun in 1882, is was far from finished when he died in 1926. The last 8 years if his life he worked almost exclusively on it. It is still incomplete and the estimate now is that it will be another 25 years before it is done. Gaudi was a man well ahead of his time-he even used recycled materials and his work today would be considered very modern. He never married and had no children. He is said to have told his mistress in his early years, when she said she wanted to get married that he “was too busy”. He said that decision haunted him in his later years as he died old and alone.
At the end of our tour Xavier drops us at Las Ramblas, the famous promenade, the infamous tourist trap of Barcelona. We venture forward and off side streets in search of real food. Our goal is a local eatery with few or no tourists, no English on the menu, good house wine and homey atmosphere. After rejecting a few we find our target, a tiny doorway leading past a bar to a widening area in the back. The owner speaks only a few words of English and we a few in Spanish. Using this and sign language we manage to order a variety of his house specialties that we have left to his discretion. The food continues to arrive and finally covers every available table surface. Deep fried anchovies, chicken, pork, beef, potatoes, salad, empanadas made with vegetables and meat. An entire table of “tapas” or “little plates”. Beer and red wine, coffee and a
bottle of cognac with instructions to drink all we wanted. Two hours later, our bellies and brains saturated we ask for the bill. Our host sits down at the end of the table and begins to figure on a piece of scrap paper with a short stub of a pencil that was whittled to a point, probably with a pocket knife. Evidently Tony looked like the man in charge or possibly more understanding of the offerta (offer) of E25 per person. The proprietor asked if we thought that a fair price for our feast. We all agreed and he said “are you sure?”. Our yes reply brought handshakes and many thanks as he insisted on pouring more cognac in each of the coffee cups. I asked to buy my cup as usual and he presented it to me with a flourish. After another round of handshakes, adios, and gracias we departed with full stomachs, light heads and memories of a special day indeed.
We meet our new partners in crime, David and Susan and the other couple on our Florence excursion, Dick and Helen on the pier. Our guide, Xavier (Ha vee air), a young man that is Catalonian and is very knowledgeable about Barcelona and probably their most famous resident Gaudi (Gow dee’). Our goal today is to see all the major sites, especially those of Gaudi. We start with a drive around the city with a little history. Then stops at several structures designed by Gaudi. He was such a prolific designer that there is actually a book of just the buildings he designed in and around Barcelona. Our first stop is at Parc Guell, originally intended to be a housing development designed by Gaudi for the very rich. It was to have a total of 60 homes and actually be a complete city within its’ walls. Whimsy is the order of the day as are all of Gaudi’s designs, with swirling undulating walls, tile work, and the telling of what seems to be fairy tales. Walt Disney could have received part of his inspiration for Disneyland from Gaudi, such is the fantasy quality of his designs and work. His most visible work of course is Catedral de la Sagrada Familia (Holy Family
Cathedral). He did not intend it to be a church, but typical of Gaudi, it became an obsession. Begun in 1882, is was far from finished when he died in 1926. The last 8 years if his life he worked almost exclusively on it. It is still incomplete and the estimate now is that it will be another 25 years before it is done. Gaudi was a man well ahead of his time-he even used recycled materials and his work today would be considered very modern. He never married and had no children. He is said to have told his mistress in his early years, when she said she wanted to get married that he “was too busy”. He said that decision haunted him in his later years as he died old and alone.
At the end of our tour Xavier drops us at Las Ramblas, the famous promenade, the infamous tourist trap of Barcelona. We venture forward and off side streets in search of real food. Our goal is a local eatery with few or no tourists, no English on the menu, good house wine and homey atmosphere. After rejecting a few we find our target, a tiny doorway leading past a bar to a widening area in the back. The owner speaks only a few words of English and we a few in Spanish. Using this and sign language we manage to order a variety of his house specialties that we have left to his discretion. The food continues to arrive and finally covers every available table surface. Deep fried anchovies, chicken, pork, beef, potatoes, salad, empanadas made with vegetables and meat. An entire table of “tapas” or “little plates”. Beer and red wine, coffee and a
bottle of cognac with instructions to drink all we wanted. Two hours later, our bellies and brains saturated we ask for the bill. Our host sits down at the end of the table and begins to figure on a piece of scrap paper with a short stub of a pencil that was whittled to a point, probably with a pocket knife. Evidently Tony looked like the man in charge or possibly more understanding of the offerta (offer) of E25 per person. The proprietor asked if we thought that a fair price for our feast. We all agreed and he said “are you sure?”. Our yes reply brought handshakes and many thanks as he insisted on pouring more cognac in each of the coffee cups. I asked to buy my cup as usual and he presented it to me with a flourish. After another round of handshakes, adios, and gracias we departed with full stomachs, light heads and memories of a special day indeed.
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