Dubrovnik and Kotor

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik is now a UNESCO world heritage site, and tourist site,  but I can remember in 1992 when it was assaulted by the Serbs.  Most damage has been repaired and it truly is a beautiful walled city.

Our ship docked a mile or two from the main town and did not offer a shuttle, but there were cabs or city buses (hard to ride because you needed the local currency).  We opted to walk and it was a long but interesting stroll through some local, non-touristy areas.  We stopped at a local farmers market, and at some nice vista points on the way in.  Of the four that walked in, two of us took a taxi back to the ship.

The old city, which is where the tourists go, is a relatively small area,  enclosed by stone walls up to 81 feet high and over 1 ½ miles long.  You can walk along the top of the walls for a great view of the city and the sea.  Cars are not allowed inside the walled area which makes it very visitor friendly with its wide main promenade and parallel lanes which you go up stairs to get to, full of little shops and restaurants.  It was cool when we were here this time, but the last time I was in Dubrovnik it was warm and the back lanes were full of beautifully set tables with linens and flowers.  We only went inside a restaurant for a coffee and pastry.  There are at least 4 churches and a monastery within the walled area.  There is a beautiful clock tower and a Gothic Bishops Palace.  A ½ to full day stop in Dubrovnik is enough to cover the highlights.

Kotor, Montenegro

Montenegro is growing as a tourist spot and also as a destination to buy a vacation home because of its natural beauty.  It is nicknamed the “pearl of the Mediterranean” with beaches, crystal clear lakes, fast flowing rivers and stunning mountains.  We only got to see the tiny old city of Kotor, nestled into the mountains.  Looking in towards the city from our ship, it was hard to imagine that it was occupied by so many nations.  It was protected from the mainland by very harsh looking mountains, so only invadeable from the sea.  The streets are narrow with small squares, little shops and restaurants.  A very enjoyable visit, but again ½ day is enough to see the highlights.   The ships excursions took people farther away to other small towns like Budva, a seaside resort and Cetinje.

Sicily

Mount Etna in Sicily

I got a little behind on my Med Cruise blog posts, but let me continue!

I was excited to be back in Sicily and especially Taormina.  Art and I had spent a week in Sicily a few years ago and really liked it.  Of course on a cruise stop you have to choose just a fraction of the things available on the island. We chose to go to Mt. Etna, an active volcano, and then to Taormina.  We could have spent the entire day at either place.  First we drove up the volcano to the crater at Mt. Etna.  The drive itself is pretty, going past quaint villages and chestnut trees.  From the slopes of the craters are  beautiful panoramic views of the Gulf of Catania.  We walked up around a smaller crater while others in our group hiked up to some higher ones.  The last time we were at Mt. Etna, was right before the eruption in 2003 which destroyed the visitor center.  On that trip the ground was hot under foot.  Mt. Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe.

After Mt. Etna, we drove back to Taormina, one of the prettiest medieval towns I have been to.  It is perched high on a hill with beautiful views in all directions.  We had a guided walking tour through the narrow streets with 15th century buildings.  The last stop was at the Greek theater dating back to the 3rd century BC.  It was rebuilt by the Romans in the 2nd century AD and it still used for concerts.  The view form the highpoint of the theater is considered one of the most breathtaking in all of Italy.

Cruising the Mediterranean: Day 7 – Athens

We arrived at Piraeus, the port for Athens at about 8am and met our tour guide.  On our way to Athens, we learned a bit about Piraeus, which isn’t just a port, but an active city of its own.

After a short drive, we arrive in Athens – the birthplace of civilization. We visited the Olympic stadium that was used in the last two Olympics held in Athens.  We took a walk through beautiful gardens, close to the Prime Minister’s residence and saw the traditional Greek guards at the entryway.  We went to the Acropolis  and spent more than an hour exploring.  There is a charge to walk up to the Parthenon (12 euros), but it is well worth it.  Quite a bit is in scaffolding which you find everywhere in Europe.

With only a day of excursions we only had a chance to go to the Plaka and have lunch.  The Plaka is Athens’ old town – lots of restaurants, shopping, old churches, tourists and locals.  Our guide took us to a restaurant and they suggested dining family style and started bringing out the dishes.  All the regular Greek favorites starting with bread and salad, appetizers of hummus, fried chick pea-balls, cheese balls, followed by stew, dolmates and mousaka.  The food and wine just kept coming!

Our trip did not leave much time for shopping, but the Plaka is a great place to buy gold jewelry.

Oceania Nautica, Day 5: Santorini

Beautiful Santorini

How many pictures have you seen with the beautiful blue and white of Santorini?  It is one of the places that never disappoints me.  Luckily this time we are in the age of digital cameras because Kodak made a fortune selling film on earlier trips.

We came by ship, so we tendered in to the bottom cable car station.  We had a bit of a wait (15 minutes or so)  to get tickets to get on the cable car.  It was 4 euros each way.  Some in our group walked up the hill, and said it was an okay walk (not too strenuous) but you had to dodge the donkeys and the donkey droppings which made the stairs slippery.  No one chose to ride the donkeys which I understand can be a bumpy, smelly and fearful!  I think the cable car was the better choice.  The cable car takes you to the town of Fira and all the shops and restaurants nearby.  We went straight to our bus and drove to the Santos winery.  The wine was good, but the scenery was even better!

We then went to Oia Village (pronounced “E ah”).  Each street, doorway and shop is a picture stop.  You see the beautiful Greek churches with their blue domes and the whitewashed buildings.  The doorways seem to lead to nowhere, but there are steps on the other side of the doorways that lead down to homes tucked along the cliff side.  The cobblestone streets are full of artist galleries, shops and restaurants, and there are many places you can get to beautiful panoramic views.

My daughter and her husband honeymooned in Oia – I will have her add a few words from someone lucky enough to spend a week in Santorini and not just one day cruise stop.  There is an airport serving Santorini with a few flights daily from Athens.

Oceania Cruise, Day 4: Delos and Mykonos

Delos

I was excited to go to Delos, one of two places I had not been to before on this 14 day Mediterranean cruise.

Delos is an uninhabited archaeological sight only a few miles from Mykonos.   The whole island is only 1 ½ square miles. We anchored off the coast and tendered in.  The whole island is protected as a historical site and has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO.  There is an entrance fee of 5 euros to explore the site.

Mykonos

It is a very barren and desolate looking island and I wondered why it was such an important religious and political center for such a long time.  Reading the history I discovered that it was because of its non use for anything else; it was built up as a religious place.  It has a good harbor and location in the Aegean so it became a trading post.

The antiquities are impressive as is the archaeological museum.  One of the most interesting sights is the Avenue of Lions – they have replicas outside and the originals are in the museum.  They believe there to have been at least 9 erected in the 7^th century BC.  They have 5 remaining and one is in Venice.

It was very windy the day we were there, but a few hours of exploring was well worth the visit.

Beautiful Mykonos

Mykonos

I had been to Mykonos before, and did some of the same things I had enjoyed doing before.  I wandered down the narrow side streets and admired the doorways and balconies.  I walked out to look at the windmills and then settled down for a drink at a waterfront taverna.  The ship tendered here as well and I opted to go back to the ship for dinner, but in the past I have had dinner on the waterfront, watching the sunset and the windmills.  A very enjoyable visit.

Some of my group in the Taverna in Mykonos

Alison’s Adventures: Oceania Nautica Day 3 – Rhodes

The third stop  on our Oceania Nautica cruise was Rhodes.  Rhodes is a beautiful island – its name means “Rose” in Greek and is named for its beauty.  It is the largest island in the Aegean.

When you first see Rhodes from the water, you see its intact medieval wall.  The old town has castles, palaces, and museums from different time periods, including the Grand Masters Palace. It has a rich history of occupation by many nations, but the time period that you “feel” is the years of the Knights Templar.  They were on the island for two centuries and their presence is felt walking through the streets.

Alison’s Adventures: Oceania Nautica Day 2 – Ephesus, Turkey

Library at Ephesus

Second day out on our 14 day Mediterranean cruise on Oceania’s Nautica.

The first time I went to Kusadasi, it was a little port town with a few local craft markets – now it is a thriving city.  The port itself is very nice and we could dock and walk out to a great shopping plaza.

I have been to Ephesus a few times before, and it remains a favorite because it is one of the best preserved ancient cities in the world.

As with many ancient cities in the area, Ephesus has history of Greek, Roman and Byzantine occupation.  It was a thriving and very modern city for thousands of years.  When listening to history in this area – the mythological and the true history – guides talk about cities being founded by Greek Gods and of course most of the monuments were built to honor the Gods.  The Temple of Artemis was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was destroyed in 356 BC, but the sight of it can still be seen.

Alison’s Adventures: Istanbul, Turkey

Blue Mosque in Istanbul

After 26 years as a travel agent, it has been suggested that I blog about my trips and offer up some advice. I just returned from 18 days in the Mediterranean, so I will start there. Today’s city – Istanbul.

Instanbul

When planning a trip to Turkey, you will learn that US citizens are required to have a visa to visit the country. Tour companies and cruise lines will usually offer to obtain a visa for you prior to your trip, but if it will cost you more than $20 it is not worth it. I was travelling on OCEANIA cruise line (more about Oceania another day) and they charge $49 to obtain the visa, which I did not do.

From Oceania!

It is day 2 on the Oceania Regatta and I thought it would be a good time to check in.