Athens, Greece - Day Eleven

Our fourth and final day in Greece brought us to Athens, a large city of 5 million people, seat of government for the nation of Greece, and the site of the perhaps greatest archaeological trove in the world - the Acropolis with its Parthenon.

Our tour included a brief glimpse of the city of Athens by bus - its ports, the stadium which hosted the first of the modern Olympics (Jan stands before the stadium), art museums, parliament buildings and shopping district. But the centerpiece was a walking tour up to the Acropolis to see first-hand the ruins of this monument to the golden age of democracy, 5th century BC.

Eighty steps on often uneven, rocky ground led us up to the top. It was crowded with a bottleneck to get into and out of the ceremonial entrance, but once inside our guide gave us a complete description of how the Parthenon - dedicated to Athena, goddess of wisdom - was built and how it looked prior to its destruction.

We wound our way down the same rocky path and followed our guide to the new Acropolis Museum where more than 4,000 objects from the ancient city have been preserved in a beautifully designed building. There was literally too much to see in the short time we had, but our guide showed us the high points, including replicas of the Elgin marbles taken from the Parthenon in the 19th century and the subject of a dispute as to whether they should be returned.

After the museum we stopped for a gelato cone, then returned to the ship for a short swim in the main pool, and back to our room to begin packing. This was followed by dinner with our friends at the second specialty restaurant onboard - the Chef's Table. Here we were offered a fixed menu with Mexican overtones, beginning with a tiny octopus taco, a chicken-filled corn dumpling, short ribs in a mole sauce, and a chocolate medley of sweets for dessert. It was fantastic.

The whole day was a fitting conclusion to a memorable vacation. We will remember what we saw and heard for years to come. Soon our photos will be available on Shutterfly and we will send a link, and you can always review this trip on <http://jarchronicles.blogspot.com>. 

I hope you have enjoyed following us on this trip.

-- 

John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Santorini - Day Ten

Our third day in Greece brought us to the island of Santorini, which consists of a huge caldera formed by a 6th century BC volcanic eruption, with towns and other residences perched on the cliff rim of the caldera, then sloping down toward the Aegean Sea on the other side. Passenger ships anchor in the caldera which is open on one side. The plug of the mildly active volcano is in the center of the caldera. The island is also prone to earthquakes - the last big one occurring in 1956.

Our "walking" tour consisted of a small boat ride from the ship to the small port, where we met our bus and guide. We rode to the town of Oia while the guide gave an overview of the history of the island and its unique cave houses - residences partially dug into the soft volcanic rock. In Oia we had free time to browse the main pedestrian walkway lined with shops, boutique hotels and churches. Most of the buildings are made of concrete and painted white - from a distance it looks like snow on the hillside.

From Oia we rode again to the capital city of Thera where again we had free time to browse the pedestrian walkways, window shop and enjoy a cone of gelato.  The way down the cliffs to the water's edge is by cable car or by donkey cart. We chose the cable car.

Back at the ship, again by small boat, we had lunch and went for a swim. Because so many folks were still in Santorini, we had the pool to ourselves and it was so relaxing after the push and shove of all the other tourists on the island.

We joined our friends again for dinner in the restaurant - arugula salad, prime rib, and a Grand Marnier souffle for dessert.  Tonight is the Captain's farewell, as tomorrow is the last day of the trip.

Tomorrow is Athens, and our tour will take us to the top of the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and other ruins there. Later we plan to see the new Archaeological Museum.  More to come...

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John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Katakolon - Olympian - Day Nine

Our second day in Greece brought us to the port of Katakolon, whose real significance seems to be that it is within 15 miles or so from the site of the original Olympics. We docked about 7:00 am, and after breakfast, our walking tour left the ship about 9:30 am. We traveled by motor coach to the Olympic site (really an archaeological museum) during which our excellent guide, Rena, gave a running narrative of the area through which we were traveling.

The area was in fact a rural, farming area, and we learned that nearly 70% of the Hellenistic peoples are farmers. (Greek was the name given by the Romans and the Hellenes dislike it.) The principle crop is olive trees, the Greeks being the third largest producer of olive oil after Spain and Italy. But we also saw corn and hay fields, crops grown for animal food.

The site of the original Olympics is a large collection of the remnants of buildings built in antiquity. The ruins of temples, gymnasiums, thermal baths, the housing of officials and the actual Olympic stadium - destroyed by earthquakes and other natural causes - had been unearthed by archaeologists in the 19th century, and now were given life for us by the descriptions of our guide. It was a forest of marble sections, littering the landscape where they fell. Only a few pieces had been restored for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Nearby is a modern museum, the second stop on our walking tour, in which is housed some of the marble figures which adorned the temples, as well as artifacts which had been unearthed from the ruins. Our guide helped us see the artistry and skill of the sculptors while describing the mythology behind the figures.

The whole experience of the Olympic site was amazing, a view into a different world where contests were held in a setting of peace, and where athletes competed not for gold, silver and bronze, but for nothing less than the favor of the gods.

We returned to the ship and after lunch attended a round-table discussion led by the resident historian on the subject of whether or not museums should return the artifacts taken from other countries. The case in point is the so-called Elgin marbles, taken from the Greek Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens and now housed in a British museum. We didn't solve the issue, but it was an enlightening discussion.

After dinner - a cured pork loin salad, baked salmon topped with crab meat, and molten chocolate cake - we returned to our cabin. Tomorrow we visit the island of Santorini, known as the "pearl of the Aegean". More to come...

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John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Corfu, Greece - Day Eight

Today we reached Greece. Our first stop was the island of Corfu, on the northwest region of the Greek nation. Our tour was a combination bus ride and walking tour; the bus ride gave us a glimpse of the central area of Corfu - very wooded and lush - and the walking tour took us through the central part of the old city.

The feet of many civilizations have trod Corfu, from the earliest settlers, through the Romans, the French, the Italians, the Russians and the British. The various sections of the city's architecture demonstrate those occupations, principally the Italian, French and British. Following the examples of other countries, where the Venetians needed ports such as offered by Corfu for their trading expeditions, there is a lot of Italian influence on the buildings, especially the Roman Catholic churches. The British influence was underscored by the fact the Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was born on Corfu.

After the tour we headed back to the ship for lunch. And after a decent interval, we headed to the ship's pool for a swim and some quiet reading time. The photo shows Jan in her element. As the sun is very hot, we managed to snag two of the lounge chairs in the shade, but even the short time in the pool resulted in some sunburn.

The evening was spent with friends, enjoying another delicious meal in the restaurant - butternut soup, seafood in fresh pasta, and Sachertorte.

Tomorrow we arrive in the island of Katakolon, the home of the original Olympic games.  We are to see the original site of the games and the ruins of the Greek temples that surrounded it.  More to come...

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John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Koto, Montenegro - Day Seven

Our day started early. To reach Koto, Montenegro, the Viking Star had to sail into a wonderful, deep valley surrounded by the limestone cliffs that make up the geography of his area. We wanted to watch the process from our balcony, so with coffee in hand, we watched the sun rise and took in the beauty of the trip. The photo is of Jan on the deck of our ship with the mountains of Koto in the background.

Koto was a prize of the Venetians because it offered a deep, protected harbor for their trading vessels. It was also a buffer against the Ottoman Turks who had begun to move northward seeking to conquer the Italians and other nations in the north. To protect the city, over the centuries, massive walls were built both at sea level and above the city on the mountainside. The walls still exist and are a challenge to the agile visitors.  We passed.

Our guide was very knowledgeable as have been all our Viking guides. As a native of Koto, she was able to give us a clear picture of how Montenegro came to be an independent nation in 2006, as a former part of Yugoslavia.

As we traveled through the narrow streets, she pointed out the various building styles and how they reflected the wealth of the inhabitants.  We visited the cathedral of St.Tryphon, martyred at 18 in Rome, whose remains are housed in the church. Finally we saw a small maritime museum, the former home of a prosperous captain whose daughter willed ti to the city to display artifacts of the sailing history of the region.

 Early in the afternoon the ship left the port of Kotor as there is some distance to the next port. On the way out of the channel, our resident historian give us a running narration on the history and geography of the area.

Finally we joined our friends Leo and Jeanne for dinner in the restaurant, with more good conversation.  Now we are ready for the next stop, the Greek island of Corfu. More to come.

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John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Dubrovnik, Croatia - Day Six

Today we visited Dubrovnik, Croatia - the "Pearl of the Adriatic" - so described because of the limestone cliffs surrounding the city. For many on this Viking cruise, visiting this place was a highlight since some scenes from the "Game of Thrones" series were filmed here. While it also was dominated by the Venetians for some 500 years, it remains proudly its own domain with a healthy dislike of Italians.

Its ancient walls, built and extended over the centuries for protection against enemies both from the sea and from the surrounding mountains, totally enclose the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Agile tourists like to climb to the top of the walls and walk the perimeter (several miles); we took part in the walking tour which stayed on level ground for the most part. The place was crowded, although our guide, Ivanna, a native of Dubrovnik, assured us that it was not nearly as crowded as in the summer months.

Highlights of the walking tour included the fortifications, a fountain still fed by an ancient aqueduct (in front of which Jan is standing in the photo), the cathedral and a Benedictine monastery museum. The patron saint of Dubrovnik is St. Blaise, known among other things as the healer of throats, and the city's guides have their throats blessed each year on February 3, his feast day.

We returned to the ship for lunch and in the afternoon went swimming in the ship's pool, after which we spent time with our Kindles. The weather continues to be warm and the sky is cloudless; the roof over the pool was open and our deck chairs faced the beautiful hillside. It was a glorious afternoon.

In the evening we dined at one of the specialty restaurants on board, an Italian-themed place called Manfredi's. The food was good - antipasti, veal in marsala sauce, tortellini, and gelato and cappuccino for dessert.

Tomorrow we visit Kotar, Montenegro, a city in an even newer country than Slovenia.  Montenegro was established as a country in 2005.  More to come...

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John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Zadar, Croatia - Day Five

Sailing through the night, the Viking Star reached the port of Zadar, Croatia just as the sun was rising. Docking directly next to access to the city, we were able to walk off the ship to join directly our walking tour of the old city. The harbor has a modern seafront promenade which incorporates a "sea organ" - acoustic tubes connected below the water so that each wave produces a sound in a random but pleasing order.

Zadar is one of two stops we will be making in the nation of Croatia, which, like Slovenia, is a product of the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990's. The city is the site of early habitations, including the Romans who built the streets and a forum and a temple dedicated to Jupiter. Remnants of the forum and temple are still visible, some of which were uncovered by the bombing during the previous wars.

Also like Koper, Zadar was taken over by the Venetians as a part of its empire for at least 500 years, part of the domination of that extended down the Adriatic coast. Its influence is everywhere, especially in the architecture of many of the older buildings, and the Lion of St Mark on the city gates.

Our guide was knowledgeable and led us through the maze of cobblestone streets, much of which had been laid out by the Romans in straight lines. The arrival of Christianity in the city is evidenced by the many churches, including the cathedral dedicated to the city's patron saint, Chrysogonus.

We also were able to visit a liturgical relics museum where sacred and precious artifacts are preserved, displayed and guarded by an order of nuns.

After lunch we made our way back to the city, this time looking beyond the walls of the old city to see portions of modern Zadar.  Between the tour and our own foray, we covered over six miles.

The lecture for the day was delivered  by Ms. Angela Schneider, who gave us an overview of the history, art and architecture of Dubrovnik, Croatia, which is our destination for tomorrow.

After another delicious dinner with our friends, we are happy to call it a day. But, tomorrow will bring more adventures.  Stay tuned...

--

John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Koper, Slovenia - Day Four

The Viking Star docked in the port of Koper, Slovenia at about 7 am. Koper is the only seaport for the country of Slovenia, which gained its independence from Yugoslavia only in 1991. It is now a member of the European Union.

After breakfast, we joined a walking tour of the old city of Koper, led by a really excellent guide. Sonja had grown up working in the salt harvesting beds which was the principal industry for Koper from ancient times.  It was the salt which attracted the attention of the Venetian merchants and led to a Venetian presence in Koper for 500 years. Several buildings in the town square bear Venetian architectural influences and are adorned with the Lion of St. Mark.

(Fun fact: when the representation of the Lion of St. Mark - representing Venice - is accompanied by an open book, it means peaceful occupation. If the representation is with a closed book, it represents conquest.)

Sonja's tales of helping to harvest the evaporated salt, living conditions under the autocratic rule of first the Germans, then Yugoslavia, changes brought about by the country's independence, and her grandmother's wisdom gave life to what could have been a boring walk-about. We loved it.

We returned to the ship for lunch, then ventured out again to see more of what we missed the first time, including some of the city's parks with citizens enjoying the beautiful Fall weather. It had an almost bucolic, peaceful feel.

After another excellent meal - crab cakes, Beef Wellington and chocolate souffle shared with our friends Jeanne and Leo, we took in the Captain's welcome and returned to our room, grateful for a most enjoyable day.

Tomorrow we visit Zadar, Croatia - another city with strong ties to ancient Venice.  More to come

Venice - Day Three

Our time in Venice is coming to a close.  The major action of the day was to get our luggage (pickup at 7 am) and ourselves (pickup at 10 am) to the Viking Star anchored in the Venice harbor.  As there were over 200 people on the Venice pre-trip extension, this was no small undertaking. 

And, international travel safety is no small thing. Our luggage was scanned before our arrival and placed in our cabin. We had to pass through security lines not unlike those at airports, overseen by Italian police.

But we made it.  We entered the Viking Star (the same ship on which we took our first Viking Homelands cruise) about 11 am, and spent the first couple of hours in our favorite library hang-out, then lunch, then a stroll on the sports deck, and finally into our cabin at 2 pm.  

After unpacking, we attended a briefing on tomorrow's events, took part in a fire drill, and attended the first of the series of enrichment lectures - this one on the history and political importance of Venice, especially in lieu of the effect of Venetian power on other ports in the Adriatic we will be visiting.

Our evening ended with our first delicious meal in the main restaurant - crab souffle, broiled scallops, and "mango-tango" for dessert.

Tomorrow we will dock in Koper, Solvenia, which is the only seaport for this newish nation. We'll be on a walking tour of the old city and can't wait to report what we find.  More to come...

--

John Rollins
JARdigitalworks
201-452-1572

Venice - Day Two

Overnight the skies cleared and today was beautiful. And we made the most of it.

We started with a water taxi ride to the island of Murano to visit one of the famous glass-making studios. After a demonstration and a quick tour of the showrooms, we took a water taxi back to the San Marco plaza.

That was followed by a visit to the palace of the Doges, the government offices of ancient Venice, with it's baroque decorations and elaborate paintings.

Then we bought a day pass for the vaporetti, the city's water buses, and started a trip of the length of the Grand Canal. We stopped to cross the famous Rialto Bridge, get an espresso and, after walking some more, a gelato.

On the way back on the Grand Canal, we stopped to visit the Peggy Guggenheim art museum, with its collection of modern art and sculpture.

By this time we had walked about 6.5 miles, but we finished the day with a delicious meal at a canal-side restaurant near our hotel.  Fantastic!

Tomorrow we transfer to the Viking Star for more Venice adventures. Stay tuned...

Venice - Day One

It's a running joke with us, that where ever we travel rain will find us. And it was true for our first day in Venice.

Our flight landed about 8:30 am and we were transferred to our hotel in an hour. Of course the room wasn't ready at that hour, so we took a short walk but retreated to the hotel as the rain began. 

In the afternoon, after getting the room,   we decided to put on the rain gear and head out. The hotel provides a launch to the San Marco plaza. 

Once-over there we wandered, taking in all the ancient beauty of the plaza, and window shopping at the high end stores. Topping off the afternoon with gelato, we returned by the hotel launch to begin planning for tomorrow.  More to come...

The journey begins...

With our bags packed, our trip to Venice and points South on the Adriatic sea is underway.

We'll be boarding United flight 140 from the Newark airport for an eight hour flight, arriving in Venice about 9:30 a m. Sunday morning. 

Our plan is to start sightseeing as soon as we get to our hotel. We'll have a lot more to report tomorrow. And we're glad to have you along...