Sunday November 14th, 2010.
Our last day of vacation; sigh, sigh again. Today was spent taking in more of the sights of Rome; we explored the ancient Forum, Coliseum and Circus Massimo. The weather was absolutely brilliant – I should have put on shorts and a t-shirt, but unfortunately I had mostly brought winter clothes; it must be that global warming thing. The crowds were not too big and the vendors and hawkers were out in force – including the guys dressed in full Roman soldier outfits looking to make a buck by posing for pictures with the tourists; I suppose everyone has to make a living somehow.
In the afternoon we walked around the Trastavere area of Rome which has lots of winding backstreets and seems to be a very “working class” area. The Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastavere was well worth seeing; although smaller than many of the other churches it was very ornately decorated inside. From Trastavere we made our away across the river to the Palazzo Spada which houses a small art collection – however when we got there we were a bit knackered and so we did not go in.
We headed back to the hotel in the late afternoon and on the way back we noticed several city employees walking along the banks of the river whilst broadcasting very loud hawk calls through bullhorns – this in an attempt to stop the flocks of sparrows from roosting in the trees, and crapping all over the paths and cars. This bird scaring approach should definitely be reviewed as we saw several cars absolutely plastered in shite, and the smell along the footpath, in places, initiated spontaneous retching.
Just a comment about the taxi drivers in Rome… almost all of them are retired formula one racing car drivers. My best advice is to just shut your eyes and prey – rosaries can be purchased in the vicinity of the Vatican to support his activity, I highly recommend them (and I’m not even a catholic).
On the recommendation of the hotel concierge we made our final dining destination a small restaurant in a tiny square about a block from the Pantheon. The food was great and we sat outside even though the patio area had no heat lamps. From my seat I could actually see the Pantheon – awesome. I finished off the meal with a glass of ice cold Lemoncello – it’s a bit like drinking a very alcoholic, sweetened purée of lemon rinds – no actually it’s a lot like that!
We’ve had 18 fantastic days of vacation – but tomorrow we have to head home, and for me at least – head back to work. Oh well, there’s always next year.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Eastern European Vacation Day 17
Saturday November 13th, 2010.
Vatican day; we had pre-purchased tickets for a guided tour of the Vatican Museum and the Basilica. Out tickets were for 1PM and so after breakfast we walked to St. Peter’s Square; our plan was to poke around in the basilica for a bit, maybe even attempt and assent of the dome, and then head round to the museum in the afternoon for the tour. As soon as we arrived in the square I realized our plans were shot – the line to enter the basilica was enormous; by the time we got in it would be time to go for our tour! So we took pictures, found a coffee shop to hang out in, and then entered the museum.
Our tour group of about 20 people were issued the same type of radio receivers we had in Ephesus – which we had found very effective. But then the tour guide (a lady whose name I can’t remember) announced that this would be the 3 hour tour, I could not remember what the quoted time was – but I thought it was 2 hours, this should have been a warning. At the very start of the tour we were sat on a bench in front of a small revolving billboard type for display for 45 minutes while the guide explained every single square inch of the Sistine chapel ceiling and walls – I’m not kidding, really I’m NOT kidding.
Finally we moved off for what would be close to 4 hours of excruciatingly detailed explanations of statues, frescoes, tapestries and paintings. What’s more, the guide had a very extrovert and emotive style that verged at times on being evangelistic – I got the feeling that at the end of the tour if I did not instantly convert to Catholicism it would be the catacombs for me! What this lady did not know about the Vatican could be written in 50pt font on the testicle of a gnat. The Vatican collection and the Sistine chapel are amazing – but we could have done with the 1 hour high-speed version of the tour. One cool part of the tour was getting from the Sistine chapel directly into the Basilica along a corridor leading from the papal apartments.
Back at the hotel we quickly changed and headed back to Berninetta for dinner; however we had misjudged Roman dinner times – we tried to get in a 6PM but it did not open until 7:30PM. So we found a convenient bar and drowned our sorrows until the restaurant opened.
Vatican day; we had pre-purchased tickets for a guided tour of the Vatican Museum and the Basilica. Out tickets were for 1PM and so after breakfast we walked to St. Peter’s Square; our plan was to poke around in the basilica for a bit, maybe even attempt and assent of the dome, and then head round to the museum in the afternoon for the tour. As soon as we arrived in the square I realized our plans were shot – the line to enter the basilica was enormous; by the time we got in it would be time to go for our tour! So we took pictures, found a coffee shop to hang out in, and then entered the museum.
Our tour group of about 20 people were issued the same type of radio receivers we had in Ephesus – which we had found very effective. But then the tour guide (a lady whose name I can’t remember) announced that this would be the 3 hour tour, I could not remember what the quoted time was – but I thought it was 2 hours, this should have been a warning. At the very start of the tour we were sat on a bench in front of a small revolving billboard type for display for 45 minutes while the guide explained every single square inch of the Sistine chapel ceiling and walls – I’m not kidding, really I’m NOT kidding.
Finally we moved off for what would be close to 4 hours of excruciatingly detailed explanations of statues, frescoes, tapestries and paintings. What’s more, the guide had a very extrovert and emotive style that verged at times on being evangelistic – I got the feeling that at the end of the tour if I did not instantly convert to Catholicism it would be the catacombs for me! What this lady did not know about the Vatican could be written in 50pt font on the testicle of a gnat. The Vatican collection and the Sistine chapel are amazing – but we could have done with the 1 hour high-speed version of the tour. One cool part of the tour was getting from the Sistine chapel directly into the Basilica along a corridor leading from the papal apartments.
Back at the hotel we quickly changed and headed back to Berninetta for dinner; however we had misjudged Roman dinner times – we tried to get in a 6PM but it did not open until 7:30PM. So we found a convenient bar and drowned our sorrows until the restaurant opened.
Eastern European Vacation Day 16
Friday November 12th, 2010.
Disembarkation day – always a bit stressful… when will we get off? Will the bags make it? Will our driver be there to meet us? Will he know where to go? The ship docked on time in Civitavecchia which is actually about 40 miles north of Rome and we had arranged, through our hotel, to have a minivan pick us up – the rates Cunard quoted us were outrageous. It turns out that we needed of worried about anything; in fact coming through the port was probably the smoothest transition we have ever made getting off a cruise ship. We easily found our bags and emerged from the terminal just as the driver was pulling up in a nice Mercedes minivan – he even had a sign with my name on it! The bags were loaded and we were whisked off and checking into the Hotel Dei Mellini about an hour later.
We quickly dropped off our bags and headed out for a walking tour and lunch. The Mellini is a nice little boutique hotel located in a quiet neighborhood north of the Vatican; we stayed here about 5 years and loved it. At the Piazza Navona we had lunch in an outdoor café right on the square; the weather was brilliant – a bright warm day and the lunch was great. Next we strolled to the Pantheon; no matter how many times I see it I still marvel at the construction of this incredible place – over 2000 years ago! On to the Trevi Fountain, it was quite busy for this time of year; nevertheless Sandra and I managed to push our way to the front so we could make our deposit (3 coins of course) – thus guaranteeing our return (hey it worked last time!). We stropped briefly for a cappuccino and then resumed our trek to the Spanish Steps. Again the area was busy, but we managed to get some good pictures – posing on the steps of course.
We had pre-booked tickets for the Galleria Borghese for 5PM so we jumped in a cab and headed off. The Borghese is a small gallery that houses an eclectic collection of art that once belonged to a Pope – we visited the gallery last time and definitely thought it was worth a second look. The highlight of the collection for us was the marble statues by Bernini and Cosani – absolutely incredible. At the end of our allotted time we jumped in a cab and headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
On our last visit to Rome, Sandra and I discovered a small restaurant very close to the hotel that we really liked; however we could not remember the name of the place or its exact location. Thank goodness Sandra had remembered the approximate spot and we were able to find after only a few minutes of looked – I should be honest here and say that we tried to find the place at lunch time following the directions from the hotel concierge and were not successful. We now know the restaurant is called Berninetta; and it was as good as we remembered. The thing we liked about Berninetta is that we were the only tourists in the place – in fact we were the only non-Italians. The restaurant is very much a place for locals; the food is basic but very good.
Disembarkation day – always a bit stressful… when will we get off? Will the bags make it? Will our driver be there to meet us? Will he know where to go? The ship docked on time in Civitavecchia which is actually about 40 miles north of Rome and we had arranged, through our hotel, to have a minivan pick us up – the rates Cunard quoted us were outrageous. It turns out that we needed of worried about anything; in fact coming through the port was probably the smoothest transition we have ever made getting off a cruise ship. We easily found our bags and emerged from the terminal just as the driver was pulling up in a nice Mercedes minivan – he even had a sign with my name on it! The bags were loaded and we were whisked off and checking into the Hotel Dei Mellini about an hour later.
We quickly dropped off our bags and headed out for a walking tour and lunch. The Mellini is a nice little boutique hotel located in a quiet neighborhood north of the Vatican; we stayed here about 5 years and loved it. At the Piazza Navona we had lunch in an outdoor café right on the square; the weather was brilliant – a bright warm day and the lunch was great. Next we strolled to the Pantheon; no matter how many times I see it I still marvel at the construction of this incredible place – over 2000 years ago! On to the Trevi Fountain, it was quite busy for this time of year; nevertheless Sandra and I managed to push our way to the front so we could make our deposit (3 coins of course) – thus guaranteeing our return (hey it worked last time!). We stropped briefly for a cappuccino and then resumed our trek to the Spanish Steps. Again the area was busy, but we managed to get some good pictures – posing on the steps of course.
We had pre-booked tickets for the Galleria Borghese for 5PM so we jumped in a cab and headed off. The Borghese is a small gallery that houses an eclectic collection of art that once belonged to a Pope – we visited the gallery last time and definitely thought it was worth a second look. The highlight of the collection for us was the marble statues by Bernini and Cosani – absolutely incredible. At the end of our allotted time we jumped in a cab and headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.
On our last visit to Rome, Sandra and I discovered a small restaurant very close to the hotel that we really liked; however we could not remember the name of the place or its exact location. Thank goodness Sandra had remembered the approximate spot and we were able to find after only a few minutes of looked – I should be honest here and say that we tried to find the place at lunch time following the directions from the hotel concierge and were not successful. We now know the restaurant is called Berninetta; and it was as good as we remembered. The thing we liked about Berninetta is that we were the only tourists in the place – in fact we were the only non-Italians. The restaurant is very much a place for locals; the food is basic but very good.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Eastern European Vacation Day 15
Thursday November 11th, 2010.
Our final day on the ship, sigh, and today we docked in Naples – which is the only port stop where we don’t have plans to explore the city; I was here 30 years ago and it was rough, everything we’ve heard has not changed that opinion. Instead we have booked an all-day shore excursion to Sorrento and the ruins of Pompeii.
We left the port on a nice coach – it was actually the bus used by the Naples football team, complete with team colors and logo; apparently they rent out the bus when they don’t need it. Leaving Naples the sky became very ominous looking – dense black clouds and it started to rain. Naples is a bit of a dump – at least the bit we drove through, I may be doing it a bit of an injustice but I’m only describing what we saw.
The ride to Sorrento took about an hour and along the way our guide described various important points… “here the road is 2 lanes…here the road is 3 lanes” – it was gripping stuff! Mount Vesuvius dominates the landscape and was shrouded in heavy clouds for most of the trip to Sorrento. About half and hour in, the sky just exploded with extremely heavy rain as everyone on the bus rushed to check they had brought some form of protection. The commentary got better as we went along; we passed the birthplace of Al Capone and learned all about olive harvesting.
Passing through a series of long tunnels we emerged to bright sunshine – a miracle – and a beautiful coastal landscape. The bus hugged the cliff-side road as it meandered (do you know there is actually a river called Meander in Turkey?) south through several small towns to Sorrento. Just before reaching the town the bus pulled over at a point where we could get some great pictures looking down at Sorrento – quite spectacular.
The bus made its way to the center of town and deposited us, conveniently, outside a shop specializing in in-layded wood furniture; this kind of unpublished stop is a feature of cruise line shore excursions and they just drive us crazy – really we did not come on this trip to listen to sales pitches for things we have no interest in. So Sandra and I went around the corner and found a great coffee shop. The deal in Sorrento was for us to have an hour of free time then meet back up with the guide who would take us for lunch.
We found Sorrento to be very pleasant; main streets with very high end shops and lots of narrow back streets with market stalls and other shops selling local goods. We strolled and created the obligatory digital records for future reference. We made our way back to the designated meeting point, rejoined the group and headed to lunch. The guide took us back to the narrow street area and we all trooped into a small restaurant and enjoyed a quite nice classic Italian lunch – wine included!
Back on the bus we headed for Pompeii – about an hour away, just enough time to recharge for the task ahead. On arrival we were yet again diverted into a sales pitch – this time on cameos – ahhh! At the ruins our guide purchased the tickets, gave everyone a map and led us to out first point of interest – the area where the gladiators trained. Based on my recollections from 30 years ago the ruins at Pompeii don’t look so ruined anymore. There has been extensive reconstruction; when I was here before I remember lots of piles of rocks lying around with the occasional partial structure. Now the whole layout of the city is very recognizable and some houses have been almost completely rebuilt. I have to say I have mixed feelings about this – some of the reconstruction obviously used almost all of the original material, but lots of recent concrete work was evident in many of the buildings.
We did see the classic streets with the original cart tracks and the stepping stones that allowed citizens to cross the street without stepping in the crap that flowed down the streets – Pompeii had no sewer system! We also saw the plaster casts of several of the original inhabitants, those last 10% who refused for some reason to flee the city. These poor folks were suffocated then covered in tons of volcanic ash. Eventually the bodies decomposed leaving only the bones in a hollow cavity. The excavators figured out that by tapping on the ground they could find these cavities and, by drilling holes and pouring in plaster, they could create a very accurate statue of the original person – complete with bones and teeth. The facial expressions on some of these “statues” were quite horrific.
Back on the bus we headed “home”. Along the way it became obvious that the area around Naples had suffered some very heavy rain during the day – amazingly we had escaped it all. However as we got closer to the city the roads became flooded and the traffic ground to a standstill. There were actually 3 bussed on our itinerary and we all arrived back at the ship 30 minutes after the published sailing time – thankfully the ship had waited for us! We rushed back to our cabins and I managed to throw on a jacket (god forbid I broke protocol) and made it to the dining room just in time for dinner.
Our final day on the ship, sigh, and today we docked in Naples – which is the only port stop where we don’t have plans to explore the city; I was here 30 years ago and it was rough, everything we’ve heard has not changed that opinion. Instead we have booked an all-day shore excursion to Sorrento and the ruins of Pompeii.
We left the port on a nice coach – it was actually the bus used by the Naples football team, complete with team colors and logo; apparently they rent out the bus when they don’t need it. Leaving Naples the sky became very ominous looking – dense black clouds and it started to rain. Naples is a bit of a dump – at least the bit we drove through, I may be doing it a bit of an injustice but I’m only describing what we saw.
The ride to Sorrento took about an hour and along the way our guide described various important points… “here the road is 2 lanes…here the road is 3 lanes” – it was gripping stuff! Mount Vesuvius dominates the landscape and was shrouded in heavy clouds for most of the trip to Sorrento. About half and hour in, the sky just exploded with extremely heavy rain as everyone on the bus rushed to check they had brought some form of protection. The commentary got better as we went along; we passed the birthplace of Al Capone and learned all about olive harvesting.
Passing through a series of long tunnels we emerged to bright sunshine – a miracle – and a beautiful coastal landscape. The bus hugged the cliff-side road as it meandered (do you know there is actually a river called Meander in Turkey?) south through several small towns to Sorrento. Just before reaching the town the bus pulled over at a point where we could get some great pictures looking down at Sorrento – quite spectacular.
The bus made its way to the center of town and deposited us, conveniently, outside a shop specializing in in-layded wood furniture; this kind of unpublished stop is a feature of cruise line shore excursions and they just drive us crazy – really we did not come on this trip to listen to sales pitches for things we have no interest in. So Sandra and I went around the corner and found a great coffee shop. The deal in Sorrento was for us to have an hour of free time then meet back up with the guide who would take us for lunch.
We found Sorrento to be very pleasant; main streets with very high end shops and lots of narrow back streets with market stalls and other shops selling local goods. We strolled and created the obligatory digital records for future reference. We made our way back to the designated meeting point, rejoined the group and headed to lunch. The guide took us back to the narrow street area and we all trooped into a small restaurant and enjoyed a quite nice classic Italian lunch – wine included!
Back on the bus we headed for Pompeii – about an hour away, just enough time to recharge for the task ahead. On arrival we were yet again diverted into a sales pitch – this time on cameos – ahhh! At the ruins our guide purchased the tickets, gave everyone a map and led us to out first point of interest – the area where the gladiators trained. Based on my recollections from 30 years ago the ruins at Pompeii don’t look so ruined anymore. There has been extensive reconstruction; when I was here before I remember lots of piles of rocks lying around with the occasional partial structure. Now the whole layout of the city is very recognizable and some houses have been almost completely rebuilt. I have to say I have mixed feelings about this – some of the reconstruction obviously used almost all of the original material, but lots of recent concrete work was evident in many of the buildings.
We did see the classic streets with the original cart tracks and the stepping stones that allowed citizens to cross the street without stepping in the crap that flowed down the streets – Pompeii had no sewer system! We also saw the plaster casts of several of the original inhabitants, those last 10% who refused for some reason to flee the city. These poor folks were suffocated then covered in tons of volcanic ash. Eventually the bodies decomposed leaving only the bones in a hollow cavity. The excavators figured out that by tapping on the ground they could find these cavities and, by drilling holes and pouring in plaster, they could create a very accurate statue of the original person – complete with bones and teeth. The facial expressions on some of these “statues” were quite horrific.
Back on the bus we headed “home”. Along the way it became obvious that the area around Naples had suffered some very heavy rain during the day – amazingly we had escaped it all. However as we got closer to the city the roads became flooded and the traffic ground to a standstill. There were actually 3 bussed on our itinerary and we all arrived back at the ship 30 minutes after the published sailing time – thankfully the ship had waited for us! We rushed back to our cabins and I managed to throw on a jacket (god forbid I broke protocol) and made it to the dining room just in time for dinner.
Eastern European Vacation Day 14
Wednesday November 10th, 2010.
Another great relaxing day at sea as we make our way up to Naples. We spent the day lounging around, eating, drinking cappuccinos and generally relaxing. I also went to a lecture given by a lady who was an Antarctic expedition leader – quite interesting. In the afternoon Mike and I went to a single malt scotch tasting, yes this cruising thing is really tough. The tasting was very good, with generous pours and an enthusiastic Romanian bar steward as the speaker – I think this is the first tasting we’ve attended given by a Romanian. What he lacked in knowledge (which was considerable) he made up for in enthusiasm and a genuine love of single malt.
We had arranged to go to a special Indian dinner and it turned out to be surprisingly good. During dinner we could see the coasts of Italy and Sicily approaching on both sides of the ship so when we finished we retired to the Commodore Club. From this nice bar right at the front of the ship we could see the lights on both sides of the straight – which at its narrowest point was very close indeed. We hung around just to make sure the Captain didn’t mess up, and then we turned in.
Another great relaxing day at sea as we make our way up to Naples. We spent the day lounging around, eating, drinking cappuccinos and generally relaxing. I also went to a lecture given by a lady who was an Antarctic expedition leader – quite interesting. In the afternoon Mike and I went to a single malt scotch tasting, yes this cruising thing is really tough. The tasting was very good, with generous pours and an enthusiastic Romanian bar steward as the speaker – I think this is the first tasting we’ve attended given by a Romanian. What he lacked in knowledge (which was considerable) he made up for in enthusiasm and a genuine love of single malt.
We had arranged to go to a special Indian dinner and it turned out to be surprisingly good. During dinner we could see the coasts of Italy and Sicily approaching on both sides of the ship so when we finished we retired to the Commodore Club. From this nice bar right at the front of the ship we could see the lights on both sides of the straight – which at its narrowest point was very close indeed. We hung around just to make sure the Captain didn’t mess up, and then we turned in.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Eastern European Vacation Day 13
Tuesday November 9th, 2010.
Today we visited the Greek island of Santorini – which is a fascinating place. The ship is anchored in a huge bay that is actually the crater of a gigantic sunken volcano – the biggest in the world. Several islands surround the crater and compose what is left of the rim of the volcano. Santorini is one of these islands and the town is perched on top of sheer cliffs that are 200 to 300 meters high. Almost all of the buildings in the town are painted white and so, from a distance, the island actually looks like a snow capped mountain ridge.
After breakfast in our room looking out on to the island, we headed ashore via one of several tender boats – there is no dock in Santorini big enough for a cruise ship. There are three options available for getting to the town at the top of the cliffs; a donkey ride up the narrow stepped switch back road, a walk up the same road or a cable car ride – the vote was unanimous, we headed for the queue at the cable car terminal. We waited about 20 minutes then got to glide to the top of the cliffs in an exhilarating 5 minute ride.
The town is very small, even smaller than the Old Town at Rhodes, but the white buildings – many with bright blue roofs perched on the edge of the cliffs – make for excellent photo opportunities. The streets are narrow and lined with the usual array of tourist shops and restaurants – although Santorini does have more original art on display than we’ve seen at other stops. It was crowded; thankfully the weather was very nice – not too warm, I can’t imagine what the place would be like at the peak of the tourist season with much larger crowds and blistering heat.
We wandered through the shops and all the way to one of town; taking about a million pictures. I often wonder how we managed before digital photography; worrying about running out of film, saving the shots for the absolute best views, wondering “if that one would come out ok?” Many of the best photo spots were so busy that you had to actually queue up and wait your turn to take the picture. We also had many occasions where a “damn rude tourist” would come and stand right in front of you while you were lining up a shot – I harbored thoughts of easing a few of these ignoramuses over the edge of the cliff, that would teach them! But then I remembered we actually live in a “civilized” society and let the moment pass.
Convinced we had now catalogued the entire town in multi-megapixel digital glory we headed back to the cable car terminal and joined the short queue feeling tired but glad we would soon be back on board enjoying a pub lunch; if only we knew what was about to unfold. As each cable car arrived at the top our line moved ahead and we soon found ourselves in a long narrow stone tunnel leading up to the exit door that led to the cable car. In took a while to realize that the line had actually stopped moving – something was wrong but there was no information explaining what was going on. We waited, and waited, and waited. The air became very stuffy and to top it off we were surrounded by groups of Italians and Greeks who were deep in conversation – apparently both of these nations only know how to converse by shouting at extremely high volume. We waited and waited – folks began to sit on the ground, still no information. After close to an hour the exit door opened and the line started to move again – which was just as well because my head was extremely close to exploding, which would have made a mess. With images of the Black Hole of Calcutta flashing before my eyes we shuffled out and onto a waiting cable car – God be praised, I will make the buffet tonight!
On the way down we realized that it was very windy and Sandra had correctly speculated that the cable car may have been shut down due to excessive wind. Never mind, we’d soon be scooting back to the ship – not! We discovered that, because of the wind, the tender boats had temporarily been halted while the ship was repositioned to allow safer tender access. We wandered along the dock looking in the couple of shops and came upon a tiny restaurant right at the far end; since we had time to kill we sat down at one of the tables out in front of the restaurant.
This serendipitous discovery saved the day; the restaurant was run by a husband and wife – she waited on the small number tables and he cooked on an outdoor rotisserie and in a kitchen at the back. We order a few appetizers to share; tzatziki, baked feta cheese and chips - thinking these would be pita chips or something of that sort, but of course they were french fries. Everything was excellent – even the chips were hand cut and came doused with Greek herbs. By now the tenders were running again, so we lined up and hopped on and were back at the ship by noon again.
Spent the afternoon on the balcony reading and writing – glorious. I have also just learned that our experience waiting for the cable car may not have been so bad after all. Apparently when the cable car was closed down due to the high winds, those further back in line (including our friends Kat and Mike) were told that they should walk down the donkey road – a particularly strenuous task, especially avoiding the donkeys and their droppings!
Today we visited the Greek island of Santorini – which is a fascinating place. The ship is anchored in a huge bay that is actually the crater of a gigantic sunken volcano – the biggest in the world. Several islands surround the crater and compose what is left of the rim of the volcano. Santorini is one of these islands and the town is perched on top of sheer cliffs that are 200 to 300 meters high. Almost all of the buildings in the town are painted white and so, from a distance, the island actually looks like a snow capped mountain ridge.
After breakfast in our room looking out on to the island, we headed ashore via one of several tender boats – there is no dock in Santorini big enough for a cruise ship. There are three options available for getting to the town at the top of the cliffs; a donkey ride up the narrow stepped switch back road, a walk up the same road or a cable car ride – the vote was unanimous, we headed for the queue at the cable car terminal. We waited about 20 minutes then got to glide to the top of the cliffs in an exhilarating 5 minute ride.
The town is very small, even smaller than the Old Town at Rhodes, but the white buildings – many with bright blue roofs perched on the edge of the cliffs – make for excellent photo opportunities. The streets are narrow and lined with the usual array of tourist shops and restaurants – although Santorini does have more original art on display than we’ve seen at other stops. It was crowded; thankfully the weather was very nice – not too warm, I can’t imagine what the place would be like at the peak of the tourist season with much larger crowds and blistering heat.
We wandered through the shops and all the way to one of town; taking about a million pictures. I often wonder how we managed before digital photography; worrying about running out of film, saving the shots for the absolute best views, wondering “if that one would come out ok?” Many of the best photo spots were so busy that you had to actually queue up and wait your turn to take the picture. We also had many occasions where a “damn rude tourist” would come and stand right in front of you while you were lining up a shot – I harbored thoughts of easing a few of these ignoramuses over the edge of the cliff, that would teach them! But then I remembered we actually live in a “civilized” society and let the moment pass.
Convinced we had now catalogued the entire town in multi-megapixel digital glory we headed back to the cable car terminal and joined the short queue feeling tired but glad we would soon be back on board enjoying a pub lunch; if only we knew what was about to unfold. As each cable car arrived at the top our line moved ahead and we soon found ourselves in a long narrow stone tunnel leading up to the exit door that led to the cable car. In took a while to realize that the line had actually stopped moving – something was wrong but there was no information explaining what was going on. We waited, and waited, and waited. The air became very stuffy and to top it off we were surrounded by groups of Italians and Greeks who were deep in conversation – apparently both of these nations only know how to converse by shouting at extremely high volume. We waited and waited – folks began to sit on the ground, still no information. After close to an hour the exit door opened and the line started to move again – which was just as well because my head was extremely close to exploding, which would have made a mess. With images of the Black Hole of Calcutta flashing before my eyes we shuffled out and onto a waiting cable car – God be praised, I will make the buffet tonight!
On the way down we realized that it was very windy and Sandra had correctly speculated that the cable car may have been shut down due to excessive wind. Never mind, we’d soon be scooting back to the ship – not! We discovered that, because of the wind, the tender boats had temporarily been halted while the ship was repositioned to allow safer tender access. We wandered along the dock looking in the couple of shops and came upon a tiny restaurant right at the far end; since we had time to kill we sat down at one of the tables out in front of the restaurant.
This serendipitous discovery saved the day; the restaurant was run by a husband and wife – she waited on the small number tables and he cooked on an outdoor rotisserie and in a kitchen at the back. We order a few appetizers to share; tzatziki, baked feta cheese and chips - thinking these would be pita chips or something of that sort, but of course they were french fries. Everything was excellent – even the chips were hand cut and came doused with Greek herbs. By now the tenders were running again, so we lined up and hopped on and were back at the ship by noon again.
Spent the afternoon on the balcony reading and writing – glorious. I have also just learned that our experience waiting for the cable car may not have been so bad after all. Apparently when the cable car was closed down due to the high winds, those further back in line (including our friends Kat and Mike) were told that they should walk down the donkey road – a particularly strenuous task, especially avoiding the donkeys and their droppings!
Eastern European Vacation Day 12
Monday November 8th, 2010.
Today we visited the beautiful Greek island of Rhodes. I was out on the balcony as the ship made a smooth stop and tied up at the dock very close to the small Old Town. From my vantage point, as well as the large ruined stone turret right in front of me on the dock, I could see the whole town which still has an intact 15th century defensive wall that was constructed by the Knights of St. John during the crusades. I could also see the large castle which is actually called the Palace of the Grand Master. There are also two small mosques within the walled old town – the whole place has a medieval England feel to it, with a slight eastern influence.
We left the ship at around 9:30AM and walked about 5 minutes to the Virgin Gate entry to the walled town. The weather was very nice, the warmest day we’ve had so far on our trip. Inside the town, which is mostly pedestrian – with lots of narrow cobbled streets, you immediately can see how the old structures have been adapted for modern use. Many of the ancient buildings are still intact, the vast majority has been put to use as shops or restaurants. Periodically the narrow alley would open up into a small square – typically with a central fountain – very picturesque and quaint.
We made our way in the general direction of the Palace, stopping to shop of visit a ruined church along the way. All of the shops are aimed at tourists, mostly jewelry and the usual dross – shop after shop of much the same thing. It was about at this point that we began to notice the flies – the island seems to have a higher than normal share of common house flies, not sure if this is normal for Rhodes or peculiar to this particular time of year.
The street leading up to the Palace is called the Avenue of the Knights once again narrow and cobbled, about the length of a football field. Historically the safekeeping of the town was divided among the various groups of knights and each group had a kind of “headquarters office”; these places were called Inns and they were all located along the Avenue of the Knights. Many of the old heraldic shields can still be seen above the doorways along the avenue. Most of the Inns have now been put to use as government offices or foreign consulates.
By the time we reached the top of the avenue, which is actually a small hill, we were looking forward to getting into the Palace – so we marched over to the entrance only to find that the place was closed on Mondays, and this is Monday! In fact all of the museums and historical sites on the island are closed on Mondays. We made a bee line (or maybe that should be fly line) for the nearest cafe and ordered a consolation beer – even though it was only about 10:15 in the morning!
Suitably refreshed and consoled we set off back through the town for more combing through the tourist tat – in search of that one nugget that just might be worth haggling over. After a while it was becoming monotonous so we made our way back to the Virgin Gate and the short stroll to the ship. We were back on board by noon – just in time for a pub lunch and another glorious afternoon on the balcony with my book!
Today we visited the beautiful Greek island of Rhodes. I was out on the balcony as the ship made a smooth stop and tied up at the dock very close to the small Old Town. From my vantage point, as well as the large ruined stone turret right in front of me on the dock, I could see the whole town which still has an intact 15th century defensive wall that was constructed by the Knights of St. John during the crusades. I could also see the large castle which is actually called the Palace of the Grand Master. There are also two small mosques within the walled old town – the whole place has a medieval England feel to it, with a slight eastern influence.
We left the ship at around 9:30AM and walked about 5 minutes to the Virgin Gate entry to the walled town. The weather was very nice, the warmest day we’ve had so far on our trip. Inside the town, which is mostly pedestrian – with lots of narrow cobbled streets, you immediately can see how the old structures have been adapted for modern use. Many of the ancient buildings are still intact, the vast majority has been put to use as shops or restaurants. Periodically the narrow alley would open up into a small square – typically with a central fountain – very picturesque and quaint.
We made our way in the general direction of the Palace, stopping to shop of visit a ruined church along the way. All of the shops are aimed at tourists, mostly jewelry and the usual dross – shop after shop of much the same thing. It was about at this point that we began to notice the flies – the island seems to have a higher than normal share of common house flies, not sure if this is normal for Rhodes or peculiar to this particular time of year.
The street leading up to the Palace is called the Avenue of the Knights once again narrow and cobbled, about the length of a football field. Historically the safekeeping of the town was divided among the various groups of knights and each group had a kind of “headquarters office”; these places were called Inns and they were all located along the Avenue of the Knights. Many of the old heraldic shields can still be seen above the doorways along the avenue. Most of the Inns have now been put to use as government offices or foreign consulates.
By the time we reached the top of the avenue, which is actually a small hill, we were looking forward to getting into the Palace – so we marched over to the entrance only to find that the place was closed on Mondays, and this is Monday! In fact all of the museums and historical sites on the island are closed on Mondays. We made a bee line (or maybe that should be fly line) for the nearest cafe and ordered a consolation beer – even though it was only about 10:15 in the morning!
Suitably refreshed and consoled we set off back through the town for more combing through the tourist tat – in search of that one nugget that just might be worth haggling over. After a while it was becoming monotonous so we made our way back to the Virgin Gate and the short stroll to the ship. We were back on board by noon – just in time for a pub lunch and another glorious afternoon on the balcony with my book!
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