Mediterreanian and Greek Island Cruise 2007

Oct. 16-17, 2007 - Venice Slide Show or Movie
We arrived in Venice early in the day, on October 16, which was nice. We had some time onboard ship before it filled up. On October 17th we took a short tour of Venice. We visited the Doges Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, St Marks Church and square and a home of a wealthy 18th century family. We also toured a little bit of the Grand Canal.

Oct. 18, 2007 - Dubrovnik Slide Show or Movie
In Dubrovnik, Croatia where we took a bus and toured the countryside and visited a restaurant/farm where they fed us dried figs and an herbal grappa. There was also a working water mill for grinding grain. The people wore costumes of their native land of Croatia. Carole bought some olive oil and some ear rings in a little port town we went to. We also walked around in the walled city of Dubrovnik. It was beautiful and we want to return again.

Oct. 19, 2007 - Corfu Slide Show or Movie
Touring Corfu, we stopped in a monastery and then a small village where we saw an olive press, had a sampling of Greek foods and watched some Greek dancing. Bob got up with the other people and tour guides to join in the dancing.

Oct. 20, 2007 - Olympia Slide Show or Movie
The ship docked in Katakolon and we took a bus to Olympia where the Olympic games were held. It was a religious sanctuary and a truce was declared throughout Greece every four years so the games could be held. Earthquakes had toppled the columns and the site was buried over time until German archeologists found it.

Oct. 21, 2007 - Athens Slide Show or Movie
In Athens, we climbed the 100 steps up to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon and a temple to Athena. It was tiring. We also saw the stadium where the modern Olympic games were started. We also saw a changing of the guard in front of the parliment.

Oct. 22, 2007 - Mykonos
We could not tour Mykonos on the 22nd because of bad weather and had to spend the day on the ship sailing the Aegean.

Oct. 23, 2007 - Rhodes Slide Show or Movie
In Rhodes, we took a bus ride to a small town of Lindos where they also have an acropolis. We did not climb that one, but the houses were all whitewashed and very quaint nestled on the side of a hill above a bay. As part of the tour we also went to a pottery factory. We got mom a plate with a rooster on it.

Oct. 24, 2007 - Ephesus Slide Show or Movie
The 24th, we went to Ephesus in Turkey and walked through the ruins. We also saw the toilets that were used by the men sitting side by side. It was a real social event. Since the marble tended to be cold, a slave would warm the seat first. The library was the most impressive building. Down the road, we even saw an early ad for a local lady of the evening. The large third toe of the left foot meant that she was in the third house to the left. Bob stood on the stage of the theater where Paul addressed the Ephesians. It rained heavily on and off during the day.

Oct. 25, 2007 - Santorini Slide Show or Movie
The 25th was Bob's birthday. We celebrated by having a champagne breakfast on our balcony. We were anchored just off of Santorini in the harbor formed by the caldera of a huge ancient (1600BC) volcanic explosion. In the center of the caldera, another volcano has pushed its way to the surface. Near the ship anchorage there is a donkey path and a tramway to get to the town on top of the cliff. We took a ferry to another dock where buses could get to the dock along a road with many sharp switchbacks. We took the tramway back down to the boat.

Oct. 26, 2007 - At sea Slide Show
We had a day at sea on the 26th. Carole took a picture of the toe of Italy. It was our last formal night so the pictures show us in our formal wear. Bob. Carole, Bob's mom (Ruth), and Bob's sister (Carol).

Oct. 27, 2007 - Pompeii Slide Show or Movie
We docked in Naples and took a bus tour to Pompeii. About a fourth of the city has been uncovered. They are not in a hurry to uncover much more. It's hard enough to preserve and protect what has been uncovered. A couple of the homes and a brothel have been reconstructed. Late in the excavations they discovered that if they filled voids in the ash that they came across with plaster, they could find the shapes of organic material. Not only loaves of bread, wooden doors, but bodies as well. We thought that their fast food places were interesting. Food was prepared and then placed in large pottery jars in a counter next to the street where it could be served. We saw a sports field, theater, bathhouse, and the temples also. Even so, we only hit the high spots.