Split to Venice
Sunday in Split: Split is the 2nd largest city in Croatia (about 400,000). The main tourist site is the palace of Diocletian. Diocletian was the last pagan Emperor of Rome and built this 10 acre palace as his retirement home. The walls remain as well as several interior structures. Very impressive.
The girls of Croatia: While Dubrovnik was filled with tourists, Split (at least on Sunday) seemed to be filled with locals who paraded the beautiful boulevard along the waterfront or who sat in the many restaurants where they seemed to drink and never eat anything. The young women were lovely to watch. The dress code seemed to be short skirts, knee high boots, pantyhose, and fur jackets (despite temperatures in the high teens).
Long day in Italy: Yesterday (Monday) we docked in Ravenna, Italy for a two-day stop. Ravenna is known for mosaics and many chemical plants. We decided to skip the above (at least for the first day) and along with 20 or so others arranged a bus tour to San Marino. San Marino is an independent republic with only 31,000 citizens. Yet, it has a seat at the U.N. and also sends archers to the Olympics. It is very scenic and quite lovely. As it is a tax haven there is lots of money.
We were met at 8:30 a.m. by our tour guide who could easily pass for Attilla’s mother. She announced that we would drive to San Marino on the motorway and return on the small roads along the coast. This would have been a good plan except that there is light in the morning and she saved all the scenery until after dark. As the day progressed it became more and more clear that our guide knew little (the fact that the bus got lost twice was the first hint). Whenever anyone asked a question she either answered a different question or made stuff up. My favorite, however, was when she described Pope Alexander VI as a man of good works. Those of you who watch CBC will remember that Alexander VI is the infamous Borgia Pope who murdered his way onto the throne.
There was one bright spot, however, in an otherwise tedious day. Somewhere we stopped to visit a church. The entrance fee was 5 Euros. However, our guide told us that Canadians over 65 got in for free. Americans over 65 were to pay the full fare. I asked why this was so and she diplomatically responded: “Americans are rich, they can afford to pay.” You can imagine how that went over with a busload of mostly Americans.
A second bright spot perhaps was that we got back so late that there were no seats available in the Main Dining room. Consequently our group of six got upgraded to one of the specialty restaurants for which there is normally a surcharge.
Venice, then what? The sail into Venice this morning was very beautiful, past St. Mark’s Square, through the Lagoon, etc. Surely entering Venice by boat is the best way. We had lovely weather for our one day here and spent almost all of it getting lost, getting found, getting lost, etc. Now we are back on board with some unpaid credits so I guess I’ll have to order the Caymus.
We are scheduled to fly home tomorrow but the Italian Unions have declared a general strike beginning at midnight tonight. As far as I know we will be taken to the airport and then just sit there until we can get a plane out.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Corfu to Dubrovnik
Corfu to Dubrovnik
On Wednesday we docked in the Italian industrial city of Brindisi. As this city has little to offer we joined a group of people on a bus tour of Alberobello and Ostuni. Our group included an old couple (meaning really old-older than me) who got on the wrong bus thinking they were on a shuttle bus into town.
Both of these towns are in Puglia, a flat agricultural area that is relatively poor (but makes decent wine). Alberobello is famous for its Tulli houses which date from medieval times. These houses are made of stones and are cone-shaped. The town looks like a science-fiction version of an American movie about cowboys and Indians. Ostuni is a walled city that dates from the 12th century and all the buildings are white. This was the only day so far when it rained but we managed anyway.
On Thursday we dropped anchor in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. To access Kotor we sailed for about 90 minutes up what is called Europe’s most southerly fjord. Although technically not a fjord because the river between the cliffs was not formed by glaciers, the effect is the same. This area is spectacularly beautiful, which is why it is visited by so many cruise ships. Just as well as Montenegro doesn’t seem to have much is the way of economic development and depends almost entirely on tourism. The city of Kotor is walled and quite lovely. We spent most of the day walking, with a stop to try the local wine.
We are still drinking lots of wine on the ship as the waiters continue to refill every partially empty glass. Each day there is one red and one white and the choice changes each day. This free wine is quite good with the exception of the night we were in Brindisi when the Chianti Classico was overly acidic. Last night was something called “white night” when everyone was supposed to dress in white clothes. I brought my 10-year old white pants with me but found that sitting down was a task of great difficulty. I didn’t get up on the dance floor for fear of a bursting and the exposure of my undershorts (also white).
Today we arrived in the stunning beautiful city of Dubrovnik. The walled city was bombed for 40 days by the Serbs in 1991, but has been almost completely rebuilt. One can tell which buildings were damaged by seeing whether or not the roof tiles are bright red (new tiles). The ancient walls are all intact and the standard tourist thing is to walk the top of the walls all the way around the city, which takes about an hour, and includes lots of stairs. Today was a nice sunny day and was 17 degrees. Even so we were quite exhausted after the climb. Wouldn’t want to do this in the 40-45 degree heat that they get here in the summer. The city was crowded with the usual tourists from the country which requires its citizens to take 300 pictures of each other each day. Since this is post tourist season I can’t imagine what it would be like in mid season. After our exercise we sat for a long time in a wine bar on the main drag and just people watched.
On Wednesday we docked in the Italian industrial city of Brindisi. As this city has little to offer we joined a group of people on a bus tour of Alberobello and Ostuni. Our group included an old couple (meaning really old-older than me) who got on the wrong bus thinking they were on a shuttle bus into town.
Both of these towns are in Puglia, a flat agricultural area that is relatively poor (but makes decent wine). Alberobello is famous for its Tulli houses which date from medieval times. These houses are made of stones and are cone-shaped. The town looks like a science-fiction version of an American movie about cowboys and Indians. Ostuni is a walled city that dates from the 12th century and all the buildings are white. This was the only day so far when it rained but we managed anyway.
On Thursday we dropped anchor in the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. To access Kotor we sailed for about 90 minutes up what is called Europe’s most southerly fjord. Although technically not a fjord because the river between the cliffs was not formed by glaciers, the effect is the same. This area is spectacularly beautiful, which is why it is visited by so many cruise ships. Just as well as Montenegro doesn’t seem to have much is the way of economic development and depends almost entirely on tourism. The city of Kotor is walled and quite lovely. We spent most of the day walking, with a stop to try the local wine.
We are still drinking lots of wine on the ship as the waiters continue to refill every partially empty glass. Each day there is one red and one white and the choice changes each day. This free wine is quite good with the exception of the night we were in Brindisi when the Chianti Classico was overly acidic. Last night was something called “white night” when everyone was supposed to dress in white clothes. I brought my 10-year old white pants with me but found that sitting down was a task of great difficulty. I didn’t get up on the dance floor for fear of a bursting and the exposure of my undershorts (also white).
Today we arrived in the stunning beautiful city of Dubrovnik. The walled city was bombed for 40 days by the Serbs in 1991, but has been almost completely rebuilt. One can tell which buildings were damaged by seeing whether or not the roof tiles are bright red (new tiles). The ancient walls are all intact and the standard tourist thing is to walk the top of the walls all the way around the city, which takes about an hour, and includes lots of stairs. Today was a nice sunny day and was 17 degrees. Even so we were quite exhausted after the climb. Wouldn’t want to do this in the 40-45 degree heat that they get here in the summer. The city was crowded with the usual tourists from the country which requires its citizens to take 300 pictures of each other each day. Since this is post tourist season I can’t imagine what it would be like in mid season. After our exercise we sat for a long time in a wine bar on the main drag and just people watched.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Crete to Corfu
Crete to Corfu
Before I begin this Whine let me pass along a message from my friend Marie-Claude who commented on my blog from Crete: “ C’est gentil que des Canadiens viennemt en Grece pour soutenir ce pays. Ca nous aidera, nous autru Europeans Nous aurons a faire pour les sortie de ce grand disaster economique dans lequel ils se sont mer.” But more on the Greek economy below.
Our boat didn’t sail into Katakolon (the jumping off point for Olympia) until late morning on Wednesday so I relaxed while Betty learned how to make risotto (and I thought all one had to do was buy a box of pre-mix).
The cruiseline wanted 89 Euros to take one to Olympia at the foot of Kronos Hill to see the archaeological site of the original Olympic games. However, on the advice of Cruise Critic we took a local bus which cost 10 Euros plus 6 Euros for an entrance fee. Of course, had we gone with the Cruise people we would have been given a free glass of Greek wine on the trip back.
The Olympic site was much more interesting than I expected and impressive in its size. The stadium is almost exactly as it was 2500 years ago.
When I paid 20 Euros for the bus tickets I didn’t look at the ticket until later. Clearly indicated on the ticket was that V.A.T. (Value Added Tax) was to be in addition to the 10 Euros. My friend Gerard had told me that Greeks rarely collect taxes (especially V.A.T.). How can a country that is bankrupt not collect a legitimate tax from a foreigner quite prepared to pay? Later I bought some shaving cream in Katakolon and again the tax was not collected.
Yesterday our boat sailed into Corfu (same name for the city as for the island). Corfu is the most northerly of the Greek islands and also the most green. We (and a couple from Saskatchewan) rented a Mercedes taxi with driver for the day. Our tour was very pleasant as the island is very beautiful. We did the usual tourist things (castle, monastery, mountain tops) and stopped for some bread and olive oil and some very strange liquids. Later in the afternoon we were dropped in the city, and after some shopping along the narrow pedestrian streets we caught a shuttle bus back to the pier.
I think the Greek economic crisis affects people differently. While there is rioting in Athens by laid off civil servants and by students, Corfu seems peaceful and prosperous. Our taxi driver said there is zero unemployment in the long summer due to the many tourists. Otherwise the island is primarily farming based and presumably the locals will still sell their olive oil, even if there is default.
The greatest fear on cruise ships is the outbreak of the Noro virus. Our ship had a few cases on its previous cruise and we are now on “heightened alert”. This means that as you walk around the boat you pass handwashing stations with staff to ensure you comply. If you use a public toilet you are asked to take a towel to open the door on leaving and then drop the towel in a laundry basket. Also, the passengers cannot touch anything in a dining room that another passenger might touch. Yesterday I forgot and tried to pick up a salt shaker (which is the waiter’s job). Guess “you can take the boy out of the country…..”
This morning we sail into Brindisi, Italy before recrossing the Adriatic for stops in Kofor, Montenegro, and Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia.
Before I begin this Whine let me pass along a message from my friend Marie-Claude who commented on my blog from Crete: “ C’est gentil que des Canadiens viennemt en Grece pour soutenir ce pays. Ca nous aidera, nous autru Europeans Nous aurons a faire pour les sortie de ce grand disaster economique dans lequel ils se sont mer.” But more on the Greek economy below.
Our boat didn’t sail into Katakolon (the jumping off point for Olympia) until late morning on Wednesday so I relaxed while Betty learned how to make risotto (and I thought all one had to do was buy a box of pre-mix).
The cruiseline wanted 89 Euros to take one to Olympia at the foot of Kronos Hill to see the archaeological site of the original Olympic games. However, on the advice of Cruise Critic we took a local bus which cost 10 Euros plus 6 Euros for an entrance fee. Of course, had we gone with the Cruise people we would have been given a free glass of Greek wine on the trip back.
The Olympic site was much more interesting than I expected and impressive in its size. The stadium is almost exactly as it was 2500 years ago.
When I paid 20 Euros for the bus tickets I didn’t look at the ticket until later. Clearly indicated on the ticket was that V.A.T. (Value Added Tax) was to be in addition to the 10 Euros. My friend Gerard had told me that Greeks rarely collect taxes (especially V.A.T.). How can a country that is bankrupt not collect a legitimate tax from a foreigner quite prepared to pay? Later I bought some shaving cream in Katakolon and again the tax was not collected.
Yesterday our boat sailed into Corfu (same name for the city as for the island). Corfu is the most northerly of the Greek islands and also the most green. We (and a couple from Saskatchewan) rented a Mercedes taxi with driver for the day. Our tour was very pleasant as the island is very beautiful. We did the usual tourist things (castle, monastery, mountain tops) and stopped for some bread and olive oil and some very strange liquids. Later in the afternoon we were dropped in the city, and after some shopping along the narrow pedestrian streets we caught a shuttle bus back to the pier.
I think the Greek economic crisis affects people differently. While there is rioting in Athens by laid off civil servants and by students, Corfu seems peaceful and prosperous. Our taxi driver said there is zero unemployment in the long summer due to the many tourists. Otherwise the island is primarily farming based and presumably the locals will still sell their olive oil, even if there is default.
The greatest fear on cruise ships is the outbreak of the Noro virus. Our ship had a few cases on its previous cruise and we are now on “heightened alert”. This means that as you walk around the boat you pass handwashing stations with staff to ensure you comply. If you use a public toilet you are asked to take a towel to open the door on leaving and then drop the towel in a laundry basket. Also, the passengers cannot touch anything in a dining room that another passenger might touch. Yesterday I forgot and tried to pick up a salt shaker (which is the waiter’s job). Guess “you can take the boy out of the country…..”
This morning we sail into Brindisi, Italy before recrossing the Adriatic for stops in Kofor, Montenegro, and Dubrovnik and Split in Croatia.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Toronto to Crete
Travel Whine – Toronto to Crete
We left Toronto on Saturday night on British Airways to London. We had seats booked in steerage but when the computer wouldn’t accept our boarding passes we somehow got bumped up to World Traveler Class (something more than Economy but less that Business Class). With large seats and free drinks we got through the night.
After the London to Athens flight we got to our ship late afternoon. Our arrival, despite having not slept, was very welcoming with a bottle of French champagne, fresh flowers and fresh fruit awaiting us in our cabin. Also, awaiting us was $ 150. onboard credit, compliments of our travel agent. Betty soon found a dress in an on board shop to balance the books.
As we were the last passengers to board we couldn’t get a dinner reservation until 8:30. We passed the time at a private cocktail party for members of some on-line club to which Betty belongs. At dinner we sat with 6 Danes and there was much conversation about Greece and the Euro. However, I lost the train of the arguments as I entered into a minor confrontation with our waiter. On this cruise wine is included with the meals (fortunately not Greek—last night’s choice was a very good Australian shiraz). Our waiter seemed to believe that the table was only set if the wine glasses were full. I felt that the table looked better if the glasses were empty or close to same. However, after four delicious courses and many top-ups of the Shiraz I had to concede that the waiter had won the contest. With some luck I made it back to our cabin without falling overboard.
This morning we were scheduled for a tour of Crete that was arranged by someone named Judy (another internet pal of Betty’s). Getting out of bed was very difficult but we did manage to join the group. After tendering to the city of Chania, we had a lovely tour of the island, visiting some mountain villages where we ate bread and cheese for lunch washed down with Greek coffee (at least that part that was liquid) and some local Crete liquor called Tsikoudia; that would have been put to better use cleaning the rust off my fenders. This afternoon we did a walking tour of Chania where Betty managed to spend a few more of my Euros.
We left Toronto on Saturday night on British Airways to London. We had seats booked in steerage but when the computer wouldn’t accept our boarding passes we somehow got bumped up to World Traveler Class (something more than Economy but less that Business Class). With large seats and free drinks we got through the night.
After the London to Athens flight we got to our ship late afternoon. Our arrival, despite having not slept, was very welcoming with a bottle of French champagne, fresh flowers and fresh fruit awaiting us in our cabin. Also, awaiting us was $ 150. onboard credit, compliments of our travel agent. Betty soon found a dress in an on board shop to balance the books.
As we were the last passengers to board we couldn’t get a dinner reservation until 8:30. We passed the time at a private cocktail party for members of some on-line club to which Betty belongs. At dinner we sat with 6 Danes and there was much conversation about Greece and the Euro. However, I lost the train of the arguments as I entered into a minor confrontation with our waiter. On this cruise wine is included with the meals (fortunately not Greek—last night’s choice was a very good Australian shiraz). Our waiter seemed to believe that the table was only set if the wine glasses were full. I felt that the table looked better if the glasses were empty or close to same. However, after four delicious courses and many top-ups of the Shiraz I had to concede that the waiter had won the contest. With some luck I made it back to our cabin without falling overboard.
This morning we were scheduled for a tour of Crete that was arranged by someone named Judy (another internet pal of Betty’s). Getting out of bed was very difficult but we did manage to join the group. After tendering to the city of Chania, we had a lovely tour of the island, visiting some mountain villages where we ate bread and cheese for lunch washed down with Greek coffee (at least that part that was liquid) and some local Crete liquor called Tsikoudia; that would have been put to better use cleaning the rust off my fenders. This afternoon we did a walking tour of Chania where Betty managed to spend a few more of my Euros.
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