Our adventure continues as we embark on a cruise leaving from a port near Rome. With so many cities and sites along the route it was hard to imagine what treasures our trip will hold.
After leaving Rome we will explore;
Naples, Pompeii, Messina, Crotone, Bari, and Venice, Italy
Sibenik and Dubrovnik, Croatia
Koror, Montenegro
Corfu, Katakolon, Athens, Greece
Naples and Pompeii, Italy
Our friend Karen joined us on this cruising adventure!
Cast were made of victims of the ash that exploded from Mt. Vesuvius.
Learn more; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii
The photo above takes a lot of explanation-call me if you’re interested in a very interesting story!
Here I am crossing (not gracefully) a street in Pompeii using the stepping stones designed to keep citizens feet dry. Also designed into the infrastructure was space for chariot wheels to pass. So many details were considered while the city was developed.
Naples, Italy. We had to have pizza!
Local wines are always fun to try.
Trulli of Alberobello Learn more; https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/787
Time for a tour of the Bridge with Captain Christian Aalbers.
A few photos from onboard the Viking Mars. Yes, we were spoiled!
Our stateroom attendants - Stepy and Uwwluh.
Locals watching the world go by. I love scenes like this while we are
exploring new cities.
Yes, you recognized him! Our new friend Marco!
Met in Florence and met again in Taormina!
Sicily
Taormina: Many spots are described as “the pearl of the Mediterranean”. Taormina is one and after visiting we can understand why it is considered a “pearl”. Hidden in the cliffs and hills of Sicily the town is a treasure to the senses.
Sibenik and Dubrovnik, Croatia
Napoleon’s Soldiers created these hollowed out areas to feed their horses!
Bob with a beer and me with a coffee. Time to relax and take in our beautiful surroundings.
Carts are used for delivery down the narrow pedestrian streets. The cart driver bangs the front of the cart as he is coming behind a group as a warning to clear a path.
Of course I had to try a local beer!
Bob continues to make friends. This time a group of friends traveling with their families from Zagreb, Croatia to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Their parents were sitting a few feet away and smiled as Bob quizzed their children about travel, school, sports, languages and ice cream! Their English was excellent and they were not shy. They said they knew Bob was from the USA because of his accent. As we were parting ways one said he wanted to recommend the Plazma ice cream bar.
Game of Thrones fans will recognize this scene!
More Italy!
Greece
Our Greece adventures will take us to Corfu, Olympia, Athens, Mycenae, Delphi and a lot of beautiful sites in between.
In Athens we see the Acropolis, The Parthenon, The Plaka, Agora and several museums.
Walking through these truly ancient sites (some from 380 BC) caused a hesitation. A moment to try to comprehend the history and the simple fact that visitors are still free to wonder these incredible sites. The sciences, arts, social development and so much more were the cornerstones of these ancient civilizations. Truly amazing what they had discovered and developed.
Corfu, Greece
I was especially excited for this stop during our adventure. Like many others I thoroughly enjoyed the series “The Durrells in Corfu”!
Learn more about the Durrells; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Durrells
Hey, I’m in Corfu!
I met this mother-daughter Durrell fan team from the UK!
This is the map they plotted to visit Durrell sites during their visit to Corfu! They were having a great time.
Known for their Red Beer-how could we say no?
Delicious!
Always nice to relax at a local coffee shop.
Going to take a break here and thank our travel researcher, Pat. Our friend always keeps track of our itinerary and is ready to assist if needed. She also tracks down information we may need before or during travel. Thanks Pat!
Another daily scene I love to observe. This one in Corfu, Greece.
Lunchtime music in Corfu!
Olympia, Greece
10th Century B.C. Walking through this UNESCO archeological site was an incredible experience.
Learn more: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/517/
After visiting the site Bob and I ventured off for a walk and a bathroom break. We had no idea the bus filled and we were officially on the “late list”! Yikes! Thankfully our friend called us and told us they were waiting. A very short bus ride and it was time for cooking, lunch and dancing!
I had fun dancing!
Saying goodbye to Karen. She returned home the day we disembarked.
Athens, Greece
We disembarked in Athens and were fortunate to spend four days exploring before flying home.
The Acropolis and Parthenon.
Peloponnesus Peninsula; Corinth Canal and Mycenae
Lion Gate
Cats are curled up and relaxing in the most unexpected places.
Interesting information from an interesting resource about cat history in Europe.
Our tour guide during our Athen area exploration was excellent! Barbara educated us about Greek history and Greek culture.
Corinth Canal
Rooftop bar for a nighttime view of The Acropolis
Our waiter took our photo then quickly took a photo with us.
Delphi and the Oracle
Learn more; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delphi
The views from Delphi were amazing. The journey taken to this site in 380 BC is difficult to imagine. We were driven to the foot of the site and the climb to the top was enough of a journey. Citizens walked for miles through the mountains to pay for and receive “advice” from The Oracles. They were believed to be prophesies from the god and always controlled by the priests.
One of the most important pieces of advice was
“know thyself”.
Archeologists debate the idea that vapors rising from the earth resulted in an altered state while messages were offered.
When a slave was granted freedom the name of
owner and slave were inscribed in these stones. The number of names was staggering.
The Navel of the World
The opportunity to view these ancient sites brought back childhood memories of secretly wanting to study archeology.
Heinrich Schliemann was referenced often during our visit. He is probably the best known archeologist of discoveries of prehistoric Greece.
Agora
It is easy to capture beautiful scenes at every turn as we explore Athens and the surrounding area.
It is a pedestrian street until it is NOT!
Perhaps we were a bit influenced by the “posers” we saw at these historical sites!
Now that is a cute and efficient police car at The Acropolis.
This post seems flooded with photos but it represents just a fraction of what we experienced during this adventure. We only barely began to explore this part of the world and will definitely return!
“Adventure is worthwhile.”
~ Aristotle
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