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Sunday, May 11, 2008
Our tour starts on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008. Weather in New Jersey is sunny but cool. The limo picked us up at 2:00 PM and we got to the airport with no trouble. It is a Sunday afternoon so there is no traffic. We checked our luggage in and got our boarding passes. The plane started boarding at about 5 PM but we didn’t get off the ground until about 6:30 PM. We flew SAS to Copenhagen for the first part of our flight. Monday, May 12, 2008 We arrived in Copenhagen at 7:45 AM Monday, May 12. We have plenty of time to get to our next flight. We went through passport control and found our way to the next terminal and our gate for the next flight to Athens. It left right on time. We arrived in Athens at 1:30 PM, got our luggage and went to meet our driver. We saw two men holding signs for Trafalgar and went up to them. One was our driver and the other was waiting for another passenger. He took us to his taxi and drove us to our hotel (Divani Palace Acropolis). It took about 40 minutes to get to the hotel. Athens is surrounded by hills. It seems the road goes in circles around the town and then you go through a tunnel through the mountain and you see Athens in front of you. The roads in Athens are mostly one way streets, so you have to take a lot of turns to find the street you want to go down. I never would have found this hotel on my own. Athens is not an easy city to get around in a car or bus, walking is not so bad as long as you have a good map and know where you want to go. We checked into the hotel and got our welcome package at the desk, went up to our room and settled in. Our room faces the back street of the hotel but we have a balcony and a view of one of the mountains surrounding Athens. We looked over all the paper work in our package and decided to do the three optionals offered. There was a welcome meeting at 7:30 PM with our Athens Representative, Stelios Coukas, to go over everything. I went to find an ATM machine and found one in the lobby of the hotel. Actually there were two different ATM’s from two different banks. After I got some Euros I went to find a store and found one right across the street from the hotel to buy some bottled water. We went down to the lobby at 7:30 PM and met some other people from our tour and we hit it off right away. Stelios met us and took us up to our meeting room for our welcome drink. We had a choice of Ouzo, orange juice or water and some potato chips and other little nibbles. While Stelios went to find more of the tour members he asked us to introduce ourselves to each other. One man, Mike (a Canadian) stood up and said instead of just introducing ourselves to the people around us we should all stand up one at a time and say our names and where we are from. We could tell this was going to be a great group of people. Everyone did as we were told by Mike and stood us and introduced ourselves. We had people from Australia, London, South Africa, Canada and the USA. Finally Stelios came back with more people and started to tell us about the optional tours and that we would meet our Tour Guide on Tuesday and her name was Anna Zora. There are three optional tours. One on Tuesday, EP120 CAPE SOUNION & SEAFOOD DINNER, 67 EURO. Another when we return to Athens from the land tour, EP79 TRADITIONAL GREEK SHOW TAVERNA MEAL, 52 EUROS. And the third one when we return from the cruise, EP119 WALKING TOUR & DINNER IN PSIRI, 49 EURO. After the meeting a group of us got together and went for dinner in a small Greek restaurant not far from the hotel that Stelios recommended. When we got there we found a lot more people from our tour there. I would tell you the name of the restaurant but it’s all Greek to me. There were seven of us at our table and we had a great time that night and the food was good too. They do not rush you out of the restaurants and it took a long time to get our food. We got back to our hotel at 11 PM and headed straight to bed. We have a 7 AM wakeup call tomorrow. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Weather: Sunny and warm (73F/23C) 1896 Olympic Stadium - easy walk/flat Tour of Temple of Zeus - easy walk/mostly flat Tour of the Acropolis - all uphill/very hard Optional Tour of Temple of Poseidon - slight uphill climb Today we do the included city tour of Athens and an optional tour to Cape Sounion. We are up at 6:30 PM to get ready for the day. Down to breakfast at 7:30 AM and had a light breakfast. The breakfast buffet consisted of some Greek dishes and than a regular buffet. There were cereals, rolls, toast, yogurt, honey, fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, and potatoes. We ate a light breakfast and went to get ready for our city tour. We met Stelios in the lobby and paid for our optional tours using our credit cards to pay. Each tour was on a separate credit card slip (in case for some reason one was cancelled). Then we went and got on the bus and found seats in the middle of the bus on the left hand side. We picked the right side to be on; it seems all the sights to be seen today were on that side of the bus. Stelios introduced Anna to us, she gave out our Whisper systems, which we will keep to the end of the land tour, and our city tour began. Our first stop today was the 1896 Olympic Stadium for a picture moment. Then back on the bus and on to the Temple of Zeus. After a tour of that we were back on the bus and off to the Acropolis. It was a long climb to the top but what views when we got there. Can’t believe how old these ruins are. We spent almost two hours looking around and hearing Anna describe what we were seeing. These Whisper systems are great because you can listen to the TD describe things and be off taking pictures at the same time. We had some free time on our own there and we had to find our way back to the bus park. We almost went down the wrong path; we went right when we should have gone left. But we found our way back and got on the bus. Two from our group did not show up, and after about 10 minutes the bus had to leave the parking lot without them. I have to give the driver credit for managing to turn the corners in Athens with this big bus. Parking in Athens is anywhere you can fit your car even on the corners. We finished our city tour and we met Stelios at Syntagma Square and he led us on a tour of the Plaka. We walked down Ermou (a pedestrian street) and window shopped while Stelios explained about different things that we were seeing. We turned down a side street towards the Plaka and passed the Athens’ Cathedral and the Little Cathedral next to it. Stelios’ tour ended at Zorbas (a jewelry shop). We then went on our own and looked in the shops. We stopped at a Gyro shop for lunch and then another shop we bought ice cream for desert. Then we headed back to the hotel. Luckily Chris and Randy had been this way before and knew the way back. We have to meet up with Anna at 3:45 PM for the trip to Cape Sounion. The trip to Cape Sounion was very nice but long. I fell asleep on the bus on the way, the walk this morning in the sun at the Acropolis was catching up with me. Woke up just before we arrived, the bus was going up the hill to the Poseidon Temple. We got out and walked the rest of the way up the hill to the temple. When we got to the top there was a Partridge sitting on the wall squawking. It was funny, after coming all this way what caught our attention the most was this family of Partridges. Anna explained all the history of the ruins we were seeing and then gave us time on our own to explore. Then we headed back to the bus and to our dinner at a local tavernas for our seafood dinner. We started out with Greek salad (what else), bread and wine. The next course was some calamari, squid, fried zucchini and cheese puffs. The main course was sea bass, fries and broccoli. Desert was yogurt and sour cherries and slices of apples and oranges. Then it was back to the hotel. We arrived back at the hotel at about 9 PM. We went up to Chris and Randy’s room to take picture of the Acropolis at night fro their balcony. Then back to our room and bed. Wake up call is 6:30 AM tomorrow. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Weather: Overcast & cool (jacket weather) Corinth Canal - easy walk/flat Tour of Ancient Corinth - easy walk/mostly flat some small slopes and stairs Tour of Epidaurus - walk to museum flat/climb to theater - many stairs/hard climb Tour of Nafplion town - easy walk/flat Today we leave Athens for Corinth. We were up at 6 AM to start to get ready. Bags out at 7 AM and then down to breakfast. Same buffet breakfast as yesterday. Food is rather good here at the Divani Palace. We are out to the bus by 8 AM and ready to go. Anna told us that from now to the end of the tour we are to count two seats and sit in the third one each morning. Everyone was pretty good at following this rule. We said goodbye to Stelios and we are on our way. Our first stop is at the Corinth Canal. This is an engineering marvel to behold. As we drove closer to the canal Anna told us that the hills that we see on the side of the road were created by the dirt taken out of the canal. When we got to the Canal it was very overcast and cool. Anna told us to be very careful crossing the road to go out on the bridge to take pictures of the canal. Jenn went about halfway out on the bridge and took a picture and went back. She is afraid of heights. I was braver and took a lot of pictures from both sides of the bridge. After we took pictures we went to the coffee shop there and used the restrooms. Our next stop is the archeological site of Ancient Corinth. Ancient Corinth is very interesting. Anna led us on a tour of the site with our “Whisper Systems”. It is amazing what these people had built in the ancient times. They used marble to pave there streets. After the tour we had about a half hour of free time to explore on our own or to go to the museum on the site. Jenn and I were exploring on our own and met a friendly German couple who seem to want to try out their English on us. Before we knew it was time to get back to the bus. Our next stop was lunch. We had lunch at the other end of the canal. The restaurant was right on the edge of the canal and we could watch boats going in or out. There was a very interesting bridge at this end of the canal. Instead of going up to let boats by it submerged under the water. We had gone to take pictures on the other side of the canal when we discovered a sign that said, “Stay away when the bridge is submerged”. Do they really have to tell people that? We took our pictures and headed back to the restaurant for lunch. For lunch Jenn and I had Mousaka. It wasn’t as good as what we had in Athens but still it was okay. As we finished lunch the bridge started to go down for a tug boat to go through. Everyone rushed over to watch this marvel. I took some video with my digital camera of the bridge submerging and the tug going by. Then it was time to get back on the bus. The bus couldn’t fit over the bridge we were by so we had to go to a different bridge to get to the other side. Then it was on to Ancient Epidaurus. Anna led us on a tour of the museum using our “Whisper Systems” again and then we climbed up to the Amphitheatre. It is amazing that they still use this theatre for concerts. The acoustics were really good and the seats were surprisingly comfortable in spite of them being made of stone. People took turns standing in the middle of the stage area checking the acoustics. After taking pictures here we headed back to the bus. There was a snack stand by the bus lot and we bought some ice cream. The ice cream comes in a cup of sorts and they put it on this machine and press a handle that pushes it out into the cone. Of course the man took the money and the wife did the hard work of pressing the handle of the machine. Our final stop of the day was Nafplion. Those who wanted to could spend some time in the town or go on to the hotel with the bus driver. Anna led those of us who wanted to the main square of the city and told us a little about the city. We then had time on our own. Of course we found an ice cream shop and had to have some. Jenn tried the pistachio and strawberry and I had chocolate cookie. After walking around looking at the shops it was time to head back to the waterfront and the bus parking lot. We found the bus and Achilles our driver with no problem and we headed to the hotel, the Amalia Nafplion Hotel. It was a very tiring day and it seemed we kept falling asleep on the bus. And even after that we are still tired. Dinner tonight is in the hotel at 7:30 PM. This is a very large hotel but in the middle of nowhere. Our room is on the second floor and overlooks the garden. Dinner is a buffet of Greek salad, Caesar salad, pasta salad, Pork Salvaka, stuffed chicken slices, seafood risotto, meatballs in sauce, braised beef in tomato & wine, spinach pie, mousaka and more. Desert is chocolate mousse, chocolate pie, Jell-O, and ice cream. We tried a little of everything and enjoyed every mouthful. Off to bed by 9 PM. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Weather: Sunny and cool in the morning and warm by the afternoon. Tour of Mycenae - very hard/all uphill Tour of Beehive tombs - easy walk/slight uphill We woke up at 6:30 AM a half hour before the wakeup call of 7 AM. Bags out by 8 AM and on the bus by 8:30 AM. Today we are going to Mycenae and tonight we will be in Olympia. Breakfast is a buffet as most breakfasts are on this tour. After breakfast we are off to the Mycenae site to see the Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus and Agamemnon’s Royal Palace. The bus let us off in the parking lot at the bottom of the hill and we walked from there to the start of the path to the Lion gate. The views from up at the site are beautiful. The first part of the climb was really steep, but after that it was a lot easier. Again we are using our “Whisper” systems to hear Anna’s explanation of what we are seeing. After entering through the Lion Gate we continued on up the path to the different sections of the fortress to the highest point which was were the Palace was located. Then we headed down from there past where the Artisan’s Quarters of the Palace were located. And then on down to an underground cistern that supplied water for the Palace was located. We left through the back gate to the Palace and down the path that led to the Museum and gift shop. We had some free time to explore the museum and met back at the bus to continue on to the Beehive Tomb. The Beehive Tomb is built into the surrounding hill. The tomb was closed from the inside and there was an opening for the person to get out and then close up that exit and hide it in the hillside. It was interesting how they managed to do this. It is said that when you take a picture with a digital camera you will see orbs floating. They say these are the spirits of the people who were buried here. Of course we all had to take pictures to see if this was true. Well I did get a couple of pictures with orbs floating around. After Anna told us about the tomb we headed back to the bus and on to a local pottery shop for a demonstration on how the pottery was made in ancient times and how it is done now. Of course you had the opportunity to purchase some if you wanted. Then it was lunch time. We had lunch in Mycenae. The bus parked in the middle of the town and we could eat where ever we wanted. Most of us decided to eat at a restaurant that was right where the bus parked. It was called King Menelaus and we ate outside on a large veranda. There was a little old man who pointed to us where to sit and came around asking if everything was okay. He only spoke Greek but he made himself understood. He must have either been the owner or the owner’s father, but it was nice the way he helped. Most of us had the lamb and potatoes for lunch and it was very good. After we finished they brought everyone fresh oranges for desert. It looked like they just picked them from the tree. After lunch we left for a four hour drive over the mountains to Olympia. We had a stop about halfway there at a little coffee shop called “To Apxontiko”. You had a choice of Greek coffee, Mountain tea or iced coffee. Before we got to the town Anna had asked what everyone wanted to drink and called ahead to let them know the order. This was a treat that Trafalgar paid for and the coffee and tea was very good. After we left there we continued on through the mountain to Olympia. The road was narrow and winding and as we neared Olympia you could see where the fires of last August were and still see some of the burned trees. But you could also see how the grasses and flowers where now coming back. We stopped at a tourist shop before we got to the hotel. We had samples of there wine, chocolates, pistachios, and olives. They had a large selection of everything you could possibly want to buy there. T-shirts, pottery, flags, jewelry, candy, olives, soaps, you name it they had it. Then back on the bus and off to the hotel. We arrived at the Olympia Palace Hotel at about 5:30 PM. We were greeted with some appetizers and drinks (free) before we went up to our rooms. The lobby of this hotel was really magnificent but that is where it ended. The rooms did not match up to the lobby. They were okay and had balconies but nothing to write home about. We did have a nice view of a garden across from our hotel. After we got settled in our room I went for a walk through town with some other women from our tour. Dinner was not until 7:30 PM so we had plenty of time to explore. There were two dining rooms in this hotel, one was a veranda type outside and the other was inside (where we had breakfast the next morning). Dinner was a buffet, there was a vegetable soup (very good), cold potato salad, green bean vegetable mix, cold broccoli and macaroni salad. The hot food consisted of spaghetti with two kinds of sauce, baked fish, stewed lamb, stuffed macaroni with cheese, and roast potatoes. Desert was walnut cake and sliced apples. After dinner we went for another walk around town to window shop. Then it was back to our room to write our post cards and get ready for tomorrow. Wakeup call 7 AM tomorrow. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Friday, May 16, 2008
Weather: Sunny, cool morning but hot as day progressed Tour of Ancient Olympia & Museum - slight uphill walk/mostly flat but uneven paths Woke up at 6:30 AM but moving slow today, did not want to get out of bed. Shower at this hotel is horrid. Shower curtain does not reach down to the edge of the shower pan so it is hard to take a shower without the floor getting wet. Luggage out at 7 AM and down to breakfast by 7:30 AM, breakfast is a buffet. The breakfast buffet was not a lot to choose from. There were some fried eggs, fruit and cookies, tea and coffee, and dry cereal. We had a little breakfast and got out to be bus by 8:30 AM for a short ride to Ancient Olympic Archeological site (about 3 blocks). First we toured the museum with Anna using the “Whisper” system. Most of the really important statues that were found on the site are in this museum. We spent about an hour in this museum and then we went on to the Ancient Olympic site. We toured the whole site and ended our tour at the original Olympic Stadium. Then we had time on our own and of course there were those who had to stand on the Olympic starting line to have their picture taken as a winner or runner. Then we headed back to the bus. There was shops on the way out were we where able to buy souvenir t-shirts, books, etc. Back on the bus we drove to the other end of Olympia for lunch. It was a cafeteria style restaurant. Jenn and I both had Gyros and sat outside and people watched as we ate. After we ate we had time to do a little more shopping on Olympia’s main street. We found a bakery and bought some cookies to eat on the bus. We left Olympia at about 1:30 PM and headed to Delphi. We drove along the coast and through Patra to the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge. This bridge was a dream of Prime Minister Trikoupis and it was only fitting to name it after him. It was built to withstand earthquakes of great magnitude and I guess it was tested with the earthquake that hit the Patras area. We stopped at the visitor center on the other side of the bridge and took pictures of the bridge. You could climb to the top of the toll booth walkway to take pictures, which I did. Then it was time to get back on the bus. We drove along the coast and on the side of the mountains. It is very mountainous in Greece and the roads are right on the edge. Glad we didn’t have the front seats today. We arrived in Delphi at the hotel at about 4 PM. The Delphi Palace Hotel is a small family owned hotel. The hotel is built on the side of a mountain looking down to the coast and the sea. We all went into the hotel and met in the lounge area of the hotel. We were greeted with juice to drink while we waited to get our room keys. They had a free internet computer in this room. We got the key for our room; our room is on the lower level and down the hall. Our room overlooks the valley and the Ionian Sea; it also is right over the pool area. The rooms on this side have balconies with great views. We took pictures from our balcony of the view of the valley and then went for a walk into the town. This town reminds me of Assisi with the houses built on the die of a hill. We did a little souvenir shopping and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. Dinner was at the hotel tonight. We had chicken soup to start, then eggplant with cheese. Then they brought salad, sliced beef and potatoes. For desert we had a vanilla flan with chocolate sauce. After dinner we headed back to our room to prepare for the next day. Wakeup is at 7 AM, bags out and breakfast at 7:30 AM. We leave for Delphi site at 8:30AM. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Saturday, May 17, 2008
Weather: Sunny & warm Tour of Ancient Delphi - mostly uphill/medium to hard climb Delphi Museum - easy walk Beds at this hotel are as hard as rocks. Shower not working right either, need to hold and use it as a hand shower. Can’t hook it on the wall, mount was broken and coming off the wall. But the sun is shining and we are going to see the Oracle of Delphi today. Breakfast is at 7:30 AM and bags out. Not much choice for breakfast. I had some fruit cocktail, a fried egg, a croissant and tea. We left for Delphi at 8:30 AM; the site is on the side of the mountain. When we got on the bus Anna told us she had a family emergency and was going to have to leave us today. Another TD (Sandra) was going to meet us after we left Delphi to continue with us to Kalambaka and back to Athens. First we climbed up to an area where we could sit in the shade while Anna explained about the site we were seeing. It is amazing that the steps and the walkway are made of marble put there thousands of years ago. We then climbed to the next level where the “Navel of the Earth” was; it looks like a large bullet point. Then we passed the Treasury of Athens where the offerings were kept. Each city had its own treasury back then. Past this were the steps up to the Temple of Apollo. This is where we took a group photo. Every one lined up there cameras and Anna took the photo of the group by the Temple wall. Then we found another shady spot where Anna told us about the Oracle and how the predictions where told. After this we had free time and if you wanted to you could climb to the top to see the Stadium. Luann and I started out for the top; we were determined to get up there to see the stadium. It was quite a climb but we made it. Then it was time to go back down and meet up with the whole group at the museum. There is a snack shop and a gift shop on the plaza outside the museum that sold these ice drinks that everyone wanted by this time. It was really getting hot and after the climb we wanted something cold. After a while Anna gathered us up and took us into the museum for a tour. What’s good about the Whisper system is you don’t have to be right next to the TD at all times. You can wander and look at other things if what the TD is talking about is not holding your interest. We spent about an hour in the museum (at least it felt like an hour) and then we went back to our bus and headed to the Temple of Athena and the gymnasium. Not all of us went into this site, some waited on the bus for the rest to get back. Meanwhile the driver went down the road and turned the bus around, which was interesting to see on the side of a mountain. When everyone got back on the bus we headed back to the town of Delphi for lunch. We had lunch at a family restaurant called To Patriko Mas. Most of us sat on the garden level where it was open and there was a breeze blowing and you could see down to the sea. I had the Mousaka and Jenn had a hamburger made with veal, chicken, lamb & pork. She said it was very good, me I’ll stick to food I know. After lunch it was back on the bus and off the Kalambaka. Sandra met us on the road to Kalambaka and Anna took her car back to Athens. We will see Anna again when we get back to Athens the next day. We now begin our long trek to Kalambaka. We stopped as we go through the mountains for a picture moment and to stretch our legs. Then back on the bus for another hour and a half to our next rest stop. We finally have gotten to some flat lands. This is the agricultural part of Greece. We stopped at a big “Autogrill” in the middle of nowhere. It is gigantic with many tables, a gift shop area, a cafeteria style area, and a sandwich & ice cream area. Jenn and I got some of there ice cream which was pretty good. Then back on the bus we still have a ways to go to the hotel. As we were going through a village there was a church where a stork has built it next on the top of the dome. The church has a sign that tells about the stork. It comes back year after year to the same nest. Achilles pulled the bus over and we all jumped out to get a picture of the stork on top of the church. Out next stop is our hotel. We arrived at the hotel at 7 PM and dinner is at 7:30 PM. It is a buffet and there are 4 other buses at this hotel. This hotel is rather large, we were sent down one hallway to our room and discovered that if we had gone to the right and went down the other hallway it was closer to our room. We actually went in a circle or square technically. Our room has a sliding door that opens out into a garden patio area. Opening those doors was like trying to solve a puzzle. I finally figured out to open them you had to push up one lock and push down the bottom one and then pull them apart. Okay, don’t have to worry about someone getting in during the night. The dining room is on the lower level. The buffet at this hotel had a lot more food to choose from. A little bit of everything. And for desert there was fresh fruit and also ice cream with chocolate syrup. After dinner it is back to our room and bed after a long day of driving. Early wakeup call tomorrow. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Sunday, May 18, 2008
Weather: Another sunny and warm day Tour of Monastery on Cliff - long climb up steps/hard Tour of Monastery in Town - long walk uphill/hard Optional Dinner - long walk from where bus drops you off to restaurant/stairs up to restaurant Today we are up at 6:30 AM. We have breakfast at the hotel buffet and we are on the coach by 7:58 AM to head for Metora. Metora is areas of high cliffs were monks have built monasteries. The monastery we are visiting today is inhabited by an order of nuns. We climbed the over 200 steps to the first bridge over to a circular waiting area where there is another set of steps to another bridge into the monastery. We have to wait for the Sunday service to be over before we can enter. Sandra wanted us there early before the crowds come because only one group at a time is let in. While we were waiting we could see the monasteries on the other cliffs and took pictures of them. All the women have to wear skirts and if you don’t have one they will lend you one. When the service was finally over and the people left we went up in to a waiting area inside the monastery. Sandra led us down the steps to the church area. It is not very big and we are crowded in. If you have claustrophobia it is not a place for you. This church is many years old and the walls are covered in paintings. They painted the walls with biblical scenes because people back then could not read and the paintings reminded them of what was being taught to them. After we finished in the church we went back up the stairs where there was a gift shop and we all bought a little something to remind us of our visit and to help the nuns. Tours and the gift shop is there only income. Then it was back to the coach to see another monastery for those who couldn’t climb the stairs. Unfortunately, I think this one was harder to get to than the first. The coach could only go so far and we had to walk from there. Remember this is Greece and most towns are built on hills. This one was no exception. We walked up the hill one block over to another street and up that hill across the next street to the next block and up a set of stairs then past a small church to another hill up to the monastery. Even the younger members of the tour had trouble keeping up. This church is bigger than the one on the mountain but it is built the same way on a much larger scale. This one also had an admission ticket and sold postcards of the church (you can’t take pictures inside). Then it was the walk back down the hills and stairs and back on the coach. We are now headed back to Athens. But first we had to stop back at the hotel because someone from another tour left there luggage behind and we were asked to pick it up and bring it to Athens. So of course bathroom break was in order before we went any further. Our next stop is the same auto grill as yesterday for lunch. There was a party going on in one section when we got there. We sat outside on the porch to eat and it was very breezy. Sandra had given us the evaluation forms to fill out while we had lunch so after eating we went back inside where the wind wasn’t blowing to fill them out. Back on the coach and our next stop was a picture moment at the site of the battle between the Spartans and the Persians. Then we are off again and our next and our last rest stop at truck stop on the highway. This one had a grocery store and coffee shop and it seemed like it was a local hang out. Then once more on the road and back to Athens. We arrived back at the Divani Palace at 4:50 PM. We have a Greek Dinner (Farewell Dinner) tonight at a restaurant in the Plaka. We have to be ready by 7:15 PM. We got the same room we had the first night in Athens. It was like we never left. We got on the bus and we drove to the Plaka. Stelios led the way to the restaurant and gave us a talk on the way. To get to the restaurant we had to climb some stairs. We were one of the groups eating there. For dinner we started with Greek salad, fried zucchini, eggplant salad and cheese puffs. For the entrée we had a choice of lamb or kabobs. I had the lamb which was very good and for desert we had baklava. In between courses we were entertained by some Greek dancers and there also were some musicians playing while we ate. The dancers got some of the tourists to come up and dance with them. And then Stelios got some of us up to dance with him. It was a great time and we didn’t leave there until about 10:30 PM. Then we had to walk out of the Plaka and to the bus. We got back to the hotel at about 11 PM. Tomorrow we start our cruise of the Greek Isles, so we have an early wake up call. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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4 DAY CRUISE
Monday, May 19, 2008 Weather: Sunny & Warm - Great day for sailing Mykonos - flat and some slight hills - easy walking Wake up call is at 6 AM and luggage out and breakfast by 7 AM. Stelios gave everyone on the cruise luggage tags for our suitcases and instructions last night before we headed to our rooms. It told us the wake up call time, suitcase collection time (don’t forget the cruise label on the suitcase) and departure time to the ship (passport close at hand). It also had the name of our cruise ship (Perla) and cruise leader (Dimitri Moulas). It also reminded us that when we return from the cruise on Friday our rooms would not be ready until 2:00 PM but our luggage would be held by the hotel so we could do last minute sightseeing or shopping. We had breakfast and then met everyone in the lobby to await our transfer to the port. We are all excited about our cruise and looking forward to a great time. Our bus finally arrived and the luggage was loaded. We all got on the bus and Stelios came on and made sure everyone was there. He said goodbye and said he would see us on Friday. Another representative from TT was on the bus with us to the port. She handed out our cruise tickets and told us we would meet our cruise leader when we got to the port. We arrived at the port at about 9 AM and Dimitri met us. We all had to collect our luggage and take it to the line to board the ship. Dimitri asked one person from each family or group traveling together to take the passports to be handed into the ship personnel and get our boarding passes and a receipt for our passport. We will get our passport back at the end of the cruise. The boarding pass has our name, cabin number and group ID number on it along with an expiration date. You use this card to get off and on the ship and also any charges to your shipboard account. Dimitri had us on a line that moved pretty fast. While we were waiting on the line to go through security we were given a complimentary drink of orange or apple juice. Soon we were going through security and all our hand luggage and suitcases were scanned. We walked through a metal detector and grabbed our hand luggage; suitcases go down a chute and are taken to the ship. We walked out the doors and to the ship, just outside the door the ship photographer took your picture if you wanted (you can purchase it later on the ship). We walked to our ship and got on line to board. Everyone had to have their boarding pass and as we got on our picture was taken with the card. Now when we leave or board they just scan our card and our picture flashes on the screen We went to our cabin and checked it out. It had two beds with a nightstand in the middle, a desk with a mirror and plugs where you can plug battery charges in, a closet area and a small bathroom. We also had our first ship newsletter to tell us what was going on each day. We had a meeting with Dimitri in the Clipper Lounge and he explained what to expect on the cruise. He also explained all the shore excursions that were offered and which ones he suggested to take. We could pay him by credit card or Euros and he would arrange all the tickets for us. We would also be leaving for these excursions as a group and most of the time we were almost always the first group called to disembark. After this meeting we had a life boat drill. Everyone had to get their lifejackets and meet at a muster area on the ship and be checked off by the ship personnel that you were there and that your lifejacket was on right. The area you are to go to is on your life jacket. After that we went and set up our shipboard account at the Reception Desk. Everyone has to register a credit card or leave cash deposit. If you wish at the end of the cruise you can settle your shipboard account with cash instead of them charging your card. After doing this we went to the buffet for lunch. You have a choice of the buffet or the dining room for lunch and dinner. After lunch we went exploring the ship. Jenn signed up for a facial at the Beauty Salon and we bought the picture they took of us before boarding the ship (9 Euro). While Jenn went for her facial I sent to see what entertainment was going on. I met up with some other friends from our tour and we went to the bow of the ship and took pictures with the wind blown look. After that we went to the Clipper lounge where they were teaching some Greek dancing. Sandy went up to learn and the rest of us just watched. Sandy came back and was showing everyone what she learned and to see her do it was a hilarious sight. Some more from our group joined us and we had a good laugh watching the next group of people learning some Latin dances. Our first port of call is Mykonos and Dimitri suggested not taking any tour here. Instead he will lead us on a walking tour and then we will have time on our own. We have to meet him in the Clipper Lounge at 5:15 PM to get ready to disembark. When we met Dimitri gave us our excursion tickets and our seating for dinner. He also gave us a fact sheet about Mykonos and a map. Dinner tonight is open seating so we don’t have to sit anywhere special. He also told us we would be getting on a tender from the Caribbean deck. At about 5:40 PM we dropped anchor in the harbor and the tenders pulled up to the ship. We were the first group called to get on the tender. We went down and some of the people started to get on when a hydrofoil went by and sent a wake into the ship causing the tender to bounce around and hit the boarding steps. The tender had to pull away and come back and the deck hands had to fix the steps before we could board the tender. Luckily Jenn was not there to see this or she wouldn’t have gotten off the ship. We all got on the tender and headed to Mykonos. Dimitri gave us a tour of the town and then we had time on our own. We walked up and took pictures of the windmills, the setting sun and of course Petros the Pelican. There are about three female and one male pelicans that are pampered by the locals here. We watched one pelican follow one man into the back door kitchen of a restaurant and wait while he got a fish out of the refrigerator for it. And then it just waddled back out and down the lane with people following and taking pictures. Mykonos is an island I would go back to again. While we were there we ran into Kate from Australia, who is staying on Mykonos, from our land tour. Now what are the odds of that happening? We walked around and looked in the shops and then we went to a small café and had some crepes. Soon it was time to head back to the ship. We got to the port and had to show our boarding card before we could get near the tenders. We got back to the ship at about 9 PM and went right to our cabin to get ready for dinner. We ate in the main dining room. Jenn and I both had spinach cannelloni, soup and a fish dish and for dessert we had Tiramisu. By that time we were really getting tired and bed sounded good. Tomorrow we have an early wakeup when we get to Turkey. When we got back to our room we had a newsletter for what is going on the next day. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Weather: Sunny & warm Kusadasi 82.4 F Partly cloudy Patmos 80.6 F Sunny Kusadasi - Ephesus – easy walk downhill but very uneven paths Patmos – Scenic Island Tour – bus to Chora and easy walk around then bus back to Grotto of St. John – lot of steps down to grotto and back up again. We are up before the sun this morning (5:30 AM). We have to be ready to get off the ship by 6:50 AM. We should be docking at 7 AM. Breakfast starts at 6:15 AM. We are in Turkey today. Taking a shower this morning was interesting, the shower area is not bad but very small and the shower nozzle points to the corner so you are almost against the wall when showering. Breakfast was a buffet in the dining room. The waiters are all lined up waiting to carry your plate to your table. The buffet has a good selection of food to choose from. From cereal to pancakes and a lot of other things in-between. After breakfast we went to the Clipper Lounge to meet up with our tour group for Ancient Ephesus. We were docked at the port so we just walk off today. Dimitri says we have a speedy Captain who gets us there before the other ships and so we get to dock at the pier. We followed Dimitri to the bus and met our TG for Ancient Ephesus his name was Trunch. It was a 20 minute drive to the top of the site. This is a must see place. It is better than all the other ancient cities we have seen so far. It is also one of the largest sites we have been too. There are so many buildings that they have reconstructed using the remnants of the buildings and filling in the pieces missing. It gives you a much better idea of what things looked like back then. The roads in the ancient city are made of marble and are still visible. The library is the most reconstructed building you see and the centerpiece of the site. And as at other sites the amphitheater is still used to hold concerts. At the end of the site are some shops before you get to the bus parking lot. We passed them by and got on the bus. After touring Ephesus we headed back to Kusadasi and a short tour of the city. Then we headed to the Bazaar for a rug demonstration. We were welcomed at the store and went up to the second floor showroom where everyone was offered some refreshments (Turkish coffee, apple tea, etc.). We all sat around the walls of the room as they brought out rug after rug and threw them open at our feet. The rugs were beautiful but way out of my price range and I have nowhere to put one. Jenn & I managed to leave the shop without buying anything. We wandered around the bazaar and Jenn bought some scarves at a small stall near the rug shop. Then she started looking at leather pocketbooks at another shop. I went off on my own and bought a small vase and paid more than I should have. I just am not good at bargaining on my own. I met up with Chris & Randy and when Chris was buying a scarf for too much I managed to bargain the woman down to a better price. I guess I needed someone else to be with me when I bargain. Besides I knew she could have gotten the same scarf at the stall where Jenn bought hers for less than what that shop wanted for it. Eventually we caught up with Jenn but she was still shopping so we went on without her. There were more shops on the pier on the way back to the ship but we just passed them by. We got back to the ship around 11 AM and headed to our cabins to drop off our packages. The ship left port at 11:30 AM and we met to go to the dining room for lunch at 12 noon. It is nice to sit down and be served a nice lunch while the ship heads to the next port. After lunch we headed to see the latest photos on the picture wall. Tried my luck at the slot machines in the Casino and then we headed up to the pool area to see what was going on. Soon it was time to get ready to go to the meeting point for our shore excursion at Patmos (The Scenic Island Tour). The ship docked at 3 PM. We docked again at the pier so we didn’t have to take a tender in. Our group was called at 3:30 PM to disembark from the ship. We went to the bus and handed our excursion tickets to the guide and found seats on the bus. Our guides name was one of those Greek names that are hard to pronounce so he said to just call him “Mike”. The tour of Patmos was not a long one but it was interesting. First we went to the top of the island where the monastery is. We walked around there and Mike told us about the area, how the monastery was built and about the way the alleys between the houses where formed to confuse pirates. This is the same at all the Greek Isles. We took some pictures of the scenery and than we took the bus to the Grotto of St. John. It is under a chapel that was built on top of it. We had to go down steps to get there and we could not take pictures. The steps are rather steep in spots and it is a long walk up the steps (not so bad going down). After this we headed back to the port area to a tavern for an included drink and we were offered a spicy cookie too. We sat inside and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then Chris wanted to go to a place her uncle told her about. It was a short walk to where St. John baptized the people. It is a fenced in area and of course the sign was in Greek. It was a nice walk along the beach area and then we went and did some shopping before we went back to the ship. It is Greek Night tonight and we are asked to wear blue and white. Our table number is 32 and we are sitting with Chris and Randy and four other people from out tour. There are about five tables of eight near the windows that were for the Trafalgar group. Don’t remember what we had to eat, but we had a choice of about a couple of appetizers, salad, soup and about 5 entrees and then desert. After dinner we had a cocktail party in the Clipper lounge paid for by Trafalgar. Our group all sat together in the lounge and after everyone got their drinks we toasted to our trip and then watched the Greek floor show. Most of us were very tired from our long day of touring and our early wakeup call so we headed to our cabins as soon as the show was over. I tried to write in my journal but was so tired I kept falling asleep so finally gave up and just went to sleep. I finally finished writing on Wednesday afternoon between excursions. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Weather: Sunny and very warm Excursions: Rhodes & Lindos Combined – lots of steps and climbing. Can take a donkey for 5 Euros to the entrance but there are still more steps to climb up to the ruins in Lindos. Rhodes was a little easier walking downhill. We have had great weather this whole trip. Today was sunny again. There was a beautiful sunrise from our cabin window that I got a picture of while waiting for Jenn to get dressed. We were up at 5:30 AM this morning and down to breakfast by 6:30 AM. Our meeting time for our shore excursion today was at 7:05 AM. We were the second group called to disembark. We are a small group today of only 20 so other groups were added to ours. We met our tour guide (he said to call him “Lefty”, had another long Greek name) and we started out. We got to Lindos ahead of most of the other groups and up to the Acropolis before the crowds. There were over 300 steps up and I climbed them all. The view from the top was worth the climb. When we got to the top Lefty told us about the Acropolis and gave us time to go to the top ourselves. We climbed the steps to the gate and then climbed some more to the very top of the ruins. This is a place that is a most see but only if you are up to the climb. On the way down there were some Greek ladies selling tablecloths and runners and other embroidered things. You can buy these almost every where you go in Greece. It is all the same design. On the way down we saw the lines waiting to go up to the Acropolis. We were lucky to be one of the first groups up. We got back to our bus and every one was on time. We stopped next at a pottery shop. This was the best one we have been to so far. The potter made a vase and then Lefty explained how you can tell a hand made vase from a machine made one. And then he cut the vase the potter made in half and showed us the ridges to look for. This shop had some of the most beautiful vases and plates we have seen. Our next stop was the Old Town of Rhodes. Just getting through the new town was very interesting; the streets are just as congested as in Athens, if not more. The bus let us off at one of the gates into the old town. Lefty told us about the walls and the moats as we walked into the old town and past the Palace of the Grand Masters. He explained the different buildings and what they were used for. Then led us down the Street of the Knights and pointed out the various Inns of the Knights and the different countries they represented. It all was very interesting. The tour ended at the Marine Gate and we got back on the bus and were dropped off at the ship. We went back on board for lunch. After dropping our packages at the cabin we went to the dining room for lunch. We sat with some of the people we met on the excursion today. We had the Monte Cristo Sandwich for lunch and cheesecake for desert. After lunch we went back into the old town for more shopping and to take pictures of what we had seen earlier but without the crowds this time. We went back to the ship at about 4 PM and took a well needed nap. I got up in time to go up to High Tea and met up with some of our tour mates. We talked about what we each had done today and at about 5:30 PM we went back to our cabins to get ready for the Captain’s Reception. We met up with our friends and went to the Mayflower Deck and got on line to meet the Captain. We were introduced to the Captain and had our picture taken with him. Then we went and sat in the lounge and were served a cocktail and some finger foods. The Captain introduced the rest of the ship officers to us and then we toasted the Captain. After that we all went up to dinner. This was assigned seating tonight and luckily Randy and Chris and Jenn and I were able to sit at one end of the table and the other two couples sat at the other end. So we weren’t talking over each other. Tonight we had Salmon and then the waiters made a grand entrance with flaming Baked Alaska for desert. The waiters went down the aisles on both side of the dining room and then back up again making a grand display of the Baked Alaska. While we ate desert the waiters sang a couple of songs for us. It was a festive time. After dinner we went to the lounge at the back of the ship for a while to just talk and relax. It was a nice night. After a while we all went to our cabins and an early bed it has been a long day. We can sleep late tomorrow; wakeup call is at 6:30 AM. This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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Thursday, May 22, 2008
Weather: Sunny & Warm Excursions: Knossos Palace – Some climbing, uneven paths, no shade. Thira & Oia – Uphill walking to the main street of town, lots of stairs and narrow streets. Wakeup call at 6:15 AM. Took pictures of sunrise over Crete. Went to breakfast and then went to the Clipper Lounge to wait to disembark for our excursion to Knossos Palace. Heraklion is a very congested city. We disembarked the ship at 7:30 AM and found our bus. We met our guide “Effy” and she told us a lot about the city and island as we drove out to Knossos. It is amazing how these drivers can get through the streets and past the cars and motor bikes. When we got to Knossos we walked to the Palace ruins and entered, we only have until 10:05 AM to explore and get back on the bus to the ship. The first part of the ruins are not that interesting but the main part was very interesting and we took a little longer because of a long line to get in to see the Throne Room. We were back on the bus by 10:15 AM and have to be back on the ship by 11 AM. We got back to the ship just in time and we pulled out of the harbor. We went to our cabin and dropped our bags and headed to the Dining Room for lunch. The seas are a little rough going from Heraklion to Santorini and we had to be careful walking down the hallways. Lunch was very good, I had the chicken sandwich and Jenn had Calamari. After lunch we went back to our cabin and took a nap. The ship is really rocking a lot so we decided to sleep until we get to Santorini. I awoke about an hour late and started to pack when the announced we were nearing the caldera and if we wanted to view our entrance to go up on deck. I woke Jenn and went up to take pictures as we neared Santorini. The views of the island were fabulous. We all went down to the lounge to wait to be called for the tender to the island. The water was not as choppy inside the caldera and we had no problem getting on the tender. You could see the buses coming down the zigzag road from the top of the caldera down to the new harbor as we neared the island. We got on our bus that was taking us for a tour of the island. The first part of the tour was to Oia for a look at that town. It is a beautiful spot with great views. What is surprising when we drove to Oia is that one side of the island is a steep cliff and the other side is a flat plain. Oia is the town that has all the white houses and narrow streets, the one that you see pictures and paintings of all over Greece. We walked to the fort at the end of the town and took pictures of the sun starting to set. Then it was time to get back to the bus and head to Thira and the cable car down to the old harbor. It is a steep walk from where the bus leaves you off to the main street of the town. Jenn and I took our time and window shopped on the way to the cable car. We stopped and got some crepes before we got on the line for the cable car. It was not that long of a wait to go down and it wasn’t as scary a ride as we thought it would be. Your other choice is to walk down the steps where the donkeys also walk up the side of the cliffs. The cable car is better. When we got down to the harbor we tried to get on the tender but a bunch of pushy French pushed in front of us so we waited for the next boat. We ended up walking around and getting on the third tender. When we got back to the ship we went to take pictures of the sunset but we missed it. We went back to our cabin and dropped our bags and headed to the dining room for dinner. We sat with two of our tour mates, Amanda and her mother Jan, for dinner. Jenn had some kind of kabob and I had Fettuccini. After dinner we headed to our cabin to finish packing. We have to leave the cabin at 7 AM, disembark at 7:30 AM and we have to put our luggage out tonight.  Coming to the end of our cruise and our tour.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Traveling Dot, DOT Best of Italy May, 2006 Sound of Music August, 2007 Best of Greece & 4 day Cruise May, 2008 Best of Germany & Passion Play August, 2010 |
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