Day - 12 - Montenegro-Kotor

Montenegro--black mountains. We had no idea what to expect. We entered a fjord and in beautiful weather and calm seas we sailed through a narrow pass. This opened up into a channel which had houses all along the edge and huge towering black mountains rising straight from the ocean. This is a spectacular place. The ship went up an inlet where there was a church on a small island . In the light it appeared to be floating in the water, As we passed the ship's horn sounded and the bell in the church started to peel. It was magical . As we progressed further into the fjord people came out to wave and in each small community that we passed we heard the church bells welcoming us to the area. We could not take pictures quick enough and I had decided days ago to limit myself to 15 per day.... an impossible feat today. We arrived in Kotor which is at the head of the fjord and saw that it was surrounded by amazing fortifications . It is a walled city and the ramparts go up into the mountains and surround the town., We climbed hundreds of steps and when we got to the top we had the spectacular view that you see in this picture, This is a beautiful, beautiful place . I know I said that Santorini was first on my list.......Sorry ... this has surpassed anything I have seen so far.

Day - 11 - Sicily/Naxos

The ship docked in Naxos and it was a very pleasant surprise. The bay is very wide and has great beaches . In front of each hotel umbrellas , all of the same colour , row upon row like soldiers were lined up, although at this time of the year they were empty. In the height of summer it must be wall to wall sunbathers. We walked from one end of the bay to the other and then returned by the back streets, picking up a gelato on the way. We really liked this place and next week when we return, we plan to rent a scooter and explore further.

Day - 10 - Amalfi/Ravello

Day nine was a sea day on route to Amalfi.
On arrival in Amalfi it was mizzling (one of those many Irish words used to describe precipitation which makes you wet, but you can't see it) We had been to Amalfi before so this time decided to go to Ravello, which is a small town high in the mountains above Amalfi. The bus ride was hazardous ---a very narrow road , a big bus , traffic lights which did not work in either direction, and Italian drivers all added up to a trip to be remembered. When we got to Ravello the rain had changed to bucketing so the kiosks in town made a killing on the sale of umbrellas. We did visit a very beautiful villa which had magnificant gardens and a view of the bay far below. We had a coffee and tried to keep dry. Upon our return to Amalfi ....even worse traffic in the way down------an Italian standoff to beat all...we wandered into a church and a wedding was taking place. The bride was in white , one bridesmaidwas in black, one was in fushia and the flower girls were in yellow!The guests were equally exotically dressed and there was more gold , pure white open neck shirts, hairy chests, shoes with toes at least 6 inches long and glitter to light up a Christmas tree. It was fun to watch and we stayed for the whole service.

Day - 9 - Piraeus/Athens

Did the laundry - What else would you do in Athens?

Day - 8 - Santorini

I got up early, grabbed a cup of coffee and headed for the top deck because I had heard that the first sight of Santorini is unforgettable ....and it was. The ship entered what seemed to be a large lake and is in fact the centre of a volcano which exploded in the Minoan Period and the wave it set up was responsible for wiping out the Minoan civilization centered in Crete, many miles away. In a circle around me were these very high cliffs and on top was what looked like snow. Surely not at this time of year and in Greece? As we got closer I saw that it was houses clusterd along the top of the cliffs and falling down the side. It was unbelievable. When we went ashore we had the choice of a donkey ride to the top of the cliff and the town -----donkeys in my experience are not to be trusted---- walk up the same path as the donkey, trying all the time to avoid mounds of donkey poo, or take a cable car. We opted for the cable car and then spent a few hours drinking in the views from this magnificent place. We wandered along tiny narrow street and up and down alleys, all of which are painted white. The houses are white also and have blue shutters and doors and masses of pots filled with hibiscus and geranium and all sorts of exotic cacti in lovely pots. The place sparkles and each vista opens up some new view which leads me to believe that this is the most spectacular place we have ever visited. It is the most amazing example of a caldera and it actually gave me a strange feeling to be in the centre of what must have been the explosion to end all explosions. We had Greek coffee in a small restaurant hanging over the cliff and decided that we would love to come and spend some time on this island.

Day - 7b - Mykonos

Two hours after Delos we arrived in Mykenos. On one of our previous trips we had met Pamela, who is a brilliant piano player and singer. We have kept in touch with her and at the moment she is working in Mykenos in a piano bar. We were so excited to see her and she showed us around, especailly where she works and the area where she lives. She took us to a restaurant off the beaten track, sitting right on the water's edge, and we indulged in some wonderful Greek food. We were so happy to see her again and when we parted we set off to explore the rest of the town which is very cute, very touristy and very expensive.

Day - 7a - Delos

We anchored off Delos and on looking out saw another pile of rocks! Having seen enough of ruins to last a lifetime we decided not to go ashore but then changed our mind as we really needed some fresh air. What a surprise this island turned out to be. It is uninhabited and no-one is allowed to stay overnight. They are currently excavating and we saw some amazing statues and mosaics and columns and bits and pieces of this ancient place just scattered about. We only had two hours but we plan to go ashore again when we return in a few weeks time.

Day - 6 - Rhodes

The Island of Rhodos is off the coast of Turkey, yet is Greek. We were happy to be back in the land of the Euro. The old city is walled and is perfectly preserved. Upon entering one of the gates, narrow alleyways head off in all directions, and as most of the shops are located within easy access to the cruise ship----we find that many passengers only want to walk from the ship to the shops and back!----we try to get away from this area as quickly as possible with this time, one exception. We found a carpet shop where a lady was weaving wonderful silk and wool carpets and as it is the end of the season they are selling them off at a great price. We were sorely tempted. Many of the crafts are of a very high quality and we loved the glass wall plaques which have metal pieces through the glass---again we were tempted . But, we stifled ourselves and instead went off in the narrow streets and tried to get lost. That is a favourite thing of ours to do and often leads to finding a little cafe where the locals eat. We found such a place and stopped for a Turkish coffee, for which we are developing quite a taste. We liked this island very much and hope to rent a scooter next time back (in a few weeks) and explore further afield.

Day - 5 - Kusadasi - Ephesus

After a day at sea we arrive in Kusadasi, a place for future exploration. We signed up for a tour to ancient Ephesus. Throughout all our travels we have see numerous monuments, historical sights, old churches, remains etc. but never have we seen anything as spectacular as Ephesus. We went on a ship's tour and so had a guide to give us informationon on the site. The city is 6 miles from the sea now but in the time of the Ephesians it was a busy port. In the past 100 years they have excavated only about one tenth of it. So far, it is magnificent. The theatre holds 24,000 people and has been restored enough that concerts with the likes of Pavorotti, Sting and Joan Baez, who did not need any amplification as the ecoustics are so incredible. It was here that St.Paul preached to the Ephesians in AD53. The library facade has been restored and many of the mosaics are still visible and in brilliant colour. A tunnel runs underground from the library to the brothel across the street. So , when a man said he was going to do a bit of research who could guess to what he was referring....nothing changes! We saw ancient Ephesian toilets where 40 men sat in a row,inches apart, and carried on their business and also conducted the commerce of the city, and where the marble seats were heated by slaves prior to the morning visit. Apparently women found a spot in the olive groves nearby! We spent a few hours there soaking up the ambience and wanted more.

Day - 2&3 Istanbul

Down to work with Erdie, our favourite HCS techie, busy day introducing guests to the system and getting them up to speed. It is a little like the first day back to school in September with us playing the teacher role and the guests doing a good impression as students with all their needs.
Day three we walk to the historical area of Istanbul from the ship across the bridge over the Golden Horn, the dock area of Istanbul. The Bosphorus is the busiest waterway we have ever seen - amazing that there are no collisions - cruise ships, freighters, ferrys, fishermen, tour boats etc. Determined that we would make this a quick check out and visit the main sites during our next stop here. Couldn't resist the Haghia Sophia established as a mosque in the 1400s and famous for its Byzantine mosaics. The architecture is so different from anything we have seen before - massive. We walked around Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque but decided to leave them until our next visit. Next the Grand Bazaar - huge covered area with long arched alleyways covering acres. If you can't find it here it is not in Turkey. Istanbul is a very comfortable city, at no time were we hassled or did we feel insecure.

Day -1 The Prequel

We arrive in Istanbul at 10:30pm and hail a taxi to take us straight to the Nautica. HCS has arranged for a cabin for us so that we can get on board the night before our cruise begins. The taxi literally hurtles through town at speeds up to 140kph. You hear about this type of terrorism but now we are living it. Get on board to discover that our cabin has been commandeered for storage for the ships complete compliment of dressing gowns. Dump them in the corridor and so to sleep.