Venice...city of romance

I have always loved the city of Venice. Getting lost on the maze of alleys, the plentiful brick, and stucco walls adorned with flower boxes. The canals, and the gondolas, all make it unique from any other town we have visited.
The weather was perfect. The sun was shining, fluffy white clouds were in the bluest of skies. We cruised in around eight am, and  stood on the deck watching the infamous St. Mark's square from the perfect vantage point. The Swiss alps were present in the distance, and it seemed as if this would be a perfect ending for our cruise.
After docking, we made our way off the ship to a shuttle boat that landed us not far from St. Marks. We took our time going over bridges, admiring the different artists that had painting for sale, looking in windows of shops that had Murano glass for sale, and admiring the different canals and bridges. St. Mark's square was more crowded than I remembered it being, and only when we got about halfway across did I understand why. Standing water was forcing people to follow the same trail across. Once we had cleared the square, we enjoyed the wandering until we stopped at a restaurant for a lunch break.
After lunch, no destination in mind, we meandered in and out of shops, taking hundreds of photos, each alley more perfect than the one before. The men tired quickly, and left us to return to the ship. Unfazed, Susie and I continued walking and ending up at dead ends, and eventually in a very quiet residential neighborhood. After several hours, we worked our way back to St. Mark's and caught the shuttle back to the ship.
We are spending the night in Venice tonight, and catching a train in the morning for Tuscany. More on our travels, as time allows. For now, here are just a few shots from the first part of Venice.

The bridge of sighs.

T

 Dodges Palace, so pretty with all the intricate trim.

The sky was like a giant watercolor.

This standing water had completely disappeared by the time we came back through here in the afternoon. Venice has had an unusually large amount of rain lately. Sadly, we got to experience that first hand today. We are not strangers to rain, being from Oregon, but the standing water was hard to avoid. I found myself just laughing as we tried dodging puddles unsuccessfully.

So many places

We have been on a whirlwind tour. So many places, and no time to just kick back and relax. Today is a day at sea as we head for Venice. It's been 12 years since we last saw Venice. I'm excited to walk the winding alleys that are easy to get lost in, and discover new and wonderful corners. The canals and gondolas, the worn stone, all there perhaps the last time I will walk the streets Venice. I'm hoping to take lots of photos and get that one special one. When the cruise ends, we will spend the night and then catch a train for Tuscany. There we should have a slower pace and find time to smell the coffee.

It's hard to remember where we have been, and what we have seen. The days are full from the moment we get up, until we fall into bed at night. It's a nice kind of exhaustion, sunshine, new travels, and laughing with old friends. Still exhausting, but no complaints here.

Corfu was a Greek island we visited that was a place I would love to return to in the future. The Adriatic sea on one side, the Ionian sea on the other. The clearest water, shades of turquoise and blue were begging me to jump in. Sadly I did not. The many olive trees, Cyprus, grapes, and a sprinkling of lemon and orange trees made it an optical feast.

 We visited a monastery  in Corfu. The gardens were pristine, and once again the most magnificent views. We went inside the chapel and lit a candle for a Greek friend's sister who recently died.

Mark views the statue of Achilles pulling the arrow out of his tendon. I really must study Greek mythology when I get home!

The water is the most perfect! 

We visited a palace that belonged to Elizabeth,( Cici )from Vienna, Austria. I have been fascinated with her life since we first started visiting Vienna all those years ago. She was a beautiful Empress, with a tragic life. Many compared her life to Princess Diana of modern times.
After her son's death she visited Corfu and built a palace in his memory. It was beautiful. The grounds exquisite, and the views unbelievable. If only I could have been the only one sitting on her terrace with black and white marble enjoying the views. Sadly this was a very popular tourist stop.

Being on a large bus tour was the only option we had to really see the entire island. Driving through this small village I was thankful for an amazing bus driver who only had inches on each side of the bus. We could see places where less skilled drivers had been before us. Barely room for one care, let alone a large bus, our driver maneuvered in ways I didn't think were possible.

The old town of Corfu was charming. We didn't have much time to spend there. I would have loved to sit at one of the outdoor cafes and just people watch. Next time I tell myself. Mark did pick up a local treat. Kumquat liqueur. Thinking a small glass over ice might be nice some night when we are sitting in Tuscany.

We also visited Olympus the site of the very first Olympic games thousands of years ago. Now ruins, and only our imagination can help us visualize how it must have been. We know that only men could compete, and women were not allowed to watch. Men wore only olive oil on their skin to make them shine in the sunlight Naked as could be, they would compete for the glory of winning. Winners had statues erected in their honor, and they and their families were fed for the rest of their lives. I guess that was an ancient way of endorsements.

It is so amazing, that these were put up 1,000 years before Christ. We went to the original stadium, which is now just dirt, and you can see a small area on the side where the judges would sit. The Olympic torch is still lit from this location every four years as the torch travels around the world getting ready for the next Olympics. 

Yesterday we stopped in Dubrovnik, Croatia. We had visited here back in 2005 with Gary and Susie. All four of us were excited to show Wayne and Patti this charming city. We had such good memories from our time here. The walls were just as we left them, the streets still shining from the thousands of years of wear. The marble steps have curves in them from the wear of millions of feet going up and down them. We met up with friends who are traveling Europe and as luck would have it, they were in Dubrovnik on this day. We met at a restaurant a few blocks outside of the old city. Sitting on the terrace covered by a grape arbor, we enjoyed the gentle breeze, wonderful local white wine, and fresh fish. The leisurely hour and half lunch was just what the doctor ordered. Slowly we worked our way back to the old city, and took a few photos, and then said goodbye to one of our favorite towns as the cab returned us to the ship. We had a couple of hours to relax before dinner and now today we can go about the business of doing nothing. That sounds pretty good!

WiFi is so expensive on the ship. I try to use it sparingly as Mark needs to do some business from time to time. We all put Viber on our phones to be able to call home for free. The problem is the nine hour time difference, and we can't leave it on WiFi  and have missed several calls. By the time we are up and going, people at home are in bed. Hoping once we get to Tuscany, we will have better luck as the home we are staying in has WiFi. Fingers crossed we can connect with loved ones at home. Maybe in Venice we will find some WiFi and the times will match.

Until the next time, hope all the photos aren't too overwhelming.

Alive and well in Greece

Wow, it's go go go! From the time we get up, until we lay our weary heads on the pillows. We are alive and well, having a fabulous time, but could use some down time and some free wifi. They practically want your first born for the privilege of using WiFi on the ship.  We are eating more than we are walking off, that will change when we get to our next stop.

One member of the group is sick, hoping she feels better today. Two of our group cancelled their tour and stayed on the ship to rest up, but Mark and I pilgrims that we are kept on trucking!
Athens is a place we visited in July 2001 It was about 110 degrees, and I barely remember things, as I'm convinced my brain was boiling.

This trip was a cool (?) 85 degrees very unusual for their spring. Just our luck. We were sweating bullets but still made the climb up to the Acropolis, and took in all it's splendor and the panoramic views of Athens below. We had an older guide, a woman who is passionate about her culture and her heritage. I wish I'd taken notes. So much we learned, and I'm sure it will pop in and out of my head for years to come.

We visited the Acropolis museum that is only 3 years old. So modern, clean, and air condidtioned! Amazing relics are housed there and some of the floors are glass, so you can see ruins below. Very enjoyable hour and half in there.

We had lunch at an "ancinet" restuarant, and were served foods that were typical of ancient times. pottery cups, pitchers, plates, and only a spoon and knife. A young woman danced for us and it was a lovely way to unwind with choices of red or white wine from the pitchers. The food was fabulous and we were able to visit with two other couples who were touring. Our group was small, only 19 which made the day that much more enjoyable.

We are off to Olympia today. Forecast is for 80's but the weather feels cool and hazy.  I will post more photos when there is time.

First Stop Naples

Our first stop in the cruise, was Naples, Italy.  We have been here before. In fact I have been here three times before. We felt like we had seen most of the important sights, and Naples being a tiny bit sketchy, didn't feel like venturing out on our own.

The only thing we hadn't seen was the Excavated ruins of Herculaneum.  This seaside town was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. We had visited Pompei, that was also destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius. It was a favorite thing we had done, and I had this sinking feeling that Herculaneum wouldn't compare.

I was wrong, the tour at Herculaneum was different, but very interesting, and had some unique aspects to the town. We were touring the remains of the homes, considered the Beverly Hills of the area in it's time. Some strange thing happened during the eruption, and the town was encased in gas, and somehow the wooden things were charred, but not burned to bits, so many second stories are still standing, steps, beams, etc. were all in place. Black, but in place.

Warning, this is a photo heavy post. I just couldn't decide.
The new town Of Herculaneum was built after WWII, I found it to be very charming as well. You can see it behind the lower original town. There is no way to unearth the remainder of the ancient city as they would have to displace people, and that won't happen.

Our guide was an archeologist, and had done digs at both this location and Pompei. Her enthusiasm was so delightful. Now on to the photos.

 

 

As you can see, the frescos are still bright and beautiful. The table that is still intact is amazing to me, and the mosaic floors are in great shape considering they are thousands of years old!

 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

This week's hunt is brought to you from Rome, Italy
Perspective, bloom, golden,local

and dark. Probably won't have much wifi for the next twelve days, So I've been trying to get some photos up.

Here goes the hunt...

                                                                           GOLDEN

The oldest church in Rome, and that's saying something. I mean OLD!!

                                                              PERSPECTIVE

                                                                              DARK

                                                                               LOCAL

Local girls out for a little gelato

                                                                           BLOOM

.

Borgehse Gallery

What a wonderful morning we had! Two hours looking and learning about some of the most precious and exquisite art in all of the world. Sculptures that you can't imagine the detail of. Painting from Masters that are so unique and amazing.

We met our guide Joseph at 8:30 for our 9:00 tour. You are only allowed in the gallery for two hours. This is good and it's bad. Good is, it doesn't get overly crowded, bad part is you could easily spend a day inside looking in awe at the rooms filled to the brim with art.

This house of Borgehse they called their "small house" You would laugh as it's quite a spacious villa with large rooms and three stories high.  They were avid collectors and had incredible pieces on display. Now the state owns the home, the art, and the land, which is a park.

We had to check our bags and cameras before entering so I only have photos of the outside of the home and the garden in the back.

The sculptures were so incredible, like nothing I've ever seen.  I'm including a link, but I'm not sure the photos can do them justice.  My favorite one was Apollo and Daphne when she turned into a tree. The leaves were so delicate, and the stone had the slightest sparkle to it. The bark on the tree had amazing detail, and the expressions on their faces with the hair blowing nearly blew my mind!

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm

The aviary that is next door to the "little house"

A church that was closed but had forgotten to close the door. We were having lunch across the street

After lunch we traveled over the bridge and visited a part of Rome that we had never visited before. The area is called Trastevere

Of course there was a square, and a church and we went inside. It was amazing! So many areas, and such beauty inside. We later learned that this was the first church built in Rome in the 4th century. Two popes and several cardinals are buried here. Hard to believe how much history has passed through here!

These are mosiaics

walking and finding charming alleys is one of our favorite things to do.

So glad we visited here. Not as much hustle and bustle as the city of Rome, very charming.