Homeward Bound

As the Norwegian Gem silently slips through the deep blue Mediterranean Sea just a couple of hundred miles from the home port of Venice, Italy, I realize that this wonderful two week cruise is about to end. The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather, smooth seas, and the ability to visit places we have never been. We came to realize that every part of the world has a unique beauty and specialness that makes those who live there love their land and take pride in their country. We found that people all over the world are basically the same…everyone wants to live in peace, enjoy life and live in freedom. We heard the word “freedom” and “liberty” more in the five days we spent in Greece than most of the years we have lived in and loved the good old USA. We have made new friends, seen new place and captured memories that will last a lifetime. As we near the end of this journey I realize that today will soon be yesterday, but we have enough memories to be enjoyed for many, many tomorrows.

Iraklion, Crete

Iraklion, Crete is the fourth largest city in Greece. However, unlike Athens, and even Izmir, Turkey, Iraklion did not seem nearly as hectic and congested. We enjoyed a very pleasant stroll down the waterfront to the old fort built by the Venetians hundreds of years ago to protect the city from invasion. This area is also a major shopping and historic district where we visited the old Venetian arsenal which is not the Town Hall, the Church of the Apostle Titus and the Basilica of St. Mark as well as a major plaza and very lovely and peaceful park. The pace was quite slow and the people very warm and friendly. When we first arrived and we looked over the rail from the ship we were trying to decide why we had stopped in what could as well have been Buffalo, NY from the looks of things. However, once we began to explore the little streets and byways we soon discovered what a lovely and charming place this really is. Once again…I’m not sure what we expected…but, this wasn’t it. We had a marvelous visit in this ancient city.

Mykonos, Greece

Today we visited the playground of the rich and famous, the island of Mykonos, Greece. It seems that the vacation and second home “hula hoop” of the Jet Setters is now Mykonos. I can certainly see why. Mykonos is an absolutely beautiful island with lots of beaches, which Corfu and Santorini did not have. We have noticed that each one of the three islands that we have visited is so different from the others. Each has its own distinct personality, architecture, flavor and atmosphere. Mykonos is much like Santorini in that there is very little vegetation and very limited height to the trees that are growing. There are more threes here than on Santorni, but not nearly the lush areas of Corfu. The climate is very hot and arid, not nearly as humid as Santorini or Corfu. With so many differences, it would be impossible for anyone to visit one and say that they had “seen” the Greek Islands.
We covered a lot of the island on our tour…saw some very nice homes (one of which is pictured) and observed their gorgeous beaches, again, which Corfu and Santorini did not have, which I am sure is one of the reasons this place is so popular. The shopping area was also delightful with streets that were narrow, but not too narrow, and fortunately, not very crowded at all. The streets wind around in all directions and were purposely laid out that way many centuries ago to confuse the invading pirates. At times today I felt like one of those pirates…confused. However, in the end we had a delightful time and so far, I think I enjoyed Mykonos the best of the three we have visited.

Santorini...Part 2

Last week we had to reschedule our visit to Athens due to the labor strike and disruption and visited the island of Santorini on Athens day. Well…needless to say there were more cruise ships in the harbor that day than the residents had possibly every seen….and the congestion on the island was horrible. We were OK in Oia, but when we hit Fira it was wall to wall people…not very conducive for shopping or sightseeing.
Well, today was our regular stop and boy am I glad we came back. We were docked from 4 PM to 11 PM and were the only ship in port. The streets of Fira were pleasantly light of traffic and the restaurants were open with plenty of seating. We had a delightful time looking and shopping as we found the perfect piece for the Family Room shelves. In addition we had a delicious authentic Greek salad at a nice little café overlooking the Caldera. The pictures show the view from the café as well as Delinda enjoying the salad. They also say that Santorini has some of the most spectacular sunsets anywhere in the world and the photo I have included does not do justice to the beauty and serenity of the occasion.
We had a delightful time and now understand even better why so many people just love this little island that seems lost in time.

Corfu, Greece

The Greek island of Corfu is totally different from Santorini. First of all, the island is larger in size and population, with about 200,000 residents. Secondly, the main city of Corfu is much more modern and congested with traffic, more like Athens. And, thirdly, the architecture is distinctly Italian. This is the result of the 400 years that the Venetians occupied Corfu and left not only their taste in architecture, but many other aspects of daily life as well.
The island has large mountains that make for some fantastic views of the city, the port, as well as various resort areas. The first picture included here is of the two old fortresses built over a thousand years apart to defend the island. I am beginning to understand why the Greek islands are so popular for vacations. You feel like you are a million miles from nowhere, but surrounded by crystal clear water, tall mountains, gorgeous sunsets, an easy going lifestyle and great food. My kind of place!

Split & Trogir, Croatia

I’m not quite sure why anyone would name a city, Split…but, the Croatians did and today we visited said, Split and a delightful little walled, coastal village know as, Trogir. It was another beautiful day and the 30 minute bus ride from the docks to Trogir was delightful as we got to see some of the lovely countryside. One thing I have noticed that adds a common thread to the otherwise totally diverse look of the places we have visited in Croatia, is that about 90% of all of the roofs in the country are orange tile. At first I thought this was just an identifying mark of Dobrovnik, but come to find out, everyone in Croatia has this thing for orange tile roofs.
Anyway…this little, ancient village of Trogir had so much charm. Very narrow streets and walkways with shops popping up in the oddest places and living quarters just about anyplace you could fit in a door. The town centered around the main plaza with a lovely Cathedral. About 90% of Croatia is Roman Catholic and their churches are usually the major focus of each town and village. The only thing I found a little strange is that it cost me a dollar to use the Toilette.
In Split we toured, what is the heart of the city and was the original city. It is a gigantic palace built by the Roman emperor Diocletian as his retirement home. Following his death and the overthrow of the Roman Empire, the people moved in and set up residence. It is fascinating to see how they built this structure and all that they incorporated into making it very livable seeing as how it was built 1700 years ago in 293 AD.
All in all it was a most enlightening day and one to be remembered.

Venice...Part 2

This morning we sailed back into Venice to complete the first week of our two week cruise. Most of those on board only cruised for this first week so as 2,800 people from all over the world were heading home another 2,800 were boarding for the first time. Those of us who were continuing for a second week, had four hours to enjoy the lovely and unique walkways and canals of beautiful Venice. We used this time to see a part of Venice that we had never experienced. We took a shuttle boat over to St. Marks Square and headed east toward the beautiful park and garden located at the far east end of the island.
As we took our time in the cool of the early morning we enjoyed the fact that this early on a Saturday morning there were not a lot of tourists and the residents were slowing coming to life. We discovered a wonderful local neighborhood with fruit markets, grocery store, a pharmacy and, as Delinda discovered, a Venice ladies dress shop! The park was lovely and had several benches along the water that looked back toward St. Marks Square and the lovely Venice skyline…and waterline. We just sat for a while and drank it all in.
Back on board we are now anxiously awaiting another week of exciting new ports of call and more of the wonderful food…and…yes, boys…lots of ice cream!

Athens and the Acropolis

Like almost all very large metropolitan cities, Athens is a crowded, bustling place with impossible traffic. With a population of over five million, Athens never seems to slow down. It’s like the whole town OD’d on Red Bull. Things seemed so much more hectic than we found them in Izmir, but everyone involved just seems to accept the inevitable and rolls with the flow.
Our tour included stops at the Olympic Stadium used for the 2004 Games, Parliament with the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the two ever present Greek Soldiers in old traditional dress, the Academia and Athens University.
The main stop, of course, was the world famous Acropolis with the Parthenon, the ancient temple of the goddess Athena. As I had seen so often in history books, the Acropolis is without question one of those places that everyone should visit. Just thinking back of the grandeur and how beautiful the place must have been during the glory days of Greece with all of the marble steps and walkway, the Parthenon, the other temples and gates…and the Agora where Socrates held class and taught the greatest minds of the day. Also, right below the Acropolis is a very large rock which is Mars Hill. This was the location where the Apostle Paul addressed the Athenian scholars and first presented the concept of a true, loving God. To say that the visit was overwhelming would be an understatement. The Acropolis is a place that can be revisited and studied over and over without ever growing stale. It was an experience never to be forgotten.

Ephesus & Izmir, Turkey

We used to often say when we were traveling in the motorhome and were surprised by places we visited, “I don’t know what we expected, but this isn’t it!” That was exactly the way we felt today driving through Izmir, Turkey on the way to Ephesus. Judging from the clothing worn by the Izmirites, the cars they drive and the businesses along the streets and highways, it could have been any major metropolitan city in the US. Izmir is a modern, bustling and cosmopolitan city of over three million people that is much more Western than Middle Eastern. We were also surprised by how many signs were written in English…especially those tourist oriented like, “restaurant” and “gift shop” and my favorite….”Genuine Fake Watches!!!”
Ephesus was also so much more than we had anticipated. The ruins are in a constant state of continued unveiling and the excavation will go on for years to come. I just didn’t realize, even after doing some research as I taught the Book of Acts and Ephesians, just how large and modern Ephesus was for its day. The beautiful marble stone streets and walkways, the beautiful buildings and temples, the large public baths and market places, and the absolutely lovely homes and first century apartments. I was amazed at the size of the amphitheater knowing that the Apostle Paul and his companions were brought before a mob of angry citizens in this very place two thousand years ago. If this were the only stop on this cruise, it would have been worth it just to walk theses streets and see the beauty of this once golden age city.

The Greek Isle of Santorini

The Greek island of Santorini has quite a history, both real and imagined. Some speculate that this could be the site of the lost colony of Atlantis since what is now Santorini was once a circular island that was totally reshaped when the volcano that made up the island erupted around 1500 BC and the center sank leaving what is now a semi-circular island made up entirely of volcanic ash….and tourists!
The only crop grown is grapes which makes up the secondary industry of the Island, wine. The primary industry which employs 80% of the population is tourism…and there is a reason for this. The quaint little village of Oia looks just like a movie set…in fact I expected to see Anthony Quinn around every corner. The houses and hotels are situated on the hillside overlooking the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. All of the houses are white, just like in the movies, and the blue roofs belong to the churches, of which there are many. Many, many shops line the very narrow cobblestone streets with restaurants and bars aplenty. It is a very popular vacation spot for tourists from all over the world.
The capitol city of Fira is much larger than Oia and is quite a bustling community. The basic tourist and shopping area is very crowded with shops, hotels and restaurants all built into the side of very steep cliffs overlooking the port. The only way up or down is by cable car or donkey down 500 very steep steps. Since I don’t like riding a donkey on level ground, we opted for the cable car, for which we waited in very hot sun for almost an hour. Notwithstanding this decent problem, the tour and views were spectacular and was a most pleasant welcome to Greece.

Beautiful Venice

I don’t know how anyone could visit Venice and not totally fall in love with this “one-of-a-kind” city. Nowhere else will you find a thriving major, commercial center with no automobiles, no bicycles…in fact…no on land transportation at all. However, the waterways and canals are teeming with every kind of boat you can image. The usual image is of the singing gondoliers…and there are plenty of gondolas, but I did not see any of the gondoliers actually singing. Their water buses, or Vaporettos, water taxis, all shapes and sized of boats that must transport everything from food, to furnishings, to garbage. I never did quite figure out the “rules of the road” but, luckily, those who spend their days navigating these waters seem to understand their own special etiquette. Oh, near misses don’t count, and all of these boats have a heavy duty reverse gear that can bring a moving boat to a stop in a hurry…and this is often needed.
One of the pure joys of Venice is just wandering the narrow streets and following canals to see where they lead. Around St. Marks Square, which is the Icon of Venice, over to the Rialto Bridge is shopping like you have never seen. Every high end manufacturer has a store alongside the unique and provincial Venetian local fare. Once you cross over the Rialto Bridge you get into a much less commercial and much more “this is where the locals live” area, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The people are so warm and friendly and every block is a photographer or artists dream. Each building is different and the churches, of which there are many, are totally magnificent. We even stumbled across the Opera House, the Music Museum, and a museum that was featuring Leonardo Di Vinci.
All in all…it was two wonderful days in what is becoming one of our favorite cities in all of the world.

America The Beautiful

For ten years Delinda and I traveled the lower 48 states in our motorhome. Following our extended trip out west this past summer we realized that we had been in all 48 states and decided to now go and see the world. We sold the motorhome recently…a sad day…but are now looking forward to the future. Recently I got to thinking about those ten years and all of the wonderful and remarkable places we visited. Which ones impressed me the most? Which will always stick in my memory? There are so many, but here are a few:
1. Mt. Rushmore is right at the top of the list. During our travels we often said…”I don’t know what we expected, but this isn’t it.” Never could I have imagined the beauty and magnificence of Mt. Rushmore. It was so much more than I had expected. It seems so sacred, in a secular way. It so captures the American spirit and the dignity of those who made our way of life today possible. This is a must for every American…and don’t miss the lighting ceremony in the evening.
2. The Little Bighorn Battle Field. We came across this almost by accident. We were traveling from Yellowstone National Park (coming up later) on our way to Mt. Rushmore and noticed that the Interstate went right by the Little Bighorn National Park. We had to stop…and, as a matter of fact found an RV park right next to the battlefield. We spent the weekend and it was a time I will never forget. Again…what I had imagined as I read the account of Custer’s Last Stand was not what I saw…or learned. To walk where so many fought and died and learn what really happened has tweaked my interest to the point I just bought the new Nathaniel Philbrick book, “The Last Stand,” and am hanging on every word. As you travel through Montana don’t miss this treasure.
3. The Oregon Coast. Close to the look of the coast of Maine, but different enough to hold a beauty and mystery all of its own that makes you want to see more, sit awhile and just stare, and never leave.
4. Yellowstone National Park. This place is such a contrast…beautiful wooded mountains, rushing rivers and streams, large serene lakes…and smoldering, boiling “hot pots” that shoot skyward steam and water, such as Old Faithful. No wonder everyone falls in love with this place and wants to come back.
5. The Halls of Fame. Being a sports fan we visited the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana, and the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Each one had the real personality of their sport and each does a magnificent job of presenting their sport in an entertaining, informative and historically accurate way. I loved each one and could have spent even more time wandering among the memories.
6. The Tabasco Factory. Odd, you say…not really if you love Tabasco sauce as much as I do. Located on Avery Island, Louisiana and surrounded by a beautiful botanical garden, it was a delight to see the history of this famous hot sauce, see it being bottled, and learn how long they let if “ferment” to make sure it has all of the flavor that keeps us coming back. Oh yes, their little country store is a trip in itself.
7. The Great Smokey Mountains. We tried to get up to Lake Toxaway at least once each fall to just take in the colorful beauty of the changing of the leaves. These quiet mountains with the narrow, winding roads and gorgeous overlooks are a spectacle created by God for all to see and enjoy.
8. The Alamo. Again…not what I expected. We only see in the history books pictures of the Mission. The actual battle occurred on the enclosed walls that surrounded the compound. So much history that comes alive as you walk through the courtyards and conjure up visions of Davey Crockett, Sam Houston and the gallant American hero’s who gave their lives that “Freedom could Ring.”
Oh, I could go on and on…we saw so much….The Grand Canyon, the Louisville Slugger plant, the most beautiful and unique little state capital in the nation, Montpelier, Vt. But just be assured that if you ever get the chance to get out on the road and meet the wonderful people of this nation and see the beauty and overwhelming majesty of the land you will see with your own eyes why we call it…America the Beautiful.