July
14, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Dubrovnik, Croatia
This marks our third visit to Dubrovnik and
the second visit on this cruise. We have spent a lot of time in the old city
before. This time we selected a shore excursion titled The Story of Dubrovnik.
We must say our guide was the best guide we have ever had on any excursion. He
was knowledgeable, easy to understand and had a great story telling ability. He
lives in the old city in a house he inherited from his grandmother. He has
always been involved in tourism. Most of the locals are involved in some way.
He has two rooms on his property that he rents to tourists. Rick Steves has
discovered his place, and since he mentioned it, Andrew’s rooms have been fully
booked every season.
After a brief introduction as we drove from
the pier to the city, we rode the cable car to the top of the mountain above
Dubrovnik. There, in an old fortress, is a museum dedicated to the war with
Serbia in the early 1990’s. It is very well done, and includes a 15 minute
documentary of the bombardment of Dubrovnik by artillery from surrounding mountains
and from the sea. Damage to the old city was not severe, but did cause some
suffering. The cable car we rode up the mountain is a replacement for the
original which was destroyed in the war. It opened three years ago. When we
visited Dubrovnik in 2009 the cable car was not in service, and the museum did
not exist. No one spoke of the war at that time.
We returned to the old town and Andrew
continued with Dubrovnik’s story. He led us past historical sights and through
winding lanes. His stories of life through the ages were fascinating. We saw
parts of the city that we had never been taken to before. Our appreciation for
this lovely place deepened.
July
15, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Corfu, Greece
This was our third visit to this lovely
island. Our tour took us to one of the highest nearby mountains. The bus ride
to the top was harrowing. Many times we waited in small villages while oncoming
traffic had to back up to let us pass. In one town three vehicles backed up
together for about a quarter mile before each was able to turn into some lane
or drive. All the time our bus kept moving up in front of them. The driver
explained that tourists just don’t know how to drive these roads. After all, he
had honked his horn as we proceeded up the narrow road. At the end of this long
drive the scenery was spectacular. The island is lush with greenery and
flowers. The cliffs and inlets below are aglow with emerald water. We could
have sat up there forever. Alas we had to return down the mountain to again
view the more mundane sights of Corfu.
One fortunate aspect of this cruise with
Oceania is the variety and thoroughness of their excursions. We returned to
Insignia feeling that once again we were first time visitors due to the new
sites we visited.
July
16, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
This stop is completely new to us. Taormina
is a town located high on a mountain in plain sight of mount Etna. As we docked
we could see steam pouring from the top of this famous volcano. A bus ride took
us from the port part way to Taormina. There we parked in a garage, and rode a
local shuttle to the city above. The use of the shuttle limits vehicular
traffic in the town and reduces pollution.
Our walking tour started at the main square
and wound along the hillside until we reached the ancient Greek Amphitheater.
This beautiful venue rises above the city. It was modified by the Romans in
their era, and represents a fine example of the best of both Greek and Roman
architecture.
The opening behind the stage frames Mount
Etna in the distance. The seats rise from the stage level high up the hillside.
The entire site is kept in good repair, as it is still used for music and
theatrical presentations. Several arches remain to the sides of the stage. Aisles
and seats made of stone rise high above the stage.
After our guide had finished her historical
presentation, she offered to lead the group to the public park and garden. Or
we could stay and explore the amphitheater on our own. Much to my surprise Alice
wanted to climb to the top, and survey the area from above. My surprise stems
from the fact that her left knee and foot have been giving her more pain. She
insisted, and off we went. Two things surprised me. First was how quickly Alice
negotiated the stairs. The second was how evenly the Greeks/Romans had spaced
the stairs that led to the different rows of stone seats.
The views from the top of this great place
were simply fantastic. The stage was easily viewed. As we moved to the outside,
the landscape was simply gorgeous.
As our free time was almost up, we headed
back to the town square. There we walked the length of the main street before
we had to rejoin the group. We walked back to the shuttle for our ride to the
garage. The bus followed an easier route down the mountain and back to the
ship.
July
17, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Amalfi/Positano, Italy
One of the attractions of this itinerary was
the visit to Amalfi. We had long heard of the Amalfi Coast, and wanted to tour
it. We had selected an excursion consisting of a bus drive along this scenic
road. It was sold out so we chose an excursion that took a boat to Positano
from our tender pier in Amalfi. This was a beautiful coastal ride. At Positano
our guide explained that Positano is nicknamed the vertical city because it is
built up the mountainside. It is indeed vertical. Even our explorations near
the sea had many steps.
After a tour through some winding passages
to visit a church and other historical sites we had some free time. Alice and I
returned to the shore. After visiting some shops without buying anything we
went to claim the Gelato our tour coupons entitled us to. In that area we found
Heather and Roger. This couple is from Auckland, New Zealand. We had dinner
with them the first night on the ship and have thoroughly enjoyed their
company. They had taken a public bus from Amalfi, and were enjoying gelato at a
different shop overlooking the harbor. Later they would take a boat back to
Amalfi. We parted ways to rejoin our tour and cruise back to Amalfi.
There we toured the cathedral and its museum
with our guide. This ended our guided tour. We decided to remain at the
cathedral for a while. When we started down the many, many stairs to the
street, a bride and groom appeared. We think they were models making a
commercial. There were photographers, but no bridal party. Anyhow, they posed
on the street, in front of a fountain, on the stair to the cathedral and at its
doors. It was fun to watch.
We shopped the main street, and kept our
money in our pockets. Things were nice, and priced accordingly. A short walk
got us to the tender and our ride home.
July
18, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Olbia, Sardinia, Italy
This morning Alice and I
watched our approach to Olbia from our veranda before going to breakfast. The
shoreline was picturesque with some large sailboats in a small harbor. In front
of the break wall were many floats. We assumed they were seafood related, but
had no idea how. We would learn later. As we neared the pier we saw many
ferries. This is the prime means of arriving and departing Sardinia.
After breakfast we boarded
a coach headed to Costa Smeralda, The Emerald Coast. This was to be the
farthest point of today’s explorations. It is a resort area with expensive hotels,
shops, homes and marinas. It also includes lovely sand beaches and golf
courses. This area was developed in the 1960’s by Prince Karim Aga Khan, and is
said to be the most expensive real estate in Europe. A square meter, about 9
square feet, goes for 300,000 euros. 5,000 square feet go for a cool
165,000,000 euros. Needless to say it is beautiful. The landscape is emerald
green, but it is far outdone by the beauty of the water. Truly paradise, and
not very crowded.
After strolling through a
small shopping area where prices had far too many digits, we walked down to the
marina and observed the wealth on water. This was to be our first taste of
super yachts. Super indeed!
Aboard the coach again, we
were off to visit the the Nurage. The what, you say. We had no idea what they
were either. We had never heard the word before. We soon learned what they
were, large structures made of stones piled high without mortar to hold the
joints. Only the weight of the stones keeps these walls in place. The Nuraghe
we visited was about 3 stories high, conical in shape, that had a double outer
wall with a stairway between the walls. While we learned what they are, no one
is sure what their purpose was. Our guide promoted the idea that they were
temples of some sort.
The one we visited had
several round stone circles next to it. These were the remains of the bases of
huts that had straw roofs. It is thought the community built around the temple
and “worshiped” there. Several of these “settlement” are being unearthed around
Sardinia. Archeologists are still digging and studying in an effort to learn
their secrets.
On the road again, we were
off to a wine tasting. All along the road we had been seeing vinyards. Now we
were to taste their production. The winery was very new, about 2005, and
employed modern techniques and equipment. After a tour we weretreated to
crackers, cheese and, of course, wine. We tasted a white, a red and a blended
red. California need nit fear this competition. We actually liked the blended
red, and bought a bottle for our veranda.
A pretty drive took us back
to the port. Here we went through security in the terminal building. Alice and
I spent some tiime in the shops and observed the people waiting for the ferry
to Genoa. I was prowling for free internet. I did not find it. Once we passed
through security, there was a shuttle to take us to the ship. Happy day for
Alice.
After a fine lunch in
Terrace Café, I sat on the veranda enjoying the views and watching the ferries
load. For kicks I turned on my ipad in search of an off ship signal.
Low and behold there was an
open connection from a restaurant I had been observing. It did not require a
password, but did limit the connect time to 15 minutes. After that you were cut
off, but could immediately login again. This blog was not ready for posting,
but I did clean up my emails.
Sail away was uneventful.
July
19, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise – Saint-Tropez,
France
The first thing we noticed, as we approached
Saint-Tropez, was that we could not count the number of yachts. This was only
the anchorage. The super yachts were in the harbor, docked against the city
walks.
This was another tender port. Our tender
took right to the heart of the harbor. This was the same place where the
dinghies from all the yachts stopped, but we had a reserved dock. A guide met
us there, and we began our walking tour. First stop was the fish market. This
was Saturday and it was very active, but would be sold out by about noon
according to the guide. The local restaurants hang out and buy the remains.
They are still fresh from the nights catch, but cheaper because of close out
pricing.
We passed through the nearby flower market
and walked past Senequier. This is a harbor front café with the most expensive
coffee in town. The objective is to be seen here. Continuing on we arrived at
an overlook for one of the beaches. It looked very nice. We had bigger things
to do. Of course that meant more climbing. This target was the old fort high on
a hill overlooking the city and the harbor. It was quite imposing, and judging
from its good shape, defended the territory well. It was quite a trek. Alice is
glad we are nearing the end of these walks.
As we walked back toward the harbor, our
guide stopped at the Saturday market. This was like a flea market set up in the
town square. Everything imaginable was available here. We saw tomatoes the
likes of which we have never seen before. There were antiques, furniture,
produce, clothing, cosmetics, flowers and, of course, souvenirs. At last it was
back home for lunch.
We did not know what to expect here. Before
we left home we booked excursions for the morning and the afternoon. So, after
lunch, we set off again. This time it was to Grimaud and Port Grimaud.
A nice bus ride along the coast took us to
Grimaud. This medieval village was perched high on a hilltop dating to the 11th
century. Until the 17th century the Castle of Grimaud commanded the
whole Gulf of Saint-Tropez.
Unfortunately the bus was required to stop
low on the hill near the cemetery. Our walking began. We strolled to the church
for a visit before starting up through the town. While the town prospered in
medieval times, it is now nearly deserted. Its occupants work in tourism, and
spend their days in Saint-Tropez. In the off season they retreat to other parts
of France. As a result our walk was very quiet except for some very unruly
French kids on holiday. We passed them, admiring the architecture along the
way.
Then, at the end of a narrow lane we saw it.
In front of us and very much above us was the castle. The town we had just
walked through was built when the population grew too large to reside within
the castle and immediate confines. We stood at the base of an amphitheater.
Above it was a path that led to the castle. Alice decided that she was willing
to do the climb. She did not consult her foot. So, off we went. Up and up and
up. Sometimes there were stairs. Other times it was a gravel path. We did see a
woman coming down take a spill. Her mates helped her up, and she staggered on. At
last we reached the top. Just like Taormina, the views were spectacular. We
were happy to have made the effort as we slowly made our way back down.
Now it was a ride to Port Grimaud. This was
developed as a planned community in the 1960’s. It is situated on a lake below
Grimaud, and consists of multiple peninsulas. The 2400 dwellings are all
different in some way, and each has a dock. To us it appeared that the
difference in the homes was mostly cosmetic, different colors. But the boats
sure were different. Every type imaginable is represented here. Our tour
included a boat ride through the canals, so we viewed the opulence firsthand.
This is another highly visited place on the French Riviera. Not sure how many
cruisers stop here, but we are glad we did.
After a brief ride we got off at the harbor
in Saint-Tropez. We sat and people watched a bit. Then we boarded the Merry Go
Round for a ride on the upper deck. The only other double decked merry go round
we could remember was at Great America. This one is much smaller, but has great
views of the harbor. It was fun.
More fun was had watching the yachts come
and go. Our morning guide had told us that there is a 2 night maximum stay. As
the afternoon wore on, we could see crews preparing to make way. In the process
they opened the “garages”, the large storage areas in the stern. We were amazed
to see very large hard bottomed dinghies and multiple jet skis in these.
Everything had its place. For one of the super yachts the tender/dinghy was
larger than some of the yachts docked at Burnham Harbor in Chicago. Money,
money, money!
Tonight was a late departure so after dinner
we sat on the veranda to watch the city lights come on. As the sun sank, the
yachts came streaming in. Some were going to the harbor. Others were headed to
the anchorage. At one point I counted 24 inbound boats. After dark the yachts
at anchor turned on their anchor lights. These were often accompanied by the
vessel’s name in lights on the cabin sides. More money,money,money.
Time for bed.
July
20, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Monte Carlo, Monaco
We have been to Monaco before. After
Saint-Tropez we expect it to be anticlimactic. We will tender into the dock,
and we are forced to anchor pretty far out because of the number of yachts also
anchored. Oh well, just a longer tender ride.
Because we have been here before, we have
opted to tour to Nice. Our bus traversed the grand prix course before leaving
the city to take the middle coast road along the coast. We will take the lower
road on our return from Nice.
The drive was quite scenic with many
fabulous overlooks. This was especially true as we approached Nice. Once there,
we left the bus to walk into the old city. This was a nice walk in Nice. I am
sorry, but I could not resist doing that at least once because Nice is nice. We
walked along a main thoroughfare and tram line in a long but narrow park. It
had excellent playgrounds for the children. When we arrived it was early and
empty. When we returned to the buds it was busy. Children were waiting to use
things as families looked on. Wish we saw more of that here.
In the old city our guide showed us where
the market was and left us on our own for an hour. Alice and I headed away from
the market to walk along the shore. Here we found an excellent paved walkway
above the pebble beach. Lots of swimmers were at play.
As we walked along, there was a wide bike
path between us and the road. It was well marked and well ridden. We reached a point
where the beach narrowed so we headed inland. We were now at the opposite end
of the market from where we had started. Perfect!
First came the vegetables, including more of
the strange tomatoes we saw in Saint-Tropez, then the produce and prepared
foods and finally, the flowers. We watched as a florist assembled a huge
bouquet. We thought it must be for a funeral. Then the florist handed it over
to a gentleman who had been patiently waiting. I could not see how much the man
paid for it, but my guess is that at home it would have ben $50, about 40
euros. No way he paid that much. He grabbed the stems and walked off carrying
the bouquet upside down. Beautiful.
We met the guide at the appointed time and
headed to our wine tasting. The venue was a cave-like cellar. It was dark and
cozy. Things were about to get even better. Our host was quite the showman. He
talked with a thick French accent about wine types, grapes, regions and names.
He shared a white, a blush and a red. They were all OK. Then he told us to get
ready for the most important part of his presentation. Don’t get hung up with
all the stuff. If you like it, drink it and buy more. Your palate is all that
matters. So, enjoy.
His shop was up and across the street. We
went and priced his offerings. We did not buy. Tonight’s Happy Hour will be
good enough.
The walk back to the bus was fun because of
all the activity in the park. The ride home was short and sweet. Now the
adventure begins. We boarded the waiting tender, and it shoved off. As we
rounded the break wall the bucking started. While we had been awaya front had
stormed through and really kicked up the seas. Our ride back to the ship was
very slow with the helmsman trying his best to ease our crossing of the waves.
They were just too high. We bounced and we rocked and we dove. We have never
seen a tender so awash in breaking waves. It stayed pretty dry inside. At least
it did where we were sitting. When we finally reached the ship we kept getting
pounded against the landing and then pushed away from it. The crew were
admirable in getting all of us safely off the tender. The cry of mind the gap
was headed by all, and strong arms were there to aid/push/pull us onboard
insignia.
As we were eating lunch the announcement
came that tender service had been suspended. No one could go ashore and those
ashore would wait till conditions improved. It was forecast that they would,
but of course the front had not been in the forecast. Who knows. Fortunately we
had a late departure time. Conditions did improve about 3 hours later and
service resumed. No one was left behind as we sailed out with Monte Carlo all
aglow.
July
21, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Livorno, Italy
This is our last port because tomorrow we
dock at Civitavecchia and dash for the Rome airport.
We visited here five years ago. This is the jumping
off point for day tours to Florence. Lucca and Pisa are also reachable from
here. We have been to Florence, Lucca and Pisa. We so liked Lucca that we chose
an excursion that included Lucca, the Tuscan hills and a winery.
The drive to Lucca was in a pouring rain. We
donned our Holland America rain ponchos for the second time. I also had the
ship’s umbrella for extra head protection. It was a good thing because it
continued pouring as we walked from the bus to the meeting point in the old
city. As the guide gave the meeting instructions the rain stopped.
We really liked Lucca from before and our
unguided hour without rain convinced us that we still did. We returned to the
church we had visited in 2009. It has not changed. Constancy is good.
We walked the streets and lanes and found
some of the nooks we had liked before. We also saw some shops that we had never
visited. Then we dutifully returned to the meeting point on time. Slowly the
others gathered. We were waiting for one person, when a lady decided that she
just had to buy something in the shop next door. It would only take a minute.
Ten minutes later the rain started again. She was still in the store. As I
opened the umbrella, it blew inside out. The rain came harder. Of course I had
taken my poncho off when the rain stopped so I got wet. The bus ride to the
winery dried me out.
We did have a nice drive through the soggy
hills to the winery. The countryside was lovely. In sunlight it would have been
heavenly. The winery was perched high on a hill with grapes growing all around
it. They process only their own grapes. Buying from other might compromise the
quality. We toured the modern facility, and settled in the tasting room. Three
cheeses olives and tomatoes were our accompaniments. There were plenty of each.
Three wines were tasted. We had as much as
we wished, but if we wanted to taste their other wines we would have to go to
the wine bar. And so we did. This was super. We could try as many of their
wines as we wished. They did not hold back, even for their most expensive
wines. In fact, Alice and I were encouraged to try the most expensive wines.
The hostess even suggested seconds of each, but time was running out.
Their wines are not exported, but are
available for shipment to the US, if ordered on their website. Unfortunately a
$30 bottle of wine becomes $55 with shipping. To make matters worse, what we
liked were not $30 bottles. Because we had wine waiting onboard and this was
our last night, we did not buy one to take to the ship.
The rain stopped on our way back to Insignia.
We sadly bid Tuscany farewell.
Once in our stateroom we finished packing. A
sad time. A perilous time as well. The checked bag weight limit is 50 pounds.
Ours were 49 and 49 after loading some of the heavier stuff into my carryon.
Thank goodness it is fairly small and hides its weight.
July
22, 2014 – Mediterranean Cruise –
Civitavecchia, Italy and Home
After breakfast at 6:30 we were in the
lounge at 7:00 with our carry-ons. At 7:15 our bus to the airport left right on
schedule. We were told it would be an hour ride. It was exactly.
We flew American home. The plane was a 767
and held about 250 passengers. When we got American check in there were three
lines, first class, business class and economy.
There were three attendants, one for each class. Let me see, 8 first
class seats, 30 business class seats and 200 plus economy seats. What is
American thinking. An hour and fifteen minutes later we headed toward security.
That went well, although we were required to put all electronic devices and
cords in clear plastic bags they provided. Even cameras had to go into these.
That was much of our checked baggage. I deliberately forgot about the cameras
and shaver in my carry-on. No problem. I don’t know how they were checking.
The flight home was rough with seat belt
sign on for 7 of the 10 hours. The service was good, but our domestic airlines
don’t come close to matching the food and beverage service of the foreign
carriers. Turkish Airlines put American to shame. And lets not get into fees
for checking bags or being overweight. Round trip cruises from the states look
better all the time. Look who must be getting old.
To sum up, the cruise was fine. Excursions
were great. Food was great. Accommodations were fair to poor. Oceania will be
our choice based on itinerary only. Maybe we will try one of their larger ships
one day. Our veranda stateroom was 216 square feet. On their larger vessels it
is 282. That might make it a winner, if they can get over their stuffiness.
On the health front, my left foot is still
recovering from my April surgery. It was trying at times, but nothing like
Alice’s experience. She was fitted just before we left with an unloading brace
on her left leg to take some pressure off of her knee. This seemed to work
well. However the second day on the ship she jammed her left foot in the cabin,
and her little toe became quite swollen. She did everything she wanted to do
for the remainder of the trip, but not without pain. Some days were really bad.
We would both sit in the cabin or on the veranda icing feet. Our cabin
stewardess was great about filling our ice bags morning and evening every day.
Alice saw our foot doctor the day after we
got home. X-rays show nothing broken, but she has serious contusions. He put
her on anti-inflammatories and into a boot to immobilize the foot. We went back
after one week and he was not satisfied with her progress. His partner was to
do a total knee replacement on August 4th. Dr. O’Hara said that will
have to be postponed until the foot is better. He advised the knee surgeon, and
the replacement is now scheduled for September 9th. We see Dr. O’Hara
on August 8th to mark progress and see if an MRI is necessary.
I am very proud of how Alice soldiered on
during our trip. I am even more proud of how positively she has accepted this
scheduling setback. I am confident that her resolve will bring a positive
outcome to all of this.
Thanks for following along.
