What to see and do in the Mediterranean
Day 11: Monday, May 22, 2023 – We Board the Celebrity Reflection.
We again packed up our trusty Citroen and this time headed to Civitivecchia, the Port of Rome, to board our ship, the Celebrity Reflection. After an uneventful journey, we arrived, returned our car and and found a taxi driver take us to the port.
Boarding the cruise ship Reflection was such a thrill and it was great to finally unpack our suitcases in our beautiful veranda stateroom. We finished off the night at the Tuscan Grille, with more Italian food, and listening to music afterward.
Quick story: When she was 91, we took Ron’s grandma, Nana Billie, on a cruise. Her first stop? The casino, of course, where she quickly won $200 on the slots. She kept that money for the entire cruise and never spent a dime of it. So to honor her, we loaded $20 into a slot machine and after about four pulls, we won $40. Rest in peace, sweet Nana.
Day 12: Tuesday, May 23 – A Day at Sea, the Mediterranean, that is
A day at sea is usually just to relax and reposition, and that we did, heading for Olympia and Katakolon, Greece.
Jane attended the Captain’s presentation on his home country, Greece, and the women’s hair demonstration, or at least she tried to attend the latter. After waiting a few minutes, the six women in attendance for the demonstration were escorted to a room and told there had been a scheduling “snafu” and the demonstration could not be held. For our trouble we were each offered a free shampoo and blow dry, a $59 value—what a nice trade-off. After dinner in the main dining room and wandering the ship, we returned to our room to get ready for our early excursion in Katakolon.
Day 13: Wednesday, May 24 – Katakolon, Greece
We chose an excursion to the Ancient Greek Olympic site and an olive farm. This turned out to be a great choice. We’ve been to lots of ruins and frankly were not ready to see more.
We were pleasantly surprised that the site of the first Olympic Games was in such a beautiful park-like setting.
We learned that the first Olympics were run by naked men and only one woman was allowed to watch——the Princess of the Games. Interesting. (Ron wanted to run, but everyone left!) The winners won crowns of olive branches, later dipped in gold, and they became instant national heroes. Today this very place is where the Olympic Torch originates for the current Olympic Games, lit by the power of the sun and a concave mirror as it was in the beginning.
Tired and hungry, we headed ten miles to Magna Grecian Agriturismo, a thriving olive farm where they produce award-winning olive oil and other olive products including cosmetics, tapenades, and soaps. There we participated in a cooking class where we learned to make Greek Salad, tsatsiki and Souvlaki, pork kebabs on pita bread, all traditional Greek dishes. Afterwards we ate the fruits of our labors…so yummy….and enjoyed watching Greek dancers in native costumes to the tunes of Zorba the Greek and “Never on Sunday”. It was a magnificent day experiencing the Greek culture firsthand.. one of our favorite excursions ever.
Day 14: Thursday, May 25 – Athens, Greece
Having been to Athens before and visited the Parthenon and its superb museum, we headed to the Plaka, the shopping area of Athens, to wander, shop, and try more Greek food. We believe that sampling the local food is part of learning about the culture, so we try to taste authentic samples wherever we go.
The weather was great, as it has been since we came to Greece, and today was no exception. We stopped for lunch at a local Greek Cantina and ordered pork gyros, which were just delicious.
Again, it’s always such a joy to return to the ship, where our room has been cleaned and supper is waiting.
Tonight dinner was in the Lawn Club, which was the best dinner we have had on any cruise ship ever.
The format is built around a barbecue theme, and they started with individual flatbread pizzas, followed by a plentiful salad bar, and then a choice of steaks to barbecue, accompanied by kebabs of our choice (I chose marinated vegetables and Ron chose shrimp and scallops). All this with a choice of side and dessert too. What a good way to spend the on-board credit given to us from our travel agent!
Day 15: Friday, May 26 – Santorini, Greece
One of the main reasons for choosing this cruise was to return to the blue domes and whitewashed buildings of Santorini,Greece, with its incomparable beauty.
Sailing into the ancient caldera, its a thrill to be surrounded by giant mountains of lava rock, topped by white structures that turn into sparkling lights when the sun goes down.
Taking the tender in from the ship, the choice is: Cable car, walking, or riding a donkey to the top? We chose the cable car, though we talked to people who chose the donkeys and loved it. One couple told us they even braved walking the donkey path down, which was slick with donkey droppings and had no railings on the steep sides. (No thank you.).
Once on the top of the caldera, another choice: Stay in the main city of Thira, or venture to Oia, pronounced “EE-YA” to see the most famous blue-domed buildings and the spectacular views. Then, if you choose the latter, how do you get there, bus or taxi?
For us, the goal was always Oia, since Ron is a serious photographer, so we headed to the bus station, and on the way, we found a taxi and also another couple to share the cost!
Lucky day! The bonus was that we met honeymooners, Jeff and Ivy, from Toronto.
Once in Oia, Ron and I shared coffees and a basket of pastries with a view of the caldera, then Ron went off to find his photographic subjects and I went off to find gifts for children and grandchildren. It was a perfect 74 degrees when we found the bus station for our return trip to Thira and the cable cars and the tender to the ship. I love Greece. (More on Santorini from ‘15)
Day 16: Saturday, May 27: Rhodes, Greece
Happy 15th Birthday, Granddaughter Hannah!
Rhodes, Greece is a site of an ancient walled city that exists in an amazingly well-preserved state. Having visited Rhodes before,
this was the perfect day to stay on the ship and regroup…..lots of sleep, plenty of pool chairs available, and a chance to relax.
Day 17: Sunday, May 28: Mykonos, Greece
We fondly remembered Mykonos, Greece, and hoped to recreate the fun day we had here in 2015, where Ron photographed the windmills, and I wandered the shops, and then we met on the edge of the shores of “Little Venice” for a Greek salad and a cold beverage.
We docked at the new port and were shuttled by a complimentary bus to the city. It was a windy but sunny day, and we were loaded with expectations. We were not disappointed. Mykonos has changed little, thankfully.
The windmills are national monuments and still stand majestically over the harbor. The Mediterranean Sea still laps up on the beach…. ”Little Venice” and its beachside cafes are still thriving.
It was Sunday and just like most of Europe, nothing happens until after church, so we strolled through streets listening to the bells and the sound of worship emanating from the tiny limestone churches.
Next we wandered the streets and perused the souvenirs, the linen clothing which is becoming quite popular with the ladies of the ship, and the many renditions of the “evil eye” which is supposed to ward off evil spirits.
One of Mykonos’ original shops is “Mykonos Sandals” where you can still have custom sandals made for a reasonable price, easy to find on the end of “Little Venice”.
Then we headed to a tiny cafe on the waterfront to have our Greek salad, just like in 2015. The view here is still incomparable—the Mediterranean with its varying colors of blue contrasting with the white sand beaches and the white limestone buildings.
God’s universe is so spectacular and we are so blessed to visit places and people like this—share their culture, eat their food, and attempt their language. “Kalimara!”
Our only disappointment of the whole day was that we were not able to locate one of Mykonos’ famed pelicans, but you can check them out on our other website: travel60plus.com
Did I say I love Greece? We also love Italy and the Greek Islands!
Day 18: Monday, May 29 – Day at Sea
Another glorious day at sea, with a twist.
We arrived back at our stateroom after breakfast to find that the glass in our balcony window had shattered. Soon our room was full of managers and workers and we were asked to leave while they repaired the damage.
Well, Ron used the opportunity to ask for an upgrade from the managers that were in our room. That was not offered, but a free trip to the spa and a free visit to a specialty dining restaurant were. Guess it never hurts to ask! So we gladly accepted another night at The Tuscan Grille, the Italian specialty restaurant on board.
Day 19: Tuesday, May 30 – Malta
We had never been to the walled fortress that is Malta and were looking forward to exploring the city of Valletta and its waterfront. We decided to forego our early morning excursion and go on our own time.
Our ship docked at the waterfront so it was an easy walk to the pier. A store clerk told us that if we walked 500 meters there was a “lift” (elevator) that would take us up the steep cliff right into the city, so that is what we did, arriving just in time for the cannon salute that occurs every day at noon and at 6:00 PM.
From there we strolled the city and its cathedrals, perusing the many shops and souvenir stands which feature a wide assortment of door-knockers, something that Malta is known for.
It’s easy to see why Malta was a favored safe spot for the Romans, Moors, French, the Knights of St. John, the British, and others throughout the years, as the walls and fortresses still remain mostly intact.
We finished the day with an entertaining dinner at Le Petite Chef on the ship, where animated characters told a story about our food as we dined. Quite fun!
Day 20: Tuesday, May 30 – At Sea
Our last day at sea – some sadness mixed with joy! These days are a favorite of our cruising for they offer a time to just rest and recuperate, especially after many busy days visiting cities and sights over the last 3 weeks. The first part of the ‘sea day’ was spent with a book and a beach towel in the Solarium, then a delicious hamburger at the Mast Grill and finally a mid-afternoon nap!
Tomorrow is Barcelona. We will not be visiting THE Cathedral of Europe, La Sagrada Familia, since we have been blessed to visit this cathedral twice before (visit our post on Barcelona in ’19), but will wonder along La Rambla, shopping and taking pictures.
Our hotel, H10 Madison, is centrally located and is one that we would recommend. Great Rooftop balcony for enjoying the city sights with a drink and snack.
Then we will be boarding our United flight at 11:20 heading home, first stopping at Washington DC and then on to Portland arriving home around 8:30 pm. Maddie will be picking us up along with Christian, her boy friend. And guess what is next – ANNIE AND MOLLY! Now we are home.
We would recommend this itinerary to one and all. If you have any questions please contact us.
