Day 1: Thursday, 5/11 – Flying into Venice
The flight to Venice starts – get this! – at 5:15 in the AM, meaning, up at 2:00 AM to get to the airport 2 hours before an international flight. Stop in Denver – guess what it was doing in Denver? That’s right, raining. Why do we leave the only time in ‘23 when it is 85-90 F in Portland to find rain everywhere else on the planet! The weather forecast in Italy is 65 F with, wait for it, RAIN most of the time we are there. We will make the most of it because we love Venice, Tuscany and Assisi!
Our flight is taking us over the central states heading to Newark where we will have a bite to eat, stay at the United Mileage Plus Lounge and just rest. We arrive into Venice at 9:05 AM on Friday. You can imagine how very excited we are to spend time in our favorite of places in Italy before we head to Civitavecchia, the port for Rome, and head out to the Greek Islands for a 10 day cruise, and guess what, NO RAIN!
We thank our Lord for our health and the means to take this holiday to our favorites on land and the sea. We do not care if it rains one bit!
Day 2: Friday, 5/12. – First Day in Venice
WOW! What a day! After leaving Portland at 5:15 in the morning, we arrived in Venice at 9:05 AM the next day as planned, after stops in Denver and Newark. Thankfully this weak-stomached traveler was not challenged by too many bumps and jumps along the way. Hallelujah! (A little tired, but so excited!).
At the airport we were met by a motor boat arranged by our hotel, and our driver
sped through choppy waters and rainy skies to our dream hotel, Al Ponte Antico, right by the Rialto Bridge in the center of Venice. We were met on their private dock by the owner of the hotel, Matteo, and his assistant, who welcomed us warmly to their refurbished palazzo (palace) which has only 9 rooms…(of which we have the smallest by the way). They took us to the breakfast room to show us the restored wood ceiling and its original chandeliers, and above all the grand view of the Grand Canal of Venice.
I honestly felt like I was living an HGTV special. Such a warm welcome to such a magical place.
Since the room would not be ready for four hours, we set out to explore Venice on our own. After walking through countless streets and St. Mark’s Square itself, we had pastries and coffee at the famous Rosa Salva’s Patisserie. There we met a delightful Canadian couple who had just completed three weeks in Italy.
We also had booked the 15-minute allowance of time to go to the very top of the luxury Fondaco dei Tedeschi Department Store for panoramic views of the city. So worth the wait.
Then it was back to the hotel for a quick clean-up and snooze before our food tour started at 5:30. Ah, do we love a food tour, this time hosted by a native Venetian, Isabella. Isabella taught us the “in’s and out’s” of buying fine cheese, ordering ciccheti (Venetian tapas), and enjoying an Aperol Spritz, all peppered with the history of the city Isabella obviously loves. All this while walking all over the siestres (neighborhoods) of Venice.
Afterwards, it was back to the hotel to relax and plan for tomorrow. The grand total: 2 droopy, weary, but content travelers with 5.8 walking miles logged. Buona Sera, my friends.
Thank you God. You listened to our prayers for the past 2 weeks, and presented to our delight, a sunny day!!
Day 3: Saturday, May 13th – 2nd Day in Venice
Praise the Lord, it is a sunny day in Venice, Italy.
Today we started the day with a gourmet breakfast hosted by the owners of our hotel, Matteo and Barbara. Barbara bakes all the bread, buttery croissants, and other delectable treats. Matteo added scrambled eggs and cappuccino to complete the meal.
Next we walked to St. Mark’s Square for our unguided (the way we like it) tour of the Doge’s Palace, and pictures of the Bridge of Sighs from the inside, the last glimpse of sunlight for prisoners headed to years of incarceration, centuries before. Bye bye, Casanova—until he escaped, that is.
Then it was off to exploring the Castello neighborhood of Venice (much quieter and more authentic) to seek out Acqua Alta, a bookstore which stores books in gondolas in case of floods, and a marbled-paper studio
which Jane had researched, Arzanart, featuring the sweet owner and new mom, Isabella. Neither store disappointed, as you can see from the pictures below. We love supporting artists in out-of-the-way places, and promoting their businesses.
For dinner, it was off for pizza at Birarria alla Corta, in the San Polo neighborhood. It turns out every worker at our hotel knew of the place, and said that’s where they and their families and soccer teams, etc., etc., go for pizza.
In case you didn’t know, in Italy people do not share a pizza; they each order their own. The interesting thing tonight was that everyone around us (and yes, we spied!) did finish their own pizzas, even the skinny teenagers at the next table. Guess this is one Italian tradition we are not a part of. It’s baffling that most Italians are fit; guess it’s because Italians—at least in Venice—walk everywhere.
To end the perfect day, it had to be chocolate gelato, of course, with a cookie on top. Buona sera, friends, from Italy. (More info on our Venice blog from ‘19)
Day 4: Sunday, May 14th – 3rd Day in Venice
Happy Mother’s Day all! It’s even Mother’s Day in Italy! We started the day with another special breakfast at our hotel. Today’s treats included homemade apricot and berry tarts, and puffed cream hearts, for the moms. This, with made-to-order eggs, and salami, cheeses, cereals, etc. etc. Tomorrow we’ll send a picture of the table. You would not believe.
Next Ron and I trekked through the rain to Fondamente Nova, at the edge of the lagoon, to catch the water bus to Burano. Burano is a quaint little town, known mostly for handmade lace and for its colorful houses. Years ago, as the fishermen of the town returned home through the fog and the mist, they were able to spot their own houses before they reached the shore because each house was painted a different bright color. It is truly a beautiful little village today, as the tradition continues.
Burano is also known for handmade lace. (If any of you saw the Hallmark Wedding Veil Series, much of it is based in Burano.)
Last time we were here, I bought lace handkerchiefs for all of my granddaughters’ wedding days, with their initials on them.
The store where I bought these handkerchiefs features a little lady making lace, and Ron took her picture in 2015 (photo on the right). Today the same little lady was there! Ron showed her the picture he took in 2015, and she was so pleased that we had included her in our blog. It was a sweet moment.
Next we headed to Il Gatto Nero (The black cat) Trattoria for dinner. What a treat! This restaurant was started in 1967 by a group of brothers, and today has a Michelin recommendation. Do you have memorable meals in your life, ones you will always remember for the food itself and the atmosphere?
Well, this was one of those meals. What a fun way to spend Mother’s Day!
We had three Italian courses, starting with assorted fresh salami and meats, then Ron had Pasta Bolognese, and I had Spaghetti Vongole (with clams)…….the best clam dish I have ever had. All the pasta was homemade and incidentally, cooked more al dente than we do at home…Oh, and the oil and balsamic vinegar were heavenly too..
After bringing the whole fish to the table to display, our waiter filleted the tender sea bass and served it in a white wine sauce. Ron’s favorite, calamari fritti (fried calamari), was a main entree as well. The family-owned restaurant made the atmosphere special for Mother’s Day….and because Ron knows no strangers as most of you know, we had a fun conversation with a mother/daughter pair from Germany as well.
We were so proud of ourselves turning down dessert, but I just had to stop on the way back to the hotel for thick, creamy hot chocolate….Needless to say I have miles to make up tomorrow. Good night sweet moms and all our sweet babies. Tomorrow, Firenze! (Visit our blog from ‘15 on Burano and Murano)
Day 5: Monday, May 15th – Train to Florence
Today was an adventurous day that turned out great! When I woke this morning, I was so worried about the large suitcases we needed to transport on the train to Florence, mainly for the strain on Ron’s back. I prayed that he would not hurt his back in the process, and wow! did God come through in His usual unexpected goodness.
We tried to be so careful, arriving at the train station early in Venice so we had plenty of time to spare. Upon arrival we noticed our train’s number was not listed. Hmmm. I remembered that sometimes train numbers don’t show up in Italy until just before departure, but Ron insisted on asking about it, and it’s a good thing he did! Come to find out our train had been rerouted to go out of Mestre, a suburb of Venice, due to issues with the tracks. (OK, thanks for letting us know!) We had just enough time to hop the train to Mestre, and get on the train there, to head to Florence. My biggest concern remained the luggage and getting it all on the train, but I thought if we made sure we were first in line, we would be fine, because we could use one of the compartments at the front of the car for large luggage. Well, turns out we now were not the first in line and all the large compartments were full.
Just listen to what happened next. As I was struggling to get my large piece of luggage on the train, a sweet Italian man offered to help me. Godsend # 1. Ron got the other pieces on the train and there was nowhere to store them except the overhead bins. “Jeff” from America behind him offered to lift them up. Godsend # 2. While we were traveling “Jeff” came to visit us and asked if we were going to Florence. When we answered “Yes”, he said, “Good, I’ll lift your bags down for you when we arrive.” Godsend #3. Then as we were descending the steps another sweet Italian boy stepped up and volunteered to help us. Godsend #4. Honestly, I was overwhelmed. Soooo, thank you God that Ron’s back is in fine shape tonight, and thank you to all Mamas who raise their sons right.
When we arrived in Florence, we checked in at our hotel and took their shuttle bus into Florence center. We visited once again Mercato Centrale and had a very nice lunch and met a couple from Wales, Tony and Linda.
We had a great afternoon checking out Italian leather, perfumeries (that a granddaughter or two hinted about), and just wandering the fascinating streets, in the warm weather I might add. Then we ended the day across from the Pitti Palace at Osteria San Pietre for a pasta dinner. Along the way we met couples from Naples, Canada, Kansas City, Wales, and some sixty-something bikers from Holland. Tomorrow more Florence and relaxing at the hotel. See you then!
Day 6: Tuesday, May 16 – Florence, Italy
Because it was rainy and cold…and we wanted to rest a bit…we waited until afternoon to go into the city of Florence today. Interestingly enough, it was colder in our hotel room than outside because they had the air-conditioning going full blast. In Italy in May, environmentally they cannot turn on the heat, but we finally got the AC turned off, working with the front desk.
When we arrived in town, we braved the rain and wind to visit the spectacular Basilica of Santa Croce where Michelangelo, Galileo,
and other famous Italians are buried, and the Leather School and Workshop attached to it. We even ran into our 60-something biker friends from Holland again. Small world.
A walk along the Arno River with the famous bridge, the Ponte Vecchio, in the distance, was next. Based on Rick Steves and Giadas’ recommendations, we meandered through the artisan shops of the Oltrorno district (at
the other end of the Ponte Vecchio) to find Trattoria 4 Leoni… If you ever go to Florence, eat at this restaurant.
I had made reservations for 8:00 PM, and it was only 3:00 (Not the Italian way), and the Maitre d’ laughed when I asked, but they let us eat early…. We had a little table for two, and tried to navigate through an Italian-only menu, with some help from our Italian-speaking waiter. We ordered bruschetta with tomatoes (extra bread served in a sack), salad with olive oil and balsamic (only choice given), and I had the creamy ravioli while Ron had the penne pomodoro.
We ate in silence, both savoring the food…….. We have had many pasta dishes in Italy, but these two were our all-time favorites. The ravioli was homemade, of course, in a sort of butterfly shape. It was served in a rich cream sauce with just a hint of sweetness. I was wishing my grandchildren who love Fettuccine Alfredo (You know who you are) were there to experience this culinary masterpiece. The pasta was filling, but the trade-off is that in Italy they only give you very small servings. We finished off with a kiwi sorbet which tasted creamy like ice cream, and a tart lemon sorbet. Amazing!
So back to our hotel for now, because tomorrow we rise early to get our car and visit San Gimignano and Chianti. Ron and a stick shift in Italy is another adventure to look forward to.
Day 7: Wednesday, May 17th – San Gimignano and Chianti
Today we picked up our rental car at the Florence airport and headed to San Gimignano and the Chianti region. This was after much discussion and checking with the Weather Channel which reported that both regions would be cold and rainy all day. Should we stay in the hotel till noon when the rain would be lessening or should we go and enjoy the day anyway? Finally we decided we are here, we want to see these regions, and we are Oregonians after all, so let’s just go, so we headed out about 9:00 AM.
San Gimignano is a very popular hill town in Tuscany, and usually is usually very crowded. It turns out several people must have checked the weather forecast and decided to delay, because we spent the morning on uncrowded streets.
We even were able to visit Dondoli Gelato, the home of the winner of the best gelato in the world.
We’ve always wanted to see the Chianti region, so that was next on the agenda. Talk about curvy, windy roads! We landed in the town of Panzano…..and couldn’t find the village square…It’s a tiny, tiny town but we were thoroughly lost. So we told “Kate”, our English built-in navigator, to head to Greve, where we did after some time, find the “centre storico”.
We wandered and did a wine tasting there (Chianti Classico of course).
It’s interesting how that is done. The wine bottles are turned upside down in a glass case, and the lips of the wine bottles are attached with ‘udders’.
Then you buy a ‘ticket’ for the amount of money you want to spend. After inserting your ticket in the case, you press the appropriate wine button and the amount you want to taste and the wine is deposited into your glass. A new experience for us! The sun was fleeting but the rain stayed away for the entire day. As Maddie would say, “I’d count that a win!”
Tomorrow Monticchiello in the Val d’Orcia, my favorite place in all of Italy.
Day 8: Thursday, May 18th – Monticchiello and the Val d’Orcia
A day peppered with a bit of panic and some sadness.
The sun was shining this morning in Florence, so we loaded up the car and headed for Monticchiello and La Casa di Adelina.
After about an hour and a half, we arrived, to be warmly welcomed by the proprietor, Francesco, who seemed to remember us from 2019.
We dropped off our luggage and headed for Montepulciano. We found a great parking space and were just about to walk into the city when I realized I didn’t have my passport in its usual secure pouch. Needless to say, we searched the car, my purse, my shopping bag…everywhere! All I could think about was, “No cruise for me”, and I instantly went into semi-panic mode. We reluctantly relinquished the parking spot, and headed back to Monticchiello….about ten miles away. Ron dropped me off at our B&B, and I found my passport inside a shopping bag where it had landed. Whew! Crisis avoided.
We returned to Montepulciano to walk the steep streets, browse in the shops, and eat a small snack. The afternoon was partly cloudy but the rain stayed away.
For dinner, I had booked us at our favorite restaurant in the region—Daria’s in Monticchiello just down the street from our BnB. We were looking forward to dining with the joyful and welcoming Daria for the third time, and honestly couldn’t wait to see her. This restaurant is Michelin mentioned, and always serves creative new spins on Tuscan cuisine while still honoring the age-old traditional
Tuscan menu items. When we sat down, we asked if Daria was in the restaurant and were told she had passed away of lung cancer the year before. We were so shocked and saddened to hear this, as we thought of Daria as a friend. The restaurant, however, doesn’t seem to have suffered. It was still full to the brim and they were turning people away at the door.
The food, judging from Ron’s Pici with Cinghale (a thick spaghetti-type pasta from this region with wild boar ragu) and my Gnocchi with Little Shrimps and Lime, was the same high quality as always.
Tomorrow, after the first of two breakfasts with Francesco, our host, we head to Montalcino, another hill town, thus completing “The Full Monty”(Montepulciano, Monticchiello, and Montalcino). (More on Monticchiello)
Day 9: Friday, May 19 – Montalcino and Driving the Tuscan Hills
It was a rainy, cold, and windy day in Tuscany today, but how can we complain when we are in Italy and the day starts with one of Francesco’s breakfasts?
The first question we are asked is, “What kind of water would you like, sparkling or still?”, then, “Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino?”, then a tray of fresh fruits appears, then three kinds of homemade bread with two jams and fresh butter, all served on handmade ceramics. I love Italy. I love Casa di Adelina. The piece de resistance still to come was a scrambled egg sandwich on a soft, nutty biscuit. Did I say I love Italy?
Ron loves…not likes…to drive a stick shift around the windy, narrow roads in Tuscany. (More on ‘stick shift’ driving in Italy!)Today was perfect for it. We drove to Pienza, about seven miles from Monticchiello, to visit one of our favorite towns, a bit rain-soaked today. (More on Pienza)
The backdrop is indescribable—the rolling hills of the incomparable Val D’Orcia, beautiful even in the rain. Green. Cypress trees in rows. Poppies blooming by the roadside. Golden clay houses with tile roofs. Olive trees everywhere. Did I say I love Italy?
Another about fifteen miles and we were in Montalcino, a pleasant surprise for us, and the rain was finally starting to let up. We found it to be a hilly, but friendly and diverse town, filled with quality shops, numerous restaurants and of course, wine shops, because
Montalcino is, after all, the home of the famous Brunello di Montalcino. Listen!—The sound track in the background is Italian, being spoken, shouted by children playing, or spoken in the cafes and stores, and dogs and cats everywhere. This is not the city—this is the real Italy. Who did we meet today? A group of women from Quebec, a young couple from Milan, Frederico (who works for North Face in Italy) and Adina, and every dog we saw, including one who almost took off Ron’s finger.
Miracle of miracles and the perfect ending to a wet day, I have secured a second night’s reservation at Daria’s!
Day 10: Saturday, May 20 – Assisi. Goodbye Tuscany, Hello Umbria.
After another one of Francesco’s breakfasts, we load the car and head to another one of our favorites, Assisi! (Check out Assisi we visited in the past)
We check in at Hotel Ideale, braving their narrow entryway, and are greeted by Laura and her father, Dino. We have the cutest room with a balcony overlooking the Umbrian countryside, featuring Laura’s special touches: coordinating pillows, flower arrangements and even a hand-crafted ceramic sink.
The town of Assisi has its own charm, with its Basilica of San Francesco (St. Francis of Assisi), nuns in black headpieces and friars in brown robes wandering the town, and children playing in the streets. This is the real Italy….beyond the big cities, so we take the time to savor it by walking amongst the people and the magnificent churches.
Our dinner reservations tonight are with Il Baccanale, just around the corner from our hotel. Last time we visited this restaurant in 2019, they were having an art contest and tonight this tradition continues. On the wall is a large collage of about 50 small artworks depicting the covid era, and our waiter asks Ron which one he thinks won the contest.
Ron started to ask a question about the third one down on the right—a sculpture of an elderly man on oxygen (looked a lot like Biden)—and our waiter started whooping loudly, “You won! You won! No one ever gets it right!” Then he gifted us with a bottle of wine! Later in the evening, he announced in front of the whole restaurant that we had won the prize and everyone clapped for us. Oh my! We honestly didn’t even know this was a competition.
Day 11: Sunday, May 21: Assisi and the Basilica
Today we woke to the sun peeking through our windows. Will this be the day we can give up our windbreakers?
Dino and his daughters rival any of our hoteliers when it comes to breakfast, but things have changed a little post-Covid. Instead of a lavish buffet, we are told we can have one hot drink…coffee, espresso, cappuccino?…and we have a choice of a “Salty” or “Sweet” breakfast. Ron chooses ‘sweet’ and I choose ‘salty’ and we share. Ron receives an assortment of fresh fruit, yogurt and homemade pastries, and I am given a fried egg in a little skillet with bacon, homemade wheat bread and fruit—all of it yummy.
After breakfast, we stroll down to the Basilica, one of the most magnificent churches in the world, and sit in the back for Mass. All the words and songs are in Italian, of course, but the ambiance of the cathedral, with its sky blue ceiling and frescoes lining the walls depicting the life of St. Francis, is magical. Though we aren’t allowed to take pictures, we enjoy the reverberation of the pipe organ throughout the chapel and especially the superb tenor and soprano whose voices make me think this must be what the angels in Heaven sound like.
Ron has said to me before our trip, “I want to walk up the hill overlooking Assisi to get different photos of the city.” So he trudges up the hill not realizing just how steep it really is. At the top, dead tired, he looks over the city below and the castle, Rocca Maggiore, which was built some 800 years before. He was winded but said he was glad for the short detour.
We choose a little out-of-the-way place for a late lunch and to have our last Italian pasta: Tagliatelle with boar ragu and Cacio e Pepe. Then we enjoy the passiggeata on our way back to Hotel Ideale.
Day 12: Monday, May 22 – 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 to find a taxi driver to the port and return our car.
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.
Back on the ship, we saw a talented comedian to finish off the night.
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 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?
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.
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