Athens X 2

Athens and more

We arrived in the port city of Athens and awoke to a lovely harbour. I must let you all know we have breakfast outside over looking the back of the ship. So far lovely mornings, no wind, warm …..

Anyway our first shore excursion that you just walk out onto the buses. I must say they are all very organised for 3000 passengers, the majority of whom will do the excursions. We went up to the Acropolis ….. very ancient, lots of steps, boring guide but fascinating history. I learnt heaps about its history and destruction, re-building, destruction ….even an Englishman Lord Elgin was the last evil presence taking away all these artifacts (now housed in the British Museum). We got there reasonably early, but my god so many people arriving. And this is end of September! There has been major reconstruction/restoration done and is still on-going but not enough to distract from the splendour. We drove pass many of the other sites, and left me yearning for more.

Then it was pool, spa, cocktails, nana nap (again) more cocktails, winning a prize in a trivia competition! ( a backpack full of little travel goodies), then dinner about 8.30 for a show at 9pm. All go on this holiday! The show was a violinist, who I didn’t think Dave would go to, but he did and he was seriously impressed. I think he is expanding his cultural experiences slowly but surely! Afterwards there was a disco era band playing leading into a Zorba the Greek dancing at 10.30pm. Just letting you know what happens at night around here!

Today was back in Athens, but a do your own thing tour, where they drop you off show you the direction of things and away you go! We were in an older type of area, near the Acropolis, and Plaka ( the old town area). The first thing was go to the new Acropolis Museum, highly recommended by the guide and it has won lots of global awards. What has happened is that during restoration of the ruins and Parthenon a lot of the valuable relics have been slowly eroded by weather and human ‘pollution’, so they have taken all the statues etc and put them into this museum. It is fantastic! It is built over ruins so you keep walking over glass floors and look down onto excavated ruins down below to give you a feel of the era.

 They have made a whole top floor for the Parthenon, laid out to the same size (huge) with the same number of columns and then put the artifacts in the same place they were in on the original, with photos, explanations etc. Really worth a visit.

After that was a walk through the old town, lunch of mousakka and chicken slovakka? With beer that freezes the froth the glass is so cold!  Then onto the original stadium of the old games, which was reconstructed in 1876? For the very first Olympic games of the modern era. The stadium was made of marble …. All of it! …. Pretty small in the middle (400 metre track) … as Dave said he would hate to be a runner running while the javlin was on! Cool experience.

Then on to more ruins, Hadrians Arch (built by the same man who built Hadrians wall) and the ruins of temple of Zues. By then all ruined out … you look one way and there is the Acropolis, and another and there is Temple of Zeus.

As a city Athens wasn’t too bad. Not really English friendly but better than Paris. I hope they continue to preserve what they have.

Now it’s end of a long day …. We are about the move on out so will go up to the top to watch.

Santorini - oh wow!

Hi ya all from the beautiful area of Santorini. We woke up to it this morning – tall cliffs and sheer faces. You could only see a few white houses perched down the sides of the cliff faces and I thought this is it? A beautiful clear day with blue skies and blue waters. We had to go by little boats to the wharf then onto buses up this crazy narrow road, getting closer to the top. 

I didn’t realise it was an actual island, (thought it was a town and an island) but there are a few towns there all looking the same. It is actually a volcano that erupted and sent lava and ash down which they grow grapes and tomatoes in. 

We got let off the bus at the place you see in the post cards – white cape houses (all joined on top of each other) narrow lanes, blue window shutters and blue rooves on the churches. Amazingly picturesque. No cars in those parts but the view! All looking down on this sea with cruise ships anchored, little islands a way out ….. 

We walked up and down these little pathways (many many steps) like a maze. Then onto a winery set up on a cliff for some wine tasting. The red was good enough for Dave to like it (I thought it was a cross between a red and a rose) but hey …..We then went to  another town where the cable car was (and the donkeys). Honestly it was packed with tourists like us …. And this was Sept. Imagine what July must be like! We had this lovely ‘yellow donkey’ beer and a pimms in a jar in this amazing bar perched over the cliff above the white houses going down, looking at the view below us.  

The worst part was the 40 min wait for the cable car. The queue was out and down the little ally way. Everyone was behaving except a yelling match in Spanish between two grumpy men, one of whom tried to push his way into the queue. Adding to this excitement was the donkeys going home – all tied together with a man on the front one. Very sad and dejected – plod, plod, plod. What a shit life going up and down that track carrying tourists. When they went past the queue fell very quiet and let them pass like a funeral, (except for a few Asians who just had to take a photo!).

 It was sunset out over the sea as we went down the cable car to the wharf to get on the little boat to take us back. A very magical day.

That night was a Freddy Mercury tribute show – the guy who came to Napier once I think. He was so funny with an amazing ‘Freddy’ voice. All these old biddies up waving their hands and clapping like at Wembly Stadium (we will rock you). I loved it!

Off and Away - round Two of our Travels

Right people, we are away! Lovely friends John and Ev were up early to get us to the airport so we could book the bags through then coffee, then coffee on the plane, then coffee at Auckland airport ….. so all hyped up and ready for the long flights and times awake ahead.

We flew Singapore Airlines – first time ever – with lots of leg room for Dave (paid extra) and lovely looking ladies in perfect make-up and waists that were all  12 inches across! Honestly I think there must be some kind of waist restriction to become a Singapore Airline lovely lady! Dave reckoned they all need a good feed! (even the male ones!). Service was great – hot towels and water every 5 minutes. Food OK – pretty disappointed actually. Drinks, including Singapore Sling, made up for that.

Got a free $75 voucher to spend because my handset wouldn’t work (no mention of an up-grade tho).

10 hours, 3 movies later, Singapore airport for 5 hours wait. Spent a neat time going on the shuttle trains between the terminals! Amazing terminals – one has got little rain forest, flowers, carp ponds to walk through. Quite cool!

Also went to the lounge place where you can have free food, drinks, wifi, showers, massage chair for $20 for 2 hours. Not bad.

The second flight we were stuffed with about 12 hours ahead of us. About 4am our time. So sleeping pills went down, sleep came on, food got eaten, sleep, then wide-awake. So another sleeping pill (yes I know, I have become a druggie!) and one movie then Rome airport quite refreshed. Bags were actually there, great relief then on-board to our shuttle (driven by the most delicious Italian – love them already!) to the port of Rome about an hour away.

Port of Rome

Nice place – medieval type town with lovely promenade and walk ways along the beach. Huge number of cafes and restaurants. We arrived about 9.30am couldn’t book in, left our bags at the hotel, so we went walking. Lots of walking, along the beach, through the town, along the old roman city walls, pass a beautiful church then realised why no one was really around. It was Sunday and they were at church! By lunchtime there were the locals out and about having their coffees etc. We need real food so had a 3 course meal for 20E including beer! Lasagne and pizza and yum gelato. Then more walking with lots more people around. Totally knackered by 1pm, arrive back at the hotel to be meet by all these yelling, screaming Italian women attending a Wedding planner conference! Very pushy and waving 10E note in front of the one concierge to pay for something. I just stood there surrounded by these women, (Dave decided it was better to sit this one out!) In the end I put my hand up and yelled ‘I’m next’ to the guy, then a big loud women yelled and waved her money in front of me at him. So I pushed her away and said ‘my turn’ even more loudly than her! That shut them all up (deathly hush fell). He kindly gave me the key, and shooed me away. God! They were a nightmare!

Our room was classed as ‘heritage’ in that it was old but done up, with a lovely view of the beach and walk-way. Sleep came on us and we both slept till 8pm then out for dinner at this lovely restaurant nearby by the sea. Family run, with the patriarch in charge – definitely Mafia type face- quite scary until he smiled and then winked at me! Lots of his family around, grandkids he danced with, grumpy face wife who was in charge of the money, gorgeous grand-daughter waitress (dark skin, hair with piercing blue eyes – if she was a metre taller she would be top-model material). Any way lovely evening and very cheap again! Can’t get over it, no tax, no charge for service, quite like this place!

 

 

Next morning, up and walking around again.

6 or more cruise ships in! then quite excited as to which one was ours!

 

Got a shuttle to the ship – quite a way and lots of people all trying to get on 6 ships. However very impressed how organised it all was. 3000 people max on our ship, all trying to board over 2 hours. All went well until Dave had to show his credit card – no wallet! Oh it’s in one of the big bags said he. Gave mine over but concerned.

We got shown up to the 14^th deck for lunch as rooms not ready. My god! Food, food, and more food! Free beer ……. Great start to the ship. Had a look around – quite amazing places to see.

 

Ok – first problem of the trip ….. no wallet! Dave rings up the hotel and it was left in the safe there! This is at 4pm, the siren sounds for a safety life-boat drill, the ship is to said at 5pm ……….. In the end he said for them to keep it in their safe and he would have to get it when we dock again in 11 days time!  Bit stressful! Then the boat leaves ….. pretty exciting to stand up on deck watching.

Drinks by the pool, house band playing by the pool, starting to relax and enjoy. Yummy dinner and then show (great singer from New York) and sleep in our cabin. No noise but vibration if you sit in a chair!)

 

Day At Sea!

Wake up to pull back the curtains at 2am to thunderstorm and lightning flashing over the sea quite close by! Raining (it has been gorgeous weather the whole time) but so warm. Quite scary about what happens when lightning hits a bit ship???????

Next time we wake up and cruising past the coast of Italy heading south. Walks around the deck after food – really need to walk this food thing off.

Really cool when we have Sicily on one side close, and the end of Italy at the other side and we are going through this narrow gap.

Rest of the day is at sea. Swimming, spa pool, watching people, food, drinks, band, dinner, nana nap, show …… it was chic night (when people dress up) talk about all the cocktail dress, bling, tuxedos, …. And here is us extremely under-dressed! Didn’t care, and then didn’t after. Tho next time I must get
Dave out of his jeans!