Mediterranean Cruise--Crete, Rome and home

I can't resist photos of dolphins, either.
The "Throne Room"---note the stone "throne" to the right.
Ever since I was in college studying the Minoan civilization, it's been my dream to go to Crete---home of the Minotaur, Bull Dancers and the Labyrinth. My brother Jim and I went to the Palace of Knossos which is truly a magnificent ruin to climb around. They no longer let tourists explore the underground rooms because of the earthquakes they have almost daily. We had an excellent guide who took us to the popular places first before the crowds arrived so we could get good photos.

Afterwards, we went back to Herkilion, sat in a cafe for some capuccino and a local cheese pie. Dave and my sister-in-law Debbie took a tour of the Lasshti Plateau and went to an abbey. Jim and I arrived back at the ship before the masses. Debbie and Dave weren't so lucky. Dave is in the back of the line with the black short-sleeve shirt and a cane. We were supposed to be back at the ship at 12:30 which most of us made.

Originally we needed to be back by 2:30, but that had been changed. There were about 12 people that didn't make it back by 12:30. We watched a motorcycle take off and then, a cab zooming to the ship letting people off and the motorcycle would take off again to find someone else. Finally, around 1:15, the ship was told they HAD to pull away because another ship needed the dock. Soon, though, the Crete Coast Guard pulled up with the 4 women who'd missed the boat. They were mortified! As you can see half the ship was hanging off the balcony cheering them on. They actually had to walk across a plank to get on the ship which many thought was appropriate.

The next day we were "at sea"---so, we had lunch at Johnny Rocket's which looked like a diner on the side of the ship.

Mediterranean Cruise-Ephesus

Port of Kusadasi

Turkey was our favorite place on the cruise and as Dave said,"And, I never really wanted to go to Turkey." From the moment we stepped off the ship, it was an amazing place to visit---we'd love to go back and see more.
Our first stop was at a site with four separate ruins---including the remains of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (the pillar with storks on top) The Temple of Artemis, a medieval fortress, a mosque and the church of St. John.

There were many places sacred to Christians. The Virgin Mary lived in Ephesus---there are several sites dedicated to her.
This amphitheater was the site of gladiator contests and was also where St. Paul preached.

We then visited a museum which was interesting. I liked how they showed where various artifacts were found.

I never can resist a Tri-Delta reference:

The museum had a wonderful exhibit on gladiators

Mediterranean Cruise: Sicily and Athens

On July 14, we arrived in Messina where Dave and I took a "City Tour"---not so good. Deb and Jim went on an excellent wine-tasting tour with the St. Charles group and a couple from Branson---11 on their bus were from Missouri!

Each night we had our towels in a different animal arrangement---this one was one of my favorites. The next day, we were "at sea"---Deb and I tried a Pilates class and we played Bingo but didn't win anything. That night was one of the Formal nights.
On July 16, we went to Athens where we again had a so-so tour of Athens. We got to see all of the sites, but . . .
Sometimes I just like sitting on the balcony watching the sunset as we went by some Greek islands.

Mediterranean Cruise: Rome

July 11, 2008, we left on the trip I'd dreamed of for years---a Mediterranean Cruise. We met my brother Jim and his wife Debbie in New York City Kennedy Airport and left for Rome around 4:00 PM. We arrived in Rome at 7:00 AM where Marco with Romecab met us for a tour of Rome.

We saw the Colosseum, Pantheon, Vatican, Castell, Trevi Fountain (abover) Circus Maximus with Marco getting us as close as possible so Dave didn't have to navigate the uneven walking surface too much. He was an excellent guide and I highly recommend them (Debbie found them on the internet). We arrived at our hotel---Cavalieri Hilton around 12:15. It was a beautiful hotel eventhough the restaurant was a little pricey (my club sandwich at noon was 28 Euros or $42).

The next morning we ate breakfast poolside. Jim opted for the buffet (38 Euro or $60). I walked around the park-like grounds and discovered all of the young "American" couples with young children were with the National Hockey League Players Association.

Marco of Romecab drove us to the cruiseship---Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas. As I was exploring (before we set sail), I got on an elevator and heard, "Jackie Morgan, what are you doing here." It was Diane Bear a teacher in Francis Howell School District along with 4 other couples from St. Charles, Missouri.

After lunch and dinner on the ship, we went to the Welcome Show where we learned that there were 3000 on bloard, 600 children, 1300 Americans, 54 countries and 2/3 were English-speaking. (We did meet Welsh, English, South Africans, Australians, Canadians)

Our room was 9338---Jim and Deb's was 9346---we could see each other off our balconies!