The last time I found myself on the island of Crete, which was in late 1973, John Riise and I had requisitioned the MAR's Honda 70 motorcycles and had set off into the interior on our own. Today, Concetta and I had to depend on transportation that was a world away from those trusty Honda 70s -- namely, a sixty-passenger bus that tended to fill the narrow lanes and village streets from curb to curb. Oh, well, what can you do? The morning's destination was the ruins at Knossos, Minoan King Minos' palace discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokairinos, a Cretan merchant and antiquarian. Though the ruins have been "restored" to show you what some of the King's palace looked like in it's heyday, using rather modern building materials, it's still a fascinating place to learn about how these ancient peoples designed what was then a very modern dwelling using water and sewer construction methods that are largely unchanged today. This in a palace that was built some 3,500 years ago.
As you probably remember if you ever took a Greek mythology class in high school, Knossos is the location of the infamous labyrinth, an elaborate mazelike structure constructed for King Minos of Crete and designed by the legendary Daedalus (of wax wings fame) to hold the Minotaur, a creature that was half man and half bull and was eventually killed by the Athenian hero, Theseus. We touristas didn't have any luck stumbling on the entrance to the labyrinth, but we did get some cool photos which I hope to post on the blog here if I ever get my hands on a WiFi spot.
After Knossos, we once again loaded into the bus and took to the narrow mountain roads (where we tried not to look down to often) in search of a remote monestary full of centuries old religious frescos (not usually my cup of tea) and a great Greek taverna overlooking the Aegean Sea (now that's more like it). Stopping at the taverna gave me another chance to order that wonderful Greek beer called "Mythos" which I had sampled for the very first time just yesterday and am already crazy about. The taverna, since they have to deal with busloads of folks at lunchtime (six busses by the time we left), basically serve a "family style" lunch in an amazingly brisk, efficient fashion that fairly takes your breath away. We had the usual spanikopita and cheese pie appetizers, wonderful Greek salad (no lettuce in these babies), and bread with yoghurt sauce which was just incredible. Soon after arrived a hot dish of pork and potatoes which I skillfully put away as expeditiously as possible. The final course was fresh fruit and coffee, both of which were fantastic. I would have loved another half hour to sit and sip that wonderful coffee, but our guide was staring pointedly at his watch so I grudgingly had to leave it and reboard the bus.
During the time we were on the road our cruise ship had upped anchor and sailed due East from Herklion Harbor toward the town of Aglios Nikolaos where it planned to meet us as we finished up our day in the Cretan interior, including our stop at the Lassithi Plateau archeaological site of the Malia Palace. Though this second palace on our route was not nearly as impressive as our first of the day, Knossos, I did find it interesting for their use of a combination of volcanic, or igneous rock, and sedimentary rock in the form of limestone. The limestone had once been deposited on the sea floor in pre-historic times and had since been raised above see level due to the irresitable forces of plate tectonics which results when the African plate pushes northward against the Aegean plate. This process basically forms a "wrinkle" in the land under the Mediterranean, thrusting beautiful Crete above sea level and providing a wealth of easily-worked building materials. This process also causes the volcanoes that dot the Mediterranean, one of which we will be visiting tomorrow -- the island of Santorini. The last eruption at Santorini was just 85 years ago.
Since the ship was not in evidence when we pulled into Agios Nikolaos, Concetta and I went in search of -- what else? -- ice cream. I decided that I just had to have some ice cream and strawberries. Along with a double espresso, it sounded like a fitting ending to a pretty interesting day. After ice cream and a nice chat with several of our fellow passengers who wandered in for ice cream just after us, we set off into the town proper to do some window shopping and photography. I decided I needed a more flamboyant hat band for my sombrero (the one I nearly lost yesterday), one that might help me keep track of it better. After buying the hat band and some Ouzo for sons Robert and Jason, we headed back to the boat for a shower, a lecture on volcanoes and earthquakes in the Aegean, and a very relaxed dinner on the fantail of the ship with the twinkling lights of the harbor and nearby city to cast a romantic glow across our dinner rendesvous.
Thanks to everyone who has kindly wrote in on Facebook with compliments on the blog. It makes it easier to stay up 'till 11:00 p.m. if I know you're enjoying it. And, of course, if you have any questions about what we're seeing, don't hesitate to let me know and I'll try and answer them. Someone asked how I'm liking the food and I can say without hesitation that I'd rather eat Greek food than just about any other. My only major disappointment as far as the ship's food selection is that they have made no effort to stock real Greek yoghurt which I love and which is unlike anything you've ever tasted from a the dairy section of your super market. Concetta and I try to order it when we're on shore at lunch time.
The boat provides almost any food you can ever want at no additional cost with the exception of hard liquor items. Those you have to pay for. To encourage you to do just that, the ship has a daily "special" drink available which, to date, we haven't taken advantage of. You can have all the wine you want, which is what we usually drink anyway, so we're really set. I'm eating way, way more sweets than I normally do at home so I suspect that will have some work to do when I get home.
This is the first time I've been aboard a boat, of any size, since I left the MAR in 1974. The roll of the deck under my feet, the smell of the salt air, the velvety breezes off the sea, even the rumble of the diesel engines, all make me miss that time of my life tremendously. There's simply nothing like living and working on a boat. The oh so humbling feeling of sailing out of sight of land in a small craft with nothing between you and eternity but a few inches of wood cannot be easily conveyed. You simple have to try it to know what I mean. If you're out there and you're young enough, do it. You won't be sorry. Hell, if I was young again, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
Well, it's coming up 11:00 once again. I'll have to say goodnight. Ciao, tutti.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Getting cozy with Byzantine Greece
Our ship's newsletter laid out the day's activities pretty well so let me just quote: "Today, we jump forward in time as we leave behind the magnificent Classical sites of Athens and Mycenae. We now explore the Byzantine Churches of Monemvasia. The two main attractions are the 13th century A.D. Church of Christos Elkomenos and the Agia Sofia. This includes a trip to the wonderful Byzantine city of Mystras and the remains of ancient Sparta."
Once again Concetta and I maintained our ritual of rising before 6:00 a.m. and greeting the dawn from the fantail of the Aegean Odyssey. We've found that there is simply no substitute for this premier breakfast location. If you haven't seen or read about it, the Mediterranea is a wonderful place to take in a sunrise or sunset. It has something to do with the minute particles of Sahara desert sand in the atmosphere. I remember thirty-five years ago when I was living aboard the MAR here in the Med that we would dread when the rains came at night. When we would get up in the morning the entire boat would be covered with mud.
Our tour for the day involved climbing aboard the Odyssey's small boats and making the short voyage to the quay. From there we set off on a ninety minute drive up into the mountains by bus. As you've read, our goal was to visit a couple of very old churches as well as see the site where ancient Sparta once thrived. There's not much left of Sparta now since the real estate developers moved in (yes it also happens in Greece), but still the little town that sits atop old Sparta is very picturesque and appears to be thriving. It turns out that you had to be part Sir Edmund Hillary and part mountain goat to fully appreciate these precariously perched religious buildings. It was not hard to see that the ancient stone paths had been trod by a lot of ancient feet. Fortunately, everyone made it up and back without turning an ankle or tumbling over the low stone walls that lined the path.
Today's outting brought it home to me once again that the very best sunlight in all of the world falls right here in Greece. It almost seems to take on a etheral quality, like you're looking past the confines of the real world into something beyond. The white-washed buildings seem to glitter and sparkle like someone had photoshopped them and upped the contrast level. We've all seen achingly blue skies in Nevada, but here in Greece the sky is so blue and radiant that you find yourself simply staring at it for long minutes at a time. The volcanic hills leap from the surface of the earth like they only just appeared a few minutes before. And the verdant olive groves, grape vineyards, and citrus orchards seem to be calling you to stop your frenzied travel and linger awhile. Stop and just breath in the intoxicating fragrance of Greece.
Once off the mountain, our tour leader took us to a nearby outdoor restaurant nestled in the foothills near old Sparta. Neatly arranged for us beneath a wonderful old pergola crowned with wisteria our hosts had provided neat white-linened tables. We spent a wonderful hour and a half eating spanakopita, cheese pie, greek salad, baked chicken and potatoes, and a wonderful light dessert that I will be thinking about for years to come. That together with a frosty mug of Greek beer on the front end, and strong, black Greek coffee on the back end served to provide us with one of the most memorable dining experiences Concetta and I have ever had.
The ride back to the harbor was long -- ninety minutes -- but provided a little siesta time after our big lunch. At one point I thought I had lost my sombrero, having left it at restaurant, but the next bus after us rescued it and the two of us were reunited in the harbor. After that it was a quick dash back to the ship, a shower, and the afternoon cocktail party. A little two much champagne together with the ship's gentle roll with the swells as we began our overnight voyage to Crete made it a tad difficult for me to make my way to our usual dinner spot on the fantail. Tonight, we opted for sharing a table with a delightful couple from Chicago and the four of us got along famously until the stewards had packed up most of the tables but ours. Thus ends yet another fabulous day in the sparkling blue world of the Aegean.
Tomorrow morning, we should be dropping anchor in the harbor of Heraklion, Crete, someplace that I haven't seen since I set off into some pretty storm-tossed waters from there in 1973 and very nearly didn't make it to my next port. If you want to read about THAT voyoage, pull up the web site, click on memoirs, and then click on the story entitled, "Sinking." In those days my nickname was, "Blue" for the blue hat I always wore. So, enjoy. I'll see ya on the flip side.
Once again Concetta and I maintained our ritual of rising before 6:00 a.m. and greeting the dawn from the fantail of the Aegean Odyssey. We've found that there is simply no substitute for this premier breakfast location. If you haven't seen or read about it, the Mediterranea is a wonderful place to take in a sunrise or sunset. It has something to do with the minute particles of Sahara desert sand in the atmosphere. I remember thirty-five years ago when I was living aboard the MAR here in the Med that we would dread when the rains came at night. When we would get up in the morning the entire boat would be covered with mud.
Our tour for the day involved climbing aboard the Odyssey's small boats and making the short voyage to the quay. From there we set off on a ninety minute drive up into the mountains by bus. As you've read, our goal was to visit a couple of very old churches as well as see the site where ancient Sparta once thrived. There's not much left of Sparta now since the real estate developers moved in (yes it also happens in Greece), but still the little town that sits atop old Sparta is very picturesque and appears to be thriving. It turns out that you had to be part Sir Edmund Hillary and part mountain goat to fully appreciate these precariously perched religious buildings. It was not hard to see that the ancient stone paths had been trod by a lot of ancient feet. Fortunately, everyone made it up and back without turning an ankle or tumbling over the low stone walls that lined the path.
Today's outting brought it home to me once again that the very best sunlight in all of the world falls right here in Greece. It almost seems to take on a etheral quality, like you're looking past the confines of the real world into something beyond. The white-washed buildings seem to glitter and sparkle like someone had photoshopped them and upped the contrast level. We've all seen achingly blue skies in Nevada, but here in Greece the sky is so blue and radiant that you find yourself simply staring at it for long minutes at a time. The volcanic hills leap from the surface of the earth like they only just appeared a few minutes before. And the verdant olive groves, grape vineyards, and citrus orchards seem to be calling you to stop your frenzied travel and linger awhile. Stop and just breath in the intoxicating fragrance of Greece.
Once off the mountain, our tour leader took us to a nearby outdoor restaurant nestled in the foothills near old Sparta. Neatly arranged for us beneath a wonderful old pergola crowned with wisteria our hosts had provided neat white-linened tables. We spent a wonderful hour and a half eating spanakopita, cheese pie, greek salad, baked chicken and potatoes, and a wonderful light dessert that I will be thinking about for years to come. That together with a frosty mug of Greek beer on the front end, and strong, black Greek coffee on the back end served to provide us with one of the most memorable dining experiences Concetta and I have ever had.
The ride back to the harbor was long -- ninety minutes -- but provided a little siesta time after our big lunch. At one point I thought I had lost my sombrero, having left it at restaurant, but the next bus after us rescued it and the two of us were reunited in the harbor. After that it was a quick dash back to the ship, a shower, and the afternoon cocktail party. A little two much champagne together with the ship's gentle roll with the swells as we began our overnight voyage to Crete made it a tad difficult for me to make my way to our usual dinner spot on the fantail. Tonight, we opted for sharing a table with a delightful couple from Chicago and the four of us got along famously until the stewards had packed up most of the tables but ours. Thus ends yet another fabulous day in the sparkling blue world of the Aegean.
Tomorrow morning, we should be dropping anchor in the harbor of Heraklion, Crete, someplace that I haven't seen since I set off into some pretty storm-tossed waters from there in 1973 and very nearly didn't make it to my next port. If you want to read about THAT voyoage, pull up the web site, click on memoirs, and then click on the story entitled, "Sinking." In those days my nickname was, "Blue" for the blue hat I always wore. So, enjoy. I'll see ya on the flip side.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Oh, NO, no pix!!!
Well, it looks like the lack of photos on the blog is going to continue as long as we're on the ship. I talked to the cruise coordinator today to voice my complaint about being locked out of both the USB ports and the CD drive on the computer. She told me that their computer system functioned out of England and they were very, very afraid that one of the passengers would infect their system which not only runs the passenger computer room but the ship's systems as well. As idiotic as that sounds, I suppose that I'm not going to be able to circumvent them. I thought about unhooking their computer some quiet night and hooking up the laptop, but I suspect that I wouldn't be able to get out anyway. So, I'm going to have to wait until we get to our Rome B&B before I can post the cruise photos. Sigh!!!
Today we had our first experience with riding small boats into the shore since the ship could not approach the land due to shallow water. I have to tell you that it immediately took me back to 1973 and my voyages on the good ship, MAR. The smell of the diesel, the salt spray, the rocking of the boat, all thrust me right back to my 20-something years on an ocean-going, 60-foot ketch. Damn, I found that I really missed those feelings. There's nothing like living aboard a boat, nothing in this world.
Once on shore, we boarded buses that would take us to the site of the ancient civilization of Mycenae which flowered circa (c. 1600 BC – c. 1100 BC). Mycenae is a cultural period of Bronze Age Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. These dates correspond to the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, it is the historical setting of much ancient Greek literature and myth, including the epics of Homer. This was really impressive stuff here when you get to view jewelry and toys and weapons and tools that were crafted several THOUSAND years ago.
Lunchtime found as back at the nearby port city (whose name I've misplaced) for a fantastic lunch in a bougainvilla-festooned patio amid a wonderous labarinth of tiny alleys filled with exotic shops, pergola-shaded restaurants, and a host of other colorful sights and smells. We wanted spanakopita (spinich pie) but they were out. So, we had the cheese pie instead. We finished off with our absolute favorite, Greek yoghurt and honey.
After lunch, we boarded the buses for a 40-minute ride to the ancient theater of Epiduarus. Wow, just like you've seen in those Rick Steves travel shows on Greece, their stadiums are awesome. The Epidaurus stadium was constructed entirely out of cut stone, sat as many as 20,000 people, and had acoustics so fine that the actors could be heard easily in the loftiest seats. Those seats were a fair distance above the stage, let me tell you. I know because I climbed all the way up there to take a picture. Awesome is just too mild a word. It was just incredible!
We had quite a ride on the little boat described above when we wanted to reboard the ship this afternoon. The wind had kicked up quite a bit and our boat, filled as it was with thirty or forty people, was bobbing around on the those waves like the Mad Hatters Tea Party. But Concetta, prone to seasickness sometimes, came through it just fine. Having lived aboard a boat for a year, I realized what we were in a tight spot more than some of the passengers I imagine. Still, everything turned out all right and the boat and deck crews did their jobs admirably.
Concetta and I finished out the day out at the fantail restaurant where we could eat dinner and watch the lights of the Greek mainland receed in the distance. The service on this boat is absolutely outstanding. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Most of the employees appear to be from the Philippines. We questioned our waiter tonight and he told us he has a wife and 4 kids at home, but that there's not much employment. So, he works here on the ship eight months of the year and is home for four months. This particular waiter has singled us out for exceptional treatment and is just the happiest guy you could find. We certainly wish him well.
The last thing we did tonight is have lifeboat training -- the training that we missed last night because tour was so late getting back. I had to reflect that I spent three years in the Navy and one year aboard the yacht, MAR, and had never had a life preserver on. Life can certainly be ironic.
Well, that's all for now. The ship us gliding through to night to our next appointement with history. We're going to be on Crete in the next day or so, one of my favorite islands in the Mediterraean. For now, it's going on 11:00 here and I should probably toddle off to bed. Ciao, tutti.
Today we had our first experience with riding small boats into the shore since the ship could not approach the land due to shallow water. I have to tell you that it immediately took me back to 1973 and my voyages on the good ship, MAR. The smell of the diesel, the salt spray, the rocking of the boat, all thrust me right back to my 20-something years on an ocean-going, 60-foot ketch. Damn, I found that I really missed those feelings. There's nothing like living aboard a boat, nothing in this world.
Once on shore, we boarded buses that would take us to the site of the ancient civilization of Mycenae which flowered circa (c. 1600 BC – c. 1100 BC). Mycenae is a cultural period of Bronze Age Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. These dates correspond to the last phase of the Bronze Age in Ancient Greece, it is the historical setting of much ancient Greek literature and myth, including the epics of Homer. This was really impressive stuff here when you get to view jewelry and toys and weapons and tools that were crafted several THOUSAND years ago.
Lunchtime found as back at the nearby port city (whose name I've misplaced) for a fantastic lunch in a bougainvilla-festooned patio amid a wonderous labarinth of tiny alleys filled with exotic shops, pergola-shaded restaurants, and a host of other colorful sights and smells. We wanted spanakopita (spinich pie) but they were out. So, we had the cheese pie instead. We finished off with our absolute favorite, Greek yoghurt and honey.
After lunch, we boarded the buses for a 40-minute ride to the ancient theater of Epiduarus. Wow, just like you've seen in those Rick Steves travel shows on Greece, their stadiums are awesome. The Epidaurus stadium was constructed entirely out of cut stone, sat as many as 20,000 people, and had acoustics so fine that the actors could be heard easily in the loftiest seats. Those seats were a fair distance above the stage, let me tell you. I know because I climbed all the way up there to take a picture. Awesome is just too mild a word. It was just incredible!
We had quite a ride on the little boat described above when we wanted to reboard the ship this afternoon. The wind had kicked up quite a bit and our boat, filled as it was with thirty or forty people, was bobbing around on the those waves like the Mad Hatters Tea Party. But Concetta, prone to seasickness sometimes, came through it just fine. Having lived aboard a boat for a year, I realized what we were in a tight spot more than some of the passengers I imagine. Still, everything turned out all right and the boat and deck crews did their jobs admirably.
Concetta and I finished out the day out at the fantail restaurant where we could eat dinner and watch the lights of the Greek mainland receed in the distance. The service on this boat is absolutely outstanding. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Most of the employees appear to be from the Philippines. We questioned our waiter tonight and he told us he has a wife and 4 kids at home, but that there's not much employment. So, he works here on the ship eight months of the year and is home for four months. This particular waiter has singled us out for exceptional treatment and is just the happiest guy you could find. We certainly wish him well.
The last thing we did tonight is have lifeboat training -- the training that we missed last night because tour was so late getting back. I had to reflect that I spent three years in the Navy and one year aboard the yacht, MAR, and had never had a life preserver on. Life can certainly be ironic.
Well, that's all for now. The ship us gliding through to night to our next appointement with history. We're going to be on Crete in the next day or so, one of my favorite islands in the Mediterraean. For now, it's going on 11:00 here and I should probably toddle off to bed. Ciao, tutti.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
We go hiking....again
Today was the day that we had signed up for a tour of the Acropolis, the Acropolis museum, and a whole bunch of other stuff that we hadn't already done the day before. You may remember that Concetta and I climbed the Acropolis and saw the nearby museum yesterday. Even though we knew we'd be doing it again today, we figured that you can't possible see it all in one day. Plus today we we're going to have a guide who came complete with a sound system for each of us so we could tune into a running narrative on what she was describing. The crowds were bigger today for some reason, but it was worth the second attempt to get our guide's input. These new sound systems they have for tours are really great. You can stand thirty feet away and still hear what the guide is saying. Very cool. In the afternoon the group was treated to a visit to the National Archaeology Museum where we got to see a great many of the artifacts that Heinrich Schliemann looted from Greece and Turkey in the late 1800s. Schliemann was the man who first dug at the site of Troy, which is one of the stops on our upcoming voyage. The boat leaves Pireaus, Greece, tonight between 10:00 p.m. and midnight (I don't plan on being awake to see it happen) and tomorrow we're going to be visiting Mycenae located about 90 kilometers southwest of Athens. In the second millennium BC Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. I've been trying to add to my Greek vocabulary. Today I learned that katalaveno means "I understand," a handy word sometimes when dealing with non-english speakers. Hopefully you actually DO understand. I also learned how to say excuse me, which is signome with the emphasis on the "no" part. Only problem is most of the crew on the ship are from the Phillipeans and don't speak a word of Greek. So you only get to practice on the shop keepers and restaurant people out in the community. The weirdest thing is the written Greek language. If you want the "p" sound you use a figure that looks like an upside down "U." If you want an "r" sound, you use a p. Upside down "y"s have an "L" sound and an "s" uses a figure that looks like a backward "3." I figure it may take me awhile to get the concept. Concetta and I enjoyed a great dinner on the fantail of the boat tonight, the scene bathed in the glow of the lights of passing ships. I told her that John Riise and I had sat very near that same spot back in 1973 and drank ouzo with a couple of chaps name Amed and Mohammed when we were just youngsters. Seems a world away now, but no less real. The summer breeze on the fantail was intoxicating, just as it was all those years ago. So, for now I wish you 'καλή νύχτα', good night. It's pronounced cahlee-neet-ah.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Our first full day in Athens
Today was our first full day in Athens and it started out great. Our Hotel, the Lotus, is just nothing short of terrific. Everything is new and clean and bright, from the all-marble bathroom, to the crisp new bed linens. We didn't have much luck with the internet, but I suspect that it had something to do with my using an American DNS rather than a Greek DNS. In other words, if I put in www.google.com it would usually never load. But if I put in www.google.gr it would load pretty quickly. Of course, knowing that didn't help me when my web site and blog site are solidly U.S. One of the best things about the Hotel is the breakfast. My goodness, it was a banquet! They literally had something for everyone and every taste. Naturally I went right for the Greek yoghurt and honey, something I've missed since I was here over three decades ago. But they also had all manner of hot dishes like eggs and bacon and potatoes. They had baked tomotoes to keep the Brits happy, too. After my double helping of yoghurt and peaches I also tried the custard, which was excellent, a cheese pie, and some sort of coffee cake which I would have eaten more of but just didn't have room. After breakfast, the Hotel staff kindly voluteered to babysit our bags while we went exploring. The concierge promised that it would be easy to find the nearby metro station and ride it into the old part of the city. Well, he turned out to be right on. Within minutes we had found the metro station, bought our tickets, located the right train, and were on our way. Four stops later we emerged into the sunlight percisely at our destination, the new Acropolis museum. Wow! What a place. Four floors devoted to all the artifacts from the Parthenon and surrounding digs. The museum itself is perched atop an ongoing dig. To keep from disturbing the site, the building was erected on concrete stilts. They've provided glass floors in some spots so you can view the archeaologists going about their work. Terrific, terrific place! After strolling the museum all morning, we had a very nice lunch in the museum cafeteria. The lunch was made even nicer by a Greek woman and her young daughter who invited us to sit with them and talk about life in Greece. After lunch, Concetta and I climbed the long stone path to the top of the Acropolis to see the Parthenon. Though much abused over the twenty-five centuries it has perched atop that rock, the temple is still nothing short of magnificent! Though we strolled completely around the perimeter of the Acropolis, the best thing we discovered was to find a resting place and just gaze at it. But all too soon we noticed the day waning. It was time to jump on the metro and retrace our steps to the Lotus Hotel, grab our bags, hail a cab, and make the afternoon dash down to the sea and our home for the next two weeks, the cruise ship Aegean Odyssey. Of that, more later.
Tonight, as I sit here in the ship's computer room, I have encountered a bit of a problem concerning the blog. Though this shipboard machine on which I am typing this account works much better than I experienced with the Lotus Hotel's connection, the IT folks have locked out the USB ports making it impossible for me to add photos. I'm not sure how I'm going to remedy this problem. Maybe come down here at midnight with the laptop and disconnect their machine. Arrrrr, matey. Me thinks this calls for treachery. What think ye?
Tonight, as I sit here in the ship's computer room, I have encountered a bit of a problem concerning the blog. Though this shipboard machine on which I am typing this account works much better than I experienced with the Lotus Hotel's connection, the IT folks have locked out the USB ports making it impossible for me to add photos. I'm not sure how I'm going to remedy this problem. Maybe come down here at midnight with the laptop and disconnect their machine. Arrrrr, matey. Me thinks this calls for treachery. What think ye?
Monday, September 6, 2010
We reach Athens
My goodness those trans-Atlantic flights are looooooonnnnng! We got up occasionally and walked to the very rear of the plane just to stretch our legs, but you still go just about bonkers when you spend nine hours in a space about the size of an average bath mat. Once again, our Air Canada flight took off right on time and arrived just when they told us it would. The service was pretty darn nice, though the food wasn't anything you'll see written up in Travel and Leisure. The plane's layout consisted of seats in 2-5-2 configuration and I reserved one of the two-seat setups, which meant we didn't have anyone seated with us. Even better, our flight had almost no babies. In fact, I only saw one woman with a baby and she sat way in the back of the plane and I don't think the baby ever made a sound. The biggest disappointment was finding out that our Boeing 767 did not come equipped with the latest seat-back computer screens. There was only one big screen in our immediate area and it was playing a many-years-old Will Smith movie about rampaging robots or something. Sometime in the wee hours of the morning they played Russel Crow's rendition of Robin Hood, but I slept through most of that one, which didn't matter since I'd seen it anyway. So, the bottom line was, the flight was boring in comparison to our first two legs, but we had each brought along our reading books so we stayed entertained. We arrived in Athens about 11:20 their time. We sailed right through customs, baggage claim, and the cab hailing ritual and were soon on our way to central Athens. We were told it could take an hour and were advised by an Canadian-born Athens school teacher on our flight that we should pay about forty Euros for the ride to our hotel. So, when we got to the hotel that's just what I gave him. He murmured something about the cost of the toll bridge so I gave him another five (also to be expected according to the teacher)and he went happily on his way. I always hold my breath when dealing with cab drivers in foreign countries, especially ones who don't run the meter (I didn't even see a meter in our cab today), but our experience was totally positive. He didn't seem to speak a word of English so I tried out my limited Greek, which he may or may not have understood. I couldn't really tell. I did do something smart on a whim yesterday. I printed out the name of our hotel and the address on a small piece of paper which I just handed the driver today. He stared at it for several long moments, then got out of the car and went to consult a fellow driver. When he came back he said he knew where to take us(I guess that what he said, anyway). I'm sure glad I had the paper to give him as explaining where I wanted to go would have been completely useless in this instance. I chose the Lotus Hotel in Athens because it received good write-ups on the web. Some of the downtown hotels can be in fairly rough neighborhoods. The room here at the Lotus turned out to be beautiful with everything looking pretty new and modern. The elevator actually held ALL our bags plus us, which is something I never saw in Italy. Elevators tend to be sort of phone-booth sized in Europe and you have to make multiple trips to ferry your luggage to your room. The WiFi works here in the room sometimes, which is about all I can say for it. For some reason the blog refuses to load unless I try over and over again. Still, I'm on the site now so if it lets me save this entry, I'll be happy. This evening, I'm hoping for some real Greek food and music. This is where it all begins.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
We arrive in Toronto
For those of you who are quite accustomed to bashing the airlines for poor service and such, I have to tell you that our United Airlines flight from Reno to Denver took off on time, provided us great service, and arrived in Denver fifteen minutes early. For the Denver to Toronto leg, I booked Air Canada. Once again the flight took off on time, provided us with excellent service, and landed early. So far the only thing I can think to complain about is the youngster in the seat ahead of me from Denver to Toronto who wanted to test the very limits of the construction of his particular seat. He bounced against the seat back so regularly that had I been prone to seasickness, I might have needed a barf bag. It truly made typing on the laptop an adventure in accurate keying. So, anyway, here we are in Toronto. We breezed through customs, at least we would have if I had properly filled out the customs form declaring that I was not transporting firearms and vast sums of cash. But once through that minor snafu, Concetta and I easily found our gate, the WiFi hot spot, and now we're just deciding whether to get something to eat or wait the two+ hours until our flight takes off for Athens. I'm sort of hungry, but then I'm always hungry. I tried calling Athens yesterday to confirm with our B&B that we were still coming, but, as the kind gentleman I reached at the answering service was quick to point out, it was close to midnight and there was no one around to talk to. So, we're just going to show up there tomorrow morning and see what happens. Our next hot spot after Toronto may be the back of Zorba's cab or something. But wherever, I'm sure it will be challenging. Ciao for now, or should I say, καλησπέρα, φίλοι.
Typing my way to Toronto
The 21st century has definitely arrived. How do I know that? Well, other than the obvious, it’s because I’m sitting here in seat 26C on an Air Canada Airbus typing on my laptop. No big deal you say? Well, yes, you’ve been able to do that for years. But wait, I’m not only typing on my laptop at 30,000 feet, but I’m also charging the battery at the same time. And, in addition to that amazing feat, I’m simultaneously charging my world phone battery. All this while watching a business piece about Walmart on my seat-back TV. Is this any way to travel? Is George Bush an awful public speaker? Of course, they don’t let you do any sending or receiving of signals from the ether so connecting to my Facebook account or blog is still not possible. But hey, at this point I’m willing to wait.
Okay, I’m tired of the business news about Walmart, I’m switching to Jazz. In the mean time a word about the world phone. On our first trip to Italy in 2006 we learned right away that having no way to communicate with anyone in the U.S. or in Italy was a big mistake. We couldn’t call ahead to the hotels where we had reservations, nor could be field calls from home should an emergency arise. And trying to figure out the Italy’s weird and not so wonderful phone system was just too mind boggling. In Italy, some phone systems won’t talk directly to other phone systems. Granted, each of these systems has their own phone cards that you can prepay for and then insert in the proper public pay phone, but we found figuring all that out a big pain. So, when we went to the U.K. in 2008, we signed up with a company named “Brightroam.” With Brightroam you purchase an unlocked world phone, any number of prepaid minutes for your intended length of stay, and the necessary computer chip to make it communicate in the given area where you’re headed. And that’s it. The only other charge is a tiny fee that they charge you every year to keep you as a client. But that’s it. No monthly charges and nothing more to buy unless you travel to a country where your computer chip doesn’t work. In that case, you just go online and order the proper chip, it comes by courier, and you’re off and traveling again. For the trip this year I found that our U.K. chip did not work in Greece and Italy. So, I just ordered the proper chip, put some more money on the prepaid account, and when the chip arrived I just switched out the U.K. one and inserted the Greece/Italy one. Then, to tie up all the loose ends, I forwarded our U.S. cell phones to the world phone U.S. connection number and I was all set. Brightroam provides you with both an international phone number and a 866 number in the U.S., which makes it easy for you to leave your phone number with family for emergencies. On the horizon, Brightroam tells me, is a plug-in for your laptop that will allow it to connect to the internet using your Brightroam phone. I’m absolutely going to be interested in that 21st century bit of wizardry.
Okay, I’m tired of the business news about Walmart, I’m switching to Jazz. In the mean time a word about the world phone. On our first trip to Italy in 2006 we learned right away that having no way to communicate with anyone in the U.S. or in Italy was a big mistake. We couldn’t call ahead to the hotels where we had reservations, nor could be field calls from home should an emergency arise. And trying to figure out the Italy’s weird and not so wonderful phone system was just too mind boggling. In Italy, some phone systems won’t talk directly to other phone systems. Granted, each of these systems has their own phone cards that you can prepay for and then insert in the proper public pay phone, but we found figuring all that out a big pain. So, when we went to the U.K. in 2008, we signed up with a company named “Brightroam.” With Brightroam you purchase an unlocked world phone, any number of prepaid minutes for your intended length of stay, and the necessary computer chip to make it communicate in the given area where you’re headed. And that’s it. The only other charge is a tiny fee that they charge you every year to keep you as a client. But that’s it. No monthly charges and nothing more to buy unless you travel to a country where your computer chip doesn’t work. In that case, you just go online and order the proper chip, it comes by courier, and you’re off and traveling again. For the trip this year I found that our U.K. chip did not work in Greece and Italy. So, I just ordered the proper chip, put some more money on the prepaid account, and when the chip arrived I just switched out the U.K. one and inserted the Greece/Italy one. Then, to tie up all the loose ends, I forwarded our U.S. cell phones to the world phone U.S. connection number and I was all set. Brightroam provides you with both an international phone number and a 866 number in the U.S., which makes it easy for you to leave your phone number with family for emergencies. On the horizon, Brightroam tells me, is a plug-in for your laptop that will allow it to connect to the internet using your Brightroam phone. I’m absolutely going to be interested in that 21st century bit of wizardry.
Trip to Greece and Italy -- we reach Denver
The day began to day at exactly 2:31 a.m. for me, shortly after for Concetta. Although my son Rob makes fun of us for wanting to be at the airport two hours early, we like the comfortable space of time just in case anything goes wrong. So Rob agreed to stay over night and drive us to the airport. We were on the road by 3:30 a.m. and reached the Reno airport thirty-seven minutes later. The new check-in facility is just wonderful. We walked right up the United counter, a very pleasant man met us, took our passport and flight information sheet, and did all the touch-screening for us to accomplish our check-in. Almost before we knew it, we were on our way to the gate.
The flight was far from full this time, though we did have a neighbor in our three-seat combo. I worked pretty hard in the planning stage of this vacation to make sure I had assigned seats, which put us near the front of the plane. Concetta and I always observe the "one carry-on, one personal item" airline mandate, which they were very vocal about enforcing as we neared boarding time. Once again, almost before we knew it we were on the plane and airborne. If you intend to be an air traveler sometime in the future, think seriously about investing in some expensive ear phones for listening to the in-flight movies and TV shows. Even if you don't intend to watch that sort of visual drivel, you can tune into the airplane's sound system while you read your latest Tom Clancy novel. We have found that they're well worth the money, especially if you need to drown out any screaming infants. The flight to Denver was smooth and pleasant. We took advantage of the free coffee and water, but did not buy any snacks. I always pack a granola bar in what my buddy Victor Anderson would have called a "purse" that I keep at my seat so I was good for calories for this shortest leg of our journey. The coffee here at the Caribou Coffee place is pretty good, should you have occasion to be strolling the Denver airport anytime soon. In just over an hour we will be boarding for our flight to Toronto. I always-always-always schedule two hours between flights. Most of the time you can get by with less, but when you need those two hours you really need them. Last year on our trip to the U.K., we sat for over an hour on the tarmac at the Reno airport while they figured out how to "boot up" the airplane's electrical system. Had we not had the two hour layover in Salt Lake City, our who trip to Edinburgh airport would have been scuttled. So, for now, I'll say adieu. I'll try and connect again in Toronto.
The flight was far from full this time, though we did have a neighbor in our three-seat combo. I worked pretty hard in the planning stage of this vacation to make sure I had assigned seats, which put us near the front of the plane. Concetta and I always observe the "one carry-on, one personal item" airline mandate, which they were very vocal about enforcing as we neared boarding time. Once again, almost before we knew it we were on the plane and airborne. If you intend to be an air traveler sometime in the future, think seriously about investing in some expensive ear phones for listening to the in-flight movies and TV shows. Even if you don't intend to watch that sort of visual drivel, you can tune into the airplane's sound system while you read your latest Tom Clancy novel. We have found that they're well worth the money, especially if you need to drown out any screaming infants. The flight to Denver was smooth and pleasant. We took advantage of the free coffee and water, but did not buy any snacks. I always pack a granola bar in what my buddy Victor Anderson would have called a "purse" that I keep at my seat so I was good for calories for this shortest leg of our journey. The coffee here at the Caribou Coffee place is pretty good, should you have occasion to be strolling the Denver airport anytime soon. In just over an hour we will be boarding for our flight to Toronto. I always-always-always schedule two hours between flights. Most of the time you can get by with less, but when you need those two hours you really need them. Last year on our trip to the U.K., we sat for over an hour on the tarmac at the Reno airport while they figured out how to "boot up" the airplane's electrical system. Had we not had the two hour layover in Salt Lake City, our who trip to Edinburgh airport would have been scuttled. So, for now, I'll say adieu. I'll try and connect again in Toronto.
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