We boarded the Ionian King to sail on the night cruise to Patras in Greece. We had quite a surprise as we were tied up alongside another ship the Blue Horizon - quite a coincidence as we met at the Blue Horizon in Vancouver 37 years ago to this day! It must have been our day - the booking clerk not only gave us a great discount but he also upgraded us to a first class cabin!
This trip began our series of wonderful cruises through the Greek Islands. We cruised past the island of Corfu and visited Kefallonia. We travelled by train from Patras through to Piraeus which is the main port for Athens. Last year this port had a throughput of 13,000,000 passengers which is quite amazing. We cruised from Pireaus to Iraklio on the island of Crete which is the largest of the Greek islands. We hired a car and toured the island. It is wonderful to see the beautiful coastlines and the clear aqua waters. Crete has very rocky and high mountains. Pat spotted a pig and a lamb cooking on a spit outside a restaurant - so guess where we went for dinner? Dinner was great and very reasonably priced. We actually visited the islands in the low season which worked in our favour, as accommodation prices are lower, hire cars are cheaper and the crowds have gone home.
Next we boarded a ship to cruise from Crete to Santorini which is considered to be the jewel in the crown. Our departure time was 8:00pm but due to high winds our departure was delayed until 7:00am the following day. We spent the evening having a few cold beers and some Greek wine with a couple from New Zealand, Tania and Bobby.
As the Lonely Planet says: Stunning Santorini is surely the most spectacular of the Greek Islands. The massive caldera, lava layered cliffs and precarious cliff top towns exude an incomparable sense of drama and impermanence.
Upon arrival at the port of Santorini loads of touts were there to sell accommodation and provide transport to their resorts for the latest arrivals. We chose well and stayed at a lovely resort right on the Mediterranean. Our room (50 mts from the sea) had a balcony with views of a 20 km coastline. Once again the rate was extremely low due to it being out of season. We hired a car and had a great time exploring Santorini. Fira is the main city on the island and is a great place to walk around and explore. It is astonishing the way the buildings seem to hang off the cliffs. In early times these cities were built with narrow winding walkways to confuse the pirates but nowadays they do well to confuse the visitors. The little fishing village of Oia, famous for its sunsets, is spectacular and built high on the cliff. The buildings are painted white with window frames, shutters, doors and domed roofs painted a beautiful shade of blue. The islands are quite dry and arid with water being shipped in - the lucky ones have wells on their property.
Our next cruise was from Santorini to Mykonos - another beautiful island. We met a German couple on the boat, Tony and Elizabeth - Tony works for BMW in Munich and Elizabeth for Lufthansa. On this cruise we called into the islands of Sikinos, Ios and Naxos. Once again the touts were at the port of Mykonos to sell their accommodation but we had prebooked with a recommendation from Santorini - so Christina from Mama's Hotel was there to pick us up from the ship.
We hired a car with Tony and Elizabeth on Mykonos and had a great time sightseeing. Once again our room and balcony had beautiful views out across the sea. We noticed the different architecture on Mykonos - where Santorini had domed roofs, Mykonos had squared off flat roofs - once again the homes and buildings are painted white with blue trim - just spectacular. Next we cruised from Mykonos to Pireaus stopping off at Tiros and Syros. There are 1,400 islands in Greece so one thing about the Greek Islands is that there are so many islands and so little time! I guess we'll just have to come back.
The Greek people have been very welcoming and friendly with many able to speak English - Pat says he's noticed that most of them seem to have a relative in Melbourne!
Athens is a large spread out city. The Acropolis is a great place to visit, although I'm unsure about all the restoration work that is being done - every photo we have taken will probably have a workman or scaffold in it. Other great sights in Athens include the Parthenon, the Agora, the Temple of Hephaestus and the Temple of Zeus. We were checking out the city of Athens and had a great surprise when we met up with Colin and Helen the couple from Adelaide we met in Germany - it's a small world.
Tonight we will leave on a night train for Sofia in Bulgaria.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
Seville Spain to Bari Italy 21st September 2007
We booked onto an open top bus tour of Seville and spent several hours touring this beautiful leafy and green city. An interesting visit is to Plaza de Torros (bull ring). The city of Cordoba has a large mosque and an old Jewish area. Some cities and towns have eliminated baggage lockers due to terrorism concerns and Cordoba was one of these places - this meant that we had to haul our backpacks all around with us as we weaved in and out of the narrow cobbled streets.
From Algecerius we took a bus to La Linea and walked over to Gibraltar. It is impossible to miss the great and imposing Rock of Gibraltar which dominates the entrance to the Mediterranean.
We travelled over and across the Sierra Nevada ranges. It is amazing to see the vast and dry countryside of Spain latticed in green with olive tree plantations which seem to go on forever. In the evening we sat outside in a large square which was fully taken up with outdoor restaurants and had a wonderful dinner. We were surrounded by fountains which were all lit up and looked great. A magnificent place to visit at Granada is Alhambra.
To catch up on some time we took an overnight train and travelled on from Madrid to Barcelona. Barcelona is probably my favourite city in Spain it just seems to have a great atmosphere. Something I have noticed in Spain is the way older women dress - they dress so beautifully and seem to take time with their grooming. In Barcelona we also did the open top bus tour - a perfect way to sit in the sun and see the sights of a beautiful city.
Architecture by Gaudi is well worth seeing in Barcelona. I guess he appears to border on the eccentric but it becomes very easy to pick out his very distinctive work. He designed the church called the Temple de la Sagrada Familia which is just amazing to see. This building was commenced in 1882 and he worked on this project for over 40 years until his death in 1926. At the time of his death the building was only partially built but construction is ongoing to this day following his plans - all money for this project comes from private donations, financing and alms - it is expected to be completed in 2020.
We crossed the Spanish border into France and took the famous yellow train on the legendary rail line in the mountains to Latour de Carol. We met an Argentinian, Gustov on the French border at Portbou who told us about this train trip - we spent the next couple of days travelling together. From here we travelled onto the beautiful little country of Andorra up in the Pyrenees Mountains. This little country is sandwiched in between the mountains of Spain and France. The capital, Andorra La Vella is a shopper's paradise and an early smugglers' hideaway. The buildings of Andorra are very distinctively built of grey stone and trimmed with timber - they look great. The city is built at the bottom of the valley so any excursion means an uphill walk.
We travelled on to Pas de la Casa and Toulouse in France and then down to the French Riviera at San Raphael. The French Riviera is really a millionaires' paradise and quite a sight to see, not forgetting a visit to Cannes and Nice. The cars and boats in this area are something else. A special little principality is Monaco - beautiful gardens and the views across the bays are just great. The Grimaldi family has ruled over Monaco since the 1200's - Prince Albert is the current ruler following the death of his father, Prince Rainier.
The leaning Tower of Pisa is a sight to behold - it looks as though it would tip but work has been done recently to secure the building so hopefully it will be there for some time to come.
Rome is truly a wonderful city to visit. We visited St Peter's Basilica and attended Mass on the Sunday which was a special experience. On our tour we also visited the vaults where the previous Popes are buried and went to the grave of the last Pope, John Paul II. Other great places to visit in Rome are the Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, Roman Forum and the Catacombs. Rome is one big tourist attraction but fortunately most areas are easily accessible on foot and by subway. We were targeted once again by pickpockets - however we were fine - just need to be very aware.
We travelled on through Naples and Pompeii to Sorrento. We met up with Amanda from Proserpine (small world) so we decided to take the bus down the Amalfi Coast. This 50 klm stretch of coastline is absolutely breathtaking (as was the driving by the Italian bus driver). Further south in Italy we visited Paolo and crossed over to Messina by ferry and down to Milazzo on the island of Sicily.
The next few days were spent cruising around the beautiful volcano formed Aeolian Islands. We have very special family friends who come from these islands so it was a special treat to be able to visit their homeland - their daughter Margherite and I went to school together. Mr Paino comes from Stromboli and Mrs Paino comes from Filicudi. Stromboli is an amazing island and the volcano is alive and smoking! We stayed at Villa la Rosa on Filicudi, which is owned by relatives of Mrs Painos. To reach Villa la Rosa we had to climb half way up the mountain but when we reached the top the views across the sea were well worth the effort. A very special place and a great visit with Stefano and Daniella Rando at Villa la Rosa.
We have travelled up the east coast of Italy and are currently at Bari where we are waiting to leave by ship tonight for Patras, Greece.
From Algecerius we took a bus to La Linea and walked over to Gibraltar. It is impossible to miss the great and imposing Rock of Gibraltar which dominates the entrance to the Mediterranean.
We travelled over and across the Sierra Nevada ranges. It is amazing to see the vast and dry countryside of Spain latticed in green with olive tree plantations which seem to go on forever. In the evening we sat outside in a large square which was fully taken up with outdoor restaurants and had a wonderful dinner. We were surrounded by fountains which were all lit up and looked great. A magnificent place to visit at Granada is Alhambra.
To catch up on some time we took an overnight train and travelled on from Madrid to Barcelona. Barcelona is probably my favourite city in Spain it just seems to have a great atmosphere. Something I have noticed in Spain is the way older women dress - they dress so beautifully and seem to take time with their grooming. In Barcelona we also did the open top bus tour - a perfect way to sit in the sun and see the sights of a beautiful city.
Architecture by Gaudi is well worth seeing in Barcelona. I guess he appears to border on the eccentric but it becomes very easy to pick out his very distinctive work. He designed the church called the Temple de la Sagrada Familia which is just amazing to see. This building was commenced in 1882 and he worked on this project for over 40 years until his death in 1926. At the time of his death the building was only partially built but construction is ongoing to this day following his plans - all money for this project comes from private donations, financing and alms - it is expected to be completed in 2020.
We crossed the Spanish border into France and took the famous yellow train on the legendary rail line in the mountains to Latour de Carol. We met an Argentinian, Gustov on the French border at Portbou who told us about this train trip - we spent the next couple of days travelling together. From here we travelled onto the beautiful little country of Andorra up in the Pyrenees Mountains. This little country is sandwiched in between the mountains of Spain and France. The capital, Andorra La Vella is a shopper's paradise and an early smugglers' hideaway. The buildings of Andorra are very distinctively built of grey stone and trimmed with timber - they look great. The city is built at the bottom of the valley so any excursion means an uphill walk.
We travelled on to Pas de la Casa and Toulouse in France and then down to the French Riviera at San Raphael. The French Riviera is really a millionaires' paradise and quite a sight to see, not forgetting a visit to Cannes and Nice. The cars and boats in this area are something else. A special little principality is Monaco - beautiful gardens and the views across the bays are just great. The Grimaldi family has ruled over Monaco since the 1200's - Prince Albert is the current ruler following the death of his father, Prince Rainier.
The leaning Tower of Pisa is a sight to behold - it looks as though it would tip but work has been done recently to secure the building so hopefully it will be there for some time to come.
Rome is truly a wonderful city to visit. We visited St Peter's Basilica and attended Mass on the Sunday which was a special experience. On our tour we also visited the vaults where the previous Popes are buried and went to the grave of the last Pope, John Paul II. Other great places to visit in Rome are the Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, Roman Forum and the Catacombs. Rome is one big tourist attraction but fortunately most areas are easily accessible on foot and by subway. We were targeted once again by pickpockets - however we were fine - just need to be very aware.
We travelled on through Naples and Pompeii to Sorrento. We met up with Amanda from Proserpine (small world) so we decided to take the bus down the Amalfi Coast. This 50 klm stretch of coastline is absolutely breathtaking (as was the driving by the Italian bus driver). Further south in Italy we visited Paolo and crossed over to Messina by ferry and down to Milazzo on the island of Sicily.
The next few days were spent cruising around the beautiful volcano formed Aeolian Islands. We have very special family friends who come from these islands so it was a special treat to be able to visit their homeland - their daughter Margherite and I went to school together. Mr Paino comes from Stromboli and Mrs Paino comes from Filicudi. Stromboli is an amazing island and the volcano is alive and smoking! We stayed at Villa la Rosa on Filicudi, which is owned by relatives of Mrs Painos. To reach Villa la Rosa we had to climb half way up the mountain but when we reached the top the views across the sea were well worth the effort. A very special place and a great visit with Stefano and Daniella Rando at Villa la Rosa.
We have travelled up the east coast of Italy and are currently at Bari where we are waiting to leave by ship tonight for Patras, Greece.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Guernsey - Channel Islands to Seville Spain 6th September 2007
The night before we left Martin, Teresa, Pat and I headed out for dinner to a restaurant on the west coast of Guernsey where we watched the sun set over the ocean. Quite a change for us, as back home our sun sets over the land. When we arrived home, Teresa served us real Madiera Cake, Madiera Port and Madiera Wine. Our stay on Guernsey was very relaxing and enjoyable. We said goodbye the following morning and have planned to meet up again in Australia and Madiera, Portugal in a few years time.
We travelled by ferry back to the mainland at St Malo and headed onto Le Mans in France, the home of the 24 hour car race. Travelling further through France we visited Bordeaux which is one of France´s premier wine growing areas - the region is divided into 57 production areas with over 5,000 chateaux around Bordeaux producing reds, roses, sweet whites, dry whites and sparkling wines. It is possible to buy exceptional wines in the supermarkets here for just a few Euros. Further along the city of Toulouse is home to the manufacturer of Airbus also known as La Ville Rose (the pink city) because of the profusion of rose-red brick buildings.
Lourdes is an amazing place and is one of the world´s most important religious pilgrimage sites, visited annually by approximately 6,000,000 people. In 1858 in this little village Bernadette Soubirous at the age of 14 years had a series of 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a rock grotto at the bottom of the village. Bernadette was later canonized a saint. It is amazing to see the numbers of people who come to pray in the four places of worship and others who bathe in any of the 19 pools of water from the grotto. Many thousands of people are brought in wheelchairs praying and hoping for a cure. We visited the Churches and the Grotto, touched the walls and drank the water from the grotto - it is a wonderful experience.
The south coast of France is beautiful and the hillsides are covered in white homes with terracotta roofs. Heading south west we travelled through St Jean de Luz and crossed into Spain at San Sebastian, a beautiful city set on 3 huge bays (Bay of Biscay) with wide sandy beaches. We decided to have typical Spanish food for dinner and enjoyed Spanish Beer and Pintxos (tapas). We walked around the old city and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Spain. We´ve never seen so many Yorkshire Terriers in one place - it reminded us of Major and Finnigan who are probably wondering where the heck we are!
We travelled inland to Medina Del Campo and Leon, then headed northwards where our train wound its way through and over the beautiful mountains of north west Spain down to the north coast at Gijon. Spain is noted as being the second most mountainous European country after Switzerland. This north west corner is likened to parts of the Britain Isles and is often referred to as "Green Spain" - I could see why with the rolling green hills and hedges covering the landscape. The train hugged the coast down towards the cities of Vigo and Santiago de Compostela where we crossed the border into Portugal.
We met two brothers Luis and Alexis travelling with their Mother Elvia on the train. They originated from Cuba but have lived in Miami Florida since the family was young. It was so interesting to hear first hand accounts of life in Cuba from these vibrant personalities. The guys reckon their mother has been the best Mum in the world so they now spoil her by taking her away on holidays with them. The best part is that she is 80 years of age and looks wonderful.
Another day on one of our train trips in Spain a lovely gentleman sitting across the aisle from me leaned over and gave us four holy pictures and he chatted away in Spanish telling us to take care and look after ourselves. It´s little experiences like these that mean a lot and that we remember well.
Porto is Portugal´s second largest city and is built on steep hills which run all the way down to the Duoro River. This old-world river frontage district is yet another World Heritage Site. It is great to go exploring these old cities except that this time by the time we reached the bottom we then had to climb uphill all the way back home - the exercise is really great and we´re enjoying it very much. Our walk home took us up steep narrow cobbled streets with washing hanging out of the windows of these lofty houses. The following morning when we checked out of our guesthouse, the owner came out from behind the reception desk and gave us both kisses and cuddles goodbye! How nice!
The trip by train from Porto along the Duoro River and valley to Pocino is a very scenic route and truly magnificent. Portugal´s best known river flows through the country´s rural heartland where, in the upper reaches, port-wine grapes are grown on steep terraced hills. This river is navigable right across Portugal. In the evening, we walked along the boulevard beside the river at Regua and enjoyed a great dinner and a bottle of Portuguese wine. Yummo!
Our next trip south was by fast train - 220 klms per hour to Lisbon. Lisbon is another interesting city and from here we headed out to visit Sintra which has been the traditional summer retreat of Portugal´s kings. A very hilly place with stunning palaces and manors surrounded by lush green countryside. As we walked along the street we met up with Luis, Alexis and Elvia yet again and made arrangements to meet up for dinner in Lisbon.
In Lisbon we headed into the subway to buy our day ticket. The attendant at the station warned us to beware of pickpockets. Lo and behold as soon as we stepped into the carriage we were surrounded and hemmed in by four guys all in their 30´s - one of them dropped a map and bent down to pick it up - at the same time he had opened the flap on Pat´s wallet pocket - but thankfully Pat was too quick and slick for them and all was okay - at the next stop the four of them got off and then they went back onto the same train - probably looking for somebody else who might not be as aware as Pat. We are very aware of thieves but I guess it pays to be extra vigilant.
The train headed out of Lisbon to Tunes and then headed west to Lagos in the Algarve. The southern coast of Portugal is beautiful, reminding me of the big sweeping coastlines and our beautiful beaches at home. Once again these coastal towns and villages are whitewashed and terracotta tiled roofs with palm trees blowing in the wind - a beautiful sight. The footpaths and streets are paved with small cobblestones of white and black - in the evening the stones shine in the night lights.
We travelled across the southern coast of Portugal heading back towards Spain. Today we were in Tavira and Luz where young 3 year old Madeline McCann was abducted from in early May this year. It is a dreadful tragedy - her photos are on most shop windows keeping her in people´s minds. To date she has not been found.
Today´s means of transport has been by train, ferry, bus and taxi. We met and travelled with a great young Japanese couple Takehide and Chika who come from Kyoto. At Vila Real de San Antonio we crossed the river from Portugal back into Spain and then travelled east to the beautiful city of Seville.
We travelled by ferry back to the mainland at St Malo and headed onto Le Mans in France, the home of the 24 hour car race. Travelling further through France we visited Bordeaux which is one of France´s premier wine growing areas - the region is divided into 57 production areas with over 5,000 chateaux around Bordeaux producing reds, roses, sweet whites, dry whites and sparkling wines. It is possible to buy exceptional wines in the supermarkets here for just a few Euros. Further along the city of Toulouse is home to the manufacturer of Airbus also known as La Ville Rose (the pink city) because of the profusion of rose-red brick buildings.
Lourdes is an amazing place and is one of the world´s most important religious pilgrimage sites, visited annually by approximately 6,000,000 people. In 1858 in this little village Bernadette Soubirous at the age of 14 years had a series of 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary in a rock grotto at the bottom of the village. Bernadette was later canonized a saint. It is amazing to see the numbers of people who come to pray in the four places of worship and others who bathe in any of the 19 pools of water from the grotto. Many thousands of people are brought in wheelchairs praying and hoping for a cure. We visited the Churches and the Grotto, touched the walls and drank the water from the grotto - it is a wonderful experience.
The south coast of France is beautiful and the hillsides are covered in white homes with terracotta roofs. Heading south west we travelled through St Jean de Luz and crossed into Spain at San Sebastian, a beautiful city set on 3 huge bays (Bay of Biscay) with wide sandy beaches. We decided to have typical Spanish food for dinner and enjoyed Spanish Beer and Pintxos (tapas). We walked around the old city and enjoyed the sights and sounds of Spain. We´ve never seen so many Yorkshire Terriers in one place - it reminded us of Major and Finnigan who are probably wondering where the heck we are!
We travelled inland to Medina Del Campo and Leon, then headed northwards where our train wound its way through and over the beautiful mountains of north west Spain down to the north coast at Gijon. Spain is noted as being the second most mountainous European country after Switzerland. This north west corner is likened to parts of the Britain Isles and is often referred to as "Green Spain" - I could see why with the rolling green hills and hedges covering the landscape. The train hugged the coast down towards the cities of Vigo and Santiago de Compostela where we crossed the border into Portugal.
We met two brothers Luis and Alexis travelling with their Mother Elvia on the train. They originated from Cuba but have lived in Miami Florida since the family was young. It was so interesting to hear first hand accounts of life in Cuba from these vibrant personalities. The guys reckon their mother has been the best Mum in the world so they now spoil her by taking her away on holidays with them. The best part is that she is 80 years of age and looks wonderful.
Another day on one of our train trips in Spain a lovely gentleman sitting across the aisle from me leaned over and gave us four holy pictures and he chatted away in Spanish telling us to take care and look after ourselves. It´s little experiences like these that mean a lot and that we remember well.
Porto is Portugal´s second largest city and is built on steep hills which run all the way down to the Duoro River. This old-world river frontage district is yet another World Heritage Site. It is great to go exploring these old cities except that this time by the time we reached the bottom we then had to climb uphill all the way back home - the exercise is really great and we´re enjoying it very much. Our walk home took us up steep narrow cobbled streets with washing hanging out of the windows of these lofty houses. The following morning when we checked out of our guesthouse, the owner came out from behind the reception desk and gave us both kisses and cuddles goodbye! How nice!
The trip by train from Porto along the Duoro River and valley to Pocino is a very scenic route and truly magnificent. Portugal´s best known river flows through the country´s rural heartland where, in the upper reaches, port-wine grapes are grown on steep terraced hills. This river is navigable right across Portugal. In the evening, we walked along the boulevard beside the river at Regua and enjoyed a great dinner and a bottle of Portuguese wine. Yummo!
Our next trip south was by fast train - 220 klms per hour to Lisbon. Lisbon is another interesting city and from here we headed out to visit Sintra which has been the traditional summer retreat of Portugal´s kings. A very hilly place with stunning palaces and manors surrounded by lush green countryside. As we walked along the street we met up with Luis, Alexis and Elvia yet again and made arrangements to meet up for dinner in Lisbon.
In Lisbon we headed into the subway to buy our day ticket. The attendant at the station warned us to beware of pickpockets. Lo and behold as soon as we stepped into the carriage we were surrounded and hemmed in by four guys all in their 30´s - one of them dropped a map and bent down to pick it up - at the same time he had opened the flap on Pat´s wallet pocket - but thankfully Pat was too quick and slick for them and all was okay - at the next stop the four of them got off and then they went back onto the same train - probably looking for somebody else who might not be as aware as Pat. We are very aware of thieves but I guess it pays to be extra vigilant.
The train headed out of Lisbon to Tunes and then headed west to Lagos in the Algarve. The southern coast of Portugal is beautiful, reminding me of the big sweeping coastlines and our beautiful beaches at home. Once again these coastal towns and villages are whitewashed and terracotta tiled roofs with palm trees blowing in the wind - a beautiful sight. The footpaths and streets are paved with small cobblestones of white and black - in the evening the stones shine in the night lights.
We travelled across the southern coast of Portugal heading back towards Spain. Today we were in Tavira and Luz where young 3 year old Madeline McCann was abducted from in early May this year. It is a dreadful tragedy - her photos are on most shop windows keeping her in people´s minds. To date she has not been found.
Today´s means of transport has been by train, ferry, bus and taxi. We met and travelled with a great young Japanese couple Takehide and Chika who come from Kyoto. At Vila Real de San Antonio we crossed the river from Portugal back into Spain and then travelled east to the beautiful city of Seville.
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