Athens, Greece, Naples and Civitavecchia, Italy

Athens, Greece 

This is still the DH catching up on all of our pictures.  We did an overnight in Athens, Greece on April 21 and 22.  On the first day we did the included tour consisting of a driving tour of Athens, and a visit to the National Museum.  

In every other location we have been we were allowed to walk right among the ruins that were there.  I was surprised in Athens that we could only see the Acropolis from a distance. We did have an opportunity to go up to the Acropolis, but it would have meant climbing over 100 steps (with no hand railings). This is a very geologically active area with quakes being recorded quite often.  We could see that there were a lot of repairs going on to shore up the Acropolis and some of the other standing ruins.

On day 2 in Athens we took a bus ride to Corinth.  We were in Athens on the Orthodox Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, so this was the first day of a long holiday weekend.  There were a lot of people trying to get out of town for the holiday, and we got stuck in traffic.  What should have been a 1.5 hour ride, took almost 3 hours.  However we were still able to see Corinth, and spent a nice afternoon walking among the ruins of that city.

On the evening of the first day, we were taken out to a local event center for a traditional Greek dinner and a folkloric show.  Our hosts provided a very nice buffet with some delicious foods.  After dinner we listened to a duo playing Greek music, and watched some traditional Greek dancing.  

However, what is a Greek celebration without some plate smashing!  Our hosts brought out stacks of plates that were promptly smashed on the cement floor.  After that they came around looking for volunteers.  I'll let the videos that the DW took tell the rest of the story.  Make sure you stick around long enough to see my reaction to the Uzo.

Naples, Italy

From Athens the Viking Star made its way to Naples, Italy.  We had a sea day in between these 2 ports, and we took advantage of the time to relax.  

In Naples we visited the ruins of Herculaneum.  When we visited this area in 2018 we went to Pompeii.  Our tour guide explained that Pompeii is on one side of Mt. Vesuvius, and the winds blew the ash and rocks that direction destroying the city immediately.  Herculaneum is on the other side of Vesuvius where the hot mud flowed down over the sea port.  It took a couple of days for the destruction to fall on Herculaneum, so many of the inhabitants were able to flee.  However they recently found some remains of victims in the docks area of the city.  

We spent an amazing day wandering the streets of this ancient city.  

Civitavecchia, Italy

Our next port-of-call was Civitavecchia, Itay.  This is the port for Rome, and there were several excursions that would have allowed us to take the 2 hour bus ride to Rome.  However we saw Rome in 2018 when we visited this area, so instead we decided to stay local.  We went to a nearby town to visit an Etruscan (i.e. pre-Roman) Necropolis and Museum. 

It is amazing how much of our trip has focused on burial grounds, but we learn so much from the way that past cultures treated their dead.  The Etruscans had a firm belief in life after death, and left gifts for their loved ones that they thought would be useful in the after-life.  

The necropolis (i.e. graveyard) was in a beautiful setting, and we had a lovely day walking in the warm spring sunshine.

Next up is Florence, Italy, Monte Carlo and Barcelona, Spain.

More soon ...

Rhodes, Greece, Ephesus and Istanbul, Turkey

This is the DH, still uploading pictures.  It is still a rather involved process of exporting, uploading and linking.  The DW is helping me by proofreading my posts.  

This was such a wonderful trip, and the best part was that I was able to spend all of my time with the DW.  Going back through the pictures has been a blessing since I can relive some of these fabulous adventures!

Rhodes, Greece

Rhodes was a beautiful place!  Brilliant, blue water, crystal clear skies and warm sunshine!  We had a wonderful day walking through the old city, and exploring the Grand Master's Palace.  

Our tour guide was very proud of the fact that the island and its inhabitants had maintained their Greek language and heritage even though Rhodes has been occupied and ruled by several foreign nations over the last few centuries.  

We saw where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood across the entrance to the harbor.  That would have been something to see in its day.  The DW writes all about it in her detailed account of our day in Rhodes.

Ephesus, Turkey

From Rhodes we sailed to Kusadasi, Turkey, and took the excursion to the the ruins of Ephesus. Ephesus at one time was a major port city.  Today the ruins of the city are several miles from the sea.  Part of this was due to the silt buildup from the river, but mostly the change occured because this is a very active geologic area.  There are earthquakes recorded in this area often.  Part of the original harbor lifted up, pushing the sea out several miles from the city.  

Ephesus was never put under siege or sacked by an opposing army, so much of the city's foundations remain intact.  There is a huge archeological work going on in the city.

We had a sea day after we left Ephesus, and it was Easter Sunday.  For the Easter Sunday post, the DW shared the sermon that she gave on Palm Sunday.  We had a song service on Palm Sunday, singing several hymns.  I was so proud of the DW for sharing with the congregation.  There wasn't a dry eye in the place when she finished.  She did wonderfully!

Istanbul, Turkey

From Ephesus we sailed to Istanbul, Turkey for an overnight stay.  The first day in Istanbul we took a tour of the Sultan's Palace, and went into the Blue Mosque.  I snuck a picture of the huge diamond that they had on display in museum while the security guards weren't looking.

They also had David's sword and Moses' staff on display.  Our tour guide had a master's degree in antiquities, and he said he could bore us for hours giving us the provenance of those pieces, but he assured us that they are authentic.

On the evening of the first day we went to a concert at one of the palaces located on the Asian side of Istanbul.  This was named the Peace Choir because it was made up of Christians, Jews and Muslims.  They did some wonderful traditional Turkish music.

On Day 2 we took the excursion to the Hagia Sophia Church.  The church was originally built in the Sixth Century.  It has been rebuilt several times, but more recently the church has been converted into a mosque.  Our waiters (Azwi and Dani) were very excited that they were able to visit the mosques in Istanbul to pray there.  We were very happy for them.

Next up are Greece and Italy!  More soon ....

Israel - Jerusalem, Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee

WtWW wanted me to let you know that this is the DH.  I am still working to upload all of my pictures and montages up on YouTube.

Ashdod and Jerusalem, Israel 

From Egypt we set sail for Israel.  We arrived in Ashdod, Israel on Palm Sunday (April 10), but we couldn't dock.  We spent all day anchored in the bay while Israeli Health Officials came on board and administered their Covid Test to every passenger and crew member.  Once we all cleared the health check, we were able to dock early on Monday morning.

On Monday we took an excursion to Jerusalem.  It was really special to be in Jerusalem during Holy Week.  We were all very moved as we walked through the Garden of Gethsemane, and followed the Via Dolorosa.  Seeing the ray of sunlight shining through the skylight directly on the empty tomb was thrilling.  It was a very special day.

This was such an emotionally packed day, that RtWW had to break this up into 2 posts.  Our visit to Bethlehem was very special.  We had to change tour guides as we headed into Bethlehem since this is Palestinian controlled area.  The Church of the Nativity was beautiful, and we were able to see the place where the stable was believed to be.   This is yet another location designated by St. Helena in the Third Century.  As our tour guide explained, if this isn't the exact spot, it is probably within a few hundred yards so it is close enough to get the general feeling of the place. 

In the Church of the Nativity they hold a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve which our tour guide said is very moving.  He asked us to all sing together Silent Night, however he started it so high that by the end it was only Diana singing it.  The church was a beautiful place to sing, and Diana's voice just soared through the church!  I am not able to embed the video, but you can see it HERE.

Haifa, Israel

The next port-of-call was in Haifa, Israel.  From here we took an excursion that took us to Nazareth where we saw the Church of the Annunciation, and the Church of Joseph.  We drove past Cana where Jesus turned the water into wine, and went to the Sea of Galilee where we saw the locations of the Feeding of the 5,000, Jesus baptism and the Sermon on the Mount.  

The Sea of Galilee is a huge fresh water lake that provides water for Israel and Jordan.  We looked out on the lake with awe, and at one point Kristy said, "Just imagine, Jesus walked on that water."  About that time a speed boat went past us.  The people there see this as a fun recreation area.  The setting was beautiful and so peaceful.

We were overnight in Haifa, but we decided to take day 2 as a quasi-sea day.  You can read about our relaxing day at Haifa Sea Day & a Real One.

Next up is Rhodes, Ephesus and Istanbul.

Egypt - Sharm el-Sheikh, Luxor and Cairo

Sharm el-Sheikh

From Aqaba, Jordan, we cruised down the Gulf of Aqaba to the tip of the Sinai Peninsula.  We docked at the resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh.  From the port we took a 2.5 hour bus ride into the mountains to visit what is believed to be Mount Sinai and the location of the Burning Bush.

In the third century, the mother of Constantine decided to seek out all of the locations and landmarks from the Bible.  Throughout Egypt, and Israel we encountered sites that had been found by St. Helena.  This is one of those sites.  They have identified a bush that only exists in this particular area that by tradition is thought to be the "Burning Bush".  We weren't able to take pictures in their museum, but they had manuscripts and artifacts that were very old, and fascinating to see.

Safaga/Luxor, Egypt

From Sharm el-Sheikh we crossed the Red Sea to stop at Safaga, Egypt.  From here we took a bus trip to Luxor to visit Karnak and the Valleys of the Kings and Queens.  I used to think that I knew the geography of this area pretty well, but I really didn't understand what this area was like until we visited these places.  The desert is very unforgiving and barren.  

It was 108 degrees on the day we were in Luxor, and we suffered from the heat.  Karnak was huge.  At one time this must have been an enormous complex of buildings.  How they managed to build these structures by hand, and mount these huge stones is incredible.

After a lunch on a barge on the Nile River, we travelled to the west side of the river to the Valleys of the Kings and Queens.  According to ancient traditions everyone lives on the east side of the Nile because the canals and arable land goes on for a couple of miles.  On the west side, there is only about 1/2 mile of arable land, which is why they have the tradition of burying their kings and queens on the west side of the Nile.  The side of the sunset and death.

The Valley of the Kings was impressive, and Kings Tut's and Seti's tombs was fascinating to see.  However Nefertari's tomb in the Valley of the Queens was incredibly preserved.  The colors were so vivid in the drawings on the walls.  

Port Said/Cairo, Egypt

From Safaga we sailed north through the Suez Canal to Port Said, Egypt.  There we had another 13 hour excursion to Cairo.  After riding on the bus for 3.5 hours, it was a relief to be able to walk around the Cairo Museum.  Their new facilities are scheduled to open later this year, and it was obvious that they were getting ready to move things.  However there were still so many fascinating things to see.

There was one room filled with papyrus scrolls, and records from several centuries ago.  The papyrus was remarkably well preserved, and the writing and colors were so clear and crisp.  They could have been written yesterday.  I could have spent a long time in this room alone.

After yet another lunch on a barge floating on the Nile River, we headed for the pyramids.  I have to say that these were a little disappointing. There were so many people around, and vendors trying to sell things (or bilk you out of money).  Once we took the pictures, there was not a lot to see, so I was just as glad to be back on the bus for our 3.5 hour ride back to the Viking Star. 

More to come soon...

Yanbu, Petra and Wadi Rum

Yanbu Al-Bahr, Saudi Arabia 

After leaving Jeddah, the Viking Star headed north to dock at Yanbu Al-Bahr (Spring by the Sea).  Yanbu was a much smaller port city, in a much more industrial area.  The city was a "planned community" with a large industrial/refinery area, and living quarters provided by the King for all the workers.  

The excursion there took us to a local park that served as a buffer between the industrial and residential areas.  They were very proud of their "lake", and spent a lot of time describing it.  I was surprised at how small it was, and I heard several comments on the bus about how this was just a "pond".  I had to remind myself that Saudi Arabia has no rivers, and this man-made lake is the only fresh water lake the residents have ever seen.  It is a very popular recreation area for the residents. 

The Viking Star was parked right next to the local souk (market), and from our balcony I counted at least 6 minarets of local mosques.  As we were relaxing on our balcony in the middle of the afternoon, the call to prayer began.  The sound of these multiple mosques calling people to prayer was very interesting.  This was also the first day of Ramadan, so the prayer time was extremely important to them.

We were seated at dinner when we left Yanbu, and the moment we cleared the breakwater of the harbor, our waiters came out offering wine with the meal.  They couldn't offer any alcoholic beverages while we were in Saudi Arabian waters.  

Aqaba, Jordan

After leaving Yanbu, the Viking Star headed north in the Red Sea, and entered the Gulf of Aqaba.  We had a sea day to relax and enjoy the warm sun.  

Our first day in Aqaba, Jordan we took the Excursion to Petra.  Petra was made famous by the Indiana Jones movie where they gallop off up the wadi from the Treasury.  We didn't gallop away on horseback, but we had a lovely day walking down through the wadi to the city.  It was a beautiful walk down, and the ruins of Petra are fascinating.  I'm glad we made arrangements for a cart ride back up!

On day 2 in Aqaba, we went to Wadi Rum which is where Lawrence of Arabia served, and where the movie was filmed.  The landscape is barren, ethereal and beautiful.  We rode a train in order to see a reenactment of the Arab Revolution against their Turkish occupiers.  First are the pictures from our excursion there.

The train ride was great fun!  We sat on a flat car so that we could get the best view.  When the action started, I recorded the event.  It was so exciting to see the great horsemanship and camel riding.

More to come soon!

Video Updates Beginning in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

DH reporting here.  

During our 2018 World Cruise we found that places seemed to run together which is why RTWW decided to do the blog.  In 2018 I put together a photo montage of each location after we came home, but I found that it was very difficult to remember each place.  So when we were discussing the most recent World Cruise I committed to capturing all of our photos, and doing a montage/slideshow of pictures for each port of call.  This required me to be able to access YouTube so that I could upload the montage once it was created.

When we boarded the Viking Star on January 10 the speed of the ship's Wifi network and the access to the internet was really good.  In the beginning I was able to upload the videos easily.  However the satellite that the Viking Star used is in the Northern Hemisphere, and as we traveled further south access to the internet slowed.

Then something happened to one of the ship's antennae, and internet access slowed to a crawl.  Our cruise director sent out recommended guidelines for internet use to try to ease the pain of the slow internet speed. These guidelines included no access to YouTube. 

We were told that as we headed north the speed would improve, and that the antennae would be fixed once we got to Portugal.  However even after they fixed the problems, the speed of the Wifi and internet access just continued to degrade.  Finally when we reached the Suez Canal I could no longer access my YouTube account, and there was no way to upload my videos.  My last update to YouTube was when I set up a "hotspot" with my phone in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. However after that the speed degraded significantly. 

I still collected all of our photos each day, and put together slideshows.  Working locally everything was fine, but anytime I needed to access the internet (like to find music for the slideshows) it was painful.  I decided that when I got home I would upload all of my videos.

I am finding that this might be a blessing in disguise.  We saw so many wonderful things on our trip, and we are still trying to process them all.  This is a way to remember each of the stops, and relive the memories of each place.  

As pictures go, these are pretty standard home movie types, but I hope that some of these locations pique your interest so that you watch the videos.  

On March 27 we cruised south through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea.  We had two overnight stops in Saudi Arabia, Jeddah and Yanbu.  One of the basic pillars of Islam is "hospitality", and we found the people of Saudi Arabia to be very welcoming, warm and friendly.

I'm sure you recall RTWW's story about our adventures on Bus 10!  (Watch for these links to the original posting for each day!)  What was a disaster that day, turned into one of the fondest memories of our trip.  It even turned into a joke throughout the rest of the cruise.  All anyone would have to do is mention "Bus 10", and everyone would know exactly what they meant.  I even got to ride a camel that day!  Despite all the trials and tribulations of the night, the people at the Bedouin camp were delighted to see us, and heaped my plate with delicious and exotic foods.  

Here is a short video documenting my camel ride.

The next day, we took the included walking tour of the Old City.  It was a fascinating look into the Arab culture, and see an working market that supplied the local population.  Our guide was so glad to have us visit, and made us feel very welcome as he showed us around his home town.

Jeddah was a fascinating place to visit.  I would be interested in going back there some day!

More soon ...

There's never a guest services number to call when you need one...

 “People need trouble – a little frustration to sharpen the spirit on, toughen it.” – William Faulkner

On the Viking Star, if there was a problem with our cabin, our room stewards usually caught it before we even noticed and brought the repair folks in to make things right. Just another way a World Cruise is not like real life. 

Not everything was puppies and rainbows when we got home. In no particular order, here are the challenges that greeted us:

• First, our county was suffering through a string of 90 degree days...and our air conditioning was on the fritz. Our daughter hadn't made the switch on the heat pump from heat to AC yet, but when the DH changed the thermostat, our blower would only rearrange warmish air.
• Our van wouldn't start. #2 Daughter, who took such wonderful care of our house, hadn't driven it enough while we were gone to keep the battery charged. Who could blame her with the cost spike in gas? She owns the Prius, so she's not used to being so impacted by skyrocketing gas prices.  
• The DH stretched back in our loveseat recliner and broke off the handle that lifts his legs. One of the things we dearly missed during our 4 months at sea was this cozy loveseat where we could settle in with our feet elevated.
• We didn't get to see our new great-niece right away, though my arms were aching to hold her. Everyone else in the family has been vaccinated and boosted against Covid, but dear little Carlie and Gracie, who's four, are too young for vaccines. So we erred on the side of caution and stayed away. After our last negative Covid test the morning we left the Star, we'd spent 20+ hours in airports and planes, and another 7 hours in a rental car of dubious cleanliness. It wasn't worth the risk of potentially exposing them.   

But for every challenge, there's an answer.

• We got on our usual HVAC company's waiting list for service. With the unseasonal heat wave, they'd had lots of emergency calls. But not to worry. We pulled all the shades to keep additional heat from the sun out and plugged in the oversized portable AC we keep to offer to our tenants if they have to wait for repairs. It also helped that the DH had re-caulked all our windows last fall and stopped any leakage. In less than a week our central AC was up an cooling again. Though truth to tell, after living through 108 degrees in Luxor, I'll never complain that it's hot around here again.   
• There was no jump starting the van. The battery wouldn't take a charge even though the DH had it plugged in all night. It was dead, dead, dead. We called a local repair shop and they brought out a new one. The van is good to go now. 

• 

  Charlie gives his approval!

  
  I have always said I'd rather have an adventure than a new sofa, but I couldn't sit with my feet up while the DH made do with a too short footstool. Besides, we have a new Turkish rug on the way from Istanbul that's made up of greens, creams, browns with a light salmon accent color. I have a green recliner and a brown leather sofa that matched our broken loveseat, but no cream in sight. A trip to a local furniture store led to a perfect solution! When the new rug arrives--and we just received a call from the delivery driver telling us our rug has cleared customs and he'll be at our door in a couple of weeks--our very own Turkish delight will pull the room together! And as an added bonus, the furniture store was able to repair the old love seat (for under $30!) and it's now gracing #1 Daughter's living room. So what started as an annoyance has been a win all around!
• 
  
  Time passes quickly when you're getting resettled and before we knew it, a week had gone by with neither of us getting sick. We drove out to visit my niece and her family and to deliver the gifts we'd brought them from our travels. Grace loved the little cork bracelet with her name in Portuguese (Graca) but I think she'll enjoy her Arabian Princess headgear from Saudi more for now. 
• And Carlie was so dear, as only a tiny newborn can be. It was heaven to hold her and feel her tiny body relax in my arms!

The picture says it all...

It's good to be home!

But...spoiler alert...we have some new travel plans I'll be sharing soon. 

Day 122--124 ~ There's no place like home...

May 11, 2022

Cloudy, spitting something from the sky in Bergen, the last time we'll be outside until St. Louis

“The magic thing about home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back.”

~ Anonymous

The Bergen sail-in...Charming, isn't it? In the Med, the primary building material is granite or the ubiquitous yellow limestone. In Saudi, sea coral formed the underpinnings of their traditional houses. In Norway, even though many fires have razed entire cities, the country is so heavily wooded, lumber is the main building material.

Our alarm went off at 5:30AM and we slid into Bergen as we ate our last room service breakfast. We had to collect our bags and be out of the ship by 7:00AM so we could catch the Viking transfer to the airport. It took about 40 minutes to get to there. Our check-in went smoothly. We waved goodbye to our four checked bags and were wheels up, bound for Copenhagen by 10AM.

It's a relatively short hop from Bergen to Denmark (First time I've ever been there, but to be fair, I only saw the airport. Should that even count?) Because Viking is sending us home in Business Class, we had access to SAS's VIP lounge. It was nice and quiet with comfortable chairs, USB ports and plenty of electrical outlets so I could charge up Herkimer. However, even though we had a four hour lay-over, we almost spent too much time there. We forgot there might be a customs line for us to make it through. Fortunately, once an agent saw my O2 canula, we were spirited to the short line and were soon on our way.

Our seats on the flight from Bergen to Copenhagen were sort of glorified Premium Economy, but for our 9 hour hop to Chicago, we enjoyed these lovely pods with seats that lay down flat and a little bubbly before take-off! There was even a gentle massage setting for my back.

I'm not good at sleeping on planes, but I made a good effort. Though we had a 2 hour layover in Chicago, I knew I'd need to grab some zzz's now. 

O'Hare is horrible to make connections in at the best of times. Just for fun, when you come in from an international flight, you have to pick up your checked bags and then carry them over to another conveyor belt in the hopes that they make your connecting flight as well. After that, we trudged along with the other new arrivals toward the US Customs queues, doubling back in the hallway so the line could be stretched out longer. When we finally turned the corner from the hall, we entered a room the size of two high school gymnasiums, absolutely crammed to the brim with travelers, serpentining around as if they were waiting for the most popular ride in Disney Land, inching toward the few ICE agents protected by plexiglass cubicles along the far wall. 

Once again, my lung condition rescued us. My canula must stand out like a silent cry for help because I'm almost always pulled out of the queue so I won't have to walk the couple of miles with the milling scrum of other travelers.  

I sometimes feel guilty when I use the handicapped spots or get bumped up in line. But if I could, I'd trade standing in line and parking in the boonies for a pair of healthy lungs in a skinny minute.

You know you're flying through the Midwest when the sky is more interesting that the ground.

We made our connecting flight, but one of our bags did not. Fortunately, we hadn't planned to drive home and called our hotel to send the shuttle for us.

These are the times that try men's souls...and make them wish their wives knew the meaning of "traveling light."

  

Sleeping like the dead doesn't apply here. Yes, we were happy to stop moving. And the hotel bed was more than welcome, but it wasn't our bed, which had been singing us a siren song for the better part of a week. The next morning we shuttled back to Lambert (St. Louis' airport) and collected our missing bag when the first plane from Chicago landed. Then we rented a one-way vehicle and it was time to drive the 4 1/2 hours home. 

We missed the dogwoods, but the azaleas were in bloom to welcome us. 

 It was wonderful to see our family again--our daughters & daughter-in-law, my parents, my niece and her family (including my newborn great-niece Carlie), and our two little dogs, Charlie and Albert. (And when I say little, I mean tiny. There's not 20 lbs worth of dog between the two of them. Charlie had lost quite a bit of weight while we were gone. Pining for us, I suspect. But to be fair, it's a good thing. He has a nice healthy tuck-up now instead of a jelly-belly!)

Our travels weren't quite done yet. On Friday the 13th, we had to return our rental car to Springfield, MO (about 100 miles west of us) because that's the closest place for us to return our rental. My parents drove over behind us so we'd have a ride home after we took them to lunch!

So we'd been gone for four months. To use a little writer parlance, it felt like we'd been the protagonists of a novel, leaving our "Ordinary Life," and joining the company of the Viking Star in the "Special World" of our adventure. Since the 2022 Viking World Cruise itinerary was a total surprise sprung on us the day before we boarded, we'd seen and done things we'd never dreamed of, things we never realized we wanted until they were presented to us in grand Viking style. It was a feast for all the senses. There were ups and downs, like in any story worthy of the name. And challenges and delightful experiences we'll never forget. 

But at the end of every "Hero's Journey," the protagonist comes home--hopefully wiser, bearing new stories,  grateful for the time away but even more thankful to be returning home.