Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[UKCruiseJeff]

http://www.dubrovnikfestiwine.com/en/

[Daveywavey70]

Thanks guys. That sounds awful JP. Hell on the waves. 

Im not very good at sitting around on a sun bed scratching myself and twitching. My last hol I spent a grand total of 15 minutes on a sun bed and that was only because I was putting a little video together on my phone. I much prefer to be off toddling about here and there so I somehow am more relaxed when I’m busy, esp on holiday. We managed the whole of Rome in 4 hours, saw everything we wanted to then off to the Ship. Job done. Good thing is seeing so many islands you know which ones you want to spend more time in. I’ve never been to Greece as I never usually take a holiday in the summer. I Think it’s gonna be Greece! 

[UKCruiseJeff]

That's good Dave.  🙂

 

May I say that I think you are making progress ... albeit slow progress! 🙂  By the way, I beat your trip.  I managed to show my family the whole of Paris in three hours during the pre-opening of Disney (my boss only allowed me three hours off!) - if you accept that some of that was simply climbing to the top of the stairs of the Metro station to see for example the Champs as a sort of panorama view!  Those three hours included one of my legendary extended lunches.

 

You needn't be on  a sun bed for 4 days and arguably it is better to pick a place you really want to get to know a bit better for a few days than to have the few hours exploring only the well-trodden paths taken by millions of other sailor abbreviated travellers have taken before you.  Tourist traps are to be avoided not sought out.  I suggest it is better to spend four days in a place you'd really like to get to know a lot better rather than a few hours with a load of tourists on tracks taken by them all every single day for the last few decades.  For example your plan means you do not spend an evening anywhere other than on a boat.  Some places are magical at night. 

 

Anyway ..... enjoy your trip!

[Daveywavey70]

ITINERARY DETAILS 

Day	Port	Arrive	Depart
Mon	Piraeus (Greece)	-	11.30
Mon	Mykonos (Greece)	18.00	23.00
Tue	Kusadasi (Turkey)	07.30	13.00
Tue	Patmos (Greece)	17.45	21.30
Wed	Rhodes (Greece)	07.00	18.00
Thu	Heraklion (Greece)	07.00	12.00
Thu	Santorini (Greece)	16.30	21.30
Fri	Piraeus (Greece)	07.00

Paris in 3 hours including lunch takes some doing Jeff. Our 4 hours only gave us enough time for Gelato and that was consumed on the hoof whilst exploring Piazza Navona. The chauffeur was amazing though. As for getting battered at the buffet, I don’t really do buffets but I have very sharp elbows and can plant my chi so deep in the ground that anyone trying to push me would probably knock themselves and their overfilled Tray to the ground, even if they did look like they should be carrying the poor donkey up the hill instead of riding it. 

[TLCOhio]

1 hour ago, Daveywavey70 said:

I’ve never been to Greece as I never usually take a holiday in the summer. I Think it’s gonna be Greece! 

 

Great choice in doing Greece and these various Greek Islands. Plus, the one stop along the Turkish coast in Kusadasi.  Having been in Athens twice and done stops in Kusadasi, Patmos, Mykonos and Rhodes, I can offer a number of specific tips and ideas.  Your timing is limited in some ports, but your "travel style" might be a little different than some others enjoy.  Are you just seeking to "float on a boat"?  Or, do you have other key objectives/goals with this fun journey?  Lots of history in these areas.  Was most recently in Athens, Patmos and Rhodes this past November.  Have lots of "eye-candy" to share from these scenic areas. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Athens & Greece: Many visuals, details for a city with great history, culture and architecture.  Now at 29,766 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

[Daveywavey70]

Thanks Terry, planning on a whistle stop Few days seeing what I can where I can and doing some little videos with my drone and osmo pocket. Also seeing which islands We’d like to see more of as were considering a sailing holiday next year around the Greek isles.

[jpalbny]

Davey, now that I read your last post, your plans make sense for you. Get a brief taste of a few places, and see where you'd want to return. In that case, I hope the ship is adequate for your needs.

 

We've been to all of these places so if I were visiting for the first time, I'd

 

1. Wander downtown Mykonos and people watch.

2. Grab a tour of Ephesus from Kusadasi

3. Walk to the Monastery in Patmos

4. Rent a car in Rhodes and do a half-day or 3/4 day tour of the island, then see a little of the Old Town

5. Find a nice place to have drinks and watch the sunset in Santorini

6. Get out of Piraeus as fast as I can...spend time in Athens if you have time.

 

FYI. If you travel light, there is a ridiculously cheap travel option between the Athens airport and Piraeus. The X96 bus stops right outside of baggage claim, and goes to the ferry port in Piraeus. There is room to store suitcases but I suspect you could do this journey with just a carry-on. Last time we did this is cost €5 per ticket. You just need to know where your boat docks, so you can get off the bus at the right spot.

 

It is not terribly handy for the main (large) cruise ship pier, so we took a taxi from the bus stop the the ship because we each had a suitcase. Still, way cheaper than a taxi the whole way. And super easy to do. If your ship leaves from the ferry docks, the bus stops within walking distance. 

 

If you have time to visit Athens proper before your flight home, take the Metro from Piraeus to Athens, wander around a bit, then take the X95 bus from Syntagma Square back to the airport. It stops on the side of the square opposite the Grand Bretagne Hotel. Otherwise take the X96 back from Piraeus.

 

More info: https://www.athensairportbus.com/en/timetable/x96airporttopiraeusport.html

 

Looks like inflation has struck big-time and a ticket will now set you back €6...

 

[Daveywavey70]

Thanks again JP I’ll have a read up later. There are 2 excursions included for free, Acropolis of Lindos and Citadel of the knights from Rhodes and a 1/2 day tour of Ephesus. Both things I really want to see.

Mykonos and Santorini I’m planning on doing my own thing. Would love to visit Knossos in Heraklion.

As for travelling light, I’ve never travelled with just carry before but I’m gonna be brave.  My usual 8 or 9 pairs of shoes won’t be necessary. Let’s see how it works out.

[jpalbny]

Shoot, I forgot to include Heraklion above. Yes, by all means go see one of the Minoan Palaces. We have been to both Knossos and Pheastos palaces. Knossos is much closer to Heraklion.

 

Knossos is more "developed" but some decry that as fake. They think that the "rebuilding" efforts by Evans et al are (were) quite inaccurate. Who knows. It looks cool but there is no doubt you're looking at a modern interpretation of what may or may not have been.

 

Pheastos (Festos, other spellings) is pretty much left as-is so it's more natural, but takes a lot more imagination. It's over an hour's drive from Heraklion, so Knossos is the far better bet for you, with only 5h in port.

 

***

 

Lindos in Rhodes is beautiful so if they are taking you there for free, go for it. It's out of town and you have to drive there. The scenery along the way is pretty too. When you get back from Lindos, just go into town and buy a ticket for the Palace; that's much easier to do on your own than Lindos.

[TLCOhio]

43 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

1. Wander downtown Mykonos and people watch.

2. Grab a tour of Ephesus from Kusadasi

3. Walk to the Monastery in Patmos

4. Rent a car in Rhodes and do a half-day or 3/4 day tour of the island, then see a little of the Old Town

5. Find a nice place to have drinks and watch the sunset in Santorini

6. Get out of Piraeus as fast as I can...spend time in Athens if you have time.

 

Excellent, smart listing above from the always savvy J.P.  Super agree that on "Lindos in Rhodes is beautiful so if they are taking you there for free, go for it. It's out of town and you have to drive there."

 

Loved Lindos and climbing up, UP to the top of their fortress there.  Ephesus is so historic and fascinating.  Below are some items of visual evidence, including from wonderful visit to Mykonos!!  Sorry, we have not, yet, been to Santorini.  That's on the future, to-do list.  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For my latest live/blog, see “the Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Check it at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

From Mykonos, my first two visuals illustrate the wisdom of "wandering around" in the main and charming village there.  But the Mykonos beaches can be wonderful and have interesting action.  Finally, climb up above the main village and soak up the great views.:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

 

At Ephesus, you might have opportunities to use your drone and get some great views over these historic structures.  When at Ephesus, we fortunately were able to do an evening music function in front of their library.:

 

 

[Daveywavey70]

Great advice as ever JP. Great pics thanks Terry.  How long is the walk from the port in Patmos to the monastery? 

Id love to use the drone but won’t if it will be annoying people. Might take off a bit further away and get some shots from height rather than sounding like a swarm of angry wasps and annoying people. 

[TLCOhio]

6 minutes ago, Daveywavey70 said:

Great advice as ever JP. Great pics thanks Terry.  How long is the walk from the port in Patmos to the monastery?   I'd love to use the drone but won’t if it will be annoying people. Might take off a bit further away and get some shots from height rather than sounding like a swarm of angry wasps and annoying people. 

 

As to your good question of "How long is the walk from the port in Patmos to the monastery?", it is more than the distance.  It's a big, BIG uphill climb!!  One estimate is about 30 minutes to walk back down the hill to the port.  But, walking up is about 45 minutes.  As they say on TV: "mileage may vary".  Not all of us are as fast and efficient in walking as we did in our younger days.

 

Glad you are "sensitivity" with your drone photography and any potential noise.  BUT, don't forget your audience that loves such "cool visuals".  Do your best to make us happy!!  

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.).  Now at 63,433 views:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

[Lois R]

Hi friends...…..it has been raining here all day...….just dreary out!

 

Terry, wonderful photos (as usual) and JP, your itinerary sounds fun!.... when I look at the places in the pictures, I can actually say, I HAVE BEEN THERE......all those Greek Islands and Ephesus blew me away!   Davey, hope you have a wonderful time!

[jpalbny]

DW, I looked at our pictures and the timestamps from our 2014 visit to Patmos. It took us about 30 minutes to walk to the Cave of St. John (cave of the apocalypse), and then maybe 10 minutes from there to the monastery. But that was a few years ago. We may be a little less "in shape" now... 😉 It definitely was a climb!

 

Google says it's a 203 meter net elevation gain. Not too shabby.

[jpalbny]

Tired today. Coming off a three-week stretch where I was on call for all of weeks #1 and #3. Definitely a little sleep-deprived. Of course we didn't rest during the one weekend off; that was when we did the short trip to Atlanta. So I guess it's partly my own fault.

 

Anyway, we did some cooking this past week. First up, halibut in a lemon beurre blanc sauce, over rice. Lots of sauteed garlic slices to add extra flavor.

 

 

Next, a roasted beet salad with feta and walnuts. I made a blood-orange vinaigrette dressing to go with it. That was last night's side dish. It was quite filling and could have been a main course, I think.

 

 

Tonight's dinner was born out of laziness. After working yet another weekend, neither of us wanted to cook. So I whipped up a Spanish tortilla, with potatoes, onions, and some leftover sopressata that was still in the refrigerator from our last trip to Eataly - close enough to chorizo for our purposes. Went well with some French rose wine. It was mostly Grenache, which is close enough to Garnacha to pretend it was Spanish... 

 

 

Now to finish the bottle! Oh well, so much for all the exercising we've been doing...

Edited April 1, 2019 by jpalbny
Add pictures

[Lois R]

WOW.... for being tired, that food looks fantastic!

[spinnaker2]

Davey,

from turkey please wave to Samos, the island where my grandmother came from...

you might consider it in your sail of the island's vacation. 

It is less touristic than some of the other islands.

 

JP, 

food looks delish hope it helps relieve what most certainly was a grueling work schedule.

 

lois,

please make the rain go away for our sail away.

 

 

[Lois R]

Hi Spins, is it raining in South Florida too?

[Lois R]

I decided to book a car through my hotel to pick me up at the airport next week. Yea, I sail next week!.  The Beekman has a car service they use and I don't care it is more than a cab...…...the driver will be waiting at baggage claim and it will be worth it for me rather than going to the curb and getting on the line for a Yellow Cab. Nice way to start my vacation

[jpalbny]

Lois, that sounds like a nice treat, and a great way to start your trip, I agree!

 

We will do the same for our upcoming Ukraine trip. Rather than try the other options in Kiev after 24+ hours of air travel... We will book a private car to transport us to our hotel. Every now and then, you have to splurge.

 

We find that cooking nice food is relaxing and rewarding. No point in working hard, if you don't get something in return.

Edited April 2, 2019 by jpalbny

[spinnaker2]

46 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Hi Spins, is it raining in South Florida too?

No not yet!

Please keep it away.

 

And enjoy the Beekman.

I grew up 28 minutes from NYC.

A mere train ride as my Dad had a business on east 48 street.

I do miss the city.

 

 

[jillyf]

Davey, interesting trip. A whistle stop tour but you will know where you would like to return to.  

 In Ephesus try to tour the Terace Houses.  They are amazing. 

 

JP, lovely looking food. We are still experimenting with our rotisserie on the BBQ. 

Starting to get it right. 

Lois, you must be getting excited. Are you packing yet?

 

Cold morning here today. We could do with some rain but enjoying the sunshine. 

Should be nice for golf tomorrow. 

[Lois R]

Hi Jilly, no, not packing yet.  I will do it this weekend.  Saturday will start on it and then Sunday finish up...….if any last minute things need to go in I can do that Monday night since I fly out Tuesday morning.

 

Yes, getting excited and really do need this break from work...…...I am so looking forward to seeing Beautiful!  Carole King is one of my all time favorites

[UKCruiseJeff]

Greetings from a stormy Seaside to all Coolers.

 

  Not on The Balcony ..... but fresh baguettes every day continues ......... 🙂

 

 

[Daveywavey70]

Have a great time  at seaside Jeff.

Mini holiday all booked today. Flying to Athens Sunday, staying at the Royal Olympic in an Athenian Panoramic so a nice view of the Acropolis and then off to the ship on Monday morning. 4 nights around the Aegean ( 6 ports of call) then the day in Athens on Friday and a late evening flight home. Going carry on only for the first time ever so wish me luck with narrowing the shoes down 😔, I usually take at least 10 pairs. Time to pack!