Ancient Worlds and Ancient Entertainment - A Celebrity Infinity Diary

[JakTar]

This is the (overlong?) diary of a solo passenger’s 11-night cruise in the eastern Mediterranean with ports of call in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus: Athens, Thessaloniki, Kusadasi, Limassol, Rhodes, Crete and Nafplion.

It may be of interest to those contemplating a similar cruise.

Note: Names may have been changed to protect the guilty, and transliterating from Greek to English inevitably means eccentric and inconsistent spelling.

 

 

Monday 12 February 2024 - Day 1 - Athens (Piraeus)

 

 

It’s my first flight since Covid and one thing I do notice is that cabin crew still do like to use the emphatic verb to excess, and I do wish they'd stop it! It’s sunny and warm on landing at Athens Airport which has the longest walk to baggage reclaim (over 15 minutes) I’ve experienced - and the luggage belt is at the farthest end of the reclaim hall.

Celebrity reps are waiting in the arrivals hall to shepherd us to the transfer coaches and it’s a 1-hour ride to Piraeus and the 23-year-old Infinity which carries a little over 2000 passengers across 12 decks and looks smart in her blue and white livery. I haven’t bothered downloading the Celebrity app (whatever that is) or printing labels or tickets, expecting my passport and reservation details to be sufficient, and so it proves (as it did at the airport). The boarding process is quick and I’m soon relaxing on the balcony of my deck 9 cabin, happy to have escaped the grey days of an English winter.

Celebrity Today is the daily, 4-page, activities guide, except it isn’t - the full schedule of what’s on, a full listing of eating and drinking options, and a timetable of opening hours for shops, offices and services is on a separate insert. A second insert contains introductions to the chief personnel such as the Master, Staff Captain, Cruise Director, Chief Engineer and Executive Chef whilst a third insert offers laundry and dry cleaning packages.

At 5pm it’s the Sailaway Party, except it isn’t - our departure is delayed (but who cares?) and passengers are chatting, drinking and relaxing round the pool area rather than partying. I don’t stay long because, just for today, there is a hosted Solo Travelers Get Together at 5.30 in the plush surrounds of Cellar Masters. (Any future get-togethers will be posted up on the Community Board by Guest Services.) About a dozen of us show up and, after introducing ourselves and chatting, a few decide to dine immediately afterwards in the Trellis Restaurant. It’s early for me but I decide to join in, at least for tonight.

My fellow solos include: Marit from Amsterdam - a KLM cabin steward, Miles from Edmonton - a retired member of the Albertan legislature, Bill from Iowa - a nursing practitioner, Anne from Norwich - a civil servant, Farid from New Hampshire - a car dealership owner, and Steve from York who sadly flew home partway through the cruise when his father became ill. Farid is an oenophile and keen to educate this oeno-nothing, particularly about ice wines. He orders a Muscato but there are none (perhaps after a re-stock later in the cruise) so asks for a bottle of Riesling instead. Conversation, like the wine, flows easily, and I add Riesling to my list of favourite wines, which now totals…one.

At the welcome-aboard show, Captain Dimitrios introduces his executive team comprising: Chief Engineer, Staff Captain, Hotel Manager, HR director, and the Executive Chef who is responsible for 9000 servings every day. This is followed by Hollywood Cabaret - a curiously amateurish presentation with weak singing, particularly from the boys of the ship's company.

The DJ and bar staff outnumber late night revellers (the plural form is barely warranted) in the forward Constellation Lounge, unsurprisingly for the first night, so I have a light bite before bed (the Oceanview café is open until 1am).

 

 

Tuesday 13 Feb 2024 - Day 2 - Thessaloniki

 

 

At 9am there’s a 1-hour ports talk with the Cruise Director during which the Dodecanese and the Peleponnese are words she cannot pronouncewithease. The talk, which isn’t a hard sell for excursions and helpfully includes information for those going ashore independently, finishes as the ship comes alongside. We have an overnight stay in Greece’s second city, the capital of Macedonia and less than 30 miles from Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great, so I disembark at leisure, picking up a map from the tourist information desk on the quayside from where it’s only a short walk to the port gates opposite the grand Passenger Terminal building.

I turn right walking along the waterfront towards the city centre - it’s warm and sunny with a light breeze coming off the Thermaikos Gulf - pausing at the holocaust memorial - a menorah engulfed in flames dedicated to, “… the 50000 Jewish Greeks of Thessaloniki … exterminated in the gas chambers of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps.”

Aristotelous Square is the main city square and a statue of Alexander’s teacher is sited in front of a world-renowned icon of the modern era - a branch of KFC. Across the square is the 5-star Electra Palace Hotel where I ask at the reception desk how to say in Greek - I’m sorry, I don’t speak Greek. Do you speak English? They write - Signomi, den milao ellenika. Milas anglika?

Further along the wide promenade is the round, (off-)White Tower - once part of the old walls of the city, a fortress, a prison and a place of execution, but now a national monument and a museum. In a plaza beyond stands a statue of Alexander astride Bucephalus.

Inland from the tower and the adjacent Aphrodite Fountain is the Hamadiye fountain, dating from the late 19th century and named for His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdulhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful, also known as Abdul Hamid II, Abd Al-Hamid II Khan Ghazi and The Crimson Sultan (or just Dave, down at the Dog and Partridge). I continue to the Sintrivani Fountain then turn left along Egnatia (one of the city’s main thoroughfares) to the Arch and Rotunda of Galerius, built by the 4th century emperor.

I lose my way a little when looking for the house where Kemal Ataturk, Turkey’s founding father and first president, grew up. It’s now part of the Turkish Consulate compound and a couple of policemen point the way. The white house is now an interesting museum.

Along the same street, heading back towards Aristotle Square, is the church of Agios Dimitrios, dedicated to the patron saint of the city and standing on the presumed site of his martyrdom. Building materials for restoration work in the 1940s included tombstones taken from the Jewish cemetery - now the site of the Aristotle University which also used the tombstones as building material.

My circular exploration of the lower town finishes at the Roman Agora between the church and Aristotle Square and where some of the columns and lower arcades that comprised the ancient forum have managed to survive to this day.

It’s late afternoon as I take a taxi for €10 up to Ano Poli - the upper town - and the main gate of the Heptapyrgion (a misnomer because the Byzantine fortress has ten rather than seven towers), close by the Trigoniou Tower. The acropolis, unlike the city below, was largely untouched by the great fire of 1917, and it has the feel of a separate village where it’s pleasant to wander through the colourful plaza and along the city walls, and in and out of hilly side streets with views of the bay below. As the sun starts to set I walk back to the plaza and buy a bus ticket from the Hellenic Kiosk opposite the bus stop for 90 cents and where I’m told the no. 23 to Egnatia (the g is pronounced as an r) will be fine for getting back to the port.

"In the orange box, you can cancel your ticket," the driver tells me and when the bus stops descending and heads away from sites I recognise, I get off. The guy on the reception desk at the Ilisia Hotel opposite the bus stop tells me it’s straight down to the port. "Efharisto," I reply and, indeed, it’s only a 10-minute walk.

Tonight’s Headline Entertainer, Cellist Andre Cavassi, includes rather too much of his homespun philosophy on the meaning of life - more music and less musing, please. Later, in the Constellation Lounge later, Alex Bellotto performs close-up magic. The greatest illusion of all is that some still consider magic to be entertainment.

I chat with Farid in the Oceanview café talking about wine and US politics till 1.30 - he predicts calamitous consequences for a Trump victory in November.

 

 

Wednesday 14 Feb 2024 - Day 3 - Thessaloniki (part 2)

 

 

I have breakfast in the Spa Café by the pool where the healthier options include an unhealthily sweet organic granola. The all-aboard time is 1.30pm and it’s a serendipitous start to the half-day because opposite the port gates is the 5-star Mediterranean Palace Hotel and the no. 23 bus stop is right outside.

I return to Ano Poli where, on the street corner across from the bus stop, there is a flower-bedecked tavern. Its terrace is a perfect spot for peratzatha (although there are few people around to actually watch) whilst sipping a Greek coffee, served in a cup not much larger than a thimble half-filled with coffee grounds. Back down at sea-level I return to the ship via the remains of the Vardaris Fortress and Tower opposite the port, and which are also part of the city walls.

As we prepare to get underway, Captain Dimitrios tells us that it’s, “268 nautical miles to Kusadasi at an average speed of 16.8 knots. For the romantic couples out there, sunset will be at 6pm."

Pink and heart-shaped creations are very much the order of the day in the Oceanview Café, and the celebration desserts look even more sickly-sweet than usual.

There’s an afternoon salsa dance class in the Constellation Lounge, and if the couple from the theatre company teaching on stage had thought to place a colleague where I’m sat, they’d see, and fix, the basic errors that those furthest from the stage are making.

Notting Hill is the appropriately romantic, cinematic offering on the Rooftop Terrace where there are comfortable settees and loungers. One deck down is Qsine where some of my fellow solos are planning to dine later in the cruise. It’s $60 a head for the gastronomic and 3D table-top animation experience so I’ll settle for hearing about it afterwards.

Foregoing the Unveiling The Histories of Kusadasi and Limassol talk, I try the General Knowledge Trivia in the Constellation Lounge instead. It’s hosted by Marianna, the Activities Manager from the Ukraine who isn’t a fan of the article, whether definite or indefinite. What is definite, she tells us, is that whenever she runs the trivia quiz, “Russia” will never be the right answer.

At the solos meet before dinner, I chat with Bill who used to be an army medic. He’s travelling through Europe to escape a messy divorce from his second marriage - his first ended when his wife decided, after being with him for nine years, that she was a lesbian.

This evening the captain officiates at the Vow Renewal At Sea ceremony in the Grand Foyer where our cellist sets the mood with romantic classics as crowds gather - spectators around the balconies and participants on the stairs. The captain takes over, vows are declared, couples hug and kiss and everyone applauds. It’s all rather lovely.

A glass of Muscato wine is waiting for me at dinner. It looks and smells like a Riesling but tastes very different, being much drier. However, like the Riesling, it’s a very agreeable digestif. I tell Farid I’ll add it to my list of favourite wines, which has now doubled.

You’d think that, with an Evening Attire suggestion of Evening Chic, the highlight of Valentine’s Night would be a Valentine’s Ball, but there isn’t one. Go figure!

After an anodyne offering in the theatre by the Production Cast dancers and singers, I join Marit at the Abba Sing-a-long in the Constellation Lounge. It’s wobbly tonight, and forward and high up in the crow’s nest is the worst location for a dance party, but who cares? The star of the show is Brian from the Philippines. Darling, he’s an absolutely fabulous activities host whose fluidity and fun is infectious - as I might be soon because a tickly throat indicates that a cold is probably imminent.

Before turning in for the night, I pick up a gratuities sheet from Guest Services which tells me -

$18 per person per day in a standard stateroom (which can be adjusted), shared as follows: Dining and Culinary - $10.81; Housekeeping - $5.19; and Other - $2.00

 

 

Thursday 15 Feb 2024 - Day 4 - Kusadasi (pronounced Ku-sha-da-se)

 

 

My first view of Kusadasi (whose name means - Bird Island) is of the Pigeon Island fortress, first built by the Genoese in the 13th century and now connected to the mainland by a causeway. The all-aboard time is 9.30pm so there’s plenty of time to explore today. We’re docked by the upmarket Scala Nuova (shopping) village where an agent from Kropki Tour is offering excursions to Ephesus, an ancient harbour city that has shifted over time with the shifting shoreline, and where excavations have revealed many grand monuments. I pay 1526TL (£39.61) for the excursion, (it would have been slightly less if I’d paid in cash rather than by card) and we soon have enough to fill a minivan.

After a scenic, 30-minute drive through the countryside we arrive at the House of the Virgin Mary - a place of pilgrimage where some believe she lived out her final years - then continue on to Ephesus a few kilometers away, driving through fertile valleys of fig, peach and olive trees.

It’s sunny and temperate as we enter the legendary site through the Upper Gate. There is much to see: the Baths of Varius, the State Agora, the stone carving of the goddess Nike, Trajan’s Fountain, Hadrian’s Temple, the latrine and the brothel before arriving at the Library of Celsus, considered to be, like those of Alexandria and Pergamum, one of the great libraries of the ancient world. The Commercial Agora and the 25000-capacity Great Theatre conclude our excellent, unhurried 90-minute tour and we exit Ephesus at the Lower Gate.

Our excursion continues with an unwanted visit to a leather factory where we are treated to a private fashion show with two of our group co-opted as models, and they sashay down the runway modelling leather jackets to the accompaniment of raucous applause and booming rock music.

The last stop on our excursion is at the site of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and where all that remains now is a single, forlorn column.

Re-energised after a bite to eat onboard, I wander through the Grand Bazaar - the largest in Turkey after Istanbul although this modern bazaar is rather soulless by comparison. I find a store selling a huge array of embroidered zippered bags and buy several as they’re very useful for holding odds and ends such as loose change, first aid items, and electrical leads and plugs.

On the street, I watch a game of backgammon (tavla in Turkish, I’m told) being played on a board beautifully decorated with wild horses, and am invited to play if I can wait until this first-to-five finishes. I have to decline because the light will fade soon and leave to take photos of the fortified caravanserai (inn and storehouse) and the waterfront sculptures.

I should have a Turkish coffee before I leave and although there’s no baklava at the Patisserie Agora Firin Café there are other sweet delights such as appel kurabiya. How much? Only 50TL ($1.50)? For a coffee and an apple pastry? Apparently so.

I have a cold so dine alone in the Trellis Restaurant where my waiter is Nabi from Kolkata who’s actually heard of Nilambur where I taught for a short while. Tonight's excellent vegetarian entrée is Toasted Israeli Couscous Cake - Asparagus Spears, Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini Ribbons, Balsamic Vinaigrette which is so beautifully presented that I have to take a photo.

You’d think that a Full Moon Party would be held under the stars, but it isn’t. Go figure! Simple line dances are taught and the floor is packed so the party is a success despite being held indoors.

 

 

Friday 16 Feb 2024 - Day 5 - At Sea

 

 

Today’s breakfast bakery special in the Oceanview Café is chocolate bread, sliced into doorsteps, and there’s plenty of available seating even on a sea day because the boat is only half full. How do I signal not to clear my table? A waiter tells me to tip my chair forward. I also put cutlery at 9.15 and a napkin on the back of my chair as per other cruise lines, just to emphasis the point.

Sailing on calm waters watching Mediterranean islands and their whitewashed coastal villages slip by as you sip a soothing, Lemsip Max Cold & Flu… This is the life. A more energetic life was that of Arabic adventurer Freya Stark about whom I’m reading at the moment, having been inspired to so after a talk on my first solo cruise - from Egypt to India. Afterwards I watch the Golf Putting Challenge in the Martini Bar where Bill from Illinois looks a sure-fire winner with his score of only five from the first three holes, but defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory with a four at the last.

At noon, the irrepressible Brian, ok, from the Philippines, ok, leads the poolside line dancing, ok, finishing with his favourite track, ok - Gangnam Style. Ok? He’s good, but he’s no Ed Balls. Time for some lunch - a very hot and very spicy Manchow mushroom soup which should clear my sinuses, and any other blockages.

The musical duo in the Al Bacio café end their fine set with four-handed piano (Mozart, The Beatles and Astor Piazzola) to much deserved applause. Afterwards there’s the afternoon trivia quiz run by Alejandro from Mexico. It's only his fourth day with Celebrity and, it would appear, his fourth day learning English! It's illegal to sing whilst wearing a swimsuit in Florida? Who knew?

I’m late for dinner, captivated by an amazing performance by the Martini Bar staff: thirteen cocktail glasses are ranged along the counter and, to cheers and applause from onlookers, are filled simultaneously from a tower of thirteen cocktail shakers. (This proved to be the best show I saw all cruise.) Afterwards, I listen to Brazilian Waves in the Rendezvous Lounge as a couple dance the same tango routine, replete with kicks, dips, hooks and lifts, to every track.

Finally, I meet Yolanda, my cabin steward. She’s from Cusco and impressed that I’ve been there. She has one daughter and goes back home in five months, her day starts at 8am and she has 17 cabins to look after.

An irresistible force draws me to the sure-to-be-dreadful Live Band Karaoke. Annabelle dedicates Besame Mucho to all her friends onboard (presumably, no longer after that performance), Peter's rendition of The Time of my Life wasn't, but redemption is ultimately at hand with Roger's version of Unchained Melody which fully deserved its wild applause.

 

 

Saturday 17 Feb 2024 - Day 6 - Limassol

 

 

Limmasol is a commercial port so a shuttle bus brings us to Syntagma Square in the heart of the old town. The square houses the Carob Museum (today hosting a diabetes conference), restaurants (most are closed for the winter) and Limassol Castle (now a museum surrounded by lemon trees and where, according to tradition, Richard the Lionheart married Berengaria of Navarre in 1191).

It’s a warm, sunny day - perfect for a leisurely exploration of the old town, including the Agia Napa cathedral, through arcades and along alleyways, on one of which is the Nut Cracker House with an immense variety of nuts and dried fruits, and outside which is imprisoned a very large parrot in a very small cage.

The morning’s meanderings give way to an afternoon’s ambling along the Molos - a picturesque promenade lined with palm trees that starts at the Old Port marina. It’s the location of the Sculpture Park with its twisting walkways, statues, water features and sundial, and Birth by local artist Maria Kyprianou - 96 colourful stone eggs which are a magnet for small children playing hide-and-seek.

Captain Dimitrios welcomes us back and invites us to join him at The Liars' Club tonight at 10pm, but how can we be sure he'll be there, or that it’s starting at 10pm, or that it’s even happening at all?

After another enjoyable dinner with my fellow solos, Ukebox - a quartet of ukulele players from Liverpool - is tonight’s headline act. It’s a poor show: a medley of 80s songs (or was it 80 songs? FFS, lads - pick two or three tracks and play them through instead of a bit of this and a bit of that) and comedy falling flat.

Ah! The captain wasn’t lying, and it’s our job as the audience to guess the correct definition of obscure, rude-sounding words from those given by the captain, cruise director and comedian. It makes me think that there doesn't seem to be entertainment catering for Spanish speakers, unless they receive a copy of Celebrity Hoy containing activities tailored for them.

Late night revellers at the optimistically-named Club Constellation Party are outnumbered by bar staff but it’s busy in the Rendezvous Lounge for the last musical session of the night from Brazilian Waves - the lead singer has a fine voice although she's hopeless at singing lyrics in English.

 

 

Sunday 18 Feb 2024 - Day 7 - At Sea

 

 

This morning’s bakery special is Raisin Rolls aka Chelsea buns. Why can’t I find them anymore in supermarkets back home?

"Good morning. This is Captain Dimitrios. The time is 10am and this is your wake-up call. Our current position is latitude somewhere north and longitude somewhere east..."

Foregoing the talk on “Heraklion Unveiled”, I chat with Miles in the cafe. He tells of his incident-packed ministerial visit to Brazzaville (travelling in a lawless country) during which a government minister asked for help getting his son back home from Canada. He managed to trace him and asked about his reticence to be in touch.

"You've been to The Congo?" he asked Miles.

"Yes."

"So quit trying to ship me back home!"

It’s a warm day in the Mediterranean so I give my knees an airing whilst relaxing on my balcony and reading more about Freya Stark before a buffet lunch where the skills of a contortionist are needed to reach food under low Perspex covers. I ask to be served with egg salad (with so much mayo you can't tell it's egg), potato salad (where you can just about discern the potato) and tomato (pronounced "toe-may-toe" so I’m understood).

It’s time to check the answers from the final round of Scattergories, hosted by the irrepressible Brian - countries beginning with the letter S. "Are we considering Scotland as a country?" he asks.

At the Live Music: Ballroom Dancing with The Infinity Orchestra, you’d think there’d be music for dancing, but there isn’t. It turns out to be a jazz session. Go figure!

There’s nothing tempting from tonight’s menu. Ah, but the restaurant also has a separate vegetarian menu, our waiter tells me. None of us knew about that. After another enjoyable dinner, tonight’s featured entertainment in the theatre is Star Factory which is very old school but saved by glorious aerial acrobatics. The Totally 80s gameshow afterwards was silly but fun, but the subsequent 80s party was ruined by the sound system failing.

 

 

Monday 19 Feb 2024 - Day 8 - Rhodes

 

 

A day of blue skies and warm sunshine begins with a Bakery Special of Chocolate Babka and a beautiful breakfast backdrop of the medieval walls of the old town. There’s a Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus opposite the port gate - a day ticket costs €15 so I hop on for a tour of the old and new towns. The 1-hour ride goes up to the acropolis and ancient stadium on Monte Smith, and the clifftop ocean road beyond with views across to Turkey, before descending to the statue of Diagoras (a famed Olympic boxing champion), past hotels and beaches, and then round to the Town Hall and back to the harbour.

There are several gates to the old town including the Gate Of The Virgin where, appropriately enough, the barrier is down and there’s a No Entry sign. The old town is a 1000-year walk through time, through a labyrinth of winding streets with shuttered houses, ruined churches and bastions. The central point is Jewish Martyrs Square (dedicated to 1604 Jews of Rhodes and Kos who met their end in the extermination camps) with cafes and tourist shops around a charming seahorse fountain.

I pick up a map from the tourist information office at the base of the Street of the Knights before exiting through the Arnauld Gate for an exploration of the moat, and the gardens around the city walls. A walkway at the Gate d’Amboise leads to the Palace of the Grand Master, originally a Byzantine fortress which later housed the administrative centre of the Order of Knights. It was destroyed in an explosion in 1856 caused by a lightning strike on a gunpowder magazine, and rebuilt by occupying Italian forces where it was used as a holiday home by Mussolini. The palace lies at the top of the Street of the Knights, much restored by the occupying Italians, housing inns of the tongues denoting the knights’ birthplace, each of whom was responsible for part of the fortifications. How many tongues? Eight, according to my tourist information map (Castile, Italy, Provence, England, Spain, Auverne, Germany and France) but seven, according to the UNESCO world heritage page at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/493/, although it only actually lists five! There hasn’t been as much confusion of tongues since the Tower of Babel.

Dozens of tractors are parked outside the town hall and I chat with protestors sitting in the shade of an arcade and drinking coffee. Their placards demand respect for traditional ways of farming, and protest a lack of political representation. Behind them, on the waterfront, is a winged statue dedicated to World War II fighters, a clock tower and, at the end of the pier, two columns topped with a stag and a doe (representing unique deer species found on the island) at the alleged site of the Colossus of Rhodes (the sun god Helios) that stood guard at the entrance to Mandaraki Harbour.

An enjoyable visit ends with a performance by a folklore troupe by the pool, and kudos to them for making the dance steps fool-proof for the mandatory audience participation.

There’s a message from Kelly, the cruise director - she's passed on my feedback to the orchestra about yesterday’s ballroom music that wasn’t. They're playing again this evening, same time same place, and they'll be playing a completely different set. And so it proves - a completely different jazz set!

I take a few photos of the setting sun and the reddening sky before the first performance by tonight’s

headline entertainer - Comedian Dave Kristian. I’ve heard it all before (as had Plato and Socrates, probably) but you can’t please all of the people all of the time and his set seems to go down well with everyone else.

At 10pm in the Constellation Lounge there’s a packed 60s dance party, although I’m irritated by snippets of 60s classics being played rather than complete tracks - a Celebrity trait, it seems.

 

 

Tuesday 20 Feb 2024 - Day 9 - Heraklion (Crete)

 

 

It’s cool, cloudy and dry as I board the complimentary shuttle bus to the Venizelos statue (which, confusingly, isn’t in Venizelos Square), honouring the local statesman and former Greek Prime Minister.

A day’s Ho-Ho ticket is €15 - buses stop round the corner from the statue - and there are 12 stops. It’s a half-hour drive out to the village of Knossos and the famous palace, passing sites such as the Venetian-built Koules Castle fortress, and the final resting place of Nikos Kazantzakis, the author of Zorba the Greek.

An entry to the legendary, labyrinthine home of King Minos and the Minotaur is €8 and I spend an hour exploring the ruins, and the partial reconstruction by adventurer, spy and archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, of the throne room, apartments, halls, shrines and frescoes.

Back in town I make for the landmark Morosini Fountain, named for a Venetian Doge. It’s also known as the Lions Fountain, four of which (a symbol of Venetian power) support the main basin. In a corner of Lions Square (officially, Venizelos Square) on the pedestrianised August 25th Street (the date of a Turkish massacre in 1897) is the elegant, neoclassical-style Loggia - the Venetian-era city hall - and behind that is Agios Titus, the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Crete. Continuing down the street, I stop at the Treasures Art gift store to buy a tablet case embroidered with Cretan motifs of the eye of knowledge and waves of the sea.

The gently sloping street ends opposite the causeway to the Koules fortress where I linger for a short while before heading back to the fountain, turning left along Daidalou and arriving back in good time for the last shuttle back to the ship.

After half an hour steaming in the sauna (where there’s a little too much meat and two veg on show) and relaxing in the thalassotherapy pool, I join my fellow solos at our usual table 228 where Farid and Marit nearly come to blows in the US vs. Europe debate - the land of the free vs. the land of the (social care) freeloader.

Jorge Lindan’s enjoyable set in the Rendezvous Lounge afterwards (including a terrific rendition of Chris Isaak's classic Wicked Game) is followed by a set from Brazilian Waves where the only dancing couple on the ship impress all with their tango routine - all that is except for one blasé passenger.

The silent disco at 10pm in the Constellation Lounge is silly but fun. The children particularly love it, with three channels to choose from - each identified by a red, green or blue light on the headphones - and the dance floor is very busy.

 

Wednesday 21 Feb 2024 - Day 10 - Nafplion

 

 

According to Celebrity Today, which contains an insert about the tendering operations in both English and Spanish - the first concession to the considerable numbers of Spanish speakers on board that I’ve noticed - we’ve arrived at, “…a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The beautiful old city has a wealth of narrow alleyways and streets…a lively seafront promenade and enough sights to fill a week.”

It’s a 15-minute tender ride to the dock side, scenic even in the mist and drizzle, with the 15th century, Venetian-built Bourtzi Fortress that protects the harbor in the foreground and mountains all around. Taxi prices (70 Euros for Mycenae, 130 Euros for Mycenae and the Corinth Canal, 250 Euros for Ancient Olympia…) are reasonable for a group of four but not for a group of one so I’ll stay and explore locally. The visitgreece website tells me that Nafplio was the first capital of the newly born Greek state and that Frankish, Venetian and Turkish conquerors left their mark with ancient walls, medieval castles, monuments and statues, fountains and neoclassical buildings.

A few steps inland, in a small plaza lined by palm trees, is a statue of Ioannis Kapodistrias, Modern Greece’s first head of state who was assassinated on the steps of the nearby church of St. Spyridon. A few yards away, at the foot of the hilltop fortresses of Palamidi and Acronauplia is a statue of Staikos Staikopoulos who captured Nafplio in the Greek War of Independence. Palamidi looks far too imposing for me, so I walk up a cobbled road where cacti cling to the hillside to the remnants of the peninsular fortress of Acronauplia.

Looking across to Palamidi on my way back down, I see people walking along pathways to the top. A sign at the base of the steps states that the fortress is open until 15.30, a little over two hours’ time. If there are steps all the way then how hard can it be? Forty minutes later, after climbing over 900 of them, I have my breathless answer. The Venetian fortress (built in only three years - 1711-14? Incredible!) is well-preserved and there are more steps that need to be climbed to explore the chapel, cells and bastions.

I have an hour and a half before the last tender back to the ship so I go searching for a cafe serving coffee and baklava whilst exploring the town, starting at the Square of the Three Admirals, named in honour of Admirals Codrington of England, de Rigny of France, and van Haiden of Russia (via Holland), who defeated the Turkish-Egyptian fleet at the Battle of Navarino in 1827. The town hall, the monument housing the remains of Greek independence fighter Dimitrios Ypsilantis, and the statue of Otto, the first king of Greece, are all located in the square.

My (ultimately, unsuccessful) café search takes me along drizzle-washed, side streets looking lovely with potted plants set against the walls and balconies overflowing with flowers and foliage. The heart of the town is Syntagma Square around which are restaurants, the Archaeological Museum and two mosques: the Trianon which is now a cinema and cultural venue, and the Aga Pasha Mosque, now called Vouleftiko because the first Greek parliament (Vouli, in Greek) was housed in it.

At dinner (minus Farid and Marit) where my inedible risotto was so al dente, I feared an imminent visit al dentist, Miles tells us he got separated from his excursion - having taken a long time using the facilities at Palmidi then taking a wrong turn out of the facilities, he ended up walking all the way down with dodgy knees. It took him an hour!

Everything ok? asks the maitre'd on the way out. Well, it was disappointing that our Crepe Suzette wasn’t flambéed at the table, and last night’s Baked Alaska literally lacked the traditional sparkle. Apparently, such displays are no longer allowed.

An anodyne Broadway Tribute show (apart from the graceful aerialist couple) is followed by a Late Night Adult Comedy set in the Constellation Lounge with Dave Kristian. It’s another routine dating from the ancient world (which wasn’t really ‘adult’) but it went down extremely well with all, particularly the bar staff!

 

 

Thursday 22 Feb 2024 - Day 11 - Athens (Piraeus)

 

 

It’s a cool, sunny day as I board a Ho-Ho shuttle bus to the Acropolis where we can change for a real Ho-Ho bus. A ticket costs €20 and is valid for 2 days - very useful if I miss my transfer bus to the airport tomorrow. It’s a 40-minute ride from the port, passing the Agios Nikolaos church with its striking portico, clock towers and blue domes; crossing over to the marina at Pasalimani bounded by palm trees and orange trees; then heading along the freeway past the FC Olympiakos stadium before a first glimpse of the Acropolis whilst crawling along in city traffic.

The shuttle stop is between the Acropolis and the Hills of the Muses (aka the Hill of Philopappos - an aristocratic Greek of the Roman Empire who lived at the turn of the 2nd century) so I explore the latter first, walking along stone walkways and paths through the woods to the Soctrates Prison (part of the Diateichisma fortress built to protect the Athenians from the Macedonians), the 12th century chapel of Ayios Demetrios Loumbardiaris, and up to the start of the Deme of Koile (an ancient road and suburb through a ravine). There’s much more to explore of the hills, but I have much more to explore of the city, so head back towards the Acropolis where I see Anne puffing on a cigarette. I tell her I’ll be staying in Athens till late so won’t be dining at the solos’ table tonight.

An entrance ticket is €10 and hollowed out of the hillside is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a 5000-seat, semi-circular theatre built as a memorial to his wife and still used today. In the distance, atop the Hill of The Muses, is the mausoleum and monument to Philopappos.

From the steps by the Monument to Agrippa leading up to the fortified Beule Gate, there are fine views down to the Temple of Hephaestus on the west side of the ancient Agora. The gate is the entrance to the Acropolis which thankfully, because it’s out of season, isn’t overrun with tourists. The incarnation visible today (the Propylaia ceremonial gateway, the Parthenon, and the Athena Nike and Erechtheion temples), was the vision of Pericles, a prominent Greek statesman of the 5th century BC. After an hour’s exploration of the legendary site it’s time to explore more of the city but it’s a long, long wait for a bus due to multiple demonstrations by beekeepers, students, teachers, nurses and lawyers.

We hit a police roadblock approaching the Temple of Olympian Zeus so I get off the bus and improvise a plan B, finding myself close to the chic, touristy neighbourhood of Plaka at the foot of the Acropolis and which I could have reached within 10 minutes if I’d just walked it. Ah well! The Acropolis Museum and metro stop is to my left, the tourist information office is to my right and blocking my path are gypsy women trying to pin roses on me, and to whom I forcefully suggest they might pin them somewhere else.

An all-day transport ticket is only €4.10 (good for both Athens and Piraeus) and I take the metro one stop to Syntagma Square, named for the constitution that King Otto was forced to grant after a popular uprising in 1843 against his Otto-cratic rule. Marble steps lead up to the Old Royal Palace opposite where the changing of the guard is taking place in front of The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: two soldiers of the elite Evzones infantry unit, dressed in tasselled red caps, navy tunics, white hose and hobnail pom-pom shoes, march in slow motion between their guard huts under the watchful eye of a sneering, blue-capped officer in battle dress.

A Ho-Ho bus approaches so I hop aboard to see more sights - the Olympic plaza, the National Library, Omonia Square and Hadrian’s Gate, busy Monastiraki (whose bazaar I’d explore if I had more time) and the National Garden before arriving back at Syntagma Square.

The sun is beginning to set so I take the metro back to Akropoli where I wander through the narrow streets of Plaka looking for a café serving coffee and baklava, preferably on a rooftop terrace with views of the now-illuminated Parthenon. The little Café Plaka at the end of Tripodon (street) has the terrace, the views and the muddy coffee (served in a traditional briki), but not the baklava. Ah, well. The sullen girl serving me asks for a tip. I’m happy to oblige, and suggest an addition to the menu.

Getting back to Piraeus is easy, but it’s a long, long walk from the start of the port area to the cruise ship terminal and gate E12. There are buses that go there, but I should have researched which and where from.

 

 

Fri 23 Feb 2024 - Day 12

 

 

I leave a tip for Yolanda before heading up for breakfast where the scrambled eggs look like curdled yellow water and there's no Greek yogurt left. My number is called so I head for the lifts which, not surprisingly, are all full going down. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to anyone waiting to get in a lift going up, and stay in it!

At the airport I bump into Miles, waiting for the first of his flights to Edmonton. He tells me yesterday’s excursion, “Athens and the Temple of Poseidon”, included a meal at a village restaurant that was, for him, the best meal of the cruise.

Well, I think I’ve seen enough ancient ruins for now. If I do feel the need to see more, I only have look in the mirror…

                                                                         

 

[1Virgo]

thank you for such a detailed, easy read review.  

[D. B.]

You should write a book?

I fell asleep after the first haft hour…..

[Host Jazzbeau]

requested corrections made – hint: it would be easier to read if you had put each day in a separate post

[SHIP TRAVELER]

Thank you for the review.  I understand the ship had a dry dock in Jan. 2024.  Was you bed good and was the ship as a whole in decent condition? We have a cruise booked in early 2025 and were concerned after reading some reviews.  Thank you for any information.

[Selly]

Thank you JakTar. I greatly enjoyed your review.