Grumpy and Slinkie explore the Roman Empire

[Grumpy1]

5 September, 2006, Ravenna, Italy

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It's really the 10th, but don't tell anyone that Grumpy has been very lazy about writing... again... and maybe no one will notice...

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Ravenna is a small town in Ohio, not far from where Grumpy used to hang his hat... Oh, that's the other Ravenna. The one that Slinkie & Grumpy visited today is in Italy, quite a way up the eastern coast and not far from Venice. It is best known for the ceramics that have been produced there for many centuries. Being a center for ceramic arts, it is only natural that the ceramics would be used to decorate the churches in the area and there are sevral outstanding examples of mosaics dating back to the 6th century. Slinkie & Grumpy opted for the tour that went to the town of Faenza, home of the Museum of Ceramics. The displays include examples from every period from many countries and it was a very interesting tour. Of course, no tour of a ceramics area would be complete without a demonstration of a potter's wheel, so Slinkie & Grumpy watched as a lump of clay was transformed into a vase. Grumpy isn't quite sure what part of the demonstration was the "hands on" part that was promised in the brochure. Oops, after reading the brochure, Grumpy realized that it didn't specify whose hands...

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Those that had opted for the Mosaic tour reported that it was also very good. A few that had visited before and done both tours said that the Mosaics was the tour that you really must do if you can do only one. But then those that have seen both Faenza and the mosaics and opted for the full day tour to the tiny Republic of San Marino said the same about their tour. So Grumpy say's "Pay your money and take your choice. They are all good tours, based on his in depth.. that means more than three people interviewed, in polling language... poll. Slinkie never got into the shopping mode, so there are no new additions to the pile of goodies being collected here and there.

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Slinkie & Grumpy received an invitation to join the Captain, Hotel Manager and various others for cocktails in the Explorers Lounge that evening. There was no special occasion listed, so Grumpy figures it is the one sometimes referred to as the VIP cocktail party. The Captain was about 20 minutes late arriving, which for those that know him, is very unusual. He apologized profusely and explained that he felt that he should remain on the bridge while navigating through the maze of oil and gas platforms that dominate that area. What dedication... allowing duty to come before social time... but that's Captain Gundersen.

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6 September, 2006, Venice, Italy

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Captain Gundersen had advised everyone to be up early for sail in to Venice, one of the most beautiful ports in the world to enter. Well, it probably is, but there was a fog, just enough to make the views quite hazy at the shoreline. The usual beautiful panoramic views were reduced to quick glimpses of the landmarks as Prinsendam passed by. The Venice Film Festival was in it's final days and all of the usual suspects were in town for that gala event. Several large yachts were docked or anchored at various places along the waterfront. The most impressive of the bunch was one named "Octopus". That yacht is so big that the helicopter sitting on the bow deck looked like a toy. Grumpy figures the name Octopus comes from the fact that it's owner has his tentacles into everything... some guy named Gates, Grumpy was told... By the time the Prinsendam had reached her assigned dock area, the fog was lifting. Unfortunately, the dock area is not as impressive as the rest of Venice, so it didn't make much difference if it was foggy or not.

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Venice is a very easy city to get around... once you get out of the port. For those that had booked tours, there was a dock set up right at the bow of the Prinsendam to pick them up and take them on their way. There is a water bus called Alilaguna that runs between the pier and St. Mark's Plaza... 6 Euro, one way, 11 Euro round trip. The schedule called for service every half hour starting at 8:35a. There is construction work going on at the pier where Prinsendam docked, so the docking space closest to the water bus dock was blocked off. The walk from the Prinsendam to the Alilaguna was close to a half mile. No problem for some, but a major problem for others. Slinkie & Grumpy arrived at the ticket window for the Alilaguna at about 8:50, expecting a 15 minute wait. No such luck, the next one will be at 9:35a. Seems they run on whatever schedule they want to... good old Italian time. So Slinkie & Grumpy waited for 45 minutes and finally got their ride to St. Marks, which is pretty much the heart of it all. They spent the next 2 hours just wandering up one street and down another, crossing and recrossing canals, admiring the goods in hundreds of shops. The Venitian glass is really beautiful and it was hard to resist buying all sorts of things. Grumpy did not want to deal with the hassles of trying to get the stuff home unbroken and the charges quoted for international delivery were pretty high, so he and Slinkie just admired but did not buy. After awhile, they stopped for lunch and Grumpy pulled out the map that had been left in the cabin the night before. This map was in addition to the one page useless map that HAL always hands out. It was a foldup map issued by the city and showed almost every street and canal and the water bus stops. Kudos to HAL for finally providing a map that was useful.

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The names of the streets are on the corners of the buildings at every intersection, so it didn't take Slinkie & Grumpy long to figure out where they were. What Grumpy did figure out was that they were now closer to the ship than they were to St. Marks. Rather than backtrack, they continued on, following the signs toward Plaza Roma. Plaza Roma is the major transportation hub. All of the waterbus lines go through there, the land bus lines are there and the train station is just across the Grand Canal. It has everything... except a bus to the port. The map shows one, but it also runs on Italian time... which in this case means "not at all". It's about a one mile walk back to the Prinsendam from there, so Slinkie & Grumpy opted to do that instead of either of the two alternatives: take a cab, or take a waterbus to St. Marks and hope that the Alilaguna was still running. They made it back, having encountered quite a few others that were making the trek from P.Roma to the ship, or the other way, so the path was pretty well marked. That evening the main topic of conversation around the ship seemed to be that if you didn't book a HAL tour, be prepared to do a lot of walking.

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7 September, 2007, Venice, Italy

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Well it seems those complaints were heard in the right places, as the next morning the announcement was made that there would be a land shuttle bus running from the pier to P.Roma, every half hour, $5USD each way, sign up on the bus and charge to your account. It was a little late getting started, but then it ran pretty smooth and was certainly a huge improvement over the day before. It even operated from a point just a hundred yards or so from the ship, which was much closer than the Alilaguna or the non-existant free shuttle shown on the map. This made getting around very easy. The best way to go is to take the shuttle to P. Roma and purchase a 24 hour pass for 12 Euro that lets you hop on, hop off any water bus or land bus (except the Alilaguna) anywhere in the city. There is also a three day pass available, which would have been the way to go if there had been transportation to P. Roma available the first day.

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The Prinsendam was the only ship in port the first day, but during breakfast on the second day, Slinkie & Grumpy watched the Brilliance of the Seas come in to the dock across the water from the Prinsendam. From what Grumpy could observe, they also had service close by for their tours, but also had to rely on the Alilaguna or private water taxis. After breakfast, Slinkie & Grumpy were on the first run of the new shuttle service and very quickly had purchesed day passes and were on a water bus. The #1 is the local bus that makes every stop through the Grand Canal and past St. Marks to Giardini station. Service is very frequent, so it is the best choice for hop on, hop off around the city. If your plans call for going to Lido Island, Murano Island or some of the other islands that are not linked by foot bridges, there are several other lines, 41, 42, 51, 52, 82 and more that will get you there. Just be sure to check wich direction it is going. Slinkie & Grumpy started out on the 82 line to Rialto and wandered around the shops between there and St. marks. They then got on the 42 to Murano which is where most of the glass blowing factories are located. After watching a glass blowing demonstration (free) they prowled through the shops there. Slinkie finally found that "must have" item. It was a two strand gold wire necklace with deep red barrel shaped beads on one strand and gold beads on the other. The beads are about 3/8" diameter by an inch long. They are spaced so that the gold beads lay in between the red ones. The necklace is very good looking and was much more delicate than the ones that were more common... large discs, balls or cubes. There was a matching bracelet, too, but no earrings. Slinkie wasn't going to let that keep her from her prize, though. She has other earrings that will go well enough with it.

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After lunch and more wandering around Murano, Slinkie & Grumpy again boarded the water bus and returned to the main shopping areas around St. Marks. Slinkie had admired the beautiful Garnet jewelry in almost all of the jewelry stores, but most was styled in ornate antique style settings that do not appeal to her. There was an occasional piece that had a nice style, but never anything in a set. While looking around again to see if there were any items that had been overlooked, Grumpy spotted a pair of earrings in a window display. No, not Garnet, but an exact match for the Murano glass bead necklace and bracelet. After acquiring those, they decided to head back, as the last shuttle from P. Roma was scheduled for 5p and Slinkie wasn't wanting to take that walk again. Come to think of it, Grumpy wasn't too crazy about the idea either...

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Back on board, Slinkie & Grumpy had to do an early dinner in the Lido, as they had an excursion that evening... The ever romantic Grumpy was taking his sweetheart on a moonlight serenade gondola ride at 7p. There was a water shuttle to the St. Marks area and then the group was divided up into groups of six and loaded into the gondolas, except for one gondola that only had four passengers so there would be room for the accordian player and the singer. Slinkie & Grumpy were four gondolas behind that one and there were four or five ahead of the singer and there were a couple of more behind Slinkie & Grumpy. Thats a lot of gondolas strung out through the canal for one singer and most of the time it was difficult to hear because the gondolas would get strung out. When they were bunched up, Slinkie & Grumpy's gondolier would start shouting back and forth with the one in front or behind him or with people on the bridges they passed under. Slinkie finally had enough and told him to shut up so she could hear the music. He did.

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The gondola ride ended close to St. Marks, next to one of the hotels. There Slinkie & Grumpy had their first encounter with the Paparazzi. As they stepped from the gondola they were looking into the biggest dayum collection of cameras Grumpy has ever seen and they were all aimed right at him and the lovely Slinkie. Now Grumpy has long known that his moment in the spotlight would come someday, so he and Slinkie were ready, struck their best pose and.... Dayum!.. not one flash went off! What's with that? Well, it seems they were waiting for someone to come out of the hotel across the canal... some soccer player named David Beckham or something like that... married to one of the Spice Girls, someone said... and the photographers were practically pushing each other in the canal as they jockeyed for the best position to get their shot. A couple of minutes later the sky lit up as a hundred flashbulbs went off at once. Timing is everything... if Grumpy had stepped off the gondola a couple of minutes later he could have gotten his mug right in the middle of the picture. Can't you just see the headlines in the tabloids? Grumpy comes between David and his Spice Girl.

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8 September, 2006, Venice, Italy

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All good things must end... and today is the last day for the Prinsendam to be in Venice. Grumpy noticed that the Brilliance of the Seas was no longer in port. They had departed sometime after Slinkie & Grumpy returned from the Gondola ride. At breakfast, some friends said that they had been watching a little earlier as the NCL Jewel approached the dock, turned around and sailed away. Grumpy looked out across the city and could see the superstructure across town docked somewhere else. Guess they didn't like the first accomodations offered... The $5 shuttle was in service until noon, so Slinkie & Grumpy went to P. Roma and then crossed to the other side of the Grand Canal, where they spent a couple of hours wandering through previously unexplored areas before returning to the Prinsendam for a wine and cheese sail-away. Unlike the world cruise, where the wine and cheese sail-aways were free and a way to use up extra wine that had been brought on for wine tastings and sales, this one wasn't free. Well, the cheese was... but the wine was priced well below the normal lounge prices for the various offerings, and there were good choices. As the Prinsendam was getting ready to sail, the Carnival Liberty sailed in and docked at the same dock that brilliance of the Seas had vacated. Shortly after, Prinsendam set sail and moved out into the channel for a last look at Venice. The weather was beautiful and the views that were missed on the way in proved to have been worth the wait. The thing that Grumpy found most interesting though, was seeing the NCL Jewel docked about 200 yards from St. Marks and right next to the Giardina water bus station. The stay in Venice would have been fantastic with a berth like that. Slinkie & Grumpy had wanted to see Venice on their honeymoon in 2002, but had to settle for the Western Mediterranean instead. Good things come to those who wait, the old adage goes... and three days in Venice with his sweet Slinkie... Grumpy say's that is more than a good thing... it's a fantastic thing.

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Slinkie & Grumpy had received an invitation to join Hotel Manager Fekko Ebbens for cocktails and dinner this evening. It was also the second formal night and the Officer's Black and White Ball. They joined two other couples and Francois, who is training under Fekko for his duties as Hotel Manager on the Windstar ships, in the Explorer Lounge. When the drinks were being ordered, Grumpy ordered his usual and then commented that since Fekko was buying, he should have ordered the Louis XIII. Fekko told Grumpy to remember that he knew how to make charges mysteriously appear on the shipboard account... no Louis XIII for Grumpy tonight. Slinkie & Grumpy sailed with Fekko on the 2005 World Cruise for 113 days but never got a chance to talk with him. Just an occasional hello in passing and a handshake at the various functions. This evening was definitely an enjoyable evening spent getting acquainted, learning about the HotMan responsibilities and enjoying a fine dining experience together. Grumpy knew that his World Cruise thread had been followed by some of the HAL people on board, but didn't know if Fekko was one of them until he asked Grumpy if he was writing anything on this cruise. Note to Grumpy... watch what you say... Fekko has access to the onboard accounts...

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Grumpy asked Fekko about the NCL being docked in the best spot in town while everyone else was out in the boondocks. He said that the space was only used for ships that would be there for less than a day and would need no shore services. No deliveries larger than a DHL delivery are allowed from shore and no delivery or service boats are allowed to come alongside. Since there were many deliveries of supplies to the Prinsendam, that would not have been an option.

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The evening was all too soon over. Grumpy glanced around the room and saw that their table was the last that was still seated in the dining room. Nobody seemed to be ready to end the conversation, but it was already a half hour into the Officer's Ball and Slinkie was looking forward to her chance to dance with the Captain... and Grumpy... so Grumpy suggested that perhaps they should allow the dining room staff to finish their work and adjourn to the Queen's Lounge. They did get there in time for Slinkie to dance with the Captain... and Grumpy... and Fekko... and the Food and Beverage Manager... that gal goes for the ones that count... before the ball ended and Slinkie & Grumpy moved up to the Crow's Nest for a nightcap. Buddy Mitchell is the piano man... he's OK, but Randall Powell is more versatile and more fun.

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9 September, 2006, Dubrovnik, Croatia

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Another port visited on the Noordam and repeated on the Prinsendam. There were a total of five ships scheduled to be in port... about 7500 passengers... so Grumpy was glad they had visited the Old City and walked the wall on the previous visit when the Noordam was the only ship in port. Slinkie & Grumpy had a HAL tour booked.. A Taste of Croatia... that took them out into the countryside along the Adriatic coast west of Dubrovnik, past the Elaphite archipelago to the towns of Ston and Slano. They visited a winery, sampled a Croatian white and red that were fermented in oak. The oak taste was a bit strong for Grumpy's taste. There is very little Croatian wine exported although there is a pretty large industry producing the wines for local consumption. The second winery visited was also a lunch stop. Their wines are made in stainless steel vats, and had more fruity flavors. None of the wines sampled were remarkable enough to warrant a purchase by Grumpy, though a few of the people on the tour did buy a couple of bottles. The tour guide was quite good and did an excellent job of explaining the history, the wars, and the rebuilding of the area. With 25 people on the tour and only one other tour bus in the same towns with Slinkie & Grumpy, it was a relaxing day. At dinner that evening, Grumpy's suspicion that the Old Town would be a mob scene was confirmed. No shopping today folks...

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10 September, 2006, Corfu, Greece

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Another repeat port. There were two other ships in port with the Prinsendam, Oceania Nautica and P&O Arcadia. The Nautica is just a bit smaller than the Prinsendam, but the Arcadia is much larger. Grumpy is no expert on such matters, but it sure looks to him that the Arcadia is built on a Vista Class hull. If you don't look at the restaurant up top just forward of the funnel, you would think it was the Westerdam. Same wrap around rear balconies, same steel panels instead of plexiglass on the deck 4 balconies ahead of the indented area, same mid ship outside glass elevators, same angle balconies at the ends of the indented area. The drive may be different though, as there was an emblem that looks like a pod drive welded on the side of the hull aft, where the emblem for stern thrusters would be on a HAL ship. The restaurant up top may be something that shows up on the signature class ships.

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Slinkie and Grumpy had booked a tour to the village of Gastouri and Achillion Palace which was built by Empress Elizabeth of Austria and later was owned by Kaiser Wilhelm II. It was used as a casino for a time but has been restored and is now a museum. Grumpy quickly was reminded why he books HAL tours with a certain degree of trepidation. His bus was one of four on that same tour from the Prinsendam, several more from the other ships, and who knows how many from who knows where. It was a zoo! Slinkie & Grumpy had 45 on their bus. That's about 20 too many to lead through a museum and try to have anyone understand what the guide is saying. Add in the noise of several other groups in the same rooms, the wait for groups to move out of the next area, and it really isn't an enjoyable tour.

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Next stop was Kanoni, which is a little town with a scenic view of the convent of Vlachema and Mouse Island. It was also supposed to be a restroom stop. There were already 6 or 7 buses there when Slinkie & Grumpy's bus arrived. The guide said that the restrooms in either of the coffee shops was available. Just as the Prinsendam horde descended on one of them, a lady came bustling out of the coffe shop, key in hand, and proceeded to lock the restrooms while repeating over and over "No! No more." Sheesh, she really had her knickers knotted!

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Next stop was the old town, and again there were buses lined up everywhere. Slinkie & Grumpy had thoroughly explored the old town before, but there was a mission to be accomplished. Slinkie had purchased a pair of white shoes that turned out to be really comfortable and she wanted to get them in a couple of other colors. Grumpy, who keeps receipts for everything forever, did not keep that receipt, so he had no idea of the address, but did remember the approximate location. Due to his uncanny sense of direction he was able to locate the store in a matter of minutes... OK, so it was dumb luck instead of skill... but alas, being Sunday, only the souvenir shops were open. The shoe store was locked tight. Grumpy decided he'd better get Slinkie out of there before she found a rock to throw through the window. She really was looking forward to finding that store again and getting more shoes. Alas, it was not to be.

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After returning to the ship and having lunch, Slinkie & Grumpy returned to their cabin to rest up a bit. Slinkie turned on her computer.... uh oh, that's not the normal boot screen... and what's that message about operating system not found? Grumpy cycled it through several times, but it appears that there is no hard drive activity at all. Grumpy fears that, unless it turns out to be a loose cable, Slinkie's laptop is toast. It has not been a good day for Grumpy's sweetie. Grumpy will be glad to share his laptop, and data files were backed up recently, so it could be worse, but it just seems unfair. No new shoes, dead computer, less than thrilling tour, all in the same day. Tomorrow is Katakalon, another repeat, another HAL tour. Grumpy's printout from CruiseCal says that costa Europa (1500 passengers) and MSC Musica (2550 passengers) will share the port. Olympia could be busy. Grumpy thinks it's time to post this and see if a good nights sleep brings a better day.

[hammybee]

He wants to know "what" and "why".

[SDHALFAN]

Thanks once again Grumpy for a fantastic read. As much as I hate to fly I may just have to get my rear end back to the Med one of these days since you make it all sound so enticing.

 

I just have one question: it's really nosy and none of my business, but does The Grumpy1 ever buy anything on these cruises? I admire Slinkie, she's my type of Gal, and she has a real treasure in you in that you are willing to go along. My late husband would rather have been shot than shop.

 

Valerie:)

[Williebill]

Grumpy,

 

So glad you and Slinkie finally got to meet Fekko as Shelia and I did on the 2005 GWV. We found him to be a very good dinner host; I certainly enjoyed the wines that were served at that dinner.

 

Continue to have a wonderful trip. I am sorry that Slinkie's computer bit the dust.

[Grumpy1]

11 September 2006, Katakolon, Greece.

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Grumpy respectfully asks that everyone take a moment to reflect on the terrorist acts of five years ago and to remember those whose lives were taken. He especially thinks of the many heros of that day... some that were able to save lives and others that gave their own life trying to save others. May we Americans never forget that day.

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Before leaving the port of Corfu, Captain Gundersen announced that he intended to be just outside of Katakalon by 5:30a to pick up the pilot. Katakalon is a pretty small port, and is also a "first come, first served" port. When Grumpy awoke at about 7:00a and peeked out of the cabin, he found that the Prinsendam was already docked in the best position and the MSC Musica was docked where there would be a little further to walk. The Noordam had docked in the same position now occupied by Prinsendam, so apparently size doesn't matter... just when you arrive in port. While enjoying breakfast on the aft deck of the Lido, Slinkie and Grumpy watched the Costa Europa come into port. Well, not quite into port... they anchored just outside and set up a tender operation.

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After breakfast, Slinkie and Grumpy wandered down to the Queens Lounge and got their stickers for the tour... Ancient Olympia and the Village. The ruins of the the original Olympic site are only about 25 miles from Katakolon, and that has been the catalyst for transforming the sleepy little fishing village into a sleepy little fishing village with a big dock and a street full of small tourist shops. After boarding the bus with about 40 others, Slinkie and Grumpy departed Katakolon for the 1/2 hour drive to Olympia. The young woman guiding the group was easy to understand as she explained the history of the Olympic games, the changes in the games during the Roman period, the destruction of much of the site and banning of the games during the early Christian era, and finally the near total destruction of the remaining structures by earthquake.

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After arriving at the site, where many other busloads of tourists were already wandering the grounds, the guide announced announced that anyone that really needed to could stop to use the restrooms that they were passing and could rejoin the group a short distance away where she would be explaining more about the site. Moving on to a point close to the Temple of Zeus, she proceeded with her talk, only to be interrupted by a man whose wife had decided to take advantage of the restroom break. " Hold it! Some of the people aren't here! We need to wait so they can hear this, too!" Grumpy stared at him and told him "That's their problem,not ours. If we wait for every straggler, half of the tour time will be gone before we get started." That being settled, the tour proceeded smoothly. The site is so huge that groups can usually hear their guide without disturbing or being disturbed by other groups. The guide pointed out the many interesting building remains and explained their significance. She pointed out the site where the Olympic Torch is lit, explaining that the "tradition" is an invention of modern times but has been readily adopted by the greeks as a part of the Games. She also mentioned that Greece was somewhat miffed when they were passed over for the Centennial of the modern games in favor of Atlanta, GA, so they boycotted Atlanta's best known product, Coca Cola, for two months.

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Continuing into the stadium itself, one could imagine the crowds of spectators surrounding the field. The marble start and finish lines are still there, approximately 200 yds apart. The judges stand is at midfield on one side and the stand for the one woman that was allowed to watch all of those naked guys running up and down the field was on the opposite side. Some of the younger guys in one group were so caught up in the moment that they staged an impromptu footrace down the field. Unfortunately, the race started at the finish line and finished at the start line. Fortunately, that wasn't the only rule of the ancient games that they broke... they kept their clothes on...

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The group was then given about a half hour to wander on their own. Grumpy decided that it might be a good idea to check out the facilities before reboarding the bus. He noticed that, as is usually the case, the line for the women's room was quite long. The line for the men's room was much shorter, but Grumpy quickly saw that it was about to start moving very slowly. There was a group of Japanese women that were about to take over the men's room. Grumpy picks his battles carefully. Telling a fellow tour patron off is one thing... taking on a half dozen women in dire need of the facilities... Grumpy decided he could wait... Don't try to read anything into the description of the women's nationality. Grumpy has observed identical behavior by American women and others in similar situations...

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The path to the bus went past the museum, but it was not open this morning. It was scheduled to open in the afternoon for some other tours. Slinkie and Grumpy's group boarded the bus into the nearby town and then was given about 35 minutes to shop. Slinkie howled in protest that more time was needed to do a proper job of shopping, but as it turned out, she was able to find a top that she liked and a shot glass in the limited time available.

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Arriving back at the port, Slinkie and Grumpy made their usual trek tom the Lido for lunch and watched as the Musica cast off the lines and sailed away. Within minutes a much smaller ship, the Sapphire, was sailing in to take that dock position. Grumpy stretched the lunch as long as he could, but there was still too many hours until sail away for the Prinsendam. Slinkie was still in shopping mode, having had some minor success during the morning, so Grumpy dutifully accompanied her for the short walk from the ship to the town shopping district. There were several shop owners that were quite anxious to sell her more Greek Key design jewelry or Byzantine design... or any other design... and were apparently quite willing to bargain. Grumpy figures they must be near the end of the tourist season. Slinkie did not find any "must have" items and after an hour or so decided that her shopping was finished. Besides she had an appointment to get her hair done (suite dinner with the Captain tonight) so couldn't stay in town too long.

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All in all, it has been a good day. The tour was much better than the one in Corfu and all of the shops were open. Slinkie didn't buy much, but she likes to be the one that decides not to buy instead of having the shop owners decide for her by not opening. Grumpy doesn't see much difference... either way, the coins stay in his wallet... but then he claims no expertise in understanding the female mind and all of those nuanced thought processes...

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Time to post. BTW, Grumpy is still chuckling about the mention of Pucker Factor... Grumpy remembers talking to a crane operator years ago, prior to computerized controls, that used that term to describe how he determined whether his crane would safely lift the load without tipping...

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you grumpy - we are thinking about it here. DH had a cardiologist appointment this morning. Just got back a few minutes ago.

 

The army helicopters just flew over our house on their out to Shanksville, PA.

[Williebill]

Being a retired Firefighter, you know I'm thinking about that day five years ago; my thoughts are certainly with all of the families that lost dear loved ones on that day.

[Copper10-8]

Great posts Grumpy as usual! Appreciate you taking the time out to remember that day five years ago! We will never forget!

Enjoy the remaining three days of your Adriatic Jewels cruise on Prinsendam!

[Aussie Gal]

Grumpy and Slinkie,

 

I am loving your posts as usual. Also I want to let you know we here in Australian are thinking of you and your country today. We have had a lot of documentaries etc on T.V. over the past few days. It was the day that changed the world forever.

 

Jennie

[ejbmorr]

Jennie- It really does make a difference to know that people all over share in the pain that we felt in the US on 9/11/01 and the suffering that it caused so many families. Thank you on behalf of all Americans. And you are right, it really was an attack on the entire world. Things have changed forever for everyone, even for those who caused the tragedy.

[HeatherInFlorida]

5 years ago has been on my mind all day and the memories of that day are etched forever. The moments of silence this morning were painful yet inspiring at the same time.

 

Jennie, thank you. Tonight I heard that people from 90 countries were killed that day and was reminded it was, after all, the World Trade Center. So this was an attack on all of us.

 

Grumpy and Slinkie, it seems like you're been gone forever!!! When are you coming home??? We miss you here in Florida

[SDHALFAN]

I remember how five years ago today, early in the morning here in California, I watched on T.V. the events as they were happening on the east coast. It is still difficult for me to explain what I felt that morning: amazement (this is actually happening isn't it, it's not just a T.V. show, right?), horror at man's inhumanity to man, and a profound sadness for the innocent victims and their families. I felt myself feeling that way again this morning.

 

I just want to say to Aussie Gal, and those like her, that that morning my e-mail inbox was filled with messages of condolence and support from friends around the world: Australia, England, Holland, Indonesia, Hong Kong, just to name a few. I, personally did not lose anyone in that horror but my friends from all around the world just wanted to express their outrage and to let us here in the U.S. know that we don't stand alone in our belief that everyone in this is entitled to freedom.

 

Thanks Jennie (Aussie Gal), and I just got an e-mail from my brother who lives just outside of Brisbane, and other dear friends from Indonesia, England and Hong Kong saying that they are all thinking of us today. Thank you all so much, we really do appreciate your support.

 

Valerie:)

 

p.s. I had to go out today to run some errands. When I was driving home I crossed a bridge over the freeway and there was this lovely man standing there waving a huge American flag that could be seen by the drivers on the freeway below. I drove one more block and there was a company that had a huge banner hanging from one of the windows in the building saying "We remember 9/11 and honour the memory of those who died on that day" - God Bless America.

 

Make no mistake: we Americans will not forget September 11th, 2001, just as we remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor and all the lives that were lost there. This is a nation made up of people from all over the world. We all took different paths to get here but with so many stories and struggles and hardships along the way. We love our country, we are tough, we are strong and we have a firm belief that everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

 

Valerie

[KathieKata]

Valerie: Notice how Grumpy NEVER answered your question about him doing any 'shopping' for himself!! :rolleyes:

Grumpy.......as usual GREAT READING. Thanks for the absolutely wonderful posts of your cruise and tours. Oh and least I forget Slinkie's Shopping!!

Keep it coming. It's my pre-bedtime required reading!! :)

[SDHALFAN]

Hi Kathie,

 

Yes, I did notice that the Grumpy1 completely glossed over my question - hmmmm!;)

 

Oh well, I'm with you - I love reading about his and Slinkie's adventures and travelling vicariously with the two of them.

 

Valerie:)

[Grumpy1]

12 September, 2006, Piraeus (Athens), Greece. (The Poseidon Adventure)

-

Well, it wasn't that much of an adventure, but Slinkie and Grumpy's tour today took them to Cape Sounion, which is the location of the Temple of Poseidon. The drive from the ship to the cape is quite scenic along the coast road and the guide did a very good job of describing the changes in the area in both ancient and recent times. It was very windy at the cape, but the intrepid mariners were up to the battle with the elements and soon found themselves up on top of the hill examining the remains and looking for familiar names among those that were not able to resist the urge to carve their name and date into the ancient columns. There were a lot of dates in the late 1800's, some earlier than that. The most notable seems to be that of the poet Byron. Fortunately, they don't allow that practice anymore. With the advent of battery operated Dremel tools and carbide bits, imagine what the columns would look like if people were allowed to memorialize their visit.

-

After a leisurely stroll around that site and the obligatory tour through the gift shop, the bus headed back into Athens and at the stroke of noon ended up in front of a hotel with a nice buffet lunch set up and waiting. Nice meal, good company, unlimited wine supply... who could ask for anything more? Lunch having been completed, the tour continued with a drive through Athens where the guide pointed out all of the places of interest and explained why they were of interest. She even pointed out the statue of President Harry Truman... the only reason she gave for his statue being there was that Athens is the home of democracy and Truman was a democrat... Grumpy suspects there is probably more to the story...

-

Eventually the bus reached the base of the Acropolis. Almost all of the mostly senior citizens on the tour managed the long uphill climb to the top. The walks and stairs are pretty trecherous in places. The marble steps, polished to a high sheen by years of foot traffic were quite slippery in places and there are many uneven and sloping surfaces to contend with. One gentleman went down, but seems to have suffered no permanent damage. He was complaining about his ankle being pretty sore during the ride back to the ship and was hoping a little ice would get him in shape for more hiking in Ephesus tomorrow. The Acropolis is being restored, using as many original pieces as can be located and repaired and then using replacement pieces and patches quarryed from the same marble quarry as the original. It is quite an undertaking, but seems to be progressing well. At the end of the tour, the bus returned to the ship, just about 8 hours after departing. Another very good tour.

-

Last night was the suite dinner. Captain Gundersen made an appearance during the cocktail party that preceeded the dinner, and then excused himself to get some sleep before the early morning arrival at Pireaus. He commented that dinner would be in the "secret dining room" and that tomorrow you would not be able to find it again. It was actually in the Half Moon room, but with the usual crossword puzzle tables and other trappings gone, and the walls covered, it didn't seem like the same room. Slinkie and Grumpy were seated with a couple from Holland and a couple from Florida, along with Chief Purser, Erin. During the course of the conversation, it was discovered that all three couples will be back on Prinsendam for the 2007 Circle South America/Antartica cruise. Erin leaves the ship at the start of that cruise though. A good time was had by all.

-

Not too much more to report right now, so Slinkie and Grumpy will say goodnight for now... even if it is only midafternoon where most of you are...

[RuthC]

Good night, Grumpy and Slinky. Sleep well.

I am so very much enjoying reading all your posts from places I have never been. You make them so vivid that I can almost picture them---not as good as having been there, but very nice mental pictures.

Maybe someday I can walk in your footsteps.

[hammybee]

Thank you again for the richness of the detail. We all feel like we are there with you.

[OldCodger73]

Grumpy, the Truman statue is probably there because the Truman administration funded the Greek government's fight against the Communist rebels in a bloody civil war after WWII.

 

BTW, I'm really enjoying your posts. Keep them coming.

[BuckeyeGal1956]

I did a Google search on Truman+Athens and found the following article:

 

Greek Protesters Topple Statue of U.S. President Truman

 

By Harry Papachristou

July 26, 2006 (Bloomberg) -- Greek protesters pulled down the statue of former U.S. President Harry Truman in Athens to protest U.S. policy in the Middle East.

 

``I was dismayed to learn about the toppling of the statue of President Truman, who did so much for Greece and believed in Greece's future,'' U.S. ambassador to Greece Charles Ries said in an e-mailed statement.

About 20 demonstrators tied a rope around the 2-meter (6.6 feet) bronze statue and pulled it down late yesterday, the state-run Athens News Agency ANA reported.

 

Some 1,000 people protested outside the Israeli and U.S. embassies in Athens yesterday to express their support for Lebanon and the Palestinians, police said.

 

The Truman statue has been toppled at least four times since it was erected on a central Athens avenue in 1963. Greek- Americans financed the monument to commemorate Truman's support for the Greek government against communist insurgents in Greece's 1946-1949 civil war. Harry S. Truman was U.S. president from 1945 to 1953.

 

To contact the reporter on this story: Harry Papachristou in Athens at hpapachristo@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 26, 2006 04:34 EDT

 

----------

Looks like they got it back up again in time for your visit!

[jhannah]

What memories you continue to trigger. I especially remember our driver pulling off on a side street on the way out to Cape Sounion so we could truly eat with the locals. A great place that brought out a kilo of lamb, a huge Greek salad, and wonderful bread and olive oil. Then yogurt with honey for dessert. Wow! It was wonderful! (Oh, and the scenery was, too, as you noted.)

[Williebill]

Enjoy your last few days on this trip; take heart, you still have a cruise coming up next month and then you will be back on the Prinsendam in January.

[Ziggy7]

Hey Slinkie, save some room on those credit cards of Grunpys for our cruise next month hehehe :) Miss you both!

[Grumpy1]

14 September 2006 Live from Istanbul.

 

Slinkie and Grumpy were dragged kicking and screaming from their home this morning and dumped in a hotel in Istanbul. Grumpy will try to update on the last few days when he gets back to that other home in Florida, but for now he will only say that it has been a wonderful cruise with so many great people and give a brief overview of the last couple of days. The privately arranged tour of Ephesus (Kusadasi) and the other sites in the area was really great. 4 fellow CC'ers from the rollcall thread with assorted friends and/or spouses joined Slinkie and Grumpy for the all day tour.

 

The Prinsendam docked in Istanbul in the early afternoon on the 13th. Costa Mediterranea and NCL Jewel were already there, but Prinsendam docked at a berth that was in a better spot... right next to the ferry docks and the cloosest position to Galeta bridge. The other ships were only a few hundred yards away, but by streets there was closer to a mile between the terminals. HAL had a shuttle bus to the Grand Bazaar for $10 USD round trip, so Slinkie and Grumpy headed over there.

 

You know that Garnet Jewelry that Slinkie was looking at in Venice? Well, she found some pieces that were styled the way she likes and by combining peices from two stores got her ring, earrings and pendant. After a little haggling, the hit on Grumpy's credit card wasn't too bad...

 

There was supposed to be a privately arranged night out in Istanbul through the same company that provided the tour in Kusadasi, but they never showed up at the Prinsendam's dock. Grumpy suspects they were waiting about a mile away at the dock for the NCL Jewel. Slinkie and Grumpy and Margi didn't let that slow them down, though. Margi ran into a friend that knew what restaurant HAL was using for their tour, so they jumped in a cab and 5.5 new Turkish Lira ( about 3.5USD) later, they were in the same location and managed to get a table in the best location in the house... directly in front of the stage. It was a great dinner and show, but Slinkie says she is not going to try wiggling like those belly dancers do. She was also complaining that the female dancers were scantily clad to please the men, but the male dancers were dressed in baggy pants, work boots, heavy shirts, etc. She thought their dance would have been much better in Speedos...

 

The company also never showed up to pick up S&G for a tour of Istanbul and transfer to their hotel this morning. After waiting an hour, they grabbed a cab and were soon checked in to their room. within minutes the phone rang and the manager of the tour company wanted to know why they had not seen their guide at the pier the night before and this morning. Grumpy told him it was because the guide absolutely, unequivocally was never there. They did come over and picked up Slinkie and Grumpy at the hotel and took them on the tour of the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagis St. Sophie and the Grand Covered Bazaar so everything turned out OK in the end.

 

Slinkie and Grumpy's suite at the Swissotel Bosphorus is quite luxurious... but it just isn't the Prinsendam. It will do for tonight, though... or part of the night, as they are leaving for the airport at 3:20a.

 

So that's about it for now... thank's, everyone, for riding along. And BTW, Valerie... Grumpy does do some shopping from time to time for himself on cruises, but just never found anything he just had to have this time around.:D

[happy cruzer]

Here hoping for safe traveling for you and your luggage! Bon voyage! the cruises were wonderful from where I'm sitting.

[DeltaBC]

We enjoy reading your adverntures.You should but it all in book form I think it will be a best seller.Dose Slinkie have Jewels for every day of the year. What a wonderful collection she must have now.We are waiting for your next adventure.Keep cruiseing. Iris