Cruise Overview---Venice proper

Chad & Marsha on left, Geneen on right by raised sidewalk

 This is the Piazza San Marco but the crowds were so tremendous and the lines were blocks long and it cost 18 euros to go inside so we decided to forego.  Because it was high tide, water was bubbling up from the drains and so they had put raised movable sidewalks around to keep tourists out of the water (see picture).  By the way the exchange rate is almost a dollar and a half to the euro. 

 But the plaza was spectacular without going in.  There were shopping kiosks everywhere. 

 Unbelievable architecture in the plaza.  If it weren't so cold that day we might have stayed longer.  It never got up to 60 degrees. 

Here is a street in the Rialto shopping area.  Archie said that it looked like Venicians were only 10% of the population in the Rialto.  Such a crush of tourists and shoppers.  We joined in and shopped there also.  All through there were small shopping booths and open door leading into one room shops.  The men were most interested in the architecture and moving along.  The women kept getting side tracked by the shopping.  It was so funny, when we would finally all be together again and start walking we would say "the amoeba is on the move again." It was like herding cats, we were always losing someone.  The men were actually amazingly patient with our enthusiasm.  

 As we walked through we constantly ran into small canals between buildings.  Luckily there were a lot of bridges.  This is just a typical water alley. 

Marilyn and Ron in front of the Basilica S. Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari

 We stopped and for 3 euros apiece toured the Basilica s. Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari.  It was so ornate and spectacular it was unbelievable.  This is right in the middle of Venice.  Reminded us of the churches we had toured in Rome and Florence two years ago.  Eye popping decorations, statues, sarcophogi. paintings and wall decorations.

 Another view of a church in a plaza.  So typical in Venice.

Ron on left, Archie on right, my pizza in middle.  That is a bottle of olive oil on the table. 

 We got hungry as we SLOWLY made our way across Venice.  For lunch we stopped at a little eatery and bought sandwiches and wraps.  If you bought it outside and ate it outside they charged 4 euros per sandwich.  If you wanted to eat it inside they cost 5 and a half euros.  We were desperate for the WC (water closet) and all over the public ones cost a euro and a half to use and were not all that private.  We bought enough sandwiches that they let us use their free bathroom in the restaurant.

I forgot to mention that we had to make 2 stops for Gelato in spite of the cold weather.  It is so good, and Italy is the place to get it.  Yummy

For dinner we went to a pizzeria. The pictures here are of the dinner at the pizzeria.   They were so charming and were so excited to see a group of 10 come in. Archie's ham pizza (which was bigger than the plate but very thin crusted and crisp) was 7 euros and mine with ham and mushroom (called funghi on the menu) was 7 and a half euro.  Gary and Lucy got Calzones for 6 and a half euro and they were bigger than their plate also.        Quite the adventure.

Chad and Gary digging in, Lucy's hands and calzone in the foreground

We bought gifts in Venice.  I got Pashmina scarves that I had seen in every city we had been in.  Geneen, Lucy. Marsha and Jesse got Murano glass pendant necklaces for their families.  We did not go to Murano but their hand blown glass and pendants and earrings are everywhere.  We thoroughly enjoyed Venice, partly because we strolled slowly through the whole city and so saw quite a bit of real Venice and loved it.  We will never forget that day.
The whole trip was made so fun by having family there.  Dad did not come on the tour of Venice, having been there before and it was vigorous and a lot of stairs for his wheelchair.  But we so much enjoy each others' company whether on the ship, at dinner, or sight-seeing and of course shopping together.  Dad went most places with us, skipping only Venice and Athens, both places he and our Mom had toured before and not very handicapped accessible.  What an adventure it all was.  How fun to be together for a week.  Thanks Dad for taking us all on this memorable trip with you.

Cruise Overview---Grand Canal, Venice, Italy

 We had all day in Venice so we got dropped off at the bus terminal then took a ferry on the Grand Canal to the far side of town and took the day walking back to the bus terminal.  The grand canal is really big and it was high tide so it looked like water was coming into some of the homes.

 The architecture reflected the centuries of Turkish ownership. 

 San Toma.  Quite the architecture.  We didn't get off the boat here, we kept going to the Piazza San Marco, which was so spectacular. and was on the far side of Venice.

 Gondolas are all over the  place but they are way expensive, like 100 euros for an hour ride or so.  We were warned to save our money and take the ferry.

Another view of San Toma.  Most of the people on the ferry got off at the Rialto.  We didn't know why until we were walking back and came to the Rialto.  I will show it in the next blog. 

Cruise Overview---Bed and Breakfast in Venice

Chad and Ron in front of our rooms

We wanted to stay over a day in Venice so Jesse booked a B&B over the internet that was a mile from the airport because we had an early flight the next day.  We only paid 450 euros for 5 rooms and so were expecting something pretty old and primitive.  What we found was so astounding.  It was a newly built and extremely luxurious and beautiful sets of rooms built behind an aging villa.  

Here we are unloading from one of our 2 vans

 The grounds were BEAUTIFUL.  Just look at some of the pictures of the grounds.  I don't know why it never occurred to me to get a picture of the rooms and BATHROOM which was almost as big as the immense room.  Very modern, with a bidet and everything. 

The front of the villa

a raised, landscaped thing in the front of the yard

fountains and plants at the very front of the villa

Cruise Overview ---Nafplion, Greece

This was a fascinating city.  We were only in port for half a day.  Archie went up the 999 steps to get to the castle and fort above the city.  I passed on that and spent the morning looking at old Greek Orthodox cathedrals, narrow stone paved streets and little one room shops on them.  I can't believe that cars often tried to go down the marble paved streets.  Shoppers had to hug the walls to let them by.  I gave the camera to Archie so I didn't get any pictures of where we are but here are some pictures Archie took of the Fort. This was a tender city, which means the ship could not get into the harbor and instead they ferried the passengers into the port on tenders (life boats from the ship)  I had loads of fun in the city with my sisters and Dad while the hale and hearty hiked to the top.  See the view of where I was from the top of the fortifications.

Cruise Overview --- Athens, Greece

 Random pictures taken at the Acropolis.  The Parthenon was immense.  Even the rubble was carved and beautiful.  Some of the most interesting things we saw were in the museum at the Acropolis but they would not allow pictures to be taken there.  It is amazing to be at a place and viewing things that were build 2500 years before Christ. 

Cruise Overview ---- Dubrovnik, Croatia

 Dubrovnik, in the extreme south of Croatia is known as the Pearl of the Adriatic.  It is a port city in the panhandle area.  Built in the 1400s and then rebuilt in the 1600s it is considered to be one of the strongest fortifications in Europe.  The entire old town area is completely surrounded by immense walls and fortifications.  The town withstood siege by the Montenegrin army (Yugoslavian army) in 1991 and 1992 and suffered bombardment but never was taken. 

 The old town area is completely paved in beautiful rock.  The streets and walkways are narrow.  This is Archie in one of the narrow streets.

The architecture was very ornate and there were open areas like plazas.  Just beautiful.

This is the front of the museum dedicated to the soldiers who fought to defend Dubrovnik. 

This is one of the open plazas.  You can see more fortifications up on the top of the hill above Old Town. 

This is one of the fortifications in the walls that surround Dubrovnik. 


Below is a view of the wall that surrounds the old city and the fortifications in it.  It looks like the lowered park around it might have been a moat or able to be flooded at one time.   We only had a half day to spend here but we enjoyed it immensely.

Cruise overview - Izmir Turkey

Gokalp and Basak at Ephesus

Archie and I agreed that our favorite place to visit on the cruise was Izmir, Turkey but that was so much because Gokalp Ekremoglu (our former foreign exchange student and current son-across-the-ocean) met us there and then showed us around.  We hadn't seen him in 17 years and though he calls us a couple of times a year and we facebook and email a bit together it was WONDERFUL to see him in person and meet his new wife Basak.  He both has grown up some and not changed at all.  He was always quite mature but he is fully a man now.  We always thought so highly of him and wanted him to marry well and he really did. We were enchanted with Basak.  She is so genuine, gracious, warm and wise, and she seems to love him so much.  She fits into our family so nicely and speaks English beautifully.  I could not have been more happy for them both.  It was amazing how time collapsed and it felt like it did so many years ago when he lived with us. 

 He took all of my family and even some friends on a bus to Ephesus to show us around.  This is Gokalp and Basak pushing my father in his wheelchair in Ephesus. 

Ron and Archie looking at ruins

 Ephesus was so much more impressive than we were prepared for.  We had just seen the Parthenon and the Acropolis the day before but somehow, we were more impressed by Ephesus.  The further downhill we went the more spectacular and awesome it was.  It must have been a really impressive and HUGE city. 

Family members(Geneen, Lucy, Jesse, Basak) in front of the hospital

 Not only are the standing buildings impressive, there is much carved stone and columns laying around, all decorated and carved and beautiful.  We kept saying that even the rubble is beautiful.  I don't know if they will ever be able to put it all together but if they did it would be so beautiful.

Gary looking at the front of the Library

 This is the front of the library in Ephesus which is the most impressive building standing in town.  I had seen pictures of it and you are seeing some now but it does not prepare you for the immense scale and beauty of it.  We kept saying how awesome it must have been to walk into this city when Paul preached there, almost intimidating. 

Closer view of the Library--Just awesome

Marilyn, Ron and Archie in front of the Theater and Gymnasium (school)

View from the steps of the library at Ephesus.  The city square was large

Finally we had to say farewell to Gokalp and Basak at the cruise ship.  I would like to have spent a few days with them and more time in Turkey also.  They also took us to the Bazaar or shopping area, which I don't have a picture of but some of my family do.  He bought everyone some typical Turkish fast food (I don't remember the name but it was essentially a Turkish beef burrito made from beef cooked on a long skewer or spit.  He used to tell us about it when he lived with us.  He also spent a couple of hours talking about Turkey to us as the bus drove us to Ephesus and answered loads of questions. The best guide you could have had! We all felt so much more knowledgeable about the country of Turkey.