Category: Travel

Athens: Highlights Tour

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ATHENS—ANCIENT SITES

We docked at Piraeus, a port and suburb of Athens, and were to be there all day and overnight until disembarkation the next morning.  We had arranged for a private all day tour, Highlights of Athens, and Ellen and Bob joined us.  Our driver was skillful, there was traffic, but nothing like in Jerusalem, and we were in the city in no time.  There our guide, Eleni, and the Chief Penguin went off to buy our entry tickets while we three waited in the van in the parking lot.  It was tightly packed with buses angling their way in and out almost scraping the side of the van.  A veritable ballet as buses and our van backed and filled and danced around each other!

Eventually, they returned with the tickets (took about 25 minutes even in the special line for tour guides, mostly because of all the forms that the ticket seller had to complete by hand!); then we were off to the Acropolis.  A native Athenian, Eleni studied journalism before spending three years studying and getting certified as a guide.  She’s been doing this for five years and told us she had done back-to-back tours every day since April.  She only does English language tours and just for Americans.  In her opinion, we’re nice, easy guests, and we have a sense of humor.   The last cruise ships arrive at Piraeus fairly soon and then things quiet down for a few months until spring. 

 Eleni was a superb guide!  Filling us in on the background for each monument and temple (her “blah blah” as she called it), she delivered mini history lessons. But, equally important, I’d say, she gave us a real sense of the flavor of Greek society and culture. 

Climbing with the crowds at the Acropolis

Ascending to the Acropolis and the historic buildings on this citadel is an upward climb on slippery stones and steps and requires perseverance.  The weather was lovely, but very very windy, and the site jam packed with people so we slowly inched along, winding around until we reached the top.  The first impressive sight was the Herodeon Theater, built in the 5th century BCE, to hold approximately five thousand people (see header photo).  It’s still in use today for theater performances.  Lovely with tiered seats and looking toward a series of open arches.  

Continuing up is the Temple of Athena Nike, built about 420 BC.  It’s a small temple and delicately beautiful.  From there you climb a bit more to reach the pinnacle and the piece de resistance, the Parthenon.  This massive temple is simply stunning and it’s amazing to think that it has existed here for three thousand years.  It’s hard to capture in words just how magnificent it is. Also of interest is the Erechtheum and the Porch of Caryitids.

Visiting the Parthenon
Erechtheum and the Caryitids

After descending, we had an early lunch at a restaurant serving traditional Greek fare (moussaka, stuffed cabbage rolls and the like) and then proceeded on to the Agora, Athens’ ancient civic center with its lovely colonnade, and finally, to the Temple of Olympic Zeus.  

Colonnade of the Agora

Little of this temple remains, but one collapsed column lies in pieces along the ground in front.  This fallen noble column is a striking sight against the few columns that still stand.  

Temple of Zeus

While riding between stops, we enjoyed seeing the architecture of Parliament (elegant with a restrained grandeur) and the beauty of both the Academy of Athens and the former public library. All in all, it was a grand adventure, and we felt we both gained in knowledge and perhaps worked off a few pounds!

Note: Text and all photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).

Greece: Patmos, A Small Gem

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PHOTOGRAPHING PATMOS

This tiny Greek island, which I’d never heard of, is a gem.  We were anchored here for about 10 hours and again, the tenders were run by the local authorities.  The Chief Penguin and I had signed up for another of the ship’s excursion offerings, “Images of Patmos,” and this time we were delighted with the program.  Our guide, Carolyn, is a British woman and artist (ceramics and sculpture) who has lived here for 35 years.  She was knowledgeable about all aspects of the island albeit a bit wifty.  But, unlike the other day’s outing, this excursion focused on photography and covered a variety of landscapes and architecture during the roughly three hours.  What was also good was that the group of thirty plus was divided between two vans and guides so that we were part of a smaller, more manageable group.

Patmos is very dry and for many years relied on water delivered by ship from other islands until a desalinization plant was built here.  Formed of volcanic rock and limestone, there are lots of scrubby bushes, but just one one area that is forest. Farming is done with terraces on the slopes.  Only 3,000 people live here, and Carolyn told us everyone knows everyone else. 

We began by stopping to see some local fishing boats tied up at shore and Carolyn pointed out various reflections in the water.  We then had a view of Petra, a large rock outcropping in the water, but the sun was at the wrong angle for a good photo.  Our next stop was a boatyard, then to a farm to see a small private chapel.

Local fishing boat
At the boatyard

We later left the bus for an extended walk/climb to see three historic windmills dating from the 1500’s.  They were restored in 2010 with contemporary parts made to replicate the old ones, although they have not been in use since the 1950’s. I found these bulbous stone cylinders with their spider-like arms fascinating and took many photos.  There was also a lovely view here up toward the monastery on the opposite cliff as well as down to the sea.

Windmills of Patmos

Continuing on foot, our last stop was a meandering walk through the narrow streets of Chora, the capital.  The town is built around the Monastery of St. John which was founded in 1088 in honor of the author of Biblical Book of Revelations.  During the 16th and 17th centuries, Chora was at its peak, and ship captains and other wealthy folks built beautiful homes which today are all whitewashed stone. Many have knockers on their colored front doors depicting an animal or a human hand. The town was lovely and still and the streets deserted as everyone was attending an important religious celebration.  Once the service was over, motorbikes and individuals on foot began to appear.

Door Knocker in Chora
Monastery of St. John
Scene in Chora

Note: All photos and text ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved). Header photo is the Windmills of Patmos.

Greece: Rhodes & Santorini

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PAPHOS TO RHODES

We docked at Rhodes at noon.  I am not a big fan of small boats or ruffled water and so always prefer it when we dock rather than anchor.  If we anchor, then we have to be tendered in to shore.  You usually go in the ship’s lifeboats which are well equipped, but small.  In Paphos, I watched the tenders (what the lifeboats are called when they are used for this purpose) rock from side to side crossing over and back from the ship to the shore.  I wimped out and decided to walk the promenade deck instead.  The Chief Penguin, being much less fazed by motion, ventured out solo and enjoyed his tour of some of the old sections of that island.

Rhodes is encircled by fortification walls, some going back to the Byzantine era.  In the main district, the streets are narrow and lined with a mix of restaurants, cafes, and small shops.  Lots of leather goods, ceramics, and jewelry plus the usual T-shirts and hats proclaiming Greece and Rhodes.  Given the many different peoples and cultures who have resided here, churches,  synagogues, and mosques with crosses, steeples, domes and minarets punctuate the skyline.  After the walls and all the lovely stone arches, perhaps the most stunning building is Palace of the Grand Masters.  It looks like you expect a castle of old to look!  

We spent about two hours on our own just roaming around and checked out the ruins of a Catholic Church, peeked in the Suleyman Mosque where several men were at prayer, walked on the pointy stones through several residential streets, and then trudged up hill to the Palace.  Some of the shops were clearly for the tourists, but overall this felt like a real place, and I loved all the walls and the architecture.

Palace of the Grand Masters in the background

SANTORINI

Overnight we sailed to Santorini and anchored here about 8:00 in the morning. Santorini is built on lava rock and limestone and sits in a caldera, a crater that is the result of volcanic activity.   We signed up for one of the ship’s excursions which was called Panoramic Santorini.  We took the tender the short distance to Athinios, a somewhat depressing port.  The local authorities require the cruise ships to use their tenders so we were on a slightly bigger double decker boat.  

Black sand beach at Kamari

We then boarded a bus for the winding hairpin turn after hairpin turn up the mountain to Mount Elijah the highest point.  If you arrive at the old port at Fira, the capital, you have a choice of walking 600 steps up the cliff, riding a mule up the same steps or riding the cable car, the latter being most people’s preferred option!  Cars and buses have no access to the Fira port, hence our arrival at the other one.

We were initially disappointed since it was foggy and misty on the climb to Mt. Elijah and no reason to get out of the bus.  The next stop was at the Santo Winery.  Here we had some nice snacks of olives, tomatoes, and cubes of cheese plus a bit of the local white. The spacious terrace had plenty of tables and seats.   For those so inclined, there was a well stocked gift shop with wine, of course, but also olive oil, soaps made from olive oil, mugs, candies, and other tourist trinkets.  I didn’t buy anything.  

From here, we proceed to Kamari, a beach town.  It’s noted for its black sand which, to my mind, is really gray pebbles and not smooth sand at all.  With only about three streets of shops and restaurants and the promenade along the beach, there was nothing much to see and, in no way, did it merit an hour of our time!  After this, we had the option of returning to the ship via tenders or getting off the bus in Fira and seeing something of the town on our own and then returning by cable car and tender.  

Simple architecture, elaborate iron work

We opted to see something of Fira and were really glad we did!  Here were the much lauded and much photographed all white buildings with blue trim or blue shutters or blue doors.  Along with several churches and mosques, each of which had some color on it be it blue, coral or a golden yellow.  We had a simple lunch of chicken gyros and sausage gyros with fries and tatziki overlooking the sea and the cliff side below.  After we located the cable car entrance, we continued on foot uphill on stone steps for quite aways winding along the top of the cliff.  This was a vigorous walk, but the views and the architecture were marvelous making it a worthwhile endeavor. Finally we saw what we had been expecting all along. And despite the lack of stunning photos here, it really is beautiful!

Notes: I tried to upload several photos showing domes and steeples, but they wouldn’t load correctly (poor Internet connection, I think). Photos and text ©JWFarrington.

Cruising: Dining on board

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SHIPBOARD DINING

Anyone who knows me and the Chief Penguin well, knows that we are foodies.  As in the case of Caesar, this army travels on its stomach.  One of the delights of cruising with Crystal is the quality and variety of the food. And it is truly excellent!  You can get almost anything you’d possibly want to eat and you will likely be offered a drink anytime you sit down in one of the many lounges.  Despite the fact that there are 970 passengers on the ship, we have always been able to find a quiet, relatively unoccupied public place to sit.

We are early birds and are usually some of the first to attack the breakfast offerings.  Beginning at 6:00 A.M., croissants and pastry as well as a range of fruits and sliced cold meats and cheeses are available to enjoy with coffee or tea.  The Chief Penguin goes up first and gets to have both a pot of English breakfast tea and a cappuccino!  At 7:00 or 7:30 A.M. depending on the day and the schedule vis-à-vis sailing or docking, a full breakfast buffet is open with everything from eggs and bacon to sausages and congee, French toast and pancakes, and about eight different kinds of bread which can be toasted, plus donuts, cinnamon rolls, and other sinful goodies.  We both anticipate the arrival of the bacon strips on the full buffet!

At lunchtime at the grill, you can always order a burger (beef, turkey, salmon, etc.) and fries, or a tuna melt or a chicken Caesar wrap.  Then there’s the lunch buffet:  a salad station with multiple kinds of lettuce, specialty prepared salads, hot entrees (chicken, pork, veal, pasta of the day), sandwich of the day, rice preparations, and representative dishes from other cuisines such as a stir fry of some sort, lots of cut-up fresh fruit, and many little desserts, some sugar-free.  There are also plenty of vegetarian options too.  The selection is amazing to overwhelming and the temptation is to overeat.  Requires lots of self-discipline and more laps around the promenade deck to keep off the pounds!

Dinner in the main dining room is now open seating (used to be you had a set time and table), and we routinely eat on the early side before it gets really busy and noisier.  The dinner menu (presented then as well as posted on a ship screen earlier in the day so you get a preview) offers both modern cuisine and classic cuisine plus traditional favorites. For each course, there is usually a choice of six to nine options.  I have enjoyed several fish preparations, a lovely green salad with Gorgonzola, lamb curry with all the condiments, and several cheeses for dessert.  What is helpful for the calorie counter is that you can order half portions of any course making it possible to taste something, but not overdo.  

Lamb curry with papadum and condiments

And since, “it’s Crystal,” as Ellen would say, you can even request a particular dish ahead of time and they will generally make it for you.  The other evening we asked for veal zurichoise (veal in a cream sauce with mushrooms) and Salzburger Nockerl, an Austrian dessert that is a combination of a soufflé and meringue on top of a layer of pink lingonberry sauce.  The chefs in the kitchen kindly obliged and our delicious Swiss entrée was presented with accompanying roasted potato wedges, cauliflower florets, and asparagus spears while the dessert was a snowy mountaintop wedge covering the plate.

Salzburger Nockerl

And if one should tire of the menus in the main dining room, there are several specialty restaurants which require making a reservation.  We have now eaten at all three: Silk (creative Chinese cuisine served family style), Umi Uma (part of Nobu’s Japanese restaurant group where the onionskin thin new style sashimi was heavenly), and Prego (Italian fare where I had a most delicate and delicious grilled branzino over sautéed spinach with an artichoke potato mousseline on the side).  A yummy set of possibilities! Lastly, if you don’t want to leave your stateroom, there’s room service, of course.

Yet another treat is taking advantage of afternoon tea served on the uppermost deck from 3:30 to 4:30 every afternoon.  There is a tea menu of black, green, herb and infusion teas from which you choose.  You are then presented with a three tier stand of sweets and savories:  dainty cookies, small scones (clotted cream and jam are passed separately), and a row of tea sandwiches from cucumber to cheese to ham.  And if that isn’t enough decadence, a waiter returns to offer oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip cookies!  The chinaware is lovely and all the treats tasty.  What’s  hard is not eating them all—we didn’t!

The ship’s crew hail from 45 different countries and each staff member’s badge indicates his or her home city and country.  They are to a person pleasant, friendly, and delightful, and we have engaged in some extended conversations, particularly if they come from a place we have visited.  

Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved). Header photo is a tug at work in the Haifa harbor.