Back to Rome and the Long Trip Home - May 7, 2018

 Monday, we were up early for breakfast as we had to be ready at 8 a.m. to leave the ship.  Our waiting area was the evening dining room and we were called shortly after 8 to go off to the tent to claim our luggage.  We then processed to the waiting buses for our transport to the airport, a little more than an hour away.  The check in was uneventful and we were on the plane about 11:45 a.m. Rome time, which is 6 hours ahead of Eastern time.  Our flight was over 10 hours and the seats were very tight and most uncomfortable.  About 4:20 p.m. (ET) we arrived in Philadelphia, Pa, went through immigration and security easily.  At 8:20 p.m. we left Philadelphia for a 2.5 flight to Orlando, Fl.  Philadelphia airport had a water problem due to a water main break outside the airport, restaurants were unable to serve hot food and bathrooms were absolutely filthy.  About 11 p.m. we landed in Orlando and our transportation van and driver were there.  It was nearly 1 a.m. when we finally got home..

Naples, Italy - May 6, 2018

May 6, Sunday, our last day on the cruise and we were docked in Naples, Italy.

 Eight of our group assembled on the dock at 8:30 a.m. and the caught a ferry to the isle of Capri. 

After a 40 minute ferry ride we found taxis that toured us around the island, 20 Euros/person.  

Faraglioni Cliff Isle of Capri

Randa can I Buy this Car?

Bruce McGinness, Raed and Randa Youakim, Bruce and Penny MacDonald, Tom and Leah Van de Bussche and Irwin Claener on Isle of Capri

Punta Carena Lighthouse

Leah on Isle of Capri

Beautiful island that is quite a vacation spot.  Our tour concluded in an area of shops, restaurants and inclined railway. 

Bottles of Lemoncello

We did go to a recommended restaurant for pizza which was very good. 

Veggie Pizza Baked in a Brick Oven and Was Very Good

After a stroll about the area we took the inclined railway down to the dock area where we checked out more stores and gelato for dessert. 

Inclined Railroad to take us back to the Harbor

Enjoying on of the many Gelatos on our Trip

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More Photos from Capri

Upon returning to the ship, we set to work packing our suitcases and getting showers before going for dinner.  After dinner, we did return to our room, saw our cabin attendant who said we could put our luggage out anytime now, so we got our 2 biggest suitcases out and he promptly took them away.  We will now use our carry on bags for the remainder of our things.  Good entertainment again tonight, Claire Maidin is a concert pianist and vocalist, she had been on “Holland has Talent” and won first place.  Tomorrow we will be to the port (Cititavecchia) that serves Rome and will be going to the airport for our flight home.  I am still not feeling the best, hopefully, the warm Florida sunshine will be the cure.  It was cool here today, temps in 70’s

Day at Sea - May 5, 2018

May 5, Saturday, our second and last day that was spent at sea.  A leisurely day that started with breakfast whenever but we were eating about the usual time between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.  I still am dealing with this cold so after breakfast we returned to the cabin to read and relax.  Tom has started coughing a little more and others in our group are also dealing with the same symptoms.  Arrangements had been made for our group to congregate at an upper deck outside area for period of socialization for the women/ BSing for the men a little before 11a.m. it socialization (Comment from Tom, "why is it socializing for the women and BSing for the men?")  I had fallen asleep so Tom went up a little before me but eventually we were both there.  After sitting and gabbing for a spell we obtained lunch to bring to the area to eat.  About 2:30 p.m. the group dispersed until dinner at 6p.m.  Tonight was to be another dressy event, it seems that less and less are doing the real dressing up that once was expected on cruises.  Entertainment tonight was an acrobatic and creative artistry show with the ship’s performers which we thought the best show by this group. Tonight clocks will be set back an hour as we will be back in Italy for our last day.

Athens (Piraeus), Greece - May 4, 2018

May 4, Friday, we awoke and were now in Piraeus/Athens port.  This is Athens main port and a very busy port.

  A military ship of some kind is moored next to us, USNS Trenton.

USNS Trenton

Click on the link above and learn more about this ship

 We along with 2 other Canadian couples, Raed and Randa Youakim and Bruce and Penny MacDonald caught a Hop On/Hop Off bus.  The bus maneuvered through the city streets to the area of the Acropolis where our traveling companions decided to hop off.

On the Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus

The Acropolis in Athens, Greece

 Tom and I stayed on for a return trip back to the port.  This area is very much like most cities- heavy traffic and dirty streets and high rise buildings unlike the previous port areas. 

After making our way through the duty free shop with a few items we grabbed a bite of lunch and ate out on the open deck.  The afternoon was spent on our balcony-reading, resting and watching the comings and goings in the harbor.  In the evening after dinner we enjoyed a Beatle show called “Just John and Paul” which was very entertaining.

Santorini, Greece - May 3, 2018

May 3, Thursday,  we were now in Santorini, Greece!  Actually, we were anchored in the Aegean Sea and would be tendered from the ship.

Santorini is a small circular archipelago of volcanic islands.  Looking out this morning it appeared that we were surrounded by snow covered mountains but what appeared to be snow were whitewashed villages on those mountain tops. 

Again our group met for breakfast and then got on a tender for a ride into port.  After getting to the port there was 3 ways of getting to the village above, climb 588 steps,ride a donkey or take a cable car.  Most of us, except for Bruce who walked the steps, took the cable car. 

That's a Long Ways Down There...

Many shops lined the narrow streets.

Tom and I walked about checking out the merchandise not buying anything.  We did stop at a restaurant to get something to drink (diet coke, 3.50 euros each about $5.00) and shared a piece of baklava which was delicious. 

Baklava and a Coke

Because I was not feeling any better today we returned to the ship via tender early this afternoon. Tom and I, along with Bruce and Cricket, went to the 7 pm evening entertainment which was a hypnotist, Christopher Caress.  For dinner, arrangements had been made for our entire group to go to a specialty restaurant, Qsine, for the 8:30 pm dinner. A rather unique dining experience of an animated video display on the table before each course depicting the catching of the octopus tentacles for the soup, snaring a lobster(lobster tail), and grilling the steak (filet minon) and then rolling a snowball (ice cream)for dessert.  Nice meal but at a cost of $44.00/person.

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Link to Santorini, Greece Photos

More Santorini, Greece Photos

Rhodes, Greece - May 2, 2018

May 2, Wednesday, another day of all all meeting for breakfast and then going on shore.  We were in Rhodes, Greece.

Leah in Rhodes, Greece

Our Travel Group Assembling on the Pier

Our Travel Group Assembling on the Pier in Rhodes, Greece

A Hop On/Hop Off tour was available so that is what we took, 10 Euros each.  The tour drove about the city, another old city with a fortress.  The bus was very crowded so we stayed on for a second time around.  We did hop off not too far from the ship.  Some of our group decided to eat lunch and then ride the bus up to the old fort to walk around there,  Tom did this.

Bruce and Malcolm Walking within the Fort Walls

I walked back to the ship with Alydia.  For lunch Alydia and Cricket, who had also walked back from a bus stop closer to the ship, and I met and had lunch on the ship.  It was warmer here with temps in the low 80’s

Within the Walls of the fort were many shops and places to eat.  There was actually more to see in this area than on the Hop On Hop Off Bus.

Shopping Stalls and Restaurants Inside the Fort Wall

Shopping Stalls

Wool Slippers

Plazza Area inside the Fort

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