Home at last

5/18-Long story short-made it on our flight out of Venice literally by the skin of our teeth, and got the last two seats in business class, which was a real blessing, since it was an 11-hour flight to Atlanta. We were late arriving in Atlanta and missed our connection, but got the last 2 seats on the next flight, and made it to San Diego 24 hours after getting up on the ship. We'll spend some time here recovering from jet lag and enjoying our new grandson before returning to reality at home. It was an awesome trip and we will always carry the memories with us!

At sea

5/15-stopped at Katakolon, Greece yesterday and took a tour out to Olympia to see the ruins. As interesting as it was, it took a lot of imagination, since earthquakes and floods have taken their toll. Stopped at a winery on the way back to the ship-really a nice tour of a very old estate, and a nice snack was served along with wine tasting. (California has nothing to worrry about from Greecian wines) Today we are at sea enroute to Venice. Weather is a little nasty, but not too rough. We have had a great time, but are ready to head for home now. Our cabin stewards (Taufik and Adi), have been great, as have all the waiters and other personel on ship. Their attitude and friendliness is pure joy. Hopefully, we will be able to get on a flight tomorrow and be in San Diego by dinner time. (This is the part of traveling we don't look forward to)

Santorini

5/13-Docked at Santorini, Greece. Took a tour again, and spent a couple hours in the small village of Oia which was definitely the most picturesque area we have been to so far. Had Capuccino and a light snack on a high bluff over the Agean sea-can't say enough about the natural beauty of that area. Returned to the main town of Thira for the afternoon, then returned to the ship. Could've ridden donkeys down, but opted to take the cable car. Weather is still good, with the exception of a few light sprinkles this afternoon. Two more days, then back to reality!

Kusadasi, Turkey

5/12-New ports are coming fast and furious now, with no sea days to recover. Arrived this morning in Kusadasi, Turkey, which is on the Aegean Sea. Left early this morning for our tour of Ephesus, a wonderfully preserved ancient city and a center for the early Christian movement. Words cannot describe this awesome archealogical site, and it was the highlight of our cruise thus far. Returning to town, we walked through the local bazaar until the hawkers got to be a little much, then took a walk along the promenade, once again checking out local restaurants and deciding on a lunch and coffee at the local Starbucks. I guess we're not very adventurous when it comes to the local cuisine. In our defense, however, we were served local food on some of our tours, and that probably influenced our dining choices.

Mykonos

5/11-Docked in Mykonos, Greece this afternoon and took a tour around the island. Mykonos is known for its whitewashed buildings (they whitewash them every spring) and windmills, which are merely decorative now. Also, Mykopnos is known for its beaches, nightlife and party scene, so we fit right in (Yeah, right). Returning to town, we meandered the topsy-turvy streets and checked out some of the local restaurants, opting to return to the ship for dinner.

5/10-Istanbul

5/10-Arrived in Istanbul yesterday afternoon, decided to walk a couple of miles into the old town to the spice market, across a very busy auto/pedestrian bridge. It was Sunday, Mother's day, and things were very crowded and hectic, but was an interesting and enjoyable experience. On the return to the ship, stopped at a Turkish candy shop to try some of the local flavors and probably the best baklava we have had. Took a long (9 hour) tour today and visited the "must see" sights of Istanbul, ending up at the Grand Bazaar. On a side note, tried the authentic Turkish coffee, but had trouble "chewing it" (more grounds than coffee). Fortunately, we came across a Starbuck's, the first one since leaving home, and treated ourselves to some familiar java. Life is good! `

5/9-Athens

5/9-Spent, yesterday in Athens, where we took a tour through the city and then up to the Acropolis and the Parthenon. It's hard to comprehend what it must have been like some 2500 years ago to construct such a building, which is 228 feet long, 101 feet wide and a total height of 66 feet. Quite impressive! Today we are enroute to Istanbul, cruising now through the Dardanelles Strait, which is the only passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Tonight we plan to walk into town to the spice market, then tomorrow we have an all-day tour planned. We continue to be blessed with good weather.