OCT. 21 –
Limassol, Cyprus
Once a center for the cult
of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, Cyprus is a modern island nation that retains
an essentially Mediterranean character.
Vestiges of the diverse cultures—Greek, Phoenician, Assyrian, Egyptian,
Persian, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Ottoman, and British—that have either
ruled or breezed through, dot the island. From turret to dungeon, we explored
The Castle of Lemesos whose purpose was to guard and protect both the port and
the city. Today, the castle houses the
Medieval Museum of Cyprus. Saw
just enough to appreciate never having to live in a castle. Shopping was easy so I bought a few items
only to discover that they were made in China.
Lunch at “The Antique Restaurant” provided a delicious prawn dish. Just enough to satisfy us until dinner
tonight in La Terrazza.
OCT.
22—Alanya, Turkey
Alanya is
an old pirate stronghold with lots of pirate-like sight-seeing boats along the
quay. The old town dates from Seljuk and Ottoman times. Literally, Turkey’s hottest resort
town—temperatures are higher than almost anywhere else in Turkey—the best swimming
place is known as Cleopatra’s Beach.
Prior to Seljuk rule in 1221 the town was given to Cleopatra by Antony.
OCT. 23 – Antalya – Turkey’s fastest growing city
Called
the Turquoise Coast, all the right elements come together to make this sun-drenched
Mediterranean town on the Turkish Riviera a major holiday resort. Today was a day for rain, but not until the
afternoon. We took the shuttle bus to
the old town. There are minarets all
over and many mosques as well. There is
a clock tower and fortress ruins all about.
In the upper city there were traffic-free walking streets; great for
shopping and, again, gelato; and, an Istanbul bazaar-like shopping complex of
streets in which one can easily get lost.
Can you think of a better place to be lost? Because of the weather we chose not to go to
Perge where you will find the biggest stadium in Asia Minor. The Archaeological Museum houses the original
bones of St. Nicholas (you can say you met Santa Claus).
OCT.
24 – Rhodes – Largest inhabited medieval city in Europe
Early
travelers described Rhodes as a town of two parts: a castle or high town
(Collachium) and a lower city. Today
Rhodes Town—sometimes referred to as Rodos town—is still a city of two parts:
the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site that incorporates the high town and
lower city, and the modern metropolis, or New Town, spreading away from the
walls that encircle the Old Town. We
walked from the Spirit along the waterfront and into the walled city. It was like going back in time. Architecturally, arches abound in the Old
Town.
Our
mission was to find a synagogue that was shown on a map provided by the
ship. We found it, but it was
closed. Why on Shabbat was it
closed? Maybe there is a secret entrance
for only locals? Many restaurants are in
the town center where owners use parrots as shills, posing them on your
shoulder in the hope that you will frequent their restaurant. Tonight is the second formal night so back
to the ship for lunch and enjoy more of what the Spirit has to offer.
OCT. 25 – Santorini, Greece – the most extraordinary island in the
Aegean
Called Kallisti (the Loveliest) when first settled, the island has now
reverted to its subsequent name of Thira, after the 9th-century BC
Dorian colonizer Thiras. However, today
it is better known as Santorini, a name derived from its patroness, St. Irene
of Thessaloniki, the Byzantine empress who restored icons to Orthodoxy and died
in 802.
Our
previous visit to Santorini was in July 2001 which is really the peak time to
do so as it just glistens in the sunlight as you view it from the ship and the
ship looks like a toy when viewed from Santorini. The end of October is the end of the tourist
season and the locals change from jobs in tourism to jobs in construction and
other alternatives. No construction is done during tourist season. We learned
this during a bus ride on our tour to the city of Oia (pronounced Eea). Oia is
at the top of the crescent of mountains which are all that remain of what was
the round island of Santorini. The rest of it was consumed by volcano. Magnificent views of the caldera and the rest
of the smaller islands we saw on the drive to Oia made up for the
less-than-desirable cloudy, windy day. All
so different from our previous visit.
OCT. 26 –
Time to say good-bye
The worst
day aboard ship: saying good-bye to our butler and his assistant; the devoted
crew waiting to wish us a safe journey home; new friends that we may never see
again; long flights to our homes. We had
to overnight in Athens as our flight leaves at 6:30 A.M. The Sofitel Athens Airport was the place to
stay as we could literally walk across the street to the airport. Too bad we couldn’t stay longer to enjoy the
huge suite provided for us. Because we
had to be at the airport so early we couldn’t take advantage of the
complimentary breakfast, but we did enjoy a delicious dinner in the hotel with
friends from the ship who were on their way home to the Halifax area.
While
waiting at the Miami airport to begin our journey, a friend called and asked if
I would have wi-fi on the ship. Knowing
that complimentary wi-fi is available, I said, “Yes, why?” She said, “so that you won’t be bored.” Did I sound bored? Give Reid Travel a call; we’ll help you plan
an exciting and memorable journey.
