The Greek island Mykonos

If there was ever a place on this journey that I had to miss the ship, and get left behind, this would be it! Mykonos was definitely one of my favorites by far. Unfortunately we only had from 7am to 12 at port, so we were forced to wake up at the crack of dawn, and be among the first people off. I grabbed my English breakfast tea, and an orange and we hiked up this hill to this wonderful viewpoint. All the homes and buildings in Mykonos are white, and the harbor is beautiful. This was the Greece I had been waiting for, little windy streets, with white houses, blue windows, and pots filled with red and yellow flowers. There were little old ladies hanging their clothes to dry and little cars and scooters racing by. This little town is amazing, and I really wish I could have stayed a week. There was a group of us, who shopped along the narrow streets, walked along the seaside, and then had an incredible lunch. Probably the best Greek food I have ever tasted. We shared tsatziki, hummus, pita, calamari, Greek salad, and baked feta, it was so fresh, and the best part was the café looked out onto the ocean. Mykonos also has these nice windmills sitting on the cliff, and beautiful big white pelicans, that you can get really close to! The beach was beautiful too, and I could have wandered around all day if I had more time! Also saw where they filmed the Borne Identity!! I love Greece!

Olympia, Greece

Yesterday I went to Olympia, Greece today from the port of Katakolon. I went on a tour that took us to the ruins and archaeological sight of the first Olympic Games. It was so hot (42 degrees), and very dusty, but I still had a good time. We saw where they lit the torch, the first running track, chariot races, swimming pools, and learned all about Zeus and the historical making behind the Olympics. Sounds really exciting, but was really just a bunch of ancient ruins (that looked like rocks) lying in the dust, that I walked through in the sweltering heat. Later we went to visit the museum and shopped around the town a little bit. I bought a couple souvenirs and had a Greek pita, which was definitely better than any I have ever had back home! The Tzatziki was amazing! Yum!

Dubrovnik Croatia!

I went into Dubrovnik again!!! I got off the ship with Grace, Marion, and Dannette. We found the beach, which was gorgeous made up of smooth pebbles. The view as we walked down the path was beautiful. The Adriatic was a little cooler than the Med Sea, but the water super clear and very refreshing! I loved it! We swam and relaxed for a bit, then went for lunch in town, at a little restaurant situated on a pretty narrow street. Dannette and I shared gnocchi with gorgonzola, and mushroom and veggie risotto! It was really nice. Later we did a little shopping and I bought a pair of Havianas, (really comfy flip flops that I am in need of from all the walking I have been doing!) Later, back at port, there was a crew center that had super cheap and fast internet, so I spent an hour there, then went back to the ship! Overall a great day in Croatia…. Again!

Venice!

Just spent 3 days and 2 nights in amazing Venice! What a place! When we sailed in I could not believe my eyes, waterways everywhere. From the port we were able to hop on the shuttle boat that took us to St. Marc’s Square every 20 minutes. I did a tour the first day of St. Mark’s Basilica and Doges Palace, both beautiful spectacles of Venice. Doges Palace is made of gothic arches, delicate marble, and houses the remains of the old palace prison, very interesting! The highlight of the tour was the gondola ride! Usually cost $100 euro per couple for 30 minutes, but I got to go for free, as I was escorting the tour! The gondola took us up and down the small canals and through many waterways, it was gorgeous! There was no serenading however; I guess you have to request to have that. Venice is amazing, as there are no cars, only boats, and many, many bridges. I didn’t have to work until 10 pm that night, so I wandered around town, did a little shopping, and had dinner is a nice Italian restaurant on the waterfront. I ordered pizza, and a glass of wine, and watched the sun go down! Yesterday Chris and I took the water taxi from St. Marc’s sq. to Lido Island, where we met Sarah to go to the beach! Sarah had come back to Venice for a few days after leaving the Queen Mary on August 1 for holiday. The beach was a lot nicer, and quite bigger than I expected, we all ate Panini’s and lied in the sun. Later on, Chris and I got gelato and made our journey back to the ship. I worked my shift for the day (which was one hour embarkation), and then Alex and I headed out for the night in Venice! The Grand Canal was an amazing sight, we watched all the gondola’s carry people from point to point, and had a drink at an outdoor café. Venice is definitely one of the most amazing places I have ever been!

Dubrovnik and Cavtat, Croatia

I think this was one of my favorite stops yet! Croatia is amazingly beautiful! Way more stunning then I ever imagined! I took a tour of the Coast of the Croatian Riviera. First stop was Cavtat, a beautiful seaside resort town where I took a stroll on the promenade and browsed the shops. Next we entered the rural Konavle Valley near the Ljuta river where we all were served wine and Croatian open faced sandwiches. There was a waterfall nearby and all the servers were dressed in traditional clothes. Last stop was Dubrovnik, the walled city! Absolutely amazing! I spent the afternoon with one of the kid’s family from New York. We got ice cream, walked along the wall high above the city below and saw the 2nd oldest synagogue in Europe! It was sweltering hot, but I really enjoyed it all! I cannot wait to go back to Dubrovnik next cruise, the roads were made of marble, and the water was crystal blue with beautiful beaches nearby!