Wednesday March 30
There are many cruise ships docked in Piraeus (Pie-Ray-us). Makes for lots of people everywhere. First, our tour took us for a drive through the port city of Piraeus where we saw the small harbour of Zea (Zee-ah) whose 5th Century BC docks still survive.
We decided a 5 hour tour which goes to the Acropolis and the Parthenon would help us personally experience the Acropolis and its ruins. It was crazy busy here. Apparently there is an average of 5,000 visitors each day. Most of these visits occur in the cooler morning hours. We also had a little free time to shop in old downtown Athens. Bob managed to find a few caches. We also stopped at the Panathenaic Stadium, the venue where the first Olympic Games of the modern era took place in 1896. It was also a great spot to see the Parthenon in the distance atop the Acropolis. At the Tomb of the Unknown soldier, we momentarily saw the Presidential Guard, known as the Evzones, in their distinctive dress uniform of cotton kilts and pompons. They move as if in slow motion.
Tonight we witnessed our first Sammenkomst (a Norwegian gathering). Our Norwegian Captain, General Manager and Cruise Director made a mad dash from deck 8 to deck 3 to see how many hands they could shake along the way. Wine and canapés were served. Crazy party in the hallway! Great way to meet our neighbours.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey
Tuesday March 29
We had a nice walk in the ruins of Ephesus, one of the best preserved cities of antiquity. The main features are the Great theatre, built for 25,000 spectators and the library of Celsus which once housed 12,000 scrolls, and the Gymnasium.
The guide then dropped us off at a carpet factory. The presentation was most interesting...from explaining the process of extracting the silk from the cocoons, to the making and softening of the threads, and the making of the carpet and trimming of the pile. Some carpets were made of silk, others of cotton/wool combination, and some were embellished with silk. Again we were offered tea as well as Turkish coffee, Turkish Raki (liqueur), beer and wine. Then, we got the sales pitch. It had to happen.
Afterwards we walked around the Kusadasi bazaar. These vendors were much less pesky than those of Istanbul. They are so fun!
For supper we tried The Restaurant (they really need to find a name for this place). Again the food was good. The problem, it is very noisy. You can't talk to each other and you find yourself listening to other conversations.
Later, we went to the Viking Star Theatre for great entertainment. The theme this time was operatic. There are 8 Star Theatre singers and dancers. They are excellent entertainers.
We had a nice walk in the ruins of Ephesus, one of the best preserved cities of antiquity. The main features are the Great theatre, built for 25,000 spectators and the library of Celsus which once housed 12,000 scrolls, and the Gymnasium.
The guide then dropped us off at a carpet factory. The presentation was most interesting...from explaining the process of extracting the silk from the cocoons, to the making and softening of the threads, and the making of the carpet and trimming of the pile. Some carpets were made of silk, others of cotton/wool combination, and some were embellished with silk. Again we were offered tea as well as Turkish coffee, Turkish Raki (liqueur), beer and wine. Then, we got the sales pitch. It had to happen.
Afterwards we walked around the Kusadasi bazaar. These vendors were much less pesky than those of Istanbul. They are so fun!
For supper we tried The Restaurant (they really need to find a name for this place). Again the food was good. The problem, it is very noisy. You can't talk to each other and you find yourself listening to other conversations.
Later, we went to the Viking Star Theatre for great entertainment. The theme this time was operatic. There are 8 Star Theatre singers and dancers. They are excellent entertainers.
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