Sunday, October 25, 2015

Cruising the Med

Good thing there isn't any weight scales on our cruise ship, the Celebrity Constellation, as I'm sure I've gained a few pounds over 12 days of unbridled dining and drinking after boarding in Istanbul. Now, I'm not a real drinker so anytime I have more than two drinks, or any any, in a day is huge. But what a great way to continue our travels after 2 weeks in northern Italy and 5 days plus in Istanbul. In all, on our own and with the cruise ship, we visited 20 cities in appropriately one month, traveling by planes, trains, subways, trams, ferries, taxis, buses, cable cars, feet, and a 91,000 ton 965 feet luxury ship. It was truly a whirlwind trip for us. From remote villages and cities built along rocky coastlines and mountain lakes to old walled cities and major hubs of humanities such as Milan, Istanbul and Athens, we loved seeing and experiencing all of these places, however short or long the duration of our stay. It's difficult to single out a top highlight during the cruise since all the 'ports of call' had something unique and memorable to offer beyond the ubiquitous souvenir shops. Here's some favorite pictures from the cruise where we visited Chania (Crete), Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Split, Athens, Santorini (Ia and Thira), and Kusadasi (Ephesus). Although I enjoyed visiting all these places, two cities that I would like to revisit should the opportunity arise, are Dubrovnik (because it's visually stunning with its old city walls plus our visit was interrupted by rain) and Athens (because of its size there's so much more to explore beyond its ruins).


Chania, Island of Crete in Greece above and below


Corfu, Greece below











Dubrovnik, Croatia below


Split, Croatia below











Athens, Greece below


The Parthenon


Acropolis Museum


In front of the Parliament in Athens


A cruiser by BMW


Exploring Santorini, Greece below














Descending the mule trail in Thira


Visiting Ephesus ruins





Feral cats are a common sight


Good eats in Kusadasi


Kusadasi