Egypt - Alexandria and Cairo

November 22-23, 2011

We spent two days in Egypt, though the second day was a relatively quiet one sticking near the port in Alexandria where the Jade was docked. Big port though, second largest on the Mediterranean after Marseilles in France.

The first day was a long one though - up early as the boat glided into port, then onto the buses for the 3 hour drive each way to Cairo and back in an escorted convoy. Demonstrations in Tahrir Square and safety concerns as the people demanded the military regime hand back power as promised had altered a few of the excursions, but not our particular trip to the Pyramids and the Nile....though the security escort cars and one guard per bus were mandatory all the same.

The trip through the desert from Alexandria (8 million) to Cairo (20 million) was a bit of a surprise - this part of the Sahara at least was far more agricultural and less sand duney than we had expected.

Our busy day included the obligatory visit to the Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx on the fringe of ancient Cairo; the beautiful Alabaster Mosque of Mohamed Ali; a cruise down the Nile through modern Cairo on a river boat, complete with live music and belly dancer; and a stop at a papyrus museum and of course, a high end gift shop.

In spite of the inherent history and beauty of these places, rampant poverty was also evident. Beyond the obvious dusty feel inherent to cities in the desert, these endless mazes of unfinished buildings, garbage and unchecked humanity were entirely alien to us. Perspective is truly the greatest gift that travel can offer.

We made it back to the Jade after a 14 hour day ashore, in time for a late supper and the soothing sounds of RJ Red in the Aloha lounge, before the day's accumulated emotional and physical experience toll exacted it's dues. One must always pay the ferryman with fair coin for the journey into slumber.

We had seen the last remaining Wonder of the Ancient World at Giza, and the ship glided silently past another on the way out of port, the former site of the great Lighthouse (Pharos) of Alexandria as we headed out to sea on final time.....

Lazy Day at Sea

November 21, 2011

In between Turkey and Egypt, we enjoyed an idyllic day at sea to relax and savor a quiet day cruising on the Mediterranean. Besides the obvious eating, we enjoyed some Bingo, musical and magic shows in the theatre, reading on deck, towel animals, and plenty of live music in the Aloha lounge. And more food.

One dining area even put on Death By Chocolate one night, with an entire buffet of chocolate sculptures and treats.

Turkey - Izmir/Ephesus

November 20, 2011

We arrived at dawn in the Turkish port of Izmir, a city of 3.5 million on the western coast of the larger portion of Turkey situated in Asia Minor (versus Istanbul and the small portion located in Europe). Unlike our other destinations and their well-known history, we had few pre-conceived notions of what to expect from Turkey.

In the end, Turkey was the highlight of the trip by all accounts. Clean, beautiful, friendly and interesting....not to mention the best tour guide we have had of any tour, EVER!

Izmir was the jumping off point for a relatively short bus ride through the scenic agricultural countryside to the fabled ruins at Ephesus. Having toured Pompeii two years ago, these ruins were equally fascinating. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Our day also included a visit to a carpet-maker, located on an idyllic Turkish farm surrounded by rugged hills. We watched silk and cotton Turkish rugs being made by hand, before they plied us with wine and an impressive carpet demo that resulted in more than a few purchases amongst the group. In order to preserve their industry, the Turkish government actually subsidizes the effort, including covering all shipping, duty and taxes, and insurance for rugs to be shipped direct to your home, using a rebate program.

Yes, we brought home a SMALL Turkish rug, more of a "runner" that we can hang on the wall, n light of the cats and all. It helps the bargaining situation to be one of the last cruise ships of the season. :)

Izmir itself was also quite lovely, especially the waterfront promenade on the Mediterranean. We took the opportunity before boarding the ship to enjoy authentic local cuisine, beer and Turkish coffee at a seaside eatery.

Greece - Athens

November 19, 2011

The next morning saw us docked in Piraeus, the port of Athens, for a day in the historic capital city. Our particular tour focused mainly on the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Athens is a city of many hills, and the Acropolis hill dominates the centre of this large city (5 million), where roughly half of the entire population of Greece resides. The Parthenon (currently undergoing restorative efforts) is the focal point of the Acropolis, though other ancient structures share the hilltop as well.

Lots of worn stairs and climbing....and obviously lots of history.

The view of the top, and from the top, is simply stunning. Athens was otherwise busy and covered in graffiti, though in fairness we were there during economic and political turmoil, and our opinion is formed by the fairly narrow scope of the tour we chose.

We spent the remainder of the day on the top decks of the ship, enjoying the 360 degree view of the harbour and city and hills beyond, before sailing off into the sunset....

Greece - Katakolon/Olympia

November 18, 2011

We awoke the next morning already docked in the small Greek fishing village of Katakolon, in the western Peloponnese region. This quaint hamlet was the jumping off point for the relatively short bus ride through mountainous terrain strewn with orange and olive groves, to the ancient site of Olympia where the earliest Olympic games were held over two thousand years ago.

Among the ruins of stadiums and gymnasiums stands the one remaining pillar of the former Temple of Zeus, which housed a statue in his honour that was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Also still legible at the entrance to the arena, were the stones where those caught cheating in the Games had to etch their names for eternity, along with what they did to earn their shame.

After touring the ruins and running a length of the ancient arena, we returned via coach to Katakolon and enjoyed some shopping and a nice lunch on the waterfront. After all, what is a trip to Greece without a real Greek salad and a jug of red wine at seaside? I had never seen a brick of feta so large on one salad....the waiter kept apologizing that it had broken under it's own weight before he could get it to the table! Parakolo!

1. Remaining pillar of the Temple of Zeus at Olympia

2. Greek ruins

3. Ancient arena

4. Real Greek salad!

5. Norwegian Jade docked at Katakolon

Day at Sea - Italian Coast

November 17, 2011

Leaving Civitavecchia behind, we spent a relaxing day cruising southeast along the Italian coastline. With no specific itinerary, we further explored the ship and enjoyed some quiet time on the sea.

For our viewing pleasure, we passed alongside two of Ialty's three active volcanoes along the way, having seen the third (Vesuvius) at Pompeii on our previous trip to Italy. First we passed the volcanic isle of Stromboli on the starboard (west) side, literally a volcano in the sea with a small village at the base.

Shortly thereafter we passed through the Straits of Messina, where Sicily and mainland Italy are separated by a narrow gap, site of the world's most infamous bridge likely to never be built. An Italian pilot had to come aboard via speedboat to guide the Jade through the treacherous passage.

We also passed volcano Mount Etna on the far end of Sicily as we cleared the Straits, though on this day she was obscured by clouds.

1. Stromboli

2. Mainland Italy

3. Sicily - city of Messina

4. Time for lunch