Green Christmas

Winter seems a little late this year, as evidenced by the green grass and yellow dandelions on our lawn, lo this Chrismtas morn.

Didn't bother to put up a tree this year....mainly for fear that the kittens would make short work of it. Instead, some pics of those very kittens, who are so used to sleeping in a pile that they do it even when there is plenty of room! Sibling Love!

When in Rome...

November 26-27, 2011

They booted us off the ship at dawn, and our pre-arranged shuttle van went a little awry, forcing the group of us to split up into two other shuttles. Jane and her parents went directly to Rome, while Jhon, Julie and I detoured past the airport first to drop off and pick up other passengers.

We stayed at the same place again, near Termini train station, and the fine folks at Hotel Montreal had our rooms ready, when we all arrived and met up before 9am!

We ended up with a corner room offering great city views and urban ambience in two directions. It takes a little getting used to the fact that you have to put your room key in a little slot to turn the hydro on in the room though....

Dropping our luggage, the six of us ventured back out to take in the town, including an open-top double decker bus tour of Rome. We hit all the major sights including the Colosseum and the Vatican, as well as some interesting streets off the beaten path.

Of course there was the obligatory bottle of Italian wine at a sidewalk cafe on the nearby Piazza Santa Maria.

All were to bed fairly early for our pre-dawn shuttle to the airport the next morning. Everything went smoothly at Leonardo da Vinci airport, including duty free wine purchases, before we boarded Alitalia for the 10.5 hour flight home into strong headwinds. One smooth landing in Toronto later, and we found our cars and went our separate ways, one fabulous family holiday in the books.

Final Days at Sea

November 24-25, 2011

Our last two days at sea were again spent relaxing on the ship and availing ourselves to food and entertainment, as we steamed from the North African coast back to Italy....and figuring out how to get all of our souvenirs into the same full backpacks we arrived with! Our cabin looked like a big game of Tetris as Jane laid everything out and went to work.....and STILL ended up with room to spare!

We also passed the Straits of Messina again on the way back up the Italian coast, and this time the weather favoured us with an albeit distant glimpse of a smoky Mount Etna, the famous volcano of Sicily.

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.