Hello Everyone,
From late April to May, my sister-in-law Lisa and I spent nineteen days traveling the Mediterranean coast on a Viking Cruise. It was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget. I know that sounds cliché, but it’s true. From the moment we landed in Athens and witnessed the Acropolis, to the end of our journey in Rome at the exact moment the first American Pope was elected, well, it was incredible.
As mentioned, our voyage began in Athens where we spent a couple of days, wandering the city, soaking in all the mythological sites and its history. The tour of the Acropolis was mind blowing. Lisa and I were spellbound walking through the ruins of this ancient city. The temples and buildings reflect architectural elegance. We witnessed the brilliance of the Greeks and the power in their history. What surprised me about modern day Athens? Limestone and graffiti are omnipresent, but a rainbow of rich cultures and ethnicities have made this fascinating city a must see.
Our next stop was (Katakolon) Olympia, Greece, home to the first Olympic games. We stood in the archeological remains of what once served as training and housing facilities for athletes. There was lodging available for spectators, and of course, temples erected for worshipping the mighty Zeus, chief of all Gods and Hera, Queen of the Greek gods. We even stood on the finish line of the field used for some of the athletic games and witnessed the site of the lighting of the ancient Olympic torch. I can’t explain the feelings I had being present in that space. It felt spiritual. I get goosebumps just thinking about being there.
On the northwestern tip of Greece lies Kerkyra, (Corfu). A beautiful seaside town with some of the most spectacular coastal views I have witnessed. There you will find a beautiful monastery called Vlacherna. It is here that Odysseus, the Greek King of Ithaca, and the hero of the Odyssey made a stop. Truly lovely place.
Twenty-six hairpin turns up a mountain! White knuckles, gripping our seats as we made our way up a narrow road on a massive bus to the highest point of Kotor, Montenegro. We made it. THANK GOD! How that bus driver did it I’ll never know. He did receive a generous tip for keeping us alive. It’s an Adriatic dream and is referred to as Europe’s “southernmost fjord.” We loved touring the Old Town and hearing about its Venetian history.
Croatia, Oh my goodness! The wonders of Dubrovnik. I remember the morning I first saw Dubrovnik. I stepped out onto the balcony of our ship and marveled at the sight. It glowed, like a sunset. I knew I would love this city, and I did. The Old Town was truly a gem. The stone buildings, the medieval wall, and the art reflect this town’s proud culture and history.
The balance of the old and the new can be experienced in Split, Croatia. The newer area of the city has a cosmopolitan vibe to it, colorful and modern. Cross over to the oldest part and you’ve stepped back in time. There you’ll find the Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian, the promenade with its views of the bay, and the many shops along the ancient passageways. We only wished we had more time.
On May 1st, I celebrated my 68th birthday docked in Venice. I hated turning another year older, but I sure am glad I got to spend it in a place like Venice. Have you ever imagined what a place might look like, only to be disappointed when you actually saw it. Well, that was not the case with Venice. The visual that I carried in my head of Venice was exactly as I imagined. Reaching Venice by ferry, and seeing that city was quite literally a floating postcard. I pinched myself because I just couldn’t believe I was actually seeing something I had heard of all my life. The canals, the gondolas, St. Mark’s Square, the architecture, the art, the sculptures, the beauty were WOW, just WOW!
Probably one the tours that Lisa and I enjoyed the most, was the Krka Waterfalls in Krka National Park in Sibenik, Croatia. Spectacular! This gorgeous park setting with its wooden bridges and pathways lead to breathtaking waterfalls. Everything was lush green, including the frogs that serenaded us as we hiked the paths. Magical.
If you make it to Bari, Italy, the town, the vendors, and its history are all good reasons to visit. But the number ONE thing you must see, are the grannies of Bari, making their famous Orecchiette pasta. We witnessed the fingers of these old gals moving at warp speed. It’s a magic trick. With a knife in hand and a roll of pasta in the other, they produce thumb like pasta in record speed. How they produce so much so quickly without losing a finger is mind blowing.
We took an unusual tour while in Crotone, Italy. While other passengers opted for the sites of the town itself, Lisa and I were interested in a day at Sila National Park in Calabria. We spent the day with a dozen other nature enthusiast, walking among the Giant Pines of Sila and enjoying all that this preserve has to offer. We stopped for lunch at a local restaurant where we were served a five course lunch. Good thing we did some walking. One of our favorite afternoons while in Italy!
The island of Sicily did not disappoint! No, we didn’t take the “Godfather” nor luckily the “Mt. Etna tour”, we did enjoy Milazzo and its castle. However, hands down the most exciting thing of this excursion was stopping for cappuccinos and cannoli’s. I think Lisa and I were quite literally in heaven as we consumed such delights. YUM!
The beauty of Naples cannot be downplayed. When we entered by bus. I almost felt like I was in the “Wizard of Oz.” The part of the film when Dorothy departs her Kansas world and enters the kaleidoscope of colors in Munchkin land. Naples is home to breathtakingly beautiful seaside views of turquois blue, emerald greens, and sunset yellows. Rich in history, its food, its everything. Ya just gotta go!
My entire life I have heard the phrase “frozen in time.” Of course, I knew its meaning, but nothing says “frozen in time” like the ancient city of Pompeii. Once a thriving urban city, within two days it was wiped out by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Walk among the ruins and you can almost feel the energy of what was once a thriving metropolis for its time. Visiting Pompeii is a profound experience.
And now I come to the conclusion of our trip which is Rome. Where to begin. The Colosseum, Trevi fountain, Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Piazzo Navona square with its magnificent fountains, and oh my gosh, climb the Spanish steps! All of these places we visited were amazing. However, I think Lisa would agree with me when I say, the most amazing thing of the entire trip, was being present in the exact moment when Pope Leo XIV of Chicago, Illinois was elected the 267th Pope of the Catholic Church. We had just returned to the hotel to recharge our phones when everything began blowing up. WHITE SMOKE!!!! Horns honking, people cheering, texts streaming in from friends and family asking “Are you there???” Since taking a taxi or an Uber was impossible because of the city’s grid lock, we grabbed our phones and headed on foot to the Vatican. We really didn’t need GPS because we just followed the helicopter that was hovering over St. Peter’s Basilica. We became part of this human river, rushing through the streets, buzzing with excitement, wanting to be a part of this unique experience. Though we weren’t able to see Pope Leo, we could hear him deliver his message to Rome from one of the side street of St. Peter’s square. We were packed in tight with the young, the old, the locals, and the tourists. I remember thinking to myself, “look at all these faces” and how happy everyone seemed. For that moment in time, and as one of our tour guides said, “When a pope is named, we are all Catholic.”
I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever get the opportunity to see the world as I did in these nineteen days, but I’m so grateful for this experience. Not only was the trip fabulous, but so was my traveling companion, Lisa. She is not a sister-in-law, she is officially my SISTER! I’m ready to get into some “good trouble” with you anytime.
I’ll end with the words of the medieval traveler, Ibn Battuta, “Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.”
Happy Traveling!
Ciao
Here’s just a few pics.
