Day 10

 We arrived late last night in Piraeus, Greece just before the port was closed due to a strike that I mentioned earlier.   We will leave at midnight for a day at sea and our final destination, Istanbul.

As there is nothing to do in this port, we took a ships shuttle to Athens and the Planka area were all of the restaurants and shops are.

We spent a few hours there wandering about and then had a lunch at, of course, a Greek restaurant.

After that we returned to the ship via the shuttle and darn it was nice out but no sun.

So, we went to the lounge and had drinks and a snack before going back to the cabin to get ready for dinner and the show.

                 The tray from the Pool Deck was too heavy so the Butler brought it to the room!  

                 Now that's being spoiled!!

                                              Out for the evening

Lunch is the Plaka section of Athens

                                           Lunch - a Greek Gyro in a different presentation

                                                                     Ceviche

                                                  The view from our balcony

                                                           Out for the evening - It's White Night

                                              Wine as usual with dinner

                                               Barb and snails - she did't like them

                                                             Octopus

                                                            Ed's Shrimp Cocktail

                                                     Monk Fish for Barb

                                                          Rosoto

                                                     Crapes Suzette

                                    Part of White NIght in the main atrium

The show tonight was a dance production number and a cross between Africa and Irish.

Can't explain it, you had to see it but it was fun.

Then we had dinner which as usual was very good.

After dinner, since we are in port, the casino was closed so we watched the dancing in the Atrium until Midnight.

Night - on our way to Istanbul

Day 9

Today is a day at sea as we are on our way to dock at the port of Piraeus, Greece. tonight

As usual, Ed went for breakfast and brought Barb back a glass of grapefruit juice and then while Barb did her reading, Ed went back up to the Pool Deck to have breakfast.

Initially, it was overcast; however, it cleared up.

We stayed on the deck until lunch at the pool, had lunch and then stayed out some more.

Then we came in at about 3:00pm to get cleaned up and go to the casino.

The reason that we went so early is that today we dock in Piraeus, Greece at 9:00pm so all gambling is shut off until we leave tomorrow at midnight.

We changed into clothes for the evening and went to the 7:30pm show, which was a pickpocket who, we think had seen before.

He was very good and very funny.

Then we went to dinner and had another great dinner.

This is the first night that we have been back to our room before midnight and we don’t like it!!

Anyway, we are very, very blessed to vacation like this and very blessed to have such a wonderful family and friends.

Night from Piraeus

Sea Bass for lunch on the Pool Deck

                                                             Tilapia for lunch on the Pool Deck

                                                   Out to go to the Caino

                                                    Dinner - Amberjack

                                                          Oh was it good!!!

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Sunday – Day 8

 This is a day at sea and it a perfect day to rest after several ports. 

Ed got up at 9:30am, and went up to the Pool Deck for breakfast while Barb did her reading and joined him.

We had a great spot, in the sun and out of the wind.

Today will be relaxing with lunch, the show in the evening, dinner, and the casino.

Before we forget we would like to tell you  why the Yacht Club and the perks for being in the Yacht Club.

They are:

Our own YC restaurant for all 3 meals if we would want to go.  We only go for dinner as the rest of the time, if the weather is good, breakfast and lunch is on the Pool Deck

The separate pool with lots of staff, and food always there until the evening.  There are only 98 deck chairs on the entire deck and with 125 people on board here is always a couple of chairs for anyone who wants to be up in the sun

The YC Lounge with drinks and snacks there until late night.  We have wine with dinner each night

Then in our cabin – Barb’s walk-in closet that Ed gets to share.

A very unique feature is the YC elevator.

As you can see in the picture below, when we walk up to the elevator bank of 5 elevators, there is a key slot that we put our room key in.  That turns the elevator in the center into a priority YC elevator and it comes right to us.  We go in, insert our key card again and it goes right to our floor, bypassing all other floors.

Getting off the ship at a port and walking right past the lines and right to the door of the shuttle bus – that’s a big time saver.

When we get to Istanbul, our Butler will take us off the ship, get our luggage and walk us to our waiting car to go to the hotel.  That’s a big walk of about a couple of city blocks because the drivers cannot get close to the ship.

This is truly a great was to cruise and we hope to continue cruising with MSC Cruises.

Night for now as we are on our way to the Port of Piraeus, the gateway to Athens.

The pictures are not in order as is easier to download them.

                                              

                                                 

                                                     Barb's closet

                                                 Going out for the day

                                                Part of the Pool Deck

                              Ready to relax - of course it is time for a Kahula

                                   The Express Elevator with the Yacht Club button

                                                Making Pasta tble-side on the Pool Deck

                                              Great Pasta, Naples style

                                                                  Out for the evening

                                                Ed had two shrimp cocktails

                                               Barb's Lobster

                                                 Ed's Braised Beef Ravoli

                                                  Happy birthday with out waiter

                                                      Cherrys Jublie

                                                         Our Room

                                                          More for Ed

Day 7 –

Today we arrived in Trieste.

The reason that we are in port here is because Venice which is 1½ hours away no longer allows ship our size to dock there.  What a wonderful experience that was arriving right at the city, sailing down the Grand Canal before docking – but no longer.

Some took tours to Venice; however, since we have been there before, including a week last time, we decided to stay in Trieste.

This is a very medium size city (230,000) with a great Old City area.

It is also a huge industrial port so they do not let you walk off the ship into the port.  In fact, if took the shuttle bus about 15 minutes to reach a drop-off point at the edge of the Old City.

From there we walked about an hour to reach the center of the Old City and our guide for the next 3 hours.

We had a private walking tour with our guide and it was a lot of fun and very informative.  Will we remember all he mentioned, probably not but it was fun.

After the tour, we went to a great canal front restaurant and had lunch.

Then we walked again for an hour to get to our shuttle and back to the ship.

The ship was so far away because there was a massive waterfront festival going on that prevented our ship from docking right in town.  Tomorrow there will be sailing completion and the crowds will be even bigger. At the start of our walk, we were down by the festival and two of the biggest lines were for St. Louis Ribs and Smashburgers!!

5 ½ miles of walking today!

The show was a musical with songs from several counties and it was pretty good.

Dinner was, as usual very good and then we went to the casino to finish out the evening.

Tomorrow is a day at sea.

Then we received news tonight That because a Tugboat and Salvage Crew union that we must enter the Port of Piraeus (Gateway to Athens) before 11:00pm on October 13 and remain in port until the strike is over at midnight on October 14. 

This means that we will not be stopping at Kusanagi and Katakolon.  Fortunately, we have been to both of those stops and were not looking to be there anyway.

That’s all for now and our next entry will be tomorrow night.

Hope all is well back home.

Hugs to our family and friends from Barb and Ed

                                                     Dinner - Tuna - this picture should be last



                                                   

                                                                Leaving for the Old City

                                                         Barb and our guide

                                          The GrandCanel with the largest chuch at the end

                   St. Louis Ribs at their sailing festival - the next stand had Smashburgers

                                                  Tailgating - Italian style!!

                                           An afternoon snack on the Yacht Club pool deck

                                                   The industrial port from our balcony

                                                         Going out for the evening

 

Day 6

Today we arrived at Bari, Italy which is way down the heel of the boot.

We arrived at 7:0am and departed at 2:00pm.

We got off as soon as were able and took the port shuttle to just outside the Old City of Bari.

Ed took a wrong turn, we got lost for a bit and finally made it to where we were going to take  Rickshaw tour of the Old City for 1 /2 hour, beginning at 10:00am.

It was a delightful tour and we had fun.

One of the highlights was visiting this very large church where some relics for St. Nicholas are in a tomb in the lower level and it is a very important place.  This Church holds wedding ceremonies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  It is the place to be seen for your wedding in all of Bari.  While we were there a wedding was about to begin with also a lot of tourists going in and out of the church.  They simply blocked off a number of rows up close to the Alter and had their ceremony, one after another all day, all evening, and all week!!

The we had time to go to a restaurant that our friends from New York, Jeff and Vera Wurst had recommended and had a fantastic Lasagna.

The last bus back to the ship left at 1:00pm so we were there at 12:30pm and got right on a bus before the crowds formed.

Back to the ship we had drinks and snacks in the Top Sail Lounge, relaxed for awhile and then went back to the cabin to get ready for the evening events.

1.      The show - was not good as it was a ventriloquist and we were too  far away to see his mouth, plus it was in Italian!

2. So we left to go to dinner and had another wonderful dinner.

3.      The Casino was next as as usual, we had an enjoyable time.

Tomorrow, we arrive in Trieste, Italy at 9:00am and have until 7:00pm there.

Trieste is all the way north and it is a couple of hours from Venice, which no longer allows ships our size and bigger to port there.

                                                                    Going out to the port

Making Pasta

                                                                     The Bride  

                                                      Our driver - what fun!!

                           Mat T Restaurant and what's left to eat of their Lasagn - which we did!!

Going out for the night

Ed's Shrimp Risoto

                                                             Barb's Lamb Chops

Day 5

Today we arrived at our first stop, the island of Corfu, Greece which we have never been to.

We took a bus from the port, which is a typical industrial port into the old city and its main attraction, the original fort.  A huge place and we spent the next several hours touring the port. 

As part of their defensive plans the Venetians who controlled the island separated the promontory from the rest of the city of Corfu by creating moat to get to the actual fort The fort.

In the 1500’s it fought several major battles to maintain control Corfu,

The actual first recordings of the fort are from 6th century AD!  All of the buildings are still there having survived many wars, including the World Wars; however, it was used as a prison by the Nazis to imprison the Jews of Corfu prior to their deportation from the island.

Then we walked all of the old city looking at sites to see including major one being a set of long, tiny walking streets with lots of shop.

Barb bought a couple of items and two bracelets.

Back to ship, we saw a musical show with 4 singers and it was ok, just not great.

In the YC, the dining room is at the other end of the ship, so a Butler escorted us to dinner.  What a perk!

Dinner was of course excellent.

As usual then the casino and finally to bed. 

Tomorrow is Bari, Italy and we only have from 7:00am – 2:00pm in port.

Time for sleep.

                                                               The Fort

                                                                 One of many streets like this

                                                              Barb bought a couple of bracelets here

                                                          Out for dinner

                                                       Our wonderful Concierge

Night