Dikili, Turkey June 10, 2014

Dikili, (dee-kee-lee)Turkey June 10, 2014
This resort town has nice beaches and provides access to Pergamum, site of the invention of a sheep skin derived material to replace papyrus from Egypt. The Egyptians had stopped shipment of papyrus for book making in protest over the proliferation of libraries in Turkey rivaling those in Alexandria. We decided to spend time swimming then black to the ship for lunch, Ping Pong and a briefing on Istanbul. Some kind of fish bit our legs, not sure why. Missed lecture on iCloud but got tips on aps and setups for iPad. Went to musical review after dinner, really good singers/dancers.

Ephesus, Turkey June 9, 2014

Ephesus, Turkey June 9, 2014
Met our personal guide, Touro, a native of Istanbul, who took us for a 2 1/2 hour tour of the archeological ruins of Ephesus, once the second largest city in the Roman Empire. The ruins are gradually being restored by a University from Austria which has done a magnificent job uncovering  a theater which could hold 25 thousand citizens for viewing religious events, later comic and tragic plays and.musical performances. Other notable structures include the restored library which was second in size only to that in Alexandria. The road leading into the city was lined with magnificent columns and was once travelled by Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. Our next stop was high up a mountain to the House of the Virgin Mary a replica of the homes that existed here when Mary supposedly travelled here with St. John in his quest for disciples and converts. Stopped for large statue of  Mary then to the oldest mosque in Europe. Back to ship for international buffet then off to the roman theater visited earlier for string ensemble but due to light rain the concert was moved to an elaborate indoor concert hall.

Santorini June 7, 2014

Santorini. June 7, 1014
This island now consisting of a large Calderon formed when this volcanic island exploded in an eruption somewhere around 2000 BC. We took the first tender from our ship at 8am to beat the crowd to the funicular (5 euros/person). Alternative access to the town of FERA are donkey or stairs. No crowds while we walked through the town. Next took the city bus for 1.6 euros each way to Oia for the most spectacular views of the white houses perched atop the cliffs.  We took a stop for coffee at a caffe overlooking the Aegean Sea. After walking further we ate moussaka and beer while Miriam had a no salt Greek salad. We sought out the one remaining wind mill on the island. Back to a long line of cruise people from the Celebrity Equinox to take the Funicular and then our tender back to our ship. Dinner and entertainment tonight was bases on the theme White Night in which everyone dressed in white clothing and we enjoyed a large buffet with about dish imaginable.  We were entertained first by folk dancers and musicians. Next was an evening of entertainment provided by the  the Voices from the previous night.  Lots of dancing

Chania Crete June 6, 2014

Chania, Crete June 6, 2014
Walked through part of the old city in order to rent a cat for a drive to two
 Monasteries, Agis Triada and Guvernato. The first one was magnificent with beautiful gardens and impressive hanging candle lanterns. A long winding road took us up a steep incline to the Guvernato which we found was closed on Fridays. No big loss since the monastery was under going major repairs. Back to Chania for a look at the inviting beaches on the south side of town. We stopped for a small lunch and were surprised afterwards to a serving of cake and the Greek liquor Raki, a potent drink tasting like grips. Spent the rest of the day walking through the winding streets of the town. A great post dinner variety show of dancers and singers capped off our evening.

Syracuse, Sicily June 4,2014

  Syracusa, Sicily June 4, 2014
Arrived in this ancient city with fascinating water front. The architecture reflects the numerous civilizations that have invaded and occupied this land, greeks, romans, Byzantines, turks, etc. We spent the day just exploring the curvey narrow streets, the churches, large piazza Duomo, fountains, and shops. Miriam bought a dress and I bought two bottles of our favorite Sicilian wine, one for John Fortner, Corvo Glicine. Churches and museums close early here so we did not get to the Greek theater which closed at 4pm in order to stage the Greek Tragedy. Walking back to the ship we witnessed local teams of young men playing a water polo match but using kayaks. Back on ship, using required local tender we prepared for dinner and the 9:45 performance by broadway singer. 

Pompeii June 3, 2014

June 3, 2014
We took a cab from Positano to Sorrento  to board our Azamara cruise ship. Met our friends, Myrna and Larry, for breakfast and to plan our day in Sorrento. We chose to take the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii and they went on to Herculanium. The ruins of Pompeii are much more extensive than we had imagined. Also, impressed by the city planning especially the provisions for pedestrians (I.e. pedestrians only, water flushes of the streets, elevated steps across the streets to avoid wet feet, one way streets). The city of twenty thousand was extremely well planned with a real cosmopolitan mix of rich and middle class. Back on our ship we had a late lunch at the Pool Grill, sandwiches and wine/beer included. Later at 8:30 we had dinner in the Window Restaurant.

Positano June 2,2014

Positano June 2, 2014
Today is our relaxtion day. After leisurely breakfast we went the beach below our hotel. Spoke to a local couple about politics and economy in Italy. Feedback is that he economy is still bad with a depressed housing market. We went for a cool swim, temperature can't be much above mid 60s On our way back along the sea walk we witnessed strange video being shot of a wedding couple fully clothed swimming in the water while a camera drone hovered over them. Next, their friends are fi lmed jumping into the water and moving them. Must be the latest thing in filming wedding events. We also have witnessed several Japanese wedding parties and photo shoots.  Early dinner of fish and Sicilian white wine. No fire works tonight even though it is Day of the Republic, a national holiday.Time for packing.