Monthly Archives: September 2019
Home Sweet Home
With checkout at 11am and our flight not until 6pm, we had a couple of hours to kill. Not keen to wear ourselves walking around with full backpacks, instead we took the metro to the northern end of the line, Kifissia. My research told me that this is upmarket Athens – think South Yarra – […]
Pieces of Monastiraki
It’s our last full day; we fly home tomorrow afternoon. Today we visited the archaeological sites which are a stone’s throw from us – the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, and Hadrian’s Library. In between, we retreated home for food and drink, and to recover from the heat (it is 32 degrees again today, and […]
Afternoon at the Acropolis
This morning we saw a different side to Athens; we went to a shopping mall out in the northern ‘burbs, as Ian still has a couple of items on his shopping list. This mall dates from circa 2004, as it’s right opposite the new Olympic stadium. It’s pretty much like any other shiny shopping centre. […]
Sunday in Syntagma
First up, have to say I’m not loving Athens as a city. At least not our particular neighbourhood. There’s no indication that its unsafe – it’s just dirty, loud, crowded and smelly. The footpaths are very narrow and rough, making it hard for me to walk; it takes a lot of concentration, and my head […]
Missing Mykonos, and Arriving in Athens
Yesterday morning I woke soon after 6am to feel a couple of heavy thuds. “That’s a bit odd” I thought, as normally we don’t feel anything while the ship docks. We were due in Mykonos, our final port, and had signed up for an organised bike ride and swim with a local tour operator. Soon […]
Chania
This morning’s sleep in was very welcome, and we didn’t stir before 9.30. Our arrival in Chania was scheduled for midday and there was no need to rush off board. We decided to spend the afternoon doing different things – Ian wanted to hike up to the village of Malaxa, following a trail which began […]
Getting Buzzed in Corfu
Corfu was the first of our three Greek island ports. It is not your typical “Mamma Mia” island, like Mykonos or Santorini. It is actually north of Greece and is opposite Albania – you can take a ferry there if you so desire (we didn’t). We were docked a short distance away from Corfu Town, […]
Dizzying Heights
I was awake at 5.45am, to watch the sail-in up the Bay of Kotor. It was still dark when I emerged on deck, along with only a handful of others. Lights were still twinkling in the small villages that cling to the shore. As dawn broke, more and more people arrived, cameras in hand. We […]
Shipboard Life
Our final Sea day is a chance to rest up and take it easy before our last four ports of call. Last night we spent Sailaway up in our favourite outdoor position; a high midships deck, which lets you see the views from both sides. We watched fascinated as the captain reversed out of Salerno, […]
Ravioli, Tortellini and Marinara
Overnight we sailed along the Italian coast, pulling in early to Salerno. It was yet another sparkling blue day on the Med. We planned to head to Amalfi by ferry, then walk to the smaller villages of Ravello, Tortello and Minori. Having already been to Carbonara, we quickly dubbed them Ravioli, Tortellini, and Marinara! The […]
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