I woke at 4am to witness our entering the Suez Canal. Quite unintentionally actually as I also woke up at midnight and 3am but since I was awake I got up for a looksee. Dark, as one would expect at 4am, and we were just inching southwards. At 4:50am we entered as seen above, and … Continue reading Day 11: Suez Canal

The Bridge is just a few cabins away - in case they need some help going thru the Canal…. A little change in routine today as I had breakfast al fresco on my balcony then spent an hour on the treadmill at the gym. Luckily the sea was fairly calm so it wasn’t a struggle … Continue reading Day 10: At Sea

The first of several days at sea as we head south to the Suez Canal and then Egypt. A quiet coffee in the buffet started my day, I think many people took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in. My morning’s exercise was indoors again: each length of the ship takes 3 minutes to walk, … Continue reading Day 9: Sea Day

Where, you say? Katakolon is a tiny port city of 500 souls and the closest point for ships to dock near Olympia, famous of course for the first Olympic Games (776 B.C.). Originally Olympia was a sacred site, as early as the 10th C. B.C. altars were dedicated to the worship of Zeus and Hera … Continue reading Day 8: Katakolon, Greece

I awoke to Happy Birthday from family But I also awoke to dark skies and strong winds. I attempted a few laps around the top deck but it was really too much effort so I took to the ship’s staircases and hallways. Even with a smaller ship like this it doesn’t take long to rack … Continue reading Day 7: Sea Day

Our first destination is already a different country - Croatia! I had been here before but that was many moons ago while working on yachts and I really didn’t remember anything about it so I signed up for a Guruwalks tour. We met at 10am for a concise but fact-filled trip through the old town, … Continue reading Day 6: Split, Croatia

My home for the next 30 days Another non-newsworthy day. Well, boarding the cruise ship was new news but that’s really all that happened. Not to belabor it but oh, how slow and painful the process was. Crowded buses, long walks towing heavy luggage, interminable lines snaking back and forth like Disneyland, waiting to get … Continue reading Day 5: MSC Sinfonia

I have nothing to blog about today but I wanted to keep the continuity of the Day #’s going. I awoke to rather thick fog outside my 9th story window making it rather a grey and dreary day. I had no real desire to trek back to Venice as I’ve covered a lot of ground … Continue reading Day 4: Mestre

Well, having the hotel’s fire alarm go off at 6:17am is a sure-fire way to get out of bed in the morning. I always thought I’d be cool in a situation like this - get my purse, phone, iPad…..oh yeah, clothes! Luckily by the time I got dressed the alarm had shut off. Perhaps an … Continue reading Day 3: Venice

This morning dawned with bright sun shining but the biting wind gave a certain edge to being a tourist today. I attempted to join another walking tour as recommended by last night’s guide but I must have been given wrong information as by 10:02am I was the only person waiting at the meeting point so … Continue reading Day 2: Venice