The ABCs of Greece & Italy! X, Y, and Z, and that Friends is THE END!!! :) See you in Asia and Australia, Join Me THERE!!

[KathyM2]

We watched our required muster video and tapped “I watched it.” for the whole party then went to find a snack. On the way, we also tapped in at our muster station and were taken off the naughty list.

I was curious about how they were doing the muster drills now...that's great. I hope all of the lines are doing that now instead of gathering everyone in the dining room or other places on the ship.

Being the nerds we are, we found ourselves perched over the rail geeking out over the tugs and pilots and the whole 180* turn that the ship did inside the breakwaters. Pretty cool stuff, ya know.

I am a like minded nerd. I LOVE watching the pilot boat and tugboats...and especially watching the actual pilot jump from his little boat onto the ship and then back onto the boat after...I wonder if they ever miss lol

 

[Steppesister]

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world...

Hey, haven't watched that one in a long, long time!

What could be difficult about that? There's a boat. You get on the boat. You sail away.


No?

Uh no.

Yeah... maybe a pretty good reason to not let the cruise ships in there.

Yeah, I think so. I can totally see it for sure, but it super changes how one should plan for a cruise in or out of "there". Bologna is about to get a lot more business.

Besides, Venice is busy enough with tourists, that they really don't need an additional 2000 folks at the drop of an anchor

Agreed.

I'd have thought the reverse.

I've always found that going E-W was way harder. Coming home it's easier to sleep when you shouldn't and perpetuate the problem. kl

So... like most men.

YES.

Dunno... that doesn't sound all that inviting.

Hmm, it was not the quaint and picturesque Venice we all know and love that's on postcards, but it did make for some interesting people watching and city pulse-taking.

When ya gotta go...

Oh how this perimenopausal woman knows it!

Dunno. Strange station and 10 minutes? I think I'd be stressing even with zero bags and an Olympic sprinter as a travel companion.

We learned our lesson very VERY quickly.

Ugh. Been there. Threw my back out just like that... and in Venice too.

I remember that TR! Did NOT sound like fun. Of all the places I can think of, Venice might be the WORST to do that in.

You don't look too stressed here, though.

It was like magic!

Nice shot of the gang.

I'm pretty sure that is the ONE shot we got. At all. We suck.

 

[Steppesister]

Huh. I have no recollection of even paying for mine. Have no idea how much it was.
I was too busy concentrating on not screaming.

From the way you described it, I can believe it. I've never thrown my back out quite like that, but I'd imagine if was anything like my neck after surgery.... yeah...

"Hand in the photo, kiddo."

I'll blame it on jetlag.

I would've been happy with smaller. Lots smaller. None, actually.

LOL!!! It was not my favorite meal.

One person on a fold-out is bad enough. Two? Don't blame you for moving.

I slept so much better after that! The landlady can just do one more wash. So there.

 

[Steppesister]

Wow great update. We were able to get on our cruise ship in Venice years ago.
I had no idea it had changed.
I’m glad you made it and now you have a sea day to decompress!
Happy Thanksgiving my friend!

I'm so far behind on this thread... let alone everyone else's. This class is kicking my hiney.

Glad you're still here reading, Caroline. Isn't Venice lovely? I totally understand why they did it; we watched a very in-depth documentary on it a few weeks ago and the city really is suffering from that industry. Making it a little harder to get into and out of isn't a bad thing. Did you know they also instituted a city tourist tax? It's not super expensive but does add to the already huge cost of going there.

I hope your holiday was really nice! We celebrated early so the actual day was a bit anticlimactic.

 

[Steppesister]

Yeah... after 3 years of delays... I'd say you have reason to celebrate!

Yes!! The most anticipated vacation ever!

Well, I personally think that... oh... sorry. Rhetorical question. Nevermind, then.

Well, now that you started you can't NOT answer.

You certainly don't look like your stress level stayed once you boarded.

Nope, it melted off like when you pass an exam or something.

Uh... Did you guys get arrested and thrown in a cell or something?

Now I know what that would be like! Always wondered.

No way! The beds are in the ceiling??? Huh!!

I know!!! I almost broke my neck with the ladder several times a day, but that's beside the point.

The lea of the sea? The motion of the ocean?

You win!!!

mmm... I'm in. Literally, if I was there.

It was soooooo nice. Very relaxing and warmer than the "lukewarm tubs".

Well darn! We'd love to see the cleaned up crew.

HA! Me too!

Oh dear... And you have how many days to go?

So. Many.

I was just going to say "That has to be a Chihuly." Glad I was right.

Yes, and there's one almost identical in the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Very pretty!!

But wait... didn't we recommend some??

yes

Then you have no one to blame but yourself!

Yes, that happens a lot.

 

[Steppesister]

Just got all caught up. Venice is beautiful!!

Thanks, Paula! We loved Venice, but loved other cities even more. You'll see...

 

[Steppesister]

Welcome back Andy!! Nice to see you here! This TR is going to be going soooooooo slowly. Easier to manage staying caught up!

That gets the adrenaline going... I'm glad she was able to find it.

Yeah for SURE!!! That'd be one heck of an expensive mistake.

The good news is, it did its job and protected the passport.

Yes, and now I know why passports aren't made of leather.

I'm glad they were able to help out!

They were really so nice. It was a great boarding experience considering how many hundreds of people needed to get on that flight!

I think this sums it up nicely.

So go get a cocktail. Honestly, that was some really ambitious traveling with your group. I feel overwhelmed by all of it and I wasn't even there!

This was one of those that I chalk up to lack of experience. We learned our lesson very quickly and never made that mistake again in all the trains we needed to take on this trip.

Don't leave us hanging...

Coming soon to an future update...

It's going to take a while to get your money's worth, but I have faith.

Unfortunately....

I'm torn... not sure if this is a good thing that it was an enjoyable meal or foreboding about the quality of future meals.

A sad foreboding...

 

[Steppesister]

I was curious about how they were doing the muster drills now...that's great. I hope all of the lines are doing that now instead of gathering everyone in the dining room or other places on the ship.

Yeah with today's technology there is absolutely no reason to do it that way. Keeps it from people having to wait on each other and delaying sailings from bottle-necking. WAY more convenient too!

I am a like minded nerd. I LOVE watching the pilot boat and tugboats...and especially watching the actual pilot jump from his little boat onto the ship and then back onto the boat after...I wonder if they ever miss lol

It's fascinating the logistics that have to be coordinated for something like this. Crazy! It's also amazing to me how something that behemoth can even be maneuvered at all. Engineering for the win!

 

[pkondz]

Hey, haven't watched that one in a long, long time!

A true classic.

I've always found that going E-W was way harder. Coming home it's easier to sleep when you shouldn't and perpetuate the problem. kl

I can see that. Guess I just force myself back on schedule and don't give in to that temptation.

YES.

Oh how this perimenopausal woman knows it!

Appreciate that extra information.

I'm pretty sure that is the ONE shot we got. At all. We suck.

From the way you described it, I can believe it. I've never thrown my back out quite like that, but I'd imagine if was anything like my neck after surgery.... yeah...

I think you "win" on that one.

I slept so much better after that! The landlady can just do one more wash. So there.

Well, um... I've never booked a hotel room and slept on the floor to help out the housekeeping staff...

Nope, it melted off like when you pass an exam or something.

Which is better? Passing the exam? Or starting a cruise?

Now I know what that would be like! Always wondered.

Why on Earth would you wonder that???

I know!!! I almost broke my neck with the ladder several times a day, but that's beside the point.

So. Many.

Hang in there. You'll get there.

Yes, and there's one almost identical in the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Very pretty!!

That's where I remember it from!

yes

 

[Steppesister]

E is for: Exploring Olympia!​

The bright sun flickered off the sparkling azure waters just feet from our ship’s window signaling a sunny day perfect for exploring our first port! Overnight, we’d sailed into Greek waters and docked at Katakolon early in the morning hours.

​

Breakfast was a rather quick affair, each of us grabbing what we wanted from the buffet. To be sure, cruise buffets do offer quite an array of nice foods. There were choices from all cultures that palates from everywhere can enjoy- Indian curries, Southeast Asian congee, Northern European smorgasbord with herring and capers and lox, English bangers and fried toast, cold cereal, omelet bars, and Continental pastries. But I didn’t focus on photographing the food on this cruise at all. I was focused on relaxing in the evenings and hurrying to gather the things I wanted to make sure I had on me for each day’s excursion in the mornings- camera, hat, phone, etc…

Today we’d be on the Peloponnesian Peninsula heading to Ancient Olympia a town active from the 8th-4th centuries BC. We were given the all-clear at 8:00 and were off the ship by 8:20. After some careful research and a lucky FB post find, we decided to strike out on our own for this day’s wanderings.

​

Originally, we’d booked a transfer to Olympia’s historical ruins for $59/pp. Just a few weeks before the cruise I found some others saying that there was a local train that could take us the 35-minute journey for $10/pp. It left from very near the port making it doable for my mom. We easily found the ticket office and paid our fares and were on the train by 8:45. See? MUCH easier than a few days before when we had to do the train-catch dash. The train left precisely at 9:00 and at 9:45 or so we were walking into the ruins of Ancient Olympia- let the athletes share their stories.

​

On the way there, we were highly entertained by the shopkeepers who regaled us with tales of “their uncles carrying the torch” or “aunts lighting the flame”… “I even have a picture! Come into my shop and I’ll show you it!” Creative to be sure. We politely told them we’d stop in after our time in the ruins. I wonder how much either side believed the other.

The walk there was a bit more than my mom was willing to do, so they chose to not explore the ruins, but did walk around town a little and found some coffee. Meanwhile, Mikki and I paid our $12 entry fee which included the ruins and the museum, which is a short walk away. We stuck together for a short bit but were touring at different paces so split up to quietly contemplate at our own speed. I was touring with a photographer’s eye and sometimes, admittedly, that can be a very slow process.

I’m going to cut and paste from Wiki and other websites some for the sake of saving my hands from cramping. Also, I know this may be some very tedious reading so feel free to skip. I mean, @Captain_Oblivious has said that about a few golf courses. I can neither confirm nor deny having…skimmed.

The first photo is from the “Echo Stoa”.

​

Here is what Wiki says about what this was: “The Echo Stoa is located within the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, Greece. It is part of an ancient archaeological site excavated and preserved by the German Archaeological Institute at Athens. A stoa is a covered walkway or portico, typically colonnaded and open to the public. In ancient Greece, a stoa could be used for a variety of reasons including the selling and display of goods, and religious or public meetings. Aside from Delphi, this sanctuary was the most important one in Greece.

Otherwise known as the Stoa Poikile (meaning painted stoa) because of the paintings that once lined the hall, the stoa later became known as the Echo Stoa due to the acoustics of its design. It is said one word uttered, would echo seven times.[1] "Almost 100 meters long, it was probably begun after the mid-fourth century, but not completed for a long time thereafter…"[2] It was lined with inner and outer Doric style columns. The stadium was moved eastwards and a stoa was built to separate it from the sanctuary. "The intention is clear: it was to provide a colonnaded boundary to the sanctuary along the east side."[3] Before the Echo Stoa, the finish line of the stadium was in full view of the temple. The structure also provided a backdrop for the penultimate stages of procession….”

The next two are of the “Palestra”.

​

Again, from Wiki: “The palaestra at Olympia is the ground or grounds in ancient Olympia where πάλη, Doric πάλα, "wrestling," was taught and performed for training purposes; i.e., "wrestling-school." Two other martial arts were taught there: Greek πυγμή (pygme), Latin pugnus, "fist, boxing," and Greek παγκράτιον, Latin pancration or pancratium, "any method," which was free-style, or hand-to-hand, including grappling, kicking, punching, or any unarmed method whatever, no holds barred. The latter was sometimes deadly, or disfiguring, which indicates that the arts were ephebic, or "soldier" training for prospective citizens of the city-state sponsoring the school, such as Elis, but here combined with prospective candidacy for contention in the games. Be that as it may, none of the games were conducted without rules, umpires, and judges, who did not hesitate to stop contests, fine contenders within some cases amounts prohibiting future participation, or bar flagrant violators.”


YIKES!!!


The Phillipeion was really nice! I think this was recently restored in part for a torch-lighting ceremony.

​

Here is the history:

"The Philippeion (Greek: Φιλιππεῖον) in the Altis of Olympia was an Ionic circular memorial in limestone and marble, a tholos, which contained chryselephantine (ivory and gold) statues of Philip's family: himself, Alexander the Great, Olympias, Amyntas III and Eurydice I. It was made by the Athenian sculptor Leochares in celebration of Philip's victory at the battle of Chaeronea (338 BC). It was the only structure inside the Altis dedicated to a human.[dubious – discuss]

The temple consisted of an outer colonnade of Ionic order with 18 columns. Inside it had nine engaged columns of the lavishly designed Corinthian order. It had a diameter of 15 metres. The naos contained two windows, much like Hera II at Paestum. It had a carved marble roof which was decorated with a bronze poppy head on top.[1]

The importance of the chryselephantine material used is that it was also the material used for the statue of Zeus at Olympia (comparing the Macedonian royal family to the gods). The fact that Alexander is represented here is also important, as Philip had seven wives, therefore after his death there very well could have been claims to the throne by people other than Alexander. By putting Alexander in the statue it makes it clear who the successor should be. It is however disputed whether or not Philip constructed this monument or whether Alexander had it constructed later, in which case the motives would be different.”

7 wives?! I wonder how well that went. My guess is they had different houses.

Wondering where the flame is actually lit every 4 years? Here ya go!!! At the Altar of Hera:

​

Need a drink? (It's a bit dry right now.)

”Nymphaeum (Olympia) (Latin, Ancient Greek: νυμφαῖον), etymologically "home of the Nymphs," or water goddesses, at ancient Olympia was the official name of a water-distribution structure constructed in the mid-2nd century at that site to provide water to the masses who attended the Olympic Games in July and August. Nymphaeum was the general name throughout the Mediterranean for an ornate structure that terminated an aqueduct bringing water from distant elevated terrain, say a stream or copious springs.[1][note 1] This one had substructures, statues, and ornately patterned stonework; its main purpose, however, was functional. It received water from the aqueduct into a cistern and released it by stages into a system of open and closed channels leading around the site. The end partaker of the water carried a secular patera, or small drinking bowl, around with him, dipping into an open trough for the water, as is suggested by the fact that at least some of the statues carried such paterae in one hand (They may also have been performing libation). Troughs went everywhere through the site to accommodate the crowds.”

​

I believe the next photos were from the baths of Olympia.

​

Having gotten my fill of exploring, Mikki and I met up near the ruins entrance and took the short walk over to the museum. It’s maybe a 10-minute walk with a café offering snacks and Greek goodies about halfway between. A word of warning; it’s best to go potty either at the beginning of your tour near the archeological site, or you’ll have to wait and use the ones at the museum.

Miscellaneous photos from around the site:

​

The museum was absolutely fascinating! I loved this part of the day so much! The art was incredible and so intricate. There were marble pieces, bronze works, pieces of war, jewelry, frescoes, and so much more. Mikki and I spent about an hour in there and then texted (despite the giant cost of doing so) Mom and Dad so we could meet up. Some final thoughts: We really enjoyed Olympia quite a lot. It’s not one of the mega-destinations like the Parthenon, nor as well-restored as Ephesus, but it does impart some off-the-beaten-path glimpses into Ancient Greek culture. It wasn’t crowded, easy to navigate for tourists, and very affordable. I’ll leave you with a photo gallery of the treasures we enjoyed.

​

Next up: The best meal in Greece!

 

[afwdwfan]

On the way there, we were highly entertained by the shopkeepers who regaled us with tales of “their uncles carrying the torch” or “aunts lighting the flame”… “I even have a picture! Come into my shop and I’ll show you it!” Creative to be sure. We politely told them we’d stop in after our time in the ruins. I wonder how much either side believed the other.

Ah... yes... the tourist/shopkeeper game to see who will flinch.

I mean, @Captain_Oblivious has said that about a few golf courses. I can neither confirm nor deny having…skimmed.

You're missing out on a lot of exploding helicopters.

Some final thoughts: We really enjoyed Olympia quite a lot. It’s not one of the mega-destinations like the Parthenon, nor as well-restored as Ephesus, but it does impart some off-the-beaten-path glimpses into Ancient Greek culture. It wasn’t crowded, easy to navigate for tourists, and very affordable. I’ll leave you with a photo gallery of the treasures we enjoyed.

I'm glad Olympia was a good experience for you! I'm always fascinated by historical sites... the older, the more impressive. Incredible to think of what it took to build those structures back in the BC days. Would have been incredible to see them in their glory.

 

[cheryllarsen]

Thanks for posting!

 

[cheryllarsen]

I enjoyed reading your posts and seeing the photos.

 

[pkondz]

The bright sun flickered off the sparkling azure waters

Much better than the dull sun barely lit the brackish waters.

Very picturesque.

To be sure, cruise buffets do offer quite an array of nice foods.

I was quite pleased with the offerings I found on my cruise, but yours sounds like it had an extra amount of different ethnic fare.

Let your Greek flag fly!

We were given the all-clear at 8:00 and were off the ship by 8:20.
...
were on the train by 8:45. See? MUCH easier than a few days before when we had to do the train-catch dash.

I dunno... this sounds kinda mad-dashish to me still. You were off the ship at 8:20 and on the train 25 minutes later in a strange town...

we were highly entertained by the shopkeepers who regaled us with tales of “their uncles carrying the torch” or “aunts lighting the flame”… “I even have a picture! Come into my shop and I’ll show you it!”

Good one. I bet it's pretty effective, too.

We politely told them we’d stop in after our time in the ruins. I wonder how much either side believed the other.

I was touring with a photographer’s eye and sometimes, admittedly, that can be a very slow process.

Oh, how I get this. When I'm with another person, I feel very guilty about taking any photos other than quick snaps.

I mean, @Captain_Oblivious has said that about a few golf courses. I can neither confirm nor deny having…skimmed.

You what!!!!

The Philippeion (Greek: Φιλιππεῖον) in the Altis of Olympia was an Ionic circular memorial in limestone and marble, a tholos, which contained chryselephantine

I was just saying that to a friend the other day.

It was the only structure inside the Altis dedicated to a human.[dubious – discuss]

I like how you keep the "dubious - discuss" comment in.

Inside it had nine engaged columns of the lavishly designed Corinthian order.

Love their leather.


And if you have no idea what I'm referring to, that's okay.

7 wives?! I wonder how well that went. My guess is they had different houses.

Thanksgiving must've been fun.

Nothing says a good time like 7 sets of inlaws.

Wondering where the flame is actually lit every 4 years? Here ya go!!! At the Altar of Hera:

Cool!

Need a drink? (It's a bit dry right now.)

Translation: "We've been trying to reach you about your chariot's extended warranty."

The museum was absolutely fascinating!

Glad you enjoyed it. And judging from your photos, I can see why!

 

[Steppesister]

Appreciate that extra information.

I have more where that came from.

Well, um... I've never booked a hotel room and slept on the floor to help out the housekeeping staff...

Okay fair point.

Which is better? Passing the exam? Or starting a cruise?

Passing an exam.

Why on Earth would you wonder that???

Just a morbid curiosity. Never seen the inside of jail before.

 

[Steppesister]

Ah... yes... the tourist/shopkeeper game to see who will flinch.

I'm sure there are loads of gullible folks willing to pay top dollar for Chinese crap.

You're missing out on a lot of exploding helicopters.

Dang it!! And, it sounds like I need to up my game.

I'm glad Olympia was a good experience for you! I'm always fascinated by historical sites... the older, the more impressive. Incredible to think of what it took to build those structures back in the BC days. Would have been incredible to see them in their glory.

It was really nice. I think you'll see that the ruins of other places coming up are far more extravagant, but this one has such a cool and actually modern relevancy that adds some fun. And the art in the museum was really really nice!

There were some displays in some of the places we visited that did explain how they hoisted the marble blocks. It was neat to see some drawings of the block and tackle pulley systems they used with human and horse power.

 

[Steppesister]

Thanks for posting!

You're so welcome! And welcome to the report! Glad to have you reading for sure! Feel free to join in the chatter and join our little family here.

I enjoyed reading your posts and seeing the photos.

There is TONS more to come! Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Athens, Zakynthos, and ALL of the major cities in Italy. Stay tuned!!!

 

[Steppesister]

Much better than the dull sun barely lit the brackish waters.

OH very poetic. I'll keep that bit in mind for further chapters that didn't go quite as swimmingly.

I was quite pleased with the offerings I found on my cruise, but yours sounds like it had an extra amount of different ethnic fare.

Unfortunately, a lot of it was rather bland. Then again, we all got pretty sick too and weren't in the mood to eat a lot either.

Let your Greek flag fly!

I have never seen so many flags in a county flown in so many places. They were EVERYWHERE!!

I dunno... this sounds kinda mad-dashish to me still. You were off the ship at 8:20 and on the train 25 minutes later in a strange town...

Not at all. The station was a 10 minute walk from the pier (even for Mom) and we even had some time to stand around and chat with another family before they let us on. VERY easy port and NOT busy. We were the only ship there.

Oh, how I get this. When I'm with another person, I feel very guilty about taking any photos other than quick snaps.

Photography is best done either alone or with others who are ALSO taking pictures in the same place.

You what!!!!

Shhh, don't tell him!!

I was just saying that to a friend the other day.

Whoa, what a coincidence!!

I like how you keep the "dubious - discuss" comment in.

LOL!!! Yeah, dubious is one word you can use for this 7 wives business.

Love their leather.


And if you have no idea what I'm referring to, that's okay.

Nope, not a clue.

Thanksgiving must've been fun.

Nothing says a good time like 7 sets of inlaws.

Translation: "We've been trying to reach you about your chariot's extended warranty."

Best comment on the internet this week!

Glad you enjoyed it. And judging from your photos, I can see why!

I did. I think I came away with some keeper photos, that I really like. The sun really cooperated and the low crowds helped too.

 

[pkondz]

I have more where that came from.

Passing an exam.

Really!
I'm surprised by your answer. Really.

Just a morbid curiosity. Never seen the inside of jail before.

Pray you never do!
I know that's not something I've wanted to see, lately.

OH very poetic. I'll keep that bit in mind for further chapters that didn't go quite as swimmingly.

Uh, oh...

Then again, we all got pretty sick too and weren't in the mood to eat a lot either.

Oh, no. Sorry to hear that.

I have never seen so many flags in a county flown in so many places. They were EVERYWHERE!!

Funny. I have that same feeling every time I go down into the US.

Photography is best done either alone or with others who are ALSO taking pictures in the same place.

100% agree.

Shhh, don't tell him!!

My lips are sealed.

LOL!!! Yeah, dubious is one word you can use for this 7 wives business.

Nope, not a clue.

Maybe this will help:

Best comment on the internet this week!

I did. I think I came away with some keeper photos, that I really like. The sun really cooperated and the low crowds helped too.

Glad you had such success.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

When I booked this cruise, it was advertised as “sailing” out of Venice. Since that time, Venice is no longer allowing cruise ships to make port there as the wake and weight of the ships is seriously damaging the wetland and shorelines surrounding the area causing irreparable damage to the structures of Venice Old Town and other islands nearby.

That seems...bad.

Now a word about my dad. He is a very impatient person when it comes to food and when he is hungry the world needs to stop what it’s doing and bow to feed the beast.

Wow. Usually it's the women-folk in my family who come down with the hangries. The teen boys are just always hungry.

Breakfast was amazing. I got the requisite croissant pastry, this time filled with chocolate and a thick, strong latte. The others followed suit and got pastries of other iterations as well and Dad tanked up on Coke- always served with lemon in Italy.

Breakfast of champions!

We soon found out that it costs money to go potty in Italy. (This is true in many parts of the world, just a heads up.)

I'm showing my cultural bias, but that just feels ridiculous to me.

I told her to hand me a $20 bill and I’d go change it quickly. You can imagine my shock when the agent handed me $15 back.

This is called burglary.

Mikki and I started trying to find which platform we even needed, then had to find which way to go to get to it. This took 5 of our 10 minutes. The long painful process of getting all of our VERY heavy bags down and back up those stairwells fell to Mikki and me while Mom and Dad simply had to hurry along and get there. By the time Mom and I got there I literally THREW the last bag onto the train and, sadly, I confess, yelled at her to “JUST GET ON IT!”

How were 4 people going to fit on 2 beds?! I mean we all liked each other well enough, but… Just no.

Ever see Planes, Trains & Automobiles?

Which reminds me of “cut the cheese” which is a story I don’t want to forget to tell; if I do forget, could someone please remind me?

Oh, I've got you covered here!

My favorite was this one… a real ego booster when you’re half naked at the pool.

I had no idea my body type was "art".

Being the nerds we are, we found ourselves perched over the rail geeking out over the tugs and pilots and the whole 180* turn that the ship did inside the breakwaters. Pretty cool stuff, ya know.

I'd be right there with you!

Time for another drink! (They’re ‘free’ with the purchase of an $2100 cruise).

This is more about squeezing every nickel of value out of the cost of the cruise.

Everything was really good, except the donuts in the donut dish which were stale beyond being edible.

I'm almost offended. How do you screw up donuts?

See Mom digging in her purse? Yeah, that would be Mom’s favorite activity for 10 days. I literally cannot count how many times she lost her glasses or her Sea Pass. If not those, it was her money, or her passport, or… At the front of the line boarding the ship? Sea pass, gone. Ready to head down to dinner? Phone, gone. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree… my future is bleak.

Oh boy. Well, at least you come by it honestly.

We did get “free internet” for the cruise, but almost EVERYTHING was blocked including YouTube, so basically the only thing you could do was Facebook or IM.

This sounds less than free.

Originally, we’d booked a transfer to Olympia’s historical ruins for $59/pp. Just a few weeks before the cruise I found some others saying that there was a local train that could take us the 35-minute journey for $10/pp. It left from very near the port making it doable for my mom.

Oh yeah, that's a no-brainer!

On the way there, we were highly entertained by the shopkeepers who regaled us with tales of “their uncles carrying the torch” or “aunts lighting the flame”… “I even have a picture! Come into my shop and I’ll show you it!”

Oh, that's cute.

Also, I know this may be some very tedious reading so feel free to skip. I mean, @Captain_Oblivious has said that about a few golf courses. I can neither confirm nor deny having…skimmed.

Aha! I knew it!

Actually, I appreciate both the honesty and the permission to do the same.

"any method," which was free-style, or hand-to-hand, including grappling, kicking, punching, or any unarmed method whatever, no holds barred. The latter was sometimes deadly, or disfiguring

So this was the precursor to modern-day rope drops heading for Hagrid's motorbikes.

7 wives?! I wonder how well that went. My guess is they had different houses.

So you'd have seven different opinions and all of them would be correct over poor Philip's. I guess it would all go to arbitration. The honey-do list would never end, and all of the furniture and decorations in the house would be moved daily. The one nice thing is, all 7 of them would go to the restroom at the same time, so that saves time on road trips.

Ok, I'll see myself and my sexist jokes out.

A word of warning; it’s best to go potty either at the beginning of your tour near the archeological site, or you’ll have to wait and use the ones at the museum.

I dunno, I see lots of trees in the photos. Bet they don't charge ya.

It wasn’t crowded, easy to navigate for tourists, and very affordable.

Good to know!

Let your Greek flag fly!

Nicely done.