Our Cruise - Day 5 - At Sea

We enjoyed a precious day at sea. This gave us all time to rest and refresh from the excursions and enjoy the comforts of the ship. The day was beautiful. Carol and Wande relaxed in the afternoon on the sun deck, when something happened out of the unexpected: Seven or eight F-16 fighter jets roared above the ship, flying fairly low. Like boomerangs with jet engines, they looped back and flew over again and then disappeared. Where did they come from? Where were they going? What were they doing? Were they scaring off pirates? Was there trouble somewhere? We never knew.

There were two lectures today. Mary O’Neill from Smithsonian Journeys spoke on, “Citadels of Civilization – The Architecture of Istanbul.” She explained that architecture was the carrier of the Byzantine story, and discussed the structures, paintings and mosaics of the three main buildings we would see in Istanbul the next day: The Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace (of Sultan fame).

Another scholar, Dr. James Howard, lectured on “Battle of Western Civilization – Greece vs. Persia,” which dealt with the time of Xerxes and Darius, what caused the conflicts and the military engagements.

For some – Julie and Sheila specifically – the highlight of the day was approaching: The slots tournament. Since only luck is involved in playing slot machines, the tournament concept is pretty straightforward. For a $25 entry fee you play a specially configured slot machine for three minutes, punching buttons as quickly as you can while the reels spin wildly. Depending on your luck of how the reels align, you accumulate “money,” which counts as points. At the end of three minutes, whoever has the most points wins. The top winners advance to the second and final round, where the process is repeated.

Sheila and Julie roped Terry into playing (who was waiting for the Blackjack tournament later in the cruise). The three of them did well and advanced into the final round. The tension was palpable.

It was time and the countdown began: 3-2-1, and they were out the gate! Bam, bam, plink, plink, bam, bam, hands and fingers in frenzied motion, pounding, tapping and hitting those buttons for a seemingly interminable three minutes. (It’s harder than you think, folks.) Terry and Julie led at first, then Terry started falling behind; Sheila advanced on his left flank. Julie nosed past Terry, who pounded the buttons even more furiously, his eyes and neck veins bulging from the rush of adrenaline.

The pounding buttons, flashing lights, brightly colored images, dings and music from the payouts, screams and hoots created an air of excitement and uncompromising competition. And then it was over. Sheila placed second, losing by a length, but was in the money; Julie placed third and got nothing. Terry? He ignominiously placed 11th. It was exhausting, but Sheila, in the money, was exhilarated.

The rest of the day was uneventful until dinner, when began what we shall call The Caper of Table 435.

Julie, Carol and Terry decided to skip the dining room and instead get room service on their adjoining balconies. It was a warm and lovely evening at sea, with the moon shining brightly and the Mediterranean as smooth as glass. Sheila and Wande opted for the dining room and looked forward to visiting with the “Tones,” our dining companions.

The five of us had been assigned to table 435, which was closest to the window and the view of the sea. Table 434, which the Tones were assigned to, was at the farther end. Yet, Wande and Sheila arrived at dinner to find the Tones sitting next to the window. They didn’t think too much of it, since on cruises people often change seats on different nights to sit next to someone different and enjoy varied conversation.

And then they noticed something else different: Someone had switched the table cards. Our table card, 435, had been moved to where the Tones’s was, and their table card, 434, was now on our table next to the window. Wande and Sheila decided not to say anything, as this could have been a simple error by the staff. Time would tell.

Our Cruise - Day 4 - Athens, Greece

Athens! We had prearranged a tour for four with a top-rated tour guide we found through , Nikos Loukas, of . When Wande decided to join the cruise we tried to get her added, but Nikos did not have a van available at that late date. So, Terry, Julie, Carol and Sheila headed off in one direction, and Wande joined one of the ship’s excursions. Our tour guide was not Nikos, but another of his guides, Emmanuel, whom Nikos graciously insisted was better than he (and Emmanuel agreed, lol).

Throughout its history, Athens has been one of the most influential cities in the western world. While a bustling modern city today, Athens evokes for most of us ideals of its golden age, with beautiful temples, many gods and exotic legends. In monotheistic cultures, a singular god is immortal, omnipotent, omnipresent, and responsible for the creation of the universe and the earth. “God” is all things, in other words.

The Greeks, however, had a much more complex construct. Their mythology had many gods with divided responsibilities. Many gods were responsible for only one thing, but some had more than one duty. Zeus, for example was responsible for lightning and thunder; Poseidon for the sea and earthquakes; Priapus (Sheila, Wande, and Carol’s favorite) for potency and “abundance” (wink, wink); Athena for war, strategy, victory and handicrafts (she was quite practical); Aphrodite for erotic love, etc.

The Smithsonian lecturer on the ship said that the Greek gods were just like humans with one exception: They were immortal. They fought, lied, cheated, deceived, got drunk, committed adultery and incest and many other favorite human pastimes.

We were all excited to start the day, except for Sheila, who didn’t have time for her usual “double” cappuccino. Her sad face caught the attention of Emmanuel, our fabulous guide, who told her not to worry, and that he had a plan.

We all insisted that Carol sit in the front seat, since she was feeling a little queasy from the motion on the ship. Happy to have the catbird seat, she appreciated our altruistic gesture. Later, however, Carol probably suspected ulterior motives, as the rest of us could nod off in the back seat with impunity while Emmanuel gave his oratory. She, on the other hand, could not, sitting right next to him. At one point in the day, Carol could not hold out and Terry could see her in the rear view mirror, her eyelids drooping with futile resistance. “Wake up!” Emmanuel admonished. He even woke up Sheila, who had completely given up the ghost, her head against Julie’s shoulder as her pillow.

First stop, the Acropolis, with a tour en route of one of the town’s toniest sections, The Castile. Homes like castles dotted the Aegean coast; however, most have been transformed into luxury condos, with the original owner of the home being given the penthouse in exchange for their property.

The Acropolis, built in the 5th century BCE by Pericles, looks vast from the distance; however, once you arrive you realize the genius of the Greeks in utilizing perspective. Carol was amazed that the Acropolis is situated in the middle of Athens, surrounded by homes and traffic. A short hike up the hill landed us at the gate, where Sheila tried to negotiate with the government tour guide for a better rate (isn’t Greece home to bargaining??!) Indignant, she chastised Sheila and Julie (an innocent bystander). As Sheila skulked down the hill escaping her wrath, the guide scolded Julie with “What do you think I am, a common street person?!” Sheila stole a glance to see Julie with that look of false accusation that only a little sister can muster.

We climbed the hill to the Acropolis, which is a citadel. There are three main buildings left standing, with many others still standing in one form or another. The largest temple, the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena, is the crown of the hill. If some of you are like us and have gotten confused over the Pantheon (Rome) and Parthenon (Athens), visiting them resolves this. Short of going there, here’s a quick distinction: Pantheon is from two Greek words, pan, meaning “all,” and theios,” meaning gods. It’s a temple to all of the Roman gods. Parthenon is from the Greek parthenos, meaning “virgin.” Athena was the virgin patron of Athens.

Anyway, the Acropolis is in ruins, and is hard to imagine what it looked like in its days of grandeur. The Parthenon is a mere shell of what it once was, due to human events. The greatest destruction done to it was in the late 17th century, when the Venetians shelled it, where the Ottoman Turks inauspiciously stored their gunpowder. It exploded. The Venetians then looted many of the sculptures and destroyed others. Later came the British, who carted off most of the surviving friezes and pediments, which are now in the British Museum.

Fortunately, there still are many surviving pieces from the temple, which are on display in the Acropolis Museum in the city, which opened just a few years ago. This is a spectacular museum, and unfortunately photography is not allowed. We learned this when Terry snapped a shot of two sculptures (shown on this page) and a security guard promptly appeared and scolded him.

The Acropolis Museum is spectacular, built over the ruins of an ancient Roman city still being excavated. You can watch this in action through glass floors. Over 100 concrete pillars support the building to allow for the excavation. A wonderful surprise was on the third floor, where a huge glass wall allows a wonderful view of the Acropolis. The museum’s web site is worth visiting:. It’s in Greek, but you can select English.

Emmanuel had strategically chosen the museum for our second shop because there was a small coffee shop around the corner. Sheila finally got her double cappuccino and became more human-like. We all enjoyed cappuccinos as well, and they were delicious.

Our next major site was the Temple of Zeus from the 6th century BCE, in ruins, of course. We were anxious to see this, as we spotted it from the top of the Acropolis. It also features Hadrian’s Arch, what remains of a wall built by the Roman emperor in 131 CE to separate the old city of Athens from the new one he started.

Emmanuel then drove us to Lycabettus Hill, the highest point in Athens, which provides sweeping views of the city. It was late and time for lunch. We went to The Plaka, an ancient neighborhood situated around the slopes of the Acropolis. It’s filled with taverns, restaurants, shops, markets and ruins. Emmanuel recommended a café for us that he said made the best pita sandwiches. We devoured them and washed them down with Greek beer.

Emmanuel took a circuitous route on our way back to the ship to show us more of the city. What struck us was the graffiti; it’s everywhere: On walls, windows, doors, lamp posts, sidewalks—on anything immobile (don’t stand still too long!). The city seems to have given up on fighting it and it’s quite unsightly. Greece, like a number of European Union countries, is in a financial crisis, so it’s probably for the lack of money that it’s not cleaned up.

We finally arrived back at the ship and rejoined Wande on our balconies and shared our stories of the day. After dinner, Julie, Sheila and Terry hit the casino and enjoyed Blackjack. We were lucky, and as usual when Sheila is present, we got the table going with celebratory hoots and high-fives over victorious hands. For the first time ever in a casino, the pit boss asked us to keep it down. Are you kidding, in a casino? Apparently someone complained. Terry suggested that it was past that person’s bedtime.

Then we encountered Grumpy Guy. Julie was in a quandary about whether to hit on a 12 when the dealer was showing a three. Terry told her that some Blackjack systems recommend that you do, but to do as the spirit moved her. She hit. The guy at the end of the table lost and got angry at Terry and Julie, saying something about playing “crap hands.” Julie and Sheila pointed out that he would have lost anyway if Julie hadn’t hit, but he would have nothing of it. Terry explained that hitting in this situation is acceptable, but Grumpy Guy insisted it was not. So, Terry suggested that Grumpy Guy reread his Blackjack book, and he said it was Terry who should do that. Terry finalized the discussion by telling Grumpy Guy that if he wanted us to play under his direction, that we play with his money. In a huff, he left the table. Julie remarked, “All this fuss over a five dollar bet?” We all had a good laugh and returned to hooting and high fives.

Terry, flush with $300 in winnings, retired to the room, determined to hold onto it. Julie and Sheila stayed behind and hit the slots, where Terry’s winnings began to diminish.

Our Cruise – Day 3 – Santorini, Greece

We arrived in Santorini (officially called Thira) in the early afternoon. There is no port large enough to dock ships here, so small groups of us were taken to shore in smaller boats. Here’s a little history before we tell you about this lovely island.

Once just one island, Santorini is now three due to a volcanic eruption in 1450 BCE, one of the largest ever recorded. The main island, which we visited, is now crescent-shaped due to the great blowout. Santorini is the southernmost part of the Cyclades, the chain of islands that surround the island of Delos. Delos is an ancient sacred place and much mythology originates from it; for example, it was the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.

Once on the island we had to go up the steep mountain to the cliff-top town. There were only three choices: By cable car, by climbing over 600 zigzagged steps or riding mules up those steps. It was a quandary for Julie: She’s afraid of heights and dangling carnival-like cars from cables. She’s also afraid of mules. And the walk, which would be long and arduous, is also littered with mule dung (nobody comes behind them sweeping up). We took the cable car.

The view, both up and down the mountain, was spectacular (although Julie saw nothing through her tightly-closed eyes). At the top, the town of Fíra was charming, and consisted of a Greek Orthodox church in its small square, and winding, narrow streets snaking about.

We chose lunch at a restaurant with a patio overlooking the water and our distant ship. The afternoon was golden and the air smelled sweet. The lunch was decent, but nothing spectacular. Someone remarked that restaurants with the best views rarely had the best food. But we went there for the view.

We walked around, took in the views, looked in the church, shops and bought souvenirs. It was getting late in the afternoon and although we weren’t really hungry, it was a MUST that we eat a proper Greek dinner. Where to eat, though? Terry had looked for recommendations on TripAdvisor.com, but only two were mentioned. One had only one review, and that from a guy that liked a place where he could buy a beer and a sandwich for takeout. The other had a few dozen reviews, but didn’t impress him. So we decided to wing it.

One café owner (who was not Greek) recommended a place that we thought might be run by his cousin, but we could never find it. So Sheila approached a young woman with body piercings, tattoos and a motorcycle. (Terry remarked that it reminded him of old high school girlfriends). How could you go wrong with that? A true local! The restaurant, Naoussa, did not have water views, but some otherwise interesting views, as it was situated on a large covered patioupstairs .

Our waitress and her husband were the managers and main wait staff. They were very friendly and helpful. Sheila asked what kind of vodka they had (she didn’t want to touch Ouzo, which in the U.S. reminds many of turpentine). Well, Greece isn’t exactly known for its vodka, but her husband said that he had some “moonshine vodka,” whatever that was. A few of us tried it and everyone tasted it. Moonshine it was.

The meal was awesome! It was very different from American Greek food. We at too much, of course, but when didn’t we? We had a short time to head back to the ship. The line for the cable car was very long. Someone at the restaurant told us that the trip down the steps was about a 20-minute walk. We would have to avoid the hazard course (mule dung), but might get down quicker. And, it would save 2 Euros.

Everyone but Terry favored the cable car; he wanted to take to steps. Then Sheila decided to join him, then Wande and then Carol, who was the tipping point. Julie threw in the towel. Mind you that Terry tried to convince no one to join him, but soon heard (directed at him no doubt), “2 Euros is looking pretty good right now!” He ignored it and walked faster to separate himself from more taunts.

Wande, who was wearing sandals, upon seeing how much donkey poo accumulated from the day, proclaimed “DP” to be used as the warning signal from those walking ahead of her. The walk was, well, interesting. We had to compete for space with the mules. Most had no riders and were coming back up the steps. They sometimes stopped and blocked the path entirely. Julie called for help from the mule tenders, who were struggling with them themselves. At one juncture, Terry pulled the bridles of one to create an opening from another mule, but no one – especially Julie – was going to get in between them. A mule tender finally came and managed to move them on.

When we reached the end of the steps the sun was starting to set, so we were lucky that we had daylight for this little adventure.

Back on ship we refreshed ourselves and enjoyed our balconies. We had a light dinner and called it a day. Our ship pulled out and we were on our way to Athens.

Our Cruise – Day 2 – At Sea

We had a relaxing day at sea on our way to Greece. We enjoyed our balconies, spa treatments, lounging, napping, socializing and eating – lots of eating. At approximately 10 AM we entered the fabled Strait of Messina.

Today, the strait is famous as the narrow passage in the Mediterranean Sea separating Italy and Sicily. Its narrowest width is only two miles. On a map (posted here), this is where the “boot” of southern Italy seems to be kicking the “ball” of Sicily (nothing personal, of course). A photo of the tip of the boot is also posted here, although from a sea-level view.

In ancient times, the Strait of Messina was terrifying as the hangout of two mythological and terrifying creatures: Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla was a monster with six long heads, twelve feet, rows of teeth and with and the heads of baying dogs adorning her loins. Who could resist a woman like that beckoning you to her cave? She was always prepared for a six-course dinner of humans, simultaneously. Charybdis was a whirlpool, sucking ships and their human cargo down to the watery depths.

Celebrity Cruises brought experts in history, art and archaeology on the cruise to give lectures about the different ports we would be visiting. This afternoon we listened the topic, "Elevation to Virtue – Greek Architecture." The speaker was from Smithsonian Journeys. We learned a lot and it whetted our appetites for Athens, since her lecture was about the Acropolis.

Today, Sheila vowed to talk to a man a day; she’s on the hunt. After dinner, Sheila and Julie made headway for the casino – and closed it down.