We visit Athens on Monday, 24 August arriving at 8AM; we leave at 6PM. The port, Piraeus, is south west of the city of Athens.
Athens the capital and largest city of Greece, is one of the world's oldest cities; its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. It has a population of 745,514 [2001]. A bustling and cosmopolitan metropolis, Athens is central to economic, financial, industrial, political and cultural life in Greece. It is rapidly becoming a leading business centre in the European Union. In 2008, Athens was ranked the world's 32nd richest city by purchasing power and the 25th most expensive in a UBS study. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics.
It is very likely to be very hot. We will have a driver guide to take us to the Benaki Museum and the National Archaeological Museum. Alas, the New Acropolis Museum which just opened on 20 June, is closed on Mondays. I was so looking forward to seeing it. We will try to, at least drive by. We plan to have lunch on the roof of the Grande Bretagne Hotel which looks across at the Acropolis. We may leave further exploration until we arrive. 38 days and counting
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Kusadasi/Ephesus
We arrive at Kusadasi, Turkey on Sunday 23 August at 7AM the ship departs at 7PM.
Kuşadası is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast. The primary industry is tourism. The city stands on a bay with the Guvercin Ada peninsula sticking at one end, and the Kaz Dağı Mountain at the other. The name comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea). Since Byzantine times it has been known as Ephesus Neopolis, Scala Nuova, becoming Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century. We will take a private tour of Ephesus. Ephesus was a city of ancient Anatolia. During Greece’s Classical Period it was located in Ionia, where the Cayster River flows into the Aegean Sea. It belonged to the Ionian League. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John might have been written here. It is also the site of a large gladiator graveyard. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbour slowly filled with silt from the river. Today the archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy accessibility. Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins East of the Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15% has been excavated. The ruins that are visible give some idea of the city's original splendor, and the names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life. The theater dominates the view down Harbor Street which leads to the long silted-up harbor. The Library of Celsus, whose facade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces, was built ca. AD 125 by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls. Designed with an exaggerated entrance — so as to enhance its perceived size, speculate many historians — the building faces east so that the reading rooms could make best use of the morning light. A part of the site, St. John's Basilica, was built in the 6th century AD, under emperor Justinian I over the supposed site of the apostle's tomb. It is now surrounded by Selçuk. The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is represented only by one inconspicuous column, revealed during an archaeological excavation by the British Museum in the 1870s. Some fragments of the frieze (which are insufficient to suggest the form of the original) and other small finds were removed – some to London and some to the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Other other features we will try to visit include The Odeon - a small roofed theatre constructed by Vedius Antonius and his wife in around 150 A.D. It was a small salon for plays and concerts, seating about 1,500 people. There were 22 stairs in the theater. The upper part of the theatre was decorated with red granite pillars in the Corinthian style. The entrances were at both sides of the stage and reached by a few steps. The Temple of Hadrian dates from the 2nd century but underwent repairs in the 4th century and has been re-erected from the surviving architectural fragments. The reliefs in the upper sections are casts, the originals being now exhibited in the Selçuk Archaeological Museum. A number of figures are depicted in the reliefs, including the emperor Theodisius I with his wife and eldest son. The Temple of Domitian was one of the largest temples on the city. It was erected on a pseudodipteral plan with 8 x 13 columns. The temple and its statue are some of the few remains connected with Domitian. The Theater, at an estimated 44,000 seating capacity, it is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world. The Tomb/Fountain of Pollio - erected by a grateful city in 97 AD in honor of C. Sextilius Pollio, who constructed the Marnas aqueduct, by Offilius Proculus. It has a concave facade. There were two agoras, one for commercial and one for state business.
Kuşadası is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast. The primary industry is tourism. The city stands on a bay with the Guvercin Ada peninsula sticking at one end, and the Kaz Dağı Mountain at the other. The name comes from 'kuş' (bird) and 'ada' (island) as the peninsula has the shape of a bird's head (as seen from the sea). Since Byzantine times it has been known as Ephesus Neopolis, Scala Nuova, becoming Kush-Adasi at the beginning of the 20th century. We will take a private tour of Ephesus. Ephesus was a city of ancient Anatolia. During Greece’s Classical Period it was located in Ionia, where the Cayster River flows into the Aegean Sea. It belonged to the Ionian League. Ephesus was one of the seven churches of Asia cited in the Book of Revelation. The Gospel of John might have been written here. It is also the site of a large gladiator graveyard. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BC), which was destroyed by the Goths in 263. The emperor Constantine I rebuilt much of the city and erected a new public bath. The town was again partially destroyed by an earthquake in 614. The importance of the city as a commercial centre declined as the harbour slowly filled with silt from the river. Today the archaeological site lies 3 kilometers south of the Selçuk. The ruins of Ephesus are a favorite international and local tourist attraction, partly owing to their easy accessibility. Ephesus contains the largest collection of Roman ruins East of the Mediterranean. Only an estimated 15% has been excavated. The ruins that are visible give some idea of the city's original splendor, and the names associated with the ruins are evocative of its former life. The theater dominates the view down Harbor Street which leads to the long silted-up harbor. The Library of Celsus, whose facade has been carefully reconstructed from all original pieces, was built ca. AD 125 by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, and once held nearly 12,000 scrolls. Designed with an exaggerated entrance — so as to enhance its perceived size, speculate many historians — the building faces east so that the reading rooms could make best use of the morning light. A part of the site, St. John's Basilica, was built in the 6th century AD, under emperor Justinian I over the supposed site of the apostle's tomb. It is now surrounded by Selçuk. The Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is represented only by one inconspicuous column, revealed during an archaeological excavation by the British Museum in the 1870s. Some fragments of the frieze (which are insufficient to suggest the form of the original) and other small finds were removed – some to London and some to the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. Other other features we will try to visit include The Odeon - a small roofed theatre constructed by Vedius Antonius and his wife in around 150 A.D. It was a small salon for plays and concerts, seating about 1,500 people. There were 22 stairs in the theater. The upper part of the theatre was decorated with red granite pillars in the Corinthian style. The entrances were at both sides of the stage and reached by a few steps. The Temple of Hadrian dates from the 2nd century but underwent repairs in the 4th century and has been re-erected from the surviving architectural fragments. The reliefs in the upper sections are casts, the originals being now exhibited in the Selçuk Archaeological Museum. A number of figures are depicted in the reliefs, including the emperor Theodisius I with his wife and eldest son. The Temple of Domitian was one of the largest temples on the city. It was erected on a pseudodipteral plan with 8 x 13 columns. The temple and its statue are some of the few remains connected with Domitian. The Theater, at an estimated 44,000 seating capacity, it is believed to be the largest outdoor theater in the ancient world. The Tomb/Fountain of Pollio - erected by a grateful city in 97 AD in honor of C. Sextilius Pollio, who constructed the Marnas aqueduct, by Offilius Proculus. It has a concave facade. There were two agoras, one for commercial and one for state business.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Santorini
We arrive in Santorini on Saturday, 22 August at 8AM and depart at 9PM. Santorini [the name, from the 13th Century, honors St. Irene] is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland. It is also known as Thera (or Thira), forming the southernmost member of the Cyclades group of islands. The two major cities are Fira [Thíra] (pop. 12,440) and Oía. The island slopes downward from the outer cliffs to the surrounding Aegean Sea. The capital, Fira, clings to the top of the cliff looking down on the lagoon. Santorini has no rivers, and water is scarce. Until the early 1990s locals filled water cisterns from the rain that fell on roofs and courts, from small springs, and with imported assistance from other areas of Greece. In recent years a desalination plant has provided running, yet non-potable, water to most houses.
We have yet to decide on an itinerary for this port. By all reports it is usually horribly hot and crowded. There are three ships arriving on the 21st, we are the only one arriving on the 22nd and none are coming on the 23rd. Furthermore it looks like they all leave on the day they arrive so we will be the only ship in the harbor on the 22nd.
We will probably take the tram to Fira and cab to Oía where we will shop, bask, sightsee etc.
We have yet to decide on an itinerary for this port. By all reports it is usually horribly hot and crowded. There are three ships arriving on the 21st, we are the only one arriving on the 22nd and none are coming on the 23rd. Furthermore it looks like they all leave on the day they arrive so we will be the only ship in the harbor on the 22nd.
We will probably take the tram to Fira and cab to Oía where we will shop, bask, sightsee etc.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Koobface
Well, it appears to be a newly morphed version of the old Koobface worm from last year. Just google "koobface" for more info. There is also apparently a new variation which is attacking MACs. It was written up in BBCNews today. So be diligent. I was able to get on Facebook on my Mac just now so it looks like Facebook doesn't even know it's going on. Don't open anything from me or anything from anyone you don't hear from often. I just ran a thorough scan and did a system restore to Friday's settings and still no Facebook access. I can't find anything new on the web either. I wonder if there is a "real time" virus reporting site out there. I can't find one.
This afternoon I started to recieve notices from Facebook "Friends" about a video or film which contained "funny" footage of me. I continued to receive more and more even from people I did not know. Well, there is no film or video. This is a very sophisticated Prank/Virus [I don't know what to call it] which will evetually lead to making Facebook inaccessable. If I so much as try to log on or link to Facebook from an email my internet connection is lost. I can do everything else on the internet but I can't go to Facebook. I had received a couple of "trojan" warnings when I originally tried to find out what was going on so I did a "disk cleanup" to get rid of them. This action, apparently led to my present dilema. I don't have any more info but I will follow up on it. Just don't try to access any videos on your Facebook page. And NO! I did not send you a note on Facebook.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Dubrovnik
71 days and counting to our departure.
We arrive at Dubrovnik on Wednesday, 19 August, at 8AM. The ship departs at 6PM. The suggested August temperature is 71 to 84 degrees. We will be on our own in this port. One can apparently take a city bus [#1] from the port [Port of Gruž] to the gate to the old city. We will need to exchange Euros for Kunas. There are admission charges to most historic buildings.
Dubrovnik, known as "the Pearl of the Adriatic", is on the coast in the extreme south of Croatia at the end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The city’s 1.25 miles of walls feature turrets and towers and for 50 Kunas provide what many consider the best view of the compact little city.
In the Middle Ages it was the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. The 15th and 16th Centuries saw great achievements in architecture, little of which remains today. The earthquake of 1667 destroyed much of the city. The finest of the remaining is the Sponza Palace from the 16th century; it is currently used to house the National Archives. A Gothic-Renaissance structure known as The Rectors Palace displays finely-carved capitals and an ornate staircase. It now houses a museum. The St. Saviour Church is another survivor. St. Blaise is Dubrovnik's patron and the baroque church built in the 18th century in his honor houses an impressive Treasury. The Dominican Monastery resembles a fortress on the outside but the interior contains an art museum and a Gothic-Romanesque church.
We arrive at Dubrovnik on Wednesday, 19 August, at 8AM. The ship departs at 6PM. The suggested August temperature is 71 to 84 degrees. We will be on our own in this port. One can apparently take a city bus [#1] from the port [Port of Gruž] to the gate to the old city. We will need to exchange Euros for Kunas. There are admission charges to most historic buildings.
Dubrovnik, known as "the Pearl of the Adriatic", is on the coast in the extreme south of Croatia at the end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The city’s 1.25 miles of walls feature turrets and towers and for 50 Kunas provide what many consider the best view of the compact little city.
In the Middle Ages it was the only eastern Adriatic city-state to rival Venice. The 15th and 16th Centuries saw great achievements in architecture, little of which remains today. The earthquake of 1667 destroyed much of the city. The finest of the remaining is the Sponza Palace from the 16th century; it is currently used to house the National Archives. A Gothic-Renaissance structure known as The Rectors Palace displays finely-carved capitals and an ornate staircase. It now houses a museum. The St. Saviour Church is another survivor. St. Blaise is Dubrovnik's patron and the baroque church built in the 18th century in his honor houses an impressive Treasury. The Dominican Monastery resembles a fortress on the outside but the interior contains an art museum and a Gothic-Romanesque church.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Barcelona
We arrive in Barcelona on Tuesday, 11 August, at 7AM and we have 16 hours there. This is the longest port day we get on this cruise, but what better city to have that time in. We can have a leisurely breakfast onboard as we won’t have to co-ordinate with an excursion group. The temperature should be between 75f and 82f [20c-28c] and it is not likely to rain. Quite a few friends have visited Barcelona over the past few months and I have been given many suggestions and recommendations.
Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 [2008], while the population of the metropolitan area is twice that. We had planned to purchase [on-line beforehand] a one day tour-bus pass for each of us at 21 Euros each. The buses start running about 9-9:30AM from various locations. One recent suggestion was that sometimes these buses are very crowded and one must wait in line to board or wait for the next bus. They travel about 5 to 25 minutes apart depending on the time of day and season. One friend said it was fine, others said don’t bother. Perhaps more research is in order.
If we employ the bus we will board near either The World Trade Center [Pei, Coob, Freed & Partners: architects], or the “old” port [Port Vell, Moll de Barcelona ] it’s about a mile from the ship’s terminal to the city downtown [on the Blue route which runs along the waterfront from Port Olìmpic]. There are 3 routes [Red, Blue, and Green] they intersect at various spots. We can get on and off as often as we like. The full circuit of the Red and Blue Lines take about 2 hours each. The Green line is shorter at about 1/2 hour. We have several guide books and the bus-line gives you a multilingual tourist guide pamphlet. There are also multilingual speaker guides on each bus to point out attractions. When we decide what we want to see the most we can figure how much time to spend and when to get back on the bus. I believe that when we get on the Blue line at the WTC we will head west along the waterfront past the Port Olìmpic and then do a u-turn back toward the Barri Gòtic where we will switch to the Red line past the Casa Batlló to the Sagrada Família, then to Gaudí’s Parc Güell. We will then head over the top of the city down to Palau Relal and the Pavillions Güell to the Plaça Franceso Macià where we will switch to the Blue line and head down into Montjuïc and then back to the waterfront. Toward the end of the day we will try to find a good tapas bar near the port to enjoy a typical meal before getting back on the ship.
The most important site in Barcelona, in my not-so-humble opinion, is the unfinished Sagrada Familia [The Holy Family Cathedral] by Gaudí which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026. It has been recommended that it would be wise to see it in the morning to avoid crowds. Another tip was to not bother going inside as there is little complete on the interior. The other big church is The La Seu Cathedral. It is in the Barri Gòtic [Gothic District]. Another point of interest we might try to explore is the site of 1992 Summer Olympics [Frank Gehry’s airy fish sculpture].
Of Barcelona's parks, Montjuïc is the largest, with just over 500 acres, located on the mountain of the same name. The Labyrinth Park (22.5 acres), named after the garden maze it contains.
Barcelona has a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The National Museum of Art of Catalonia contains a well-known collection of Romanesque art while the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. The Fundació Joan Miró, Picasso Museum and Fundació Antoni Tàpies hold important collections of these world-renowned artists.
Several museums cover history and archeology, like the City History Museum, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia, the Barcelona Maritime Museum and the private-owned Egyptian Museum. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while Cosmocaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006.
The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernisme architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first (and as of 2007, only) time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. There are many World Heritage Sites in Barcelona including the works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Palau de la Música Catalana [There is supposed to be quite a good tour of this facility] and Hospital de Sant Pau, included in the list in 1997. Gaudí’s work is also recognized by WHS including Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Vicenç, Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and crypt), Casa Batlló, Crypt in Colonia Güell. The first three of these works were inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 1984. The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005.
The most well-known public market [and a must-see recommendation] in the city is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, or simply La Boqueria. Located along the La Rambla, Barcelona in the heart of the city, it is both a tourist attraction and a functioning food market. The market consists of a series of open sheds, built in 1853 under the direction of architect Mas Vila. Though the building dates from the 19th Century, a market has existed in the same location since the 12th Century. The Mercat de Sant Antoni is located in a triangule of Eixample blocks in between El Raval and Poble Sec, the Mercat de Sant Antoni is one of the larger markets in the city. It has been in operation since 1882. It is laid out in a Greek-cross style plan inset in a larger square.
Barcelona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 [2008], while the population of the metropolitan area is twice that. We had planned to purchase [on-line beforehand] a one day tour-bus pass for each of us at 21 Euros each. The buses start running about 9-9:30AM from various locations. One recent suggestion was that sometimes these buses are very crowded and one must wait in line to board or wait for the next bus. They travel about 5 to 25 minutes apart depending on the time of day and season. One friend said it was fine, others said don’t bother. Perhaps more research is in order.
If we employ the bus we will board near either The World Trade Center [Pei, Coob, Freed & Partners: architects], or the “old” port [Port Vell, Moll de Barcelona ] it’s about a mile from the ship’s terminal to the city downtown [on the Blue route which runs along the waterfront from Port Olìmpic]. There are 3 routes [Red, Blue, and Green] they intersect at various spots. We can get on and off as often as we like. The full circuit of the Red and Blue Lines take about 2 hours each. The Green line is shorter at about 1/2 hour. We have several guide books and the bus-line gives you a multilingual tourist guide pamphlet. There are also multilingual speaker guides on each bus to point out attractions. When we decide what we want to see the most we can figure how much time to spend and when to get back on the bus. I believe that when we get on the Blue line at the WTC we will head west along the waterfront past the Port Olìmpic and then do a u-turn back toward the Barri Gòtic where we will switch to the Red line past the Casa Batlló to the Sagrada Família, then to Gaudí’s Parc Güell. We will then head over the top of the city down to Palau Relal and the Pavillions Güell to the Plaça Franceso Macià where we will switch to the Blue line and head down into Montjuïc and then back to the waterfront. Toward the end of the day we will try to find a good tapas bar near the port to enjoy a typical meal before getting back on the ship.
The most important site in Barcelona, in my not-so-humble opinion, is the unfinished Sagrada Familia [The Holy Family Cathedral] by Gaudí which has been under construction since 1882, and is still financed by private donations. As of 2007, completion is planned for 2026. It has been recommended that it would be wise to see it in the morning to avoid crowds. Another tip was to not bother going inside as there is little complete on the interior. The other big church is The La Seu Cathedral. It is in the Barri Gòtic [Gothic District]. Another point of interest we might try to explore is the site of 1992 Summer Olympics [Frank Gehry’s airy fish sculpture].
Of Barcelona's parks, Montjuïc is the largest, with just over 500 acres, located on the mountain of the same name. The Labyrinth Park (22.5 acres), named after the garden maze it contains.
Barcelona has a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The National Museum of Art of Catalonia contains a well-known collection of Romanesque art while the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art. The Fundació Joan Miró, Picasso Museum and Fundació Antoni Tàpies hold important collections of these world-renowned artists.
Several museums cover history and archeology, like the City History Museum, the Museum of the History of Catalonia, the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia, the Barcelona Maritime Museum and the private-owned Egyptian Museum. The Erotic museum of Barcelona is among the most peculiar ones, while Cosmocaixa is a science museum that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006.
The Barri Gòtic ("Gothic Quarter" in Catalan) is the centre of the old city of Barcelona. Many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Catalan modernisme architecture (often known as Art Nouveau in the rest of Europe), developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of these buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be seen throughout the city. Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first (and as of 2007, only) time that the winner has been a city, and not an individual architect. There are many World Heritage Sites in Barcelona including the works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Palau de la Música Catalana [There is supposed to be quite a good tour of this facility] and Hospital de Sant Pau, included in the list in 1997. Gaudí’s work is also recognized by WHS including Park Güell, Palau Güell, Casa Milà, Casa Vicenç, Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and crypt), Casa Batlló, Crypt in Colonia Güell. The first three of these works were inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 1984. The other four were added as extensions to the site in 2005.
The most well-known public market [and a must-see recommendation] in the city is the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, or simply La Boqueria. Located along the La Rambla, Barcelona in the heart of the city, it is both a tourist attraction and a functioning food market. The market consists of a series of open sheds, built in 1853 under the direction of architect Mas Vila. Though the building dates from the 19th Century, a market has existed in the same location since the 12th Century. The Mercat de Sant Antoni is located in a triangule of Eixample blocks in between El Raval and Poble Sec, the Mercat de Sant Antoni is one of the larger markets in the city. It has been in operation since 1882. It is laid out in a Greek-cross style plan inset in a larger square.
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