Tuesday, 5/3. Heraklion, Crete, Greece. First impression was of bad air. Visibility was poor in an unusual way. Later we were told that dust storms from Africa is not uncommon. 

Our Excursion was for the palace of Minos, which is the origin of so many myths. The site is full of reconstructions done by the original archeologist, which is illuminating on one hand, but confusing on the other. We couldn’t tell what was fact or fancy. They did show us what’s likely the first “road” in Europe. That it had no traffic, I had some doubt that it was an actual Grecian road. (Haha.)

Our guide’s audio transmitter failed off and on, so many in the group choose to adjust their audio boxes to receive another guide’s lecture. We did that. But our guide was devastated by the failure, in tears. I felt very sorry for her.

To be truthful, we’re a little tired of ruins. I’m very likely to Google the places we’ve visited. But the visuals are beginning to run together.

The next stop was a village museum. Beautiful flowers and some excellent displays of historic homes and professions. Tried some local liquor. It wasn’t Ouzo, thank goodness. 

My feet were really bothering me, so upon returning to the ship I spent a lot of time in the various hot tubs. That helped a lot!

Dinner was at “The Chef’s Table.” A set menu and wine pairing. I felt the pairing suffered from having a limited selection of choices for the ship to choose from. “Sweet Potato Chips” was two exceedingly small mouthfuls of a chip loaded with sour cream (tasted like blue cheese). Crab Cakes on a bed of avocado was fantastic. To calm the palate we had frozen Moscow Mules, which was interesting. The seared halibut was marvelous. Desert was some kind of mandarin orange cream sorbet.

The Explorer’s “Thank you” party was interrupted by technical problems, so they relocated to the night club, my normal hangout. I had to relocate.

I had to go online to get a $50 visa for Turkey. Yoriko, holding a Japanese passport, didn’t need a visa. We both need to have our temps checked today (and tomorrow) to gain the authority to go ashore tomorrow. The ship’s facial recognition system is disturbingly accurate and fast.

Monday, 5/2. Rhodes, Greece. Arrival wasn’t scheduled until about noon, so I mostly slept in. We had a light lunch as our excursion was to show us how to cook Greek-style food, then serve it to us. Originally schedule for 10AM, the actual start time was 2PM. Our “lunch” was at about 4:30. 

First we had a little drive to the favorite viewing point, which was sadly not so good. Low, dense clouds. We stopped to look at the coliseum, which was reportedly the longest in Greek times due to the fact that the constructed distance was measured by the best runner. The Rhodes runner was apparently the tallest man in Greece used to determine the distance.

We then did a walk. The fort and its defenses were very well preserved. For once I was impressed by the fortifications. Triple walls and double moats. The guide told some great stories about its history.

Dinner could have been disappointing if we had not taken seats immediately in front of the cooking station. The two tables were 12 seats deep perpendicular to the cook, so those sitting farthest away probably weren’t as satisfied as the two of us. It was a fast demonstration, but the passenger-cooks in attendance seemed to get the gist. Two complex sauces for bread, a form of lasagna, and a salad. After the meal each couple was given a sheet with the recipes. There were nice shops in the town and getting back to the ship was only a 10 minute walk.

We planned to have a light dinner on board, but we discovered that on the side opposite from the sushi station was a king crab/shrimp station. Heaven.

Sunday, 5/1. Athens again. May Day. Without an excursion, we decided to take the shuttle into the city and ride the HopOn-HopOff Bus, largely for the commentary. Big mistake. Because it’s May Day, there were demonstrations scheduled at various locations throughout the city, with some of the most consequential streets closed. The bus almost immediately had to take alternate routes, skipping several landmarks. The audio feature would be talking about places that we weren’t passing. After an hour of seeing just about nothing, we got off to walk through the shopping district on our way back to the shuttle bus. The Flea Market was as advertiwsed. Junk, just on the edge of being antiques. We stopped at a wine tasting shop and had an entertaining time tasting five Greek wines. Much better than I expected.

Spa Pool was great. Taught some of the first timers about activating the spa feature of the pool. Always fun to watch them realize it has jets.

Had Beef Wellington again. Should have had scallops and lobster. Decisions, decisions.

Overall, a slow, mildly disappointing day.

Saturday, 4/30. Athens. Excursion’s first stop was the Acropolis. Though it was crowded, the guide described it as much less than it could have been. We were the only cruise ship in port. She had experienced the crowds with six ships. The guide was intensely interested in teaching us all about Greece, past through present. This was very bad, as it distracted from actually looking at the site. Many, like us, simply wandered away from her lecture. As it was, we didn’t have as much time as I’d have liked. I’ve since concluded that guides act as though it’s the 20th century, before the internet. She delved into subject matter that we can now easily find. We wanted to see stuff. We can learn about it at home. She took at least 30 minutes of our time away from looking.

However, the Acropolis was one of those places that, despite all the hype, exceeds expectations. I had not realized how large it is. Its position on the hilltop is impressive. Distractions aside, I had an exciting visit. In some ways it was the purpose of the entire cruise. Well worth it.

Our shopping stroll resulted in some purchases. Lunch was fun. The server lost our order and the delay resulted in some light joking. I had essentially Mac and cheese, Greek-style. 

This was a changeover day, when hundreds of passengers leave and an equal number come on board. Per routine, they all had to wear masks on day one. A little odd to see.

Sushi for dinner. Almost exclusively. We canceled our Delphi trip for tomorrow. We weren’t able to handle a nine and a half hour excursion, involving mostly a bus ride. I suppose the Oracle of Delphi prophesied our decision.

In keeping with the subject matter, most photos are adjusted the”noir” style.

Friday, 4/29. This stop is all about the original site of the Olympic Games. There were a few passengers who went elsewhere, doubtlessly because they’d been here before.

It’s ruins. There’s no better way to say it. The site was destroyed by command of religious zealots, then by an earthquake. The French discovered the site in the 19th century, but after they appropriated items they found (I.e., stole), Greece kicked them out. Germany, more ethical (or more closely watched), was called in to continue. But all the effors to reconstruct the site hasn’t really yielded a clear image of what it had been. Our tour guide, an archeologist, explained that much of what stands is “fake”. Fortunately for the reconstruction effort there is extensive written testimony of the Games. It’s a fascinating trip back in history, but there really isn’t much to photograph. It tickles the imagination more than the eye.

We returned to the ship and encountered a surprise. The approach to the gangway was lined with hundreds of crew members cheering our return, with wine and music. Our bus was apparently the first one back, so the effect was momentous.

The afternoon at sea was a little cool, leaving me alone in the infinity pool. Its spa didn’t work.

Dinner was preceded by a trip to the sushi bar. I had lamb as my entree. All delicious.

Tomorrow in Athens people leave and others come aboard. I’m told the total number on board will be unchanged (720).

Thursday, 4/28. My 52nd country. A lot to see from the ship. Two large forts fill the eye. Albania is visible in the distance.

Our excursion was to the opposite side of the island, about 40 minutes away. From there we boarded small boats. The area is famous for small caves that the boats enter. They aren’t deep caves, but it’s still an event. The famous one is the “Blue Cave”, where sunlight reflects up through the water under a section of the cave. That was very cool. The driver threw food in the water and suddenly hundreds of fish appeared. I wouldn’t call this a wonder of the world, but it was a good time.

We then took a tour of downtown Corfu. The guide, who impressed me with her ability to put me to sleep during her talk on the bus, was unimpressive during the walk. Her lack of comfortable English was a problem. So too was her willingness to let one or two passengers dominate her with their life stories. Rude. The high point of the city tour was (I suppose) visiting an Orthodox Church that allowed photography. But since it’s general policy that photos not be taken inside Orthodox Churches, I declined on principle.

A lot of well made wooden products. A guitarist playing for Euros. Poorly maintained buildings next to nicely refurbished ones. Orange cocktails. Gelato! Crowds.

A bit of family connection. On Orthodox Easter (last Sunday), it’s a tradition to fling pottery out the upper story windows. Broken chips are collected and dated as mementos. There were still many small chips scattered around today. My mom’s travel log details that in 1986 they were in Corfu on Easter and saw it happen!

We returned to the ship in a shuttle bus. Jammed. Some people standing. So much for Viking’s pledge to maintain social distancing.

Made full use of the spa pool area. Large hot tub, cold water bucket dump, steam room, snow room. Repeat.

Dinner was sensational. Surf and turf. Baked potato. I went up to the World Cafe to find apple pie (found later on the room service menu), but instead Yoriko discovered the sushi bar. Vastly better than what they had seven years ago. We’ll probably make that a stop before the Restaurant tomorrow. 

I’d felt tired all day, so rather than prowl the ship at night, I turned in early.

Tuesday, 4/26. Very pretty coastline as we sailed in. I can only imagine how pretty it was for my parents to do the same in 1985 on a 42 foot ketch. 

I was in this city just eight weeks ago. Our excursion began with a great boat ride along the coastline, ending in the ancient Dubrovnik harbor. The guide was excellent. Incredibly, her talk was very different than the one I’d heard before. She brought an entirely new angle to the city. Whereas the previous guide spoke at length about the 1992 siege, this time the conversation was about the city’s commercial history.

Afterwards I retraced my steps to the Buza Bar, but unfortunately they only dealt in the local currency. We had lunch at the first place we found after that. Excellent! It was at the top of the famous “Walk of Shame” steps. Everyone was told to take a photo to impress those friends of theirs who were Game of Thrones fanatics.

At one point during our walk, I heard a familiar voice. Confused, I turned and saw the trainee Trip Leader from my visit in March! We said hi, but as he was conducting a tour we couldn’t say more.  

Wine tasted. Bought another t-shirt for the grandson. An incredible number of shops were open that had been closed in March. Stores dedicated entirely to Game of Throne merchandise came out of the woodwork. 

We returned to the ship to rest. Yoriko did laundry. Had another great dinner. Competed in a trivia game. 

Monday, 4/25. Ship pulled into Split on a beautiful day. The dock was minutes away from the old city on foot.

Our excursion began with a rapid hour in the Roman Palace of Emperor Diocletian, the longest occupied Roman construction. It’s been built up over the centuries into a mish-mash of apartments, churches, shops, etc. It’s a fascinating area, but not a very beautiful one. Roman under gothic, under Renaissance, etc. Full of history. Even though we were there early, the place was crowded.

(Split is the site of many Game of Thrones scenes. A ridiculous number of stores dedicated to the show.)

Our next stop was to an olive oil factory, where we got a lecture on the difference kinds of oil. We learned that most “virgin” olive oil is mostly lamp oil-grade, with a touch of actual virgin oil. There is no such thing as cheap 100% virgin olive oil. We had a tasting sample to illustrate the difference. It was an excellent education.  We then spent 45 minutes in their store, filled with not only olive oil but also creams, soaps, jellies, salts, etc. Yoriko purchased a variety.

Returning to the town I found a great wine shop and bought two bottles of local wine, which is not available in the USA. I look forward to drinking it back home.  

Sunday, 4/24. Visited San Marino, my 52nd country. I’d never have made it but for the ship not getting to Venice. All in all, we’d rather have had another day there, but lemons, lemonade.

Tour guide talked about the area’s history, though I wasn’t able to follow it much for all the distractions.  The road was not very smooth and had a high number of circles and stop lights. It was disappointing that we never stopped for photo opportunities on our approach to the mountain-top country’s towers and walls. The view from above was fantastic, but the real visual thrills were of the top, not from it.

Many, many souvenirs shops. Imitation weapons are a big thing. As the morning progressed it became extremely crowded, being Sunday. We were happy to have arrived early.

Rain fell as we returned to the ship. The fifty yard walk from the security tent to the ship was wet. As we came aboard I noticed a bin full of umbrellas. Putting them in the security tent would have been helpful. A little failure on Viking’s part.

Tea time was great. A wide assortment of teas. I also had some sparkling wine. Tiny cakes and sandwiches. Nice and restful. Almost everyone was properly dressed. No bathrobes.

We visited the spa pool again. I think we may have begun a tradition. I was able to use the snow room. Yoriko stepped in and immediately stepped back out. 

For dinner I had an entree as an appetizer (lobster and scallops over noodles). For an entree I had beef wellington. Shared a table with a couple of very interesting retired college professors. 

The ship got underway! We’re doing what cruises are supposed to do.  It was a good day.

Saturday, 4/23. My little printer paid dividends last night when I printed a photo of the bartender. In return for a 50 cent picture, he gave me a free glass of wine.

Sunshine greeted us the morning! It would have been a nice day in Venice, followed by a late bus drive to the ship. Sadly, no. Viking has its program and won’t be distracted. We boarded the boat at 9:30AM. But they exceeded my expectations by providing a water-borne commentary of Venice Harbor. Very interesting. Entertaining pieces of history. Got some great photos of other boats.

After that, the transfer turned painful.  We landed at the airport (which has an incredible boat terminal), had a 25 minute potty stop delay, a 20 minute walk to the buses, then a 2.5 hour drive to the ship. None of it was exciting. But getting onto the ship afterwards was easy.

After our spit in the tube, we had the run of the ship, masks on. Tomorrow masks are optional. 

We went into the spa pool. Surprisingly, Yoriko had not done it on our prior Viking cruise. She loved it! The pail of cold water was refreshing for her. 

Dinner was excellent. I had filet mignon. I questioned the sommelier’s wine recommendation (primotivo) and I was correct. Had an alternative (South African Cab) that worked much better. Chocolate ice cream and port was a nice desert. Now I’m in the night club, typing and drinking (slowly).