Subject: Report #102 Sailing Towards Piraeus, Greece April 11, 2016 Monday Partly cloudy, windy & 78 degrees (we wish)
The winds picked up and the temperature dropped as we left the coast of Israel yesterday. Captain Mercer mentioned that the winds would be over 30 knots and the seas may be a bit rough, but nothing really bad. Last year, after we left Kusadasi, Turkey, it was really bad. We experienced the worst seas on our way towards Athens that year. We had driving rain, cool temps, and plenty of folks getting seasick. At least it is not that bad so far.
Yesterday after dinner, we had the itineraries for the 2017 Grand Asia/Pacific Cruise, as well as the Grand World Cruise for 2018. We have included these itineraries in our blog.
With the country of Greece coming up next, here is some info for you all. The capital of Greece is Athens, and the total population of the country is 10,757,426 people who speak Greek. It is 50,935 square miles, figuring in all of the many islands.
Greece is an inspiration to all who come here, going all the way back to Ulysses. We know it for blue seascapes, and white-washed villages (Santorini comes to mind). The country consists of the mainland and islands dotted over three seas. It is diverse as can be. You can find olive groves in bloom, sprawling Athens, Crimson poppies in April, and old men sitting for hours sipping coffee and thumbing prayer beads.
Those seeking sun and sea will be pleased to find it comes with excellent Greek hospitality.
When is the best time to visit? Easter until June as there are fewer crowds. What about things to see? The white columns of the Parthenon on a hill overlooking Athens is a must. Enjoy a sunset of Oia Village on Santorini, or the monasteries of Meteora astride rocky pillars of rock. Greek Easter in Corfu, priests in brilliant vestments, candlelit midnight services, sweetbreads, and colored eggs are some of the special things in Greece.
Things to do? Hop a ferry in Piraeus to cruise between countless islands, if you have the time. This time, we don't because we are not spending the night. Settle in at a harborside café and enjoy some of the country's under-rated cuisine. We will make the time for that in Piraeus tomorrow.
If you trek up Mt. Olympus, watch for mythical centaurs, satyrs, or Greek gods as their statues can be everywhere.
What about the food? Well, don't be afraid to try saganaki, or fried cheese, gemistes for stuffed peppers, or spanokopitas, a spinach pastry which I learned to make years ago. They are made with phyllo dough with feta cheese, and rolled into triangles. Also popular is Greek meatballs, grilled octopus, and roast lamb and so much more.
How about drink of Ouzo, a grape brandy with anise flavoring, or retsina, a wine mixed with resin. Every meal ends with Greek coffee.
Trademarks: The Acropolis, Kalamata olives, old women in black, Zorba the Greek, white-washed hillside villages, Homer (not Simpson), myths and fables.
Random fact: Around 500 BC, Thepsis, a vocalist, improvised during a religious singing performance, becoming the first "thespian" an actor or a theater performer.
We had a good laugh this morning during breakfast. Today's itinerary will include a Greek Gala evening, followed by a Toga Party in the Crows Nest from 9 to 11pm. The humorous thing about this affair is that it was recommended for folks to wear their best togas. In case you forgot your toga at home, you are welcomed to ask your room steward for a sheet to complete your outfit. Do people really do this, you might ask? Well, you won't find us doing it, but we are certain there will be some good outfits in the Crows Nest tonight. Since we expect dinner to run later this evening, doubt we even attempt to go upstairs.
Anyway that wasn't the funniest thing that happened. While sitting next to one of the decorated columns at breakfast, one of the "columns" actually fell on us and our table. No, it wasn't the real column, but the decoration that had been taped there. Hope it is not an omen of our visit to Piraeus tomorrow……..Funny, not one of the other dozen columns came down.
Well, the rest of the day was quiet, especially while walking on the lower promenade deck. Our British friends Jack and Shirley were troopers, as well as one other Dutch couple that sit outside every sea day. The wind was blowing over the starboard side of the ship, getting everything, including us, wet from the sea spray. Even with jackets and a wool scarf on, it was cold. Never thought we would say it got cold. Just three days ago, we were complaining how hot it was coming through the Suez Canal. Now we were seeing some areas of rain, and lots of clouds. Hope it warms up for our two stops in Greece, as we like to go on long walks there.
Thought we should take a few minutes here to say how happy we have been with the laundry service. Of course, when it is complimentary, it is even more appreciated. Does it ruin our clothing? Not at all, although, a few years ago we can admit that the laundry was hard on underwear, specifically, socks. The elastic in the socks seemed to be destroyed by the end of the four months. Now, we don't see that at all. They end up almost as new as when we boarded. Our head housekeeper, Shiv, took us on a private tour of the laundry facilities two years ago. At that time, all of the machines had been replaced with the newer style that spins, not agitates. They are industrial size, but we saw that all of the clothing was separated according to color, and also delicacies. Knock on wood, not one piece of our clothing has been damaged, shrunk, or faded. Even better, some days, we get our laundry back on the same day. To tell the truth, we don't even know where the passenger laundry rooms are located on this ship. There may be a few items that can be done in the bathroom sink, and dried with the clothesline in the shower. But that is seldom. This is one service that we REALLY miss when we go home.
No pool for us today. In fact, we are not even sure if the aft pool was opened today. That dust from the ships being loaded all day yesterday covered every outside surface on the ship. To be sure, it was in the pools. The promenade had been thoroughly hosed, but there was still a residue in the gutters, turning the navy blue paint beige. Later in the morning, the decks were scrubbed again, and hosed.
Good time to go to lunch in the dining room. We had spotted a few good items on the menu earlier, and thought we would meet up with Barb and Maureen. Even better, Barb came in with Ellen and Aart, and the six of us got a table on the starboard side of the dining room, which is reserved for the folks on deck seven. Since Ellen and Aart live on deck seven, we became their guests. Truthfully, we get much better service where we normally eat at table 179. Our waiters know us well, and always bring our entrees as we like them. That could be no onions, lettuce, or mayo, for instance. Today, despite some of us asking for special little things, nothing was done that way. The sandwiches came exactly how they were described. So they had to take out what they did not like. Despite the blips, we had a fine time, leaving the dining room by 2pm. Sometimes when things are planned, it isn't as much fun as by chance.
Later, we discovered that the lectures were televised on our room TV. We have been hearing that some of the talks have been on TV, but we could not find them. Guess they cycle over the course of the day, and are only shown on sea days. So finally we listened to guest speaker, Vivanne Rowan, speak all about Egyptian history and the pharaohs. Since we have been to Cairo and the Valley of the Kings, we got a lot of great info from her talk.
Ancient ships and their cargo was the subject of Timothy Runyan at 2pm, and we caught some of Barbara H's speech on Monaco. It's been a few years since we have been there. Always a nice port to visit.
Sometime during the later afternoon, we peeked in at the rehearsal for tonight's show of Jazz Blues, and Rock and Roll by the singers and dancers of the Amsterdam. They were good as we enjoyed the music we grew up with. The only thing we would miss are the costumes they will wear tonight. We know dinner will run late, because we are having company. So are the "kids" at the smaller table. Two guests tonight.
Our host, Tom M joined us at the big table, while Rene, the Spa Manager, joined the smaller table. The waiters were dressed in Greek-style clothes in colors of white, red, and blue. And they wore red felt hats with gold tassels. We think they like it, except when it is hot. They looked relieved because it has cooled off. No more complaints about the air-conditioning not working in the dining room.
Our food was great with some Greek entrees and appetizers. Greek meatballs, and a Greek lemon chicken soup started our meal. Bill had the lamb chops, while I had surf and turf, giving him the prawn. Dover sole was popular also. One of us tried the rocky road cake, which turned out to be not a cake, but a chocolate-coated marshmallow gooey great with nuts. Not bad with vanilla ice cream, but very rich and sweet.
Tomorrow we can walk off the calories in the port city of Piraeus.
Bill & Mary Ann
The itinerary for the Grand World Voyage 2018 - Page one
2018 World Cruise – Page two
Grand Asia/Pacific Voyage – 2017 Page one
Grand Asia/Pacific Voyage - 2017 Page two
