Category: Travel Journey
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Slovenia & Croatia cancelled Day 74, April 3, 2023
Last night, April second, the captain announced the change to our itinerary. There is a storm with 50mph winds coming to the Adriatic sea. So Slovenia and Croatia ports are canceled. We may still hit “some rough seas, but avoid the worst of the weather.” We will get underway at noon today and head for…
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Ravenna, Italy Day 72 April 1, 2023
Princess Cruises changed our itinerary from Venice to Ravenna. This is not an April fool’s joke. The change occurred well before the cruise began. Cruise ships are currently not allowed to enter the canal into Venice. I have been to Venice twice before, so it’s not a problem. I’m on vacation, it’s all good! The…
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Sparta, Greece Day 70 March 30, 2023
The Liotrivi Mansion. (The home is the beloved country estate of Nobel Prize nominee, Giannis Ritsos.) The mansion has been converted into a traditional olive oil mill of the 1930’s era and offers a glimpse of a typical Greek life a century ago. We were treated to a talk about the health benefits of consuming…
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Ephesus, Turkey Day 69, March 29, 2023
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, then a major Roman provincial capital, making it a fascinating archaeological site. By the 2nd century the population was over 300,000. The major sites are the Great Theatre, the Roman Imperial Temple of Hadrian, the Fountain of Trajan, the Odeum, and the Celsus Library. House of the Virgin Mary:…
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Jerusalem, Israel Day 67 March 27, 2023
Jerusalem is one of the holiest cities in the world. This is where the Jews built their sacred Temple, Mohammed rose to heaven, and Jesus was crucified. The Island Princess docked in Ashdod, Israel. We toured Jerusalem visiting the “Old City” including the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Mt. Olives, the Via…
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Suez Canal, Egypt, Day 66, March 26, 2023
Today we are transiting the Suez Canal. Leaving the Red Sea and emerging in the Mediterranean Sea! We started a little after 5AM this morning. Finished around 3:30PM It takes all day to go through. We are going north and another ship is coming south. There’s a lake in the middle where ships can pass.…
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Aqaba Jordan, Day 64, March 24, 2023
We visited Petra. So exciting! We walked through a natural gorge called the Sig, which leads to the Treasury, the most iconic of all of Petra’s ruins. Think Indiana Jones riding the horse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Barry had us lined up so early, we were the first people off…
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Muscat, Oman: Day 58, March 18, 2023
We visited the country of Oman located adjacent to the UAE, on the Arabian Sea. We took a sailing excursion on a “traditional Arab Dhow.” Our vessel was more of a motorized dhow-looking boat but it made for a nice morning trip. We were served Arabian coffee and dates. Our dhow did have some shade…
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Dubai, Part 3: traditional clothing and foodie pictures 3/16/2023
I managed to get some candid shots of locals in the Dubai Mall. And now a few more foodie pics! Bon appetit!
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Dubai Part 2, Evening of March 16th.
Some of Zeny Lou’s family members who are locals, drove Danny, Pat, Barry, and I along with Zeny & her boyfriend, Aiken, all around Dubai last night. We left about 8:30PM and returned after 2:00AM. We had a blast. We had 3 cars and 11 people total. Including MJ who took the photo! Barry &…
