Live from m/s Rotterdam Black Sea & Med 06-18 SEP 07

[Copper10-8]

Sunday 02 SEP 07

We arrived at Amsterdam-Schiphol Int’l. Airport at about 0830 on Sunday after two uneventful flights on Continental via Newark, NJ. having left on Saturday 01 SEP 07 at oh dark thirty. Walked to the Schiphol-Hilton, slept for about five hours and then took the train from the airport (Schiphol has its own train station below the main arrivals hall) to Amsterdam’s centraal station (ride takes about 10 minutes). Upon arrival, we walked down the Damrak to the Dam (Dam square) where the royal palace (one of them) and the national war monument are located. On the other corner is a large department store called the “Beienkorf” or “Beehive” where my mum used to work as a teenager teaching piano lessons to kids. Then walked Amsterdam's main shopping street, the Kalverstraat (spent a lot of time there in my childhood with great memories), down to the Munttoren (Mint tower), down the Reguliersbreestraat to the Rembrandt plein (Rembrandtsquare). We were both craving Wiener schnitzel for dinner so walked back to the Damrak via theWalletjes (A'dam's red light district:rolleyes: ) where we found Hotel-restaurant “de Korenaer”. Had a great schnitzel there and did some people watching. Afterwards took an about one-hour long “rondvaarttocht” (sightseeing boat tour) through Amsterdam’s numerous canals and a little bit of the harbor (saw the cruise terminal and at least one river cruise boat) before heading back to our hotel via train

[Copper10-8]

Monday 03 SEP 07

Took the train for the about 25 min ride to a little station called "Koog-Bloemwijk", north of Amsterdam where Ine was waiting for us. After arriving at their home where we saw her husband Ton, did some catching up with coffee and a "Tompouce" (last time we met up with Ton and Ine was in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last March). We then got back in the car with Ton driving us all the way up to a little town called Makkum in the north-west province of Friesland. In order to get there we drove the "Afsluitdijk", the large dike that closed off the salt water "Zuiderzee" a long time ago and made it into the current fresh water "IJselmeer". Once in Makkum, visited a pottery called "Tichelaar" where they make great looking stone work (kinda resembles Delft's blue but with many more colors). Afterwards, walked the little town, bridges over canals (one of them had a pretty luxurious-looking duck house built on the water) before heading back towards Assen-Delft.

Made a quick stop at the monument of the Afsluitdijk and the statue dedicated to its creator, engineer Cornelis Lely (the wind, she was a blowing!). Finished up in a restaurant called “the crocodile", and had some (Indonesian) Sate before saying our goodbye’s to Ine and Ton and taking the train back to Schiphol. Great people who have become great friends! I’m telling you, if anybody has any questions about what to do in Holland, hotels to stay in, how to get to certain places, etc., etc., ask Ine! She will do you right and you can’t go wrong!

[Copper10-8]

Tuesday, 04 SEP 07

After breakfast in the hotel, got back on the iron horse (easy, safe and reasonable – plus the personnel both at the stations as well as onboard are really friendly, helpful and for all you non-Dutch speakers, all speak English!) and headed back up north to Den Helder, the city where my dad was born and Holland's primary naval base. From there, took a local “Connexxion” bus to the ferry terminal where we took the ferry up to Holland's largest "wadden" island called Texel. The boat ride itself only takes 30 minutes to reach the other ferry terminal at ‘t Horntje (the little horn). Took another local bus to Texel’s main town of Den Burg which put us right smack in city center. Walked the several streets with shops until we found a hotel-restaurant called “the smulpot” (loosely translated into “culinary lover”) where we had an excellent lunch of a “broodje kroket” (satisfying three of my four former Dutch cravings – Wienerschnitzel, Sate and Broodje kroket – three down, one to go!).

Took the bus and the ferry back to Den Helder except zigged when we should have zagged (I wasn’t paying attention) and had to wait an hour (they only run hourly based on the arrival of the ferry) for the bus that would take us back to Den Helder’s main train station. No biggie (for me) ‘cause the stop happened to be across the street from the Dutch Naval Academy (just a little bit smaller than Annapolis, Md!). The train ride back was uneventful which was a good thing because we were scheduled to meet a good friend of mine (and fellow police officer), Bart, his girlfriend Desiree, and their two-year old son Jeremy at the airport. Bart works for the regional police force of Haaglanden which covers, among other things, the official capital of the Netherlands, The Hague, the Queen’s official residence, houses of parliament, and the international Court of Justice.

Maria found out what it feels like to chase a 2-yr old all over the arrival’s hall of Schiphol airport, but had fun doing it. After about two and a half hours, said our goodbyes, a nice time was had by all!

[Copper10-8]

Wednesday, 05 SEP 07

Time for another train ride, this time the longest in duration, approx. two hours to the east side of the country, a little town called Giethoorn, also know as the “Venice of the North” or the “Green Venice”. In order to get there, we got off the train in a town called Steenwijk, located in the province of Overijsel. We were supposed to meet another Dutch policeman, Richard Dijktra who spends his time driving about 140 kilometers an hour in a Volvo S80 down Holland’s freeways catching violators, in the town of Giethoorn for a cup of coffee (the Dutch love drinking coffee – it’s kinda like a social event held several times each day). I had met Richard on-line when he contacted my Dept. to ask for a shoulder emblem/patch trade. Low and behold, Richard walked up to us just as we were looking for the bus to Giethoorn outside the Steenwijk train station. He had driven an hour and a half from his residence on his vacation just to meet up with us. We had our coffee at a hotel right on the outskirts of Giethoorn. Great guy who’ll be making a trip to Calif. Next March with his girlfriend. Time to return the favor(s)!

After saying our goodbyes, we then followed a narrow rode that led us into an area of about twenty-twenty five nice homes surrounded by little canals and accessible by little walking bridges (no idea where they park their cars because none of them had garages). All these homes had meticulously manicured front lawns with all sorts of neat landscaping, gnomes, windmills, geese, friendly cats walking around asking to be petted; you name it (Maria is into this kinda thing so this became her day). Spent about two hours in Giethoorn before heading back to A’dam. Tomorrow will be an early day flying to Athens, Greece but we still had some time left to explore Schiphol Plaza. If you’ve never been to Amsterdam’s int’l. airport you’re in for a treat. Schiphol Plaza must have about fifty different stores including two mini-super markets. There are bars, restaurants, book, electronic, perfume, and music stores, a meeting point, a police station, in other words, a small city where you can spend a lot of time browsing around!

[Copper10-8]

Thursday, 06 SEP 07

The big day has arrived! We were due to catch a 0715 Alitalia flight from Amsterdam to Milan, Italy, then change planes there and catch another Alitalia flight to Athens, arriving at 1415, plenty of time before Rotterdam’s 1800 departure from Piraeus. Well, let me tell you, Mr. Murphy was laughing all the way to the bank. We usually do not travel on the day of the ship’s departure but because distances in Europe are relatively short (depending on where you are going) we’ve done it once before in the past w/o any problems (Paris-Athens in 2004), The 0715 departure on an Alitalia MD-80 was uneventful, left on time, and arrived on time! Hints of what was to come started with lots of earlier Alitalia flights having been cancelled. Our flight was supposed to leave at 1040 but had 1150 next to it as its new departure time. Still no biggie until I saw the fine print on the extreme right side of the flight status board in the terminal: “Due to a strike by air traffic controllers today between 1200 and 1800 hours, flights may be delayed or cancelled”. Ours was supposed to leave 10 minutes before that strike! I’m not the sharpest pencil in the box but I could sense trouble a mile away. “OK, let me see now, how to get a flight from Milan to Istanbul, Turkey (Rotterdam’s next port of call after a sea day and, oh yeah, how ‘bout a place to spend two nights there, both at short notice”. When 1125 rolled around, all of a sudden and without warning, boarding for our flight started; good thing we were paying attention!. We got our seats and our captain propelled that Airbus A321 into the air to the tunes a carrier pilot used to cat shots would be proud of! This was at 1155 hours, five minutes before the strike deadline. Once in the wild blue yonder, we headed towards Athens and arrived there in about two hours which put in on the ground at approx. 1500 hours local time. Found our bags as well as the HAL red-coat (nice Brit lady called Anna who now makes Athens her home and speaks fluent Greek) and got on the HAL bus and on the new road (both it and the airport were build for the Greek-organized Olympic Games of five years ago) towards Athens and Piraeus (there had been two other couples on our flight, one nice husband and wife team from outside Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There were some additional folks waiting on the bus, having arrived on other airlines.

Our bus pulled into the cruise terminal around 1630 hours and we got our first glimpse of m/s Rotterdam at her berth with all her pax involved in the 1615 muster drill……..oops! Check-in was a breeze (it was just us last bus from the airport pax), had our passports stamped (funny, it was done here and not at the airport) and we went through x-ray passed a not so interested member of the Greek Coast Guard in cammies. Found our cabin and made a bee-line for the Lido Grill where we picked up a burger (having missed the regular Lido lunch and airline food being the less then five star nutritional experience it has become apparently world-wide). Then got my camera and we spent some time on the aft pool deck for the sail-away party. Piraeus has to be one of the ferry capitols in the world! Man!, I have never seen so many ferries, hydrofoils, and former cruise ships, now owner-less (Hermes & Aegean Glory tied up across from us) I one port, most of which coming and going to Greece’s many, many islands. Ferries from Minoan Lines, Nel Lines, Hellenic Seaways, Blue Star Ferries, CA Ferries, you name it, were as plentiful as there are Chin’s in a Chinese phone book! Back at our cabin, met our room steward, “call me doowey” from DWI who had our bags delivered in no time.

At exactly 1810 hours, Captain Jan Smit (Rotterdam’s master) gave three blasts on his whistle and started backing R’dam up in the basin. He then swung her around and started heading out to sea passing Grand Voyager (tied up at an adjoining pier) and later, Corinthian II. In the basin on the other side of where the pilot and fire boats are berthed was, what appeared to be a little former Renaissance ship but without a current owner, tied up. Dinner for us was at 2000 hours but the welcome aboard show for our seating was pre-dinner at 1845. Since we weren’t hungry anymore, that was not gonna work so we relaxed in the cabin, skipped dinner and went to the 2015 show instead. Low and behold discovered that our cruise director is none other than Susan Wood, a classy lady originally from Newcastle-upon-Tynne on the north-east coast of England. We’ve had her twice before and think of her as one of HAL’s best. The show introduced the cast and the Rotterdam’s orchestra, nowadays called “the HAL cats”. After the show, decided to head for the Ocean Bar where a good-sounding four-some by the name of the Atlantic Quartet was playing dance music. Maria had a White Russian (the drink!) and the cocktail of the day, a hand-shaken Cuban Mojito sounded good to me. We both got kinda tired from a long day so went to the cabin to find out that DWI was still working on our neighbors’ (their cabin, not them personally!). No biggie, up to the Crow’s Nest we went but not before making two reservations for dinner on SAT and next FRI with Sanjay, the PG manager.

OK, back to the Crow’s Nest but hey, fresh popcorn was being made outside the Wajang – no dinner tonite so could not pass that baby up! In the Crow’s Nest did some chatting first with Carrie, a member of the (now called) “Cruise Event Staff” (first Cruise Staff, then Cruise Activities Staff) from Alberta, little town in between Edmonton and Calgary. Then one of the Bar Staff guys starts schlepping in trays of freshly baked Pepperoni pizza slices! Hey, as stated, no dinner tonite!! Got to make substitutions, improvise, overcome, adapt and all that! Better also get our butts into the Gym tomorrow morning! Finished up the night by having a chat with Susan Wood who now lives in the Houston, TX area and has sold her wing of the castle near her English hometown. It took her eighteen months but it is a done deal – one wing and three resident ghosts sold!

Tomorrow is a Sea day cruising the Dardanelles, the strait that connects the Mediterranean with the Sea of Marmaris, on our way to Istanbul – see ya’ll then!

[GmaPajama]

Oh My - this is wonderful. I feel like I'm sailing right along with you - What an adventure! Except for the close call at boarding time. :) Looking forward to hearing more!

[Cruising-along]

Thanks Copper. I'm really looking forward to your posts. You're on the cruise we did last year, only you started in Athens and we ended there. Have a fabulous time in Istanbul -- I loved that city. :D
Looking forward to your updates. :)

[happy cruzer]

Wonderful account.

Do you know if the strike did indeed mess up some of the travelers to the ship? Need to go check my travel insurance for coverage for delays due to strikes. yikes!

Enjoy!

[kakalina]

Oh John: You have made me homesick for a place I haven't been yet :) . I can tell that you and Maria are having a marvelous time. I sure would like to take both of you with me when we go to The Netherlands. Your descriptions of your journeys there are so detailed, thank you, thank you.

Now, when are we going to take a cruise together :confused:

Enjoy every day of your voyage ( and raise a Wang Wang for me )

[LAFFNVEGAS]

John, I am so glad you are reporting in. I will catch as much as I can before we leave and then read then rest when we get home.

Sounds like you are already having a great time:)

[lkmamom]

John, thanks so much for posting your adventure! Our son is especially intrigued by your reports, we are planning a similar cruise next summer. Thanks for taking all of us along. Hope that you and Maria have a wonderful cruise!
Linda

[infohunter]

Thursday, 06 SEP 07

...... OK, back to the Crow’s Nest but hey, fresh popcorn was being made outside the Wajang ....


It's these tidbits that I love getting from Cruise Critics. The hubby loves popcorn.... he was wondering about availability for our cruise in December. now I can tell him were he can find it.

Love reading about the ship. It will make me feel that much more comfortable when I first board.

THANKS

[Nutrioso]

Hello Copper John -- Have been following your Rotterdam thread with interest. On sailing out of Athens you mentioned that you noticed a "little R ship" tied up there. Were you able to see any identification on her at all? Perhaps Blue Moon-Pullmantours, or Azamara Quest? The Blue Moon is supposed to be turned over to Azamara in 11 days for a big refit and conversion into the Quest. Am wondering if perhaps they were able to convince Pullmantours to turn her over earlier (I am hoping). We are booked on the Quest Jan 5th. -- Thanks for any input you might have. PENNY

[OVgirl]

Thank you for posting your holiday journal. Really enjoyed reading about Holland, makes me homesick. Glad that your flights worked out for you. Not the best way to arrive, but you did make it before sailing. Guess you will have to do a 'makeup muster drill' tomorrow. Enjoy your cruise. Dooi..(?spelling)

[jhannah]

Sounds like you had a full vacation before you ever got on the ship! I'm glad you got to visit with Ine and Ton again. They are great people.

We love Schiphol airport! It's the only one in the world I wouldn't mind getting stuck in for a few hours!

Smooth sailing. And hold onto your wallets in Istanbul! ;)

[mamaofami]

Wow John,
You had some close call with your flight. I once had the same situation leaving NYC going to Europe. We were the last plane to fly out before a strike because a UN abasador was on our plane. Makes for an exciting story. Hope you and Maria continue to have a good cruise.

[RuthC]

I'm enjoying this---thanks for taking us along! :) It was fun to read your descriptions in Amsterdam---since I was just there I could picture it. Neat.
Glad you made it to the ship on time. What luck to find Susan Wood there! She's teriffic. I haven't read anything about her in a while, so it's nice to know she's still around. Houston, eh? I'll be there in a few weeks. Wouldn't it be funny if she were on leave and we ran into each other. Stranger things have happened.

Have a great time. And keep reporting in whenever you can! ;)

[ger_77]

Wiener schnitzel, broodje kroket I just love it when you talk dirty!!! :D

I'm thoroughly enjoying your posts - we sailed the same itinerary on the Rotterdam last October so I can hardly wait to hear your description of the Dardanelles, Istanbul, Kusadasi & Ephesus, and all the rest. It's like being there all over again. Stay well; enjoy the food & drinks, and enjoy your time onboard.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[Ine]

Good to see you made your trips to Texel and Giethoorn. The weather was disappointing I know and you possibly couldnot or did not make one of those boattrips (punteren) in Giethoorn.
Were you lucky to get into Athens including your luggage... you know we had some doubts about that.
Susan was our CD on the Panamacanalcruise in 2001, the one with the "gevulde speculaas and banketstaaf" delivered to our cabin on Dec. 5. We remember her as one of the best CD's.

It was good to see you and Maria again, enjoy your cruise, we will read your reports.

[Ine]

PS. Did you check your e-mail and saw the link for the photos?????

[mjs125]

A Copper 10-8 "live from" thread! Thanks so much for checking in and letting us cruise with you, John. This is one of the cruises I'm debating about doing next year, so I can't wait to hear about your experiences. I hope you guys have a fantastic time!

Meg

[Copper10-8]

Friday, 09 SEP 07

Woke up about 0730 after a great night’s rest on those HAL SOE mattresses! Took our customary breakfast in the Lido. Today is a sea day however we had no problems finding a seat. The avg. age on Rotterdam seems to be HAL’s norm (retirement age) and with only seven kids onboard, Club HAL is not going to be that busy. The majority of the pax are hailing from the U.S. and Canada. There are some Aussies and Kiwis on board as well as folks from Holland (ran into several of them speaking Dutch), the U.K., several Russians as well as pax from South America and the Orient. We attended the make-up muster/life boat drill at 0915 hours at life boat station #1. There were about 30-40 of us who had either arrived late yesterday and/or just plain failed to show up for yesterday’s drill (unknown if any of those hid in closets). Regardless, everyone received a letter from Capt. Smit with an invitation to show up this morning and/or commence peeling potatoes in the forward galley.:eek:

During the morning we sailed a north-easterly course through the Aegean Sea which is quite a busy sea lane with constant traffic of tankers, container ships, other cargo vessels, ferries and yes, cruise ships (saw a Costa ship passing us this morning as well as a RCI Voyager-class behemoth) heading the opposite way. In the afternoon, we entered the Dardanelles and picked up a Turkish pilot. Apparently, before being able to enter that strait, Rotterdam had to frequently report in to the Turkish authorities to obtain permission to proceed. Upon entering the Gallipoli area of the narrow strait (site of a fierce WW I battle primarily fought by Aussies and Kiwis versus the defending Turks) we started seeing the various war memorials on our port side. While passing these, we received expert commentary via the P.A. system on the outside decks from our port lecturer, Frank Buckingham. (Cruised with him before - the man knows his stuff!). We then entered the Sea of Marmarra and made a bee-line towards Istanbul.

Dinner for us was at 2000 hours (8:00 pm) and we were escorted to our table (#30) a table for six on the port side aft right up against the window. Met our four tablemates and hit it off right away! They’re just about the same age as us hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba and Calgary, Alberta, Canada, eh!;) The two gents (one is a pharmacist and the other a postal carrier) both have a great sense of humor and we had no shortages of dinner conversation (plus they’re big hockey fans so life is good!). Their wives are sisters with one of them being a vet. (The one who works on animals, not the military-kind). Also met our dining room steward, his assistant and their area supervisor (still learning their names). Maria and I both chose the salmon fillet which was quite good! The wine steward’s name is Angel but his Mum at home in the P.I. calls him “lito” (“little angel”). Before we knew it, it was 10:20 and we were closing out the la fontaine dining room so we wound up missing the Captain’s champagne toast. The show right after was called “Love Songs from Broadway, Costumes from Mackie” with, as the title described, several show tunes from classics such as Phantom of the Opera, Beauty and the Beast, the Music Man, Les Miserables, etc., etc. The two female vocalists, Natalie Gallo and Stacy Zappia are awesome! One of the male vocalists is also, however the other one, although good, is unfortunately not in the same class. The show overall was very good and we enjoyed it! Finished up the night in the Crow’s Nest and ran into our new friends and tablemates who invited us to join them. We did and had another series of good laughs! Called it a night at midnight because we have a 0815 excursion time in Istanbul tomorrow!

[hammybee]

John,
Your writing is in top form. I am enjoying the ride. Stay away from the carpet men in Istanbul ( the best sales people in the world) and their apple tea or you will live to regret it.

If time permits, check out the ancient anchovy fisherman, along the Bosphorus.

[formercruisestaff]

Seems we keep missing each other! I spent seven months on the Rotterdam this year and left before your arrival.....and you cruised on the Zaandam the week before I boarded last winter....Hope your cruise is amazing!

[Copper10-8]

Saturday, 08 SEP 07

Rotterdam reached the Istanbul, Turkey Pilot station around 0630 and we were safely docked at the new Sali Pazari cruise terminal by 0800 hours. Istanbul, the only city to have a “foot” on two continents, is a fascinating city, a place where Europe and Asia meet. This is our second visit here. The city can be described as bustling and chaotic at the same time. The skyline is dominated by spires/minarets and domes belonging to more than 135 mosques and medieval palaces. Dominating the skyline is the Sultan Ahmet Camii also known as the Blue Mosque. It is the only one that has six minarets. We would be visiting this awesome structure later today. A little bit west of us at the Karakoy Maritime terminal, we could see Windstar Cruises “Wind Spirit” at her berth.

Our excursion today was called “Istanbul highlights & lunch at Ciragan Palace”, an 8½ to 9 hour tour. We met our tour guide, Sevilla, outside the terminal and boarded our bus with a group totaling 26 persons. BTW, we had to hand in our passports in Piraeus on Thursday. We do not need them in Istanbul (Landing cards were handed out instead) but will need them in Odessa, Sevastopol and Alexandria. We started out by crossing the “Golden Horn”, an inlet flowing off the Bosphorus strait, by traversing the historic Galata Bridge and entered the Old City. (The Bosphorus divides the European from the Asian part of Istanbul – “Bous” means “cow” in ancient Greek and “poros” means “crossing place” thus Bosphorus is the “place where the cow crossed”). Our first stop was at the Hippodrome, itself inspired by Rome’s Circus Maximus. It was, at one time, the most important place in Istanbul, decorated with statues from across the Roman Empire. In the center of the oblong plaza, the Egyptian Obelisk of Theodosius and Serpent Column are twins to their Roman counterparts. The third monument that decorates the Hippodrome is German Fountain of Wilhelm II and below it are the remains of the Roman-era Aqueduct of Valens. A history major could have a field day here!

We then crossed the street and entered the grounds of the Blue Mosque. Before being able to enter, we all had to remove our shoes and were given plastic bags to hold them in while walking the huge carpeted floor inside the mosque. Inside, the air seems blue with 21,403 azure-colored Iznik tiles on the walls helping create that illusion. The fantastic building, built in eight years by Metmet Aga beginning in 1609, also contains 260 stained glass windows. The sixteen balconies on its six minarets honor the sixteen sultans of the Ottoman empire whose borders at one time spanned three continents stretching from the strait of Gibraltar on the North African coast to all of the Arabian peninsula and into the Balkan as far north as Hungary! Upon exiting, we reboarded the bus for the short drive to another Istanbul landmark, Topkapi Palace, built by order of Sultan Mehmet II (“the Conqueror”) after his army stormed and sacked Constantinople (Istanbul’s former name) in 1453. Topkapi which means “cannon gate”, served as the home to the Ottoman sultans and the royal court until the mid-19th century. The Byzantine Empire fell to the Ottoman Empire at the site. The complex overlooks the Bosphorus and was well placed to defend the city. It has three separate large courtyards and a building, the “Treasury” where jewelry and other sacred Islamic relics are kept. On the same grounds, we then visited the Harem, another point of fascination! The only men permitted to enter (then, not now! and other then the sultan) were eunuchs:eek: , hand picked by the ruler for their unlikely interest to women. The sultans were permitted to have four wives! It’s good to be the sultan but I bet ya their Visa card bills were no day on the beach;) !

We were then transported to Ciragan Palace, once the residence of the last Ottoman sultans, now restored to its former glory as a luxury palace hotel (the Ciragan Palace Kempinski) located on the Bosphorus shore. It got its name from Fatma Sultan who frequently organized torch-lit celebrations or “Ciragan” festivals in the gardens of the palace. Derived from Persian, the word suggested a special light source. If anyone is interested in a room there, a park view starts of at $480 a night. Suites start of at $1,275 a night while the Presidential suite will set one back for a mere $6,000 a night. Allrighty then, our group was escorted to the Laledan restaurant for a buffet lunch including many local Turkish delicatessen. Had some time left over to walk the immaculate gardens, pool area and shores of the Bosphorus all on the hotel grounds, amazing!

Back on the bus we went this time to be let off near Nuruosmaniye Street and the obligatory carpet demonstration and subsequent sales pitch at Kismet Rugs & Jewelry. That demo came with a glass of sweet tea (pretty darn tasty). We politely said “thank you” to an offer to buy a hand-woven rug and/or flying carpet as well as jewelry and made an exit stage left down the street which led us directly into the covered Grand Bazaar, the biggest “souk” in the world with nearly 4,000 shops selling antique, jewelry, gold, carpets, leatherwear and souvenirs of all kinds. If you’ve never been there, keep your bearings! The place can be a maze and it is pretty easy to lose your way. From our prior visit, I knew the bazaar has its own police mini-substation. Found it, paid a visit and came away with a “Polis” baseball hat for my collection. Cool beans! Upon exiting the bazaar, low and behold found a Starbucks Coffee restaurant (Istanbul’s first) staring us in the face so we were able to take care of that craving also! Back on the bus for the last time and we were taken to the Haghia Sophia, built in the sixth century as the world’s most magnificent church. It took thousands of workers more than five years to complete the massive structure. For 1,000 years, Haghia Sophia was in fact the world’s largest church. Later converted to a mosque, Kemal Ataturk, the father of modern Turkey, declared it to be a national monument in 1935. The unsupported domes have withstood centuries of earthquakes and though they have been repaired several times, they have never fallen. We spent about 45 minutes inside this magnificent structure and then were dropped off in front of the cruise terminal. Noted that we had been joined by Celebrity’s “Galaxy”, Louis Cruise Lines “Perla” and, while waiting to depart, Monarch Classic Cruises “Blue Monarch” was towed in to her berth. Busy cruise day in Istanbul!

At approx. 1900 hours (7:00 pm) Captain Smit took Rotterdam back into the Bosphorus and we soon passed first underneath the Bosphorus Bridge (opened in 1973) and then underneath the much newer Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on our way into the Black Sea. We had a 2000 (8:00 pm) reservation at the Pinnacle Grill courtesy of our great T/A Danette so off we went to a nice table for two in the back. Tonight happened to be a casual night however 95% of the gents inside the PG were wearing jackets with or without ties. Discovered that three of the stewards inside the PG were Dutch so did some more talking (Holland is playing Bulgaria tonight in a European Championship qualifier in Amsterdam – Final score Holland-Bulgaria 2-0!!). Started off with a cocktail (Cucumber Lime smash and Appletini) Maria had her customary crab cakes for an appetizer while I had the spicy Thai chicken soup. Maria chose the shrimp while I picked the fillet mignon. We shared a bottle of Riesling Eroica with dinner. Dessert was chocolate volcano cake and crème brule. A very positive experience!

Went from there to the 10:30 show in the Queen’s Lounge which featured the magical mayhem of Neal Austin. This guy was funny and good! Typical British humor included in a comedy magic act. The only guy I know that comes on stage in a tux only to rip it off completely to reveal some ridiculously looking matching shirt and shorts beach wear outfit. Great show!

Tomorrow is Varna, Bulgaria. I’m wearing my wooden shoe slippers in honor of Holland’s soccer victory!

[Ine]

<<Tomorrow is Varna, Bulgaria. I’m wearing my wooden shoe slippers in honor of Holland’s soccer victory! >>

Ja....and another game on Wednesday, this time Albania!
Enjoying your reports!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wonderful reading John

Istanbul - wonderful memories there -- we actually stayed there for a few days before our cruise years ago.

Strange -- we didn't have to turn in our passports when we went to Piraeus. Is this something new??

[Cruising-along]

I am really enjoying your reports John. Your descriptions of Istanbul brought back so many good memories of when we were there last year. That is truly a fascinating city. Thanks so much for "bringing us along"!

[WeLoveCruising]

John,

I'm thoroughly enjoying your posts and look forward to them every day. Glad you and Maria are having a good time!

Joanne

[RuthC]

John I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your time in Istanbul. It sounds like a place I could spend a lot of time in.
Makes me want to do an eastern Med cruise some time. :)

[Copper10-8]

Do you know if the strike did indeed mess up some of the travelers to the ship? Need to go check my travel insurance for coverage for delays due to strikes. yikes!


No, it did not, thankfully! Everybody made it to and on Rotterdam!

On sailing out of Athens you mentioned that you noticed a "little R ship" tied up there. Were you able to see any identification on her at all? Perhaps Blue Moon-Pullmantours, or Azamara Quest? The Blue Moon is supposed to be turned over to Azamara in 11 days for a big refit and conversion into the Quest. Am wondering if perhaps they were able to convince Pullmantours to turn her over earlier (I am hoping).


Nope, it was not Blue Moon. It had no name on her hull but it was not one of Renaissance's former "R" ships. It looked like one of the class before the "R" ships which were all named Renaissance I, Renaissance II, etc. Most of those have been picked up by other lines. Have a great cruise on the Quset!!

Thank you for posting your holiday journal. Really enjoyed reading about Holland, makes me homesick. Glad that your flights worked out for you. Not the best way to arrive, but you did make it before sailing. Guess you will have to do a 'makeup muster drill' tomorrow. Enjoy your cruise. Dooi..(?spelling)

We did the make-up drill and were'nt the only ones!;) Doei!!

What luck to find Susan Wood there! She's teriffic. I haven't read anything about her in a while, so it's nice to know she's still around. Houston, eh? I'll be there in a few weeks. Wouldn't it be funny if she were on leave and we ran into each other. Stranger things have happened.


She is one of the best HAL has! We've run in to her several times now. Always a friendly word! She's been asked at least four times to do the World Cruise but she won't, too long! Her "boyfriend" lives in Houston as he works for NASA!

I just love it when you talk dirty!!! :D



Yes, your Honor!;) Really enjoying the company of our tablemates from Manitoba and Alberta! Good people (and funny!)


Good to see you made your trips to Texel and Giethoorn. The weather was disappointing I know and you possibly couldnot or did not make one of those boattrips (punteren) in Giethoorn.
Were you lucky to get into Athens including your luggage... you know we had some doubts about that.
Susan was our CD on the Panamacanalcruise in 2001, the one with the "gevulde speculaas and banketstaaf" delivered to our cabin on Dec. 5. We remember her as one of the best CD's.

It was good to see you and Maria again, enjoy your cruise, we will read your reports.


It kinda drizzled but we had umbrellas! Maria really liked the homes, their landscaping and the small canals around them! Nope, we did not rent any boats because I did not want to wind up in the Baltic!

Yep, got the pics! Thanks! Thanks again to you and Ton for your friendship and hospitality! Ton is like what Dustin Hofman says in "Rainman", the movie, He's a "good driver!";)

Stay away from the carpet men in Istanbul ( the best sales people in the world) and their apple tea or you will live to regret it.


Too late!!.........but they didn't get us and their tea was excellent!


Seems we keep missing each other! I spent seven months on the Rotterdam this year and left before your arrival.....and you cruised on the Zaandam the week before I boarded last winter....Hope your cruise is amazing!


We're just gonna have to do some better planning!! You want us to say hi to any of the current cruise staff or are they all new?

[jhannah]

Would Ruth like an appointment to the harem? ;)

Really enjoying your travelogue, John. Thanks for taking the time.

[Copper10-8]

Would Ruth like an appointment to the harem? ;)

Really enjoying your travelogue, John. Thanks for taking the time.

We checked! They have Eunuchs but no chocolates!;)

Thanks Jim, we'll do it together next year!:)

[RuthC]

Would Ruth like an appointment to the harem? ;)
Not this "Ruth", maybe some other. I don't share my sultans with three other wives. ;)

[Copper10-8]

Sunday, 09 SEP 07

Rotterdam approached Varna, Bulgaria which is situated on the eastern shores of the Black Sea from the south and docked at the Sea Travel Terminal at approx. 0800 hours. Varna has a remarkable history! The excavation of the ruins at Roman Thermae (the largest ruins in Bulgaria) has revealed a sizable archeological complex. At the time these ruins were used, Varna was the thriving Roman city of Odessos which was built in the 2nd century; Bulgaria itself has a population of just fewer than 8 million inhabitants. The capital city is Sofia and after five centuries of Ottoman rule and four decades of communism the country is opening up to international visitors and had become a popular destination in southeastern Europe. Varna is one of the most popular resort cities on the Black Sea coast.

Our ship excursion today, “Bulgarian traditions”, called for us to meet in the Queen’s Lounge at 0830. We boarded our bus and took off past the National Naval Museum to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin located across from Nezavjsimost Square. The golden domed cathedral is the centerpiece of contemporary Varna. Today, being Sunday, regularly scheduled religious services were taking place including several christenings. We observed one of them involving an about one year-old baby girl. She was just smiling along, having a good old time and even mum taking all her clothes off did not seem to bother her. That changed, however, when the priest dunked just about al of her in the water and we then all were able to hear what an unhappy Bulgarian baby sounds like:eek: . Upon exiting the church, a wedding party led by the bride and groom in an old Opel Kapitein drove up fully decked out including a string at its rear end (the car, not the bride;) ) with a bunch of empty cans (including one can of Red Bull!) attached to it. Had to stick around a little longer of course because the ladies wanted to see what the bride looked like (she looked just fine, blag o dar ya:) (thank you in Bulgarian).

We then took a scenic drive up highways and roads which ultimately (after about one hour) led us inland to Bulgaria’s foothills and plateau’s and to the village of Madara. We stopped just outside the village at the base of a cliff formation above the Danube river valley, got off the bus, and started climbing an uphill path that led us to the cliff side itself and a UNESCO world heritage site/National historic archeological reserve known as the “Madara konnik” (Madara Rider or Horseman). Chiseled out on the rock face at a height of 23 meters, the Rider is a model of early medieval (8th century) Bulgarian art consisting of a life size “Khan” or warrior king on horseback, his faithful dog following him behind and a speared lion at the horse’s feet. It represents a triumphal scene symbolizing the victory and power of the Bulgarian state after establishing itself in battles with the Byzantine Empire. The lion, the strongest animal, poked through by a spear, represents the defeated enemy. The return hike included descending 300 steps down to waiting coach.

We drove back to the village of Madara itself where a local couple was expecting us at their home. Sure enough, got off the bus and walked the village street among a couple of live size turkeys (I am referring to animals here), some chickens and a huge rooster, to a welcoming party of two gents playing an accordion and a Bulgarian bag pipe (different in appearance and in sound from a Scottish/Irish bag pipe), a young girl offering us bread and salt as a welcome, and mum. We were led into a rear garden where an elaborate spread of Bulgarian delicacies, wine and brandies was awaiting us. Along with our fellow excursionists (if that is a word), we helped ourselves to pieces of “banitsa” (cheese and egg pie), various home prepared cheeses, meats, breads, deserts, etc. washed away with either juice, water and/or brandy and listened to/viewed a demonstration of local Bulgarian music. After being invited by our hosts, participated in some dances and viewed the grounds consisting of (beautiful) flower and vegetable gardens, and livestock including one huge hog snoring away, apparently having no clue whatsoever that future HAL guests would no doubt be consuming certain parts of him for lunch!:eek: After saying our goodbyes to our friendly hosts, we arrived back at the marine terminal at about 1530 hours (3:30 pm). A nice time was had by all!

Took a nap and woke up in time to prepare for dinner in the la fontaine. By the looks of it, “smart casual” means a lot of different things to different folks. We saw everything from jackets and ties, to jackets, to collared shirts, to Dockers, dress pants and jeans on men and various dresses, pant suits and other assorted outfits on the ladies! It’s all good! No one looked out of place, uncomfortable and/or otherwise inappropriate! (no bare feet observed):rolleyes: Tonight was Dutch night complete with red, white and blue (the Dutch colors) trim on the white tablecloths, Dutch “his” and “her” hats, as well as certain items of Dutch heritage on the menu. Maria had the crab cocktail and Dover sole and I had “erwten” soup (split pea soup) and, although not Dutch but Indonesian, the Bami Goreng including Sate, egg and Krupuk. The entertainment tonight was by guitarist George Sakellariou who played everything from classics to popular music. Afterwards made our customary trip to the Crow’s Nest only to find out that the exposure to Bulgarian life had apparently taken the life out of the majority of Rotterdam’s passenger contingency since there were only two couples dancing to Hip Hop music. Not our style so after one quick cocktail, called it a night!

Tomorrow we are in the former Soviet republic of the Ukraine, in Odessa specifically!

[formercruisestaff]

We're just gonna have to do some better planning!! You want us to say hi to any of the current cruise staff or are they all new?



They've all basically left, though I did work with Teresa (current "event staff"/ACD) as youth staff on the Statendam over Christmas....

[Copper10-8]

They've all basically left, though I did work with Teresa (current "event staff"/ACD) as youth staff on the Statendam over Christmas....

We talked with Teresa a couple of days ago in the Crow's Nest. She's from a little town (sorry, forgot the name) in, I believe, Manitoba, (could be Alberta) Canada. She is a former school teacher, nice young lady who seems to be enjoying herself! I guess "event staff" is the new name after cruise staff and cruise activities staff

[Vic The Parrot]

Sunday, 09 SEP 07

Maria had the crab cocktail and Dover sole and I had “erwten” soup (split pea soup) and, although not Dutch but Indonesian, the Bami Goreng including Sate, egg and Krupuk.





Hey John!

Glad to hear you and Maria are having a great time. Your journal is making me look forward to my turn on QM2, and giving me the incentive to tag along next July! :)

But can't help noticing .... did you say Bami ??!!
I thought my favourite dish was replaced by Nasi Goreng (fleetwide, it seems from my experience) which is still good. But 'Bami' (with noodles :D ) makes it better in many ways. So, hope to get it in Dec! ;) :)


Enjoy the rest of your holiday, and look forward to reading more!
Tell Maria hi for me!

[ekerr19]

since there were only two couples dancing to Hip Hop music. Not our style so after one quick cocktail, called it a night!



They played Hip Hop in the Crow's Nest???!!!??? WOW :eek: We've never heard contemporary tunes played until after 1:00am - then by DJ only. :)

You guys got lucky. ;)

[MrsMuir]

John, I just read all your posts so far at lunch today. It was great to be in the Netherlands again; I'd forgotten about "The Beehive," which I visited while a mere lass in 1964. I'm devouring your cruise. Even if we hadn't booked it for a year from now (on the beloved Rotterdam), I wouldn't want to miss any of your adventures. Thanks for taking the time to report in to your many fans. Maria is a lucky lady.

[Copper10-8]

Monday, 10 SEP 07

Rotterdam approached Odessa, located in the south west part of Odes’ka Zakota, a bay off the Black Sea, from the south west in the early morning hours and embarked a local harbor pilot. Capt. Smit expertly brought her along our dock at the modern Morsky Vokzal (sea port) by 0800 hours. At the end of the cruise ship pier is a modern looking (lots of glass) hotel called the Odessa Kempinski hotel. Odessa itself, a major seaport on the Black Sea founded in 1794, is the fourth largest city and the largest seaport in the Ukraine with an estimated population of 1,012,500. An ancient Greek colony had once occupied the site of the city. Successive tribes, kingdoms, Khanates, and Sultanates ruled the territory after that including some folks with the endearing name of the “Golden Horde”. In the course of the Russian-Turkish wars these lands were captured by Russia at the end of the 18th century. During the Soviet period it was the most important port of trade in the U.S.S.R. as well as a Soviet naval base. Its historical architecture has a flavor more Mediterranean than Russian, having been heavily influenced by French and Italian styles.

We needed our passports today (picked them up in the Queen’s room last night) and on the way down to the gangway, they were duly stamped by a couple of female Ukrainian customs officers. Our ship excursion today was called “Fortress & Country Home visit”, would last 8 hours, and met at 0830 inside the Queen’s Lounge. We met our tour guide and driver on the pier and the first order of business was to drive up to one of the city’s landmarks called the “Potemkin Steps” from the back way. Odessa’s 192 waterfront steps (there were originally 200, but 8 were removed when the harbor was restored) cascade down the hillside to the waterfront from the top where a bronze statue of Frenchman Armand Emmanuel du Plessis, the self-exiled Duc de Richelieu (Odessa’s governor between 1803-1814), stands. The steps got their name as a result of a 1905 workers uprising supported by the crew of the Russian battleship Potemkin (see the 1925 motion picture “the Battleship Potemkin”). As local Odessans ran down the steps to support the sailors, they were fired upon by Tsarist troops, their blood spilling down the steps :eek: (sorry about being so bloody!). The classical sweep of the steps is best seen from the bottom, where they seem higher than they actually are as they continue to narrow near the top.

Our group then took a leisurely stroll down tree-lined Primorsky Bulvar or Boulevard which runs by the top of the steps down to Pushkinskaya Street. Along the way, we viewed the beautifully restored Lonconskaya Hotel. At the southern end of the Blvd stands a statue of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Near the statue stands a cannon salvaged from the British frigate “Tiger” sunk by shore batteries in 1854. Behind the gun stands a palace which was once Count Vorontsov’s residence. He was Pushkin’s strict and intolerant chaperone when the poet was forcibly employed as a civil servant. Turning right we then walked past the Literature, Archeological, and Sea Fleet Museums before ending up at the lavish Odessa Opera House, one of the finest theaters in Europe.

We then boarded our bus for a 90-mile drive deep into the countryside. Just a word of caution: the drive is long!:eek: (Between one and a half to two hours in duration). There is not a whole heck of a lot to see except a whole bunch of Lada’s;) still faithfully transporting their owners every which way down Ukraine’s highways. During this time, our guide did her best to convey to us that life in the newly (1991) independent Ukraine is not a lot better than life in the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. A whole lot of politics were brought into play which was depressing and, by the looks of it, turned several of our fellow pax off. We did eventually reach our destination, the town of Belgorod-Dnestrovsk where we drove to the huge Akkerman fortress, built in medieval times, and nearly preserved in its original form. The mighty stone-walled fortress with several guard towers and ramparts dominates over the Dnister River. We walked into the garrison courtyard and were treated by five knights in authentic costume and armor who gave us a demonstration of a medieval contest. (Didn’t look easy with all that body armor on!).

We then drove s short distance to a sea-side restaurant called Argo where we were treated to a Ukrainian-style lunch (had some Borscht soup) while being entertained by the local folkloric group. Great voices! Our group was then split in two with each of us being able to visit a Ukrainian house (Ours turned out to belong to the folkloric group’s lead female singer, her husband (who played a flute during the performance) and their daughter (who played the violin). Extremely friendly people (only the daughter spoke English) who more food waiting for us in their subterranean cellar made into a “family room”. They didn’t let us leave without a toast using a bottle of local vodka! Said our goodbyes to the nice folks and commenced the return journey to m/s Rotterdam where we arrived at approx. 1630 hours (4:30 pm). We held on to our passports because we’ll need them again in Sevastopol tomorrow. At exactly 6:00 pm, Rotterdam shoved off from her berth watched by numerous Odessans who were lining the railings of the first story of the cruise terminal. Capt. Smith used the turning basin to perform a 180 and Rotterdam entered the Black Sea again for her sea journey to Sevastopol, also in the Ukraine.

Met our table mates Brad & Loraine and Arnold & Rhoda for dinner at 8:00 pm (tonight was another smart casual night) and had a nice dinner with fun conversation as usual. Entertainment was another production show by the cast entitled “Hats Off”, a magical, musical journey as seen through the world of hats. Fun show with lots of energy and again some outstanding voices. For those who are interested, the other musical entertainment on the ship consist of Olaf Bortkun (piano) in the Crow’s Nest, Carley & the HAL Cats in the Crow’s Nest, the Atlantic Quartet and Russell Gates (piano) in the Ocean Bar, the Black Pearl Strings in the Explorer’s Lounge and “JP” in the Ambassador Lounge. That sounds like three separate piano men to me. Also what kinda stumped me is the name of the Piano Bar. On Rotterdam’s deck plan that we received in our “welcome aboard” package as well as in the HAL brochures, that room is now identified as the “Tropic Bar”. The “Ambassador Lounge” is the area across from the Tropic Bar alongside the windows in between the Explorer’s Lounge and the jewelry store. Really did not pay attention to this before!

[jhannah]

What a great trip you're having, John. Continue to enjoy to the fullest.

Tropic Bar, huh? That's interesting. The Piano Bar is such a traditional HAL watering hole. Wonder why they feel they need to change the name? Is the piano coming out?

[Vic The Parrot]

Tropic Bar, huh? That's interesting. The Piano Bar is such a traditional HAL watering hole. Wonder why they feel they need to change the name? Is the piano coming out?


It's been called the Tropic Bar from day one when the ship was first introduced. (Along with the Ambassador Lounge).

Both names are a tribute to the same public rooms on Rotterdam V.
Some cool ship trivia for you! :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hi John, I just wanted to stop in and say Hello from Juneau so from the Noordam to the Rotterdam. Hope you are having a great time, I will have to catch up on your thread when we return.:)

[earl_m]

Glad to hear that you are having a great time. I like reading about your
stops each day. do you have to change your money for each country that you visit.

[jhannah]

It's been called the Tropic Bar from day one when the ship was first introduced. Well, I learned something today! Never knew that. Seems like I remember seeing "Piano Bar" on the wall of some ship(s) at some point.

[ger_77]

John, I'm really enjoying your posts - they're so detailed it's just like I'm there all over again. One question - did you have a military band playing to welcome you to Odessa and to say farewell to you also? They were there both times we were in Odessa and played quite vigorously and were very animated when we were leaving. There were quite a number of people who watched as we left, waving and laughing just as the folks do in Ft. Lauderdale. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and thanks for taking me along!

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[cruznon]

John,
Thanks so much for your LIVE thread. What a wonderful cruise! I'm enjoying traveling along via your descriptions. So many places I hope to visit in the future.

[newfarmers]

Hi John

Really enjoying the travelogue. A Black sea/Easterm Med cruise appeals to us quite a bit. We've seen in the 2008 sched the Rotterdam has two similar cruises to your's but we'd be looking at 2009 at the earliest after this years epic.

Less than six weeks and we'll be enjoying Rotterdam ourselves, on our way from Venice to Rio.

Haven't decided if I'm going to post here, or use Travelpod instead where I can upload photos much more easily (and quickly:) )

Enjoy the rest of the cruise and keep those posts coming

pete and al

[Copper10-8]

Tuesday, 11 SEP 07 - WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!:( :mad:

This was in today’s Daily Program: Six years after the events of September 11, 2001, our thoughts go out to all the brave men and women and their families who were affected by the World Trade Center disaster.

The port and city of Sevastopol is situated on the south west coast of the Crimea Peninsula. This was to be our only tender operation during this cruise! As we were expected to anchor off Sevastopol at approximately 0800 hours and would start tender operations shortly thereafter. At least, that was the plan! C/D Susan Wood had made an announcement at last night’s show that this would be a very short tender ride of about five minutes. Well, Mr. Murphy did not agree and was planning on making an appearance. Rotterdam did anchor off Sevastopol but the first clue that things would not go according to plan was looking at the distance between ship and shore! This would most definitely not be a five minute tender ride! Susan soon came on over the P/A system to let us know that not only were the Ukrainian authorities late in coming on the ship to clear it, they were “no where in sight”. In addition, there was a pretty good swell off shore that would make the tender ride much lengthier in duration. All these factors resulted in tour reporting times as well folks that wanted to go ashore independently with tender tickets being pushed back. We were on a 3 ½ hour shorex entitled “Sevastopol Sights” and our reporting time of 0845 was consequently converted to 0925 which is when we boarded the tender (passports were not checked as an apparent concession by the Ukrainian authorities for showing up late). There was some movement but nothing to start screaming about and no one, at least on our tender, got sick. The tender ride took about 25 minutes to reach Yuknaya Buchta or the Southern Bight (Harbor).

Sevastopol was founded in 1783 by special decree of Catherine the Great when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula. It became an important naval base and later a commercial sea port. The bloody siege of Sevastopol (1854-1855) carried out by the British, French, Turkish and Sardinian troops during the Crimean War lasted 11 months. Sevastopol is a Navy town, no doubt about it! That things have changed since the end of the Cold War became evident when our tender used a dock approx. two hundred yards away from a very modern looking Russian Navy missile cruiser at her berth. Taking photos of same was not a problem at all! Even though Sevastopol is now a Ukrainian city within the Ukraine, the Russian Black Sea Fleet continues to use the naval base for her war ships.

We met our guide, a very knowledgeable gent by the name of Vladimir who spoke perfect English by our bus and we soon took off up the ramp and past Nakhimova Square to our first stop, the amazing Panorama Museum. The specially constructed rotunda building that houses the panorama rises from a leafy park south of Ushakov Square. The museum recalls the 349-day heroic defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War. The impressive monument illustrates the insurmountable odds against the city’s defenders. The main display is a 5,000 square foot panoramic scene depicting the events of the decisive battle on June 6, 1855 on Malakhov Hill. The masterpiece combines enormous paintings with intricate detail and artifacts like cannons and period furniture.

We then drove to and climbed the actual Malakhov Hill where we viewed the monument in the honor of the Russian admiral and Crimean War hero erected on the spot where he was mortally wounded during that war. A series of historic cannons also remain at this location. Our bus driver drove us back to the downtown area where we visited the Russian-orthodox Vladimirsky Cathedral where, among others, Admiral Malakhov is buried in a subterranean grave site. The downtown core situated on the peninsula between two narrow inlets features beautiful, mostly Mediterranean-style, typically three-story residential buildings with columned balconies and arches. The route we took brought us around and above Yuknaya Buchta with a perfect view down below on parts of the Russian Navy Black Sea Fleet including two Russian attack submarines at heir pens. Our last stop was at Primorsky Bulvar (Blvd) where we were able to take a leisurely stroll to the waterfront to view the Monument to the Scuttled Ships erected just off-shore. After this photo-op, we were transported back to the tender dock and took the 25-minute ride back to m/s Rotterdam. One thing that stood out in just about every male’s mind about our visit to Sevastopol (and Odessa for that matter) was the overabundance of good-looking young women to be found out in public, with short skirts and high heels being the preferred clothing style:) . Not that there’s anything wrong with that as George Castanza from Seinfeld would say! PS, Maria said it was OK for me to mention it because she's noticed it also. It's really hard to not notice it guys (gents), OK? ;) So I am not sleeping on the balcony tonite!

Due to the approx. two hour delay this morning getting the tender operations started, Capt. Smit made a P/A announcement informing his pax that Rotterdam would depart Sevastopol at 1930 hours (7:30 pm) instead of 6:00 pm. He added that he would try to make up that hour and a half in the transit to Kusadasi. Also at 7:30 pm, we were invited to a cocktail party in the Crow’s Nest. Had the usual receiving line of H/M Hans Dernison and C/D Susan Wood (Capt. Smit was on the bridge busy with the departure of Rotterdam). In an effort to keep everyone healthy, there was no handshaking. Bar stewards were serving glassed of red wine, white wine, champagne and orange juice and dining room stewards soon appeared with plates of hot finger foods including bitter ballen, chicken wings, egg rolls, etc. etc. We spotted tablemates Brad and Loraine already there and joined them. At about 8:15 pm, the four of us departed the Crow’s Nest for the la fontaine dining room for dinner. Don’t think I’ve talked about our dining room staff yet. Our dining room steward is Iwan, a six-year HAL veteran, his assistant Peter and their boss, area supervisor Gusti, all from Indonesia. Our wine steward is Angel, but his mum calls him “lito”, short from Angelito, from the Philippine Islands. Their service has been prompt and very good. Iwan and Peter are responsible for three tables in our area (ours of six and two round-tops of ten each). We’ve also have had visits from Rotterdam’s sommelier/cellar master. The culinary operations manager (used to be F&B manager) is Jason Hale and the dining room manager (used to be maitre‘d hotel) is a veteran HAL employee, Dutchman Arie Nieuwendorp. Hotel manager Hans Dernison and his wife Tricia (the onboard future cruise consultant) have been taking in dinner at the la fontaine on a nightly basis.

We wound up closing down the upper section of the dining room again (starting to be a habit) and the six of us headed down to the Explorations Café. The scheduled entertainment today is a pianist by the name of Amy Abler however we chose to try out the audio chairs inside the Explorations Café instead and were soon “rocking out” to the tunes of the Eagles, Boston, Bon Jovi and Foreigner.

Tomorrow is a sea day!

[WeLoveCruising]

Thanks for the update! I wonder if Angelito (Lito) was on the Westerdam a few years back; we had a wine steward with the same name, and we really enjoyed getting to know him.

With the time difference, your posts usually show up just in time to coincide with my morning coffee break, I really look forward to reading them - thanks again :)

[jhannah]

Ah, I remember Iwan very well. He's a great steward.

As important as tourism is to the Ukraine, it's amazing the authorities were so derelict in reporting for duty! Glad you made it and had an exciting tender ride.

[Copper10-8]

Wednesday, 12 SEP 07

Today is a sea day which is very nice after four straight port days. It gives you a chance to recharge batteries, relax, catch up and overall take it easy, in other words, good stuff! Had breakfast at our customary location, the Lido restaurant. The buffet line seems to be working on Rotterdam. There are still the customary “choke points” one of them right after you receive your tray, saucer and bowl from the steward at the beginning of the line (the rolls, bread and fruit section) but pax are encouraged to leap frog if you are not interested in a particular food item where folks are lined up. BTW, on Rotterdam, one of those two guys calls himself “Baby Burt Reynolds” and he’s very good at remembering names. The selection and choices for breakfast are numerous, at least in our opinion. We’ve been taking the oatmeal as primary selection the last couple of days along with fruit and a hard-boiled egg, toast, coffee (or hot tea) and juice. We’ve had no real problems finding seats even on the, now two, sea days. There’s a Dutch young lady (sorry, forgot her name) who is the Lido manager and has been very visible every morning, giving directions to her staff, cleaning up after pax and helping out the cooks behind the counter, very impressive to watch! Have seen a few pax wearing bath robes in the morning but luckily no man boobs as of yet! We returned our passports to the Front Office as we won’t need them until our highly anticipated stop at Alexandria, Egypt. By the time we returned from breakfast, DWI had our cabin back in ship-shape condition. Absolutely no complaints about him, just another in a line of very fine room stewards, friendly and efficient!

Since leaving Sevastopol yesterday, Rotterdam has been crossing the Black Sea in a westerly direction at a pretty good clip trying to make up lost time. At approximately 10-10:30 am, the north east coast of Turkey became visible and we soon took on a Turkish pilot who would assist Capt. Smit in guiding Rotterdam back through the Bosphorus strait. The Bosphorus/Bospurus/Istanbul Strait, the world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation, forms the boundary between the European part (Rumelia) of Turkey and its Asian part (Anatolia). It is approximately 30 kilometers long, with a maximum width of 3,700 meters at the northern entrance, and a minimum width of 700 meters between Kandilli and A’iyan. As we commenced the transit, port lecturer Frank Buckingham was back on the P/A system with his expert commentary. Several very large Turkish flags (red with a white half moon and single star) were obvious and very visible on both shores of the strait. The Turks are obviously very nationalistic. We again passed underneath the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and about five kilometers after that, underneath the Bosphorus Bridge. BTW, construction work is continuing on a 13.7 kilometer-long rail tunnel under the strait at a depth of 55 meters expected to be completed in 2008. In addition, a third road bridge is also planned for one of seven locations. Today, there continued to be a tremendous amount of traffic, (the vast majority being commercial) both large and small, which transited the link between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean waters. We passed the City of Istanbul on our starboard side and entered the Sea of Marmara which will lead us tonight into the Dardanelles. Weather for our transit was somewhat overcast but no precipitation and nice temps.

We received an invitation to the Mariner Society Champagne Lunch preceded by a reception to be held at 12:30 pm in the Explorer’s Lounge. This would be a first for us after several Mariner Society receptions in the show lounge so we were looking forward to it. Dress code for this event was smart casual. We arrived and were greeted by H/M Hans Dernison, C/D Susan Wood and Chief Officer Jacobus “Henk” Leffering (taking the place of Captain Smit whose presence was required on the bridge during the Bosphorus transit). Did some socializing and showed Stephen Card’s great book about HAL “Spotless Fleet” to the Chief Officer with a request for the captain’s to sign the title page. The book was soon on its way to the bridge and was returned to our cabin in the afternoon with Jan Smit’s signature:) having joined the ones from Stephen Card, John Scott, Pieter Jan van Maurik and Dirk van den Berg.

The medal presentation then took place preceded by the acknowledgement of one Rotterdam passenger (a Dutchman) with 1,000 sailing days on the line and a couple (Dutch again) with more than 700 days. Six copper medals (100 days) were presented followed by a group photo of all copper medallion holders with the H/M and C/O. The entire group was then escorted to the main floor of the la fontaine dining room where lunch/brunch would soon be served in the raised center portion in between the stairs going up to the second floor. We were joined at our table by a couple from Amsterdam, the Netherlands (imagine that!;) ), a couple from Ontario, Canada and a couple from a Greek island (summer time) and Ft. Lauderdale, Fl (winter time). The brunch consisted of a “Mariner’s seafood cocktail” or Caesar salad with grilled herb chicken breast (appetizer), Poached salmon with mustard sauce, sautéed greens and boiled potatoes or Sirloin steak with green peppercorn sauce, mashed potatoes and assorted vegetables or Cheddar quiche with caramelized onion, broccoli, served with mixed greens, and balsamic dressing (entrée) and Mango banana strudel with raspberry sauce, Friandises and petit fours (dessert). In my opinion, it was a very nice event much nicer than and an improvement over the standard Mariner’s reception held prior to this. I think HAL has done a good thing with this. Unable to say the same yet about the Captain’s Welcome aboard Champagne Toast that has taken the place of the receiving line and Welcome aboard Reception because we missed the one on Day One of this cruise.

Right after this event we made our way to the Wajang Theater where future cruise consultant Tricia Dernison gave a PowerPoint presentation on the m/s Eurodam and some of her cruises in her inaugural season (Norwegian fjords and Scotland/England, yeah baby!, the Baltic, North Atlantic crossing, Canada/New England, and Caribbean from FLL). Nothing really new to report compared to what is being written on Eurodam’s own blog. Did absolutely nothing for the rest of the afternoon (except read a book on our balcony’s chaise lounge which lasted about five minutes before I was overwhelmed by a bunch of sheep jumping fences;) ).

Showtime tonight was a pre-dinner (6:45 pm) show entitled “On the Air” in which we, the audience, were converted into a studio audience on Rotterdam’s “soundstage” as the cast presented a singing and dancing TV variety spectacular through the various decades. Again, lots of energy and enthusiasm displayed by the singers and dancers, great job! Tonight was the second of three formal nights with, in my estimation, about 65-75% of the men in tuxedos and the remainder in business suits. The ladies looked very nice with the majority in various gowns and dresses. No need for the dress code or the Bali Police (you know, the ones with the fake smiles:rolleyes: ) on this evening! After dinner at around 10:30 pm, we proceeded to the Crow’s Nest for the Black & White Ball. The CN was all decked out in black & white balloons and streamers with C/D Susan Wood filling the role of mistress of the dark…………sorry, got carried away, mistress of ceremony. New Year’s Eve was recreated with the Carley and the HAL Cats providing live music. Several prices (bottles of champagne, HAL picture frames and coffee mugs, etc.) were given out and several of Rotterdam’s officers (mostly hanging out at the bar like wallflowers) had envelopes in their pockets. The plan was for the ladies to ask them to dance (they could not refuse) and if, at the end of the dance, the officer had an envelop in his pocket, that particular lady would win its prize content. The CN was filled pretty well for this event and everybody seemed to have a good time, one of the favorites being dancing to the YMCA song! Called it a night at about 12:30 am. Tomorrow we will be on another continent (one of three on this particular cruise) Asia! Specifically, the City of Kusadasi, Turkey.

[Chivalrygirl]

Hey John
Only having time to skim your reports, but some of it brings back dim memories for me. Sounds like you are having such a good time.

I am still getting used to being in the US, DC is most interesting. I thought of you yesterday, beautiful day here, DH and I were having a rather nice lunch in Georgetown next to the Potomac river when a little boat ties up with a gun on the front even bigger than Her Majestys. They were 4 lads fromt he US Coastguard, tied up for a pizza lunch, a sight we would never see back home :D

Tomorrow we are off for 4 nights in NYC and join the GP on Tuesday. Our holiday has been turned a bit upside down as DS and his American gal are now going to marry on the 5 October, just 48 hours before we start on our homeward journey. Talk about mixed emotions, but she is lovely to look at and a beautiful person also, I think DS is very lucky.

_______________
Val

[Copper10-8]

Hey John!

Glad to hear you and Maria are having a great time. Your journal is making me look forward to my turn on QM2, and giving me the incentive to tag along next July! :)

But can't help noticing .... did you say Bami ??!!
I thought my favourite dish was replaced by Nasi Goreng (fleetwide, it seems from my experience) which is still good. But 'Bami' (with noodles :D ) makes it better in many ways. So, hope to get it in Dec! ;)

That........would be very cool, Vic!:)

Sorry, my fault! It was Nasi Goreng and not Bami - Never seen Bami on HAL's ships!:(

They played Hip Hop in the Crow's Nest???!!!??? WOW We've never heard contemporary tunes played until after 1:00am - then by DJ only.

Hi Laura, yep Hip Hop (by request - no one else in the room) and it was before the witching hr.


John, I just read all your posts so far at lunch today. It was great to be in the Netherlands again; I'd forgotten about "The Beehive," which I visited while a mere lass in 1964.

Hi Mrs. Muir! Yep, the "Beienkorf" is still standing across from the national monument on the "Dam" and doing business

[Copper10-8]

It's been called the Tropic Bar from day one when the ship was first introduced. (Along with the Ambassador Lounge).

Both names are a tribute to the same public rooms on Rotterdam V.
Some cool ship trivia for you! :)

That was news to me also, Vic! Thanks for the lesson!;)


Hi John, I just wanted to stop in and say Hello from Juneau so from the Noordam to the Rotterdam. Hope you are having a great time, I will have to catch up on your thread when we return.:)

Hi Lisa, hope you and Tom are having a great time on Noordam also but somehow I know you are!


do you have to change your money for each country that you visit.


Earl, No! We've been able to use Euro's and/or U.S. dollars in Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, and the Ukraine. At a couple of places, we got local money back as change i.e. today in Kusadasi when we ran into a Starbucks

[Copper10-8]

One question - did you have a military band playing to welcome you to Odessa and to say farewell to you also? They were there both times we were in Odessa and played quite vigorously and were very animated when we were leaving. There were quite a number of people who watched as we left, waving and laughing just as the folks do in Ft. Lauderdale. Enjoy the rest of the cruise and thanks for taking me along!

Gerry (your Honor;) ) - We've had those bands you mention before in Odessa and Yalta and also in St. Petersburg and they've been very good. We had a band sort of in Odessa but they were not military and were only there upon our arrival. I have a feeling cruise ships in Odessa are still a "new thing" and therefor a lot of folks show up come departure time

Less than six weeks and we'll be enjoying Rotterdam ourselves, on our way from Venice to Rio.


Great itinerary Pete! Have an awesome cruise - we'll keep her in good shape for you!;)

Thanks for the update! I wonder if Angelito (Lito) was on the Westerdam a few years back; we had a wine steward with the same name, and we really enjoyed getting to know him.


We'll ask him for you!

Hey John
Only having time to skim your reports, but some of it brings back dim memories for me. Sounds like you are having such a good time.


Good to hear from you, Val! Congrats on the wedding of your boy! Keep enjoying your time in the States

[sail7seas]

Great, great, great thread, John. Really ejoying it but not quite as much as you and Marie are enjoying your wonderful cruise. Hope it stays every bit as terrific. Thank you for so generously sharing your time and cruise with us.

[jhannah]

John, your cruise continues to sound wonderful. Guess I'll have to add this itinerary to my list.

[OVgirl]

Another thank you for taking time to write about your cruise experience. Sounds like a cruise to book in the future.

[ger_77]

We also noticed the abundance of pretty women on the streets of Odessa and Yalta. They were the best dressed and had the highest heels of any country we'd been to. But one thing ... did you notice that very few of them ever smiled? We thought that a little odd.

I can't wait to read your report on Kusadasi - we are looking forward to returning there in Oct/09. Turkey is just so steeped in history that it's truly an amazing place to visit.

A word of advice for Alexandria ... when you get back from your shore excursion, be sure to stop by the market that will be set up at the pier. It will be at the end of their day and you will likely be able to get some amazing deals there. I picked up a silver cartouche for $8 US and a couple of beautiful caftans (ask Maria about them) at 2 for $20 US. I hope you brought an extra suitcase for souvenirs; we ended up using one of our carry-ons as an extra because of all the shopping we (I) did.:D

Smooth Sailing! :D :D :D
Gerry

[Copper10-8]

Thursday, 13 SEP 07

A very tragic event occurred onboard m/s Rotterdam on Thuesday evening. At approximately 6:30 pm, a P/A announcement no one ever wants to hear, was broadcast: “Bright star, dining room, lower floor aft! Bright star, dining room, lower floor aft!” The term “Bright star” is used by HAL to announce a life threatening medical emergency, usually a cardiac arrest/heart failure. We happened to be in the Explorations Café (adjacent to the la fontaine dining room) when the announcement was made and we soon saw Rotterdam’s first responders come running by carrying medical equipment, two stretchers, a defibrillator, etc. A passenger who is a medical doctor also entered the la fontaine to offer assistance. Several passengers who had been in the area of incident in the dining room, exited and spoke of a staff member “going down to the floor” in the middle of the “Master Chef’s Dinner”. World later came out that, despite all efforts, the medical staff had been unable to revive the victim, a dining room steward only in his early to mid-thirties.:(

Needless to say the mood onboard Rotterdam was somber last night as a result of this tragic incident with several crew members personally affected by the loss of a friend and colleague. C/D Susan Wood made two successive P/A announcements, first canceling the “Master Chef’s Dinner” for our and the 8:30 pm seating, and later to also cancel tonight’s Indonesian Crew Show scheduled for 10:30 pm. The victim is leaving behind a wife and two young children:( . Our thoughts and prayers are with them and with the crew of the Rotterdam! There is talk about a collection being held by passengers to contribute financial donations to the victim’s family. May he rest in peace!

[middle-aged mom]

Thursday, 13 SEP 07

A very tragic event occurred onboard m/s Rotterdam on Thuesday evening. At approximately 6:30 pm, a P/A announcement no one ever wants to hear, was broadcast: “Bright star, dining room, lower floor aft! Bright star, dining room, lower floor aft!” The term “Bright star” is used by HAL to announce a life threatening medical emergency, usually a cardiac arrest/heart failure. We happened to be in the Explorations Café (adjacent to the la fontaine dining room) when the announcement was made and we soon saw Rotterdam’s first responders come running by carrying medical equipment, two stretchers, a defibrillator, etc. A passenger who is a medical doctor also entered the la fontaine to offer assistance. Several passengers who had been in the area of incident in the dining room, exited and spoke of a staff member “going down to the floor” in the middle of the “Master Chef’s Dinner”. World later came out that, despite all efforts, the medical staff had been unable to revive the victim, a dining room steward only in his early to mid-thirties.:(

Needless to say the mood onboard Rotterdam was somber last night as a result of this tragic incident with several crew members personally affected by the loss of a friend and colleague. C/D Susan Wood made two successive P/A announcements, first canceling the “Master Chef’s Dinner” for our and the 8:30 pm seating, and later to also cancel tonight’s Indonesian Crew Show scheduled for 10:30 pm. The victim is leaving behind a wife and two young children:( . Our thoughts and prayers are with them and with the crew of the Rotterdam! There is talk about a collection being held by passengers to contribute financial donations to the victim’s family. May he rest in peace!


I can't convey in words how sad this makes me. I'm so sorry.

[sungoddess]

This is just so sad; and he was so young.

[sail7seas]

John....... That is so very sad and I feel awful to read of this. So very young with a young family. My thoughts go out to his family and all of you aboard Rotterdam who I am sure are very saddened by this.

[innlady1]

That is so sad, John. I am sorry to hear that, and my heart goes out to his wife and young children and to his colleagues on the Rotterdam.

[OVgirl]

This is a terrible thing to happen. And the family, so far away.Pray for comfort for all involved.

[ger_77]

How awful - and for that to happen to someone so young. Prayers for the family and friends of the young man. Let's hope and pray that everyone else onboard stays healthy.


Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[earl_m]

This is very bad . so young it is so sad..

[ldog]

Is there a way that the rest of us can contribute? This is so sad.

[cruisinjudy]

That is so sad. So young and so far away and now this young family is left without a father.

[jhannah]

Sad, indeed. Tragic. Our prayers are will all those affected.

[Copper10-8]

Thursday, 13 SEP 07

Rotterdam proceeded on a south-easterly course through the Aegean Sea during the night paralleling the Turkish coast. One of the last islands we passed was Nisos Samos, a Greek isle, only separated from Turkey by means of the Samos Strait, which is less than a mile wide in certain areas. We were docked at Liman Kusadasi (Port of Kusadasi) by 0800 hours. This is our third visit to Kusadasi, the last time being in OCT 04, and the first thing one notices is the large new cruise terminal that has been constructed and which is surrounded by all kinds of small shops, including a Starbucks, and a large duty-free shop like the ones you see in airports. In port with us today was Wind Surf, Regent Seven Seas Navigator and a small cruise ship, by the looks of it somewhat advanced in age, by the name of Andrea from Elegant Cruises.

Kusadasi (Koo-SHAH-dah-suh) is a resort town on the Aegean cost of Turkey (on the Asian – Asia Minor – continent) established by Venetians in 1530 AD. It received its name from the words “kus” (bird) and “ada” (island). Bird Island or Pigeon Island itself can be found just west of the port gate, linked to the rest of the town and mainland by a causeway. It has a small fort which has been restored as a restaurant. The local economy thrives on tourism while luxury resort properties cater to well-heeled seasonal residents. If this is your first visit there and you happen to be a little “bargain deprived”, you will get a workout from the town center merchants along Liman Caddesi and Ataturk Bulvari! Every shore excursion sponsored tour of Ephesus includes a stop at a local Kusadasi carpet store for a demonstration and subsequent bargaining session.

We hadn’t been to Ephesus since our first visit to Kusadasi in OCT 2001 so had picked the 4-hour Ephesus tour which this time included a visit to a newly excavated section there called the “Terrace Houses”. We left the port area at about 0845. Ephesus (Efes in Turkish), located 16 miles from Kusadasi, was a Ionian Greek City in ancient Anatolia, founded by colonists from Athens in the 10th century BC! It is by far one of the best preserved ancient cities in the Aegean. If you’ve never been there and have the chance, go!! It is an amazingly vast site, not yet completely excavated (archeologists are constantly working and discovering new treasures) but what is visible gives some idea of its original splendor. As soon as you enter the site via the east entrance an ancient world opens up to you, the visitor. It will give you the chance to walk in the footsteps of the old Greeks, and later, Romans. The original city was located on low ground in between two mountains, Mount Koressos and Mount Pion. It had a harbor but was completely flooded by the sea. Beginning in the Roman Republic, Lysimachus rebuilt Ephesus and it would become the capital of the western part of Asian Minor. The population of Ephesus has been estimated to be in the range of 400,000 to 500,000 inhabitants in the year 100 AD, making it the largest city in Roman Asia.

One of the first semi-preserved structures you will see upon entering and making a left turn down Curetes Street is the Odeon Bouleuterion, the council chamber or assembly hall of the old city built in the shape of a mini amphitheater. Ephesus also had several major bath complexes, built at various points while the city was under Roman rule. The city had one of the most advanced aqueduct systems in the ancient world, with multiple aqueducts of various sizes to supply different areas of the city. Curetes Street is flanked by marble and stone pillars in various sizes of preservation. At one point you will pass underneath the Heracles gate. You will then reach another simply magnificent structure known as the Temple of Hadrianus (Temple of Hadrian) with its four columns and the goddess Medusa chiseled on the top of a wall. Legend had it, if men looked into her eyes; they (the men, not the eyes!) would instantly turn into stone. An always popular structure to visit is the ancient public toilets complete with bench seats and “cut outs”.

Immediately opposite Hadrian’s Temple are the “Terrace Houses”, a newly excavated section elaborately covered by a roof. It consists of a series of homes which are accessible by stairs and platforms. The wealthy and important people of Ephesus used these houses which are finely decorated with mosaics and frescoes that give a true impression of their ancient lifestyle (children rooms had animal mosaics while mom and dad’s bedroom was adorned with “more adult” mosaics, if you know what I mean). We spent roughly 30 minutes inside the houses. Back outside we stood at the corner of Curetes Street and Marble Way (or Marble Street). On our left was the awesome Library of Celsus façade and on our right (across the street from both the Terrace Houses and the Library) stood the Brothel. Archeologists have discovered an underground tunnel, marked by the simple figures of a woman, a heart and a “price”, that runs between both structures. A case of ancient “one stop shopping”, maybe? The library façade with its four statues is without a doubt one of the most impressive structures in Ephesus. Built in 125 AD by Gaius Julius Aquila in memory of his father, it once held 12,000 scrolls. The building faces east so that the reading rooms could make best use of the morning light.

Continuing on down Marble Avenue, the Great Amphitheater comes into view on your right hand side. It was constructed between 41 and 54 AD and held seats for up to 25,000 people. This open air theater was used initially for drama, but during later Roman times gladiatorial combats were also held on its stage. In recent years, recording stars such as Sting and Diana Ross have given concerts inside the theater. We followed Arcadian Way (or Harbor Street), the street that once led to the, you guessed it, ancient harbor but then made a right towards the exit with the obligatory restrooms, souvenir stands “Hey Sir, now it’s my turn, I have some ancient Ephesus coins for you”, restaurant/café and parking lot where our bus was waiting. We even saw a camel squatted down on all fours of which you could take pictures (yourself) for $1.00 or even, if feeling particularly brave, could sit on top of for a small price.

The return trip to Kusadasi took about 25 minutes and dropped us off right smack in front of Artemis Carpet Merchants where “if you have a carpet in your dreams, be sure to find it here”. Well, we did not have any carpets in our dreams so we made an exit stage right and walked the harbor front for a bit down Attaturk Boulevard and took some pics of Rotterdam at her berth. Also viewed the statue of Mister Attaturk himself with two children, one at each hand. Made a quick trip to the local police station and was able to trade for a Polis shoulder patch. The station was guarded by a no-nonsense looking copper cradling a small submachine gun in both hands. I asked very nicely! Walked back to the port and spotted the aforementioned Starbucks restaurant so had to go get a Frappucino real fast. Also bought a Dutch newspaper as well as a day-old copy of USA today to keep up with the news (Learned that Holland had won their second European cup qualifier in three days, although only at the last minute, 1-0 versus that soccer giant, Albania!

Our show tonight was pre-dinner however the events leading to the tragic and untimely death of dining steward Nafijar this evening, did not put us in the mood for comedy. Dinner tonight was the Master Chefs Dinner albeit without the singing, dancing and juggling by the staff, just the items on the menu. We finished the night with a quick nightcap in the Crow’s Nest. Along with four apparently single young lady passengers, the only other ones there were C/D Susan Wood, Rotterdam’s Chief Officer (I erroneously identified him the other day as Henk Leffering but his real name is Joost Eldering) and Chief Housekeeper Peter Janssen.

Tomorrow morning, we will be back in Greece, specifically one of her many islands, Rhodes or Rodos.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

John, if you check in one more time I just wanted to wish you and Maria a Safe Flight Home:) I will catch up on your thread when we get home. Talk to you next week:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thursday, 13 SEP 07

A very tragic event occurred onboard m/s Rotterdam on Thuesday evening. At approximately 6:30 pm, a P/A announcement no one ever wants to hear, was broadcast: “Bright star, dining room, lower floor aft! Bright star, dining room, lower floor aft!” The term “Bright star” is used by HAL to announce a life threatening medical emergency, usually a cardiac arrest/heart failure. We happened to be in the Explorations Café (adjacent to the la fontaine dining room) when the announcement was made and we soon saw Rotterdam’s first responders come running by carrying medical equipment, two stretchers, a defibrillator, etc. A passenger who is a medical doctor also entered the la fontaine to offer assistance. Several passengers who had been in the area of incident in the dining room, exited and spoke of a staff member “going down to the floor” in the middle of the “Master Chef’s Dinner”. World later came out that, despite all efforts, the medical staff had been unable to revive the victim, a dining room steward only in his early to mid-thirties.:(

Needless to say the mood onboard Rotterdam was somber last night as a result of this tragic incident with several crew members personally affected by the loss of a friend and colleague. C/D Susan Wood made two successive P/A announcements, first canceling the “Master Chef’s Dinner” for our and the 8:30 pm seating, and later to also cancel tonight’s Indonesian Crew Show scheduled for 10:30 pm. The victim is leaving behind a wife and two young children:( . Our thoughts and prayers are with them and with the crew of the Rotterdam! There is talk about a collection being held by passengers to contribute financial donations to the victim’s family. May he rest in peace!


Oh John, I just read this how very very sad:( My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and fellow crew members

[kakalina]

Such sad news. Prayers go out for him and his family. Thank you John for all your input and time.

[airlink diva]

While I'm glad that you are on your cruise and having a great time, I'm so sorry to hear about the dining steward.
I admire the crew working on a cruiseship. They work for months at a time so they can provide their families with the best.

[Vic The Parrot]

What horrible news ... heart attack at such a young age. :(



Please extend our condolences if you can.



PS .. Like Jan mentioned, is there a way for us back here to send something for the poor souls family?

[Copper10-8]

Is there a way that the rest of us can contribute? This is so sad.

PS .. Like Jan mentioned, is there a way for us back here to send something for the poor souls family?

Jan and Vic (and to all others, thanks for the thoughts!); I don't believe so but I'll ask tonite! The body of Nafijar was flown home out of Limassol, Cyprus yesterday.

In yesterday's Daily Program, there was an entry explaining that a lot of pax had volunteered/asked to contribute to his family so that is possible but, as far as I know, only from the ship (did so this morning by presenting an envelop to the Front Office). I will try to find out!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

John, I will also mention that the HAL Crew are very closed and this loss was also felt on the Noordam. After I read this I spoke to our favorite Cocktail Server, her name is Bede and while she is working on the Noordam her husband is working on the Rotterdam and I mentioned to her that I heard this. She told me that down in the crew quaters of the Noordam they have his picture up and posting of this tragic event.

[Copper10-8]

Friday, 14 SEP 07

After leaving Kusadasi, Rotterdam sailed a south-easterly course through the Aegean Sea until passing the island of Nisirios. Capt. Smit then altered his course to the east directly for the island of Rhodes. By 0800 hours, Rotterdam was at her berth in the Commercial (Great) Harbor at the Port of Rhodes (town). In port with us at the same time was Costa Mediterranea.

The largest of the Dodecanese islands, Rhodes (or Rodos in Greek) was united with Greece in 1947 and remains the last territory acquired by Greece. An island rich with architectural variety, it is also known for its natural beauty. Often called the “Island of Roses” or “Butterfly Island,” Rhodes’ endless beaches and warm summer winds tempt even the most discriminating visitor. A history besieged with foreign rule, Rhodes became not only a prosperous trading center but was also famous for its school of eclectic oratory of which Julius Caesar and Cato were students. In 305 BC, Rhodes aligned itself with Athens and the great work of Charis was erected. Named the Colossus of Rhodes, this magnificent statue of the sun god Helios stood 100 feet (30 meters) tall straddling the port entrance with ships navigating beneath it. It commemorated Rhodes’ successful resistance to an Egyptian attack and subsequent defeat of them after a nearly yearlong battle. The statue, a beacon to passing ships, stood at the entrance to the city of Rhodes in Mandhraki Harbor until being toppled by an earthquake in 226 AD. In its place on both sides of the harbor now stand a single column with the figure of a deer on top. In 297 AD, Rome conquered Rhodes and ruled it followed in succession by the Byzantines, Venetians and Genoveses.

The Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem bought Rhodes in 1309. Welcome saviors in an era of constant invasion, the knights were prolific builders. Their first construction was a fortified wall to shield the city. The well-organized group proceeded to strengthen their adopted home with the fortified structures that remain as their legacy. Modern Rhodes Town is as much a museum of medieval architecture as it is a tribute to the Order. Even Jerusalem, with it similar construction, lacks the impressive scale of Rhodes Town. The knights moved on to the island of Malta in 1521 BC and Rhodes fell in the hands of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Ruled by the Italians from 1912 until 1943, the Germans took over until 1945. The British ruled the island until the unification with Greece in 1947.

Our Shorex today was called “Lindos Acropolis & Rhodes Town”, would last for eight hours, and met in the Queen’s Lounge at 0830 am. After boarding our bus and meeting our tour guide, a very knowledgeable individual by the name of Anthony “call me Tony”, we set off in a southerly course and, after leaving Rhodes Town, followed the island’s scenic eastern coast for 30 miles until we reached the town of Lindos. Lindos is smaller than Rhodes but is has a tiny Crusader Fortress and is crowned with the ruins of a 4th Century BC ancient Greek temple (The Temple of Athena Lindia) at the Acropolis (“High Point”). After our tour bus dropped us off, we boarded a shuttle bus for the five minute uphill drive to the town’s square located at the base of the Acropolis.

Our tour offered the possibility to climb the steep 250 steps uphill to the top, hire a donkey at the village entry to then do the same on the animal’s back, or decline both. Since it was hot, 93 degrees Fahrenheit, we chose the latter option and instead leisurely stroled the narrow streets full of whitewashed houses and little shops (reminded me a bit of Santorini). Maria found a print (unframed) that she liked in one shop so she was a happy camper :) when she could call it hers. We bought two glasses of chilled orange juice at one of the Taverna’s (lots of those around in Lindos including some rooftop ones!) and did some people watching (lots of Brits and Germans on this island). We then discovered the very small Byzantine Church and paid a visit inside (a couple of female caretakers ran a very tight/strict ship as far as what was passable in women’s wear before receiving the thumbs up or thumbs down to enter). Upon making our way back to the meeting point, Maria’s eye fell (hate it when that happens) on some very nicely hand-painted stone work so before I could say “Hey now”:eek: , she had selected a vase and a bottle in the same pattern (hand-painted on the island) and was filling out shipping information (“Yes Sir, we ship all over the world!) Awrrrrrrrighty then, back on the shuttle bus before more damage could be done and onward Christian soldiers, to the meeting point.

Next stop was at a local pottery factory/store back heading north, for a demonstration of how one creates art from clay (including the drying and painting process). Nice stuff but we didn’t buy anything! Back on the bus to the town of Faliraki (that has got to be Rhodes numero uno party district for after the sun goes down) where we were treated to a nice Greek buffet lunch at Hotel Apollo Beach. Very nice place right on the beach and a very good lunch with many Greek delicacies. Back on the bus and we headed back to Rhodes Town and a visit to the magnificent and well-preserved Palace of the Grand Masters.

The Palace of the Grand Masters dates from the 15th Century! Legacy of the Knights of St. John, the palace was nearly destroyed in an accidental 1856 munitions explosion. During the Italian occupation (in the first part of the 20th century), it was restored. The renovation was aimed at modifying the palace as a summer home for Mussolini, but the dictator never lived in it. Still, project leaders went out of their way to outdo the original construction. Greek antiques were even imported from other islands to supplement the original décor. The result is a lavish palace with 300 rooms, moats, drawbridges, towers and battlements.

After our bus entered Rhodes’ Old Town, we exited and walked underneath the Amboise Gate and into a much visible medieval atmosphere as we wandered the old streets. It is had to believe that everything you see was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. The Palace of the Grand Masters itself is one series of colorful marbles and superb mosaics after the other as we passed through the huge rooms. Upon exiting we had about 45 minutes to stroll the Old Town, as we walked the cobblestone “Street of the Knights” and explored its many shops and cafes. We had time to try some authentic Rhodes ice cream in a cone. The shopkeeper had given all her multitude of flavors in her display case “eyes” so each flavor was staring at you. “Tony” took us back to the port and the Rotterdam at approx. 4:30 pm. Maria and I felt that Rhodes was definitely one of the highlights of this cruise, a place to come back to and spend a couple of days prior to another cruise in the region.

Back onboard, we participated in the “Greek Sailaway” on Navigation Deck aft where Carley and the HAL Cats also found their way and were playing good music. Couldn’t help but notice another, smaller, cruise ship that was departing the harbor with the assistance of two tugs. Her name was “Dream” and she looked very familiar to us. Did some checking and discovered that this was none other than RCI (formerly RCCL’s) old “Song of Norway”. That brought back fond memories as we sailed her back in FEB 1996 on a seven-day Mexican Riviera cruise with some good friends. RCCL sold her in 1996 and she became Dream Princess. She now sails for Caspi Cruises, an Israeli line, on three or four night cruises from Haifa to Alanya, Rhodes, Larnaca or Limassol. Last year, in January 2006, she was in New Orleans, LA where she housed students from Tulane University after hurricane Katrina. It was good to see her again!

We had an 8:00 pm reservation at the Pinnacle Grill tonight however, when we arrived there, we discovered that tonight was the sommelier’s dinner. We were not told of this when we made the reservation with PG Manager Sanjay Bhatt last Thursday and are not big wine drinkers (there was a set menu and every course comes with a different glass of wine), so after speaking to him, we decided to join our Canadian friends in the la fontaine instead. Had a nice dinner in there. The after-dinner entertainment tonight was a British comedy and variety performer by the name of David Copperfield, not the illusionist…..but the “unusualist”. David was extremely funny especially when he “threw” his voice with two “volunteers” on stage. He also demonstrated his dynamic singing voice by performing “Nessun Dorma”. Overall a lot of fun and a lot of laughing. Since we would not reach our next port of call, Limassol, Cyprus, until 10:00 am tomorrow, it was a great night for that drink of drinks, the infamous Wang Wang. So, the six of us went up to the Crow’s Nest where four Canadians from the Prairies became Wang Wang veterans:D and we did a lot of dancing. A good time was had by all!

[Chivalrygirl]

Can you believe that its 6 am here in NYC and here I am reading all about your day in Rhodes. What a wonderful trip you and Maria are having. You write so well John you make me feel like I am there with you. Thanks so much for your great and informative reports. You are such a clever little copper :D

________________
Val

[jhannah]

Rhodes is a very nice place. My DW found a Greek vase there. She'd been looking all over the Mediterranean ... never could find the one that was "just right." Our taxi driver took us to a small pop-and-son factory where she spied her vase almost as soon as we walked in!

[Jade13]

I love this itinerary! I wish they would do it in July in 2009 :(

[Copper10-8]

Saturday, 15 SEP 07

This was actually the first time on this cruise that Rotterdam sailed in the Mediterranean after leaving Rhodes Town yesterday. Our target, Limassol (or Lemesos), is situated on the south coast of the island of Cyprus at the head of Akrotiri Bay. Capt. Smit approached the harbor from the north-west and picked up the Greek Cypriot pilot approx. three miles prior to entering the breakwaters. We then proceeded to our berth at the expansive New Port of Limassol. On our way in there, we could see several naval ships in port, most notably the Royal Netherlands Navy latest guided missile frigate, HMNLS De Ruyter (F-804), tied up in front of a German Navy fast patrol boat. Already tied up caddy corner from Rotterdam’s berth was Ocean Village which, I’m pretty sure, at one time belonged to Princess Cruises. We were docked by 10:00 am.

Cypress, an independent republic since 1960, is Europe’s third largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sardinia and Sicily) and is the legendary birthplace of the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite. Located in the eastern part of the Med., Cyprus is close to Greece, Turkey and Syria and since ancient times, its strategic location has made it a natural stepping stone between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa and an important trading post. Thus its history has been filled with many battles and conquests. By 2500 BC, abundant copper reserves had been found and linguists believe that the name of the island derives from the word “Kyprus” which means copper:cool: . The Cypriot landscape is marked with ancient Greek and Roman ruins, orthodox monasteries and crusaders castles, while towns are home to medieval churches and mosques standing side by side. In Cyprus the lifestyle is easy going, the crime rate is low and the climate usually warm. Limassol is the second largest city (after the capital, Nicosia) with a population of 151,000. Limassol was built between two ancient cities, Amathus and Curium (Kourion), so during Byzantine rule it was known as Neapolis (new town). The main language is Greek but English is also widely spoken (Great Britain administered the island between 1878 and 1960 and still holds a few pieces of sovereign territory - two naval bases, Episkopi and Akrotiri - there).

Our excursion, Pafos & the Mosaics of Dionysos, would last five hours and we once again met in the Queen’s Lounge at 10:30 am. We boarded the bus and began the drive across the Cape Gata peninsula and past the historical town of Kourion until we reached a scenic overlook at a place called Petra tou Romiou, one of the island’s most beautiful stretches of coastline. The goddess Aphrodite is said to have arisen from a spray of sea (foam) here off the craggy cape by the same name (Petra tou Romiou) and from there went straight (she did not pass “go” and did not collect $200) to her temple at Palaipafos (now Kouklia) where the ruins can still be seen today. Visible from the overlook is a rock formation just off shore by the name of “Greek’s Rock” where this entire episode allegedly occurred. We looked all over the place but were unable to locate Aphrodite herself:( . The ancient gods of Greece were worshipped in Cyprus, but the most important was indisputably Aphrodite. Archaeological evidence and inscriptions describe numerous sanctuaries and temples dedicated to the goddess throughout Cyprus.

We continued on to the village of Yeroskipou were we visited the five-domed Byzantine church of Agia Paraskevi, dating back to the 10th century. The beauty of the interior of orthodox churches is amazing! Continuing on down Cyprus’ south-west coast, we reached the picturesque harbor town of Pafos (Paphos), the unchallenged spiritual center of Cyprus. Pafos’ rich archeological inheritance has earned it a place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. Our stop was at the underground Tombs of the Kings, the necropolis (cemetery) of Pafos, which dates back to the 3rd century BC, with open peristyle courts surrounded by burial chambers. We had an opportunity to go down there to inspect the chambers.

Former homes of aristocrats are Aphrodite’s legacy. The best in Pafos is the House of Dionysus where mosaic floors once covered all thirty rooms and that’s where we went for our last stop on this excursion. Inside were original and breathtaking mosaics unearthed during the excavation of a Roman nobleman’s villa from the third century AD. The extensive roofed complex is fitted with several of the mosaic floors showing Roman legends and characters however mostly representing scenes from Greek mythology. These are known as the finest mosaics in all the Mediterranean. Afterwards we had time to do some strolling and/or shopping at the Limanaki area (old harbor) of Pafos before commencing the one-hour return trip to Limassol and Rotterdam where we arrived at approx.3:35 pm. Overall, another nice excursion on this cruise.

Since this was a relatively short port visit (1000-1600 hours) in order to reach Alexandria, Egypt in time, Capt. Smit soon was backing Rotterdam out of her berthing space. Since our arrival in Limassol this morning, we had been joined by two more cruise ships, the aforementioned Dream (see Rhodes) and by Costa Europa. HAL fans might remember her as m/s Westerdam II which sailed under Holland America’s flag from 1988 until 2002 when she was transferred to Costa Cruise Line. She now sports the famous Costa all-white hull and yellow funnel bearing the blue “C”. She still looked good there in Limassol’s harbor!

This was the third and final “formal” night and just about everybody looked very nice. After dinner in the La Fontaine, entertainment tonight consisted of Rotterdam’s cast performing a show by the name of “Showgirl”. We had not seen that one before. According to the program, “the show girl adorns the stage with beauty, grace and of course, spectacular costumes. Tonight Rotterdam’s ten singers and dancers will pay tribute to these amazing women in a show that has it all…….the beads…..the feathers……the sequins”. It did turn out to be a great show and we enjoyed watching it! Since tomorrow would be an early rising (and not a bad moon one) due to a twelve hour excursion to Cairo, Egypt, we called it a night after the show.

[DFD1]

Thanks, Copper, for sharing your cruise. Fascinating places and a really interersting report. Great job! Fun to read! Stay safe and well.

[ger_77]

I'm so excited about your day coming up in Egypt, I can't wait to hear all about it!

Thanks for the great descriptions of the ports and your excursions, it's just like being there all over again.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[ger_77]

John and Maria, I hope you two didn't get left in the bottom of one of the pyramids! Or possibly Maria left you in payment for all the cartouches, caftans and papyrus' she's bringing back. It's been 3 days - maybe you're out of satellite range or you're out of energy ... could be a combination of both. Hope you're having a great time.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[kletskop]

What happened?? Wat is er gebeurd??

[middle-aged mom]

What happened?? Wat is er gebeurd??

They're back home, fighting jet lag:) Alles gaat het goed (all is well, if I got my Dutch right:))

Karin

[Ine]

What happened?? Wat is er gebeurd??

Hi kletskop, so you found my e-mail?
I wonder too what happened, he was supposed to arrive back home last Wedsnesdaynight.
Also I got no reply on my e-mail. Hope nothing is wrong over there....

[Copper10-8]

Hi friends!:) We're fine, been fighting a little case of jet lag, like Karen said. Just got home from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena though, after watching UCLA beat Washington. I'll finish the "live from" thread (not threat;) ) tomorrow with Cairo, our last sea day, disembarkation, the saga about our lost luggage and some thoughts/comments on this cruise!

Take care and be safe!

[Ine]

Good to hear you are safe back home.
Also check your e-mail...

[ger_77]

Okay, we can all breathe normally again - you're home safe, not stuck at the bottom of Cheops :eek: . Glad to hear you arrived home safely; I do know what that jet lag is all about - it can really sap your energy. Looking forward to hearing about your last days (oh, and the lost luggage, isn't that always a riot!) onboard and the trip home.

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[kletskop]

Hi kletskop, so you found my e-mail?
I wonder too what happened, he was supposed to arrive back home last Wedsnesdaynight.
Also I got no reply on my e-mail. Hope nothing is wrong over there....

Hoi Ine,
Yes I got your e-mail, but I have had e-mail problems and could not reply to any e-mails for some reason. Hope it is fixed now?? Had good, but hectic, time with all the familie that came to visit here.

Groetjes.
JW

[Copper10-8]

Sunday, 16 SEP 07

The big day is here!:) Egypt and, specifically the Great Pyramids at Giza, is really the major reason we picked this itinerary. After leaving Limassol yesterday afternoon, Rotterdam followed a southerly course through the Mediterranean towards Alexandria or “el Iskendariya” as it is locally known. The port of Alexandria lies between Tabiyet el ‘Abbasiya and El Mina’ el Sharqiya. It is the principle harbor in Egypt and until 1882, when it was bombarded by a British naval fleet; the city was very strongly fortified. At around 0500 hours, Rotterdam embarked a local Egyptian harbor pilot and by 0600 hours she had reached her berth at the Western Harbor, Port of Alexandria. Maria and I were in Africa for the very first time!

We were awake by then and from our balcony, I could see a sprawling harbor complex, mostly commercial. Right below us was a terminal and next to that, a huge secured area with a horse shoe-shaped driveway. There were at least already fifty tour buses lined up and parked and more were driving in. I could see numerous Egyptian national police officers in their white uniforms with black berets stationed at various locations within the secured area and manning checkpoints in and out of same. Several were armed with Kalashnikov AK-47s or at least the Egyptian version of same. We had breakfast in the Lido which, considering that a whopping 750 of Rotterdam’s pax were on the Cairo excursion today, was not that crowded (lots of room service breakfast this morning, perhaps?) Our Shorex today, “Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx & the Nile in style” would last a whopping 11 ½ to 12 hours and we were, once again, to meet in the Queen’s Lounge, this time by 0730 hours. We had agreed to meet our Canadian table mates just outside the Queen’s Lounge (the four of them were on the same excursion) to ensure that we got on the same bus. We had been advised ahead of time that all tour buses in Egypt would travel in convoy-style, escorted by police vehicles and with armed guards onboard. We also picked up “snack packs” (a Dutch roll called a “krentenbol”, a granola bar, a bag of chips, a cookie, an apple and a small bottle of water – great move on HAL’s part!) before exiting the lounge since lunch on the Nile would not be until around 3:00 pm.

Off the six of us went to our waiting bus. Hotel Manager Dernison, his wife Tricia and C/D Susan all were outside the gangway wishing their pax a good trip. (Susan Wood has been outside the gangway early in the morning at all our ports of call, one of the few C/D’s I am aware of doing this). We needed our passports again today so I had picked them up in the Queen’s Room last night. Apparently, an Egyptian Customs official had boarded Rotterdam in Cyprus yesterday and had spent his time (or at least some of it) going over and stamping passports. Not sure how long it took him to accomplish this task but, regardless, not a bad gig getting a free one day cruise home!

We were actually visiting Egypt during the Holy Month of Ramadan, which just started; in which all practicing Muslims observe the fast from sunrise to sunset. By this time, there must have been at least 75 buses that were waiting for us. We met our tour guide, Mr. Tamer El Bendary, who would turn out to be one of the best guides we have ever had. Extremely knowledgeable about the history of his great country, outgoing, friendly, educated, etc, etc. Right before leaving, our police escort came onboard and took the seat right behind the driver. All the Egyptian “coppers” that boarded buses as escorts were dressed in either suits and/or jackets and ties and there was no doubt they were armed. All of them had handguns underneath their jackets/coats with extended magazines (also know as “clips”, not the mags you can read on Sunday morning!) that were very obviously sticking out the slits of their jackets. We did in fact leave the harbor in a convoy but anyone who has ever been in one, or has organized one, knows how hard it is to keep together (especially inside the city) so we were soon stretched out like a slinky. There was at least one “crew bus” in our midst filled with Rotterdam crew members who also wanted to see Cairo and the pyramids and there was even a completely empty “spare bus” (well, it had a driver) in case one of the others broke down in between Alexandria and Cairo, especially in the desert. It took a while to reach the Alexandria to Cairo road as we spent some time traversing the streets of Alexandria. Very old and ornate looking buildings, many, many shops, lots of mosques and minarets, very, very few traffic signals, lots of traffic and lots and lots of people!!

Alexandria itself was once the greatest city of the ancient world and the capital of Egypt from its founding by Alexander the Great in 332 BC to 642 AD when it was subdued by the Arabs. It is now the second largest city and, as stated, the chief seaport of Egypt. It lies on the Mediterranean Sea at the western edge of the Nile Delta, about 114 miles northwest of Cairo. Reaching the outskirts of Alexandria, the sights ranged from a huge shopping mall, to several golf resorts, to a dead mule:eek: (or horse, or cow – it went by too fast) laying on the center divider of the highway. We passed a checkpoint of Egyptian police apparently designed for everybody who enters or exits Alexandria at which point it would take us about two to two and a half hours, give or take, to reach the outskirts of Cairo. Our armed escort in the front row (we sat two rows behind him) was soon counting Egyptian sheep jumping fences. Being still in the Nile Delta, the scenery on both sides of the road consisted of fertile green farming fields, trading off with the occasional resort, military base and/or village. Again lots of minarets along the side of the road.

There were stretches of obvious isolated sand desert but it was never the feeling of being Michael "Beau" Geste in nothing but sand every which way the eye reached. Traffic was moderate in both directions with lots of trucks heading to and from Cairo. Every so often we would see a dark blue Egyptian Peugeot 405 police car (our other escorts) pass us at speed only to let us catch up with them later. Just before reaching Cairo, we passed what appeared to be, a huge Egyptian Air Force base with a Mig-21 perched on a pintle acting as gate guard. We then reached another road checkpoint, this one apparently for folks entering and leaving Cairo, and then entered the city itself and traveled to its western edge. Our destination and first stop would be the Giza Necropolis located on the Giza Plateau, on the outskirts of Cairo. It is located some five miles inland into the desert from the old town of Giza itself. Anticipation built on our bus until we turned a corner and the pyramid fields came in sight. It gave the same feeling as suddenly turning the corner in Rome and seeing the Coliseum staring you in the face or climbing the hill in Athens only to come face to face with the Acropolis. Just an awesome feeling realizing that you are seeing something that is so very, very old and the product of an ancient civilization! A great sight and something that easily makes you fantasize what life was like in those days.

There are three pyramids in Giza as well as the Great Sphinx, all of whom are the only remaining monuments of what the ancient Greeks considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This ancient necropolis consists of the Pyramid of Khufu, (known as the Great Pyramid or Pyramid of Cheops), the somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren), the relatively modest-size Pyramid of Menkaure (or Mykerinus), and the Great Sphinx. All the buses and escorts parked in a sand/dirt lot in between the Pyramid of Khufu and the Pyramid of Khafre from where the Great Sphinx was obscured from view. Here also, lots of uniformed police on foot, on camel and in cars/trucks parked at strategic points. Looking at these incredible Egyptian monuments, you could not help but marvel at their size and the magnitude that went into their construction. Our guide, Tamer, had warned us beforehand about the vendors who, in his words, would be very aggressive. As soon as we exited the bus, we had to agree with him! The vendors here made their counterparts in Cartagena, Columbia look like boy scouts and would immediately engage you in conversation as you began to walk towards the awesome structures and/or would stop to take photographs. They sold (or attempted to sell) everything from postcards, to miniature models of pyramids, sphinx and pharaohs, to t-shirts. One of their tried methods is to attempt to shove a t-shirt wrapped in plastic underneath/in between your arms (the gent that tried that on me said it was a “gift from his wife”) and then charge you for it. (I just let the package he tried on me drop to the ground). There were about ten locals on camel around the Pyramid of Khafre who would try to either sell you stuff and/or have you get on their camel for a picture for $$. As stated, there were several coppers on camelback themselves and their modus operandi was to chase the locals on their own camels all over the place until they got the picture (they didn’t). Now there is a sight you don’t see everyday back in L.A.:cool: One of the coppers engaged me in conversation. I showed him my flat badge and I.D. and he invited me to take his picture. Upon doing this, he immediately asked me for “money”. Allrighty then, I gave him a shoulder patch instead (unfortunately unable to obtain one of theirs).

Maria had decided that she wanted to actually enter the pyramid so she went along with Brad and Lorraine. I decided against doing this due to the very smallish size of the downward and upward internal ramp enclosure that leads into the chamber deep inside. Maria told me later that she herself (and she is 4’11”) had to walk head and upper body bent down until reaching the chamber. She has no problems with claustrophobia but got a little anxious having to wait in said chamber until more folks on their way down had entered before she and her group were allowed to start the ascent back to daylight. Loraine had stopped half-way and returned. Brad had accompanied Maria. When she did reappear however, she was a very happy camper and very proud of herself; good for her, that’s my baby! We had about 35-40 minutes at the pyramids, then re-boarded the buses and drove a short distance away to another large dirt field from where the smallest of the three, the Pyramid of Menkaura came into view along with her two bigger sisters. Had a photo op there as well as a chance to either ride a camel ($3-$5) or get on one to have your pic taken ($1). When the thirteen-or fourteen-year old kid that was guiding Maria’s camel figured that a one minute ride was enough, our guide Tamer told him to go around again and he did. As stated, an excellent guide! Our last stop at this incredible location was at the site of the Great Sphinx, the mythical creature crouching on its lion body in the desert. Current consensus among Egyptologists is that the head of the Great Sphinx is that of Khafre, an Egyptian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt) pharaoh (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharaoh) of the Fourth dynasty (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_dynasty_of_Egypt). We had about forty-five minutes to explore this amazing site and take photos. More vendors here of course but I did wound up buying a can of cola light for $2 from one of them.

Back on the bus we drove to the city of Giza itself for an obligatory stop (and comfort break) at the Merit Center El Bazaar, a shop that sold everything from Egyptian chairs, to jewelry, to clothing, to trinkets (no carpets here, thank you very much). Some of our Egyptian security guards took the opportunity to heed the call to prayer. There was a small area downstairs and outside where there was a carpet laid out on the ground facing towards Mecca. I was able to see a couple of my colleagues take their shoes, socks and jackets off, and conduct their worship towards the east. Got a good look at their holstered handguns. We did appreciate their presence with us for the day and told them so afterwards.

We then began the considerable adventure in itself of driving towards the center of Cairo and, specifically, to the river Nile. Cairo or Al-Quhirah means “the Vanquisher” or “the Triumphant” and is the capital city of Egypt. While Al-Quhirah is the official name of the city, in Egyptian Arabic it is typically called simply by the name of the country, Masr (Egypt). It has a metropolitan population of a whopping 15.75 million people! That’s larger, I’m pretty sure, than the entire population of the Netherlands! Cairo is the seventh most populous metropolitan area in the world and the most populous metropolitan area in Africa! Old Cairo or Al-Fustat was founded in 648 AD near other Egyptian cities and villages, including the old Egyptian capital of Memphis, Heliopolis, Giza and the Byzantine fortress of Babylon-in-Egypt. A journey through Cairo is a virtual time travel: from the Pyramids, Saladin’s Citadel, the Virgin Mary’s Tree, the Sphinx, and ancient Heliopolis, to Al-Azhar, the Mosque of Amir ibn al-A’as, Saqqara, the Hanging Church, and the Cairo Tower. Simply an amazing city! What is also amazing is the traffic in Cairo! In one word unbelievable!! First of all, the concept of marked traffic lanes (yes, they do have them) is foreign to Egyptians, including our bus driver. If you are not a super aggressive driver in Cairo, forget about it, you will be left behind or stuck! Horns and frequently applying them is a must! There are very few, if any, traffic signals. Instead you will see Egyptian traffic police at all intersections and every 100 yards in between. Pedestrians will stand far into the street to flag down buses and/or numerous completely unmarked mini-vans jammed with people. Amazingly, these peds will fling themselves out in the street, flag down a mini-van, hop onboard cramming themselves in (teens hanging out the open doors), and off they go, apparently fully aware of where they are going and/or will wind up! Mind you, these are no marking or destination signs on these vans. We saw one ambulance with its lights and siren on but everybody ignores that completely, no biggie! Amazingly it all seems to work in the big scheme of things so more power to them!

Our next stop brought us to the banks of the Nile, to a floating restaurant company by the name of “the Pharaohs”, for a two-hour lunch onboard one of their two river boats (motorized but with a bow in the shape and style of the boats of the age of the pharaohs) that cruise this famous river which has its origin way south, in central Africa in Lake Victoria “Dr. Livingston, I presume”. This company is located on Al-Nil Street, in close proximity to the Zoological Garden. If a stranger, so says an Egyptian proverb, drinks the water of the Nile, then he/she will return again and again to the land on the Nile. I doubt if it has ever really been advisable to drink directly from the Nile, but the proverb gives no indication of how this should be done otherwise. While Egypt’s ancestors may have boiled the water, even within living memory, today it comes out from the tap after an expensive and large-scale processing in modern waterworks.
[/SIZE]
The deeper meaning of the proverb says: “The Nile is Egypt’s soul”. Without this majestic river, none of the wonders would exist in the middle of the rough desert that dominates Egypt’s landscape. No pyramids, no mosques, no churches, no agriculture in the delta, no cotton fields in Upper Egypt – nothing. Everything depends on the river, and ultimately, so do the Egyptians themselves. The two boats used by “the Pharaohs” are probably the most thematic ones among Cairo’s floating restaurants. But come on, where else but in Egypt should one be ready for a little Pharaonic Disneyland at least once during your trip?[/SIZE]

While we cruised in the part of the Nile around Giza and Zamalek, lunch onboard was a huge open buffet with lots of items. These were mainly international dishes, with some Egyptian specialties, surely because of the many tourists. We were then treated to music and dances from a local folkloric group in a style that originated (according to Tamer) in the area of present Afghanistan, one of the highlights being a male performer who would twirl several of his tunics in the air with one hand high above his head. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to take some pics of the Cairo skyline including several huge American hotels such as the Sheraton, Hyatt, Four Seasons, etc. During our entire two-hour cruise, we were being shadowed by a red-colored police boat with two officers onboard.

Back on the bus, we began our return journey to Alexandria and the Rotterdam, but first we had to brave Cairo’s rush hour traffic! From the time we pulled away from El Nile Street, to reaching some of Cairo’s major streets, we were in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Lots of honking horns, peds competing with cars, donkey carts, the infamous mini-vans, buses, you name it. Incredibly, it all seemed to work and fit in the big picture! There was constant slow down but no gridlock. It took us fifty minutes to reach the vehicle check point and the outskirts of the city. We pulled over to the side of the highway a little beyond that point and waited for some of the other buses we had started out with and the police cars to pull up in front of, and behind us so that “the convoy” could reassemble, As it was, several of the other buses pulled out early and headed back to the coast with at least a 10-15 minute head start on us. The drive back was uneventful until we reached Alexandria itself. Lots of folks got some shuteye, some ate from the snack packs, and some, like the folks seated next to us, were involved in a constant stream of chatter followed by loud laughter, making it pretty much impossible to those seated around them to see sheep climbing fences.

When we reached Alexandria itself at approx. 8:30-9:00 pm, we had no more buses in front of us. At that point, our driver apparently zigged when he should have zagged and made a wrong turn off the highway:eek: . This resulted in our bus being isolated by and what followed was an approximately 25 minute unscheduled ride down the streets of the housing district that surrounds the port. Mind you, we were close to the port, we (I should say our driver, our guide and our armed copper) just could not find the entrance (or one of the entrances) back into the port. We wound up seeing Alexandria like, I’m thinking, a lot of tourists from the ships never have. More than likely by the looks of it, not the most affluent of neighborhoods (the ones adjacent to the ports usually never are), lots of folks, mostly adult males, sitting in the street (on chairs) consuming meals and drinks on Ramadan (since the sun had gone down) after a day of fasting, lots of Christmas-looking colored lights on shops and dwellings (must be also connected to Ramadan) lots of donkeys and goats housed in the street, some being fed, underneath the long highway overpass we were tracking from below, lots of cars driving without lights on or with only their parking lights on (apparently very normal and an accepted behavior at night in Egypt – we saw the same thing on the highway after the sun went down – maybe the Israeli Air Force has something to do with it………not being serious here, folks!), etc, etc. After driving like this for a while and not getting anywhere fast in particular, our driver pulled up next to a cart pulled by a donkey and with two young men on top, and we could hear him ask “El Mina, El Mina” which I understood to be “the port, the port”. One of the guys told him something and after some turns, incredibly we pulled up to what appeared to be a port entrance but not the same one we had left from some fifteen and a half hours earlier.

With that entrance came three coppers, some in uniform, some not. Lots of chatter between our three guys and their three guys in Egyptian followed, some of it sounded a lot like arguing to us. The end result: the copper in charge would not let our bus enter the port via that particular entrance because, as Tamer later explained, it was an entrance for commercial traffic only. This, apparently, made our driver a very unhappy Egyptian camper because it meant he now had to back up the bus and make a three-point turn in the opposite direction with not a heck of a lot of room to do so. Off we went, beep, beep, beep……….bang! You guessed it, since his mood had obviously deteriorated; he did not see the metal sign on a pole that announced the port entrance. Our bus struck that lonely sign and caused the window on the right side of the bus above the main entrance to shatter! All in a days work! Back in a forward direction we went, stopping at said same gate and the three coppers. All three of our guys got off the bus this time and more heated discussion and hand gesturing followed. End result: Sorry dudes, you ain’t coming in here! Another maneuver in reverse, this time followed by a successful three-point turn without managing to come into contact with any fixed objects! Live as we all know it, was good again! Except, we were still on a quest for that proverbial main port entrance.

Back on those same streets in a feeling straight from Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day in Egypt” but, after a while, we actually made it to a main drag that we recognized from this morning. The main entrance soon followed after which our home away from home, all lit up, came into view. We must have been one of the last buses to arrive but still the vendors in the parking lot were set up, apparently doing business with Rotterdam pax who had arrived earlier.

Back onboard, there were both open seating as well as extended hours for the La Fontaine dining room, the other choice for dinner being HAL’s customary deck BBQ (there was no casual dinner in the Lido as a result of this). We chose the BBQ and had some great Jamaican jerk chicken (Ja-Man), ribs, BBQ beans, rice, salad and desert. There was no entertainment per se after a long day but they were showing Messer’s George Clooney, Al Pacino, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, etc. in Oceans 13 on the “big screen” inside the Queens Lounge. We hung around and did some “vegging” before calling it a night. This had been a great, very interesting and long day with some unforgettable sights and sounds! Very glad we did it since it had been an overall very positive experience! Rotterdam pulled away from her berth around 10:05 pm and headed back to Piraeus, Greece. So long Egypt!

[RuthC]

Wow. What an adventure. I've been waiting for the Egypt report---this didn't let me down. :)
Thanks!

[ger_77]

Great adventure you had - I'm sure you felt better knowing you were lost with an armed guard on board! We also found that as soon as the sun went down, our driver, guard and guide all brought out their food and we didn't hear anything from them until it was all consumed. Can't say that I blame them - I wouldn't have wanted to fast from sun up until sun down!!!

We had the same thing happen with the "Camel Police" - after shooing off the vendors, offering to take our picture, then wanting $$. I didn't give money, instead I gave him a Canadian pin and bracelet. They're very brazen, aren't they? I was wondering what kind of souvenirs you came back with from your day in Egypt?
Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)
Gerry

[jcrandle]

Welcome back, Copper! Uh oh, that sounds like a 80's tv show. I enjoyed your trip report immensley. Thanks, and we are glad you are home safely.

[Copper10-8]

I was wondering what kind of souvenirs you came back with from your day in Egypt?


Believe it or not, just lots of digital pics and some postcards


Welcome back, Copper! Uh oh, that sounds like a 80's tv show. I enjoyed your trip report immensley. Thanks, and we are glad you are home safely.

Thanks JC!

http://www.nndb.com/tv/566/000049419/wbk-sized.jpg

[Cruising-along]

Thanks so much for the detailed review of your day in Egypt! I was really looking forward to this, and you didn't let us down. :D It brought back so many memories for me. I also went into the pyramid, so I know how proud Maria feels about it. It isn't easy, bending over for so long, the close quarters, and steep incline. At one point the lights went out for a stretch of about half a minute -- at that point I was scared for the first time! :eek: And DH is claustrophobic, I'm very proud of him too. It was well worth it and wish I could do it again some day.

Did they explain to you about the pigeons and their importance to their culture?

[Copper10-8]

Thanks so much for the detailed review of your day in Egypt! I was really looking forward to this, and you didn't let us down. :D It brought back so many memories for me. I also went into the pyramid, so I know how proud Maria feels about it. It isn't easy, bending over for so long, the close quarters, and steep incline. At one point the lights went out for a stretch of about half a minute -- at that point I was scared for the first time! :eek: And DH is claustrophobic, I'm very proud of him too. It was well worth it and wish I could do it again some day.

Did they explain to you about the pigeons and their importance to their culture?

Good for you and DH! Maria says it is still dark in certain spots down there!

Ah yeah, the Egyptian pigeons! Forgot about them. Yes, very important both as a delicacy and an Egyptian ******:eek: Lots of pigeon structures on the roofs in Cairo!

[Cruising-along]

Good for you and DH! Maria says it is still dark in certain spots down there!

Ah yeah, the Egyptian pigeons! Forgot about them. Yes, very important both as a delicacy and an Egyptian ******:eek: Lots of pigeon structures on the roofs in Cairo!

Yikes, still dark? :eek:
Yes, there are lots of pigeon structures. They sure do like their pigeons for various reasons!

[kletskop]

What happened to the rest of the story?
JW

[Copper10-8]

Monday, 17 SEP 07

Since leaving Alexandria last night, Rotterdam has been following a north-easterly course through the eastern Mediterranean. This has been a very nice cruise as far as “motion of the ocean” is concerned. Back in the Black Sea, we had some moderate swells on a couple of nights around dinner time and some folks, not used to it, got a tad green around the gills but that’s been about it. Overall, it has been a very comfortable ride for Rotterdam’s pax! Today we had a fresh breeze blowing with slight seas and clear skies. Temps were 84 degrees Fahrenheit or 29 degrees Celsius. We had a great night rest on those comfy SOE mattresses and woke up kinda late but still in time to make the 10:30 am deadline for buffet breakfast in the Lido. During the night we had lost the hour which we had gained on the way to Alexandria.

Had a leisurely breakfast and thus missed the always funny “Sea quest” game (black teeth, a pic of the White House, a sock with a hole in it, etc.) in the Queen’s lounge. I heard later on that several ladies’ bras were removed:eek: as well as gentlemen’s trousers, shorts and pants with extra (team) points earned (for the Atlantic or Pacific) for those gents that had the nerve to go on stage to retrieve same. Seeing some of them there legs had apparently not been “a day at the beach!”

This was followed by the unveiling of Mr. and Mrs. Rotterdam (yes that game was played on this cruise) as well as their finders. C/D Susan Wood subsequently presented her disembarkation talk/briefing and that was followed by the presentation/farewell of a heck of a lotof Rotterdam’s crew on and in front of the stage (the stage was pretty much filled up several rows deep). The cast finished up by singing “Love in every language” with Susan providing a translation of the lyrics in sign language. The shops onboard had a “logo blow out” sale happening on mid-ship Lido deck and at 11:15 they had the “win a cruise” (7-day Caribbean for two) bingo game. At 12:45 was the “whatever floats your boat” ship building finals in the Lido pool and at 1:30 the “On deck for the cure” walk against cancer (great event!). At 1:45 pm I thought for a brief moment about going to the “napkin folding” class but only for a brief moment. Instead, we had received an invitation for something new (for us) a “Question & Answer” session for this cruise with the feedback and comments coming from us, the passengers.

This event took place at 2:00 pm in the Hudson Room which had been reserved for this event. Taking their seats behind a long table at the head of the room were Captain Jan Smit, Hotel Manager Hans Dernison, Cruise Director Susan Wood, Guest Relations Manager Donna Prescott and Shore Excursion Manager Lindsay Currie. Yours truly included, there were a total of eleven (11) pax assembled (unknown how many had been invited but me thinks there had to be more by the looks of the way the room had been set up). There was a large plate of cookies on one side of the room and a Filipino bar steward was hovering around asking us for drink orders. Thought about ordering a Wang Wang but came to my senses in time and ordered an O.J. (without University of Spoiled Children football memorabilia and a gun in a downtown Vegas hotel room) instead. The way this program would run is that Susan (who ran the show) would allow each person seated in the room time to speak their mind/give their feedback/ask questions to the five “board members” about anything on their mind pertaining to this cruise. Just about every one of the eleven “paying guests” took her up on that offer and what followed were a series of comments and questions.

The majority of these were directed to and answered by the hotel manager, Shorex manager and GRM. One interesting exchange between a male passenger and Capt. Smit went as follows: Passenger: “Captain, would it be possible to see more officers in places like the Crow’s Nest at night, I haven’t seen much of them except for the three formal nights?” Captain: “You don’t see many of them there because I don’t want them there”………..Allrighty then, next! He didn’t come out and say it but me thinks some of the Rotjeknor officers maybe got a little “wild” in places like the CN in the past???. Overall though, a very interesting concept, this feedback/rap session. Both the GRM and C/D were busy taking notes. The whole thing took abut 50 minutes.

Had a dog and some potato chips at the Lido Grill for the last time and at 3:30 pm went to the “Behind the scenes backstage tour” with Rotterdam’s cast. Done that one before and it always amazes me how much technical “stuff” (lights/sounds/moving stages, etc.) they can pull off at sea and how little space (and sometimes, time) these performers have in between their acts. Showtime for us (as is the norm on most last days onboard) was pre-dinner at 6:45 pm and tonight consisted of Dorothy Bishop, the “Diva of the High C’s”. She was listed in the daily program as an international vocalist from New York City where she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Lincoln Center, on Broadway and off Broadway. She performed songs from Evita, Man of La Mancha and Carmen. Pretty good!

Our Last Supper gave us a chance to catch up with Brad, Lorraine, Arnold & Rhoda. The four of them are all spending one more night in Athens tomorrow only to then fly home to Canada on Wednesday via Frankfurt, Germany. Nice people! We really hit it off and we made a verbal commitment to go see the L.A. Kings play the Calgary Flames up there next year and go out for dinner before the game. Took a group photo with them in front of the Terracotta horses outside the Explorer’s Lounge after dinner. Thanked Iwan, Peter, Gusti, and Angel for their service and then headed to the cabin for the always fun evening of packing. Managed to put everything outside the front door by 11:00 pm and called it a night. Tomorrow, we’ll be back in Piraeus where everything started twelve days ago.

[Copper10-8]

Tuesday, 18 SEP 07

Woke up about 0630 with Rotterdam already tied up at the Port of Piraeus at the same berth we had left from. Costa Romantica would soon join us alongside at the opposite berth. Just like when we left, lots and lots of Greek ferries in the harbor getting ready to take off for the various Greek isles. First order of business after a shower and to dress was to make my way down to the Queen’s Room to pock up our passports. That process was a snap. HAL had the table with passports divided into fours sections (by deck/room #) and it seemed to work fluently. Besides a couple of Front Office personnel, a couple of the Cruise Event Staff had been recruited.

We left our carry-on luggage in our room and headed for the Lido and breakfast. While there, C/D Susan came on the P/A system to announce that Rotterdam had been cleared by the local authorities and shortly thereafter, she started calling the first colored luggage tags and numbers. We finished breakfast and headed back to our room and after about 30-35 minutes, our number, Red One, was called. Had our cards read one more time at the gangway and said our goodbyes to Rotterdam. We had transfer tickets in hand and were directed/led by a “red coat” through the terminal, back outside and to an area out in front of Rotterdam and Costa Romantica where several buses were waiting.

Boarded ours and, while waiting for other Rotterdam pax to fill up the bus, saw an unfortunate elderly gentleman, just off the ship, trip over a piece of uneven concrete and go down hard in front of us:( . The gentleman, in his seventies, had landed on his face and was bleeding profusely from some cuts. Some of us used handkerchiefs and a towel to try to stop it and, luckily, an ambulance with EMT’s had been pre-positioned at the terminal. They were on scene in a couple of minutes and took over. Not sure if the gentleman was able to be medically cleared at the scene and/or had to be transported to a local hospital for follow-up. Regardless, not a good way to end a cruise!

Our bus driver took off shortly after and, unlike on the way to the port twelve days earlier, chose not to take the freeway but the inside route to Athens-Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (due to rush hour traffic). The ride took about one hour and, oh yeah; our bags had already been placed on board bus directly from the ship. We did not have to collect them inside the terminal. What a concept! Check-in at the airport was a breeze and we lucked out in that, for some reason, the agent did not charge us for the extra luggage (weight) allowance (we did have to pay twelve days earlier in A’dam).

I won’t bore everyone here with our flights home. Suffice it to say that out of the four Alitalia flights we took on this trip, Amsterdam-Milan-Athens-Milan-Amsterdam, three out of the four suffered delays. The one today caused us to miss our connect back to Amsterdam. We arrived at Schiphol at around 10:20 pm, some five hours later then scheduled. In addition, we discovered that Alitalia had left our bags in Milan. We spent one more night at the Schiphol-Hilton and got on a Continental flight to Newark, NJ the next day at 1:20 pm. After an uneventful flight there, picked up another Continental flight to LAX where we arrived at about 10:20 pm (Our lost luggage made it two days later on Friday, 20 SEP). Took us about three days to get rid of the jet lag but that's the price of going to Europe!

Some thought about this cruise tomorrow.

[mountainmare]

Thank you so much for sharing your trip. We are leaving Feb 29 for a Costa Greece, Turkey, Egypt cruise and it was nice to hear about some of the ports we'll be doing.

[sungoddess]

John,

Will you please email me? I have lost your address and have some questions for you.

Thanks!

SG

[newfarmers]

Tuesday, 18 SEP 07

I won’t bore everyone here with our flights home. Suffice it to say that out of the four Alitalia flights we took on this trip, Amsterdam-Milan-Athens-Milan-Amsterdam, three out of the four suffered delays. The one today caused us to miss our connect back to Amsterdam. We arrived at Schiphol at around 10:20 pm, some five hours later then scheduled. In addition, we discovered that Alitalia had left our bags in Milan.



In their infinite wisdom Qantas has booked us on the first Alitalia flight out of Heathrow on Oct 19. We are due to arrive a very (too) close 90 minutes before from Singapore. I won't mind if that plane is a little late leaving:) , just hope the bags make it to Rome with us:D

Your holiday sounded fantastic John, thanks for the log

pete