Solstice Live/First-Timer Reports/Pix’s: Italy/Croatian June 7-19

[Keith1010]

Hi Terry, it's been great to follow this voyage as I have followed your other voyages in the past.

 

Keith

[redcupr]

Terry,

 

Your pictures of Kotor have only reinforced my desire to go there on our next Mediterranean cruise.

 

Great pictures. Enjoy your trip.

[celebritydave]

Terry, your review and pictures are fantastic!! My wife and I will be on an Azamara cruise in November from Venice to Athens and your commentary on Kotor will help us a lot with our planning.

 

We are also booked on the Silhouette Transatlantic in December 2012, with a stop in Florence/Livorno. We are planning on using RomeinLimo and your description of them makes our decision a lot easier.

 

Keep up the good work, I look forward to the rest of your journey

 

Dave

Edited June 15, 2011 by celebritydave

[LadyCruisers]

Question for Terry. We will be in Naples 7AM - 7PM on Saturday, October 22, and am considering doing exact shore excursion with RomeInLimo that you did from Naples, i.e. Herculaneum, Positano area lunch and then Ravello. Did you feel that this was a comfortable tour without rushing or way too much driving involved? What time did you get picked up at ship and what time were you back at the dock? How long did you spend at ruins, for lunch and in Ravello? Your feedback will be appreciated.

[Jobeth66]

Question for Terry. We will be in Naples 7AM - 7PM on Saturday, October 22, and am considering doing exact shore excursion with RomeInLimo that you did from Naples, i.e. Herculaneum, Positano area lunch and then Ravello. Did you feel that this was a comfortable tour without rushing or way too much driving involved? What time did you get picked up at ship and what time were you back at the dock? How long did you spend at ruins, for lunch and in Ravello? Your feedback will be appreciated.

 

I know I"m not Terry, but I did the same tour the week before (except we went to Pompeii instead of Herculaneum) and I didn't find it to be too much driving at all - I will again suggest you request Carmine, he is a highlight. He will make frequent stops, and you'll have time to walk around in Positano, and honestly, if you tell him that you want to stop somewhere or not be driving a lot, he'll tailor the trip to your wishes.

 

I honestly can't say enough about RomeInLimo.

[merprincess]

I know I"m not Terry, but I did the same tour the week before (except we went to Pompeii instead of Herculaneum) and I didn't find it to be too much driving at all - I will again suggest you request Carmine, he is a highlight. He will make frequent stops, and you'll have time to walk around in Positano, and honestly, if you tell him that you want to stop somewhere or not be driving a lot, he'll tailor the trip to your wishes.

 

I honestly can't say enough about RomeInLimo.

 

We also used RIL for the Amalfi Coast and our driver, Tony, was fantastic. He was flexible and made enough stops so that it did not feel like we were just driving. He took us to a wonderful family restaurant in Ravello. After wine and some limoncello, he led our group sing-along to "That's Amore." The limoncello at the restaurant plus a bottle of limoncello presented to us at the end of our day were compliments of Rome in Limo. Tony also purchased Italian pretzels and a bag of cherries for our group of 6 to munch on while driving. But, aside from all the little "perks", our driver, Tony, would have still been outstanding as he catered the day to what we wanted, and also had great suggestions.

Mary

[TLCOhio]

Here are a couple more from the Kotor area, plus the start of some really good ones from Venice. Lots and lots of wonderful pictures from Venice!!! That super city makes a photographer look so-so good. I continue to have upload problems from the ship, but the staff has been very good in providing some added time to make up for those problems/issues.

 

THANKS for the comments and those tuning-in. Now over 5,000 views! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

As you sail in and out of Kotor, you see these two island with church built on them. These are not natural island, but built up there over the years. Spectacular sighting.:

 

 

 

This is a close up of the mountain fortress that overlooks Kotor and the fjord bay.:

 

 

 

In Venice, here is the view of Solstice as it is docked. This shot and others were taken from the main Tower at San Marco Square. Next is the roof of St. Marks from that Tower. Next is a tight shot on some of the spectacular art on the front of St. Marks and a unique framing of the Tower from an arch of the Doge’s Palace.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

More from Venice, added ones to come, but we are getting ready to arrive in Dubrovnik.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

From St. Marks, here is a view of the horses positioned on the front balcony of the Cathedral, outside, with the 500-year-old clock tower in the background. Next is the interior area showing the domed ceiling art and finally, the original horses that had been outside are now protected in an inside area. Notice their face details. These horse were once covered in gold leaf.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we sailed into Venice, here is one of the churches along the canal. :

 

 

 

In front of the Academy Art Museum, here is an artist on that wooden bridge over the Grand Canal making a painting.:

 

 

 

It was a full moon for our evening in Venice. Here is that view of the moon as we walked at night past the Doge’s Palace.:

 

[Scotswoman]

Terry,

Looking at your postings is almost like being on an "extra" cruise! We´re enjoying your/"our" trip immensely! I`m looking forward to "being" in Dubrovnik again with you!:D

[Baatman]

Nice report and helpful pictures...thanks.

[parktop]

Hi Terry

Just to say your pictures and messages are really wonderful. We are doing our first ever cruise on the same trip at the end of July and can't wait. Got lots of really helpful hints and advice.

Keep up the good work, but make sure you continue to enjoy yourself.

Many thanks:)

[missminnie]

Great Report and love your photo's. So much so that I've been looking into getting a new lens (wide angle) for my DSLR for our upcoming cruise on Solstice in September. And funny enough going to same places as yourself.

 

How did you go that night shot in Venice with the full moon and people? It's great but all my night ones come out bad!

[MATRAVELER]

Thanks again, Terry, for the great reporting and fabulous pictures. September can't come fast enough.

[merprincess]

Hi Terry - I am curious, what mode of transportation did you use to get from where the Solstice was docked and into Venice? How did it work for you?

Mary

[TLCOhio]

We had a super great day in Dubrovnik yesterday. Today, we are on our way to Messina, Italy, as we pass through the 1.9 mile wide Straights of Messina between Italy and Sicily at about 3 pm. We will not stop there, but it should be an interesting visual. Our previous passage here was at night, but we could see Mt. Etna, their active volcano in that area. *Here's the Messina weather for today:*mostly sunny and delightful,*high temperature: 82°F. Our super great luck and blessing with wonderful weather has continued for this cruise.

 

Below are a few more pictures from super great Venice. Then later today, I will have a full report on Dubrovnik, plus lots of pictures from there, answering some earlier questions, etc.

 

THANKS for tuning-in as these postings approach 6,000 views! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

As we sailed into Venice, here is a tighter shot of the main square and the crowds that were there around 1 pm on June 14. Next are a couple of other views from that great sail-in to Venice and the sights of various interesting buildings and churches. Love Venice so, so much!!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are some added views of St. Marks and its spectacular architecture and design. Finally, below, are the “clankers” as the top of the 500-year-old clock on San Marco Square striking the hourly mark. .:

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here are six pictures more from Venice. Next will be Dubrovnik pictures, added ship shots, answering various questions, etc. Don't be shy if you have questions on parts of this trip and/or the Solstice!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

No visit to Venice is complete without seeing this famed bridge over the Grand Canal. We had a brief drink and snack stop here to watch all of the activity here.:

 

 

 

This is a tighter shot on one of the many, many great churches in Venice. St. Marks is not the only architectural/church treasure here. :

 

 

 

Here are two of our larger Cruise Critic group, Lynn from Florida and Eileen and their families, getting out of boat to dine at a scenic dining place I suggested. They loved their food and experience here.:

 

 

 

Here’s my wife, plus Central Ohio travel partners, Amy and Milt, along one of the small canals with boats and lots of charming views.:

 

 

 

Here’s our Central Ohio group dining at the scenic location next to the canal with boats, singers, etc. passing, plus a typical bridge in the background.:

 

 

 

This is a mask shop hidden on the back-streets of Venice. We had discovered this great place in 1999 and were lucky to find it again as we explored a little off of the typical tourist streets of Venice. They have such delightful and creative designs. :

 

[Esprit]

Truely amasing pictures Terry

 

We've been to Venice a few times and those pictures really capture the atmosphere of the city.

 

Thanks

Peter

[TLCOhio]

Merprincess: Hi Terry - I am curious' date=' what mode of transportation did you use to get from where the Solstice was docked and into Venice? How did it work for you? Mary [/quote']

 

Missminnie: Great Report and love your photo's. So much so that I've been looking into getting a new lens (wide angle) for my DSLR for our upcoming cruise on Solstice in September. And funny enough going to same places as yourself. How did you go that night shot in Venice with the full moon and people? It's great but all my night ones come out bad!

 

Amusea: Great photos. Any chance you can remember the name of the tapas restaurant in Barcelona. It looks great. Also wondering if it only offers late dining like many places. Thanks.

 

On the three above questions' date=' here goes:

 

1. [b']Venice Transport[/b]: We decided to do the ship’s shuttle. For me, who wanted time the next morning in Venice, it worked well. For my wife and our fellow Central Ohio travelers, they just did the ship shuttle for that first afternoon and evening. We got in and off the ship a little early and were departing in that shuttle a little before 2 pm. They had a local company providing the shuttles. I’m glad I did this option. The Venice “bus” boats would have been OK, but it takes time getting to those stations and traveling the Grand Canal can be a little slow and crowded.

 

2. On that night shot of the moon and the Doge’s Palace, it was shot for a third of a second, hand-held, ISO400, 18 mm at f/3.5. I tried several different options and setting in order to see what would work there. I might have had the camera at the shutter-speed priority setting. The nice things with digital are that you see what you getting as you experiment, AND, you can shoot lots of different options, hoping one or two will work. Generally, I have my Nikon at the “P” setting, but there times when using a shutter speed pick will be better. You can also up your ISO setting to get better results in low light situations.

 

3. Neyras is the name of the dining place we enjoyed so much in Barcelona and near our hotel, just a block from the Cathedral. Very, very good!!! Not too high in price. We ate there around 6:30 pm. Not sure how late they stay open. I assume it would be later, too.

 

On Dubrovnik, its old city and walls have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. These ramparts are intact and encircle old city with circumference of 1.5 miles. I ascended the stairway (approximately 50 steps) at Pile Gate, reaching top of wall where you move counter-clockwise to see the various nearby views, coastal area, roofs, buildings, etc. It was a great walk around that half of the wall. We strolled the Stradun and enjoyed the center of the Old Town. We had lunch at Komarda just east of the harbor with a spectacular view. This place got great reviews from Trip Advisor and our table view was to die for. You can email them at: restorankomarda@gmail.com

 

Here are some added notes on Dubrovnik:

 

1. Called “the Pearl of the Adriatic" by Lord Byron, George Bernard Shaw proclaimed “those who seek paradise on earth should seek it in Dubrovnik”. Re-built after a 1667 earthquake and 1991-95 bombings during the post-Yugoslavia civil wars, it is considered to have the most attractive Baroque core of any city in Europe.

 

2. The old City Walls, up to 39 feet thick and 82 feet high in places, helped protect one of the most perfectly preserved medieval cities in Europe. These walls protected this city-state against pirates and potential conquerors until 1808 when the French and Napoleon gained control. Along the wall walk, there are great views of the red-tile roofs, Minceta, Bokar, St. John and Revelin forts, the Adriatic Sea, etc. Access to the walls is near Pile Gate and is open 9 am to 6:30 pm. There is a second entrance near the harbor area. I only did the first part, along the mostly coastal areas. Lots of great views, a few shops, very much worth the effort to do this walk. They only take local currency or credit cards. You can’t pay here with euros.

 

3. You must stroll down Dubrovnik’s main pedestrianized street called the Stradun or Placa. It has shops, cafes, plus the Church of St Saviour, Franciscan Monastery (top rated as a 14th century Romanesque cloister), etc. Nearby is Rector’s Palace, more castle-like in its style and now a cultural venue.

 

4. Other major attractions in this town include the Dominican Monastery (started 1315), its main Baroque Cathedral (with its highly-rated Treasury), the Church of St Blaise, Lovrienac Fortress, Sponza Palace and the Old Harbor on the east side of this historic area. A nearby Cable Car ascends up Mount Srd.

 

5. The four of us got a cab when coming off of the ship and for 50 euro got BOTH a panoramic tour across the new bridge, up to several super scenic spots on the mountains above town, learned more on the early 1990's war there, etc. Then we were dropped at the main gate. We didn't need to do the Cable Car as we got to see the view from with our introductory cab ride around town.

 

Dubrovnik pictures later today. Off to ship activities!! Going to the 10:15 am Galley Tour. They will have an 11:15 pm cooking demo. Lots of options on the ship today, plus the pool areas are already busy in the early morning.

 

It’s our 39th wedding anniversary today and we will be doing a special dinner in Murano tonight at 7 pm.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

[guidance lady]

Congratulations to both of you, we just celebrated 37 on Tuesday. We are on same cruise on 7/1, and I can't say enough about your photos, will you be able to just put your review together when you get home so that it reads seamlessly? It is going to be the one all others will be judged by, magnificent job. It must cost you a lot of internet minutes to post. Thanks.

[trumpet56]

You are a true Gent giving us all the great photos and

all the tourist information.

Happy anniversary and enjoy you meal.

Look forward to the rest of your comments.

:cool:

[merprincess]

Happy Anniversary - How special to celebrate it on your cruise!

Mary

[Cruiser Susie]

Happy 39th anniversary to you and your wife...what a great way to celebrate it! I loved all the pictures of Venice, and Kotor was beautiful. Have a wonderful dinner in Murano's. Thank you again for bringing us all along on this cruise!

[TLCOhio]

If you like visuals and Dubrovnik, here are some pictures from our visit to that historic, walled city yesterday. Having the great weather . . . AND . . . being the only cruise ship in port that day really helped in so many different ways to make things even better.

 

THANKS for kind comments on our 39th wedding anniversary! I will share with my wife, but she still thinks I spend too much time taking pictures and doing these postings while cruising. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

We started with a local cab driver who gave us a “panoramic tour”, including crossing this unique bridge near the main cruise ship docking area. He called this bridge their “Golden Gate” like in San Francisco. It is nine years old. You can see the Solstice docked to the right side and other newer housing around this bay NW of the historic walled city.:

 

 

 

Then we drove up and up through narrow twisting roads to the high point overlooking Dubrovnik and near the cable car high station. From this point, we could also see part of Bosnia and and Montenegro. The “super star” view was down below with this angle of the harbor and walled city. Beautiful!!!:

 

 

 

This is Dubrovnik’s Pile Gate as the grand western entrance to the walled city.:

 

 

 

Here is the view of the Cable Car going down from the high point over Dubrovnik with areas and islands west of the city shown. This cable car has been re-built since the early 1990’s war years.:

 

 

 

From the walled walk, this shows one of the domed tower going up to one of the main corner towers at the highest point for wall surrounding the town.:

 

 

 

This is the Stradun or main shopping street as it stretches to the clock tower. The buildings along this way all have shutter painted in the same color.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here are the second group of pictures from Dubrovnik. Have just passed through the Straits of Messina and near where Volcano Island is north of Sicily.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

For our lunch at Komarda restaurant suggested by Carol, here is the view from our table. Could you ask for a better location on a perfect weather day?:

 

 

This was one of my seafood dishes, plus some rosotto. Wow!! So wonderful. :

 

 

 

From the wall walk, this is one view of a church tower, palms, etc.:

 

 

 

Onofrio’s Large Fountain sits near the Pile Gate and a church.:

 

 

 

This is a small sampling of the St. Blaise Church Treasury.:

 

 

 

This is the view of the Sponza Palace and the Clock Tower from the 15th Century. Both sit at the end of the Stradun.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Getting ready for dinner at Murano and here is the final grouping of pictures from Dubrovnik. Hopefully this gives a good sampling for this great city and our experiences there.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

From inside Dubrovnik, here is the view looking outward at the steps to exit out the Pile Gate.:

 

 

 

In front of the Rector’s Palace, here is a local music player entertaining for people passing along the street.:

 

 

 

Tucked into a building near the Rector’s Palace, this is Onofrio’s Little Fountain for this important square area of their main downtown.:

 

 

 

Overlooking the historic harbor, this is the view from a cannon slot in the wall.

 

 

 

Along the NW area of the walled city, here is the view of the nearby Lovrijenac Fortress and the water.:

 

 

 

Facing the Adriatic Sea, this is one of the gates and passages along the walled walk. Very scenic!!: