Mediterranean Cruise - Day 9 - Sunday, May 6, 2018

Early morning docking today on the Island of Mykonos, Greece.  Up and out at dockside to meet our guide at 8:45.  Guide’s name is unpronounceable and therefore unspeakable - we shall call him Gus. He is an older gentleman (74) and his English, while very passable, is sprinkled with catchphrases, such as “Ladies & Gentlemen” or “etcetera.”

Mykonos, originally a fishing village on one of the inhabited islands of the Cycladic group, has transformed itself, for the worse, in the last 50 years.  What, in 1979, was a romantic island of whitewashed homes with bright blue, red, pink, or green doors and shutters, situated on hillsides and reachable on unpaved roads by donkey carts, is now a total tourist destination.  Roads and autos, buses, scooters, and trucks scurry to and fro.  Homes, still whitewashed annually with coloured doors, sell for millions of dollars, and rent for thousands per night.

The island hosts nearly 1.5 million visitors per year and accommodates 50 daily flights into its international airport, not to mention cruise ships.  Every shop along the water front and stretching up the hills from the old port are tourist traps selling high fashion names such as Romani, Rolex, Piaget and more.  The major industry is fleece, that is the fleecing of the tourist.  Scarves that sell for $7.50 on Crete, sell for $22.00 on Mykonos.

This is Deb’s fourth visit to the island since 1979, and she says that, based upon this visit, she will be very loath to recommend this as a destination to her clients.  Definitely a disappointment as a stop on the cruise.  All except 4 of our group head back to the ship at the 1:00 end of the guided tour.  Those staying, stop at a waterfront restaurant for local beer, and lunch.  All are back by 4:00.  Except of course for one straggling passenger (not one of ours) who caused the ship to delay departure for 15 minutes.  As she clamoured up the gangway, her purchases in hand, the rest of the ship stood applauding her arrival, much, I am sure, to her embarrassment.

Onward for the next full day at sea and our next stop at Malta.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 8 - May 5, 2018

Cinco de Mayo in some parts of the world, but for us, arrival at the Island of Crete, the furthest south of the Greek Isles, and the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean.  Our post prandial tour this morning begins in the Port of Souda and our guide Vasso and her driver Christos.  

We motor onward from the port to the town of Chania (pronounced Hania) and into the ancient walled city (a theme of walled cities has emerged on this trip!) As we walk the town, we learn of its ancient roots, back to the Minoan culture prior to 3,000 B.C; also of the neolithic period prior.  Crete, being a strategic island in the crossroads of the Mediterranean shipping lanes, was often conquered and claimed by the many empires surrounding it.  From Egypt to the south, Turkey and the Ottoman Empire to the east, Venice and Italy to the north and west, and even the Northern European crusaders, many have controlled the island over the centuries.

Most of the population of the island, and its many cities lie along the northern portion of the island.  The island runs east and west a distance of 265 Km and 35 Km north and south. The center of the island is mountainous, with the highest peaks lifting to 2300 M (8,000 ft.) The higher peaks are often snow covered even into the summer.  The current major economic drivers are tourism and agricultural upturn.  Olives are the most important crop and here they raise pigs, Croats, sheep and grain.  The olive production is a variety of small olives particularly suited for oil production, about 95% of which is exported around the world.

The old port of Chania is of the Venetian era and is flanked by forts at its eastern edge and an Egyptian lighthouse at the western edge. The harbour is small by today's standards and is used primarily for pleasure and tourist boats today.  It is surrounded by the ancient city and is populated with restaurants, bars and souvenir shops.  

We walked this ancient area, following small streets and alleyways lined by former homes now converted to apartments, small boutique hotels and taverns and restaurants.  A busy place with many charming settings and tiny alleys. We ended our tour in the central market, a covered cruciform shaped hall that was chocked full of cheese, spice and souvenir shops.  Some shopping was done, but more window shopping.  Our tour guide departed, taking a few of our team back to the ship.  Eight of us stuck in town and began searching for a lunch place.  After a single misstep, we ended at the Apotolis Restaurant for a Greek luncheon of lamb chops, stuffed grape leaves, spinach pies and souvlaki with a few glasses of wine shared.

We caught the city bus back to the port and re-boarded Oosterdam at 4:00, well in time for the 4:30 departure.

Most opted for a more leisurely dinner on the Lido deck, choosing salads, pho soup and ice cream.  After a leisurely deck stroll and a bit of continued ship exploration, we retired at 10:00 as we ended the first half of our vacation adventure.

Mediterranean Cruise - Day 7 - Friday May 4, 2018

We dock this morning at Katakolon, Greece, arriving at 8:00 A.M. After morning breakfast our intrepid group gathers at 8:45 to meet with our Guide for the day, Anna and the coach driver George. We learn that they arose at 3:30 this morning to travel the 4 hours from Athens to guide our tour - impressive.  Our goal today is Olympia, the site of the 1st ancient Olympics and the area from which the Olympic torch is lit beginning each quadrennial games cycle.  Interesting to learn that this is nowhere near Mt. Olympus, some 350 miles to the northwest of this coastal plain area.

The fact that will stick most with us from this site is that it has been documented to host civilization since at least the 10th century B.C. The sheer age of the uncovered ruins is startling, especially for this group of Omahans whose own history stretched back less than 165 years. Humbling. We see ruins of the Temple of Zeus, Herus, the Gymnasium where the athletes practiced, the natural bowl Stadium where over 45,000 spectators watched the games, complete with the remains of the original “tunnel walk” there the athletes entered the stadium. There were no stone seats, just grassy banks surrounding the playing field. Nearby, huge classical columns, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian,  immense blocks of stone, all from the ancient games stretching from the 6th century B.C. At one point, archaeologists have uncovered foundations under the area stretching back to the copper and bronze ages of 2500 B.C.

Next we visited the Museum on the site where there were displayed many statues removed from the site, bronze armaments and implements, and even intact glass bottles from the site.  The highlight was the statue of Hermes which was stunning.

We completed the tour around 1:00 and motored back to the port area to walk the small shopping area that composed Katakolon.  The sole purpose of this village seems to be tourist shops supported by the cruises and tours that come to see the Olympia site.  We snacked on Greek beer, warm feta cheese, cucumber cream sauce and red peppers in delicious olive oil.  We strolled the many shops, coming way with remarkably little in the way of souvenirs, just some tee shirts, post cards and lavender sachet.

Returning to the ship, we spread out for cocktails, dinner in the dining room or hamburgers and pizza on the Lido deck and then some wandering, either to the casino, the stage for a show, or to our state rooms for reading and quiet time.

Another day of exploration, walking riding and shopping with a huge dose of education about this ancient land.