Our Mediterranean Cruise!
Italy
For our Honeymoon we went on an 11 day Mediterranean Cruise on the Royal Caribbean Cruiseship: Splendor of the Seas. We had the most amazing time!
The trip started in Venice, Italy where we boarded the Splendour of the Seas. We took a tour the next morning around the canals, saw the Murano Glassworks, a fascinating cathedral and even took a gondola ride! The only thing we didn't get to do was try the food (although we more than made up for that on other stops!
The trip started in Venice, Italy where we boarded the Splendour of the Seas. We took a tour the next morning around the canals, saw the Murano Glassworks, a fascinating cathedral and even took a gondola ride! The only thing we didn't get to do was try the food (although we more than made up for that on other stops!
Montenegro
After leaving Venice we sailed all night and arrived the next morning at Kotor, Montenegro. There was a strong Venetian influence in the architecture and food because the Venetians had ruled Kotor for several hundred years.
First we took a bus to Budva, Montenegro, which is a seaside resort. A lot of it is newer buildings, but there's still a walled fortress filled with narrow streets and stone buildings that's stood for hundreds of years, which we toured. The churches in there were cramped but beautiful, and you could picture people walking around it hundreds of years ago, carrying baskets of food back home with them.
Kotor has the second longest wall in the world, after the Great Wall of China, and it goes up a mountain side and back down around, enclosing the city. You can walk up to the top where the Fort of St. John is located, but it's a 40 minute climb up the 1,500 stairs to the top and a 40 minute climb back down. Fortunately (or unfortunately according to DH) we didn't have time.
We did get to eat some of their fantastic food though - carbonara and gnocchi. Very Italian! And very good.
First we took a bus to Budva, Montenegro, which is a seaside resort. A lot of it is newer buildings, but there's still a walled fortress filled with narrow streets and stone buildings that's stood for hundreds of years, which we toured. The churches in there were cramped but beautiful, and you could picture people walking around it hundreds of years ago, carrying baskets of food back home with them.
Kotor has the second longest wall in the world, after the Great Wall of China, and it goes up a mountain side and back down around, enclosing the city. You can walk up to the top where the Fort of St. John is located, but it's a 40 minute climb up the 1,500 stairs to the top and a 40 minute climb back down. Fortunately (or unfortunately according to DH) we didn't have time.
We did get to eat some of their fantastic food though - carbonara and gnocchi. Very Italian! And very good.
That night, best Knottie G2G EVER!!!!!
Irishcurlz and I met on our month board and realized that we were going on the same honeymoon, so of course we had to meet up!!!!
All future Knottie G2Gs should be held on cruises... it's awesome.
Irishcurlz and I met on our month board and realized that we were going on the same honeymoon, so of course we had to meet up!!!!
All future Knottie G2Gs should be held on cruises... it's awesome.
Greece
From Montenegro we moved on to Athens, Greece. This was the earliest of our shore excursions and we were actually up before dawn to gather for our tour... it turned out to be totally worth it. When we got to the Parthenon there were very few people there. By the time we took this picture it was just starting to get busy.
Watching the sun rise over the Parthenon with my new husband was a very beautiful and intimate experience.
After visiting the Acropolis we toured the Plaka, the touristy but picturesque (and safe) neighborhood below the Acropolis. We had lunch at a little cafe which, although I didn't know it at the time, gave us the best tzatziki we ate on our trip. All the tzatziki on the trip was incredibly good, this offering just stood out above and beyond the other fantastic tzatziki we ate. I also tried pastitcio for the first time and fell head over heels in love!
Watching the sun rise over the Parthenon with my new husband was a very beautiful and intimate experience.
After visiting the Acropolis we toured the Plaka, the touristy but picturesque (and safe) neighborhood below the Acropolis. We had lunch at a little cafe which, although I didn't know it at the time, gave us the best tzatziki we ate on our trip. All the tzatziki on the trip was incredibly good, this offering just stood out above and beyond the other fantastic tzatziki we ate. I also tried pastitcio for the first time and fell head over heels in love!
At Sea
We had a day at sea traveling between Greece and Turkey. It was a very relaxed and yet very busy day! There's always something to do on a cruise ship =)
We enjoyed the pool and the jacuzzis, took a couple of ballroom dance classes (including a very intense salsa class!), watched a paella cooking demonstration, and sang in the first round of the ship's karaoke contest! We tried to get into the marriage gameshow, but ended up just watching (which was still a lot of fun - and probably better than competing considering the questions they were asking!)
We also got all dolled up for formal night. I got more use out of my reception dress =)
We enjoyed the pool and the jacuzzis, took a couple of ballroom dance classes (including a very intense salsa class!), watched a paella cooking demonstration, and sang in the first round of the ship's karaoke contest! We tried to get into the marriage gameshow, but ended up just watching (which was still a lot of fun - and probably better than competing considering the questions they were asking!)
We also got all dolled up for formal night. I got more use out of my reception dress =)
Turkey
Our first day in Turkey began in Kusadasi, but we immediately hopped on a bus to Ephesus, which has some incredible ruins. We saw the remains of an entire neighborhood, the interiors of their houses and the gorgeous mosaics on their floors. We also saw the remains of the very important library there and the stadium where St. Paul preached to the Ephesans (and, on a distant hillside, we could also just barely see the jail that they put him into afterwards).
The road that we're standing on in the picture to the right was not only the main road to the library, it was also known as the Processional Way and was once used by Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
The road that we're standing on in the picture to the right was not only the main road to the library, it was also known as the Processional Way and was once used by Marc Antony and Cleopatra.
Bodrum, Turkey was a beautiful city with some very old ruins, including this castle that we toured. It had been passed around from nation to nation as they invaded - Turkey, Greece, Italy, etc. and you could see their presence in the architecture and other things they'd left lying around the castle.
Also inside the castle is the only museum featuring piecess from an underwater archeological dig. They had some incredibly cool artifacts which had been salvaged from an archeological dig of several shipwrecks - one of which went all the way back to 14th Century B.C.
Bodrum is also the location of the original Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately all that's left is the foundations of Maussolossus' burial place, but it was still incredible to see.
Also inside the castle is the only museum featuring piecess from an underwater archeological dig. They had some incredibly cool artifacts which had been salvaged from an archeological dig of several shipwrecks - one of which went all the way back to 14th Century B.C.
Bodrum is also the location of the original Mausoleum, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Unfortunately all that's left is the foundations of Maussolossus' burial place, but it was still incredible to see.
That evening was 50's & 60's Night aboard the ship. So we dressed up like greasers. Got a couple of fun shots playing around with the professional photographers.
We also went to a Rock & Roll Dance Party that night and DH ended up being dragged into an Elvis Impersonation Competition. No, really, DRAGGED. They kept talking about how Elvis was going to be at the party and we got there and they welcomed us, and then one of the activities staff members started screaming that she saw Elvis and running up the aisle next to us. We turned to see where the impersonator was, and she grabbed DH! Several other audience members were dragged up by other staff members and the contest began!
DH lost out to an older gentleman who actually took off his shirt and threw it into the audience =)
We also went to a Rock & Roll Dance Party that night and DH ended up being dragged into an Elvis Impersonation Competition. No, really, DRAGGED. They kept talking about how Elvis was going to be at the party and we got there and they welcomed us, and then one of the activities staff members started screaming that she saw Elvis and running up the aisle next to us. We turned to see where the impersonator was, and she grabbed DH! Several other audience members were dragged up by other staff members and the contest began!
DH lost out to an older gentleman who actually took off his shirt and threw it into the audience =)
Back To Greece!
Greece was definitely my favorite country to visit on the trip, and not just for the tzatziki! The island of Santorini was easily the most beautiful stop on our trip (and considering how beautiful everywhere was, the fact that it was EASILY the most beautiful was pretty impressive).
Our tour of this stunning island began with a wine tasting of some truly incredible white and sweet wines. The red wine was pretty good too, but more to my flavor than DH's =) I have to say though, this kind of backdrop is the way wine tasting should always be done!
Our tour of this stunning island began with a wine tasting of some truly incredible white and sweet wines. The red wine was pretty good too, but more to my flavor than DH's =) I have to say though, this kind of backdrop is the way wine tasting should always be done!
While on Santorini we visited the city of Oia, the most beautiful of the cities on Santorini. Off to our right is an incredible view of the ocean. This city is built onto the cliff face above the ocean and the beautiful white buildings and occasionally spots of color were just absolutely stunning.
Everywhere you looked was another gorgeous view, either out to the ocean or over this picturesque city.
They also had fantastic tzatziki. We had it for both lunch AND an afternoon snack =)
Everywhere you looked was another gorgeous view, either out to the ocean or over this picturesque city.
They also had fantastic tzatziki. We had it for both lunch AND an afternoon snack =)
Mykonos, Greece was beautiful for itself, but not as beautiful as Santorini. The best part about Mykonos was actually our visit to the Island of Delos, only a short ferry ride away. Delos is completely uninhabited and so the ruins of the city are completely intact. You can walk around the entire city that's been excavated there, and which has been there since the 4th century B.C.
This picture was taken on our way from Mykonos back to our cruise ship. We chose to walk around to where our ship was docked at the old port; about a 45 minute walk but as you can see it was an absolutely beautiful walk and we stopped at this rock formation which jutted out into the water because it was just too pretty to pass up.
This picture was taken on our way from Mykonos back to our cruise ship. We chose to walk around to where our ship was docked at the old port; about a 45 minute walk but as you can see it was an absolutely beautiful walk and we stopped at this rock formation which jutted out into the water because it was just too pretty to pass up.
Croatia
In Croatia we started off by visiting the ancient city of Salona. We mostly saw it from the top of a hillside, looking down over the ruins, but we did get to wander around a creepy cemetary with lots of sarcophogi. The sarcophogi were beautiful, just super creepy.
This picture was taken at our next stop in Trogir, where we toured a beautiful cathedral that had a "Black Alter" - very unusual for a Catholic church. Christ on the crucifix was depicted standing on a skull and there were more skulls around the alter above him. It's an alter for praying for the dead and they're usually not found IN churches.
This picture was taken at our next stop in Trogir, where we toured a beautiful cathedral that had a "Black Alter" - very unusual for a Catholic church. Christ on the crucifix was depicted standing on a skull and there were more skulls around the alter above him. It's an alter for praying for the dead and they're usually not found IN churches.
We ended the day in Split, Croatia where we had lunch IN the Diocletian Palace under the umbrella on the right hand side of the picture... the city of Split is incorporated into the palace and people still live and work within it's walls.
It was pretty amazing to be walking around the interior of this beautiful architecture and see how the city and the palace have become so integrated that it's hard to tell which is which.
It was pretty amazing to be walking around the interior of this beautiful architecture and see how the city and the palace have become so integrated that it's hard to tell which is which.
Time To Leave
I walked out of the bathroom on our last morning to find DH cuddling the baboon towel animal that we'd left hanging over our bed for the last 3 days of the trip (we couldn't bear to take him down, he was so cute!)
We left baboon intact on the desk when we left.
The only bad weather was saw the entire trip was while we in the airport in Venice... it started raining. Obviously, the city was crying because we were leaving. I was pretty close to crying too. I want to go back!
We left baboon intact on the desk when we left.
The only bad weather was saw the entire trip was while we in the airport in Venice... it started raining. Obviously, the city was crying because we were leaving. I was pretty close to crying too. I want to go back!