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Muscat, Oman

One of the ports we were most looking forward to and it did not disappoint! Muscat must be one the cleanest and most beautiful cities on the Arabian peninsula – in fact, cleaner than many cities that we’ve visited worldwide .  We arrived as the sun was rising over some small, craggy islands, and like Salalah, the city hugs the water with mountains as a backdrop. Once again, we secured a taxi to take us on a three-hour tour of the town and we saw all the highlights.

Visiting Oman has given us the opportunity to learn more about the country and its ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, than we would have had we not visited. He appears to be a much loved Emir and has done great things for the country with his progressive and forward thinking ways. After attending Sandhurst and serving with the B.A.O.R. in Germany, he continued studying in England and then embarked on a world tour. He rose to power after overthrowing his father in a palace coup in 1970, but has continued to keep Oman neutral, maintaining friendly relations with both Iran and western allies.

When driving around Muscat it is evident that he put his country first and the results  are in the beautiful architecture, good roads, magnificent Royal Opera House and mosque, manicured parks and flower lined highways.

Evidently he is in failing health and has no children so the line of succession is in question – probably falling to one of his nephews. The palace is also amazing – set in a cove in Old Oman, it is a complex of different palaces within the grounds – ranging from an older fortress style structures to marble dome topped and white modern buildings that one can only imagine mirror the opulence we saw at the mosque and Opera House. The 155 meter royal yacht, Al Said, was docked very close to our ship in Muttrah port.

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Cruising some Greek isles

Heraklion, Crete: A short walk along the harbor brought us to the local bus station for a bus to Knossos. Parts of the ancient city date back to the 6th century BC and, like many ruins, it’s possible to wander around and see how the structures and infrastructure might have once been. Heraklion itself is a pleasant city with nice pedestrian areas.

Rhodes: Our first foray to the Greek islands was via Rhodes – 35 years ago! Of course, this walled city with cobbled alleys has not changed! We wandered the perimeter of the city walls and criss-crossed back and forth within – frequently getting disoriented and retracing our steps! Cats of all colors and sizes abound and are a constant source of amusement.

Paphos, Cyprus: The second largest city in Cyprus and we docked in the new port which meant we needed to take a bus to town. For some reason this city was not that appealing to me – especially after the charm of Rhodes. We contemplated renting a car and driving into the countryside, but then – lo! as we stepped outside the port there was a small tour bus being organized for a trip to Paphos via Kourion and other sights (all for a much reduced rate to the ship’s shore excursions!) The day ended up being very interesting and fun. Stops included a castle from the crusades, a ride along the coast to the birthplace of Aphrodite in a beautiful setting. Myth has it that if you find a heart-shaped stone on the beach, good luck and a good life will be with you. Onward to Paphos with a stop at the 4th century Basilica of Chrysopolitissa which has been a place of Christian worship from then until now. Lunch and a beer on the promenade in Paphos rounded out the day!

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Athens quickie

We walked and walked around Piraeus looking for the train/tram/metro we thought we caught in 2008 – never did find, but caught a little train into centre of Athens. Wandered around and up to the base of Acropolis until it started drizzling and decided we didn’t need to go all the way for the ?? time. Instead opted for a little taverna (we stumbled across the same place we visited seven years ago, and not disappointed!) for some of my beloved Rezina, tzaziki, and dolmades!!  It was soo good! More wandering in light rain and back to our haven. Sitting on the balcony using Piraeus Port Free Wifi – got to love it!

 

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Hooked on Venice!

I am hooked! I want to come back! Despite having been here many times, we have not visited this magical place for over 25 years. This morning we walked and walked through tiny alleys, over little bridges, across the Grand Canal as the city came to life. Being Sunday morning, the church bells pealed periodically, and most of the shops were shuttered. Dogs in various shapes and sizes were being walked, many of them with doggy coats – really?? I guess it is winter, but cold it was not.

Rather than take the vaporetta back to Piazzale Roma and onward to the Cruise Ship Terminal, we decided to walk – it was actually faster! My trusted and most used little red suitcase has reached the end of her life with a life threatening crack around one of the wheels, and I wasn’t sure we’d make it, but we did!

The embarkation process and boarding was very fast and efficient, and we are now in the Adriatic on our way to Bari, Italy.

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A birthday in Venice

The ride from Piazzale Roma via water bus was not too shabby despite gloomy weather.

 

Dennis spent his 45th birthday here many moons ago, and now for my turn. Typically for the end of November, it was raining and cold, but we made a dash for a local osteria where we enjoyed a glass of wine before going to a nearby trattoria ‘San Toma’ for dinner – perfect on both counts.

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Less than 24 hours in Istanbul!

After the 8.5 hour flight from Boston to Istanbul we were glad we’d made the decision to layover for the night, despite the fact that there is now a visa requirement for US citizens! Getting one through e-visa is $20 versus $30 at the airport. We were also happy that we’d arranged for a pickup from the airport rather than slogging with luggage on public transport – we are getting soft! Anyway, we arrived at the Hotel World Heritage, a charming little boutique hotel a stone’s throw from the Blue Mosque in Sultanahmet, in time to drop our bags and go explore before the sunset.

Both the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are beautiful when illuminated at night, and there is something very beautiful about the minarets that reach skyward. We had not visited the cisterns on previous visits, and decided to make that our “tour” option. The Basilica Cistern (Turkish: Yerebatan Sarayı – “Sunken Palace), is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of  Istanbul. The cistern, located 500 feet (150 m) southwest of the Hagia Sophia on the historical peninsula of Sarayburnu, was built in the 6th century during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Justinian.

Food – Turkish food is some of the best! and we had a great dinner, seated al fresco at the Old Ottoman Cafe – a spicy Adana Kebab, and Ottoman Moussaka with Efes beer to wash it down! The sweet shops are works of art with wonderful displays of turkish delight, nougat, baklava and much more.

Time for some much needed sleep! Onward tomorrow!

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An afternoon in Providence, RI

A walk around an historic district of Providence, and Brown University on a brisk late October afternoon followed by dinner at a family run Portuguese restaurant where the locals spoke both languages and local wine is served cheaply and plentifully! What we love!