MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 2015 - NAPLES, ITALY

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2015

Pompeii

We pulled into the port of Naples as the sun was rising and we were enjoying breakfast on the aft deck.  The ship took a while to get clearance so we did not disembark until around 8:15am.

I had done a lot of research on getting around the area via trams and trains and figured we could self-tour everything that we wanted to see.  The first thing we did was exit the terminal and cross the street to a small stand-alone newsstand kiosk where we were able to buy a Ticket Integrato Campania (TIC NA-3) for €3,20 per person, each way.  You need to ask specifically for this type of ticket or they may sell you just tram tickets.  The integrato ticket gives you access to the trams, buses and the local train that will get you to Pompeii.  You can buy other types of tickets for other locations.  Read here for more details: http://www.napoliunplugged.com/naples-unicocampania-fares.   You can buy your train tickets at the train station as not all newsstands will sell the NA-3 ticket.  However, you will also have to purchase tram and bus tickets separately which you can buy at newstands, as well.  

The tram station was very close by and we caught the #1 tram that takes you from the port area up to Porta Nolana station, where we were looking to catch the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii.  "Circumvesuviana" is on the outside of the building but signs for Porta Nolana are not as prominent.  

I did not get a photo of the front of the station but you can just see the corner of the station, with the start of the Circumvesuviana sign, on the right of the photo above the blue sign.

The train station situation can be quite confusing in Naples.  Porta Nolana station is where the Circumvesuviana train line starts and ends.  It is the local line that services the area east of Naples including Pompeii, the Herculaneum (Ercolana) and Sorrento and is the only train that operates out of Porta Nolana station.  All regional and national trains operate from Napoli Central Station (Stazione Centrale).  To make things even more confusing, the Circumvesuviana platforms within Napoli Central are called the Garibaldi Station.  You are technically still at Napoli Central but the Circumvesuviana platforms are located in a separate area so you need to follow the signs to get to the Garibaldi Station if you are travelling to Pompeii, the Herculaneum or Sorrento.  It is best to get on the train at the terminus in Porta Nolana as the next stop is Garibaldi and whatever seats remaining can fill up quickly and you may have to stand for the journey.

NOTE:  Italian information boards list trains in order of time of departure and their FINAL destination, but do not list or reference stops in between.  So that means that you need to look for trains to Sorrento, not Pompeii, as Sorrento is the end of the line.

After a bit of a delay and a problem with the train that required us to switch to another train, we were off to Pompeii.  It was a little over half an hour travel time with quite a few stops along the way.  The trains are very basic with hard, plastic seats and a good amount of wear and tear but they get you where you’re going.

We exited the train at the “Pompeii Scavi” station and it was a very short walk to get to the Scavi di Pompei Porta Marina entrance.  

Upon entering, the ticket line formed to the left and we paid the €13,00 per person entry fee (they did accept credit cards) and made our way into the actual excavation site.  There is an information window near the ticket line where you can request a map of the ruins but they can tend to run out as the day progresses.  We found that we got enough history and information from our Rick Steves’ travel guide and we were able to take turns being the tour guide for our little group of six :-)

FYI - You can also hire a guide at the entrance, if you choose.  There will be people trolling about for customers but spend some time talking to them to get a feel for how well you will be able to understand their accent and their background and knowledge to provide such a tour. I think you can also rent an audio tour at one of the entry windows.  Since we had a lot of information in our travel guide, we decided not to get a guide as we also wanted the freedom to make our way around as we wished and not be slowed down by a tour group.  

We spent a couple of hours touring around the excavation but could easily have been there for a couple more hours.  It really was quite different than I expected.  I thought it would be a big dusty area with a bunch of ruins but it was quite nicely laid out with ancient rocks inlaid on the streets and little gardens here and there.  It was really incredible to see how intact some things were and how many buildings you can actually walk through.  My favorite spots were The Baths and The House of the Tragic Poet.  

Basilica

Stones on roadway - the small white pieces of marble were illuminated by lamplight or the moon at night to help guide pedestrians at night

The caldarium at the Baths

 

The dining room in the House of the Tragic Poet

A couple of tips: bring lots of water as it can get quite hot as the day goes on.  We were there in October and it still was very warm.  I cannot imagine the heat in the spring and summer!  Second, in lieu of a guide or buying an audio tour, you can download Rick Steves’ audio tour of Pompeii to your Ipod or phone and listen to it at double or triple speed to have your own personal tour guide along with you.  I know it sounds like I am sponsored by Rick but it is just that we so appreciated how useful and informative his Mediterranean Cruise Ports book was and just have to share when something comes in so useful on our travels.  It frequently saved us time and often saved us money as well!

We left the excavation around 12:30pm and had a bit of an issue trying to figure out how to get across to the other side of the tracks to catch the inbound train.  We eventually discovered that you had to go down the stairs inside the small station and walk through an underground tunnel that would take you to another set of stairs leading up to the platform on the other side of the tracks.  We caught the 12:40pm train and when we got back to Naples, we caught bus 151 back to the port area so we could have lunch on the ship and leave our parents to relax for the afternoon.

The four of us got back off the ship after a good lunch and made our way to Castel Nuovo, which is pretty much across the street and a bit to the left of the port area.  We had picked up a big (free) map of Naples at the visitor centre inside the cruise terminal and enjoyed the view of the castle while we got oriented.  We wanted to go to the Archeological Museum to see if entry was included in our Pompeii ticket (it wasn’t) so we headed up Via Toledo, which is one of the main shopping streets in Naples.  We had heard that you really had to beware of pickpockets and scooters that drove by and pulled the purse or backpack right off your shoulder so we just used some common sense and paid attention to our surrounding but we never felt unsafe.  

Outside Castel Nuovo

It was a good walk to the museum and when we found out that our Pompeii ticket did not include entry, we debated if we were going to go through the museum.  At this point, it was getting late in the afternoon and our energy was starting to flag so we decided to head back to the ship but take some other streets on the return trip.  We came across a lovely little gelateria called Il Gelato Mennella and enjoyed a nice cool treat.  Then we found a little café (Marsui Cafe) to have some tea and a wee snack and enjoy the surroundings…and wifi!

Via Toledo

Picturesque side street

Old walkway...modern graffiti

...and there was always gelato and sorbet!

Naples is a city that is a bit rough around the edges yet has an appealing charm at the same time.  It was the one stop that had the most graffiti and garbage-strewn alleys of any place we had seen.  It was noisy and smoky with exhaust from cars and wildly careening scooters.  Walk lights were just a suggestion.  Locals simply stepped into the street at any break in traffic…or even if there was no break!  Somehow, we did not see anyone get hit but it always seemed like it could happen at any moment.  Sometimes we just followed the lead of the crowd and other times we held back until the actual walk light came on.

 

We enjoyed our time in Naples.  It is always an adventure to explore a place that you have never been to before and to enjoy the full experience of a place without pretension or artifice.  There is no perfection when traveling and every place has something new to teach me.  I am a willing student!!

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 2015 - MYKONOS, GREECE

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th, 2015

We had a nice, leisurely start to the day as we were not arriving at Mykonos until 1pm.  We had a lovely breakfast on deck and then found a sun lounger to read for a bit until it started getting too warm to be in direct sun, which we found fabulous because at home we would be starting to bundle up as the temps dropped for fall.

We had to go pick up tender tickets in the morning.  The tickets for the tenders spread out the debarkation times so everyone was not standing in the stairways and hallways 'en masse' waiting to depart the ship.  Our group number was not called until 1:45pm and then we made our way to the disembarkation deck and on to the tender.  

We were on Mykonos by 2pm and had no major plans.  The ship did not leave until 9pm so we did not have to be in a rush.  We decided to just ramble our way through the narrow lanes of Chora aka Mykonos Town aka Old Town.  We headed in the direction of Little Venice, a scenic stretch of colorful buildings not far from the famous windmills.

Our first stop was the Church of Panagia Paraportiani (say that five times, real fast!) which is one of the most photographed buildings on the island.  It is a typical Greek white, stucco building with hits of color on windows and doors.  We made sure to come back at sunset to catch some incredible photos of the church with the sun setting in the background.

We absolutely loved all of the little lanes paved with grey stones, separated with whitewashed filling between them.  Our cameras got quite a workout as we came across brilliantly colored steps, doors and windows exceeded only by the stunning colours of bougainvillea cascading over the edge of railings and rooftops.  There were lots of jewel tones of blue, green and cranberry but we also saw some purples and teals…gorgeous!! 

  

We just went wherever we spotted something that bore a closer look and periodically adjusted our path to head in what we thought was the direction of the windmills.  We had Rick Steves’ guide to Mykonos, which included a decent map that was a big help in navigating.

Eventually, we came to the famous five windmills and spent some time getting photos from all angles and enjoying the incredible view of Little Italy and the water.  

We then headed back into the laneways in the general direction of the bus ‘terminal’.  We made a stop for gelato/sorbet at I Scream and got some free wi-fi before continuing our walk.  Gelato/sorbet was a theme throughout our trip.  We never missed the opportunity (or two) to grab a tasty treat.  Soooo good!

At the bus ‘terminal’(really just a small ticket booth hut in a parking area where the buses gathered) we bought bus tickets to Agios Ioannis beach for €1,80 per person each way.  The bus left at 4:30pm and took about 20 minutes to reach the top of the road that led down to the beach.  It was about a five minute walk down the hill to the beach.  Even though the air was still quite warm, the water was chilly…even by our Canadian standards.  Our British friend put us all to shame by going for a swim while we laid on the beach and cheered her on!

We had quite a hike back up the hill to catch the 5:40pm bus.  It picked us up where we had been dropped off but went further down the road to another spot to turn around and then headed back to Old Town.  We spent another hour and half wandering through some new lanes and doing some shopping and then headed back to the church to get some lovely shots of the sun setting behind our ship.

We caught the tender and were back on the ship by 7:15pm.  There was quite a line of people at the tender pickup and you could tell that local boats had been called into action to handle the return traffic so we had a lovely ride on a well-used passenger boat with lots of wood accents and salt-spattered windows.  The temperature was dropping quickly and we all had put on sweaters or wrapped scarves around us to minimize the chill.

 

We had definitely worked up an appetite with all of the walking that we had done and did not want to take the time to get all cleaned up and dressed properly for the dining room so we chose to go to the buffet for supper.  Everything tasted delicious!!

Mykonos was a very active, but unhurried, stop.  We loved that we had lots of time to meander and see the sights and colours without any time constraints or responsibilities on our agenda.  It was everything that we had seen in travel photos with the bright white buildings and jewel-toned pops of colour all set against a brilliant blue sky.  Some of my favorite photos were taken this day and we will have those memories for years to come!

MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 2015 - ISTANBUL, TURKEY

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5th, 2015

Beautiful sunrise off the coast of Turkey

Istanbul was one of our ‘must-have’ stops when we were selecting our cruise itinerary.  Yes, we were a bit nervous with all of the news reports of the unrest in Turkey and half expected that the cruise line could drop it from the itinerary as other lines were doing.  We decided that if the ship stopped there, we would take that as a sign that we should get off the ship and explore…and leave our safety in God’s hands.

I was SO excited about this stop and was up extremely early to try and get some photos coming into port at Istanbul.  I was up so early that there was not much to be seen so I had time to have breakfast and read more on Istanbul from Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruise Ports travel guide before the city started to come into view.

The view, as we made our way to berth, was just awe-inspiring.  We passed the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace.  My stomach was full of butterflies as I tried to get my head around the fact that I was seeing Istanbul with my very own eyes!!  The morning was slightly hazy and everything was washed in a pale yellow-orange glow from the sunrise.

The Blue Mosque from the water

Galata Tower

We were off the ship not long after 9am.  Mom and Dad chose to stay on the ship this day, which was a good idea because there was an immense amount of walking that was done.  We knew that we could use our credit card for some entry fees but also knew that we would need some Turkish Lira for other spots and some shopping at the Grand Bazaar.  The first order of the day was to find an ATM with the PLUS (Interac) sign so we could get some cash.  We walked out of the cruise port, turned right and headed toward the Tophane tram stop.  (NOTE: the ship was docked at Sali Pazari).  It took several tries to find an ATM with the PLUS sign but neither our credit card or our debit card would work.  Our friend from the UK used her card and got out enough lira for all of us and we headed to the tram stop.

It wasn’t too difficult to figure out how to work the automated machine to buy our tram tickets with the Turkish Lira and it was not very long before the tram arrived to take us into the old area of the city.  The tram costs 4 Turkish Lira (TL) per trip and we had figured out that we would likely only use the tram to get into the city and return to the cruise terminal and would walk the rest of the distances between the sights.  We purchased two tokens each as we had heard that sometimes the token machines did not always work and did not want to get stuck with a broken machine when we needed to catch the tram.  We found we were able to use the tram tracks to orient ourselves as the day went on.  You always knew you could follow the tracks to get to where you wanted to go.

How many people does it take to get tram tokens?

The tram

We got off the tram at the Sultanahmet stop and headed for the Blue Mosque.  We had read that it is better to get there early (ie: 8:30am opening) but knew that we had missed the ‘early’ window.  The mosque closes several times a day for prayers so you will want to time your visit to avoid these times or you will have to wait about 90 minutes until it opens again.  The calls to prayer change daily based on the earth’s rotation so there is no advance schedule for closings, just approximate times of day.  The times only change by minutes and the open and closing times for that specific day are posted on signs outside the mosque.  

Blue Mosque aka Sultanahmet Mosque

Open and closing hours for the day we were there

We first went in a front entrance that led to an interior courtyard.  We wandered around until we saw the entry queue through a far door.  Our hearts sank when we saw that the line snaked out from the back entrance, around the corner and almost to the front corner of the building.  We walked down to the end of the line and were relieved to see that the line was moving along quite quickly.  It probably took us about a half an hour to reach the entrance.  We knew that women could not show shoulders or knees and needed to have their heads covered so we had dressed accordingly and brought along large scarves to cover our heads.  They do hand out large blue pieces of fabric that drape over your head and shoulders for those who are not properly attired.  You also have to take off your shoes and they provide you with a clear, plastic bag to put your shoes in while you are inside the mosque.  Once inside the mosque, you are restricted to a fenced off area as non-Muslims are not permitted inside the main section as it is an active mosque and they don’t want people to interfere with any who may be praying.  Entry is free, however there is a spot for donations just outside the exit doors.

The interior is impressive, spacious and a feast for the eyes.  The ceilings are high with dramatic arches all around.  Pretty much every square inch of wall and ceiling is tiled with thousands of handmade ceramic Iznik tiles with lots of brilliant blue and touches of gold shimmering in the light coming through the stained glass windows.  We only spent about 15 minutes inside the mosque.  You are permitted to take photos but are not allowed to use a flash.  Photos just cannot capture the colour and beauty of the tiles.

The stained glass was equally impressive

After leaving the mosque, we walked across Sultan Ahmet Park which runs between the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya).  We bought some water and took time to sit for a moment and appreciate the beautiful view of the mosque.  It was a great set-up to be able to take a full view photo of the mosque and of the Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia

I had read on several websites that the Hagia Sophia was closed on Mondays so we resigned ourselves to missing out on seeing it.  We got chatting with some folks on the tram who said that we should check anyway because they thought it was open, but that the wait would likely be quite long to get in.

 

We found the entrance and it was indeed open for business, which made us very happy.  Even better was that there were very few people in line and we waltzed right in with no more than a two minute wait!  Entry cost 30TL per person (just under $14 CAD) and we were able to use a credit card for payment.

We spent about an hour and a half wandering through the museum.  At one point in history, the main dome was said to be the highest in the world and that the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris could fit inside the dome.  Marble and stone was everywhere…on the floors, the walls.  There are several mosaics to be found along the upstairs galleries.  Each tells a story and it is helpful to have a travel book with you so you can learn the story behind them.  On the main level, at the far end nearest the exit to the ramp that takes you to the upper gallery, there is a column that they call the ‘sweating column’.  You put your thumb inside the hole and run your index finger around in a full circle and your finger is supposed to come out damp.  We tried it out just because it was quite unique and the brass around the hole is worn to such a smooth finish by the many thousands of people who have run their fingers over it.

Even the ceilings/arches were works of art

A mosaic

On exiting the museum, we located the washrooms nearby.  Take every advantage of washrooms when you find them, as they are not in great supply as you travel around the old city.  We took some time and found a spot to sit to have a snack and rehydrate.  

Our next stop was the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici), located just across the road from the museum.  Entry was 20TL per person (just under $10CAD).  Built in 532BC, it was used to hold over 100,000 gallons of water and had over 300 columns supporting the ceiling.  You take the stairs down below street level and there are pedestrian boardwalks running throughout the cistern.  It is quite dark and the columns are lit by orange lights from below.  It is at once eerie and strangely beautiful.  You can see fish swimming below you in the dark waters.  We explored the walkways and found the ruins of the two Medusa pillars at the far end.  We probably spent about a half an hour underground.

One of the Medusa pillars

We had three more spots that we wanted to see so we did not go to Topkapi Palace but headed to find the Grand Bazaar instead.  This was the most difficult time we had finding a spot.  We even stopped to ask directions from some locals but their instructions did not get us there either.  

Friendly local photobomber

We tried to imagine a café in North America having these little tables and chairs :-)

Finally, as a last resort, my husband  used his iPhone to get guidance from Google maps and we eventually found it.  It is located in the middle of a warren of streets and it is easy to get lost as not everything is marked very clearly.

The bazaar was organized chaos wherever we went.   There is stall after stall of merchandise and after a point, it seems that there are a lot of similar shops repeated over and over.  I was so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of offerings that I could not even think of what I might want to buy.    

  

Since it had taken us so long to find the bazaar, it was now mid-afternoon and we were ravenous so we decided that we should find a spot to eat before we ran completely out of energy.  We explored the various little restaurants and stalls until our friend spotted one that she felt had the ‘proper Turkish vibe’ and offered a variety of menu options that would appeal to all of us.  It was called Bellihan and the food was absolutely delicious…and I don’t think it was just because we were famished.  I ordered a ‘chicken sandwich’ that turned out to be roasted chicken, a variety of fresh veggies, herbs and spices inside homemade flat bread with a side of fries.  It tasted spectacular!!  Everyone else tried a Turkish coffee and agreed it was strong and very flavourful.

Yummer!!

Rejuvenated and re-energized, we oriented ourselves and headed in the direction of the spice market.  There is a small mosque, called Rustem Pasha, near to the market that allows you to go inside and explore without being restricted to a roped off area.  The Iznik tiling at this mosque was said to be even more beautiful than the Blue Mosque.  Google maps had to be used again as we trailed down street after street packed very fully with people and shops.   

This was one of the less congested streets

There was not a lot of room to move to jump ahead of the crowd and by the time we got to the mosque, the call to prayer was echoing over the area and the mosque had closed for the next ninety minutes.  It was disappointing to not get to see the interior but we were able to see some of the beautiful tiling that also adorned parts of the outside wall of the mosque.

Our final stop was the spice market (Misir Carsisi), which is just across a large parking lot not far from the mosque and also not far from the Eminonu tram stop.  We walked around taking in stalls full of dried fruits, fresh spices, baked goods, essential oils, jewelry, candles and on and on.  I really wanted to pick up some baklava but we had used pretty much all of our Turkish lira so I had to settle for looking longingly through the bakery shop window.

One of the entrances to the spice market

Fresh spices were very aromatic

By now, it was late afternoon and we had been walking pretty much non-stop since 9am so we were getting quite tired.  The tram stop was not far away and we caught the tram at Eminonu and were back on the ship by 5pm.  After checking her pedometer, our friend told us that we had walked over 11km that day so we changed into our swimsuits and hit the hot tub to ease our tired and sore muscles.  We went to a late supper and had an early night as we were having a hard time keeping our eyes open.

We were so glad that we had the opportunity to see and experience Istanbul and all of its history, even though it was a complete assault on the senses.  The sights, smells and sounds surround you wherever you go.  Beautiful tiles, stunning architecture, lush fabrics, and shimmering gold.  The smell of roasting chestnuts and corn, incense, rich coffee and spices.  The warbling call to prayer, the sound of hundreds of voices chattering in the streets and the bazaar, clanging of the trams and beeping car horns.  It was truly a dream come true to be there and have the memories of our wonderful day in Istanbul!