Some updates:
Corfu, Greece
I woke up in time to watch us arrive and berth next to the pier here – a beautiful setting and our last day in Greece, a nation we have come to love.
Corfu is the northern-most part of Greece, an island to boot, a mere three mile straight separating it from the mainland of Albania. I read that Corfu at one point was a “nervous Christian outpost on the edge of the Ottoman Empire.” Indeed!
The port, and the entire island, is heavily fortified, beginning millenia ago, but continuing into the Venetian times. The ‘old’ fort is at the end of the peninsula on which the capital city is located. The Venetians separated the old fort from the rest of the peninsula by digging a moat. On the city side is a very large, shady and beautiful esplanade. Then the city proper, with nice Venetian trade houses, now with cafes on the ground floors, aligning the park. Narrow alleys and buildings with wrought-iron-railed balconies – very nice, and very hot today!
We returned to our ship for lunch, then rented a car and headed for the other side of the island in search of a beach. The coast is nice, with islets offshore, clear water and pretty villages. After a try or two we settled on Glifada where the beach is sandy, broad and deep. Went for a swim and sunned awhile:
We returned to our yacht and its nice air conditioning to a shower, a rest and a tremendous meal of Beef Wellington (Mel) and souvlaki (Steve). Add a Laitetia Pinot Noir recommended by our sommelier Craig and the meal was a complete success.
Cruising on Seabourn is a pleasure. All worries are eliminated, the wallet is in the room safe, the cuisine excellent and the staff superb. No request is too much.
Monopoli, Italy
We were adopted by a local man, a professor of Greek language and history at the city’s University, as we walked through town:
He had a mission to show us the castle guarding the harbor, the cathedral with the amazing Baroque marble interior, the crypt, and a pre-Romanesque church. He spoke little English, we little Italian, but we made due with his French, my non-French and our Spanish thrown in for good measure. These are the kinds of experiences money cannot buy. When we offered a coffee at the end of his itinerary, he waved and walked on his way.
The heat today was intense, and we returned to the ship rather early. Our refuge. It is convenient to have one’s hotel travel along as one moves. The drawback is that your itinerary is fixed. All in all, a nice way to travel.
Kotor, Montenegro
I was up by 6:00 to witness our passage through the Bay of Kotor. This is a huge inlet, very mountainous – sometimes called the southernmost fjord in Europe. The morning was absolutely clear at sea, with clouds in the mountains above the bay. Striking views as the sun rose:
This is Seabourn’s maiden voyage here. At the very end of the bay lies the city of Kotor. The attraction here is the medieval walled city, with fortifications running along the sea front and way up into the mountain at the city’s rear – 1350 steps up the the castle on top. A rugged place to fortify, but effective I imagine:
The old town is typical with meandering narrow roads and alleys, some dead-ending. Many churches and a mixture of architecture, some Venetian, some Austrian, some Byzantine. Mel and I had a nice stroll through the old town:
Water polo seems to be very popular here – a seaside pool had kids training this morning, with more goal nets floating in the bay itself. We walked along the waterfront in the modern part of town admiring the homes and boats moored.
Kotor is just now being discovered by Seabourn, but the yachting crowd evidently was already here – many large and expensive looking sailing and motor yachts are moored here.
This evening is the chef’s dinner: Crab and Avocado with Caviar Tian, White Onion and Pepper Soup, Lobster & Scallop Potato Ravioli, Apricot Sorbet with Champagne, Seared Fillet of Halibu with Wine Beure Blanc, Chocolate and Coffee Tear Drop. We are having a Puligny Montrachet (French white Burgundy) with dinner tonight – yum!