SALERNO – SORRENTO – POMPEII

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Thursday Sept 29, 2011

We had just finished our cornflakes and toast this morning when the ship pulled into the Italian city of Salerno. This port on the Tyrrhenian Sea is nothing special in itself, but its location is special – because Salerno is right near the ooh-aah-gorgeous stretch of shoreline known as the Costiera Amalitana (or, for those who don’t share my fluency in Italian, the famous Amalfi Coast).

Our sights were set outside the city limits, to the north. And we began our day with a clifftop coach-ride around that gorgeous coastline to a picture-postcard-come-to-life: Sorrento. Perched high above sapphire waters opposite the Bay of Naples, Sorrento was once called ‘Home of the Wicked Sirens’ (the mermaids who called out to seamen with their haunting songs) – and this oh-so-lovely town still lures visitors with a history so rich and a natural beauty so untamed that we were blown away. (Well, we would’ve been, if it wasn’t for the zillions of tourists who chose the same day to visit.)

Following an early lunch plus some quick shopping (plus a taste of the local liqueur, Limóncello), we drove on around the Bay for an afternoon visit to a stark reminder of a very violent moment in history: the town of Pompeii. On August 24, 79AD, nearby Mt Vesuvius erupted, burying Pompeii in lava and volcanic mud, and creating a window on an ancient civilisation. Excavated in the 16th century and now somewhat restored, Pompeii offers a fascinating view of Roman life 20 centuries ago – with roads, theatres, villas, storefronts and residents all frozen in time, the day the mountain blew up.

Sobering stuff? Yes, it was. And another unforgettable memory for our Kiwi adventurers.

TOMORROW: Another high point of our cruise: Rome, the hub of history and centre of the ancient Western world some 2000 years ago. So stay tuned …whatever you do.

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

TAORMINA – SICILY

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Wednesday Sept 28, 2011

Yesterday (as I warned you) we were all at sea, cruising westward from the Greek Isles towards the island of Sicily, which hangs off the toe of Italy’s boot (check the map). In other words, we had a full day to sleep in (if we wished) … kick back and relax … enjoy luxury shipboard life to the max … and eat ourselves silly.

Being pampered like this is exhausting, I kid you not. And the eating part of it is especially exhausting. Dinner last night in the Manhattan Dining Room (to give you just one small example) featured the following menu choices:

Appetisers:

  • Chilled Lychees with Kiwi Wedges
  • Orange Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
  • Smoked Duck Carpaccio
  • Spinach & Feta Tart

Soups & Salads:

  • Bacon & Cabbage Soup
  • Sweet Potato Soup
  • Chilled Raspberry Soup
  • Lollo Rosso alla Mimosa

Mains:

  • Spaghetti Caponata
  • Seared Beef Tataki Salad
  • Alaskan King Crab Legs
  • Tournedos Rossini
  • Grilled Five Spice Lamb Chops
  • Oriental-Style Rotisserie Chicken
  • Mille-Feuille of Forest Mushrooms
  • Grilled Sogo Salmon
  • Top Sirloin Centre-Cut Steak

Desserts:

  • Chocolate Espresso Soufflé
  • Raspberry Cream Cheese Gateau
  • Tiramisu
  • Cheesecake
  • Hot Fudge Sundae
  • Chocolate Brownie Stack
  • Banana Crisp
  • Slice Fruit Plate
  • Artisan Cheese Selection

Like I say, it’s exhausting. And when the urge came last night to write another entry in the blog, I just lay down until the urge passed!

But today we’ve been back into it again, folks, because this morning the Nieuw Amsterdam docked in Sicily’s second-largest city. The port of Catania is a true product of a volcano, and much of it is constructed from the sooty black lava that poured down nearby Mt Etna and engulfed the region in a 1669 eruption (which cost nearly 12,000 lives).

However, our destination today was higher up. Perched on the side of a hill overlooking the Bay of Naxos (with the mountain as its backdrop) is the medieval town of Taormina. Built originally in the 3rd century BC by the Greeks, and later completely renovated by the Romans, it’s a sight-for-sore-eyes – with its bustling main street, Corso Umberto (lined with enchanting former mansions, their balconies brimming with flowers), and an impressive open-air theatre (built by the Greeks in the 3rd century BC and still used today).

Yes, you guessed it: another memorable, oh-so-luverly experience was had by all. And tonight, back on the ship … well … remember those dessert options listed above? The catering staff must’ve decided we hadn’t had enough of the sweet stuff. Because, for our 10:30pm supper, they set up a ‘Dessert Extravaganza’ around the pool on the Lido Deck.

It was awful, I tell you, just awful! (Check out the photos …)

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TOMORROW: Another big day lies ahead of us – the 2000-year-old excavated ruins of the buried city of Pompeii … plus some time in ‘drop-dead-gorgeous’ Sorrento on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Don’t go away, whatever you do.

PEOPLE NEWS: Two more Mad Midlife Kiwis have walked off the stage with these highly valued prizes:

  • The ‘Rebel in Short Pants’ Award went to Steve – who was turned away from the Manhattan Dining Room two nights ago because, in contravention of the dress-code, he was brazenly displaying his hairy legs and knobbly knees.
  • The ‘Chocolate Clock’ Award went to Graham – who, upon waking in the night, reached for his small torch and his watch, so he could check the time. But, after several confused minutes, Graham discovered that what he was peering at wasn’t his watch, after all, but one of the gold-foil-wrapped chocolates that get left in our cabins each evening …

 

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

 

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

CEPHALONIA & SANTORINI

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Monday Sept 26, 2011

The Greeks are incredibly lucky when it comes to beautiful islands – they’ve got them coming out their ears! And we’re lucky, too, because on this cruise we’re spending time in/on/around three of the best.

Corfu (Saturday) was Greek Isle No.1. And we spent yesterday on Greek Isle No.2 – one of Greece’s best-kept travelling secrets!

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Cephalonia (aka Kefalonia) is a Greek island the way they used to be. Located off the bottom left-hand coast of Greece, it boasts swirling seas, plunging waterfalls, dark forests, looming mountains, sprawling vines, tasty white wines, and a touch of romance (the 2001 movie, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, was shot here).

Our scenic drive took us from the port of Argostoli along a winding, take-your-breath-away cliffside road to the northernmost tip of the island. Awaiting us there was a gorgeous little picture-postcard harbour, Fiskardo (the only settlement that wasn’t devastated by an earthquake in 1953), where we enjoyed a free-time stroll amongst waterfront tavernas and shops – and sampled Greek coffee and warm apple-pie at its best.

Then we motored up the slopes of Mt Ainos through olive groves, vineyards and thick cypress glades, past the city of Sami (where the filming took place) to the underground Lake Melissani. We entered via a manmade tunnel, and rode small wooden rowboats into a subterranean limestone world of very, very old stalactites and very, very cold water – where, according to legend, a nymph once drowned herself after being rejected by the god Pan.

But wait … there’s more!

Today, we enjoyed Greek Isle No.3 – and one of the region’s most spectacular sights, as the Nieuw Amsterdam sailed into the middle of an exploded volcano: dramatic Santorini! The azure waters in this flooded caldera are awfully deep, and they reckon something monstrous lurks beneath the calm surface – perhaps a lingering memory of the eruption that engulfed the region around 1500BC.

This delightful Greek Isle appears even more dramatic from the top – as we soon discovered. After zig-zagging our way up the sheers cliffs, we visited quaint Oia, a traditional little village of whitewashed cubes and blue doors (just like the paintings you see back home), perched impossibly high at the northwest tip of the island …

Next, we dropped in on the locally-famous Sigalas winery, to eyeball the strange Santorini basket-like vines (grown flat on the ground rather than trained on wires), and then sample the results ourselves!

Our tour wrapped-up in the charming clifftop town of Fira (aka Thera) with its famous arty-crafts and jewellery – where we had time to shop and/or lose ourselves in a maze of tiny streets, before travelling by gondola down the sheer face of the cliff to our toy ship far below.

I haven’t yet heard if any of our bold Kiwi Midlifers tried it, but there’s an alternative way to get down the cliffs – on the back of a plodding donkey!

Yes, I’ve done it (on a previous visit here). But I’m not sure I’d do it again …

TOMORROW: We’re all at sea, all day long, cruising the blue Aegean. Which means we can kick back … sleep in … catch up on washing/emailing/books/postcards/exercise … eat ourselves silly (or sillier) … and enjoy luxury ship-board life to the full!

Yes, it’s a tough job. But someone has to do it …

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

DUBROVNIK & CORFU

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Friday Sept 23, 2011

Yes, yes. I know. This blog is late. You haven’t heard from us for a couple of days, and you’re starting to worry that we’ve sailed off the edge of the world … or that your mother had run away with a handsome gondolier … or that your father has eloped with a pretty Italian waitress … or that your friends have decided to spend the rest of their lives in a 400-year-old villa on the beautiful Croatian coast.

Sorry for being so slack. It’s just that, when we’re not ashore sightseeing, there’s sooooo much to see and do aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam (voted Cruise Ship of the Year 2011): Broadway shows to enjoy … four-course gourmet meals to devour … travel lectures to attend … cooking classes to take in … pools to be swum in … yoga/tai-chi/gym to work out in … games to play … books to read – it just goes on and on.

I’ll tell you more about the ship in a day or three. And I’ll try to keep more up-to-date, I promise. (Unless something better comes up.) But rest assured that we’re still here, all 28 of us – all fit and well, all madder-than-ever, and all having the time of our lives.

We left Venice on Wednesday afternoon, sailing oh-so-gracefully down the Grand Canal, past vaporettos, fizz-boats, water taxis, gondolas, cathedrals galore and countless stately mansions built way back in the 13th-to-18th centuries. Then, while we gathered in the appointed places for a lifeboat drill, the captain pointed the ship at Croatia, southeast through the Adriatic Sea.

We motored through the night, and everyone was out on deck after breakfast for the approach to Dubrovnik.

Nestled between the rocky hills of Croatia and the deep blue of the sea, Dubrovnik is the jewel of the Dalmatian coast. Girded in 9th century walls that drop sheer to the water’s edge, it’s one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe– and, miraculously, it escaped serious damage in the 1991 civil war that clobbered this region.

The old city, laid out within the ancient fortifications, is compact and easily walkable – which is what we did yesterday! But, first, we took a coach-ride past picturesque villages and valleys to Cavtat on the beautiful Riviera, taking far too many photographs and wandering along the palm-lined promenade. Then, back in Dubrovnik’s Ploce Square, we enjoyed local refreshments and a cultural performance — including costumes, songs and dances from various Croatian provinces.

Later, starting in the Stradun (the broad limestone main street), we were free to explore the Old Town and its labyrinth of narrow alleyways … hike around the six-metre-thick walls … drink in the views of the old harbour … or just sit in a taverna and watch the world go by.

Wonderful? You gotta believe it!

Of course, on a trip-of-a-lifetime like this, the highlights just keep coming. And we woke this morning to find our ship navigating its way through the stunning Ionian Islands, in waters claimed by Greece. Popular Corfu, or Kérkyra in Greek, is where we finally docked (check the map: it dangles between the heel ofItaly and the west coast of mainland Greece) – a green and mountainous isle, much loved by the likes of Homer, Odysseus, Shakespeare and Milton.

We got to spend a full day in this gorgeous place, enjoying a scenic drive into the countryside for a nose-around and some ooh-ahh views at the 100-year-oldAchillionPalace, built by Empress Elizabeth of Austria (who adorned the place with fabulous statues and mementos). Later, we paid a special visit to a beautifully renovated private villa – where we sat down to a generous Greek luncheon (including ouzo and wine) and some live toe-tapping music and folklore dancing. Yeehaa!

On our way back to the ship we passed through Corfu Town, eyeballing the Old Fortress and the elegant Palace of St George and St Michael.

Another great day (28 degrees) was had by all. And tonight, after dinner, we were all invited to a Lido Pool Party, featuring foodie extravaganzas dreamed up by the ship’s culinary specialists. (Oh, this is such a tough life …)

TOMORROW: We’re in another Greek Island – this time Cephalonia (Kefalonia), the romantic setting for the 2001 movie, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. And, for something a little different, we plan to enter a subterranean world. So stay close to your computer …

PEOPLE NEWS: Nominations just keep coming for our hotly sought-after Mad Midlife Awards:

  • The ‘Bedroom Tug-Of-War’ Award went to Barbara & Tony. They were cold, you see, on the first night in their cabin, and Tony kept pulling the bedclothes off Barbara (who couldn’t sleep, despite being wrapped in blankets), and Barbara kept pulling the bedclothes off Tony (you know how it goes) – so, in the morning, Tony took it upon himself to pull their bed apart, converting their big queen-size into two singles! (They’re still happily married, by the way …)
  • The ‘NZ/China Trade Relations’ Award went to Mary – who, while trying to find a seat in the plush Showroom the other evening, managed to tip her glass of red wine all over the head of an innocent Asian man. He was not impressed (rushing off to clean himself up), and returned later to give Mary a severe glare …

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief.

MURANO & BURANO

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Wednesday Sept 21, 2011

Venice, in its heyday, was something of a super-power, controlling the region’s trade, boasting a formidable navy (capable of turning out a warship a day), and imposing its political rule on numerous neighbours. Between the 12th and 18th centuries, it was home to many remarkable citizens – including Casanova, Vivaldi, Monteverdi, the sculptor Canova, and the explorer Marco Polo. And along its Grand Canal – once described as “the world’s finest street with the world’s finest houses” – the famous Merchants of Venice built some 200 marble palaces, most of which are still standing today.

We Kiwis got to eyeball some of this fading glory last evening as we enjoyed a Gondola Serenade … drifting along the canals of Venice as the darkened waters lapped against the sides of our boats and musicians serenaded us in the traditional fashion. “O sole mio …”

And we got to eyeball some more of Venice’s past this morning as we motored out through the Grand Canalin a vaporetto (water-bus). Our destination? Two fascinating outer islands.

Murano has been the Venetian glass-blowing centre since 1291, and tradesmen still practice their jealously-guarded craft today. We poked our noses inside one of the famous factories, watched a glass-blower do his thing, and window-shopped in a showroom filled with the most intricate creations.

The equally famous island of Burano has a well-earned reputation for exquisite lace-making — and we witnessed this handwork while exploring streets lined with the quaintest, multi-coloured-est houses you can imagine, and sampling the local home-baked cookies.

It was a beautiful hot-sunny day. The water across the lagoon was calm-as-a-millpond. And the peace’n’quiet ambience worked its magic on all of us.

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We wanted to linger longer, but sorry, no, we couldn’t. You see, waiting for us at the cruise terminal back on the main island was our floating hotel, the Nieuw Amsterdam. And chapter 2 of MIDLIFE MADNESS ON THE MEDITERRANEAN was about to begin in earnest!

We were welcomed aboard by the ship’s friendly crew and shown to the cabins that’ll be our home for the next couple of weeks. Tonight we sat down to our first-of-many four-course gourmet dinners in the Manhattan Dining Room, and watched an introductory song-and-dance performance in the showroom.

We’ve been anticipating this for a while, now, and it’s finally happening …

TOMORROW: While the ship’s horns blast Venice a farewell and the jazz-band plays out on deck, mooring ropes will be untied and tugboats will come alongside. Then, as the Nieuw Amsterdam moves along the Grand Canal and heads for open waters, the pampering and sightseeing and fun will begin in earnest. So don’t change channels …

PEOPLE NEWS: Another Mad Midlife Award has been taken home by another lucky winner:

  • The ‘Vanishing Tour Leader’ Award went to Carole – who, when the group was gathering outside our Venice Hotel yesterday, rushed back inside to get Mrs Cooney – whom she’d seen through the window. But when Carole got inside, Mrs Cooney had mysteriously disappeared. What Carole had actually seen was a reflection of the said Mrs Cooney, who was actually outside with the group all along. (Doesn’t sound that funny, right, but you had to be there …)

Yours bloggedly – JOHN

P.S. If you want to leave a message for someone in our group, just click on the little speech bubble at the top of this page, and add your ‘COMMENTS’! Make sure you say who it’s for and who it’s from – and keep it brief. And don’t worry: we’ll make sure they get these messages. Also, if you want a better look at our route map and some of the photos here, just click on them and they’ll enlarge – magic!