Mediterranean Cruise 2009

Kira and I went on a two week cruise with John and Anne. We celebrated Kira's 16th birthday early. Our cruise started in Venice, Italy. Venice spans 118 islands (cities on the sea) with 150 canals and 400 bridges. We visited St. Mark's Basilica. We went in the Palace of Doges and the Bridge of Sighs. We also went on a wonderful gondola ride. We went to Athens and wandered through the Acropolis and Temple of Poseidon. It was quite hot. We visited Kusadasi, Turkey. We went to Ephesus, Basilica of St. John and the house of the Virgin Mary. Here we lit candles and got Holy water from the fountain. We then went to Istanbul, Turkey. Very interesting. We saw the Topaki Palace Harem. The sheik had 14 wives and 400 concubines. Busy guy. We went through the Blue Mosque. We shopped in the Grand Bazaar. You could get lost in there. We made our way through an underground cistern, two columns had the head of Medusa carved in them. We ferried over to Mykonos, Greece. Quaint island. White buildings, only churches could paint their roofs colors of blue and red. Mykonos is famous for their windmills. We toured around the island making stops at churches, sights, and shopping. Kira and I shared an authentic Gyro-not the same as in the U.S. but still tasty. Then we were off to Naples and Capri. I love Capri. We went to Sorrento for lunch. We drove the Amalfi coast to Pompeii. Seeing the people and artifacts that were once covered in ash was intriguing. Then off to Rome, where we rode double decker buses to the Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish steps. After Rome, we went to Livorno, Italy and: Sorrento, Naples through Tuscany to Pisa. We saw the church of Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio (Florence's oldest bridge) and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Monte Carlo was next to our last stop. Monaco spans 1 mile. We visited the Royal Palace, Casino (outside-it was closed) and the gardens. We ended in Barcelona, Spain, and went to a Cathedral before flying home. Wonderful trip.