Welcome aboard The Splendour of the Seas...

We made our way to the wharf in Venice – no mean feat, I can tell you. Again, it was not very far away, but with many bridges and an overpass to cross with our suitcases, and then a “People Mover,” which is a small electric train with no driver...creepy.

After the usual sign in procedures and passport checks, we embarked on The Splendour of the Seas for our 8 day cruise of the Adriatic, following the coastline down to Greece.

This is our Ship. Our Stateroom is the top one above
the tree, under the white eaves.

We asked for our Stateroom to be on the port side, so that we could be on the shore side as we went down the coast. We had visions of sitting on our balcony, having happy hour with wine and nibblies, while watching the towns and scenery on the coast passing by.  When we got on board, we got lucky.
It was a great cabin, on the correct side - and it had a lovely balcony! Perfect.

Bob is saying "Where's my Beer?"

For those of you that have been on a cruise, you know how great it is. You have the whole ship to play in, and your holiday can be as restful or as busy as you make it.  The food is sensational – and way too much of it – and there are spa’s, pools, hot tubs, theatres, restaurants, shops, gyms, live shows, exhibitions, and on and on and on.

The boat is just setting sail, and we were watching the 

sites of Venice by night, passing by.  It was so beautiful!

We had dinner (and all our meals, actually) in the main buffet restaurant. They had an enormous amount of choice - I can't imagine anyone, of any country, not being able to find something they like. Vegetarian, meat, fish, salads - you name it, they had it.  As this was an American cruise line, we were amazed that they had hamburgers and chips at every meal - including breakfast. And people were eating it! Even though there were much tastier and healthier options available. We learned that those that had hamburgers, and then a donut, were the American tourists!

This was just the Sweets section.

There were three hot sections, two cold food and salad sections,
one entree section, and the sweets of course. Then there was
the: "We'll cook you what you want" section,
and still some people ate hamburgers and chips. Go figure!

I was a bit worried that we had left our cruise too late in the year for a smooth crossing, but, even though this was the last cruise for the year for this ship (they were going to the Bahamas after this),
we had absolutely perfect weather. Except for the gentle rocking, you wouldn't know you were on a boat.  We had one night of thunder and lightning with rain - which was spectacular to watch over the water - but the wind was mild, so there was no unpleasant rocking or rolling. When our cruise finished, I was able to lighten our suitcase by throwing away a brand new unopened packet of "Kwells" !

Our first stop on our cruise was Dubrovnik, Croatia - and what a surprise that was! You have all seen the ancient brick walls of the Dubrovnik Fort, which circles the city. That was what I expected to see coming into view.  But no, Dubrovnik has the most picturesque little harbour, complete with a lovely suspension bridge that links the two sides of the hilly islands.

It turns out that the famous 13th century medieval walls encircle "The Old City" and are on the other side of the island, a 20 minute bus ride away.  It was certainly impressive!

This is only a tiny part of the wall - taken from the moat.

Imagine trying to scale those walls if you were trying to
attack the town. They were huge!

The walls surrounded the whole "old town" with only two possible entry points. One over the moat, and the other on the hill, about 3kms away inland. It certainly looked impenetrable.

Inside the walls, there were many shops and private homes. Yes, ordinary people still lived there, but you should have seen how steep it was.  Literally hundreds of steps straight up into their homes.
They are accessed through tiny lane ways between the shops, and then straight up. Amazing!

I don't know if you can see, but the lane slopes up and then
the steps are vertical up the tree to the very top. 
We watched two local ladies go up. Bob said: "I'm glad I
don't have to come down there everyday to get the paper!"

The town was lovely - lots of nice buildings
and churches, museums and exhibits, 

and of course, shops and restaurants.

One of the most interesting places for us was the Franciscan Monastery, built in the 14th Century. Not only was the building impressive, but the paintings were remarkable, and the books (illuminated manuscripts) with the beautiful penmanship of the scribes, including ornate first letter exquisitely crafted were very special.

Courtyard in the Franciscan Monastery, 
very peaceful.  It was surrounded by covered 
walkways all the way around; like the one 
you can see below the cut out circle.
Those are the tops of fallen ancient 
columns in the foreground.

There was a Pharmacy Museum in the Monastery which fascinated us. Apparently, it is the oldest Pharmacy in Europe, it began in 1317. I can't even imagine the kind of medical care they were receiving then, but the pharmacy had original books of prescriptions for all kinds of concoctions, poultices tinctures, and medications. Very interesting. 

Some of the jars and containers used for storing creams and
potions and blue and cream painted drawers and cupboards.

The old town is fairly small, so it only took a few pleasant hours to stroll around and see all the interesting sights, before going back to the boat.

Is this an Oxymoron? A bookshop with that 

name, and not a maths book in it.  

How do I know?

It was too hard to resist - I had to ask.

Bob made a furry friend while waiting for the bus
to take us back. He had been patting it, when they
mutually decided that enough was enough,
and both walked away.

The boat left port at 6pm, and it was just getting dark. We sat on our balcony and watched the lights of Dubrovnik as we sailed away. It was just beautiful. A very pretty place.

The next morning we arrived in Corfu, Greece - the first of the Greek Islands on our cruise.  We went to have a look at the Old Fort which was constructed by the Venetians in the 15th Century, to protect the town from enemies and pirates.

The bridge over the moat to the Old Fort was originally
made of wood and a lot lower down,
but the British Military built this high brick one.  

Taken from the bridge - the boats are privately owned
leisure craft and are on both sides of the bridge.
Bob was happy to "inspect" them all.

Inside those smooth steep walls, were alleyways and exhibits, including a very large square, at the end of which was the Church of Saint George. This church was built in 1840 by the British Military, and while spacious is quite modest inside.

Church of St.George in the old Fort.

After admiring the views, and strolling the markets in the square outside the fort, we finally headed back to the boat. The only disappointment with the boat was that it had no wifi internet capabilities - so we were incommunicado whilst on board. They did, however, tell us which Greek ports had free wifi - and Corfu was one of them. We wanted to have time to contact our families and friends before boarding...and so did everyone else!  I find it amazing that in these days of advanced technology, they don't make free wifi available on board.

Back on board we had a nice dinner, and went to a performance of "Dancin' thru the Movies," a live show of dancers and singers that were really good.  Most enjoyable.

The next port of call was Athens - and we knew there would be so much to see that we needed to take a tour. You can't go to Athens and not visit the Parthenon, or the Olympic Stadium. The tour sheet was good in listing the physical capabilities needed for each tour, so Bob and I decided to split up. He went on the one where "Guests must be able to walk 2.5 miles over steep inclines, and approximately 300 steps and uneven surfaces." and I went on the "Crocks" tour where "Guests must  be able to walk at least 600 yards and 60 steps over fairly even surfaces." 

We ended up going to the same places, but whereas Bob actually climbed up to the Parthenon, I viewed it from the viewing promenade below. We didn't realize that the Parthenon was so far away - a 45 minute bus ride to get to it. I always thought that it towered above the city and so it does, but the "original" city. Athens has expanded over the years, of course, just like every major city, and now the original monuments are quite a way out.

What an amazing structure! The Parthenon was completed in 432 BC, it's hard to fathom the advanced civilisation that had such skill to build this classical structure at that time.  When you think that it is so huge, built of solid, heavy marble, with the tools they had at the time - it is an awesome feat.

They have done a great job of preserving the site, and the Parthenon itself was undergoing restoration when we were there. They have been working on it for about 5 years, and they say it will be another 10 years before it is fully restored, and that's with today's capabilities! 

Speaking of inspiring, we also visited the original arena where the first modern Olympic games were held, and where the Olympic Flame is lit in a wonderful ancient ceremony. We were not allowed to go in it, because they were setting up for a big event - a charity marathon - to take place that weekend, but it was amazing to see how big it was, and imagine it filled with people!

The Olympic Arena where the first modern games were held.

Our tour took in Hadrian's Arch, an 18 metre high arch, made of the same marble as the Parthenon. They say it was built in 132 AD. And still standing. Amazing!

Honestly, how can that arch still be standing? 

Especially with all that traffic thundering past.

Incredible.

We saw all the major sights in Athens in a whirlwind, one day tour - but we didn't stop at the place I would have liked to spend a few moments. It was the Phaleron War Cemetery - where our brave soldiers lost their lives on Greek soil in WWII. We drove past it, and, while sad, it was good to see it was maintained in pristine condition.

Back to the boat, and a "debrief" dinner and drinks, and sharing of our day. Bob enjoyed the Parthenon, and said it was a most remarkable structure. He was overwhelmed by the age and construction size - even the ruins nearby were solid and huge. He said that their description of "approximately 300 steps" was very approximate. He reckoned there were nearly double that, of all different sizes and shapes. He was happily exhausted, and said it was certainly a most memorable experience.

After a good nights sleep, we had breakfast while watching the boat dock on the island of Santorini.
What an amazing place. It was a white city, sitting right on top of the steep sided hills.  From a distance it looked like snow on the hills, until you came close enough to see the white-washed houses of the village. So pretty.

This is the site of the most powerful volcanic eruption in history, believed to have been the cause of the disappearance of Atlantis. It has Bronze Age excavations of a town which was buried in 1450BC.
Bob was very interested to see this, and went on a tour. He boarded the tender boat to the wharf, but didn't get to go up the steep cliff in the furnicular cable car. They were all ferried up a very windy narrow track up the hills.

I decided to have a day off to catch up on washing and this blog, so after my "chores" I enjoyed sitting on the balcony and working on this blog for you. But I couldn't help looking at the village - it just looked like it was perched precariously on the edge of the cliff.  And, while watching I actually saw people on the back of a donkey, going up an unbelievably steep track to the top. A donkey! I couldn't believe my eyes, and had to get out the binoculars. Yep, a "convoy" of  8 donkeys were making their way upward. I was laughing it up, but during the day, the convoy went up several times - and I never saw any of them coming down! A mystery.

When Bob came back, he told me all about his adventure over "Happy Hour". The bus took them to a village that was buried in ash after the great volcano eruption. Apparently the people knew the eruption was coming and left their homes and belongings they couldn't carry, and left the island. The ash covered everything and solidified, so when historians came to excavate the area, they found the complete village, with items in the homes that had burned away, but were covered in solidified ash, so were able to restore them. Bob said the village was covered in about 30 feet of ash - that's how far they had to dig down to get to the houses. Fascinating.  He took photos on his camera, but unfortunately, I can't upload them here at this time.

Bob is briefing me on his adventure, during "Happy Hour",

and we were still enjoying ourselves when the ship left 

the dock, and we were treated to the pretty lights of Santorini 

as we sailed away.  What an amazing place.

The last of our Greek Island visits was to Katakolon. This is the home of Olympia, once the site of the ancient Olympic Games. The first Olympiad was held in 776BC. After that the ancient Greeks gathered here every four years - for more than a thousand years - to watch or compete in the athletic competitions.

We strolled along the road filled with shops, and as the Greek economy is in a downturn at the moment, there were bargains to be had if you were in shopping mode.  There were galleries, restaurants, and lots of souvenir shops....and I was actually inspired to buy some stuff!  Yaaayy!!!

This was the last port of call for our ship, and we began the long sail back to Venice. There were so many things to do on board - Showtime Live Shows, Bingo, Scrabble Comps, Karaoke Comps, Trivia nights, Game Shows etc. Before we knew it, we had to pack our things and get ready to leave.

We were trying to get motivated to pack up on our last night on board, when we had a knock on our door. Standing there was a crew member with a lovely big Chocolate Birthday Cake in hand.  What a surprise! It was Bob's birthday the next day, when we had to disembark, and our daughters had organised a cake for their Father.  How wonderful! And clever! I must find out how they organised that.  Bob was quite overcome at the unexpected surprise - and the fact that we had only that night to eat it!

Bob is cutting his surprise Birthday Cake,
a delicious chocolate torte.

Everyone on the cruise was friendly and we had a great time. However, all good things must come to an end, and they wanted us to "abandon ship" at 7 am in the morning! Normally, this is so they can get everyone off, clean and reload the ship, and get the next lot of passengers on board. It's a very big day for the crew! But this trip was the last run for the Splendour of the Seas in Europe, as the weather is going into winter, so they were now sailing to the Bahamas to cruise around the islands.

Happy Birthday!  Bob eating his Birthday Cake 

from his daughters, at 6 am on his birthday!

Thank you, girls.

We arrived back in Venice at 5.30 am, and Bob and I decided to get up and enjoy the view, picking out familiar landmarks, and enjoying sunrise over Venice. It was very beautiful - very special - even through sleepy eyes!

So that was our cruise. We had a wonderful, memorable time. 

But it was now time to get off the ship, and continue our journey.

We are continuing our journey south to Florence. See you there.

Till next time...

Welcome to Venezia...

The first glimpse of Venice by train is when you cross the narrow train tracks from the land city to the canal city. It's about 5 or so kilometres, and the tracks are bordered each side with water for the first time.  This is the sea - not the canals yet - but you know they're not far away.

The station is chaotic and noisy, and luckily I knew to go out of it by a small side exit, otherwise we would have had to wrestle our suitcases -with all the other tourists - down the many front steps. Coming from Trieste, where there were hardly any tourists - here in Venice, the place was overrun with them!  

But coming out of the station, you get the classic Venice view. Canal, beautiful buildings, hustle and bustle of daily life, and of course - the tourists.

The first thing you see coming out of the station. Wonderful Venezia.

Our hotel here was 200 metres from the station, said the Internet. Yeah, right. Who would know, because to get there, you have to wrestle the luggage, and yourself, over two bridges and several cobblestones laneways!

So the hotel staff said, "Catch the water bus one stop, and then there will be no bridges."

We bought tickets for the water bus, and had our first of many rides. We spent the next few days on them - going everywhere. It was great - the HOHO water bus! 

As for our hotel,  it redeemed itself by being in a pretty little private square, and giving us a room with a view of the canal - so we could see the comings and goings of Venice whenever we liked. It was great!

This is the first bridge we would have to get the suitcases over, near the station. We decided
against it. Too hard on us, and the wheels on the cases. We still have too far to go on
our holidays to risk breaking a wheel.

We actually went over this bridge many times during our stay, but thankfully not with suitcases - it was hard enough without them. All the bridges are so old, that the marble steps have worn over the centuries, and are slippery - so you need to be careful.  Add to that the hazards of the Indian and African hawkers that sell fake Gucci or other brand handbags, stupid squeaky toys, and other cheap trinkets to every passerby, and of course, the tourists who stop in front of you, or on any step to block the way, so they can take a photo. 

The bridge hawkers - both sides of the bridge.
They harass you as you go by, and if I hear
"Best price for you, Mama" one more time....!

The weather in Venice was perfect autumn - so it was mild with very little humidity. Excellent. 

We took the water buses to all the usual haunts. The famous Rialto Bridge was the same size as the one above, but they blocked off the arches to house shops, which I thought was a shame. Bob didn't approve of the advertising that hung off every bridge in Venice. Especially the most famous one!

The famous Rialto Bridge....oh, and the delivery man.

The first night there, we went to look for somewhere for dinner, and got lost in all the tiny laneways that criss cross Venice. Some are so narrow you couldn't get a child's pram through! And dark! Some have no lights at all, so they rely on the nearest "crossing" to have one. And it is so amazing where people live. In the tiniest cobbled laneway, under an arch, will be a small old wooden door, that will be the entry of someone's home. Some of them were so small, that I would have to bend down to enter, let alone Bob. Several "tunnels" also had private doors, but Bob had to bend over walking through them, so he didn't notice them. 

We were happily "lost" exploring dinner possibilities, while Bob was trying to get his bearings, so we could find our way back. We found some shops and sights we never would have found otherwise.  We felt sorry for the postman. Bob was amazed at how he could possibly find the dwellings in that neverending maze of alleyways! We decided you would have to be born here to be a Postman. Fun!

Visiting Saint Marco's Square is always wonderful - but I didn't realise how much I missed it. It's a great big piazza, with the  St.Marco Basilica, the Bell Tower, and fabulous architecture. There are lots of  expensive shops selling gold jewellery, designer everything, and of course, restaurants - plenty of them. I suggested to Bob that we go there towards the end of the day, thinking that the tourists would have moved on, but there were plenty of them left over, that's for sure.

One side of St. Marco's Square - the statues at the top which look tiny here - are really big!

Amazing long buildings in St.Marco's Square. This is just one side.
There are shops in all those arches on the ground floor.

We decided to go up the Bell Tower for a bird's eye view of Venice. And what a view it was. Just on sunset, and we could see Venice from every angle. Gorgeous! The tower had 6 huge bells hanging just above us. They had great big "clangers" that hung just above our heads. Here we were admiring the sights, when...next minute....all the bells suddenly go off! They swing wildly, seemingly to hit you, and everyone ducked and grabbed their ears! It was so loud! After we got over the shock of it, the sound seemed to resonate right through your whole body. Everyone was smiling, because for some reason, the sound, vibration, and the whole experience of being there right then, made everyone happy. Bob was one who ducked, and he put his hand up to show me that they were so close, that he could touch one of the clangers as it swung by. I'm glad he didn't actually try it. It was such an amazing experience - we talked about it for days.

The Bell Tower in Saint Marco's Square

One of the views of Venice at sunset, from the Bell Tower.

Saint Marco's Square is a huge L shape. The top of the L is
open to the water, and this view is the bottom
of the L, taken from the Bell Tower.

The top of the L of St.Marco's Square. Note the blue Gondolas. They are all covered
and retired for winter. There are only a few Gondolas operating at this time of the year.

Two of the bells in action. Eight bells altogether. I can't describe the noise - it's a wonder 

we were not all made permanently deaf. But the exhilaration - it was like your whole 

body was a tuning fork!  We won't forget this amazing experience.

A visit to Venice is not complete without a trip to the island of Murano – famous for its glass making.  It is a 40 minute trip on the bus - a pleasant, picturesque ride.  On the way, we passed San Michelle Cemetery – an island where the people of Venice are eventually buried. It has a lovely Church at the front of the island, facing the city, with a brick fence running around the island.  We didn’t go in the Cemetary, but the bus stopped there, and several people got out, carrying flowers and candles, to visit their departed loved ones.

Arriving in Murano, we made our way to one of the warehouses on the waterfront, where master glass blowers create the famous venetian glass items that you see in the shops in Venice and around the world.  This was actually the most disappointing part of our Venice experience. Working on glass pieces were two middleaged men, one the “master” and the other the “apprentice”, I guess.  They had several furnaces going and the heat was incredible, even though they were working in a “shed” with open sides. They each had long metal sticks at the end of which was a lump of molten glass.  The master worked the glass, and handed it on to the apprentice for the more simple manoeuvres.

Master in the whiteT-shirt, getting a glob go glass out of the furnace.  

Unfortunately, the “master” was either not very skilled, or was not going to create anything wonderful while the tourists were watching. They made several vases and jugs, but in very simple shapes, so there was not much “blowing” going on.  Not much in the variance of coloured glass that Venetian glass is known for, either.  The apprentice simply rolled the hot vase shape in small pieces of fine coloured glass, which stuck to the hot vase, and they put it back into the furnace to melt.  This created a random  multi coloured “stripe” effect, which I thought was not at all attractive, and I would certainly not want to buy it.  They had a showroom there with the completed pieces for sale – but they were all the same, and certainly not worth the money.

Men at work - for the tourists. We saw all kinds of other stuff, including sorted coloured glass
on the back wall, so I hope they are creating fabulous glass items when we are not looking.

When I was in Venice many years ago, I also came to Murano to watch the glass blowing. At that time, the glassblowers were older, and much better at their craft.  They created specifically coloured, complicated items that were a joy to watch being made. The blown glass was very delicate, in beautiful designs, with filigree, twists and bubbles.  I was disappointed that today, there are either no highly skilled craftsmen left, or they just choose someone to do simple glass objects to pacify the tourists, while the true “masters” work in privacy to create their amazing work.

We were so disappointed, we had to go off and have a coffee and gelati! Genuine Italian lemon gelati will soothe any disappointment.

You may wonder if we took a ride in a Gondola, like proper tourists – and the answer is no.  We spent so much time on the water as it was, and the Gondola men we spoke to wanted huge prices to take a short tour.  This is because summer is over, and many gondola owners have bedded their Gondolas down for winter, so there are fewer gondolas available... and that the owners were rogues. They would not let us book a time we wanted either, which would have been around 4pm, as that was before peak hour, and before it got too dark. In peak hour, there are so many buses ferrying workers home, that the wash from them churns up the canal, and the light Gondolas bob about like corks in the wash. Romance dies pretty fast when one person is hanging over the side talking to the fish.  So we gave it a miss.

Bob yakking it up with the local boys. This was a bridge near our hotel,
and these boys were "hiding" here, instead of being with the other
Gondolas near the station. Bob asked them about a ride,
he reckoned they were brothers and their surname was Dodgy.

We saw lots of churches, art, architecture, people, and of course, shops.
This is one of the pretty churches.

One of the funniest things we enjoyed watching were the handbag hawkers in a little square in front of the sweetest little church that we found in a small piazza.  The hawkers spread their wares out on the ground, hoping to entice the tourists – like the ones on the bridges. But while they seem happy on the bridges, in this Piazza, they were nervous. While we watched, suddenly they would leap up, grab their stuff and run into a tiny alley opposite. The handbag chaps slid all the bags up their arms, and the others had their stuff on sheets that they scooped up and ran for it.  Then they would watch from the alley, and sure enough, a few minutes later a couple of Carabinieri or Police would stroll past.  When the coast was clear, the hawkers would be back setting up their businesses. We never saw the “cockatoo”, but he was certainly on the job. Hilarious!

Hawkers setting up again, after another of their runs. 

There are so many restaurants and small eating kiosks dotted all about Venice, so there is no way you could be hungry. But thirsty is another thing. Most of the passing kiosks have plenty of bottled water and drinks, but they don't have a fridge and simply leave it out the front in the sun. Some however, resort to creative ways to try and cool drinks. They set them up in a pyramid shape and have water pouring over them. Venice is the only place we have seen this cooling method in Europe.

No fridge? Cool drinks like this..under a constant shower of
cold water, which trickles all the way down over all the drinks...
with, of course the obligatory offering of a coconut
snack as well. Very creative, and it works!

While we were here, we were also getting ready for our upcoming cruise – and found a laundromat to do our washing. This was great, because, well, frankly we needed the machines, but also it gave us an opportunity to chat up the locals. We met a couple of nice locals who were able to answer some of our Venice questions. Their opinion was that while Canal Venice is a beautiful place to live, it is not a city for older people. The original houses, most of them protected by the National Trust, had only narrow staircases, some spirals, to their 3 and 4 story buildings. This was difficult for older people, and also younger ones with shopping, or children and prams etc. 

 When selling or renting an apartment, the furniture was usually included, because removalists were so expensive. They have to haul all furniture by boat, and if the stairs are too narrow, have to hoist the furniture on ropes and pulleys through the windows. Emergency personnel have trouble evacuating people, as they can't use ordinary stretchers. They have stretchers that are like chairs, that have to be carried down. Other than that, unemployment was low, cost of living high, but wages were good, and there are many shops to buy whatever you need, and restaurants, clubs, and theatres for recreation - so it was a  very nice place to live.

A classic view of Venice. Gorgeous! We had dinner in the restaurant in the bottom
left hand corner. Those arches light up at night, and look lovely. The white boat on
the right hand side is parked in front of a small square, which is where our hotel is.
Our room faced the canal, and we could see the restaurant every night,
and hear the music being played there. Lovely!

There are so many places to go, see, discover and enjoy in Venice, but we simply ran out of time. It would take a month of Sundays just to explore the tiny little alleys, with their special shops, artisan galleries, and quaint restaurants - and then there are the connecting water alleys to explore by boat as well. It is a truly unique and amazing place!

But we had to go – we had a boat to catch – a big boat!

See you on board!

Till next time...

Into Italy...Trieste...A Seaside Gem!

Not many tourists go to Trieste, a nice little seaside town. It is a bit out of the way, and if they are coming from the Eastern countries (like we were) I can certainly understand why. They don't make it easy, that's for sure.

The distance from Ljubliana to Trieste is a mere 100kms or so - nothing, right? Maybe, but the trains don't cross the border, so the best you can do is catch the train to the border, then catch a bus, whenever it gets there. Sounds OK, except the train leaves only once a day at 5 am. Yep, that means checking out of the hotel, and getting to the station by that time. We tried the buses, they will take you all the way, starting at 5.45am, also once a day.  Better. And then there are all the private operators who will take you all the way in a private car, or small bus anytime, but for a huge amount of money. And that is how we came to get up at "cow time" on our holiday, and watch our first sunrise in Europe from the bus.

Coming down from the hills into Trieste was lovely. The houses are all the way up and around the hill, with the city around the bay. It reminded us of the descent into Lakes Entrance, only much bigger.

A corner of the hill we saw coming into Trieste. I was a bit too late taking this photo. 

What you can't see is a steep hillside, full of houses and apartments. Really pretty.

We checked in to our hotel, and actually had water views...if you hang out the window by your toes!

But Bob spotted a yacht, so off we went, straight away, to explore.  And look what Bob found..?

It was the "Costa Classica" cruising the Adriatic. One of the "Costa" shipping fleet, which immediately reminded us of the "Costa Concordia" disaster, when that ship sank off the coast a couple of years ago, and the Captain abandoned ship.

This is our hotel in a small street. We had to wait till late to
take this photo, because you wouldn't believe the buses that constantly
came down that narrow street! The street lights were original old
etched glass "balls surrounded by ironwork. Very pretty.

Our hotel was also just around the corner from several Piazza's - which we visited often on our way around. Whenever we were there, it was always busy with people - families with children, people walking dogs, friends shopping, or just meeting for a drink or meal at the many restaurants.

We reflected on this, and wondered why these people would rather be here, than in their homes.  Of course, the piazza is very beautiful, day or night, but why weren't they home cooking dinner? We decided that it must be the socialisation and company of others that was the attraction.  These people all live in apartments. They have no lawns to mow, or garden to weed, and probably don't see their neighbours much. Coming to the piazza, they see their friends, neighbours, and interesting people, including mad buskers and tourists, in a beautiful environment.  Why wouldn't you go out for a healthy stroll, enjoying a social environment, instead of staying home just watching TV on the couch? 

Hmmmm...perhaps I should remember this when we get home.

One end of the big beautiful piazza...it is a very large "u" shape, as the other end faces the sea.

One of the things we noticed was the amount of male groups that would stroll by. Older men, in groups of 3 or 4 would be passing by, talking away, and end up at one of the restaurants, discussing whatever -and sometimes meeting up with another few blokes.  We saw them in the Piazza's, down on the  cobblestoned waterfront, and around the Marina's. A walking "Men's Shed" - Italian style!

The side of the Piazza. Napoleon watched a parade in his honour, from that balcony.

The Piazza at night...huge and gorgeous.

We were very surprised that just behind streets of modern shops, quite close to our hotel, they had uncovered  the remains of a roman amphitheatre! They have preserved the site, and are still excavating and restoring parts of it. 

The roman amphitheatre - right in the middle of the city!

And above the ancient walls surrounding the amphitheatre, are residential highrises, so it's
great that they have been able to keep people, and especially vandals from damaging it.

Another treat we had in Trieste was eating in the oldest restaurant in town. Called the "cafe Tommasseo," it has been serving customers since 1825. They had some original photos there of the Cafe in the early days. The staff who worked there, were very proud of the history of the restaurant, and were very happy to pass it on. We had a nice coffee and cake there.

The restaurant had lovely baroque details on the ceilings as well.

Our HOHO bus showed us around and told us the history of the city. It took us to their Castle on the top of the hill, which also served as a fort in ancient times.  It seems like every city has ancient forts used to defend their land (and people) from attack by enemy forces. It really brings home the fact that there have been almost continual wars and battles in Europe for thousands of years.

This is the tunnel on the way to the Castle. Doesn't it look like a face? Creepy!

The old castle was not as picturesque as some others
in Europe, but was obviously built with
protection in mind. 

Interesting remains of Roman columns outside the Castle. Wonder what it was originally?

We enjoyed Trieste, and were glad we came. The fact that it isn't on the tourist map, meant that we did not see many tourists - which is always good!  The people we met here, seemed to be here on business - there was a huge environmental conference on while we were here - with only a few tourists.

We liked the piazza lifestyle, the food, the friendly people, the lovely architecture, and Bob especially liked all the boats in all the marinas! Sounds like a great place...and it was.

But all too soon, it was time to head off again - up the road to Venezia!  Bring on the Gondolas...I say!

Till next time...