|
|
You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Apr 04, 2023 08:00 PM Bella Napoli...
Well, I have been here twice already but I mever had my breakfast with a view of Vesuvius like today. Unfortunately it is cloudy, no sun at all... In front of the elegant art-deco cruise terminal they still conduct road works... Just near our ship there are ferry and tourist boats docks. Round trip sailing to legendary Capri island costs 45 euro and they are departing every 2 hours... I passed Castel Nuovo and took a walk to the famous Plazza Plebiscito - the wide main city square. Aha! The military academy celebration just took place. Funny... Then, for the first time I went down to the coastal promenade - the best place to photograph you with the Vesuvio in the background. Walking to the next coastal castle - Castel dell Ovo I was passing the line of elegant hotels. But sorry, no beaches here... Bella Napoli? To see it you have arrrive on the other, sunny day!
|
Apr 03, 2023 08:00 PM Palermo - Sicily
Yesterday we suffer from the stormy weather. It was full day at sea! Today I woke up in Palermo, enjoying morning sun and nice landscape around the city. Mount Pelegrino is the main landmark here with the big hotel on it and a small church of Santa Rosalia - the saint - patron of Palermo.
Port with passenger docks is literally in the middle of the city. At the port gate (not a terminal) you will find tourist info kiosk distributing free city maps. Avoid a crowd of aggressive taxi drivers offering tours for 100 euro and more! There is also hop-on hop-off bus covering main city attractions for 15 euro/full day. But to get to Monte Pellegrino the budget traveller go to bus 812 stop on Plaza Crispi and the ride will cost only 1,40 euro each way! It will take you around 30 min to
reach the sanctuary by bus, but more than 2 hours by climbing. It is on the other side of the mountain! Actually it is not the church but the grotto with only one, fromt wall.
|
Apr 01, 2023 08:00 PM Cloudy Piraeus...
In the morning we docked in the Piraeus port - near Athens. It is warm, but the weather is cloudy. I have been here many times, but it is nice to refresh memories and walk along the ferry docks with small boats departing to different Greek Islands. In the port they opened new Themistocles Terminal with good wifi connection - finally it is easy to check my mailboxes. Let's hope that the weather will improve!
|
Mar 31, 2023 08:00 PM Heraklion, Crete
After six days at sea we finally reached first European port. Everybody, including the crew members was happy to step on the land... The day was sunny, ant the port in Heraklion is located just steps from the city. Picturesque Venetian Castle - the main landmark of the capital city of Crete was visible even from the top deck of our ship. I spend the day strolling the narrow streets of the old part of the town. Many cafes and taverns are waiting here for tourists. It is also a way of life of local Greeks... Heraklion didn't change sinse my last visit...
|
Mar 29, 2023 08:00 PM Through the Suez Canal...
We started at 6 am as a third ship in the convoy. after Suez there was only desert on both sides of the canal. We were sailing the easter branch to Ismaila - open recently... Nice views but windy on the deck! The canal is almost 200 lms long. It took us 10 hours of sailing to get to the the morthern end on Port Said. The main attraction on the way was Al Salam high bridge - we were there at 1.30 pm. Now we are back in the Mediterranean Sea!
|
Mar 28, 2023 08:00 PM We reached Suez..
In the evening our ship reached port of Suez located at the southern end of Suez Canal. Here we will be waiting till the early morning to start the passage of the canal. The captain told me that the fee charged for the passage of the ship our size is higher than 1 million euro! I see on the distance the mosque on the promenade overlooking canal in Suez...
|
Mar 23, 2023 10:00 PM Hot Salalah
This is second port of Oman. Unfortunately the passenger ships are docking 9 kms out of the city center - in the dusty commercial port and then you are exposed to taxi mafia waiting at the port gate. There is public bus stop nearby, but for some reason the bus is not visiting this stop. I say goodbye to the taxi drivers asking 40 euro per ride and went out - to the main road. Some 200 m away, on the main road opposithe the little palm groove there was city bus no 20 waiting. He took me to the city center for just 1 dollar! Most of the shops were closed due to the ramadan but in the Garden Shopping Mall I had a chance to connect to the reliable internet for free. Tomorrow we are turning to the Red Sea and going onward to the Suez Canal!
|
Mar 21, 2023 10:00 PM Oman - tomorrow ramadan starts!
Today in the morning our ship reached Muscat - the capital of Oman Sultanate. The port has picturesque location, surrounded by rocky mountains. It is my fourth visit here, but it is still nice to visit well known, peaceful places and to meet friendly Omani people. Taxi drivers offer an excursion s in front of the port gate they charge 25 euro per hour per cac - not a worst price! I found free, courtesy internet in the hotel. That's why I am able to send you few pictures. Tomorrow ramadan starts. We will be at sea again tomorrow. But the day after - In Salalah all shops and institution will be closed... :)
|
Mar 20, 2023 10:00 PM Day at sea
Warm but cloudy day. We are at Persian Gulf. I do not care - I need some time to make the laundry, and to talk with a new friends. In the evening we have nice shows. Let' relax...
|
Mar 19, 2023 10:00 PM A day in Abu Dhabi
I was here just one year ago. Our ship is docking in Zayed Port - there is a nice view of the skyline of the modern city from the ship, but if you want to go to the centrum it will be few kms walk in the heat. A year ago they provided free shuttle buses to the shoping mall, but today you have to pay 15 eiro for this RT transfer to Costa! The free onternet in the terminal is weak, some addresses are blocked.
In the midday I was lucky to find in the parking a new shuttle bus to the new-opened bright Galleria shopping mall located on the island. They took me there and that's why I can send you this message.
Tomorrow we have a day at sea on the way to Muscat, Oman...
|
Page:
32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42
|
|
|
