043 - AUG/SEP 2019 - Sweden, and the Mediterranean

A little background... 

Jan, Alex, Leah and I went to Europe for a cruise last year. At the end of the cruise Jan and I spent some extra time in Copenhagen. Upon knowing we were there, Eva Sundevall (an exchange student from Jan's High School years) and Bengt decided to come and visit from Halmstad, Sweden, two hours away by train. We had a great time together, spent the whole day fully engaged in meaningful exchange, and they invited us to come visit at their home in Halmstad; we said we would.
Once at home, we started to plan our visit and decided that, while we were going to visit Eva and Bengt, we had the opportunity to do something else; looked around and did a bit of research, and decided to take a Mediterranean Cruise... What follows is a summary of those 23 days full of adventures... This is also the first vacation Jan and I have taken without Alex & Leah (last time we traveled abroad for pleasure without them was during our honeymoon, 30 years ago!)

Day 1 - WED - 21AUG19 - Leaving for Europe! 

Atlanta to Istanbul

Drove to Alex’s in Atlanta and met Leah and Drew there at about 2 PM (they all are going to a concert tonight); went to a Verizon store to fix Jan’s phone (SIM Card went bad) and then out for lunch with them at McCray’s.
Caught a LYFT to the airport at around 6 PM and checked in to Turkish Airlines. Then went to the Priority Lounge to kill some time in a comfortable (and wine sprinkled) way...
At about 10:35 PM we took off for Istanbul on TK32. Jan’s knee is not doing well.

Atlanta to Istanbul, Turkey

Day 2 - THU - 22AUG19

Istanbul to Venice

After about two hours layover in Istanbul; spent most of this time walking because we landed in gate A2, at one end of the airport and our next flight was out of F14, the other end of the airport; we walked the whole f*****g thing! We took another Turkish Airlines flight to Venice, TK1869. Comfy.

Istanbul, Turkey to Venice, Italy

Got to Venice and, after clearing immigration and retrieving our luggage, our ride to the hotel was MIA. Looked around for about 30 minutes until I decided it was a lost cause and looked for an alternative. Found another type of ride, a taxicab, which turned out to be very pleasant, welcoming and affordable. Within 10 minutes, we arrived to our hotel, the Hotel Airport Venice Resort, which turned out to be simply lovely; it resembles and old Italian villa/compound with a main building (front office, bar, restaurant) and then satellites smaller buildings. Our room was in one of these smaller buildings, ground floor, all amenities, simply perfect! Got us some beer and wine to decompress and hit the hay!

Airport Venice Resort, in Tessera

Day 3 - FRI - 23AUG19

Venice to Halmstad 

Flight from Venice to Copenhagen

Got up at 7 AM thanks to the alarm! Got cleaned up and dressed and went for breakfast at the dining room in the main building; excellent! A very tasty and well-presented European-style breakfast (with bacon and scrambled eggs on the side). Shortly after that, we repacked a bit and caught the hotel shuttle for the airport at around 11. Checked into SAS at around 12:30 PM; each of our bags were an extra €70!! And we were on our way to Copenhagen,,,

Train ride Copenhagen to Halmstad

Made it to Copenhagen without a hitch; the train station is within the building of the airport. There was a little bit of confusion since the train information was in Danish only, a little ambiguous, and no one to ask. I had tickets with a specific train number and departure time; it turned out we could have taken any train going that way...

Eventually we caught a train and made it to Halmstad where Eva & Bengt were waiting for us. They took us to their house (Eklyckan - oak in Swedish - simply lovely) which is in an area right outside of Halmstad called Marbäck. 

The 'Hello'

Had some cheese & crackers with wine/beer and then retired to the loft on top of their carriage house...

Day 4 - SAT - 24AUG19

Halmstad

Got up at 8:47 AM; we were supposed to be down for coffee at 8:30; shoot! Made it down at nine to a really nice Swedish coffee and breakfast (mine was sliced boiled eggs on a soft focaccia-like bread with caviar on top of the eggs... One of a kind!!) Then we came back out and showered (open air shower!).

SHOWER!!!

This is their compound:

We went out to the coast for a picnic lunch - Fika - (Eva brought Rek-smorgas, a round of light bread smeared with sour cream dill, and topped with shrimp & boiled eggs - again, one of a kind!) 

Later we took a walk to an old Church and a hotel on the beach, and came back home for a beer... 

Went to dinner in downtown Halmstad to a restaurant called ‘Fridolfs Krog’; had a true Swedish fare (lamb filet). Excellent. Walked around afterwards but not too much (Jan’s knee continues to be very delicate and swollen). 

Came back home and went to Eva & Bengt’s glass house in the hill; lovely time. 

Retired about 10PM. We will meet them at 9AM to go to breakfast.

Day 5 - SUN - 25AUG19

Halmstad

Got up a little earlier than planned - 5:30 AM. At 9AM we went out for breakfast at a place right on the beach, Söderpiren (Southern point). A very typical Swedish smörgasbord of freshly baked breads & croissants, cold cuts and cheeses, caviars, juices, etc.

 Afterwards, we went for a walk in the woods close to the beach; visited a real pet cemetery, where local people who walk their dogs in the area, lay them down to rest. Afterwards we came back and I took a nap; at 3PM I joined them and Jan for Fika.

Bengt made, satisfying a request, meat balls!!! They were simply special. We washed them down with the appropriate amount of wine and, after a delicious dessert (melon ice cream, local berries and meringue), we sat down poolside again to chat some more. After the ‘de rigueur’ exchange of old photographs, we walked the rest of their property (which they keep neatly manicured with a lawn robot - need to investigate it!), we retired at about 8:30.

We will meet tomorrow morning for coffee at 7:45 and will depart for the airport at 8:20. Our flight to Stockholm is at 10:05.

Day 6 - MON - 26AUG19

Halmstad to Stockholm

Started the day early with a fresh outdoors shower; fresh coffee followed at 7:45 AM and then we were off to the airport at 8:20. Eva & Bengt dropped us at the airport (small, regional, quaint but clean and efficient) and came in with us to say goodbye. More than once we reiterated our invitation for them to come to see us; we felt so warmly welcomed that we must return that favor and make them feel like we did!

The Goodbye

At 10:05 AM, BRA703, operated with a propeller airplane, took off from Halmstad to take us to Stockholm, Bromma Airport (BMA), one of three airports serving Stockholm. Landed precisely as scheduled, 11:10 AM, and our driver was waiting for us. Within 20 minutes he had us at our hotel, the Crystal Plaza.

Crystal Plaza Hotel... Excellent!

Check in time started at 3 PM so we dropped off our luggage and decided to walk around for lunch - Italian - and then caught the Hop-on Hop-off. After about three hours of riding around the city we came back to our hotel and checked in to a surprisingly lovely room!

Later we walked around a bit and then bought some sandwiches and pastries at a nearby 7-Eleven!!

Day 7 - TUE - 27AUG19

Stockholm

After sleeping about 10 hours, woke up fresh, took a shower and went downstairs for a typical Swedish breakfast; delicious!
Then we went on our Hop-on Hop-off again... By the Royal Palace we jumped from land to sea... Very enjoyable! 

The transition point...

Parliament, other Government buildings...

Came back to land and had some fish & chips lunch with local beer (Falcon); walked around, and then took the Hop-on Hop-off again to come back home. Rested a little and then walked about three blocks to a little bistro called Pitcher with the best local dish and some local beer again!!!

Jan’s knee is hanging; she has a big blister in the plant of the opposite foot... Oh well...

Stopped by a 7-Eleven and got some pastries!!!

Rough night... Learned that a dear cousin, Noel Mora, Noelito, died in Venezuela, 58 years old! While talking to Ligia - my sister - about it, she shared with me that Luis, my oldest and dearest cousin, has Parkinson’s Disease. Damn. I guess I am reaching a stage in my life in which that type of news will become more and more common...

Day 8 - WED - 28AUG19

Stockholm to Barcelona

Rough night! Got up this morning and, leisurely, went down for breakfast; good again! Went back up, cleaned up, packed up, and checked out of the hotel at 11AM; would highly recommend it to anyone!!

After a 30 minutes ride, got to the Arlanda airport (another airport servicing Stockholm); we are currently waiting to check in for Barcelona...

Vueling is a low budget airline in Europe and it shows; checking in was a long queue/wait and so it was boarding. In between, we got to have a snack at the Priority Lounge; not bad...

The route down to Barcelona, Spin

Our flight VY1266 took off from Stockholm a little late, 4:25 PM. Landed in Barcelona also a little late, 6:00 PM.

Big beautiful airport; retrieving the baggage has been a little challenging (42 minutes waiting and counting) ...Got a call from the hotel checking to see if we were still coming... After a full hour we got our bags! But, again, our driver was not there so we caught a taxicab...

Now we are in Barcelona; in our hotel; 8:45 PM local time; we will skip dinner; reminiscing of the hotel where we stayed in Madrid last time (a hostel within an old house) ...

La Casa de Antonio

Day 9 - THU - 29AUG19

Barcelona

After a fitful night of sleep and early showers we took off for the Plaza de Catalunya to catch our Hop-on Hop-off. A walk of about 15 minutes. Three lines to travel (red, blue and green) each about 3 hours long except the green (about 30 mins).

Iglesia de La Sagrada Familia (The Sacred Family Church), by Gaudi

Had lunch between red and blue in a tapas place. Jan had a ham, bacon and cheese baguette; I had a calamari baguette... Simply to die for!!!

After completing all routes and seeing the whole city we walked back home. Stopped on the way to pick up a couple of beers and snacks for the room. Getting ready for a last outing in Barcelona (a little snack and a drink!)

Other highlights of the city...

Well, the little snack turned out to be a great paella for me, and an “Arroz de Mar y Montañas” (Rice of Sea and Mountains) for Jan, along with beers and a bottle of wine...The place was “La Càtedra”, at the corner from our hotel...

Simply special!!!

Day 10 - FRI - 30AUG19 - Day 1 of the cruise

Barcelona - Embark!

Got up at our own leisure, had a bit of breakfast in the room with stuff we had bought last night... Checked out from the hotel at 11 and caught a cab right at the door within one minute of being there. Got to the port with no problem and was able to check in right away. Boarded within 30 minutes and the whole process was very smooth. We are in the NCL's Pearl.

"The Boat", NCL's Pearl

Our state room was ready by about 2 PM; grabbed a bite and some drinks and came back to find our luggage had arrived. Unpacked, had a sip of bubbly and then went to the show; very nice.

After the show had a little snack and went back to our room to review tomorrow’s schedule.

Day 11 - SAT - 31AUG19 - Day 2 of the cruise

Monaco

Woke up at sea, right off the coast of Nice, France... 

Getting to Monaco

We will be anchoring off the port in Monaco and then catching ‘tenders’ to/ from land... Got tender tickets #1, meaning we are the first ones to go to land. As such, we were on land by 11:30; very nice; except that our tour did not start until 2 PM. There was no place to sit or no shade; we pushed through it and then went on our tour with Xavier. 

At the port in Montecarlo

Went to the old medieval village of Eze, in France; lots of stairs and inclines. Jan’s knee took a beating; it may be fatal. We are talking about her not being able to do the tour tomorrow...

Eze, in France, just across the border from Monaco...

Later we passed by the village of La Turbie, still in France; very pretty and impressive Roman ruins. Then we went to the palace where the reigning prince, Albert, lives with his family. 

The Royal Palace, the port, the churches...

Finally, we stopped at the Grand Casino and the Grand Hotel of Monte Carlo. On our tour I learned that the principality of Monaco has several municipalities, and one of them is Monte Carlo, where the casino and the Grand hotel are...

On our way back to the pier, we took the route of the yearly Monte Carlo Grand Prix (Formula 1). Excellent!

Took the ‘tender’ back to the ship, and here we are...

Decided to go to an Italian restaurant for dinner; we thought it was included in the list of normal restaurants, but it was not. Dinner was nice!

Came to our stateroom and decided to stay for the night...

Jan says she’s willing to try the excursion to tomorrow; we’ll see how she feels then...

Day 12 - SUN - 01SEP19 - Day 3 of the Cruise

Livorno/The Cinque Terre in Liguria, Italy

Early wake up; after breakfast by myself- Jan not hungry - we gathered in the Stardust lounge and then left the ship for our tour to Le Cinque Terre (The Five Lands).

After a 90-minutes bus ride we got to La Spazia, where we picked up a local tour guide and went on to Manarola, the first of the three lands we are to visit out of the five.

Manarola, the first of the Five Lands...

After descending about 300 steps and two steep inclines we got down to the water's edge where we caught a ferry to Vernazza, the second of the three (out of the five).

Vernazza, the second of the five lands...

Jan looked like reaching the end of her rope; but I bought her a beer and she sat for about 40 minutes before catching the next ferry to Monterosso, the third and last of the five lands. 

Monterroso, the third and last of the five lands we visited...

And so, we did; beautiful village. After a taste of local wine, we, Jan and I, went on our own and had a nice lunch at a local restaurant (best steamed mussels Jan has ever had!) Met up with our group again and walked (about 1/2 mile) to the train station where we caught a train to Levanto where our bus was waiting for us... And we’re back on the ship!!

After a little refreshing we went out to the rear deck - simply great - for drinks and eventual eating... After only three drinks we’re back in our room...

Day 13 - MON - 02SEP19 - Day 4 of the Cruise

Civitavecchia/Rome, Italy

Woke up at about 7:30 AM and we were already in port (Jan said we docked at about 5:30 AM).

We’re not going ashore today; Jan said her knee cannot take it; we will forfeit our shore excursion...

Went for breakfast at the open deck aft...and back to our room.

Went for lunch at the open deck aft; also had some drinks, and then back to our room...

Napped for a little while and then went back to the back deck for champagne. 

Later we made our way to the ‘Summer Palace’ restaurant, decorated like the Hermitage in St. Petersburg... Nice dinner! (I had Crispy Red Snapper and VERY CRISPY Pork Belly...) Great!

Later we went to a couple of bars for drinks and live entertainment and came home with a night cap for the balcony.

Day 14 - TUE - 03SEP19 - Day 5 of the Cruise

At sea...

Woke up at about 7:30 AM and found ourselves in the Tyrrhenian Sea sailing towards the Strait of Messina, between Sicily and the mainland... Simply stunning!! 

Went to the atrium and, after research and consultation, booked a cruise to New England and Canada for the fall of 2020!! Starts in Quebec City and ends in Boston.

Skipped breakfast and went for an early lunch (11:30 AM); very nice. Went shopping in the ship's shops and I found a monster bottle (5 liters - 1.32 gallons) of Chivas Regal scotch whisky that I had to have; and I did! They will deliver it to our room the night before we disembark...
Had some drinks and a nap and then went out again to listening to live music and later dinner at the “Indigo” restaurant; food great but a little noisy... 

Went to watch the ‘Fly Boys’ a vocal group from the UK; very good! One more drink and turned in for the night!

Day 15 - WED - 04SEP19 - Day 6 of the Cruise

Mykonos, Greece

We are navigating already in Greek waters... Getting to Mykonos around 1 PM; meanwhile, we took it easy in the morning, had breakfast at about 11 AM and then went to the Stardust Theater to wait our turn to go ashore for our tour... 

I loved it, but Jan suffered through it since her knee is completely unpredictable... One time feels reasonably well, and the next walking is almost impossible... It will be tended to!

Still, we had time and ability to get around and take in some, and only some, of the awesome offerings of the island...

Got back to the ship at about 4:30 PM and had a bite to eat; afterwards grabbed a couple of drinks and some ice and went to our stateroom for Jan to ice her knee...

Went out for dinner to the Summer Palace again and then early to bed; we have an early start tomorrow...

  

Day 16 - THU - 05SEP19 -  Day 7 of the Cruise

Santorini, Greece

Geographical Context

Started at the Stardust Theater at 7:15 AM; by 8 we were in our tender and by 8:30 we were in a bus up the hill from the port to the town of Thera. 

Going ashore...

First stop was in the town of Oía; a typical Aegean Sea town; beautiful. 

Second stop was at a local winery; wine was OK; views were magnificent! 

Last stop was back to Thera where, in order to get to the dock to catch the tender to return to the ship, we had a choice of descending a 600+ steps stairs - shared with donkeys and mules and all their poop - or a 3-minutes ride in a cable car...

Made it back to the ship at about 2 PM for a bite and a beer... After several ‘Mud Slides’ with a Kahlua floater, we made it back to our room for a break (and a nap!).

Came back out at about 6 and went to the Irish pub for a shrimp Po Boy and a pint. Later we went down to the atrium bar, listened to Dennis, had drinks with a nice Scottish couple and then went to our favorite spot, the aft deck bar to watch the departure from Santorini. On our way to our cabin I grabbed a little night snack... All is well!

Day 17 - FRI - 06SEP19 - Day 8 of the Cruise

At sea

We are heading back West today and gaining an hour... Since we’re at sea today, we will have a totally lazy day... We were at the restaurant for breakfast at around 7:30 AM. Later we went shopping and up to the back deck for a morning drink (screwdrivers!)

While there they served an all-German lunch, which was great. Took a little nap and then went to a matinee, a British female vocalist... So-so... Went up to the deck for a drink (or two) and a snack...

Now, back in our room to get ready for tonight...

Went to have a drink in the atrium and have some pictures taken. 

Later went on to the buffet for seafood night - delicious! Then went back to our favorite deck where we met a nice couple from Melbourne, Australia and ended up having a very pleasant evening with them... Turned in at about 10 PM...

Day 18 - SAT - 07SEP19 - Day 9 of the Cruise

Kotor, Montenegro

Arrived at about 7:30 AM; anchored a little while longer; will skip breakfast today to minimize bathroom need while we are ashore... Caught a tender to the port and then bus #4 for our tour. Started a hell of a climb from Kotor to a little town 2,000 ft above sea level where we had a sandwich and a glass of wine. 

Kotor Bay, Montenegro

Then we kept on going to the old capital, Cetinje (current capital is Pogdorica), where we had a small walking tour and then time on our own. We minimized the walking time but enjoyed it...

Next step is back to Kotor for a walking tour...

The old walled town of Kotor is one of a kind! Huge old palaces from 400 to 900 years old, abutting each other on narrow streets... (Kotor was dominated by the Venetians for many centuries and the architecture is quite Venetian, we’re told). Beautiful!

Came back to the ship for a snack and a couple of drinks (and a little nap) before dinner.

Day 19 - SUN - 08SEP19 - Day 10 of the Cruise

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Got up early to a foul weather; looked iffy whether we would be able to go ashore;

But things improved and, about 7:30 AM we caught a shuttle to the meeting place for our tour, Pila Square. Tour started around 9:15 AM and, by then, the weather had turned beautiful!

A bit of a bust; about 15 mins into the walking tour we had to take about 50 stairs, up and down, and Jan’s knee protested. We abandoned the tour and walked gingerly to the place where we could catch the shuttle back to the ship. We were back on board at about 10:15 AM...

Had some brunch and then went to the room to start planning our packing...

With a little drink here and a little packing there we were able to finish after they brought the monster bottle to the room; big challenge; it takes 2/3 of my suitcase!

Finished packing (creatively) and went out for dinner and drinks...

We’re ready for the next step in our adventure: Venice!!

Day 20 - MON - 09SEP19 - Day 11 of the Cruise

Disembark: Venice, Italy

End of our cruise. Got up early and, after shower, went out for breakfast; very busy! After a brief last stop in our stateroom, at 8:15 we went to a public area to wait for the color of our luggage tag to be authorized to exit the ship.

By 10 AM we were out and collecting our luggage was a breeze. Got past customs with not even a question (the big bottle made it in!); then we found the outfit for which we had a voucher for transportation; made a line of about 30 minutes to redeem the voucher for tickets; then had to go make another line of about 1 1/2 hours to board the boat; the ride to San Marcos Square was another 30 minutes. Once there we learned there are no land taxis in Venice; only baggage porters. Found one who took us to our hotel, Corte del Paradiso (the front desk is at a different address from where the rooms are!). Very charming 1600s buildings...

Went out for lunch; found an osteria within a block of our hotel and had a very tasty and attractive lunch (fried calamari to die for, and then a pizza frutti di mare (sea food)!!! Later we went out shopping for souvenirs and some groceries (we’re staying in tonight). Went to bed early...

Day 21 - TUE - 10SEP19

Venice

After a long sleeping night, got up, got showered (small, very small shower - if you dropped the soap, you would have to stick your butt out of the shower, completely, to retrieve the soap!) and went for breakfast at the building where we checked in; it was special; an old, European-style, almost Victorian ambiance; very nice! 
After breakfast I tried to check in with Turkish Airlines; after about 45 minutes of torture (fighting with three different people), got it done! Also, for our transportation to the airport tomorrow, Julia from the front desk (the cutest thing) tried to help me verify the pickup place and could not.

Meanwhile, Jan and I took the water Hop-on Hop-off and it was very cool!

At the end, we stopped for a beer at piazza San Marco (for the photo stop) (most expensive beer to date: €12!).  

And then went into the labyrinth of streets looking for, and finding, a place where to have a late lunch; very good.

Back at the hotel, went through the checkout process and found out that Julia had made alternative arrangements for us to get to the airport; water taxi and car.

Exchanged e-mails with the original provider and they said they would pick us up about a mile away from the hotel; no dice.

Went to bed early again.

Day 22 - WED - 11SEP19

Flying Venice -> Istanbul -> Atlanta

Got up at five and, after a shower and one last repacking, Jan and I left the place at 5:45 AM. Mario, the taxi driver Julia had arranged for us, was waiting for us at the agreed upon place (by the Zanzibar Gelato shop). It was a whole water taxi ride (no car) all the way to the airport (about 20 minutes; €135) ...

Made it to the air terminal (a 12 mins walk from the water terminal), and checked in without a hitch; actually, it was a pleasure!

Afterwards, we went to the Priority Lounge, to have some coffee, write a little, and wait for our flight gate to be announced...

We got gate 55 and there we went; I asked the gate agent if, because of the bum knee, Mom could board early; they were very accommodating and, as I write this, we are on our seats on the flight from Venice to Istanbul waiting to take off...

TK1868 took off right on time, and it landed right on time in Istanbul. We went from A7 to D7 to catch our next and last leg of air travel TK31 and that’s when the wheels seem to have come off the wagon. It is 3:18 PM local time (8:18 AM in Atlanta) and we’ve been delayed now for over one hour (1:13 to be precise) due to a technical issue... After the ‘issue’ was resolved, we took off for an otherwise uneventful ride to ATL. Landed at 8:30 PM EST.

We forgot we had (and as such did not get rid of) some slices of salami, bread rolls and cookies; so, at Customs time, we had to declare we had all those food items; we were sent to full Customs search and I thought we would be busted for the big bottle of Scotch we were carrying... Well, much to my surprise and pleasure, they understood about the food, only the salami was suspect, and, after a couple of warm jokes, they welcomed us home and let us through...

Then I saw Alex waiting for us right outside... All’s good in the world!!!