It was my first official experience on a cruise. The first was when I was still a teenager and went to vietnam for a three days mini cruise. Our port was in Rome so we needed to board the train from Florence to Rome, which I assumed to be quite simple, as the tickets were already purchased in advance. When we arrived at the train station, there was no help desk for the train company we purchased from. In fact the only "help" was a large sheet of yellowed paper with microscopic writings on it telling us the schedule of the trains. Our train had a two to three hour delay, but we had no options but to patiently wait. There were so much confusion about what station our train is located , after inquiring many people the cleaning staff kindly pointed me out to the right direction. We needed to haul our suitcases, which were missing one of their wheel, up and down long flights of stairs. In the chaos my dad lost his pricy head massager which he used for the first time. After many delays that we found it a miracle that we made it on to the cruise ship. When we were finally offered champagne upon arrival of the cruise it was really a cause to celebrate .
First stop is my favourite island in Greece~ It was more then I imagined . Santorini is the beautiful result of a volcanic eruption. Every angle in this white castle offers a spectacular view of the Aegean sea. There are tones of space for everyone and it seems time also took a short break with wine and seafood on this island.
Turkey
Turkey is really a mystic country. Woman are covered from head to toe and only revealing their dark beautiful eyes. We had one and half days in Istanbul. Originally we wanted to do hot air balloons , but instead we joined a excursion which we all felt was not the best idea. One of the highlight was doing the turkish bath in a 500 years old building. Upon entry we were given a few wooden chips, for each service you were to give the woman a wooden chip. After showering you are directed to lay on hot slab of hot marble . Right above you is this spectacular dome ceiling, moonlight stream in through the circular cut outs. Then the woman will use a plastic bag, to squeeze bubble foam all over your body. Last but not least is a massage.
Athens
We had an very nice guide in Athens who can vividly explain what the original face of the city is like with the ruins. The library , fountain, market square. We were all amazed of the elegant architecture of the greek and romans. Although the sun is blazing, they made good use of natural properties of shades, marbles and water fountains to cool the temperature considerably. You can almost imagine apostle Paul giving a public discourse among those marble pillars.
Mykonos
A peaceful little island in Greece. It is not as famous as Santorini, but I found it more relaxing. We enjoyed a seafood platter for lunch. I wandered off by myself to seek a quiet spot to finish my post cards, and enjoyed a iced chocolate.
A French Table
It is probably the most fancy meal I ever had. It is an eight course French dinner. Each course is paired with a different wine. Since we were the first table being served, the bottle of wine was always brand new. My uncle generously treated us for dinner and fittingly shared his story of how he started his journey in becoming a Michelin star restaurateur.
Ephesus
Napoli, Italy
The amarfi coast with its fragrant lemon cello is really a pleasing destination. We toured a carpet shop, and saw how women would spend years weaving an intricate silk carpet. We got to feel with our feet the differences in carpets.
Rome
We arrived at our beautiful Air B and B suite in Rome. My sister especially was impressed at the interior design. By this time however, we were all eager to head home. Seeing too much architecture and ruins had saturated our palate. After being spoiled on the cruise we did a mindless tour of Rome on a hop on hop off bus. I love how the sunset turned this ancient city to an earthly red tone. The calm reflection of the colosseum waved farewell to our family.
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