Month long trip to europe1
Aug 19th, 2011, 10:56 AM
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Month long trip to europe1
Okay here goes my first trip report!
We decided to go with our grandsons aged 16,13. Our main reason of going was to do a Mediterranean cruise but then decided to add a couple weeks before.
April 25 We left Atlanta, Ga for Manchester England. We arrived in Manchester after a nice delta flight. Upon arriving we rented a car and drove roughly 40 mins to southport, to visit my husbands sister! She was delighted to see us and the boys! We went to dinner that night and slept well! oddly jet leg didnt affect any of us ever! The next morning we were up and ready to explore south-port with our own "Guide" she took us all over, down to the coast onto the beach etc. Later that afternoon it was back to the airport to drop off the car and fly to Paris!
We arrived in paris around 5pm and were met by our wonderful driver who took us to our hotel (Hotel Grandes Ecoles). This hotel is simply wonderful! If you are going to pairs stay here! It was in the Latin quarter and right off small roundabout with many restaurants! It was also only a block from the metro! We went to a small cafe for dinner across the street from the hotel before turning in for the night. the next morning we were up bright and early for a day at Versailles! If you are in paris you dont want to miss the amazing palace! We spent about 5.5 hours here but could have easily spent more! After the palace we returned to the hotel,, rested a bit and then starting exploring the Latin Quarter. The next day we had another early morning to tour paris! Our first stop was the eiffle tour. The line to buy tickets was extremely long but moved pretty quickly id say we didnt wait longer than 30 mins, after that it was onto Les Invalides which is a meusuem i highly recommend if you have time. Next up we toured ile de cite and took in Notre Dame( go inside!). We also had lunch at a small but very good cafe with a view of the cathedral! Following a tasty lunch we hopped back onto the metro to go to Champs elysees, We walked from one end to the other ending at the Arc de triumph. We crossed under the road going to the arc. After taking in the arc we took the metro to Sacre Coure. This church had the most stunning views of the city! Once back on street level we took the metro to the Lourve. We waited a whole 5 min to get in and spent about 1 hr here taking in the main pieces of art. By this time it was around 5pm and we were completely exhausted, so back to the hotel we went had some dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant and went to bed! Our last half day in Paris, we spent the morning at Luxembourg gardens, it was fun to watch all the local exercising, strolling and playing. We then walked along the seine river! It was spectacular! all the vendors and couples strolling you could feel "Paris". After lunch we headed back to the hotel to pack up. We still had a couple hours so decided to take a self guided latin quarter walking tour. let me say that this was probably one of the best walks i have taken! We finished the tour and ended up at the parthenon. We had a yummy lunch of sandwiches from a nearby deli on the steps of the gorgeous st Genevieves. Following lunch we went into the parthenon! This was the most fabulous building in all of paris! Sadly it was time to go. We took the metro back to our hotel and then took a cab to the train station! boarded an afternoon train to london and sat back to watch the french countryside go by!
(If you are wondering why we went to paris before london it was because of the wedding)
Arriving in London about 645pm took a cab to our hotel near kings cross, so not far! We had a nice dinner in a local restaurant. Up bright and early for our one day in london! We took the metro from Kings cross station to picadilly circus and got on the first Hop on hop off bus of the day! Our first stop was the Tower of London! That place is awesome! While there we saw the crown jewels! Following this we took a cruise on the thames river to Westminster abby stop. After disembarking the boat we walked to the London eye and took an awesome ride around the wheel! Following the eye it was back onto the bus to ride the rest of the loop. We got off near Trafalgar Square and had lunch at sherlock holmes pub. After lunch we got back onto the bus and rode the other route seeing all the major sites getting off at Buckingham Palace where we happened to see the changing of the guard. For dinner we went to Coventry park before heading back to the hotel,.
Today we were up bright and early and at Kings Cross at 445 am! to take the train to Edinburgh! The Scottish countryside is magnificent! we arrived at 1110 am and took a cab to our Bed and Breakfast. This was by far the best place we have ever stayed! The hosts were simply amazing the rooms were superb as was the breakfast! We had views of the city and kings Arthur's seat! After settling in and not wanting to leave our room, we finally called a cab to take us around king arthurs seat and the surrounding area! Simply beautiful! The cab driver dropped us off at Calton hill which has breathtaking views of the city! We then went to the royal mile walked it and then toured Edinburgh Castle! Following the castle we went to the Scottish whiskey experience. After this back to our wonderful room and dinner! The next day we went on a full day tour out into the Scottish highlands! I highly recommend this tour! Our driver Richard was hilarious! We drove through the highlands stopping at various points for pictures as well as a few small town for coffee, snack/ bathroom breaks! We finally arrived in Ft Augustas ( a small town on Loch Ness) We had lunch here and then took a cruise on the Loch! We then drove back a different route through magnificent scotland! we arrived back in edinburgh and had dinner at a chinese place across the street from the drop off point. More to come later! sorry for the rambling and punctuation/ grammar errors
We decided to go with our grandsons aged 16,13. Our main reason of going was to do a Mediterranean cruise but then decided to add a couple weeks before.
April 25 We left Atlanta, Ga for Manchester England. We arrived in Manchester after a nice delta flight. Upon arriving we rented a car and drove roughly 40 mins to southport, to visit my husbands sister! She was delighted to see us and the boys! We went to dinner that night and slept well! oddly jet leg didnt affect any of us ever! The next morning we were up and ready to explore south-port with our own "Guide" she took us all over, down to the coast onto the beach etc. Later that afternoon it was back to the airport to drop off the car and fly to Paris!
We arrived in paris around 5pm and were met by our wonderful driver who took us to our hotel (Hotel Grandes Ecoles). This hotel is simply wonderful! If you are going to pairs stay here! It was in the Latin quarter and right off small roundabout with many restaurants! It was also only a block from the metro! We went to a small cafe for dinner across the street from the hotel before turning in for the night. the next morning we were up bright and early for a day at Versailles! If you are in paris you dont want to miss the amazing palace! We spent about 5.5 hours here but could have easily spent more! After the palace we returned to the hotel,, rested a bit and then starting exploring the Latin Quarter. The next day we had another early morning to tour paris! Our first stop was the eiffle tour. The line to buy tickets was extremely long but moved pretty quickly id say we didnt wait longer than 30 mins, after that it was onto Les Invalides which is a meusuem i highly recommend if you have time. Next up we toured ile de cite and took in Notre Dame( go inside!). We also had lunch at a small but very good cafe with a view of the cathedral! Following a tasty lunch we hopped back onto the metro to go to Champs elysees, We walked from one end to the other ending at the Arc de triumph. We crossed under the road going to the arc. After taking in the arc we took the metro to Sacre Coure. This church had the most stunning views of the city! Once back on street level we took the metro to the Lourve. We waited a whole 5 min to get in and spent about 1 hr here taking in the main pieces of art. By this time it was around 5pm and we were completely exhausted, so back to the hotel we went had some dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant and went to bed! Our last half day in Paris, we spent the morning at Luxembourg gardens, it was fun to watch all the local exercising, strolling and playing. We then walked along the seine river! It was spectacular! all the vendors and couples strolling you could feel "Paris". After lunch we headed back to the hotel to pack up. We still had a couple hours so decided to take a self guided latin quarter walking tour. let me say that this was probably one of the best walks i have taken! We finished the tour and ended up at the parthenon. We had a yummy lunch of sandwiches from a nearby deli on the steps of the gorgeous st Genevieves. Following lunch we went into the parthenon! This was the most fabulous building in all of paris! Sadly it was time to go. We took the metro back to our hotel and then took a cab to the train station! boarded an afternoon train to london and sat back to watch the french countryside go by!
(If you are wondering why we went to paris before london it was because of the wedding)
Arriving in London about 645pm took a cab to our hotel near kings cross, so not far! We had a nice dinner in a local restaurant. Up bright and early for our one day in london! We took the metro from Kings cross station to picadilly circus and got on the first Hop on hop off bus of the day! Our first stop was the Tower of London! That place is awesome! While there we saw the crown jewels! Following this we took a cruise on the thames river to Westminster abby stop. After disembarking the boat we walked to the London eye and took an awesome ride around the wheel! Following the eye it was back onto the bus to ride the rest of the loop. We got off near Trafalgar Square and had lunch at sherlock holmes pub. After lunch we got back onto the bus and rode the other route seeing all the major sites getting off at Buckingham Palace where we happened to see the changing of the guard. For dinner we went to Coventry park before heading back to the hotel,.
Today we were up bright and early and at Kings Cross at 445 am! to take the train to Edinburgh! The Scottish countryside is magnificent! we arrived at 1110 am and took a cab to our Bed and Breakfast. This was by far the best place we have ever stayed! The hosts were simply amazing the rooms were superb as was the breakfast! We had views of the city and kings Arthur's seat! After settling in and not wanting to leave our room, we finally called a cab to take us around king arthurs seat and the surrounding area! Simply beautiful! The cab driver dropped us off at Calton hill which has breathtaking views of the city! We then went to the royal mile walked it and then toured Edinburgh Castle! Following the castle we went to the Scottish whiskey experience. After this back to our wonderful room and dinner! The next day we went on a full day tour out into the Scottish highlands! I highly recommend this tour! Our driver Richard was hilarious! We drove through the highlands stopping at various points for pictures as well as a few small town for coffee, snack/ bathroom breaks! We finally arrived in Ft Augustas ( a small town on Loch Ness) We had lunch here and then took a cruise on the Loch! We then drove back a different route through magnificent scotland! we arrived back in edinburgh and had dinner at a chinese place across the street from the drop off point. More to come later! sorry for the rambling and punctuation/ grammar errors
Aug 19th, 2011, 10:59 AM
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Sounds like your trip was wonderful.
A suggestion - could you please please put some paragraphs in your report to make reading easier on the old eyes!
I've asked the editors to tag this for France and UK so people searching can find info about those countries.
A suggestion - could you please please put some paragraphs in your report to make reading easier on the old eyes!
I've asked the editors to tag this for France and UK so people searching can find info about those countries.
Aug 19th, 2011, 12:11 PM
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The next morning we were up bright and early for a 630 am flight to dublin! We were especially excited for this part of the trip as my husband is from Ireland and has many family members living there still. We landed after an uneventful ryanair flight about 823 am. We picked up our rental car from thrifty/dollar rental car! STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY! the car we go was filthy and the worst will come at the end of this post. We go in the car and drove across the country to the Cliffs of Moher. These cliffs are simply breathtaking! Following the cliffs we drove into Limerick where we saw some cousin's and his brothers sister in laws! Had dinner at their house before going back to the bed and breakfast.
The next day we met the sisters in the city for a good bye lunch and off to Bunratty castle! This was a very cool experience. next we went to Killarney. We absolutely fell in love with this town all over again! We arrived and checked in to our bed and breakfast and then went and explored the town. We went to a wonderful local pub for dinner and enjoyed traditional Irish music!
The next day we went on a ring of kerry tour! This was a very fun day! The country is just so pretty! We stopped multiple times in small villages, coffee shops, a famine village and a sheep dog farm, which was pretty cool to watch the dogs herd the sheep! Back to Killarney for one more night in another awesome b&b.
Upon waking the following morning we had one last delicious breakfast before driving onto waterford via cork( just to see the cities) We arrived in waterford (where my husband was born and raised)and took teh car ferry across the river the waterford castle where we were staying! the castle grounds are amazing and since the castle was rented out for a wedding we were upgraded to a golf townhouse! this was like our own house! recently built modern 3 bedrooms 4 bathrooms! Balconies off every room, a nice back patio with views of the city and river. All the windows and doors could open to allow a nice cool breeze to blow through! Oh and a washer dryer! After being wowed by our room and not wanting to leave! we went and saw my husbands house, church, school etc! this was really special for the grandkids. We then went and found some second cousins of his who were delighted to see us! Irish hospitality is certainly a step above anywhere else! it turns out the cousions daughter is mayor of waterford! Anyways, we spent a long time talking and visiting! The day following we explored teh city and went to the waterford crystal factory, mass in my husbands old church, and had a special mothers day lunch in the nicest hotel in Waterford! Unfortunately, we had to leave and go onto dublin.
Upon arrival in dublin we checked into our hotel out by the airport. We then had a nice dinner at the hotel before going to bed.
the next day we took a nearby bus into the city! We got on the hop on bus tour and did the entire loop before getting off at trinity college and seeing the book of kells! We then went to the guiness facotry1 That place is very cool! Following this we explored the city and did all the other major sites. We got subway for dinner and took it back to the hotel to eat it! My husband and oldest grandson (our navigator) took the rental car back. THis is where the problems started.......the inspected the car and "found" a gash in the center of 1 of the tires. the kind that takes someone sticking a knife in the tire! there is no way we did this. they went on to explain that the car goes through 6 points of inspection before it is released to be rented again. My quick witted grandson took out his camera as he had taken pictures of the car before we left because of its condition( thank goodness for us!) he showed them how it could not have gone through any of the points of inspection which included being washed and since the car looked like it had been driven down a dirt road for 6000 miles. after talking to his manager they finally said they would let it slide. While they were in the managers office talking my grandson was being nosy and was glancing at the offices papers on the car and found a page with red letters that basically said the hole had been in the tire for about 2.5 months! hello maybe they should fix this?!? they had been making people pay 500 euros extra each time they rented the car because no one could prove they couldnt do it!!!! he took a ppicture of this and I sent a letter containing the picture to their corporate office here in the US. I received a full refund and a free rental down the road, but still STAY AWAY from Dollar/thrifty!
Anyways.....Oh ya.. that night we met my husbands, best friends, brothers and wives and one of their grown sons. They were a hoot! We stayed up way to late! We had to be at the airport at 530 am for a 630 am flight to Rome!!!!!!!! More to come later!
The next day we met the sisters in the city for a good bye lunch and off to Bunratty castle! This was a very cool experience. next we went to Killarney. We absolutely fell in love with this town all over again! We arrived and checked in to our bed and breakfast and then went and explored the town. We went to a wonderful local pub for dinner and enjoyed traditional Irish music!
The next day we went on a ring of kerry tour! This was a very fun day! The country is just so pretty! We stopped multiple times in small villages, coffee shops, a famine village and a sheep dog farm, which was pretty cool to watch the dogs herd the sheep! Back to Killarney for one more night in another awesome b&b.
Upon waking the following morning we had one last delicious breakfast before driving onto waterford via cork( just to see the cities) We arrived in waterford (where my husband was born and raised)and took teh car ferry across the river the waterford castle where we were staying! the castle grounds are amazing and since the castle was rented out for a wedding we were upgraded to a golf townhouse! this was like our own house! recently built modern 3 bedrooms 4 bathrooms! Balconies off every room, a nice back patio with views of the city and river. All the windows and doors could open to allow a nice cool breeze to blow through! Oh and a washer dryer! After being wowed by our room and not wanting to leave! we went and saw my husbands house, church, school etc! this was really special for the grandkids. We then went and found some second cousins of his who were delighted to see us! Irish hospitality is certainly a step above anywhere else! it turns out the cousions daughter is mayor of waterford! Anyways, we spent a long time talking and visiting! The day following we explored teh city and went to the waterford crystal factory, mass in my husbands old church, and had a special mothers day lunch in the nicest hotel in Waterford! Unfortunately, we had to leave and go onto dublin.
Upon arrival in dublin we checked into our hotel out by the airport. We then had a nice dinner at the hotel before going to bed.
the next day we took a nearby bus into the city! We got on the hop on bus tour and did the entire loop before getting off at trinity college and seeing the book of kells! We then went to the guiness facotry1 That place is very cool! Following this we explored the city and did all the other major sites. We got subway for dinner and took it back to the hotel to eat it! My husband and oldest grandson (our navigator) took the rental car back. THis is where the problems started.......the inspected the car and "found" a gash in the center of 1 of the tires. the kind that takes someone sticking a knife in the tire! there is no way we did this. they went on to explain that the car goes through 6 points of inspection before it is released to be rented again. My quick witted grandson took out his camera as he had taken pictures of the car before we left because of its condition( thank goodness for us!) he showed them how it could not have gone through any of the points of inspection which included being washed and since the car looked like it had been driven down a dirt road for 6000 miles. after talking to his manager they finally said they would let it slide. While they were in the managers office talking my grandson was being nosy and was glancing at the offices papers on the car and found a page with red letters that basically said the hole had been in the tire for about 2.5 months! hello maybe they should fix this?!? they had been making people pay 500 euros extra each time they rented the car because no one could prove they couldnt do it!!!! he took a ppicture of this and I sent a letter containing the picture to their corporate office here in the US. I received a full refund and a free rental down the road, but still STAY AWAY from Dollar/thrifty!
Anyways.....Oh ya.. that night we met my husbands, best friends, brothers and wives and one of their grown sons. They were a hoot! We stayed up way to late! We had to be at the airport at 530 am for a 630 am flight to Rome!!!!!!!! More to come later!
Aug 20th, 2011, 08:48 AM
#5
Wow - a real whirlwind tour! Sounds like you had a great/fun time.
I am a <i>bit</i> confused by your London day
>><i><blue>Our first stop was the Tower of London! ... Following this we took a cruise on the thames river to Westminster abby stop ... we walked to the London eye and took an awesome ride around the wheel! ... back onto the bus to ride the rest of the loop ... had lunch at sherlock holmes pub. ... rode the other route seeing all the major sites ... where we happened to see the changing of the guard.</i></blue><<
Perhaps you have things confused or out of order?? The Tower + a boat cruise + the Eye + more bus ride should have made for an pretty late lunch. And it sounds like you probably got to the Palace in the very late afternoon. The Changing of the Guard takes place in the morning.
By any chance, did you mean Covent Garden instead of 'Coventry Park'?
I am a <i>bit</i> confused by your London day
>><i><blue>Our first stop was the Tower of London! ... Following this we took a cruise on the thames river to Westminster abby stop ... we walked to the London eye and took an awesome ride around the wheel! ... back onto the bus to ride the rest of the loop ... had lunch at sherlock holmes pub. ... rode the other route seeing all the major sites ... where we happened to see the changing of the guard.</i></blue><<
Perhaps you have things confused or out of order?? The Tower + a boat cruise + the Eye + more bus ride should have made for an pretty late lunch. And it sounds like you probably got to the Palace in the very late afternoon. The Changing of the Guard takes place in the morning.
By any chance, did you mean Covent Garden instead of 'Coventry Park'?
Aug 20th, 2011, 11:44 AM
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It was not the morning changing of the guard, but an afternoon one. We didnt even know it happened. Very low key but still cool to see. Thanks for catching my mistake! It went the tower, cruise, bus for about 20 mins, then lunch, the the rest of the loop to the eye. Sorry for the mistakes, as i said its my first time.
Aug 20th, 2011, 12:01 PM
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Upon our arival in Rome (CIA) airport, we were met by our driver and began our journey to civitavecchia. Upon arrival we checking into our hotel and took a power nap. We hadnt gone to bed until 3 am and were up at 5, needless to say we were exhausted! We woke up around 3pm and went out to explore. We had lunch at a very good restaurant near the water. Walked around a bit more going into a local market to buy some snacks. Upon returning to the hotel we all went back to bed slept through dinner and woke up around 6 am!
Today was cruise embarkation day! As I said we were up early, so decided to get a quick breakfast and go to the beach for a couple hours. After a nice morning at the beach we returned back to the hotel, showered checked out and took the free shutlle to the port, arriving about 1045. Check in was a breeze and we were onboard by 1115. We were on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. This ship was simply amazing in everyway! We met loads of nice people. Our dinner mates were a scream! They boys loved them and would often hang out with them etc. We all still talk at least once a week!
Our first full day was spent in awesome Sicily! We docked in Messina but went to Mt Etna, saw the craters etc and Taromina. In Taromina we had lunch in a beautiful square on a cliff over looking the sea! We then explored the pretty little town for a few hours. After that Back to Messina we went, stopping to see a beautiful church over looking the city! and the astronomical clock and church.
Today was cruise embarkation day! As I said we were up early, so decided to get a quick breakfast and go to the beach for a couple hours. After a nice morning at the beach we returned back to the hotel, showered checked out and took the free shutlle to the port, arriving about 1045. Check in was a breeze and we were onboard by 1115. We were on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas. This ship was simply amazing in everyway! We met loads of nice people. Our dinner mates were a scream! They boys loved them and would often hang out with them etc. We all still talk at least once a week!
Our first full day was spent in awesome Sicily! We docked in Messina but went to Mt Etna, saw the craters etc and Taromina. In Taromina we had lunch in a beautiful square on a cliff over looking the sea! We then explored the pretty little town for a few hours. After that Back to Messina we went, stopping to see a beautiful church over looking the city! and the astronomical clock and church.
Aug 20th, 2011, 12:23 PM
#8
Aah - now I understand
"<i>It was not the morning changing of the guard, but an afternoon one. We didnt even know it happened. Very low key but still cool to see.</i>"
You didn't actually see the "Changing of the Guard". You saw a shift change where a few Guardsmen were relieved and new ones took their positions.
The Changing of the Guard is not definitely 'low key' - take a look http://tinyurl.com/3cef8kl
"<i>Sorry for the mistakes, as i said its my first time.</i>"
Not to worry, it is hard to keep everything straight on a long trip. You are doing a nice report. Looking forward to the rest . . .
"<i>It was not the morning changing of the guard, but an afternoon one. We didnt even know it happened. Very low key but still cool to see.</i>"
You didn't actually see the "Changing of the Guard". You saw a shift change where a few Guardsmen were relieved and new ones took their positions.
The Changing of the Guard is not definitely 'low key' - take a look http://tinyurl.com/3cef8kl
"<i>Sorry for the mistakes, as i said its my first time.</i>"
Not to worry, it is hard to keep everything straight on a long trip. You are doing a nice report. Looking forward to the rest . . .
Aug 20th, 2011, 03:07 PM
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Keep on writing, Taylor. Sounds like you had a "cool trip" and that's "cool"...That's okay, all gramdparents steal their "cool" grandchildren's latest vernacular. I oughta know. "Cool!"...waiting for more. Cool again!
stu
stu
Aug 20th, 2011, 06:12 PM
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Taylor:
I'll bet the kids use "awesome" and "no problem", too.
I'm also sure that they think you're a "cool" grandma! I take it as the very best of compliments from my grand-gang, ages 31,29,29,24,21,16..and my wife's brood of grandkids, 10,8,6, 5 and 4. Does it keep us young? Nah! But it's fun!
stu
I'll bet the kids use "awesome" and "no problem", too.
I'm also sure that they think you're a "cool" grandma! I take it as the very best of compliments from my grand-gang, ages 31,29,29,24,21,16..and my wife's brood of grandkids, 10,8,6, 5 and 4. Does it keep us young? Nah! But it's fun!
stu
Aug 21st, 2011, 08:58 AM
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After a day in Sicily, We had a fun filled sea day! Cruising offers a wide variety of activities so we were never bored! From Ice skating, rock climbing, roller skating and playing mini golf our sea days were never boring!!
After our relaxing day at sea we arrived in Athens, Greece. We were off teh ship by 8 am and met our private tour guide, (privateathenstours.com) Our first stop was the Acropolis where we spent about 1.5 hours. after that we went to the Temple of Olympian Zeus (visit) and then to Panathenaic or Kallimarmaro Stadium which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. We then drove past the presidential palace before stopping at the houses of parliament and the tomb of the unknown soldier to watch the changing of the guard. We continued our tour by driving up to the highest point of Athens,Lycabettus Hill (the best 360 degree panoramic view of Athens). Following this we drove to the histoic Plaka district. We had one of the best lunches of our entire trip here for 8 euros for the 4 of us! Following lunch we were allowed to explore on our own for an hour or so. After a little shopping we were back on the bus to go see the Ancient Agora, temple of Hephaistos, and the Stoa of Attalos. When we had finished we decided to head back to the plaka instead of doing one of the museums. We browsed the shops, and took in the culture during the 2 hours or so we walked around. The guide and driver picked us up right on time and we were whisked back to the ship! We had a great day in Athens! Our guide Nikos, who is the owner of the company we chose, was simply fantastic! I would not hesitate to highly recommend him!
Unfortunately after our busy day in Athens we didnt have a sea day to recuperate. Our next day was Rhodes, Greece! This was our favorite port! We had decided not to take a tour here. So we got off the ship around 10 am and walked the short walk into the city. The entire city is surrounded by an old medieval wall and is simply breath taking! This island is famous for their "boot" beer. What it is, its beer in a glass boot, sizes are large, extra large and Tall! We the large is would hold about 12-15 cans of beer. WE wondered a while and some how ended up on the opposite side of the city! Now the city isnt that big, but there was no way back except to walk around the entire length of the wall! Thank god we found a taxi and headed back to the ship for lucnh. after lunch we hired a taxi to take us on a tour of the island. We went saw all the scenery, ruins, beaches etc. Only cost 30 euros for 2.5 hours. not bad at all and completely worth it! We were dropped off right near the entrance to the city closest to the ship bought some t-shirts etc and then went back to the ship.
After our relaxing day at sea we arrived in Athens, Greece. We were off teh ship by 8 am and met our private tour guide, (privateathenstours.com) Our first stop was the Acropolis where we spent about 1.5 hours. after that we went to the Temple of Olympian Zeus (visit) and then to Panathenaic or Kallimarmaro Stadium which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. We then drove past the presidential palace before stopping at the houses of parliament and the tomb of the unknown soldier to watch the changing of the guard. We continued our tour by driving up to the highest point of Athens,Lycabettus Hill (the best 360 degree panoramic view of Athens). Following this we drove to the histoic Plaka district. We had one of the best lunches of our entire trip here for 8 euros for the 4 of us! Following lunch we were allowed to explore on our own for an hour or so. After a little shopping we were back on the bus to go see the Ancient Agora, temple of Hephaistos, and the Stoa of Attalos. When we had finished we decided to head back to the plaka instead of doing one of the museums. We browsed the shops, and took in the culture during the 2 hours or so we walked around. The guide and driver picked us up right on time and we were whisked back to the ship! We had a great day in Athens! Our guide Nikos, who is the owner of the company we chose, was simply fantastic! I would not hesitate to highly recommend him!
Unfortunately after our busy day in Athens we didnt have a sea day to recuperate. Our next day was Rhodes, Greece! This was our favorite port! We had decided not to take a tour here. So we got off the ship around 10 am and walked the short walk into the city. The entire city is surrounded by an old medieval wall and is simply breath taking! This island is famous for their "boot" beer. What it is, its beer in a glass boot, sizes are large, extra large and Tall! We the large is would hold about 12-15 cans of beer. WE wondered a while and some how ended up on the opposite side of the city! Now the city isnt that big, but there was no way back except to walk around the entire length of the wall! Thank god we found a taxi and headed back to the ship for lucnh. after lunch we hired a taxi to take us on a tour of the island. We went saw all the scenery, ruins, beaches etc. Only cost 30 euros for 2.5 hours. not bad at all and completely worth it! We were dropped off right near the entrance to the city closest to the ship bought some t-shirts etc and then went back to the ship.
Aug 21st, 2011, 11:02 AM
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After a great day in Rhodes, our next port was Kusadasi, Ephesus, Turkey.
Our day began with meeting a group of people who had organized a tour off of cruise critic. We loaded up the mini bus and were off to the House of the virgin mary. That was very cool to see. next we drove to the ancient city of epheses! That place is Massive!!!!!! Only about 1/10 of it has been unearthed! We spent 2+ hours here touring the ancient ruins and stadiums etc. Following this we went to a turkish buffet for lunch. I have to say the turks dont excel in the food department!Following lunch we went to a village in the countryside. The villagers were very friendly and the village was cute. We had a while to explore. We were then taken back to Kusadasi and given a quick tour of the city, before being taken to a rug demonstration. We werent excited about this, but the tour was way cheaper then a ship on, and hey it was only 20 mins. They served cold drinks during the demonstrations. demonstration basically means sales pitch. they did show us how the turkish women make them however they unrolled about 50 rugs. I must say they were very pretty and some changed color. Needless to say we didnt buy one.... We walked through the strip mall area before heading back to the ship..
The next day. FINALLY a sea day! We desperately needed it!
Our day began with meeting a group of people who had organized a tour off of cruise critic. We loaded up the mini bus and were off to the House of the virgin mary. That was very cool to see. next we drove to the ancient city of epheses! That place is Massive!!!!!! Only about 1/10 of it has been unearthed! We spent 2+ hours here touring the ancient ruins and stadiums etc. Following this we went to a turkish buffet for lunch. I have to say the turks dont excel in the food department!Following lunch we went to a village in the countryside. The villagers were very friendly and the village was cute. We had a while to explore. We were then taken back to Kusadasi and given a quick tour of the city, before being taken to a rug demonstration. We werent excited about this, but the tour was way cheaper then a ship on, and hey it was only 20 mins. They served cold drinks during the demonstrations. demonstration basically means sales pitch. they did show us how the turkish women make them however they unrolled about 50 rugs. I must say they were very pretty and some changed color. Needless to say we didnt buy one.... We walked through the strip mall area before heading back to the ship..
The next day. FINALLY a sea day! We desperately needed it!
