Mediterranean Travels: Bari & Olympia

Our one stop in Italy, aside from Venice, was in Bari, a town I didn't know anything about before booking the cruise. It's the capital of Puglia and a lovely small city right on the water. My tour was a walk through the city, focusing on the Medieval alleys, the Norman castle, and two large churches. It was a gorgeous day, just barely on the side of hot in the sun, but walking through the small alleys with tall buildings on either side and cobblestone streets was a nice way to cool off. My favorite sight was the women sitting outside houses/shops rolling and shaping pasta, mostly orecchiette, and then drying it on screens in the sun. I also watched, fascinated, as an older man knotted (knit?) a fishing net using extremely fine filament that his friend doled out as they chatted away the afternoon. 

The first church we visited, a Catholic cathedral, was large and grand and similar to most other large and grand cathedrals I've visited. Its claim to fame is a day each year when the light shining through the rosette window aligns perfectly with the rosette on the floor of the cathedral, similar to Chartres in France. Today was not that day.

Next we visited the 11th century basilica which is a Catholic church on the main level and Orthodox downstairs. It was built to house the remains of Saint Nicholas, who died in Alexandria, Egypt. The remains were later smuggled out of the Muslim port in barrels labeled as pork products. After being lost - twice - int he building and rebuilding of the basilica, he finally is at rest. Except for the many thousands of pilgrims and tourists who visit each year.

We had some free time, and I was starving, so I found a nice little cafe on a quiet square and enjoyed one last good Italian pizza. Next door was a very busy shop where people came out with gelato, so I ventured in. It was, indeed, a gelato and pastry shop! I opted for gelato, which was refreshing if not as tasty as I'd hoped. I just need to experiment more.

The tour was a bit of a letdown because the English speakers were paired with another language, and the guide had to give explanations in both languages so it took twice as long as it needed to. Plus, the other group wasn't particularly quiet during the English narratives, so I heard very little the entire day. The excursion did not win points for organization, that's for sure.

I was back on the boat an hour before departure and opted to lie down for a while before dinner. Tonight was Italian night, so I put on a green shirt and joined the fun. Our table group was a little more relaxed tonight and eager to share the day's experiences. The food was decent, and I decided to stay for the evening show, a take on classic Venetian Carnevale, complete with opera singers and dance. The singers were quite good as well as the dancers, but I was glad it was only about 40 minutes long. 

After setting my watch forward an hour in preparation for Greece, I turned in. I woke up and showered, had a quick breakfast at exactly the same time as the other 3000 guests onboard, and headed for the theater to meet my excursion group. Today I was thankfully on a solely-English speaking bus, which wasn't quite full, and our guide was very good. We drove 38 km inland through olive groves, watermelon fields, corn fields, and small towns to the town of Olympia and the birthplace of the Olympic games. 

The temperature hovered around 90 today with full sun, but the site is very well interspersed with trees providing shade. 297 Olympic games were held here, every four years, over ~12 centuries before the Roman Emperor Theodosius outlawed them as a symbol of paganism. Earthquakes took care of most of the buildings, and all that's left now are the ruins. The one place, however, where you can start to get an idea of what it must have been like is the stadium. Walking through the archway used by the athletes and coming upon this long, flat track with hills on both sides for spectators, it's easy to imagine the pomp and circumstance of the ancient games. During the 2004 Olympics some events, like discus, were held here. It would have been quite amazing to experience. 

There are lots of stones with engravings, which used to hold statues of winners and still bear their names and attributes. Columns, benches, bathtubs, and building foundations are visible. We traced the path of the gymnasium, a training ground where the athletes came a month before each games to acclimate and train. 

The area, nestled between several hills, is where Zeus defeated his father Cronos in a race, which is why it became the site of the first games. It's very picturesque, with pine and other trees providing ample shade on a hot day. Even with a bazillion other coaches there (mostly from our ship, I think; it was one of two in the small port of Katakolon) we managed to get some photos without other people and enjoy a bit of peace.

After a quick shopping stop on the main street and at a tourist trap for olive oil and honey it was back to the port and onboard. I grabbed a (very) late lunch along with the other 3000 guests. This is getting old. I managed to do a quick FaceTime with my parents to say hello and show them Greece from my balcony before dinner and bed.

Swabian Castle grounds

Orecchiette drying in the sun

I love this egg dispenser!

Making fishing nets

Bari Cathedral

The famed rose window

Interior of Basilica Saint Nicholas

The eternal resting place of Saint Nicholas, after many false starts

Tomb of Saint Nicholas

I ate at the restaurant under the central canopy and had gelato from the shop next door.

Bari's old port

Olympia! 

Palaestra 

Former baths

Philippeion

Stones inscribed with victors' names and details 

Entrance to the stadium

Stadium

Site of the torch lighting, using a parabolic mirror 

Mediterranean Travels: Venice

After talking with some friends, and wanting to maximize my proximity to the whole Mediterranean region, I decided to take a cruise. The one I found that worked in the time frame I had available and went to all new (to me) places turned out to be an MSC cruise on the Orchestra. Eight days, seven nights, to and from Venice. Stops in Italy, Greece, and Montenegro. Close to perfect.

I did not have great experiences booking the tour or coordinating with either the travel agent or the cruise company, and I went into the vacation with a bit of trepidation. But, I would have a balcony cabin on the stern of the ship and could at least enjoy amazing views, even if every other thing went wrong.

I left work a couple hours early on Friday and flew to Venice via Rome. The flights on Alitalia were fine; there were no frills (entertainment), but they were also empty. So audiobooks it was! Rome was a bit of a cluster, and I barely made it to my gate before boarding time - just in time to see the board record a 20 minute delay. We left almost an hour late but landed only 30 minutes late, so it wasn't horrible. I arrived at the hotel at 11:54pm and sprinted to the bar to order some pizza before it closed. I stayed a bit outside Venice, and there was nothing else around for miles. That pizza tasted mighty good at midnight, I'll tell you.

I slept quite well and woke up to breakfast on leftover pizza - yay! I took my time getting ready and planning my day and made it to the train station (right behind the hotel) in plenty of time for the next train. The train was empty, and 30 minutes later I alighted in Venice. I was last here in 2007 for two days and remember the heat, the crowds, and the expense. It was lovely but not magical. I had a more leisurely pace today with no expectations, and I enjoyed it much more this time around. 

I started the afternoon by wandering through San Polo until I found the restaurant a friend had recommended. I arrived at the tail end of lunch time and had a lovely table in the leafy courtyard. It had rained in the morning, but it was clear and sunny now, with perfect temperatures. I lingered over caprese salad and a calzone, enjoying people-watching as much as the food. After that I browsed several shops as I made my way towards Rialto Bridge. I hadn't visited this bridge in 2007 and shouldn't have bothered today - it was packed with tourists, the bridge was under renovation, and the sun was bright. I took the Vaporetto to Saint Mark's Square to marvel at the lack of pigeons and do more people watching. After a quick glimpse at the Bridge of Sighs I jumped aboard one last Vaporetto - in the bow, as Rick Steves told me to - and cruised the entire length of the line back to the train station. 

The trip back to Quarto d'Altino was quick and uneventful, and after a lackluster dinner in the hotel restaurant I took full advantage of fast internet and did a ton of photo uploads and FaceTimed with my parents and Grandma. 

On Sunday I took the hotel transfer to the port and - to my happy surprise - was checked in and on board in less than an hour. I had plenty of time to wander and explore after dropping my small bag in my room. Lunch was a rushed, overwhelmed affair - everybody was eating at the same time, and space was at a premium. I missed half of the buffet apparently - I was wondering where the non-carb options were! But the soup and salad were good. 

I opted for an overpriced pedicure to get flip flop ready before joining the safety drill. Afterwards I camped out on my deck for 90 minutes as we started the engines and cruised out of Venice. The pilot boat was right below my balcony, and the stern of the boat offered phenomenal views of Venice from the Grand Canal. I only left my perch to make it to dinner, where I met my tablemates for the week - a couple from Atlanta and family of four from Ann Arbor. Service was lackluster, and the food was lukewarm, but I hope it was just the first night. We'll see. I skipped the evening show for a chance to relax and unpack and prepare for the week ahead. I think I remember why I didn't 100% love the cruise I did in college - the crowds. I'm going to try and embrace the experience for what it is, even as I've realized that I much prefer my small safari camps in remote African parks as a preferred way to get away from it all. But this isn't getting away - this is exploring Greece! So, open mind.

First glimpses of Venice

My initial forays through almost-empty streets in San Polo were lovely

An obligatory gondola shot

The Grand Canal

Piazza San Marco

Saint Mark's Basilica

Still a few pigeons

St. Mark's Campanile (I went up it in 2007)

Doge's Palace

Lion statue, symbol of Venice

Bridge of Sighs

Gondoliers hard at work

Just an ordinary afternoon phone call

Cruising the Grand Canal by vaporetto

The Rialto Bridge, with some of its construction siding falling off and an obnoxious billboard given entirely too much space.

When the sun hit the bridge right you could see some of the actual features under the construction siding.

Pilot boat as seen from my balcony

Leaving from the Port of Venice meant a lovely ride down the Grand Canal out to sea

Piazza San Marco, Campanile, Doge's Palace, Basilica as seen from my balcony

And we're off!

Arrivederci Venice!

That Mythical Perfect Travel Day

I'm currently relaxing on the couch in the newly-remodeled den at my childhood home in NH, listening to crickets chirp as the late summer breeze cools the room through the screened windows. The downside is I'm sick as a dog and have a sinus headache that just won't quit. But it's so lovely to be here! And - even more lovely - yesterday's travel day was that mythical being where everything went perfectly. I will pay for it dearly in the future, I'm sure, but I'm still going to revel a wee bit in the perfection. I spent a lovely week in London (more on that later) before flying to the United States and so didn't have a 20+ hour ordeal, but I still had several possible hurdles.

The day started early, but I made it to Heathrow right on schedule, navigating morning rush hour with no problems. As I dropped off the rental car, the Enterprise agent noted that I had prepaid for fuel but used less than a quarter of a tank. I sheepishly shrugged and said I didn't realize it would be quite so economical a model. And then he refunded the prepaid fuel. Just because.

The shuttle to the terminal was waiting for me, and the friendly driver helped me load my bags on a cart. There was absolutely no wait to drop off bags, and both of my bags weighed in at a few kilograms shy of the limit. The check-in agent told me that the flight wasn't full and it was a relatively quiet day at the airport. Score.

After stocking up on cold meds and throat lozenges at the airport Boots I settled down to check work emails and mentally prep for the flight. I was hoping the flight would arrive early enough for me to catch an early bus to NH, but it was going to take a travel miracle.

I finished checking email just as the gate was announced. After trekking approximately six miles to the gate I was thrilled to find out that the seat next to me was currently unassigned. And the gate agent told me it was unlikely to change since it was less than a half-full flight.

Boarding started early, and I was the first one to board in my zone, so there was ample overhead bin space. I needn't have worried. Boarding finished 30+ minutes prior to the departure time, and not only did I have a free seat next to me, but the two rows of seats in front of me were also empty, even after folks had spread out. We took off only ten minutes past our scheduled departure - a minor miracle at Heathrow, in my experience - and the projected flight time put us into Boston with the potential for me to catch the early bus.

The flight was turbulent so I slept poorly, but the flight crew was lovely and helpful, which was a nice surprise on my first time flying Delta in many years. We landed at 11:50 am (scheduled 12:18 pm) and were deplaning within ten minutes. My bus was at 12:55. Still possible.

I sailed through the arrival kiosks but got hung up in the line for a CBP agent. There was only one agent on duty for the entire U.S. citizen/Canadian citizen/repeat VWP traveler section, and there were at least three flights that had arrived recently. I was pretty far ahead in the line, but it still took me until 12:40 to clear immigration.

Thankfully both of my bags were on the belt when I got to baggage claim, and there was no wait at customs. I made it to the bus stop with several minutes to spare. And then the bus was a few minutes late because so many folks boarded at the other terminals. The only downside of the travel day was that I didn't have an empty seat next to me for the ride to NH, but that was small potatoes at this point. Dartmouth is starting soon, so lots of students were returning from summer break. I was just glad not to have to kill two more hours with all of my bags!

The bus arrived at my stop fifteen minutes early, but my mom was already there to meet me. We loaded the car and were home by 4pm. At which time I got to marvel in person at the phenomenal remodel job my parents have done on our home. The new bathroom is a sanctuary. Our old farmhouse's sole bathroom had been literally carved out of the living room when indoor plumbing became all the rage, and it was cramped and central. The new bathroom is at the back of the house in what was the smallest bedroom, and it's spacious and comfortable and gorgeous.

After visiting my 50,000 new sisters (my mom has a newly-established beehive), a tasty dinner, and emptying my suitcases of presents for my parents, it was time for bed. I fell asleep almost immediately and, after waking at 5am with a sinus headache and taking meds, slept till 10. Glorious. It was the perfect day to precede the promotion lists' release, on which my name did not appear. I did not realistically expect promotion this time around but was glad to see some friends and colleagues appear. Yay to all of you!

Expect some blog catchups in the next few days as I recover from my cold and truly rest and recuperate in familiar and familial surroundings.