The famous ‘let me hold the tower up” photo.
If there is one tower in the world that really needs no introduction its the one above. It surely must be the most photographed by persons standing in a certain pose which of course when viewed from the one viewpoint that makes sense of the pose gives meaning to their picture. After all we have all done the same have we not?
After spending 6 years on Seabourn Odyssey plying the waters of Venice to Athens to Istanbul I am rediscovering classical Italys west coast. I must confess to loving it. The Italian Riviera ports of Porto Venere near La Spezia, to Sorrento, to Amalfi and indeed the East coast of Sicily dominated by the lofty heights of volcanic Mount Etna are ports well worth a visit. The big ships can’t reach most of them. We can and do.
A watercolour artist sells his work.
I love pictures of the locals going about their lives. I can imagine that this scene will have been repeated over many years and invoke great memories.
The Dalmatian Coast of Croatia is another part of the world I really enjoy. Dubrovnik has always been a particular favourite. It is a city that has suffered in the past through wars although you could not tell now. Made famous by the Game of Throne programmes it can get really busy. But first thing in the morning and in the evening it quietens down when most of the big ships leave and we are left alone.
Dubrovnik city walls seen from our anchorage.
Debbie gets out and about most of the time helping our Destinations Manager as a tour escort. I reckon she has seen more of Europe in the last few weeks than I have in all the years I have been coming here.
The iconic house of Tullio in Italy.
As I write we are sitting at anchor off Gythion. The thermometer outside is touching 40C. That is not a typo. I am hiding inside out of the sun. Sunday is meant to reach 47 as a heat blast moves into Greece. We will he’d to Piraeus and then back to Civitavecchia where we will continue our West Med routes. I will say farewell to our Staff Captain Stefan as he goes home on leave and Daniel returns. We have taken to having a cup of coffee in the Seabourn Square around 10:30 each morning. Guests come and say hello and we chew over the fat of the day.
Senior management team at work.
So I will leave you with a few photos giving you a taste of where we have been recently.
Sibenik National Park.
Leonidis, Spartan warrior.
The Olympic flame crucible at Olympia. Still used to this day to light the torch carried around the world.
Mosaic floor at Ancient Nicopolis.
The Acropolis in Athens.