We are sailing the Aegean Sea, on our way to the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean, back to Italy, halfway through this cruise. In case you're lost, here's the itinerary: Venice - Dubrovnik - Istanbul - Salerno - Rome - Livorno - Marseilles - Barcelona. We had a full day at sea after Dubrovnik and another two sea days starting today. Ransom and I have booked a tour to Herculaneum from Salerno and, if the energy holds out, I may add Pompeii the same day. After that we'll likely just explore the remaining ports on our own, with the exception of Rome. There the ship actually docks in Civitavecchia, a good ninety minutes from Rome -- if you're lucky. So we'll wave to the happy -- soon to be miserable -- bus riders and enjoy a quiet ship.
Yesterday we took a two-hour cruise on the Bosphorus before leaving Istanbul. It was sweet, followed by an excellent set of appetizers at a restaurant on the Galata Bridge.
Celebrity has once again risen to our expectations and we are having a delightful time. Our dining room experience is excellent as well. Eladio, from Guatemala, and Mohanty, from Calcutta, take excellent care of us, and the food, which had dipped a bit on previous cruises, is back up to fine standards. As usual, we can't comment on the entertainment, as we don't partake. (I did watch the first few minutes of a show by London-based Lindsay Hamilton. She apparently starred in Evita at some point, so opened with, what else, Don't Cry for Me, Argentina before launching into a Streisand medley (Don't Rain on My Parade, People, On a Clear Day…), followed by The Rose, made famous by Bette Midler - the gay boys in the audience were ecstatic. I quietly left the room.
We still have not yet met anyone on board with whom we are hanging out, but that's ok as we most enjoy our own company. The days are relaxing, the evenings comforting, the views stunning and food terrific -- what more does one require from a holiday?
View on the Bosphorus
Luckily I only needed to pee
Our boat
The only woman I saw fishing on the bridge
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